What's your best riding tip for the street?
06-17-2011 | 07:55 AM
#91
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 320
I've been commuting in DC traffic for a couple of years now, and have had many close calls, but no accidents (knock on wood). What works for me is to assume that everyone else will always do the thing that might cause me to crash.
For example . . . when merging onto the interstate, assume that car in front of you is going to slam on their brakes and stop instead of merge smoothly. So don't get right on their ***.
Assume that there is a long deep pothole on the lane line right where you want to change lanes, from where the snow plow ripped up a reflector last winter. So always ride where you can see the road ahead of you.
Assume that the car is going to wait until you are beside them to change lanes.
Assume that, as soon as you swivel your head for a quick lane check, all the cars in front of you will violently brake, leaving you no time to stop. So don't tailgate.
Assume that bike behind you wants to race and will do something stupid, like pass you with inches to spare, or try to wheelie as they fly past you. Don't get sucked into their stupidity.
Assume that driver is a tourist, on their cell phone, listening to loud music, wrestling kids in the back seat, eating a burrito, applying makeup, and programming their GPS, all while updating their netflix queue on their iPad.
Assume that aggressive driver in front of you will pull into the HOV lane without looking beside/behind him first.
Assume the truck in front of you will run over a thick rubber two-foot long tie-down with metal hooks on both ends and fling it right up at your head (yeah, that actually happened).
Assume that the metal guard rail on the inside of the 25-mph 270-degree exit ramp that you like to take at 60 mph because it's the only good turn you get to ride during your entire commute has been knocked down and dragged into the middle of the road, right in your way (yeah, that actually happened, too).
Basically, expect the unexpected, and put yourself in the best position to avoid and react to the unexpected. Then assume you are invisible and silent, while doing everything you can to be seen and heard. Then dress like you know you are going to crash.
For example . . . when merging onto the interstate, assume that car in front of you is going to slam on their brakes and stop instead of merge smoothly. So don't get right on their ***.
Assume that there is a long deep pothole on the lane line right where you want to change lanes, from where the snow plow ripped up a reflector last winter. So always ride where you can see the road ahead of you.
Assume that the car is going to wait until you are beside them to change lanes.
Assume that, as soon as you swivel your head for a quick lane check, all the cars in front of you will violently brake, leaving you no time to stop. So don't tailgate.
Assume that bike behind you wants to race and will do something stupid, like pass you with inches to spare, or try to wheelie as they fly past you. Don't get sucked into their stupidity.
Assume that driver is a tourist, on their cell phone, listening to loud music, wrestling kids in the back seat, eating a burrito, applying makeup, and programming their GPS, all while updating their netflix queue on their iPad.
Assume that aggressive driver in front of you will pull into the HOV lane without looking beside/behind him first.
Assume the truck in front of you will run over a thick rubber two-foot long tie-down with metal hooks on both ends and fling it right up at your head (yeah, that actually happened).
Assume that the metal guard rail on the inside of the 25-mph 270-degree exit ramp that you like to take at 60 mph because it's the only good turn you get to ride during your entire commute has been knocked down and dragged into the middle of the road, right in your way (yeah, that actually happened, too).
Basically, expect the unexpected, and put yourself in the best position to avoid and react to the unexpected. Then assume you are invisible and silent, while doing everything you can to be seen and heard. Then dress like you know you are going to crash.
06-17-2011 | 10:42 AM
#92
UK rider
Squid
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 23
From: ipswich
keep a good distance between you and the car in front ( you can soon catch em up if needs be).
beware of old folk, they will drive like ****, knock you off then blame you.
try not to admire yourself in shop windows
on roundabouts( i know you aint got many) watch out for the triangular patches of gravel that form between entry lanes, they will have you off in the blink of an eye.
be super carefull when riding in a group, its so easy to get caught up in the excitement and try and dice it with something quicker ( ducatti, rsv4, zx10r, etc etc)
always carry a rabbits foot?
beware of old folk, they will drive like ****, knock you off then blame you.
try not to admire yourself in shop windows
on roundabouts( i know you aint got many) watch out for the triangular patches of gravel that form between entry lanes, they will have you off in the blink of an eye.
be super carefull when riding in a group, its so easy to get caught up in the excitement and try and dice it with something quicker ( ducatti, rsv4, zx10r, etc etc)
always carry a rabbits foot?
06-17-2011 | 11:50 AM
#94
Senior Member
SuperSport
SuperSport
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 521
From: Tampa Florida
Seriously though,
- Always be aware of whats going on on all sides of you, count cars.
- create an escape plan for any emergency you can think of in any situation(they are normally the same in most place).
- Position yourself in the lane in preperation for the most likely emergency
- Leave more than enough space beteween you and the person in front
- Dont sneeze in traffic.
