The following safety tips are taken from discussions in the Motorcycles and Harley-Davidson forums. Most of these riders have been riding a long time. Here are some of the reasons.
Be very cautious after the first rain after a dry spell. All the oil that has accumulated on the road comes up in the first half hour and is very, very slick.
Ride like you're invisible.
Here are 155 articles, most written by James R. Davis, all on advanced techniques. Most of them are things we don't WANT to experience to learn.
Toll booths have the most oil problems for motorcycle riders. Slow way down as you approach. Stay in the left tire track area. Stop and catch yourself with your feet ever-so-gently, and pull away with the greatest care you can because you will almost certainly have some junk on your tires when you pull away. Make your passenger aware of toll booth dangers as well and if they are handling the tolls, make sure they don't move the wrong way and cause an unnecessary spill.
An important book, full of basic and advanced safety tips, is David L. Hough's Book, "Proficient Motorcycling." Buy it and read it before and after every riding season.
Buy Proficient Motorcycling:
Practice various riding skills such as emergency braking skills, swerving, slow turns, and smooth throttle operation at least 15 minutes a week in a vacant parking lot or other area devoid of people and traffic.
Slow down before entering blind turns and be watchful at intersections and when passing driveways and alleys.
Stay to the left side of your lane when passing parked cars to your right.
Park where either gravity or the engine will get you out of a parking spot. In other words, back into a downhill sloped space and pull straight into an uphill sloped space.
Look ahead, plan ahead! Look as far down the road as you can. Pay close attention to colors and shapes on the road surface (scanning for trash, bumps, holes, cracks, new asphalt, old concrete, spills, puddles, etc.) and also observe how other vehicles are reacting to the road (scanning for brake lights, swerves, bumps, etc.).
Practice hard braking when you don't need to so you can "safely" apply the brakes under an emergency situation. Practice in vacant parking lots or quiet streets that won't interfere with other people/vehicles.
New riders should never carry passengers until such time as they are "very" comfortable with their bike. Usually this takes at least a year without a passenger.
Be very cautious after the first rain after a dry spell. All the oil that has accumulated on the road comes up in the first half hour and is very, very slick.
Ride like you're invisible.
Here are 155 articles, most written by James R. Davis, all on advanced techniques. Most of them are things we don't WANT to experience to learn.
Toll booths have the most oil problems for motorcycle riders. Slow way down as you approach. Stay in the left tire track area. Stop and catch yourself with your feet ever-so-gently, and pull away with the greatest care you can because you will almost certainly have some junk on your tires when you pull away. Make your passenger aware of toll booth dangers as well and if they are handling the tolls, make sure they don't move the wrong way and cause an unnecessary spill.
An important book, full of basic and advanced safety tips, is David L. Hough's Book, "Proficient Motorcycling." Buy it and read it before and after every riding season.
Buy Proficient Motorcycling:
Practice various riding skills such as emergency braking skills, swerving, slow turns, and smooth throttle operation at least 15 minutes a week in a vacant parking lot or other area devoid of people and traffic.
Slow down before entering blind turns and be watchful at intersections and when passing driveways and alleys.
Stay to the left side of your lane when passing parked cars to your right.
Park where either gravity or the engine will get you out of a parking spot. In other words, back into a downhill sloped space and pull straight into an uphill sloped space.
Look ahead, plan ahead! Look as far down the road as you can. Pay close attention to colors and shapes on the road surface (scanning for trash, bumps, holes, cracks, new asphalt, old concrete, spills, puddles, etc.) and also observe how other vehicles are reacting to the road (scanning for brake lights, swerves, bumps, etc.).
Practice hard braking when you don't need to so you can "safely" apply the brakes under an emergency situation. Practice in vacant parking lots or quiet streets that won't interfere with other people/vehicles.
New riders should never carry passengers until such time as they are "very" comfortable with their bike. Usually this takes at least a year without a passenger.
Another related article: Honda C70
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