Tips on how to be safe and stay alive.

[BrownRob]

oh and one more..

Target fixation is a VERY VERY bad thing

[Stephen072774]

Originally Posted by BrownRob

- practice switching to reserve while riding (sounds simple until you try it for the first time).

Yes that is tricky... especially with your bike cutting up and sputtering as it runs out of gas.

[futurebiker]

This thread is Gold!! Thankyou!

[mercutio80]

Never ride beside a car if you can help it. You should always be passing or being passed.

Never ride on the right of a car near an offramp. They could realize they are about to miss the exit and plow over you.

Try not to ride to the left of a car near an onramp. They may swerve to the left to allow an oncoming car room.

[Mantis]

How bout:
-Never stop in the middle of an intersection b/c oil and anti-freeze leaks from cars
-roads are always the most slick right after it starts to rain, because everything leaked from cars starts to seep up

[hsfire77]

Thanks for all the great tips .

[DittoAlex]

Originally Posted by mercutio80

While this is true most of the time, there are many times it's better to be in the right side of the lane. It's all dependant on your surroundings at the moment.

For instance, I'll occasionally move to the rightmost part of the lane if I'm following a car, and there is a car sitting on a side street on that side. I want that car to realize there is a bike coming. If I stay in the left lane, the car ahead may block me from the one waiting to turn.

I just got my rider's permit today, and the point that was heavily stressed was that the rider position himself so that he is visible in the center of the rear-view mirror of the cage in front of him to ensure the rider's visibility/driver's awareness.

Regarding the 'speeding so you're away from cages,' don't cops care and pull you over? My rule has been +5 mph over since I started driving 3 years ago and I've never been pulled over, but I do believe +10 mph over would be asking for it. Cops here are always out in full force and plastering tickets left and right, too...

[alaska cajun]

Originally Posted by DittoAlex

I

Regarding the 'speeding so you're away from cages,' don't cops care and pull you over? .

To explain this better,when a car pulls up next to you and wants to hang out and have a chat,speed up and pull away then reduce speed back to what you was doing.

One more
You don't hang out beside a car if you're passing,go on and pass.

The idea is to have both sides of the road to yourself,this is safer and so long as your're not acting a fool,the cops will leave you alone.Most know when a biker is trying to protect themself or being squidly.

[Boldblood]

Being a new rider, there are a few things I've discovered that no one warned me about, so I'd like to share them:

1) When stopping at a gas pump, you must put your feet down just as you would at a stop sign or red light, otherwise you may drop your bike.

2) It's important to know how to turn around, especially if you wave to a Harley rider and he flips you off, and you turn around to KICK HIS ASS, but then, upon doing so, he sees this and turns around to KICK YOUR ASS. It's not only very important to know how to turn around, but also when to do so.

3) When changing from the left lane to the right lane, do not check your rearview mirror. You don't have one. This is a habit you acquired from driving your automobile. Motorcycles, to the best of my knowledge, only have sideview mirrors.

Just thought I'd share this. Thanks.

[Kitarra]

Look where you want to go. This means NOT looking at the ground, unless you're just dyin' to get into that first down club a bit earlier. This isn't to say you shouldn't be scoping out the road ahead, but always look through turns and avoid looking down especially if you're feeling unstable.

Having trouble getting it started when turning onto a major road? Stop, calm down, wait for a new gap and try again. A nice, BIG gap.

Commit to what you do. Indecision kills.

Never try to prove yourself. Let your abilities speak for themselves - pushing youself beyond your limits will only make you screw up and endanger yourself / others.

[Brownilus]

Big up to Alaska Cajun for this thread...I'll be reading and re-reading the newbie section in preparation for going out on the road after next weekend...

