Came across this and thought I'd pass it on: How To Survive on a Motorcycle.. from your friends at Pirates' Lair Enjoy! Ride SAFE & Often, Peace
Can't say I agree with all of them, but it is an overall excellent post. KC-10 FE out... lane: :usa2:
I agree; the majority are great real world experience safety tips we all could benefit from for the few minutes it takes to read them :thumbsup:
+1 on #90, Lets just say that a overhead emergency exit door off of a Greyhound bus cartwheeling down the highway beside you has a lasting effect on ones attitude!
Good read for ALL motorcyclist, not just the newbies. Agree with most of it. Experienced a lot of it.
Good tips I just happen to read that same article last week, I did print out a copy to carry with me to read when I have some free time:thumbsup: Thanks for the post.
Like I said, an excellent article. These are the few items I disagree with or think need to be revised: *****WARNING, WARNING, WARNING... AN OPINION TO FOLLOW. THE FOLLOWING WORDS DO NOT CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT BY ANY GROUP, CORPORATION OR GOVERNMENT ENTITY. THEY CONSTITUTE THE OPINION OF A SINGLE PERSON. WARNING, WARNING, WARNING...***** #8 Braking. I don't agree with only concentrating on using the front brakes. There are two brakes for a reason. Learn when & how to use each instead of only concentrating on using only one. On a racetrack or in extreme twisties, your rear brake can get you in a bind. In the 90% remainder of street riding, they contribute to total stopping power. For the older guys, remember when all the old hats would say only use the rear brake? #9 Countersteering. For anyone with more than 6 months of riding experience, there is no real need to practice this. You do it every time that you steer a bike above walking pace. It is ingrained into your dome whether you believe it or not. You wouldn't be able to ride around the block without doing so. I would also say that praticing countersteering would leave a person concentrating too much on something other than riding. The only thing that one needs to remember is: PUSH RIGHT, GO RIGHT. PUSH LEFT, GO LEFT. #12 Gloves. This one is a no-brainer, so don't be stupid. Wear full finger gloves every single time. ATGATT, remember? Cruiser riders & poseur idiots wear fingerless gloves. If at all possible, wear gloves with leather palms & finger gripping surfaces. With the exception of 90f+ heat, I wear 100% leather gloves. In the 90f+ heat, I wear gloves with leather palms & fingers & textile back. Go out to your back yard & throw yourself to the ground. What happened? That's right, you put your hands out to stop yourself & it's the same thing you're going to do in the unfortunate event that you depart controlled flight & impact the terrain. #3/#63 Riding behing large vehicles. As has been pointed out, the safest place for any rider is at the front of all traffic. Do not attempt to rationalize this, just accept it. Less vehicles near you = safer riding. If that is not possible, it is in your best interests to place yourself where the driver can take note of your presence. Remember those signs on Semis, "If you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you"? The are supplying you with the answer. When you are forced to ride near a semi, let them know you are there & then back off to a responsible following distance. That way, when you pass them, they aren't shocked at the bike coming out of nowhere. Also, if/when you pass a semi (or any vehicle), pass extremely carefully. Remember, they just let you know they can't see you so NEVER go flying by at Warp Factor 5. The only thing that will do is give you less reaction time. Pass with a purpose but do it safely. #115 Squids. I agree with this one & simply wanted to expand on it slightly. Get away from squids instantly. Never speed up to get away from squids since they will speed up just to prove how cool they are. It also is not a good idea to fix bad judgement (the suids) with further bad judgement (speeding). The best method is slow down or turn off. Just try convincing the LEO that you weren't riding with them when every sport bike on the road gets pulled over. This has happened to me twice & the only way I was able to prove to the LEO that I was not involved with the group of idiots was they had PA plates & I had NJ. #116/#117 Lane Splitting. It is NEVER, NEVER, EVER, NEVER, EVER, EVER a good idea to lane split. In fact, I think anyone who does this needs to have their head examined by medical proffessionals. There are SO MANY things that can go wrong & the only thing you get out of it is a few saved seconds. My life is worth the few extra minutes not lane splitting will add to my ride. #120 Avoidance Maneuvers. I think we would all agree the expressway/hiway/interstate is not the best place to pratice anything on a bike. If you live out in the middle of nowhere, I guess that's OK but there are still better places for this. *****WARNING, WARNING, WARNING... THE PREVIOUS MESSAGE WAS ONE PERSON'S OPINION & DOES NOT CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT BY ANY GROUP, CORPORATION OR GOVERNMENT ENTITY. HAVE A NICE DAY. WARNING, WARNING, WARNING...***** KC-10 FE out... lane: :usa2:
Thank you for posting that article. As a new rider, I read every word. To echo one of the posts about the greasy spots at drive-thru windows, a friend gave me some good advice a while back when he told me to always look where I put my feet down. I think he had lost his balance a couple of times when his foot slipped.
