Your Best Safety Tips!

I wrote this in the similar discussion we had earlier...Dec 22. I have had vehicles crashed and totaled in the past...all while parked, even my 1969 CB750. I have crashed a bike once...July 1969. Total of about 2,300,000 miles, with just over 300,000 on bikes of different sorts. Not a single moving violation, mostly parking tickets from the era when police disliked bikes....even with time remaining on the meter.


"""This, and any physical activity, is impacted by variation in individual abilities and the ability of the rider to assess different behaviors and conditions. For example, road trips in general......

Operate the controls without either having to look at them or fumble for them.
Fully understands the capabilities of the bike and does not infringe on those.
Understands that speed limits are dictated by prevailing/ever changing traffic, not necessarily the signage.
Can establish the best following distance and lane position given traffic conditions at the moment.
Has the ability to watch the other drivers for attentiveness...or intent, not just the vehicles.
Can assess potential threats from changing traffic conditions.
Can identify drivers who don't give a &^%* about others at a glance.
Has instinctive response to traffic conditions.
Has excellent peripheral vision. Constant use of the neck can compensate a bit.
Can assess the physical conditions of the roadway surface for threats.
Is sensitive to people, animal life and things in an unsafe location along the roadside.
Can notice unwisely packed items on adjacent vehicles.
Can watch far ahead as well as nearby vehicles.
Does not outrun his ability to react in different light conditions.
Can accomplish all of the tasks I have mentioned within three seconds and immediately repeat the analysis.

Sometimes it's safer to remain far ahead as it's near impossible to safely follow or mingle with an unruly crowd.

Sounds like few people I know including myself, although an aversion to scratched and bent bikes helps. 'Some people make excellent fighter pilots, the rest are just smoking holes in the ground'. """"
 
When I started riding, a friend, who was very experienced, told me 4 things:

1. dress like you are going to fall down
2. do not mix alcohol and riding
3. ride a bit faster than surrounding traffic if possible
4. nothing good happens after midnight
 
Fawlty said:
Watch the front wheel direction of slow moving or parked vehicles with a driver in situ.
Click to expand...
Right on!
Anecdote: almost blew my MC license test over such... ;)
Back then they showed photos of particular traffic scenes and in this case the examiner asked "what's the first critical issue here and how do you proceed?"
my response: "instantly slow down to walking speed, proceed with hovering on brakes"
totally baffled the examiner ripped that pic away from me, going like "what on earth do you mean son??!"
I explained the silver car parked on LHS has it's front wheels turned towards the lane, I've no clue if it's occupied or not, risk that it pulls w/out indicators or use of mirrors out seems imminent...
(the also present assessor then leaned over and whispered to him that I already had the car license for some years...)

We then discussed other issues in the scene at length, but I'm positive that every single candidate after me cursed me from here to stone-age over that silver Fiat parked on the left... :biggrin:
 
All other road users are idiots, ride accordingly.

Forward observation, don't fixate, try putting a glove on the ground ten feet away and look into the distance, can you see the glove, yes... now look at the glove, can you see what's happening a hundred yards away... not really...

If you have a pupil, candidate, associate or whatever you call them, who doesn't believe in ATGATT, take an orange or apple along to the training session.... hold it in your fingertips and drag it a few feet along the road surface whilst applying some downward pressure...... show them the fruit.... now ask if that's what they want their flesh to look like if the come off, even at slow speed...... yep, the world is your belt sander.....

I have more...
 
1. Don't drive angry.
2. Don't drive drunk.
3 Never think you're the master of the machine; because a motorcycle will take umbrage at your disrespect, and show you that you're not...
 
Firstpeke said:
All other road users are idiots, ride accordingly.

Forward observation, don't fixate, try putting a glove on the ground ten feet away and look into the distance, can you see the glove, yes... now look at the glove, can you see what's happening a hundred yards away... not really...

If you have a pupil, candidate, associate or whatever you call them, who doesn't believe in ATGATT, take an orange or apple along to the training session.... hold it in your fingertips and drag it a few feet along the road surface whilst applying some downward pressure...... show them the fruit.... now ask if that's what they want their flesh to look like if the come off, even at slow speed...... yep, the world is your belt sander.....

I have more...
Click to expand...

You can include other Bike riders into road user Idiots also.Maybe More so.
 
So, when I first told my grandfather (The major male influence in my life) I was building a motorcycle in my shop classes at school, he stood there silent for a moment. I was 17 at the time. I'd ridden off road on vacations, but street bikes he told me were "A different type of animal"
He had me follow him across the street from his house, had me take off my shirt (You didn't argue with gramps, and you always learned from his lessons) Si. I did that, and as he asked, I laid down on the asphalt. He grabbed my feet and SLOOOWLY walked back across the street, dragging me.
There was no real damage, just some minor scratches, but man, did that freaking HURT.
"That was zero miles an hour" he said "Just imagine what going down at sixty will do..."
"Ride with the best gear you can afford, improve and upgrade when and as you can, and never ride with out your gear." Gramps was a master Tool and Die maker. He was the day lead on the Golden gate bridge project. He made any bolts I couldn't find for that first bike. The engine was a '47 knucklehead (I will NEVER own a Harley again) and it leaked oil so badly my friends called it "The Rainbow Maker" because when it rained.... Riding on my own oil slick was just plain stupid.
My fault, your fault, someone else's fault; it don't matter crap once you and that bike part ways until you come to a full stop. What matters between those two points is your ability to fall correctly, and the gear you have on. Not to mention any impediments you may encounter while coming to that full stop...
 
Da Bear said:
My fault, your fault, someone else's fault; it don't matter crap once you and that bike part ways until you come to a full stop. What matters between those two points is your ability to fall correctly, and the gear you have on. Not to mention any impediments you may encounter while coming to that full stop...
Click to expand...
1679170228612.png
 
Da Bear said:
What matters between those two points is your ability to fall correctly, and the gear you have on. Not to mention any impediments you may encounter while coming to that full stop...
Click to expand...
So true. Motorcycle racers often don't get seriously hurt if they slide because they often don't hit anything because they are on a track. Cartwheeling is a different story of course.
As the old saying goes, its the sudden stop that hurts.
 
Me once, because I was not hurt.
Not me once, because I was hurt. Pain refocuses the mind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom