50 ways to save your a$$

[poorwboy]

1. Assume you're invisible.

2. Be considerate.

3. Dress for the crash, not the pool or the prom.

4. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

5. Leave your ego at home-The only people who really care if you were
faster on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.

6. Pay Attention.

7. Mirrors only show you part of the picture.

8. Be patient

9. Watch your closing speed-Passing cars at twice their speed or changing
lanes to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.

10. Beware the verge and the merge.

11. Left-turning cars remain the leading killer of motorcyclists.

12. Beware of cars running traffic lights.

13. Check your mirrors

14. Mind the gap-One second's worth of distance per 10 mph is the old rule
of thumb. Better still; scan the next 12 seconds ahead for potential
trouble.

15. Beware of tuner cars-They're quick and their drivers tend to be
aggressive.
16. Excessive entrance speed hurts.

17. Don't trust that deer whistle.

18. Learn to use both brakes.

19. Keep the front brake covered-always.-Save a single second of reaction
time at 60 mph and you can stop 88 feet shorter. Think about that.

20. Look where you want to go.

21. Keep your eyes moving.

22. Think before you act.-Careful whipping around that Camry going 7
mph in a 25 mph zone or you could end up with your head in the driver's side door when he turns into the driveway right in front of you.

23. Raise your gaze-It's too late to do anything about the 20 feet
immediately in front of your fender, so scan the road far enough ahead to
see trouble and change trajectory.

24. Get your mind right in the driveway-Most accidents happen during the
first 15 minutes of a ride, below 40mph, near an intersection or driveway.

25. Come to a full stop at that next stop sign.

26. Never dive into a gap in stalled traffic.

27. Don't saddle up more than you can handle-If you weigh 95 pounds, avoid
that 795-pound cruiser. If you're 5-foot-5, forget those towering
adventure-tourers.

28. Watch for car doors opening in traffic.

29. Don't get in an intersection rut-Watch for a two-way stop after a
string of four-way intersections.

30. Stay in your comfort zone when you're with a group-Riding over
your head is a good way to end up in the ditch.

31. Give your eyes some time to adjust-A minute or two of low light
heading from a well-lighted garage onto dark streets is a good thing.

32. Master the slow U-turn-practice.

33. Who put a stop sign at the top of this hill?-Don't panic. Use the rear
brake to keep from rolling back down. Use Mr. Throttle and Mr. Clutch
normally-and smoothly-to pull away.

34. If it looks slippery, assume it is.

35. Bang! A blowout! Now what?-No sudden moves. The motorcycle isn't
happy, so be prepared to apply a little calming muscle to maintain course. Ease back the throttle, brake gingerly with the good wheel and pull over very
smoothly to the shoulder. Big sigh.

36. Drops on the faceshield?-Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier
than when it's been rinsed by a downpour. Apply maximum level concentration, caution and smoothness.

37. Emotions in check?-Take inventory every time you saddle up.

38. Wear good gear.

39. Leave the IPOD at home.

40. Learn to swerve.-Be able to do two tight turns in quick succession.
Practice till it becomes a reflex.

41. Be smooth at low speeds.

42. Flashing is good for you-Easy taps on the pedal or lever before
stopping makes your brake light more eye-catching to trailing traffic.

43. Intersections are scary, so hedge your bets.-Put another vehicle
between your bike and the possibility of someone running the stop sign/light
and you cut your chances of getting nailed in half.

44. Tune your peripheral vision.

45. All alone at a light that wont turn green?-Put as much of the bike
directly above the sensor wire or try putting the kick stand down directly
on the wire.

46. Everything is harder to see after dark.

47. Don't troll next to-or right behind-Mr. Peterbilt.

48. Take the panic out of panic stops. Develop an intimate
relationship with your front brake. Seek out some safe open pavement. Starting slowly, find that fine line between maximum braking and a locked wheel, and then do it again, and again.

49. Make your tires right-Check them for spot on pressure and any wear and
tear.

50. Take a deep breath-Count to 10. Forgetting some clown's 80-mph
indiscretion beats running the risk of ruining your life, or ending it.

[madmanmaigret]

thanks poorwboy, no matter how many times i hear/see/read it, i need it some more!

[castle228]

Thanks Poor! I saw the thread title and almost skipped over this one, but glad I didn't.

I'll be sure to share this with my finacee who's looking at purchasing herself an FZ6 this spring/summer.

[reiobard]

great post, thank you, all things i know but never enough reminding of them

[buggerlugs]

My advice is number 48. Practice emergency braking. Knowing how your bike will handle if you suddenly (like, ohhh ****, now) have to brake from 80 to 0 is absolutely invaluable. I had to do it once and was glad I had tried it a couple of times.

The physics of an emergency brake are:

Progressively apply front brake. By progressively I mean you have to allow for maximum contact patch. If you squeeze on the front brake lever lightly and then pull harder and harder you will allow the front tyre to spread and increase the contact patch with the road. If you grab it and pull it as hard as you can immediately it will skid, you will go down and you will not like the consequences. Because you immediately pulled on the front brake the weight did not have enough time to distribute itself to the front and your contact patch will be smaller, therefore the friction to the road will be less.

Then apply the rear brake as much as you dare.

If you practice the progressive method you can get the time and therefore distance down to a minumum.

So, practice, practice and practice again getting your emergency stops right.

[christod1]

Very well said..

[Nelly]

Have you had an epithany? great post.

[grommit]

Very good.

That should be pinned at the top of the Forum.

[Cali rider]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

My advice is number 48. Practice emergency braking....

It can't be emphasized enough, but it's just not as "cool" to practice as a wheelie. I have a area in a local industrial park that I practice braking about once a week on my way out for ride.

The pavement is quite worn from truck traffic, greasy in spots and not perfectly level, just like the real world! I take 4-6 total passes at speeds starting around 30 up to about 70 MPH. I go into full load braking, with the front tire howling and the rear tire levitating across the pavement. It simply instills confidence in my control of the bike so I am prepared to stop the bike without thinking about it. After 30+ years of riding I still practice this task....

[trailblazer87]

One of the things I do is watch the brake lights 3 cars up and when it shines I back off the throttle in anticipation of the brake lights on the vehicle in front of me. This has saved me from getting run over a time or two.

Another good one is Rain-X on the outside of the face shield, not the inside ( I learned this the hard way), it will fog the inside.

If something feels funny it probably is....
Use your instincts.

Be visible, use your high beam in the day. You aren't going to burn it out any sooner.