Safety & Riding Tips

No matter if you ride daily, once a week or only ride on weekends, eventually you are going to have to ride in the rain. A very common question we get asked is tips on wet weather riding. Here are a few points of wet weather riding which briefly covers braking, following distance, vision grip and wet weather gear.

It might seem that most motorcycle accidents occur on the highway or twisty mountain roads, but that isn’t always the case. The vast majority of motorcycle accidents occur on city streets and most are collisions with other vehicles, mostly cars. So, avoiding accidents is primarily a matter of knowing how to avoid collisions with cars. Let’s analyse several typical urban accidents and see how we can avoid them

Our first line of defence is our eyes. Although good vision alone is no defence, it is the principal input to our computer, the brain. Studies indicate that ninety percent of our impressions of riding are visual. To focus on a specific event or item in traffic, we have to rely on central vision which is only a cone measuring 3 degrees in width in the central part of our sight. Our central vision is used for such things as estimating distance and reading details in the traffic scene.

Setting up is undoubtedly the most important part of Cornering, and determines how smoothly and safely you negotiate the corner. It’s during the approach to a corner that all the important information is gathered and decisions made.

Carrying a passenger can effect the way a motorcycle handles. The weight makes starting out more difficult and reduces acceleration capability. More time and space will be required for passing. It may also increase stopping distance and stability may be affected in turns and curves.

A common attitude to riding on the road is to believe that "everyone is out to kill you" or "ride like you are invisible". I believe that it's time to challenge this statement. Let's change those well worn adages with a new one "everyone drives like I do." By doing so we will be a better rider, and enjoy our riding more. We take responsibility for our own safety. We see a possible hazardous situation for what it is. When we put ourselves in the position of the driver we are approaching, we know what we would do in their place, and then we act accordingly.

Before any big ride, or if your bike has been sitting around over winter; it is important to check it over to be certain it’s in a safe and workable condition. Your owner’s manual will have a “pre-ride check” that you can follow to inspect your bike.