Road survival tips?

[750Y]

Hey all, just got to thinking how we all have a bit of experience to share so thought it'd be a good idea to share some of the things we all do which we feels makes us safer. the stuff like riding with protection/riding within your limits etc. are personal choice mostly but what about the small things we all take for granted because we do them almost subconsciously.
Ill start off with some things I think keep me safer.
Staying out of blindspots.
Making eye contact with drivers eg the car in front(if You can see their eyes in their rear view mirror chances are better they can see You).
Riding with my lights on.
watching for parallel parked cars with their drivers wheel turned to the road.
when moving along an unknown country road which disappears out of site, Observing the telephone wires to know which way the road's heading next.
staying in gear at a stop sign and watching the rear view mirror for upcoming cars that don't look like stopping in time.
approaching a corner wide in order to see around the corner as far as possible before coming across the apex(can also result in better drive out).
anyone got more? I'm thinking this is more proactive than bagging someone who's already made the mistake & for any riders out there with little experience, this stuff is not taught at license time.

[bluninja]

Make sure your bike is in good condition before you ride it (chain, brakes, tyres, lights esp).

Adjust your speed to the vanishing point. If the vanishing point appears to come towards you slow down; if it goes away you can speed up.

In town ride with the front brake lever covered. saves you up to 2 tenths of a second on your braking, and so reduces your stopping distance.

When coming to a halt on a slope make sure you put your foot down on the uphill side.

[Death 'N' Taxes]

When lane splitting to get the the front of the queue at traffic lights, try to ensure that you get to the front before it changes green.
There have been a couple of times when I have not known the phases of the intersection and everyone has started moving. Most of the time you can slip into one of the gaps that opens up as cars take off, but a couple of times I have had drivers try to squeeze me out, overtake me on the inside or outside where there is only one lane etc...
It seems to annoy some of them as you are jumping the queue.

I think it has been said on this site before, lane splitting to the front of the queue at traffic lights is like pushing in at the front of a queue for an icecream, so you better make sure that you are there one minute and gone the next.

[Marmoot]

Here's from a cage driver:
When lanesplitting (especially in M'ways), don't go too fast! Measure up your speed so you'll have enough reaction time if one of those drivers doesn't notice you. When you're too fast, one little brush-off and you'll be hitting 4-5 other cars before you'll end up face down.

And, don't lanesplit too close to my left hand side (i.e, if I'm in middle or right lane). It is much harder to spot you there, and I have much larger blind spot in my left hand side than on my right.

And, one more thing. Slow the f**k down near schools!!!

[mangell6]

In addition to the above when I travel on the m'way/h'way I always check what the traffic around me is doing. Have had Nissan Patrols two metres behind me going to work when the traffic is moving at 60-70km. When this sort of thing occurs the distance between myself and the car in front of me increases exponentially.

[sAsLEX]

Make sure your bike is in good condition before you ride it (chain, brakes, tyres, lights esp).

Adjust your speed to the vanishing point. If the vanishing point appears to come towards you slow down; if it goes away you can speed up.

In town ride with the front brake lever covered. saves you up to 2 tenths of a second on your braking, and so reduces your stopping distance.

When coming to a halt on a slope make sure you put your foot down on the uphill side.

Always ride with the front brake covered, not just in town, hazards can happen anywhere any time (i.e that :Police: hiding on the back end of a passing lane) so it is safer to always be able to brake without hesitation

[erik]

Always ride with the front brake covered, not just in town, hazards can happen anywhere any time (i.e that :Police: hiding on the back end of a passing lane) so it is safer to always be able to brake without hesitation

I've only been riding for a few weeks, do you guys mean that you should keep a couple of fingers (index and middle fingers I guess, like the drawing in Twist of the Wrist?) over the brake lever as you ride?
I've got another related question: Do you reposition your hand on the throttle, ie. after twisting it a bit, do you hold it and move your hand around so that your wrist isn't so bent when holding the throttle open?

