Safety Tips from Seasoned Riders for CB1100

[bubblerboy64_imp]

Good control of the bike, good protective gear and most importantly expect the unexpected.

Keep alert and thinking "what if". And allow room to maneuver.

Accidents happen when there is a confluence of bad things happening at once. Car turns in front of a biker who is not attentive. Can't control the car but "expecting it" gives you a better chance.

Stay alert. And staying alert 100% is for me at least a challenge. In a car you can day dream but on a bike you better be on top of it all the time because you know the other guy isn't

















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[mininsx_imp]

I'm a little surprised that no one mentioned this: Check your tire pressure!

 

[Deanohh_imp]

Don't look at any one thing for too long.....keep eyes moving. See motion induced blindness.

Motion-Induced Blindness

 

[bubblerboy64_imp]

Yep pre ride inspection I'll bet the vast majority of us don't do it. Tires very important. I'll bet there are more bikes out there with dry rotted tires then you would ever guess. Lots of motorcycles sit unused and tires can kill.

If you dig into motorcycle accidents clearly inexperience and bad choices are a factor in many.

If you do it right you certainly can make the odds better.


I like to think of riders as amateurs or professionals.

DO IT RIGHT AND BE A PROFESSIONAL. Means riding gear, education and all the rest we are discussing here.

 

[lola_imp]

I'm a little surprised that no one mentioned this: Check your tire pressure!

This is so important. Every single ride I do I check them by feel and If I am not lazy I check with a tire gauge.... Just last week on my way home from work I picked up a nail on my rear tire without knowing and the bike all of a sudden didn't want to turn at all, Low tire pressure will not let you turn the bike. I also make it a habit to keep the bike as clean as when I first got it so I know if there are any leaks or anything out of the ordinary.....A bike thats in tip top shape also helps in being a safer rider.

all great advices fellas:biker:

 

[CA200_imp]

Wow , some really great comments here but since some one brought up tire dry rot and I sold motorcycle tires for the last 15 years
I think I should comment. As a tire ages it slowly will not stop as well as it did when it was new. By the time it is 60 months old it is pretty much done. I know there are a lot of members with multiple bikes here so it is really important to check tire dates on the tires.
When you buy a used bike always check tire dates.

 

[bubblerboy64_imp]

How many guys run tires beyond five years if the tread is ok? It's only been a couple years that I learned better. Cars too. Old tires not good.

 

[HikerToo_imp]

I saw on a previous thread based on stats for motorcycle accidents and deaths, the following will improve your chances quite a bit.
1. wear a helmet
2. don't speed
3. don't drink
And a couple hints I have that different then others I read here...
- I do trust my mirrors( when blind spot mirror is added) and don't look back, the act of looking back over your shoulder takes your eyes of the road and momentarily disorients you.
- don't get too far behind the car in front of you, or another car may be tempted to pull in front of you, so I stay close enough that no one is tempted.

 

[SUPERCRUZ_imp]

A few acronyms from the MSF Basic Rider Course. These are always in the back of my mind every time I get on the bike.

SEE - Search, Evaluate, Execute

Pre Ride Inspection TCLOCS - Tires/Wheels, Controls, Lights & Electircs, Oil, Chain & Chassis, Stands

FINECC - Check Fuel On, Iginitioin On, Neutral, Engine Cutoff Switch On, Choke/Clutch

SLIPR when entering corners - Slow, Look, Press, Roll

Avoid blind spots and create a 360 degree cushion around you.

When entering a turn, keep your head up and look all the way through the turn. Learn proper counter steering technique for turning the motorcycle. To go left press on the left bar. To go right press on the right bar. Sounds totally counter intuitive but it works.

 

[sanoke_imp]

Here's one to think about. I call it the "Biker's Dilemma". When approaching an intersection that is a two way stop where you have the right of way, a car on the cross street is waiting to pull out. He starts to roll forward slowly so what do you do? You're not sure if he sees you so you hit the brakes in case he doesn't. Seeing you slow down, he assumes you are turning even though you haven't signaled and he pulls out. If you don't slow down and he does see you fine but if he doesn't, you are going too fast to stop. What would you do? Personally, I just cover my brakes and depend on my gut reaction and take that. Not enough time to think about it when it's happening.

