50 ways to stay alive on two wheels

[Casper]

50 ways to stay alive on two wheels

========================

1. Assume you're invisible.

To a lot of drivers, you are. Never make a move based on the assumption that another driver sees you, even if you've made eye contact. Bikes don't register to the four-wheel mind.

2. Be considerate.

The consequences of strafing the jerk du jour or cutting him off, start out bad and get worse. Pretend it was your grandma and smile.

3. Dress for the crash, not the pool or the pub.

Sure, McDonald's is a 5-minute trip, but nobody plans to eat pavement. Modern mesh gear means 100-degree heat and is no excuse for a T-shirt and board shorts.

4. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Assume that car across the intersection will turn across your bow when the light goes green, with or without a turn signal.

5. Leave your ego at home.

The only people who really care if you were faster on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.

6. Pay attention.

Yes, there is a half-naked girl on the billboard. That shock does feels squishy. Meanwhile, you could be drifting toward Big Trouble. Focus.

7. Mirrors only show you part of the picture.

Never change direction without turning your head to make sure the coast really is clear.

8. Be patient.

Always take another second or three before you pull out to pass, ride away from a curb or into freeway traffic from an on-ramp. It's what you don't see that gets you. That extra look could save your butt.

9. Watch your closing speed.

Passing cars at twice their speed or changing lanes to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.

10. Beware the verge and the merge.

A lot of nasty surprises end up on the sides of the road: empty McDonald's bags, nails, TV antennas, ladders, you name it. Watch for troublesome debris on both sides of the road.

11. Left-turning cars remain a leading killer of motorcyclists.

Don't assume someone will wait for you to dart through the intersection. They're trying to beat the light, too.

12. Beware of cars running traffic lights.

The first few seconds after a signal light changes are the most perilous. Look both ways before barging into an intersection.

13. Check your mirrors.

Do it every time you change lanes, slow down or stop. Be ready to move if another vehicle is about to occupy the space you'd planned to use.

14. Mind the gap.

Remember Drivers Ed? One seconds worth of distance per 10 mph is the old rule of thumb. Better still, scan the next 12 seconds ahead for potential trouble.

15 Beware of boy racers.

They're quick and their drivers tend to be aggressive. Don't assume you've beaten one away from a light or outpaced it in traffic and change lanes without looking. You could end up as a civic hood ornament.

16. Excessive entrance speed hurts.

Its the leading cause of single-bike accidents on twisty roads and racetracks. In Slow, Out Fast is the old adage, and it still works. Dialing up corner speed is safer than scrubbing it off.

17. Don't trust that deer whistle.

Ungulates and other feral beasts prowl at dawn and dusk, so heed those big yellow signs. If you're riding in a target-rich environment, slow down and watch the shoulders.

18. Learn to use both brakes.

The front does most of your stopping, but a little rear brake on corner entry can calm a nervous chassis.

19. Keep the front brake covered always.

Save a single second of reaction time at 60 mph and you can stop 88 feet shorter. Think about that.

20. Look where you want to go.

Use the miracle of target fixation to your advantage. The motorcycle goes where you look, so focus on the solution instead of the problem.

21. Keep your eyes moving.

Traffic is always shifting, so keep scanning for potential trouble. Don't lock your eyes on any one thing for too long unless you're actually dealing with trouble.

22. Think before you act.

Careful whipping around that mica going 7 kph in a 30-kph zone or you could end up with your head in the drivers side door when he turns into the driveway right in front of you.

23. Raise your gaze.

Its too late to do anything about the 20 feet immediately in front of your fender, so scan the road far enough ahead to see trouble and change trajectory.

24. Get your mind right in the driveway.

Most accidents happen during the first 15 minutes of a ride, below 40 mph, near an intersection or driveway. Yes, that could be your driveway.

25. Come to a full stop at that next stop sign.

Put a foot down. Look again. Anything less forces a snap decision with no time to spot potential trouble.

26. Never dive into a gap in stalled traffic.

Cars may have stopped for a reason, and you may not be able to see why until its too late to do anything about it.

27 Don't saddle up more than you can handle.

If you weigh 95 pounds, avoid that 795-pound cruiser. If you're 5-foot-5, forget those towering adventure-tourers.

28. Watch for car doors opening in traffic.

And smacking a car that's swerving around some goofballs open door is just as painful.

29. Don't get in an intersection rut.

Watch for a two-way stop after a string of four-way intersections. If you expect cross-traffic to stop, there could be a painful surprise when it doesn't.

