Get ya Motorcycle Safety lecture here!

[Ruby]

Everyone should know I'm big on motorcycle safety, more so than your average person LOL

I think a thread should be started to provide small motorcycle safety tips that you don't normally get from Rider Safe courses or what would be 'common knowledge', like "don't speed". I'm not going to point out the obvious ones, I'll post up some tips that take years to 'discover' for yourself, so feel free to contribute some USEFUL tips.

I'll start off then ...

1. Scan, scan, scan ... and then scan some more. Be alert and check not just your mirrors, but the mirrors on other cars. If you can see them, they can see you.

2. Going for that blast thru the hills/country and you're new to the road? Country roads can be twisty and riders can get caught out. No idea where that blind corner goes or how sharp it may be? Firstly, slow down, then check for indicators like powerlines or trees that follow the road. They'll give you an idea of how sharp the corner is, and where the next corner after that is.

3. Position yourself on the road to be seen and also to give yourself an escape route at any given time.

4. Do track days. Learn your bike and yourself. Discover the smallest flaw in your bike and your riding. Remember, the ambulance is 30 seconds away if you get it wrong, not 30 minutes away like out on the street.

 

[Ruby]

5. Chase the "corner point". The corner point is your view of when a corner is sharp or sweeping. If you were to draw your view of a corner eventually the line for the LHS of the road will meet the RHS of the road were it starts to disappear around the turn. That is the "corner point". As you approach a turn, if that point appears to move closer to you, brake some more and shave off speed, its a sharp turn. At the apex of the turn, the corner point will move away from you as it opens up to give you a view of the road ahead. This is when you get back on the gas and accelerate out of the turn.

So, corner point closing in = brake ... corner point moving away = accelerate and chase it. Something learnt on track that applies to road riding.

 

[Ruby]

6. Maintain your bike. Lube that chain. Replace it if necessary. Don't have money to do that, then don't ride it, it's not worth your life. When was the last time you put in fresh fork oil, or brake fluid? Or the not so obvious: air pressure in your tyres; change of spark plugs; change air filter; have you gained weight and you should run a stiffer spring or adjust your suspension?

Too many times I've heard the story from someone who crashed, "gee I don't know what happened? I just lost it". Thats because you didn't check your tyre pressures you twat! Taking a corner fast with 15psi in your front tyre will see you in hospital.

 

[Ruby]

No one? Ah, well I'll add another ...

7. Wanna pull that wheelie on the street? Or have that quick drag race with your mate? Nearest car in front is over 300m away? Think again. A sportsbike will cover that distance in under 10 seconds. Thats 10 seconds to roll off, put the front wheel down, before you can even start braking, and there's half your distance gone already? ... and you're still traveling too fast. You will ALWAYS be traveling faster than you think you can brake.

So here's a tip: $50 gets you drag racing for the day, or practice your wheelies at a private hire of the circuit for $800 split 8 or more ways ($100 each - find 7 buddies like yourself). Can't afford it? Then you can't afford motorcycling or the insurance, so you shouldn't be on the road anyway encouraging bad things to happen.

 

[Sidney]

8. Don't mess with Ruby

 

[pickaninny]

WTF? U preachin to mostly teenagers with no license. U need to get a life.

 

[Ruby]

Yes I'm preaching! You need to STFU and learn something.

The teens on this site are more than likely to be the next generation of road riders Learn now, or learn later the hard way.

Next ...

 

[stumbows]

Yea definitely i agree with ruby.

 

[Hillz]

i agree aslo... road safty is very important..

but i'm not one to follow these rule all the time... i ride with stunters on the street, i hit the streetz on my CRF50 & KX250 all the time, but if you wish to do these illegal things try to be Courteous to those around you.. IE Family's & old people

 

[Sidney]

Yeah I agree.

Hillz if you are riding you 50 in a carpark or whatever you arent harming anyone so I don't get why people make a big deal out of this stuff anyway.

 

[yelloww proX]

ruby there would be like 8 people max not even on the site y keep blabbing on about ur road bikes and that crap i dont think many ppl care

thats my 2c

 

[Ruby]

As long as you're practicing 'your thing' in a safe environment. A car park after hours is quite safe IMO. Although the cops might not think so!

Sometimes authorities like the cops or councils recognise that there are people who are trying to do the right thing and keep it on the low-low, and they let us get away with it, because we could always be doing on the streets putting everyone at risk. The cops know that their presence won't "stop" us. We will only move on to somewhere else. So they tend to ignore the situation because we could be doing things in a far more dangerous and public place. Its only when there are many complaints they will intervene.

ruby there would be like 8 people max not even on the site y keep blabbing on about ur road bikes and that crap i dont think many ppl care

thats my 2c

Because its sites like this that is the starting point for future road riders ... hello? If people don't care, don't read this. Simple.

How is what I'm saying any different to discussion on trailers? ... except I think this info is more valuable to anyone with an interest in bikes. Its all bike related.

My 2c worth

 

[pascal125]

i think ruby's threads are useful and a good read. if people have or are about to get a road bike it is a good thread to read, but as she said, if you don't like 'em, simply don't read them. ruby is one of the very few people on this forum that give very useful advice, so i respect what she says.
thats mi 2 c

 

[Squeeby]

Pickaninny sit down and shutup

 

[Flarry]

My theory is do everything as fast as you can and don't think about it.

 

[50s BRotherhood #1]

ruby you always come up with some good ideas for threads and this one was a good read and i also got alot out of it
cheers

 

[Franky]

#1 rule - There is no rules, stick your rules up your ass, ride your bike without a helmet do what you want,

Remember, its not illegal if you dont get caught.

 

[ducar.r.spec]

its people like franky who will be donating organs when they scrape whats left of him off the road

 

[mickalomaniac]

how many of you have actually had to watch a friend die? had to see their family, their wives, their children grow up without fathers or mothers? Well i got knews for any of you who think that safety is sum bullshit that ppl preech to be heard... First hand i have had to see these things happen, more than once, and each time i lost a friend, they were doing the right thing... On tracks, supervised and riding safe... Even being a safe rider/driver is not 100% guarenteed to save your life, its just to give you better odds of living to enjoy it again another day... If you wanna ride hard do it, you want to live dangerously? Do it... Just dont discredit someone who has tried to give you the bennefit of their experience... If they care enough to make a point, listen, but dont shit on them for caring... It just means they know sumptin you dont...

 

[mickalomaniac]

all i'm saying is just think about wat you say b4 you say it... think about wat you do b4 you do it, do that and you live without regrets...