50 survival tips - Read 'em now!

[BUGIE]

Thought I'd read through and see if there was anything I don't do instinctively after 20 years of riding. Nope but all essential advice.

My last accident was when I stopped to let a woman use a pedestrian crossing and got hit from behind by the woman driving the car behind me. So the 51st tip should be run over people on crossings.

To sum this up another Valid rule is:

Bikes brake better then cars
Remember that although you have perfected your braking technique and you can now stop on a coin, the driver behind probably hasn't... Before slamming on your brakes, look in your mirror and check the car behind you will stop in time.. If not look for a side road or even pull out to the centre line so that the car behind can go sailing right passed you into the car in front of you!!

Also...

Ride within your abilities not to your friends abilities

when riding in groups you tend to try and keep up with your friends who may be way more experienced, have bigger bikes or just not give a damn about living or dying... The end result of this is that you always accidentally end up hitting corners faster then you should do!! Bad enough on your own, even worse if you have a pillion!!!

P.s. Hi guys, i'm new to this forum (and biking in general) but it looks like a great forum so i couldn't resist joining


Chris

[moko]

Another one from years of experience,watch the driver in the car in front not just the car,I've seen people on phones,playing with babies,drinking all kinds of stuff,if they're not paying attention then they're dangerous so give them plenty of space,worst one I had was a few months back,car being driven well below the speed limit(often a sign that the driver's doing something else)and wandering across the road.Nothing coming so I used the opposite side of the road to pass,turned out to be a woman reading a map which was spread across her steering wheel!! Also use the mirrors of the vehicle in front,firstly if you can't see their mirrors they can't see you and also you can often see whether they're using them or not,same goes for the interior mirror,quite easy to see if it's being used as most will tilt their heads upwards slightly.
Also observation is vital,cow crap in the road?Well have a think where that comes from and what might just be around the corner,in winter I always look at the windows of parked cars to see how cold it is and therefore whether there's a chance of icy patches lurking.
Don't get angry,get wound up and you've lost concentration,wave your fist at someone and you're causing a situation that makes you both a danger to yourselves and others.I've found most drivers will acknowledge that they've made a mistake if you give them a chance to rather than your middle finger,better to nod and defuse the situation.Riding is about 100% concentration,a big part of the enjoyment for me,it's a skill and you'll get far more out of your riding as you pick it up,apart from the safety aspect you'll see all kinds of things along the way.
Know your bike,whenever I get a new one I find an empty car park and practice low-speed lock-ups(if you've got ABS don't bother,it'll be a very long day),clutch control,figure 8s e.t.c.,better to find out how your brakes will react in an emergency that way than when a truck shoots a red light and you're entering totally uncharted territory.
And never forget your bike's not a toy,it's a lot of fun but so is a hunting rifle and you don't want to be playing silly-buggers with one of those either.
One for you young guys,don't go bragging on web-sites about your latest off,these things happen but I often see people post stuff here and elsewhere who seem oddly proud of their lack of machine control or riding skills,guess what guys,people are laughing at you not with you.
Ride safe and have fun,you can do both.

[Dimi79]

It is so true...Common sense and true...It is realy helpfull to think non-stop when we ride and be ten times more carefull and aware about the surrounding trafic...

[Dimi79]

You are so right about what you wrote. Being stupid on the bike doesnt help no body. All the yers of expirience are keeping you alive on the road,and i agree that everyone should try to do the same and gain some expirience to gain more time to stay alive,just i hope none of that expirience will be a bad one...Cheers.

[rok-the-boat]

This is my #1 rule for daytime riding - I made it up myself. Your shadow tells you where danger comes from. For example, if you see your shadow in front and to your left, then the sun is behind you and blinding that car driver just pulling out (works for other directions - try it out and see). He will not see you but may hit you. So, watch your shadow!

[lemure]

[quote=outlawtorn;1105434]Found this article and thought it might be good to spread the knowledge.
-------
Assume you're invisible
Because to a lot of drivers, you are. Never make a move based on the assumption that another driver sees you, even if you've just made eye contact.


Don't know if this was the site you saw, there's other stuff there too ... http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ho..._0608_50_ways/

[kanny]

Exellent advice.

[gismo]

I'm just getting into riding again after years of not and this thread has given me alot of stuff to think about. Things that i wouldnt have thought about until it was too late or a mistake had been made. These survival tips should be given to everyone that takes the licence.. and not just the learners.