30. Stay in your comfort zone when you're with a group.

Riding over your head is a good way to end up in the ditch. Any bunch worth riding with will have a rendezvous point where you'll be able to link up again.

31. Give your eyes some time to adjust.

A minute or two of low light heading from a well-lighted garage onto dark streets is a good thing. Otherwise, you're essentially flying blind for the first mile or so

32. Master the slow U-turn.

Practice. Park your butt on the outside edge of the seat and lean the bike into the turn, using your body as a counterweight as you pivot around the rear wheel.

33. Who put a stop sign at the top of this hill?

Don't panic. Use the rear brake to keep from rolling back down. Use Mr. Throttle and Mr. Clutch normally and smoothly to pull away.

34. If it looks slippery, assume it is.

A patch of suspicious pavement could be just about anything. Butter Flavor Crisco? Gravel? Mobil 1? Or maybe its nothing. Better to slow down for nothing than go on your head.

35. Bang! A blowout! Now what?

No sudden moves. The motorcycle isn't happy, so be prepared to apply a little calming muscle to maintain course Ease back the throttle, brake gingerly with the good wheel and pull over very smoothly to the shoulder. Big sigh.

36. Drops on the face shield?

Its raining. Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier than when its been rinsed by a downpour, and you never know how much grip there is. Apply maximum-level concentration, caution and smoothness.

37. Emotions in check?

To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check yourself before you wreck yourself. Emotions are as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every time you saddle up. If you're mad, sad, exhausted or anxious, stay put.

38. Wear good gear.

Wear stuff that fits you and the weather If you're too hot or too cold or fighting with a jacket that binds across the shoulders, you're dangerous. Its that simple.

39. Leave the iPod at home.

You wont hear that cement truck in time with Spinal Tap cranked to 11, but they might like your headphones in intensive care.

40. Learn to swerve.

Be able to do two tight turns in quick succession. Flick left around the bag of briquettes, then right back to your original trajectory. The bike will follow your eyes, so look at the way around, not the briquettes. Now practice till its a reflex.

41. Be smooth at low speeds.

Take some angst out, especially of slow-speed maneuvers, with a bit of rear brake. It adds a welcome bit of stability by minimizing unwelcome weight transfer and potentially bothersome drive line lash.

42. Flashing is good for you.

Turn signals get your attention by flashing, right? So a few easy taps on the pedal or lever before stopping makes your brake light more eye-catching to trailing traffic.

43. Intersections are scary, so hedge your bets.

Put another vehicle between your bike and the possibility of someone running the stop sign/red light on your right and you cut your chances of getting nailed in half.

44. Tune your peripheral vision.

Pick a point near the center of that wall over there. Now scan as far as you can by moving your attention, not your gaze. The more you can see without turning your head, the sooner you can react to trouble.

45. All alone at a light that wont turn green?

Put as much motorcycle as possible directly above the sensor wire usually buried in the pavement beneath you and located by a round or square pattern behind the limit line. If the light still wont change, try putting your kickstand down, right on the wire. You should be on your way in seconds.

46. Every-thing is harder to see after dark.

Even You. Adjust your headlights, Carry a clear face shield and have your game all the way on after dark, especially during commuter hours.

47. Don't troll next to or right behind Mr. Peterbilt.

If one of those 18 retreads blows up which they do with some regularity it de-treads, and that can be ugly. Unless you like dodging huge chunks of flying rubber, keep your distance.

48. Take the panic out of panic stops.

Develop an intimate relationship with your front brake. Seek out some safe, open pavement. Starting slowly, find that fine line between maximum braking and a locked wheel, and then do it again, and again.

49. Make your tires right.

None of this stuff matters unless your skins are right. Don't take em for granted Make sure pressure is spot-on every time you ride. Check for cuts, nails and other junk they might have picked up, as well as general wear.

50. Take a deep breath.

Count to 10. Smile at the idiot. Forgetting some clowns 80-mph indiscretion beats running the risk of ruining your life, or ending it.

[chevysoldier]

Very good Casper. Hope everyone reads this.

[Kosmo]

very niice....."touching the rear brake upon corner entry" any discussions ?

[Tomcat0403]

Great tips! Didn't know the one about putting your kickstand down on the sensor wire

[35RFTW]

very informative for beginer riders.

[chevysoldier]

Great tips! Didn't know the one about putting your kickstand down on the sensor wire

I have tried that a couple of times, didn't help. Luckily a car came up behind me and triggered it so I didn't have to run the light.

