Two Wheel Fix - View Single Post - 50 Ways to Save Your Life (from Motorcyclist Magazine)

neebelung · 02-27-2008, 02:21 PM

26. Never drive into a gap in stalled traffic Cars may have stopped for a reason, and you may not be able to see why until it's too late to do anything about it.

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 And smacking a car that is swerving around some goof-balls open door is just as painful.

29. Don't get in a intersection rut Watch for a two-way stop after a string of four-way intersection's if you expect crossing traffic to stop, there could be a painful surprise when it doesn't.

30. Stay in your comfort zone when you're in a group. Riding over your head is a good way to end up in a ditch. Any bunch worth riding with will have a rendezvous point where you'll be able to link up again.

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. Otherwise you're essentially flying blind for the first mile or so.

32. Master the slow U-turn Practice. Park your butt on the outside edge of the seat and lean the bike into the turn as a counter weight as you pivot around the rear wheel.

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. A patch of suspicious pavement could be just about anything. Butter flavor Crisco? Gravel? Mobil 1? Or maybe it's nothing. Better to slow down for nothing than go on your head.

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

36. Drops on the face shield It's raining. Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier than when it's rinsed by a down-pour, and you never know how much grip there is. Apply maximum-level concentration, caution and smoothness.

37. Emotions in check? To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check yo self. Emotions are as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every time you saddle up. If you're mad, sad, exhausted or anxious, stay put
38. Wear good gear.Wear stuff that fits you and the weather. If you're too hot or too cold or fighting with a jacket that binds across the shoulders you're dangerous. It's that simple.

39. Leave the IPOD at home. You wont hear that cement truck in time with Spinal Tap cranked to 11, but they might like your headphones in intensive care.

40. Learn to swerve. Be able to do tight turns in quick succession. Flick left around the bag of briquettes then right back to your original line of trajectory the bike will follow your eyes so look at the way around, not the briquettes. Now practice till it's a reflex.

41. Be smooth at low speeds. Take some angst out, especially of slow speed maneuvers, with a bit of rear brake. It adds a welcome bit of stability by minimizing unwelcome weight transfer and potentially bothersome drive line lash.

42. Flashing is good for you. Turn signals get attention by flashing, right?So a few 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/red light on your right and you cut your chances of getting nailed in half.

44.Tune your peripheral vision Pick a point of that wall over there. Now scan as far as you can by moving your attention , not your gaze. The more you can see with out turning your head, the sooner you can react to trouble.

45. All alone at a light that wont turn green? Put as much motorcycle as possible directly above the sensor wire-Usually buried in the pavement beneath you and locate by a round or a square pattern behind the limit line. If the light still wont change, try putting your kickstand down. You should be on your way in seconds.

46. Everything is harder to see after dusk Adjust your headlights. Carry a clear face shield and have your game all the way on after dark, especially during commuting hours.

47. Don't troll next to-right behind- Mr. Peter-built. If one of those 18-retreads blows up- Which they do with some regularity- it de-treads, and that can be ugly. Unless you like dodging huge chunks of flying rubber keep your distance.

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

49. Make sure your tires right. None of this stuff matters unless your skins are right. Don't take'em for granted. Make sure pressure is spot-on every time you ride. Check for cuts, nails and other junk they might have picked up, as well as general wear.

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

02-27-2008, 02:21 PM	#2
neebelung Ornery, scandalous & evil Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Moto: 2004 Scarlet R1 Posts: 5,962	Part 2 26. Never drive into a gap in stalled traffic Cars may have stopped for a reason, and you may not be able to see why until it's too late to do anything about it. 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 And smacking a car that is swerving around some goof-balls open door is just as painful. 29. Don't get in a intersection rut Watch for a two-way stop after a string of four-way intersection's if you expect crossing traffic to stop, there could be a painful surprise when it doesn't. 30. Stay in your comfort zone when you're in a group. Riding over your head is a good way to end up in a ditch. Any bunch worth riding with will have a rendezvous point where you'll be able to link up again. 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. Otherwise you're essentially flying blind for the first mile or so. 32. Master the slow U-turn Practice. Park your butt on the outside edge of the seat and lean the bike into the turn as a counter weight as you pivot around the rear wheel. 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. A patch of suspicious pavement could be just about anything. Butter flavor Crisco? Gravel? Mobil 1? Or maybe it's nothing. Better to slow down for nothing than go on your head. 35. Bang! A blowout! Now what? No sudden moves. The motorcycle isn't happy, so prepare to apply a little calming muscle to maintain course. Ease back the the throttle, brake gingerly with the good wheel and pull over to the shoulder. Big sigh. 36. Drops on the face shield It's raining. Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier than when it's rinsed by a down-pour, and you never know how much grip there is. Apply maximum-level concentration, caution and smoothness. 37. Emotions in check? To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check yo self. Emotions are as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every time you saddle up. If you're mad, sad, exhausted or anxious, stay put 38. Wear good gear.Wear stuff that fits you and the weather. If you're too hot or too cold or fighting with a jacket that binds across the shoulders you're dangerous. It's that simple. 39. Leave the IPOD at home. You wont hear that cement truck in time with Spinal Tap cranked to 11, but they might like your headphones in intensive care. 40. Learn to swerve. Be able to do tight turns in quick succession. Flick left around the bag of briquettes then right back to your original line of trajectory the bike will follow your eyes so look at the way around, not the briquettes. Now practice till it's a reflex. 41. Be smooth at low speeds. Take some angst out, especially of slow speed maneuvers, with a bit of rear brake. It adds a welcome bit of stability by minimizing unwelcome weight transfer and potentially bothersome drive line lash. 42. Flashing is good for you. Turn signals get attention by flashing, right?So a few 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/red light on your right and you cut your chances of getting nailed in half. 44.Tune your peripheral vision Pick a point of that wall over there. Now scan as far as you can by moving your attention , not your gaze. The more you can see with out turning your head, the sooner you can react to trouble. 45. All alone at a light that wont turn green? Put as much motorcycle as possible directly above the sensor wire-Usually buried in the pavement beneath you and locate by a round or a square pattern behind the limit line. If the light still wont change, try putting your kickstand down. You should be on your way in seconds. 46. Everything is harder to see after dusk Adjust your headlights. Carry a clear face shield and have your game all the way on after dark, especially during commuting hours. 47. Don't troll next to-right behind- Mr. Peter-built. If one of those 18-retreads blows up- Which they do with some regularity- it de-treads, and that can be ugly. Unless you like dodging huge chunks of flying rubber keep your distance. 48. Take the panic out of panic stops. Develop a intimate relationship with your front brake. Seek out some safe, open pavement. Starting slowly, find that fine line between maximum braking and locked wheel, and then do it again, and again. 49. Make sure your tires right. None of this stuff matters unless your skins are right. Don't take'em for granted. Make sure pressure is spot-on every time you ride. Check for cuts, nails and other junk they might have picked up, as well as general wear. 50. Take a deep breath Count to 10. Visualize whirled peas. Forgetting some clown's 80-mph interscretion beats running the risk of ruining your life, or ending it.