This is my #1 rule for daytime riding - I made it up myself. Your shadow tells you where danger comes from. For example, if you see your shadow in front and to your left, then the sun is behind you and blinding that car driver just pulling out (works for other directions - try it out and see). He will not see you but may hit you. So, watch your shadow!

I had never thought about using your shadow for safety reasons... but it makes so much sence.

[alanzs]

Awesome advice, I just have a question about this one:



I have been advised not to ride with my hand over the brake because it means not so much control on the throttle?
Maybe it doesn't make as much difference when you have bigger hands, but for me it seemed the choice was either to cover the brakes and have only the space between thumb and first finger left for throttle, or curl my hand around and actually be in charge of my speed.

Any comments?

I have always ridden with my right middle finger extended over the brake, especially when riding in traffic, or built up areas. That nanosecond saved which allows me to hit the brake makes up for whatever loss of throttle control the THEORY says it may have has always worked for me. But, thats just me...

[pritch]

I have been advised not to ride with my hand over the brake because it means not so much control on the throttle?

Any comments?

Unless there's a special reason for that advice I would regard it as suspect.

The texts I have say cover the brake in traffic, it drastically reduces your reaction time. I rest two fingers on the brake lever in traffic which is normally all I use for braking anyway.

While not directly related to town traffic, it's a useful skill to be able to operate the front brake and blip the throttle at the same time so as to brake and change down simultaniously. Lots of people seem to be able to do that without losing too much control of the throttle.

Most use the first two fingers to operate the brake lever, and the thumb, third finger and pinky for the throttle. One of the of the prominent Japanese riders though used his third and fourth fingers for the brake. I guess anything is possible if you practice...

[dubshack]

Another rule should be:
Ride the road and not the vehicle in front.
So many people follow the vehicle in front and don't really know where the road is going. This tends to happen when speed picks up on the twisties. How often do you see a rider over run a turn and the guy behind him does as well. This ties in perfectly to look ahead that is listed above.

[CB ARGH]

I'm on restricted C1 Licence and am still learning things... A few months ago I was on the motorway and about to do a lane change, looked in the mirrors, indicated, started to change lanes and saw something in the corner of my eye.

Fuck, it was a motorbike, Father and son by the looks of it. God, it scared the crap out of me. The saying "you learn from your mistakes" is so bloody true, I'd read about blind spots and stuff, but until that moment I didn't take any notice. Now every single time my neck almost breaks from turning around to check the blind spots.

They can't see you. It's a fact. STAND OUT. Be aware, be safe.

[P38]

Ride like everyone is out to get you.

Beacuse they are!

[madbikeboy]

Unless there's a special reason for that advice I would regard it as suspect.

The texts I have say cover the brake in traffic, it drastically reduces your reaction time. I rest two fingers on the brake lever in traffic which is normally all I use for braking anyway.

While not directly related to town traffic, it's a useful skill to be able to operate the front brake and blip the throttle at the same time so as to brake and change down simultaniously. Lots of people seem to be able to do that without losing too much control of the throttle.

Most use the first two fingers to operate the brake lever, and the thumb, third finger and pinky for the throttle. One of the of the prominent Japanese riders though used his third and fourth fingers for the brake. I guess anything is possible if you practice...

Blipping the gas provides smoother downchanging, and that means less dramas if there is slipperiness to be had. I was born before slipper clutches, as you can tell. I use one finger for braking, the same finger that is used for flipping the bird - but I've got a light sports bike. I ALWAYS cover the brake, the extra time isn't the issue, it's more that in a rush, progressive braking goes out the window. Practice braking - seriously, find somewhere to go and practice over and over. I still do it, each time I fit new or different tires, when it's wet, when the ground is cold.

[madbikeboy]

Thought I'd read through and see if there was anything I don't do instinctively after 20 years of riding. Nope but all essential advice.

My last accident was when I stopped to let a woman use a pedestrian crossing and got hit from behind by the woman driving the car behind me. So the 51st tip should be run over people on crossings.

After a lot of time on two wheels, both powered and human powered, when I stop, I cover the mirrors and stay in first gear. If there's lots of traffic around, I stop between cars - it's called a covered position - I've been safe in cover because I didn't like the look of the texting bitch behind, and she's rear ended the car I was covered beside. The road rules are nice, but staying alive is a better idea, I won't stay somewhere exposed unless there is a much worse reason for doing so.

It is pure psychology, we are trained to look for threats that are larger than we are - when was the last time you heard of some cager pulling out in front of an 18 wheeler? But, we're not percieved as a threat, therefore they just don't look for us.

Ban all the cars, I say.