- Dont hot dog in traffic
- always look where you are turning.
- at interesections(and when riding) look at other drivers head position to determine what they are looking at.
- Lane split very cautiously
- Perform a saftey check(blinkers, tire pressure, brake light, brake function) every
morning.
- Dont be scared when you enter that turn too fast, your bike can probably make it. Can you?
- Once you start adding throttle in a turn, dont ever back off!
- brake cautiously in turns.
- Always be aware of whats going on on all sides of you, count cars.
- create an escape plan for any emergency you can think of in any situation(they are normally the same in most place).
- Position yourself in the lane in preperation for the most likely emergency
- Leave more than enough space beteween you and the person in front
- Dont sneeze in traffic.
- Dont hot dog in traffic
- always look where you are turning.
- at interesections(and when riding) look at other drivers head position to determine what they are looking at.
- Lane split very cautiously
- Perform a saftey check(blinkers, tire pressure, brake light, brake function) every
morning.
- Dont be scared when you enter that turn too fast, your bike can probably make it. Can you?
- Once you start adding throttle in a turn, dont ever back off!
- brake cautiously in turns.
Last edited by geekonamotorcycle; 06-17-2011 at 11:52 AM.
06-18-2011 | 06:24 AM
#98
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 121
I always get the question from new/soon to be new riders. "What's the cheapest helmet I can get?" My answer? "I don't think you're quite ready to ride motorcycles."
Which leads me to my actual riding tip... it doesnt have to be the most expensive gear, but ride with the best gear you can afford. One day, as much as you scan, and as much as you try your best to avoid social interactions with the front of quadripeds, a woman in a gold lexus SUV is going to come into your lane at the corner of sedwick and hwy 55 and in order to keep from becoming a hood ornament, you're going to go down. And if you and your passenger were wearing gear, you'll get up and call a buddy with a pickup truck, if you're not, youre going to UNC hospital in an ambulance.
RIDE WITH GEAR
*If anyone is interested, me and the GF rode home with my broken bike in the back of a dodge pickup*
Which leads me to my actual riding tip... it doesnt have to be the most expensive gear, but ride with the best gear you can afford. One day, as much as you scan, and as much as you try your best to avoid social interactions with the front of quadripeds, a woman in a gold lexus SUV is going to come into your lane at the corner of sedwick and hwy 55 and in order to keep from becoming a hood ornament, you're going to go down. And if you and your passenger were wearing gear, you'll get up and call a buddy with a pickup truck, if you're not, youre going to UNC hospital in an ambulance.
RIDE WITH GEAR
*If anyone is interested, me and the GF rode home with my broken bike in the back of a dodge pickup*
06-18-2011 | 03:12 PM
#99
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 530
From: Central Fl.
Sirens.
Sure, you did the right thing when you heard one, you let the official vehicle attempting to get past have the room to pass to an emergency. Cool.
But before you proceed, look for that second emergency vehicle. A cop may have called for backup or the fire truck has the rescue crew on it and is in much more of a hurry than the first responder that you let pass.
Sure, you did the right thing when you heard one, you let the official vehicle attempting to get past have the room to pass to an emergency. Cool.
But before you proceed, look for that second emergency vehicle. A cop may have called for backup or the fire truck has the rescue crew on it and is in much more of a hurry than the first responder that you let pass.
Last edited by PUSHrod; 06-18-2011 at 03:14 PM. Reason: syntax
06-18-2011 | 03:21 PM
#100
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 108
From: NW London UK
helps.
Few things are as nasty as a visor full of you know what, but do not forget at 60 mph you will have travelled 44 feet in the half second you had your eyes closed in the sneeze! Then add in the "Oh Yuck!" moment and you can have travelled a fair distance without concentrating on the road.
I have recently seen road safety signs in the UK that say "Sweat it or regret it" a reference to wearing proper gear at all times. This is the first time I have seen anything like this in this country.
06-19-2011 | 03:17 PM
#102
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,934
From: altoona, pa
When we share stories to learn from please be polite and don't call member's friends or them dumb. My friend was a BRAND NEW rider. This is what the thread is all about. He got excited and went too fast on his first bike over a hill. It happens. We lived in Ohio at the time. There weren't MSF classes all over like in the big cities some of us live in. He only had the knowledge of what I tried to teach him in a short period of time. I am from Florida. We don't have too many of those here. To me knowing about them was second nature. I made the mistake of not teaching him about hills and dips until it was too late.
Like I said before, each one of us should understand that we are dumbasses and/or have that potential to ****-up and that we are playing a game of probabilities with our lives when we engage in street riding. If we narrow the probabilities and have some good luck, we all have a better chance to ride another day.
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