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Motorcycle Riding Part 2 Uploaded by bbiker, found in Rider improvement
Night riding It’s dark for 50% of the time so it’s going to happen! This is where you find out how good your headlight is, how your perception of things change in the dark, how important the 2 second rule is and finally, how clear your visor is. A scratched or damaged visor will badly affect your view in the dark, if you suffer from a ‘starburst’ effect from other headlights when night riding.....change it! Carrying a pillion Maybe not something you do a lot but when you do, it’s different! Remember A B C, acceleration should be smoother and slower, braking will be affected by the extra weight, do it sooner, not sharper! And cornering will feel different with the extra weight on the back, no knee down! Keep your pillion happy, we might get another biker! Advice to a new pillion Make sure they are wearing the good motorcycle clothing and their helmet is securely fastened. They should be comfortable on the seat holding on to you or the grab rails in the bike with their feet on the foot pegs, at all times. Ensure they lean ‘with the bike’ when cornering and sit still when doing slow speeds, a bad pillion will equal a bad ride! Pillion adjustments If carrying a pillion for long periods, such as touring, you may want to consider adjusting the following. 1. Tyre pressures, increase pressure for the extra weight. 2. Rear suspension; increase the preload to account for the extra weight and luggage. 3. Headlight, this may dazzle oncoming traffic, adjust beam alignment temporarily. 4. Mirrors, looking at tarmac? Give them a tweak to realign. Luggage If touring or carrying additional items, don’t rely on bin bags and bungee cords. A badly loaded bike will also make the handling strange and ‘interesting’ to say the least. Use properly designed motorcycle luggage, tank bags, tail packs and throw over soft panniers can be bought for a reasonable price. Luggage also keeps all those dangly bits out of the back wheel, which could make things interesting....without warning! Drinking and riding It’s a no brainer. A couple of pints might turn you in to Valentino Rossi, or so you think. It will slow your reactions, affect your judgement and increase rider error. There are no second chances if you drink and ride. This practice is for the terminally stupid. Don’t do it, end of. Drugs and riding Suffering from ‘man flu’ or aches and pains? Be careful what you take for it, even over the counter medication may lead to drowsiness. Hay fever season is a classic example. Read the labels, take the advice and be careful, falling asleep behind the bars is not a smart move! Speed limits At some point everyone will speed. But the excuse of ‘sorry officer, I thought it was a 40’ when caught at 50 won’t wash! Speed limit changes are signed at the junction at which they change, when entering a new road, check for the speed change, when approaching a junction, check the speed change. The decision to obey them lays with you, but sorry, no excuses. Diesel gloves If you are unfortunate to be caught in a downfall and your gloves are not waterproof; petrol stations ‘give away’ diesel gloves which you can put over your gloves and are a good temporary measure. Road signs Believe it or not they are there for information, not decoration! Take time to observe the signs around you, ‘slow’ painted on the road and a ‘bend ahead’ sign could be clue to what’s in store. It’s not rocket science; learn to read the road and the clues provided on the side of the road to prepare you in advance. Knowledge Every ride is different; don’t for one minute believe you know it all. The day you believe you are the master, is the day it bites you in the a**. Bikes demand respect, control and an ever increasing skill level, your machine is the result of a lot of engineering and artistic work, it’s your baby and you love it! Get out, ride, smile and enjoy the ride, see you on the road! Flashing headlights They are telling me to go, giving me right of way, aren’t they? The Highway Code Rules 110 and 111 say otherwise, the ‘Urban Highway Code’ probably won’t stand up in court, flashing headlights could signal any reason, but have a read of the Highway Code get in good habits and practice what it says. Head up Where you look is where you go, you might have heard this advice more than once. Guess what? It’s true!! Keep your head up and your eyes looking in the direction you want to travel, everything will become easier and smoother, staring at that oncoming vehicle or a big fat tree whilst negotiating a bend is not a good idea. Head up, look up! Town riding Ride defensively, you must adopt this attitude if you want to survive, expect the unexpected, give other vehicles plenty of room, play ‘spot the idiot’ be mindful of courier vans and delivery lorries they have a habit of stopping out of the blue, shoppers and children will have their head in the clouds, think for everybody. Cover your brakes, just in case. Wet weather riding Not only do you have the normal hazards to deal with, as a motorcyclist we also have the following to think about. · 1. Manhole/inspection covers; these can be slippery when wet. · 2. Diesel spills, these can be fatal, diesel is oil, and will not evaporate, if you smell fuel, watch for the ‘rainbow’ on the road and avoid. · 3. Tarmac over banding, if wide enough these can cause your tyres to slip. Plan your route! Don’t ride angry Make sure that you are in the right frame of mind to enjoy your ride; don’t get on the bike after an argument with your partner, your dog or your hamster! Take a minute to clear your mind and concentrate on the job ahead, focus, relax and enjoy......do the miles and end in smiles! Filtering One of the joys of biking, but also one of the more dangerous manoeuvres. Take your time; don’t travel at more than 10-15 mph faster than the stationary traffic, watch for impatient drivers and car wheel position. The most dangerous time is when the traffic just starts to move and sudden lane changes occur. Remember, they won’t check blind spots. Think for them!
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