[Big Dog]

Do you reposition your hand on the throttle, ie. after twisting it a bit, do you hold it and move your hand around so that your wrist isn't so bent when holding the throttle open?
Yes. Otherwise you get a real sore wrist.
If you are going to do this get used to braking with out holding onto the grip. It is difficult to close the grip right off if you are braking as your fingers get in the way.

It may help reduce the need for this if you adjust your controls so that in you normal (75%plus) riding position the brake lever is ina straight line with your fore arm when the wrist is straight. :msn-wink:

ps if you don't feel completely confident adjusting it get someone else to. Nothing sux more than a grip coming of in your hands. If you do feel confident check it twice before you ride of into the sunset.

[Ms Piggy]

Always ride with the front brake covered, not just in town, hazards can happen anywhere any time (i.e that :Police: hiding on the back end of a passing lane) so it is safer to always be able to brake without hesitation

I've only been riding around 6 weeks but when I did my Basic Handling Skills it was stressed several times by our instructor that you should never ride covering the front brake b/c you can lose fingers if you have an accident or brake when you don't mean to - the clutch definitely covered at all times but never the brake.

Not trying to be wanky, but it's what I was told. :)

[Big Dog]

I've only been riding around 6 weeks but when I did my Basic Handling Skills it was stressed several times by our instructor that you should never ride covering the front brake b/c you can lose fingers if you have an accident or brake when you don't mean to - the clutch definitely covered at all times but never the brake.

Not trying to be wanky, but it's what I was told. :)
This is where you listen to all the advice availible and then pick some. The 2/10s covering my brake saves me has definately saved my life before at least once and serious injury other times. I figure that would be worth a finger or two if it came down to it.

Its always been the oldest question of the road... do you ride so you will come to the least harm in a accident or do you ride to avoid the accident.

You are the only person who can make that decision.

Me? I cover the brake on the motorway (this allows me do rapidly decelerate immediatly or whip the other two fingers out for an emergency stop) and around town I cover it with all four fingers (otherwise my fingers get crushed in an emergency stop.).

Let those who ride decide, to steal a line from the 60's.

[bluninja]

Good stuff BD. I only cover the brakes when I consider there's a potential hazard eg round town, heavy motorway traffic, approaching an intersection. That way I'm hopefully not lulled into 'falling asleep' thinking the brakes are all covered and I don't need to concentrate. I deliberately remove the fingers from the brake once I've finished slowing for a corner, so as to prevent me panic braking if something happens in the corner.

Celtic..for covering the clutch? My 2cents... the only reason to pull in the clutch is to stop your engine stalling once you stop. If you pull the clutch in when you are braking as a panic reaction then you risk losing the engine braking at the rear. If you forget the clutch and brake to a halt the engine just stops and you have to restart.

[wkid_one]

Keith Code will tell you that covering the brakes is a sure fire way to slam the brakes on when paniced - when you natural reactions are incorrect and you should actually keep on the throttle.

I don't use my clutch to change up - and NEVER cover the clutch.

[erik]

Thanks for that advice Big Dog.
I guess I'm going to have to go and practice to see what I like best/get the technique right.

[Draco]

I've only been riding around 6 weeks but when I did my Basic Handling Skills it was stressed several times by our instructor that you should never ride covering the front brake b/c you can lose fingers if you have an accident or brake when you don't mean to - the clutch definitely covered at all times but never the brake.

Not trying to be wanky, but it's what I was told. :)

Like these guys say, talk to lots of riders and then try each idea out to see what suits you. I have really small hands so need all fingers to pull the clutch in and then release it and hold the handgrip. I use 2 fingers to brake and then release and hold the throttle. When i was learning to ride and i bailed into a corner too fast, the instinctive thing to do is hit the brakes, which is the worst thing you can do, and that's a good reason not to leave your fingers there all the time while your learning. Once you've been riding for a while dialing on the gas instead of the brake comes a little more naturally.

No question, comment or suggestion is wanky. That's how i've learnt what i know, by talking to other riders, reading magazines and then practicing it.

[Morepower]

Hi all ,

My advice is to look to where you want to go.

If you are messing up a corner ( wrong line , too fast etc) look to the exit and the bike should follow .

