What's your best riding tip for the street?
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,689
From: South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
Here's a couple more:
1) Slow down. You can have plenty of fun squirting off corners without being a road racer.
2) Ride the twisties. Stay away from traffic. The less random **** you have to deal with, the better off you'll be.
1) Slow down. You can have plenty of fun squirting off corners without being a road racer.
2) Ride the twisties. Stay away from traffic. The less random **** you have to deal with, the better off you'll be.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 201
From: Toronto
+1 on both counts...I guess that's +2, then...
Last edited by CANADAVTR; May 20, 2010 at 06:40 PM. Reason: spelling
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 8
From: Wollongong Australia
Have you ever tested this in real life? I've found a lot of cars pull up quicker than a bike - much more rubber on the road.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 320
In theory we might be able to stop faster in perfect conditions, but even then in reality the car with ABS slamming on the brakes could stop faster than probably 95% of us on this forum, myself included. Then throw in rain, corners, pebbles, sand, bumpy roads, and we're all screwed.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,934
From: altoona, pa
No. you're right, under ideal conditions, we can stop relatively quickly, but, as you say, an adverse condition or two and the 2 wheeler is in trouble in terms of stopping.
Member
Squid
Squid
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 78
From: Bremerton WA
My sensible tips:
- Riding next to cars, be sure you ride where you can look at their sideview mirror and see their eyes, then you know that if they look, they can see you. (works in theory)
- Loud pipes, for those too lazy to look, at least they have a shot of hearing you. Superhawks, with their low thump thump thump are easy to hear especially with non restrictive exhaust.
- Always tap tap tap your brake too when coasting in gear and slowing down. Otherwise cars coming up behind you have no idea you are going slower than they are. I see a lot of newbs coasting to almost to a stop engine braking before I see their brake lights come on. An inattentive driver driving fast (talking on the phone) needs all the help you can give them to avoid hitting you from behind.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,452
From: San Clemente, CA
I rarely use the brakes while riding a road I know well. I drive out of corners, maintain speed until approach to next corner, then use compression braking to slow to cornering speed...entering the corner at about 5,000 rpm to get plenty of punch coming out. That's the reason I love my SuperHawk so much.
Guys that gas it hard, picking it up to warp speed through the straights, then brake hard for corners...I wave them by.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,547
From: Way Out West
When you're approaching cars from the rear, watch the driver's little head. Are they checking their mirrors several times per minute or tooting along as if the universe ended at the back of their head?
If they are about to change lanes they may not bother to look behind or use their turn signals, but they'll almost always crank that little head over a split second before they change direction.
If they are about to change lanes they may not bother to look behind or use their turn signals, but they'll almost always crank that little head over a split second before they change direction.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 421
From: Woodland Hills, CA
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 201
From: Toronto
Watch out for the big tractors and farm gear. If, like me, you live in the country, this time of year presents new hazards.
Today, I went out on the VTR to get my new blank keys (following losing my keys last week - see my other post) when I came up behind a muddy wheeler. A BIG Muddy Wheeler! So he's takin up most of the road and doing 20 mph. Patience, I thought, as I slowed behind him.
I'm puttering along in second, keeping my distance, then WHAM, he hangs a left right in front of me and heads down a track.
Imagine if I'd pulled out to fly by him! OMG....
Patience and roadcraft pays...
Today, I went out on the VTR to get my new blank keys (following losing my keys last week - see my other post) when I came up behind a muddy wheeler. A BIG Muddy Wheeler! So he's takin up most of the road and doing 20 mph. Patience, I thought, as I slowed behind him.
I'm puttering along in second, keeping my distance, then WHAM, he hangs a left right in front of me and heads down a track.
Imagine if I'd pulled out to fly by him! OMG....
Patience and roadcraft pays...
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,138
From: Austin, Tx
I like the "drive like you're invisible" anology. Once you're invisible - you're real. Go ride. I signal with one finger and it's not my thumb. Others are right - everybody is out to kill you. Oh my, what the **** else is new. Go show 'em what it means to live AND drive responsibly.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,452
From: San Clemente, CA
They don't put turn signals on those things, do they. As if it would matter, since most drivers today don't even know what a turn signal is.
But I hear you. A buddy and I were riding one of the inland canyon roads northeast of LA about 25 years ago, when we get stuck behind a medium sized yellow tractor. Same thing, we're thinking should we pass him or wait till he sees us? Good thing we didn't pass...hard cranked left turn.
Another tip, if nobody has mentioned it yet, don't pass on the right. I had a Harley do that to me, scared the s#@* out of me. There was plenty of room on the left on this straight road and no cars coming.
But I hear you. A buddy and I were riding one of the inland canyon roads northeast of LA about 25 years ago, when we get stuck behind a medium sized yellow tractor. Same thing, we're thinking should we pass him or wait till he sees us? Good thing we didn't pass...hard cranked left turn.
Another tip, if nobody has mentioned it yet, don't pass on the right. I had a Harley do that to me, scared the s#@* out of me. There was plenty of room on the left on this straight road and no cars coming.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 201
From: Toronto
So I'm going home from work last night on the VTR...6 p.m., sunny day. Not following any cagers...just me.