[skillz]

great tips! many of these and more are mentioned in this good read.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933958359/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1889540536&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0SV5C0VCY892B4Y5PZ62

i've bought copies for several new riders.

[hue jass]

Know it. Learn it. Live it.

[unc7237]

Good stuff! Thanks Ben.

[Fazerlady]

This is good stuff!!! Could have been from me

However, I disagree and always have with #19.

This should only be told to the very experienced rider.

Covering the front brake can get you in a very bad situation if you get startled etc. Especially in tight, slow turns.

Also if you cover your front brake you do not have a good grip on the handlebars and I think for a beginner that is very important.

In addition, covering the brake with 1 or 2 or 3 fingers can get you in trouble. I don't know how many riders I had to break from that in my classes.

Yes it is cool when you are on a dirtbike, but not when you are in traffic.

Just my 2 cents.

Mel

[Tpoppa]

very niice....."touching the rear brake upon corner entry" any discussions ?

Just before I enter a tight corner, I like to lightly touch the front brake. Not to reduce corner entry speed, but to put more wieght on the front tire.

[V4junkie]

This is good stuff!!! Could have been from me

However, I disagree and always have with #19.

This should only be told to the very experienced rider.

Covering the front brake can get you in a very bad situation if you get startled etc. Especially in tight, slow turns.

Also if you cover your front brake you do not have a good grip on the handlebars and I think for a beginner that is very important.

In addition, covering the brake with 1 or 2 or 3 fingers can get you in trouble. I don't know how many riders I had to break from that in my classes.

Yes it is cool when you are on a dirtbike, but not when you are in traffic.

Just my 2 cents.

Mel

Always, ALWAYS cover your front brake. Looking as statistics like the Hurt findings show that a huge # of accidents are not avoided due to favoring and usually locking up the rear brake with little or no front brake used. At regular speeds the rear brake by itself is nearly useless. Like my track instructor said, "when you're on the street forget about your rear brake, it'll just get you into trouble. Unless you go in the grass, then do the opposite of that." Then as for classes, in my ERC class we were all told to use our full four fingers on the front brake when coming to an emergency stop. I questioned this and just said ok I'll try it. Well, the first time through I grabbed it with two fingers by instict and basically stoppied inside of the box. Most modern bikes don't need any more than a slight tug at the lever to haul you down quickly (HDs a likely exception to that rule). Like #19 said, in the second it takes you to get your hand repositioned you've covered nearly 100 ft and you might be screwed. Steep learning curve for n00bies to learn the sometimes 3x more powerful of the two brakes, but when it comes down to life or death situations I want to be ready with 100% braking power in the split second I need it.

Just my .02 cents about your .02 cents. I <3 your Fazer btw.

Edited September 16, 2009 by V4junkie

[dmagicglock]

#51.) don't buy a hyabusa for your first bike

[buildit]

Nice list Casper. +1 rep for you.

As for the covering of the front break, yes it takes experience to do it right but then again, if your not experienced at doing it get off the road and practice it till you become a better rider.

Since dmagicglock took #51

#52 Group riding

When in a group ride at your skill level. Do not try to keep up if other riders are going faster than you feel comfortable riding. If they refuse to wait for you you are better off riding with people who will.

#53 Check That Bike

Keeping your bike in proper condition is essential to having a safe and happy ride. This mean checking break pads, cables, fluid lines, condition of tires (as mentioned), all nuts and bolts, triple clamp and lube moving parts.

#54 Don't drink and drive

You have chosen a activity that requires quick thinking, balance and good reactions. Don't reduce these by consuming alcohol. Remember the bike you spill may be your own.

Edited September 16, 2009 by buildit

[Fazerlady]

@V4junkie:

Seriously, ALWAYS cover your front brake? how the hell do you accelerate if you ALWAYS cover your front brake? I just think it is worded wrong.

I think it should read, "cover your front break in traffic or high risk areas - so you are ready to stop ", not when you are riding period. I CANNOT see myself riding twisties with my fingers covering my brake....seriously???

ALWAYS use BOTH brakes. Learn how to use them BOTH together - always - period!

4 cents now...

[buildit]

Maybe, but I try to keep it covered as much as possible. I guess it's one of those things the more you do it the more comfortable you are doing it all the time. I find offroad riding helps me train for many things simple on road training never teaches you. Like standing on the pegs, weighting the pegs, front to back weight adjustments for better breaking, and control on slippery surfaces like gravel or wet pavement.

[ReconRat]

@V4junkie:

Seriously, ALWAYS cover your front brake? how the hell do you accelerate if you ALWAYS cover your front brake? I just think it is worded wrong.