If you are in traffic and its all going wrong look for the gap and you will go there .

Never look directly at the vehicle , pole , tree or what ever else you do not want to hit , Target fixation will get you every time.

Ever followed a rider who crashes ? how close did you come to following them because you were watching ?

My 02c

Dave

[Big Dog]

I reckon another life saver is MB riding on gravel. If you know how to recover a slide your halfway there but playaround a bit at lowspeed and see how diferently it reacts to things like putting the power on (pedaling) and braking. also good for learning countersteer.

A lot of people who lowside don't have to. A couple of times the following has worked for me at 90+kmph.

When the arse end starts to let go (the bikes not yours) point the steering wheel in the direction of the slide and accelerate (what have you got to lose if it does not work you were going down any way) gently this will "hook the back wheel up" and stand the bike up, from there its back to the ride. This will all need to happen in about 1/2 a second to a second. If you hesitate it will already be a memory. Drill it. The book that sugested the it also suggested subliminal drilling. Which in context means for a couple weeks imagine feeling a lowside start, recovery, success! No guarantees on recovering from any type of unintended slide but a chance is better than none.

[Indiana_Jones]

Watch out for my Extreme FXR150 power! :rockon:

-Indy

[Motu]

I will reinforce off road and gravel road riding as essential tools for riding on the road - you have to know what happens when you get out of shape.

What about your front wheel? how many have explored it's limits? or do you back off from a front slide? To most losing the front means you come off,it's something to stay away from.Sure sliding the rear is fun,to me it's the biggest thrill of riding a bike,I'm a sliding fool....but can you slide the front? sure you can!

A good friend of mine ( a member but non poster on this site) was telling me all the intricate details of how to set my bike up for a dirt track,tyres,cutting them,pressures,suspn settings,on and on for hours - but in the end he said...aw shit,just set the bloody thing up so you are happy with a front end slide,you'll be pretty close then - oh,thanks,why didn't you say that in the first place!

This was a big eye opener for me - I've survived front tyre blow outs in corners a couple of times without crashing,but like most stayed well clear of a washy front end.Chucking the bike into the sweeper in a two wheel drift,both front and rear sliding and balancing between both was a lot of fun - going out and walking the track,following a big black line that was my front wheel for metres in a corner...yikes!

This is not for a learner to do (well,we are all learners aren't we ),but riding in gravel or dirt with your front wheel locked and still controling the bike could be something to look at.

[duckman]

Treat everone else on the road as a complete moron :eek5:

If you give anyone the benfit of the doubt they f*ck you up every time.

[750Y]

I will reinforce off road and gravel road riding as essential tools for riding on the road - you have to know what happens when you get out of shape.

What about your front wheel? how many have explored it's limits? or do you back off from a front slide? To most losing the front means you come off,it's something to stay away from.Sure sliding the rear is fun,to me it's the biggest thrill of riding a bike,I'm a sliding fool....but can you slide the front? sure you can!

A good friend of mine ( a member but non poster on this site) was telling me all the intricate details of how to set my bike up for a dirt track,tyres,cutting them,pressures,suspn settings,on and on for hours - but in the end he said...aw shit,just set the bloody thing up so you are happy with a front end slide,you'll be pretty close then - oh,thanks,why didn't you say that in the first place!

This was a big eye opener for me - I've survived front tyre blow outs in corners a couple of times without crashing,but like most stayed well clear of a washy front end.Chucking the bike into the sweeper in a two wheel drift,both front and rear sliding and balancing between both was a lot of fun - going out and walking the track,following a big black line that was my front wheel for metres in a corner...yikes!

This is not for a learner to do (well,we are all learners aren't we ),but riding in gravel or dirt with your front wheel locked and still controling the bike could be something to look at.

a really valid point. any tips for how to practise controlling a front end slide?
would it have to be on the dirt? i wouldn't know exactly how to react to one so would probably just do nothing like a rear slide. do You get on the gas to pick it up again? you have some experience you could share here regarding technique.

