Tips for Safe Motorbike Riding.
*Be careful when riding past petrol stations
-Common places to find spilled fuel!
*Be careful when riding around roundabouts-Again, watch for Diesel on
the roads.
*Practice emergency stops
when safe to do so - know your bikes braking limits.
*Look further down the road and you'll ride smoother.
*Dress warm in the cold- numb hands=loss of an important sense.
*Keep an eye on your chain tension.A Scottoiler saves you having to
do this as often.
*Before a long journey, make sure your kit is perfectly comfortable
with no rubbing ..That gentle pinch on your left thumb when you start
ends up feeling like your hand is in a vice.
*On a cold day, load the bike, then go back indoors and put all your
gear on, including lid & gloves. Then go back out, start the engine-
then set off.
*Slow in, fast out of bends- NOT the other way around.
*Never push too hard when trying to stay with someone: you'll push
harder than you would if you were alone and either scare yourself silly
or crash.
*Treat every other road user with respect and pay due regard to learner
drivers and riders, remember how you felt first time out.
*Don't rise to the bait of badly driven vehicles doing daft things in
front of you, just get past as soon as it is safe to do so, and clear
off sharpish.
*Keep an eye on what's going on behind you - whatever your situation
(but it's about 5th on your list of priorities... ) If you're stopped
in the road,eg, traffic lights, pedestrian crossing etc, move this up
to number two, maybe even joint number one.
*Keep your visor clean. Do NOT scrape it clear with your gloves, they're
covered with dust and road grit and will scratch it. Vision is the no
1 most important thing in keeping you safe.
*In hot weather, be very aware of dehydration.
*Does your bike have a screen? In wet weather, duck down behind it a
moment or two before the truck going the other way passes you - let
the screen take what would otherwise have been a face-full of spray.
*On a really long run, remember to take a break before you start to
feel tired.
*Rather than thinking of your fellow road users as incompetent idiots
out to get you, think of them as ordinary people who cock things up
now and again. A lot like you, in fact. Now think how often you make
mistakes and get away with it .. .
*Have several pairs of gloves. They never dry overnight.
*Make sure the side stand is properly down, before you try to use it.
*If a car turns off the road to the left, be aware that often the car
behind will swing out wide to the right to get round it.
*Try to suss-out what sort of person is driving the car in front/behind
of you and try to predict how he may behave especially in holiday season
*If you are behind a lorry
with a car or two in front of you, don't overtake the two cars and sit
behind the lorry waiting to overtake it. The best thing to do (providing
you have a powerful enough motorcycle) is to wait for enough clear road
and overtake the cars and lorry in one go. If you're stuck right behind
a lorry you can't see the road ahead, if your further back behind the
cars you can get a better view. BE SURE THE 2 CARS ARE NOT PLANNING
AN OVERTAKE
*No matter how waterproof you think your panniers ought to be - they
aren't. Bin liners provide waterproofing - so wrap everything up in
them before packing those panniers.
*Riding in bad weather can be fun, Honest, it can! Go on, try it...Riding
in ladies underwear can be fun too (ask Paul).
*What does a flashing indicator mean? That the bulb works! Wait until
you're SURE they're going to do what the indicator suggests they're
going to do. Or better still, wait until they've actually done it.
*Never assume that you're experienced enough to not do a right turn
shoulder check/lifesaver.
*If you're going to use a
disc lock: get a blank ignition key, attach it to the reminder-coil
and, when you lock up, stick it in your ignition (instead of putting
the band around your handlebar) much less chance of trying to ride away
with the lock still on (which isn't fun).
*Make eye contact with drivers likely to pull out on you, or stare at
them. People seem to know they are being stared at and it can help them
notice you thus avoiding you a possible collision. That said though,
NEVER, EVER assume that they've actually
seen you.
*When overtaking, you don't have to go as fast as possible. Sometimes
an extra 5-10mph is all you need, and you end up past the other vehicle
in good shape and good time, rather than doing 90 on the wrong side
of the road approaching a right hander.
*When you go back to the place you lived 10 or 20 years ago you'll feel
as if you're on home ground but it will have changed. Treat it as if
you've never been there before. If you don't you won't notice the sign
for the "traffic calming" chicane and it'll take you by surprise.
You won't be expecting the pelican crossing just round that corner where
everybody said only an idiot would put a pelican crossing, and you'll
also be taken unawares by all the junctions that have had their priorities
changed or had mini roundabouts built. Your local knowledge will
be useful in one way though: the shortest way into town is now "buses
and taxis only" so you need a new route.
*Put bin bags over your boots before trying to put your waterproofs
on as they slide on a lot easier.
*Don't tuck your waterproofs into your boots,
it kind of defeats the object.
*Bus stops will usually have quite a bit of oil on, so yanking on your
front brake whilst passing over one in the wet will probably result
in you doing your best superman impression.
*Next visit to a petrol station, collect some of the disposable gloves
(for diseasal drivers), they help keep your hands clean when checking
tyre pressures etc. In wet weather, wear them inside non-waterproof
gloves.
*Purchase an anti-fog visor insert, or invest in a rigid regime of cleaning
and anti-fog prepping your plain visor. Rainex and other similar products
are very useful on the outside of your visor for dispersing
water on wet rides. Riding blind is no fun at all.
*Wear Ear Plugs! Ididn't, and at 43 years old am pretty deaf already!
*Warning signs are usually put up following accidents, look for the
problems
*Be very careful if there are wet newspapers on the road. They are incredibly
slippery. As are empty crisp packets, dead animals, metal grids, overbanding
etc.