30 ton Tipper Truck coming the other way...leading a line of vehicles. FIRST CAUTION...some cager is gonna shoot out from the line and try to pass the rig and hit me head on, so I immediately roll off the throttle, pull across from the left tire track, move to right tire track so all the cagers can see my main beam.
SECOND CAUTION...truck passes an intersection (still first in line, coming towards me, so we're at a closing speed of 120 mph. As he passes the intersection (on a curve), he kicks up a huge cloud of brown dust. Now, I'm 1,000 miles from the coast, so this ain't sand! So I sit up, brake and straighten the bike up. Sure enough, the dust is from oil dry grains, buckets of the stuff spread all across the intersection, which had glass and plastic lying around too...obviously from an earlier accident!
So I'm upright, 30 mph, just coasting over all this crap. Got through that no probs...now there's a dude biker coming towards me on an I4, going like snot, Valo Rossi style, head on the tank, heading for the same **** I just came through! Hope my arm waves got noticed, or he'd be down in a flash.
The moral of the story; look around at the environment, not just the next 100 feet of road...
30 ton Tipper Truck coming the other way...leading a line of vehicles. FIRST CAUTION...some cager is gonna shoot out from the line and try to pass the rig and hit me head on, so I immediately roll off the throttle, pull across from the left tire track, move to right tire track so all the cagers can see my main beam.
SECOND CAUTION...truck passes an intersection (still first in line, coming towards me, so we're at a closing speed of 120 mph. As he passes the intersection (on a curve), he kicks up a huge cloud of brown dust. Now, I'm 1,000 miles from the coast, so this ain't sand! So I sit up, brake and straighten the bike up. Sure enough, the dust is from oil dry grains, buckets of the stuff spread all across the intersection, which had glass and plastic lying around too...obviously from an earlier accident!
So I'm upright, 30 mph, just coasting over all this crap. Got through that no probs...now there's a dude biker coming towards me on an I4, going like snot, Valo Rossi style, head on the tank, heading for the same **** I just came through! Hope my arm waves got noticed, or he'd be down in a flash.
The moral of the story; look around at the environment, not just the next 100 feet of road...
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 201
From: Toronto
SECOND CAUTION...truck passes an intersection (still first in line, coming towards me, so we're at a closing speed of 120 mph. As he passes the intersection (on a curve), he kicks up a huge cloud of brown dust. Now, I'm 1,000 miles from the coast, so this ain't sand! So I sit up, brake and straighten the bike up. Sure enough, the dust is from oil dry grains, buckets of the stuff spread all across the intersection, which had glass and plastic lying around too...obviously from an earlier accident!
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,934
From: altoona, pa
be careful when approaching vehicles at hyper speed because they're likely to do something that surprises you. Crashed twice. First when an old lady froze in the middle of the road when i popped over a hill and she was pulling across highway, and the other when someone who was preparing to turn left and instead stopped blocking the lane and I ended up in the ditch. She said I was coming so fast she thought I was going to pass when I was anticipating her turning and thus being out of the way. Oh, and the other thing that makes you appear like you're traveling at hyper-speed is high beams, therefore i use low beam on back roads for this reason.
The other day it happened again when a pick up was going to turn left, i guess(no signal), but saw me coming fast from behind and just stopped in my lane, even though I was using low beam. I'm trying to get the idea here before it's too late.
The other day it happened again when a pick up was going to turn left, i guess(no signal), but saw me coming fast from behind and just stopped in my lane, even though I was using low beam. I'm trying to get the idea here before it's too late.
Last edited by nath981; Jun 6, 2010 at 10:13 AM.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 201
From: Toronto
So I was in Cager mode yesterday, in my Caravan with yard trailer...proceeding on the highway and indicating to turn left down a concession road (side road). Also had an intersection to my right; I was turning left.
Waiting to pull out from the stop on my right, was a Dodge truck.
Two cruiser bikers were bearing down on me from behind at a high speed. Guess what? Rather than slow down, they gassed it down my inside right, between the 3 feet of gap of my Caravan and the nose of a two ton Dodge Ram.
If the Ram had inches forward just 12 inches, both of those oh so brave bikers would have lost their right legs....
How cool to ride with such risk...wow...
Waiting to pull out from the stop on my right, was a Dodge truck.
Two cruiser bikers were bearing down on me from behind at a high speed. Guess what? Rather than slow down, they gassed it down my inside right, between the 3 feet of gap of my Caravan and the nose of a two ton Dodge Ram.
If the Ram had inches forward just 12 inches, both of those oh so brave bikers would have lost their right legs....
How cool to ride with such risk...wow...
Who are you?
