My Top 10 Motorcycle Safety Practices--Please Share Yours

[rdprdp01]

I have ridden 50,000+ miles on motorcycles on streets and highways. I do not have a clue how many miles I clocked on dirt, but it was my three-year apprenticeship before I purchased my first street ride. Along the way, I observed great riding habits from phenomenal motorcyclists and noted a few things to avoid from the flip-flop, helmetless daredevil on a superbike turning out 160 BHP. For your consideration, see below:

The Motorcyclist: I never ride when I am angry, distraught, stressed, exhausted, or distracted. If something happens while I am riding, I respond, find a place to park, take time to reset, and then continue riding calmly and with focus.

Gear Up: I always wear the full set of protective gear: boots, Kevlar-lined jeans, airbag, jacket, gloves, earplugs, and helmet. I know it sounds excessive, but like so many other things in my life, it has become an ingrained habit I do not even think about.

Pre-Ride Check: Like Gear, I thoroughly inspect my motorcycle. It does not take long. I pay particular attention to the drivetrain: wheels, tires, air pressure, chains, sprockets, and brakes. When it is time to go, I want to go. When it is time to stop, I want to stop.

Warm Up: When I start my motorcycle, I let it idle for 5 minutes while I slip on my gloves and helmet. Because a CB1100 is fuel-injected, it may seem like a quaint relic of the past that I should let go of. However, a CB1100 relies on oil to cool the motor. It needs to circulate before the engine spins at high RPMs. I also use this time to listen closely to the exhaust and engine. If something is broken, I want to know about it idling in front of my garage, not at 70 MPH on the highway.

Rolling: I take the first few stops and turns slowly. I want the tires to warm up and to confirm that nothing has vibrated loose. I also have to check for bonehead mistakes, like when I didn't properly clip my brand-new iPhone into the mount. Thankfully, at five miles per hour, it gently fell into my lap. Not sure what would have happened if I had gunned the motorcycle to get to 50 MPH.

Focus: There are many people on this Forum who are smarter and more experienced than I am. I know it is very common on group rides for people to use Intercoms to chat. Serious motorcycle tourers often listen to podcasts, music, and other content to make the journey more enjoyable. For me, when I ride, I only ride. I check the mirrors constantly, focus on the road rather than the instrumentation, and continually assess driving conditions (pavement, weather, vehicles, debris, animals). I rarely look at my speedometer or tachometer because I can tell how fast I am going by the sound of the exhaust and the gearing.

Trust: Or perhaps more accurately, I have no trust in anyone riding anywhere near me. I watch the wheels of nearby vehicles to gauge whether they might drift into my lane, and I avoid looking at drivers' faces to prevent target fixation. I assume no one will yield as they should. While scanning, I am also leveraging lane position to create a makeshift escape route if something terrible happens. Although some of you may find it unnecessary and even questionable, I ride with my fingers always on the clutch and brake levers. Many motorcyclists have asked whether my hands tire or cramp. They do not, but that might be because after 45 years, all feeling has given way to the comfort I take in knowing I am ready to react. When I see a problem developing, I act decisively. I almost always either accelerate to swerve to avoid a collision or apply the front and rear brakes to slow the motorcycle without causing the rear tire to slide. It is very rare that I swerve and brake. I practice throttle management and downshifting to help with braking.

Speed: If I am on a country road by myself, I always drive at the posted speed limit. Engineers factor in road geometry, sight distance, and clear zones when calculating a safe speed of travel. I follow that without exception. On an interstate, I sometimes have to choose between driving with the flow of traffic and the posted speed. In both scenarios, I give a wide berth to people driving U-Hauls, school buses full of screaming kids, and any vehicles that are so large they block my view of the road.

Turns: I slow down before entering a turn, set a line, accelerate through the turn, and use counter-steering to maintain balance. I am always looking ahead, exactly where I want to go. At low speeds, that may be 200 ft. On the highway, that may be 1,000 ft. I maintain my position even if a slightly impatient driver wants me to go faster. If he wants to pass me, so be it. But I am going to hold my line and enjoy leaning the motorcycle back up on the other side of that turn, safe and sound. If he waves the one-finger salute at me as he passes to let me know he finds my judgment suspect, I will find a way to cope.