 

[the Ferret]

I signal him to go ahead and go. Rather wait a few extra seconds than take a chance.

 

[cb400four_imp]

Here's one to think about. I call it the "Biker's Dilemma". When approaching an intersection that is a two way stop where you have the right of way, a car on the cross street is waiting to pull out. He starts to roll forward slowly so what do you do? You're not sure if he sees you so you hit the brakes in case he doesn't. Seeing you slow down, he assumes you are turning even though you haven't signaled and he pulls out. If you don't slow down and he does see you fine but if he doesn't, you are going too fast to stop. What would you do? Personally, I just cover my brakes and depend on my gut reaction and take that. Not enough time to think about it when it's happening.

I agree with the original poster's approach. I cover my front brakes and maintain my course and speed. Usually my left thumb covers the horn and I give a couple short blasts. In the hypothetical situation you describe, in the one or two seconds you have, it is hard to verify with absolute certainty there is noone behind you; the alternative of stopping and letting the car proceed (where I don't have a stop sign and I have the right of way) would be unexpected by the (possibly marginally in attentive) cager behind me. I try to keep tabs at all times of the vehicles behind me but in this situation I'd prefer to double check and I wouldn't have time.

Like many on this site I spend a lot of time riding my CB1100 on undivided two lane roads with many intersections and this situation is common at least where I ride, thanks for highlighting it. I'd also like to hear people's thoughts on the similar situation where an oncoming car is stopped and ready to take a left into your path: this is my least favorite situation. One of our members posted a video and a good discussion followed.

 

[the Ferret]

I think I misread the previous situation. I thought there was a stop where you had right away but car was encroaching. If the two stops are to your right and left and you have a straight thru and a car is approaching from one of those two sides, I slow down, cover brakes and will often stick up my left hand telling them to stop or I will point at them.

I will also do the same in the situation described above with a car ready to turn left...raise my hand with the stop signal, point at them, wiggle in my lane, stare at them... whatever it takes. ( I rand into the passenger door of a car that turned left in front of me in 1969.. it was not fun )

 

[cbdtran_imp]

While I've owned a motorcycle for a 10 yr stretch in my younger days, I don't have near the miles that many of the forum members do. As I get back into riding, I'd like to get the thoughts of the seasoned riders on this forum on how to ride safe and is there anything that specifically applies to the CB1100. It's a much heavier bike them I'm used to which has its advantages & disadvantages.

As I get back into riding, my underlying philosophy is to ride like no one can see you, and if they can see you assume they're trying to kill you.

Thanks in advance for you input.

0) Ride with all visibility - if you are invisible, people will hit you even when you walk.

1) Hone your riding skill and emergency reaction (counter steering and braking hard) and all surfaces

2) Pay attention to intersection IN or DURING red light.

* When cross the intersection from red line, if possible, have both sides covered by cars
* slow down a bit, look left and right when approaching intersection on green lite
* while wait on red light, if you see a vehicle approaching - use your left arm with up down motion to tell them to slow down.

3) glance in front of you for debris, sand on straight line or during turn. people say, look where you go, but also look close in front of you. some falls because of oil patch on turn.

4) go to parking lot (empty) and practice turn at low and higher speed, learn to brake and brake hard, learn front brake until the rear end almost lift up - this is for emergency braking. Learn to avoid debris by counter steering. practice braking with both brakes,

5) Keep at least 3 sec from car in front or behind

6) Pay attention to traffic around you. Pay attention to opposite traffic

7) Ride with confident but assume NOTHING, don't assume you have the right of way or everyone else is safe driver / rider and respect your life. On desert road, pay attention to dog / animal so just don't assume you own the road.

8) middle of the road tend to have oil patches, use the left or right side

9) body protection / condition of your bike / learn your bike / have a feel of your bike.

10 ) DO NOT SHARE LANES WITH CARS - treat your bike like a car, one car per lane

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If you are a good driver, then likely you are a good rider ... riding is 100 times more dangerous because you don't have second chance.

go to Youtube and search for motorcycle accidents.