SuperSport
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 731
From: Las Vegas, NV
Never put your bike in neutral at a stop sign or stop light. Spend as little time next to cars as possible. The only time I recommend it is through an intersection, since they can act as a shield if someone comes blasting through a red light.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,934
From: altoona, pa
Some talk about lane position and corners prompted this suggestion: outside, inside, outside. That's the path you should take through turns. Start to the outside, at the apex you move to the inside and if your rolling the throttle properly during corner exit it will automatically push you to the outside. It gives you the maximum visibility of the entire turn and it's the straightest path through the turn, requiring the least amount of lean angle. BTW for you wanna be knee draggers it happens to be the fastest path through the turn as well. Inside, inside, inside looks cool and seems fast but is the worst line you can take while cornering. Well I gotta get ready for work now or I'd ramble on and on. Love this topic. Ride safe everyone.
For this reason, I try to use the the area from the outside to middle of the lane, carve the turn fairly evenly in terms of tracing an arc congruent with the curve of the road. Naturally, I want to see as far around the corner as possible upon entry, and as soon as possible, so I tend to move to the right of center slightly, then tend toward the middle of the lane as the turn unfolds. This gives increased options for moving left or right when you come across dirt or other obstacles/debris in your lane. Obviously, this is a game of probabilities when you're traveling faster than you can stop, but that's the type of riding many of us choose and so we know the risks.
I loves me twins
Superstock
Superstock
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 380
From: Houston, TX
^^ I totally agree with that. When you're in the middle of the lane you have options to move to avoid an obstacle. Also on slick pavement thats where the unworn, sticky pavement will be.
Ok, my suggestion is to do a trackday. It'll teach you how to brake hard and the right way to turn your bike, and it'll get you more comfortable moving the bike around. Not to mention it releaves that need-for-speed that gets us all in trouble.
Ok, my suggestion is to do a trackday. It'll teach you how to brake hard and the right way to turn your bike, and it'll get you more comfortable moving the bike around. Not to mention it releaves that need-for-speed that gets us all in trouble.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,934
From: altoona, pa
+1 on the track day, but I don't know about the releaving part. It's like dope to an addict: sometimes you get the good **** and sometimes you have to make the best out of what you have. Regardless, once you're hooked, you got to have it, how bout it!hahaha
SportTouring
Superstock
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 274
From: Hawaii
Similar to Duck007, before passing I do a mirror check followed by a head check.
Following a line of cages, I put my blinkers on. I then did a mirror check(nothing close to my "mirror view") did my mandator head check(from my MSF Class-Long Ago).
There was a Car right along me to my 7:00. He had apparently passed about 3 cars
before me from way back. Scared the sh_t out of me. I passed him about 1/4 mile down the road, giving a large margin before and after. If not for the "head check I would have "met" him up close and Personal. Just something I always remembered.
Following a line of cages, I put my blinkers on. I then did a mirror check(nothing close to my "mirror view") did my mandator head check(from my MSF Class-Long Ago).
There was a Car right along me to my 7:00. He had apparently passed about 3 cars
before me from way back. Scared the sh_t out of me. I passed him about 1/4 mile down the road, giving a large margin before and after. If not for the "head check I would have "met" him up close and Personal. Just something I always remembered.
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MotoGP
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,221
From: Gettysburg, Pa
That means someone is using the search tool.
Retired- but not tired!
SuperBike
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,481
From: Pittsburgh
Never tailgate
Do not disable any daytime running lights
Wear full protective gear on every ride
In a tunnel, ride left or right of center. (It never rains inside a tunnel so the greasy center of the lane is super greasy.)
On narrow twisty roads, assume oncoming drivers will not respect the double yellow line.
When following a bus, look for pools of spilled diesel fuel( pretty much the same as ice on a road) Don't ask me how I know this.
Do not disable any daytime running lights
Wear full protective gear on every ride
In a tunnel, ride left or right of center. (It never rains inside a tunnel so the greasy center of the lane is super greasy.)
On narrow twisty roads, assume oncoming drivers will not respect the double yellow line.
When following a bus, look for pools of spilled diesel fuel( pretty much the same as ice on a road) Don't ask me how I know this.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,934
From: altoona, pa
The best tip I can give that hasn't been said is remember that the road changes. In the majority of the world there are hills and dips. If you are currently going full throttle and see one let off. My best friend in Ohio suffered 3rd degree burns and a month in the hospital from launching over a hill.
He was full on when he popped over a hill. When he landed the rear wheel touched down first putting him into a 45 degree wheelie. Since he didn't know he was in one, he just kept on the throttle looping the bike. He went sliding for about 1/4 mile in one direction and the bike went into the woods at the same distance until it wrapped around a tree. Good news was the clock still worked.
He was full on when he popped over a hill. When he landed the rear wheel touched down first putting him into a 45 degree wheelie. Since he didn't know he was in one, he just kept on the throttle looping the bike. He went sliding for about 1/4 mile in one direction and the bike went into the woods at the same distance until it wrapped around a tree. Good news was the clock still worked.
That said, riding on the road as opposed to track and relative to most other sports is extremely risky and fraught with hazards and blind corners and hill crests are only a couple of these. Basically, as motorcyclists we are riding on roads that don't belong to us because no matter who's at fault it turns out to be, we lose.