I think it should read, "cover your front break in traffic or high risk areas - so you are ready to stop ", not when you are riding period. I CANNOT see myself riding twisties with my fingers covering my brake....seriously???

ALWAYS use BOTH brakes. Learn how to use them BOTH together - always - period!

4 cents now...

I haven't thought about it, but I guess I didn't realize that there were riders that couldn't cover the front brake with two fingers and still control the throttle. I've heard some throttles are so stiff it can't be done. Dunno. I suppose I didn't do that when I was first learning and starting to ride. I also use the two front brake fingers to control throttle return position. Maybe it's the 40 years of experience I got. And yes, both brakes, whenever and wherever I want to use them. Which is usually quickly and suddenly, to reduce velocities early, while time is available. And that means learning to use them both in all possible conditions. No, most people haven't learned how to do that.

I've heard a lot of misconceptions about where and when brakes can be used. I'll say brakes can be used anywhere and anytime, if you've learned how to use them.

[Fazerlady]

"I've heard a lot of misconceptions about where and when brakes can be used. I'll say brakes can be used anywhere and anytime, if you've learned how to use them"

I agree.

btw, how do you do the quote thingy???

[ReconRat]

...btw, how do you do the quote thingy???

Hit the red quote button in the lower right. Edit out pics and stuff not needed, but leave the "quote name;number" at the start and the "/quote" at the end.

Using the brackets of course, which I can't use here because it will try to quote...

Use the advanced button, and the preview post button, to see what it does before posting.

[smashweights]

the leaving the intersection one: my motto is never be the first to enter the intersection. Let the guy going the opposite direction, or better yet, the guy in the lane next to you get out into the intersection before you pull away.

$.02

[Fazerlady]

Hit the red quote button in the lower right. Edit out pics and stuff not needed, but leave the "quote name;number" at the start and the "/quote" at the end.

Using the brackets of course, which I can't use here because it will try to quote...

Use the advanced button, and the preview post button, to see what it does before posting.

let's see...

[John]

17. Don't trust that deer whistle.

those things do not work AT ALL.

OSHP installed them on their cruisers a few years back, and they actually hit MORE deer than the year before lol.

[V4junkie]

Seriously, ALWAYS cover your front brake? how the hell do you accelerate if you ALWAYS cover your front brake?

I got big hands lady!

Takes practice and may be more difficult for those with smaller hands. If you think about what really turns the throttle it's your thumb and palm. The ring and pinky fingers also provide some extra grip. Oh and covering =/= pulling on the brake lever. Not any tougher in the twisties either, if you watch a race on the weekend there is always at least one finger on the brake (made easier to see by cameras pointed at the throttle).

This is good stuff. The discussion only helps the educational nature of the thread.

[Fazerlady]

V4Junkie,

well, I guess everybody has to figure this out by himself, however. 1 or 2 fingers won't do the job if you really need to do an emergency stop, hitting deep into the iron and doing it correctly.

If anything, the other 3 fingers will prevent you from actually going into the iron completely. It might be sufficient for slow speeds but when you are at a good traveling speed that is a totally different story.

Also that finger on the brake might "save" you a millisecond of manovring the hand to break, but that might also prevent you from not using the break in a situation where it can get you in trouble.

btw, someone here compared dirtriding with streetriding - riding in the dirt requires a different skill than riding on the road. Breaking for example, when your rearbrake locks up you can release it again on dirt, you should refrain from doing that on asphalt.

But like I said, everybody does how they like best. Any MSF Instructor will tell you not to cover the front break while "riding". Especially not with 2 fingers or breaking with 2 for that matter. We try to get a rider off to a good start, and it is hard to break bad habits.

This thread would go on and on because some people won't think about it or do not want to consider changing.

So do what you can to be safe. :-) Don't take unnessecary risk and keep the rubberside down.

btw, V4Junkie, I have been licensed and riding for 22 years (referring to your message you left for me ).

Mel

[V4junkie]

btw, V4Junkie, I have been licensed and riding for 22 years (referring to your message you left for me ).

Mel

Not me, I sign mine.

Hey we all have our different styles. Like I said if pressed it only takes me two fingers to lock up the front or even lift the rear wheel a little if pressed to do so. Like I said at the ERC earlier this year we debated about this topic a bit and then after seeing it for themselves they let me do it my way. MSF was a fun diversion for the afternoon but really only improved my parking lot skills. Nice guys and all, but obviously not into the "sport" part of riding.