[Hitcher]

1. Always watch out for motorists who wear hats (bowlers, little-old-ladies, boy racers...)
2. Never assume the bastards have seen you (most recently nearly got taken out on Saturday by an old grey-haired (under his hat q.v.) fart in a Mirage at Greytown)
:mad:

[marty]

eye contact with other road users - can't beat it. 1 finger on the brake lever around traffic (easy on the RS - pulls up with 2 finger pressure anyway). look to where you want to go - we practice this incessantley in BMX racing, and it saves kids and adults all the time - spot the landing, then look ahead, spot the point of the turn, then look to the exit. don't fixate on the target, or you'll hit it, guaranteed. use your weight on the bike - don't muscle it, shift weight off the side of the seat, not knee dragging, just slightly, and the bike will respond. add some countersteer, and you're away! on the RS, even raising one leg on the peg will alter the line of the bike - maybe it wouldn't on a big cruiser, but it's gotta help. relax. don't hold the bars tight. 'think' the bike around the corner, and it will go.

[Motu]

a really valid point. any tips for how to practise controlling a front end slide?
would it have to be on the dirt? i wouldn't know exactly how to react to one so would probably just do nothing like a rear slide. do You get on the gas to pick it up again? you have some experience you could share here regarding technique.

You have to get on the gas to take the weight off the front - Kenny Roberts adapted the dirt track style to road racing...his words are''you'll never lose the front if you are on the gas'' or words to that effect.He's right,that's why you have to get on the gas early.In dirt track it's used to scrub off speed as you don't use the brakes,but to maintain corner speed the front is sliding all the way to the apex where you power out.But it's a hard mental block to overcome - the front is sliding because you have come into the corner too fast,the front breaks away or at least just pushes you out in the turn,the only way to stop it is to get on the gas - to practice that on the road these days would be out of my comfort zone.I would just try locking the front on grass to see how it feels to have the front wheel not doing what it should.

[Coldkiwi]

my two cents on the 'what to cover' rule.

I don't cover the clutch during normal riding. clutch is for changing gears not stopping super quick (in emergency brake the clutch comes after close throttle/brake application for me)

I od tend to cover the front brake more with the two fingers. I discovered this out at pukekohe and it doesn't need to lead to front wheel lockups in an emergency panic (unlikely for most of us anyway as we probably don't know how hard we can brake before skidding, which even then ,is not the end of the world). I have simply adjusted the span on the lever to allow me to put as much pressure as I like onto the lever with two finger but so that it won't close on my index or little fingers. I also adjust the span in the wet to further reduce my tendancy to snatch. if I REALLY want to hammer the brakes (hard ride), i put it further in so I can use the whole hand comfortably and get more power knowing that I will have the tyre hot enough to handle it.

may sound like a bit of shagging around but I can adjust it while moving and really, why not?

[Big Dog]

If you have done your braking drills why would you panic snatch?

[Motu]

Missed Marty's post cause i was typing.Duh...as a trials rider how could I forget the motorcycle discipline that teaches us how to ride the most! I guess because I do it it's just normal for me,but everythings there,except going fast.But going fast isn't about being a good rider,being a good rider is about bike control - trials riders have the best bike control.There is so,so,so much that trials has taught me about how to ride that I can't see how you lot can ride without doing it.

Amongst trials riders you'll find road racers,enduro and MX racers,speedway riders and sidecar racers - they are not stupid y'know,they know where to go to get skills.

[Hitcher]

Missed Marty's post cause i was typing.Duh...as a trials rider how could I forget the motorcycle discipline that teaches us how to ride the most! I guess because I do it it's just normal for me,but everythings there,except going fast.But going fast isn't about being a good rider,being a good rider is about bike control - trials riders have the best bike control.There is so,so,so much that trials has taught me about how to ride that I can't see how you lot can ride without doing it.

Amongst trials riders you'll find road racers,enduro and MX racers,speedway riders and sidecar racers - they are not stupid y'know,they know where to go to get skills.
I agree with you 100% Slow riding is inordinately harder than riding faster. It's where you learn the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between "turning" and "cornering" as one example; and when you should and shouldn't get your foot down, as another.