Motorcycling safety tips

[bradleymaynar]

Make sure you have your visor closed or down (I have a couple settings so that I can keep mine cracked when moving at speed). Here's why:

I had a very uncomfortable couple of miles a few weeks back. I was out warming up the chain before applying some chain wax. As I was heading down a street I had my visor completely open, and something came into my helmet. I flipped the front of the helmet open with the hope that whatever it was would fall out. I then closed the helmet and the visor and continued home, unsure if the whatever had gotten out. I was within a half mile of my driveway when I felt something crawling on my ear!! 8O I immediately flipped the visor up again. I pulled into the drive put down the sidestand and shut the bike off. I then slowly undid my chin strap and very gingerly removed my helmet. As I did a honey bee came flying out Needless to say, I still catch myself leaving my visor open, but immediately pull it down when I realize it.

Brad tt

[Anonymous]

Ride like your invisible and there's a billion dollar bounty on your head if they bring you in dead.

Everyone else is the worst driver on the road and will do the dumbest thing imaginable.

[Anonymous]

Be Seen!

Be Seen,

I use my diamondstar headlight flasher alm,ost all the time
Wear bright reflective clothes or something other than black.

Try to follow posted speeds especially on new roads and on corners It may be no fun but its better than being a hood ornament or even worse.

I have a 1981 gs400L the price was right (free) and it was built during the heyday of the double nickel (90km in Canada) it cruises really nice at that speed, can do higher but has to work a whole lot harder. so Lots of times I ride at 90

I keep telling my buddies with the 1400 yammies and harleys that there is a "terror factor" which increases exponentially from 90-110 kmh since my bike is smaller and more susceptible to turbulance and things juts get louder.

Great Thread i have read alost all of it. I would love to have someone post some diagrams of how to lay out the pylons in a parking lot for practice (with distances) etc...

JB

[Gerry]

Here is a link to some good articles about riding safe.

http://www.ridemyown.com/articles/riding/

[bradleymaynar]

Here's IL's liscencing book. At the end they have the diagram set up for the slow-maneuver's portion of the test. The other portion is a written exam.

http://www.sos.state.il.us/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_x1405.pdf

Brad tt

[Anonymous]

Re: Be Seen!

I have a 1981 gs400L the price was right (free) and it was built during the heyday of the double nickel (90km in Canada) it cruises really nice at that speed, can do higher but has to work a whole lot harder. so Lots of times I ride at 90

Call me a geek, but that is soo cool you and I have the exact same bike and are very close in BC Canada. I have never come across another one!

My bike sails pretty good, then again the km's are low and the thing is really new mechanically. It goes 120km/hr uphill easy, but it only has to carry round 110 lbs, lol

It doesn't have alot of vibration, but it is loud at high speed hear you there.

Love to hear more about yours
Fawn

[jpaul]

Here's a link to a couple of cone layouts for practicing.

http://www.sdwanderers.org/slowcone.htm

You always hear advice to ride like you're invisible, which is not bad advice, but the approach I take is to assume I'm invisible to half the cagers, and a target for the half that can see me. I don't know which half is which, so I just stay ready for them to do the dumbest thing possible.

[DMPLATT]

Bumpity Bump.

[Anonymous]

DO NOT ride behind a pickup truck full of Mexicans..... 8O

[bradleymaynar]

After logging 200+ miles with a group on Saturday, here is what I was practicing. Do NOT look at the rider in front of you as you go around turns. Rather look at the rider in front of him/her. It puts your focus closer to where you want to be looking. I found it really helped me stay real smooth in the twisties. And any time that I looked at the rider directly in front of me, I found I wasn't as smooth. It takes practice, but is well worth the results.

Once again, a shout out to jonr for a great weekend. I feel I came home a far better rider.

Brad tt

[mark]

Riding Tips

1. Make sure you can twist the throttle and cover the front brake at the same time.

2. when hard in a corner, look at where the corner is going, not where the bike is pointing.

3. Remember the rear brake makes the bike want to fall into the corner, the front brake makes the bike want to "stand up in a corner".

4. to go right hard, push with your right hand.

[KGB]

This needs a sticky

[Desolation Angel]

DO NOT ride behind a pickup truck full of Mexicans..... 8O

First of all, Mexicans are wonderful people. Second, never ride behind a pickup full of Mexican painters who can't remember to completely close the lids of paint cans in the bed of the truck while going 80 mpg on the highway. Result of this is to have a thousand tiny specs of paint all over your car, know it's happening, and can't get away from the source due to traffic at the time!

I hate being forced into emergency car washing.

[Anonymous]

Safety tips

Being an MSF certified RiderCoach, the one thing I harp on is practice, practice, and practice...especially quick stops, swerves and cornering, and always ride your own ride, given the bikes' ability and your skill level.

[Pete Logan]

DO NOT ride behind a pickup truck full of Mexicans..... 8O

First of all, Mexicans are wonderful people.

Mexicans are wonderful people indeed. One of my best friends has a Mexican wife, and I have enjoyed some seriously good days in that country.

But much more important that remembering not to ride behind a truck full, is remembering not to ride in front of a truck full. Friend of mine got rear-ended like that No serious damage, but lots of accusations of racial prejudice

Pete