Parking: When parking my motorcycle, I always look for a flat, level surface. The CB1100 weighs more than 550 LBS (250 KG) wet. If I park on an incline, the weight coupled with gravity can turn parking into a very bad day. I always park in gear if I am not using the center stand and always turn my front wheel toward the slope.

If you find anything I shared questionable, throw the flag and correct me. If you could add to this Thread by sharing other best practices or lessons learned, the rest of the Forum and I would benefit tremendously. Let’s help one another become better riders by drawing on our experiences on the road, not only in a parking lot under the watchful eyes of an experienced instructor. Two wheels down. David

[MagnaRider]

All great points all around!
I only have a few points to add that I have learned from my experience.
1. Parking lots are where accidents happen. Be vigilant on looking around and scanning the area. Always be ready to stop or go on a dime.
2. When stopping at an intersection, get used to stopping on one foot and using your other foot to hold the bike in place with the rear brake. In the event you get rear ended holding the rear brake will keep the bike upright, and if you are fast enough you are quicker to get moving and out of the way if you see a rear end incoming. If you hold the front brake while rear ended the bike will tip over and chances are you will be run over by the cars behind you. Also it looks much cleaner stopping and going with one foot
3. I am not a speed demon, but I do like to feel the power of any motorcycle. Remember that stopping isn't your only option in case of an emergency. Sometimes the better option is to throttle up and use your superior speed and maneuvering to get out of a bad situation.
4. Practice emergency stopping. I do this each spring and every once in a while, during the riding season. I have a backroad behind my house that never has any traffic on it, and I will practice getting to 60 and then slowing down as fast as I can. Feel using both brakes and how much pressure you can apply to them before skidding.

[Gone in 60]

All very good points.

Magna, good advice about holding the rear brake at a stop rather than the front.
Only modification I make to that when stopping in traffic with cars in front and behind me is to stay to the left of my lane and angle outwards just a bit.
If I see that the car approaching from behind won't stop in time, I can hopefully scoot out around the car in front of me quickly, or at the worst, if I am rear-ended, I'll be projected around the car in front of me and not hit it.

My personal experience recently dropping my work bike in the boss' uneaven, sloped driveway reminded me to keep a sharp eye on the surface you're riding on, and if it is sloped, don't put your foot down on the low side when stopping. There won't be any ground under that foot, and you might not be able to keep the bike from tipping all the way over.

[Lunchbag]

Lots of great tips, thank you guys.  If I can't find a level spot to park, I try to point it uphill even if this means misaligning the bike with the parking spot.  I put it in first gear and use the kickstand.  I figure this is better than aiming down or across the slope.  I like Gone's method of stopping in the left part of the lane when behind a car.  When stopped, I sometimes flash the brake light a couple times as the car behind me approaches, if I can do so without rolling.  I like Magna's stopping drills and I also like to pick a spot on the road and swerve left or right of it for practice.  I also like to find an empty parking lot and do tight oval and figure-8 turns at slow speed, trying to stay within the lines of, say, two parking spots opposite two other spots (using those four spots like the rectangle in the MSF course).  Because my CB1100 front brake is more effective than my other bikes I use my index finger only, to avoid snatching too much in a panic.  One finger always seems to be enough.  I slow down when riding through a forested area where the dappled sunlight is causing a strobing effect, and where the shadows on the surface prevent me from seeing the road condition.

[Cooldrum305]

All great tips on riding safe! I did add a Brake Free light on the back of my helmet and my jacket has Hi Viz panels to hopefully be seen by drivers. In the end, it's up to me to return home after each ride.

[Gone in 60]

There’s a new Brake Free light on the LA area FB marketplace for $100 if anyone in the area wants a deal.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/ite...tid=wwXIfr