Here are the things that have kept me alive for thirty thousand miles on a motorcycle. (Sorry it's a little preachy, but the concepts here will save your life (preachy already?)) Whether you hear them here, in a school, from friends, other riders or if you think of them yourself or learn them from close-calls; live by them. If you have more, tell me about them.
Never be in a hurry on a motorcycle, Never be in a hurry on a motorcycle, Never be in a hurry on a motorcycle. (Yeah, say it again!) Make decisions based on survivability - if you're crossing a six lane street where cross-traffic is going 50 will you make it if you shift into neutral instead of second?.... If you stall? Proceed as though no one can see you They may look your way, they may be looking right at you - or right through you.... For real - it'll happen to you, it's weird when it does. Saved my life at least once. Proceed as though everyone will do the worst thing they can possibly do Turn in front of you, pull out in front of you, stop for no reason, change lanes when they can't see you, change lanes when they can see you, run yield signs, run yellow lights, run stop signs, run red lights... Be a Mindreader Guess what people are going to do - "I bet she's going to swerve to avoid that squirrel", "I bet he's going to swerve to hit that squirrel", "I bet she's texting", "I bet they'll; turn right from the left lane, turn left from the right lane, go fast cause they're late, go slow cause they're looking for an address, pull a crazed u-turn... You are the last thing on their mind If they even know you're there. Be delighted when they don't do that crap, but ride like they will. Saved my life at least twice. If you want to check out the sights; bring a camera and pull over If they ever find me dead by the side of the road, I was distracted (not thinking/planing ahead) - ask witnesses if there were chicks or airplanes nearby, or both. You can only split your attention so many times and riding can't come second to anything, even really hot chicks! The one time I did fall - going about 15mph - I was near the airport watching a plane. That cost me $900 worth of repairs. Thought I'd collapsed a lung. Scared the crap out of me. Always have an escape route A way out when things do go wrong. Know where you're going to go - always think about it ahead of time. Saved my bike twice. Don't stop at yellow lights Because the guy behind isn't going to... as far as you know. If you get pulled over, tell the cops exactly that. They may laugh at the thought of doing it for safety, but, I'll take a ticket over getting rear-ended any day! Know what surface you're riding on Gravel and sand will ruin your day. When you're going 60 on a motorcycle the amount of rubber you have in contact with the road is about the size of two quarters. Wet leaves are incredibly slippery and they can hide under dry leaves. Adjust your speed to the time you have to react Be able to stop in the time it takes a kid (or animal) to run out of the bushes etc., into your path. The further away those unknowns are - the faster you can go and the closer: the slower. Animals are unpredictable They will run out in front of you, stop , start again, go back the way they came, jump randomly to avoid you....or just sit there. So spend your traction breaking. I've heard that if an animal runs out and stops in your path, you should go straight through it - 'cause you can't predict them and if you're turning when you hit one... well, I'm not sure, but it's probably not good. Be able to stop when you can't see the road around a curve or hill Assume the road ends just beyond what you can see, 'cause it might. Adjust for your ability to react If you're tired or impaired in any way- slow down so you can always stop in time. Riding is still fun at slower speeds - if it's not, if you're in it for the adrenaline rush, try skydiving. Know what's going on behind you - go the speed you want. If you get a tailgater - turn right or let them by, but get rid of them. Don't let their presence change your decision-making. If a dog chases you, slow down 'cause if you speed up their instinct kicks in and they can't help but chase you. Slow down and swerve if you can and it breaks the spell. (Abruptly as you can without getting rear-ended). Follow in the tire track of the car in front of you Especially when traffic is dense (i mean crowded, drivers are always dense). The cars in front or you will swerve to miss crap on the road or go over it. So either you'll miss it or you get some warning. Once, in a car, on a highway, there was a 6 foot fiberglass ladder in the lane I was in. My car straddled it, but if a rider had been following me, between my tire paths, going 65 or 70 - urg! (We got the ladder off the road) So, don't tailgate, but especially between tire paths. The left side of the lane is better People see you better, they take you more seriously (I've been passed many times, even in heavy traffic - if you're on the right side of the lane people think you've got engine trouble or something. And it gives you more time to react if something surprises you from the right. Anytime a rider goes down - it's his fault One rider (who had fallen) told me this overriding concept. You choose to be on a bike, you choose where you go, you choose what streets you're on". He said "I don't care if you were hit by falling airplane parts... you chose to be near the airport on a bike. You choose how fast you go, what lane your in, what time of day you ride" (I mean the guy wouldn't shut up!) But he's right, we choose to ride. Just like a pilot, you're responsible for everything ...even the weather. If it's cold out, you need to know that cold leads to hypothermia: if it's hot out - hot leads to dehydration, both of which can lead to really bad decision-making and crappy reaction time. And when your brain is compromised, your brain is the last to know that it's compromised. Wear gloves and an armored jacketI I was really glad I did when I fell. Don't drive based on what people should do Watch a couple episodes of "World's craziest car chase videos" and you'll never approach an intersection the same - Just 'cause the light's yellow or red doesn't mean cars will really stop. And finally; Don't run into things & don't fall . If you follow these last two things you can forget the rest of my list - it's just a lot easier to do the last two if you remember the others. Thirsty, drunk, tired, crabby, anxious, mad, late, etc. are conditions you have to account for. No one can make you ride and they can't change the way you ride. I had a friend who always said "you could end up dead - or worse!" Riding can last a lifetime - it's just a question of how long that is - it's up to you. With all that said: I think it's the most economical fun you can have. And it's legal! Have fun and let me know if you start a motorcycle gang.
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