This topic is for any helpful hints on Riding safety for other riders. Braking habits - applying the benefits of experience The training you get while going for your motorcycle licence is designed to teach you as much as possible about riding, and riding safely. However, there is something training can never provide and which only experience can give you. It’s like a kind of sixth sense that tells you when things are going well on a ride, and more importantly when they’re not. To acquire it, what you have to do is ride with your eyes open and your mind on the job. It adds another layer to your training. Unfortunately experience can also be a two-edged sword. Not all the habits you pick up to make that extra layer are good ones. An occasional refresher can therefore be a good idea to keep your riding skills sharp and help you break bad habits. To help with this the RTA has developed a riding guide 'Braking habits' which is available from bike shops, rider training centres and RTA motor registries. More control, more enjoyment When a rider crashes in competition, people often say: 'Looks like he just ran out of talent.' Accident figures suggest that many motorcyclists run out of talent when they’re riding alone out on country roads. While road and weather conditions contribute to single vehicle accidents, they are part of the environment that motorcyclists should be assessing as they ride. Scanning and constantly checking your riding environment is vital to identify problems early. Which type of rider are you? There are two types of riders on the road. Riders who enter corners at a speed based on what they can see, and riders who enter corners hoping the road ahead is clear. Scan for hazards. If you can’t see, slow down. Leave something in reserve Remember, if you ride with something in reserve, you will get maximum enjoyment from any ride. There’s definitely no fun in sliding down the road behind your bike! Useful contacts Police and other emergency services: 000. Reporting road surface damage: 131 700. RTA customer service: 13 22 13 (8.30am - 5pm Mon-Fri and 8.30am - 2pm Sat). Rider training bookings: 13 22 13. NSW St John Ambulance: 1300 360 455. Thank you to wfactor for this information which was obtained from the RTA NSW http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au
Riding Well nice bit of reading there Dean. I have a few things I would like to share with people. First in braking I honestly dont really use my rear brakes my ratio would be 95% front brack and 5% rear unless my riding condition change from normal. The reason behind this is that all the weight of you and your motorcycle transfers to the front brakes and its easy and quicker to hit the front brakes. Position of riding on the road is very important. When riding down the road I have been told by many pro riders that you sould travel in the line that your car tyre travels closet to the center line. Reason behind this is that you have room in case people come out of intersections drivers in front of u can see you in there mirror. People driving on the other side of the road can see you also. Braking when coming into corners. I have been taught and told to do this method by many good and even pro riders. When riding on country roads and just wipping around enter corner slow then put the power down when exiting the corner. Reason of doing this is that you can kkeep a tight line through the corner also when entering corners you dont always know what is around the bend so going in slowly means u have alot of time to adjust riding if needed to. And rememeber never get an ego when riding because thats when u crash. Always becareful and keep scaining 2 blocks ahead of you.
strange but true I was talking to the local parts man at the bike shop and we got to talking about riding and how the oldies (like him) were quicker than use even though they rode slower. We came to the conclusion that if you cruze at a nice speed and roll into corners its alot quicker than fanging down the straight then hitting brakes hard then have to hit the throttle again. So slow down and you will be faster. STRANGE BUT TRUE
Taken from the Across Forum, <!-- s:alcoholic: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_all_coholic.gif" alt=":alcoholic:" title="Alcoholic" /><!-- s:alcoholic: --> Counter Steering: If you push the left bar, the bike goes left. If you push the right bar, the bike goes right. That is, unless you keep pushing the right bar all the way, then you will probably go left while the bike swaps ends. Crashing: Remember riding isn't inherently dangerous...crashing is. The Sidelines: It's always better to be on the sidelines wishing you were on the track than on the track wishing you were on the sidelines. Fuel: The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire. The Rear Wheel: The rear wheel is just a big fan used to keep the rider cool and his butt relaxed. If in doubt... watch. When it locks up or slides out you can actually see the rider start sweating and pucker marks are left on the seat. Too Slow: No one has ever hit something too slow. Rides: A 'good' ride is one you can walk away from. A 'great' ride is one you can walk away from and use the bike again. Getting Hit: They can't hit you if you're not there. Mistakes: Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself. Traction: When traction is sparse, the probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of lean. Large angle of lean, small probability of survival and vice versa. Your Brain: Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't go five seconds earlier. Fog: Stay out of fog. The single red taillight you think is another rider ahead that you can catch, might be the red starboard light of a docked boat. Parking: Always try to keep the number of times you park the bike equal to the number of times you've ridden it. Luck & Experience: You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck Mirrors: If all you can see in your mirrors is the direction you were previously traveling intermingled with sparks, and all you can hear is commotion from the passenger riding pillion; things are not at all as they should be. Other Objects: In the ongoing battle between objects made of metal, rubber and plastic going dozens of miles per hour, and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose. Same holds for cars, trucks, walls and most animals. Draws don't count. Judgment: Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, experience usually comes from bad judgment. Going Forward: It's always a good idea to keep the headlight end going forward as much as possible. Looking: Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed. Laws: Remember, gravity and centrifugal force are not just good ideas. They're laws not subject to repeal.