[Brownilus]

Originally Posted by MattLikesBikes

-
Remember that if you go into a turn at a speed you feel is too fast, don't chop the throttle shut or jump on the brakes. You'll end up upsetting your suspension and you'll end up in a ditch. Your bike can lean a lot further than you think. Push with the inside bar and keep your throttle hand steady and look all the way through the turn to the exit, do not focus your eyes on the side of the road, and remember to shift your body weight to the inside of the turn and stay off the brakes once you've started leaning, unless you know lots about trail braking, it's just a better idea not to touch them in a sitution like this.

Worth $1 million dollars, this quote...this is my biggest problem in my slow turns, i either feel like i am going too slow and it's going to cut off on me, or feel like i entered the turn too fast and the instinct is to roll off the throttle...I've been realizing while putting around in my complex's parking lot that if i feel i am going too fast, best thing is to push/tilt that handlebar MORE and counterlean (and for God's sake don't MOVE the throttle hand at all, i don't know why that little piece of it is so hard to get down pat!)...if i feel i am going too slow, pulling in the clutch a little, and maybe a little more, and force my hand to hold steady on the throttle...an exercise in patience, controlling the bike at 10/15 mph in a corner, or while trying to make a 90 degree turn to park in a parking space...but I am learning it...

As far as your words in underline though...i thought the point was to push the handlebar so the bike leans to the inside of the curve, and counterleaning the rest of your body the opposite way...wouldn't that be leaning to the OUTside of the curve? Or maybe i misunderstood what this guy was trying to say? Somebody help me out...

[alaska cajun]

Counterlean only in a slow speed turn(real slow).At highway speeds you want to either stay centered on the bike or lean into the curve,the latter when you are a better rider.

If you go into a curve to hot(fast),you'll want to push down harder on the bar and give it more gas.this will give you a tighter radius to carry you through the corner.

I'll see if I can find a pic if you need.

[Brownilus]

Originally Posted by alaska cajun

Counterlean only in a slow speed turn(real slow).At highway speeds you want to either stay centered on the bike or lean into the curve,the latter when you are a better rider.

If you go into a curve to hot(fast),you'll want to push down harder on the bar and give it more gas.this will give you a tighter radius to carry you through the corner.

I'll see if I can find a pic if you need.

THANKS for that! Cause I KNEW something was really strange with what they were telling me (despite the fact that it does work) and what my friends all do when i am on the bike or watching them! Cause they tell me to lean when they lean, and they do not lean opposite, they definitely lean with, even going around corners in town, much less highway. I said to myself "every biker i see on the road leans with the corner, what am i missing here?"

Hm, so apparently the msf teaches you the very basics, you have to go out there and know more experienced riders when you are good enough to go faster...

I am working on my corners now, cause they are too wide, or not wide enough...and you're right, giving it a little bit of gas with a harder lean does help tighten up the turn...but in an apartment complex parking lot with people liable to start backing out of a space as soon as I get there, i can't really gas it too much, and the speed limit in there is 10 mph anyway...so i am trying to make myself just get into all corners at the right speed to begin with. Easier said than done, but i am getting better!

[IMPerfection]

Originally Posted by Brownilus

THANKS for that! Cause I KNEW something was really strange with what they were telling me (despite the fact that it does work) and what my friends all do when i am on the bike or watching them! Cause they tell me to lean when they lean, and they do not lean opposite, they definitely lean with, even going around corners in town, much less highway. I said to myself "every biker i see on the road leans with the corner, what am i missing here?"

Hm, so apparently the msf teaches you the very basics, you have to go out there and know more experienced riders when you are good enough to go faster...

I am working on my corners now, cause they are too wide, or not wide enough...and you're right, giving it a little bit of gas with a harder lean does help tighten up the turn...but in an apartment complex parking lot with people liable to start backing out of a space as soon as I get there, i can't really gas it too much, and the speed limit in there is 10 mph anyway...so i am trying to make myself just get into all corners at the right speed to begin with. Easier said than done, but i am getting better!

MSF taught you properly, lean opposite the bike when turning at speeds when you cannot countersteer, once you're fast enough to countersteer, then lean with the bike into the turn.