Great rules to follow Dean <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s -->
Riding Safety? When is comes to Riding Safety, common sense doesnt actually seem that common. Take protective clothing. There are people that still persist in not wearing it. I have even been called an 'old man' for wearing it. However I would rather have it and not need it , than need it and not have it.
thanks Great advice, thanks. I'm a new rider and im trying to get all the advice and knowledge i can.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING If you drink and drive- and your a bloody idiot.... Then Riding in shorts and a singlet make you a freaking dick head. Always think about what's between your skin and the road. A worse fate than death is having your flesh ripped from your bones and or burning against car exhausts (for those unlucky enough to end up under a car). I always always wear leather. Aside from it being sexy, it keeps your skin safe resulting in alot less pain in the case of those unexpected bails. Ride smart and Dress for protection if you want a long riding life. <!-- s:angel: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_angel.gif" alt=":angel:" title="Angel" /><!-- s:angel: -->
Anyone who does'nt wear good gear has'nt had an off yet. Or they're real slow learners. I've come off at 180 k's and walked away,all my leathers and helmet were totaled but I only lost a bit of skin. Good gear will help you stay alive if (when) you have an off. <!-- s:cry: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cry.gif" alt=":cry:" title="Crying or Very sad" /><!-- s:cry: -->
My personal favourite came from a pro A good leather is like a good woman, soft and supple but always ready for action. I see a lot of noobs riding around that don't swivel their heads often. I think this is very important to survival. Over the years it has served me well to avoid being bumped by 4 wheelers. A little trick I learnt from the pro racer who made the comment above is that you should be scanning all around all the time, especially in traffic. He suggests that you learn scanning by looking from 10 seconds ahead to right up front, swivel from right to left (opposite I guess for you left side riders) around parked vehicles to watch for people backing out. Scan the ditches/shoulders on the highways for critters. Check your mirrors as often as possible and scan the guages on your way to the other mirror. Simple things we take for granted from experience a noob will miss.
Another very important thing to remember is to check your attitude when riding. We sometimes are our own worst enemy. We sometimes get carried away and ride beyond our capabilities, we might get away with it sometimes, but sooner or later our luck will run out and it will be painfull.
MMM indeed great riding tips and general road behaviour. i like the fact that one of you picked up on headchecks - peopel dont' do this enough - i can't stress how important a head check is - if i see you on the roads one day and you dont' doa head check i will pull you over and beat the sence of god into you. i have avoided countless accidents by head checking and gotten out of countless accidents that shouldnt' have occured if people had been head cheaking. just one last point i would like to emphasis is gear. i know it's a bleeding obvious but riding isn't everything, i mean it's a big big part of it but you shoudl also have the gear for teh job, budjet for it and replace it when you need to. ride safe and dress safe.
I will go with the head checks too, at times on the highway I have had cars and other bikes behind me only to find them beside me on merging lanes, and I have not seen them come up in the mirrors. Other bikes seem to be the worst as they come up so quick at times.
I hate to post a new message on such an old topic, but after reading this - I just HAD to say something. First of all im surprised nobody else corrected Jarmizz (not trying to be arrogant but considering the whole point of this topic...). Rear brakes are CRUCIAL. Any racer/ex-racer will know this but unfortunately its not something that many people pick up on through experience. Stopping with BOTH your brakes can almost halve the distance it takes you to stop. Yes, Jarmizz is totally correct in stating the front does most of the work, but the back brake is there for a reason. My recommendation to ALL riders, new and experienced, is learn to use your back brake as firmly as you can without skidding. Practice every time you stop. Its probably the safest skill to learn on a bike as worst case scenario is you do a little skid and let the brake off. It WILL decrease the time/distance it takes you to haul up and who knows, one day it might be the difference between smashing into the side of that douche bag doing a U-turn, or stopping just in time to flip him the bird and stay on rubber. ................................................................................................................................................. <!-- s:Biker1: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/th_Biker_1.gif" alt=":Biker1:" title="biker_1" /><!-- s:Biker1: --> As a side note, its interesting to hear all the talk about leathers and such. I totally agree, leather saves your ass, and ALL new riders should wear safety gear. I guess im only saying this as the comment FrogfeaturesFZR made pissed me off a little. I personally choose NOT to wear leather sometimes. Do you know why? Because wearing leather makes me feel invincible. Feeling a little naked on my bike makes me just that extra bit more cautious and sometimes thats a reeeeeally good thing. Theres a time and place for different sets of gear of course and we're all adult enough to choose the level of risk we're happy with. I mean lets face it, if we weren't the type of people to accept calculated risks, we'd all be driving cars instead of thrashing our Fizzers. Again though, I totally agree that new riders should wear ALL the safety gear and when they've got years of experience (and more than a few scars) they can choose what to wear and what not to.
It depends on the bike and the rider. 'Any' racer may not know this; the rear rotor on my TZ is aluminum, and is there to appease the tech inspector. For heavier bikes, lightly applying the rear a second before the front will settle the fork, reducing dive and greatly improving the bike's (and your!) composure. The ability of the rear brake to pull you to a stop is (almost) never an issue on the track; you want to release the rear under OMG braking to avoid locking it as the weight shifts to the front. Umm... NO, the worst case scenario is you skid enough to get sideways, drop the rear brake, and get high-sided to the f'n moon. I agree completely that rear braking is an essential skill on the street, but there is an element of risk involved that the new rider has to be aware of. The reverse of this discussion (not seen in this thread, happily), using solely the rear brake, has its own drawbacks. Not only are you wasting most of your braking power, but by not using your front brakes you aren't preheating the front tire prior to tipping into a corner. On a cold rainy day, this could be the difference between a slight push and a complete wash-out.
Sorry. Just to be clear, my remarks regarding use of the rear brake were in ADDITION to proper use of the front brake as described earlier in the post. I only wanted to point out that the rear will ALWAYS reduce your braking distance when used in conjunction with the front, and im sure everyone agrees shorter stopping differences mean safer stopping differences. PS - If you're new to riding and you read these posts, please dont go out and jump on ur rear brake like its a dirtbike in the mud. Dontz125 is correct in saying you'll be sent in Armstrongs footsteps and your bike wont appreciate the journey.
