MOTORCYCLE riding tips

[Indirect Fire]

If you're going to have an accident on a motorcycle it will be in the first 6 months.

Second week for me, riding late at night through the town of Pembrook NC in the right lane and the car in the left lane did not see me and made a right turn at about 35 MPH into a shopping center. Have no clue how but I was just a hair behind him and I laid it down under the right side, he came full stop and I walked away without a scratch.

The police chief of that town was sitting in a chair on the sidewalk and after he made sure I was alive wrote the report up himself and assured me as to the blame on the driver that was not looking. I never was the best bike driver so I eventually retired my bikes before killing myself a few years later.

 

[biker_bill]

DO NOT neglect the maintenance on your scooter. Your life depends on everything on your scooter to work the way it was intended too.

Edited to add : if you can't do the work on it, find someone reputable that can.

Which reminds me of a story, with a lesson;

It was the day before Thanksgiving 1980 and I had a slow leak on my front tire. I was in the Marines at the time but I worked in a bike shop part time in Kaneohe, HI. So we decide to fix the slow leak.

A few minutes later I'm heading back to base buzzed and I see something shiny in the road, so I try to get around it and brace myself because it looks like solid metal. I catch the corner of it and just as I'm thinking that wasn't too bad, I head right into the oncoming lane, right between two cars and get it stopped on the opposite shoulder and I look down and I have roofing nails in both my front and back tires.

After thanking God for a few minutes I knock on the door of the closest house, ask to use the phone and call the bike shop. They're all laughing their asses off as 4 of them come in the pickup to help me out. We take the bike to the shop, everybody was partying when I was gone, we're partying again and we put new tubes in both my tires and I head back to base.

Well I actually have an invite to a real Thanksgiving dinner off base. The owner of the bike shop's wife invited me and two other Marines to their Thanksgiving dinner. So I dress real nice and head off base. True to form once off base, I pull over and take off my helmet and strap it to the sissy bar. Not two minutes later I have the bike in a sharp banked left corner and the front tire popped. It took a long time to make it to the ground, at least it seemed so. It took a longer times to stop sliding over the assphalt on my butt, forearms and the heels of my hands trying to keep my head off the pavement. I went pretty far. I ate through one third of a tri-fold wallet and part of the 2nd fold. I really wish I had a wallet in both pockets that day.... My Thanksgiving was spent on a table with a Navy Corpsmen scrubbing asphalt out of my ass.

(A part of the tube on the front tire was caught between the tire and the rim, as soon as I laid into it, it popped.)

Lesson 1: Don't work on your bike when you're buzzed or let anyone else either.
Lesson 2: I should probably have left the helmet on.
Lesson 3: Two wallets are better than one? / protective gear is nice when you need it ...
and I'm sure I could think of several others, but Lesson 1 is really serious.

 

[fz1boxer]

"twist of the wrist"
its ok to trailbrake in corners
ride the white line not the double yellow

 

[brad sweet]

If in a curve,doesnt seem like your gonna make it,apply pressure to whichever ,right curve push on right ,you guys ever had to do this?

counter steering ...learn this as well as getting low on the bike and keeping it as close to upright as possible will get to through it and with clean drawers

 

[Shovelhead]

It's not a matter of "IF" you will lay it down... just "WHEN".

 

[brad sweet]

Which reminds me of a story, with a lesson;

It was the day before Thanksgiving 1980 and I had a slow leak on my front tire. I was in the Marines at the time but I worked in a bike shop part time in Kaneohe, HI. So we decide to fix the slow leak.

A few minutes later I'm heading back to base buzzed and I see something shiny in the road, so I try to get around it and brace myself because it looks like solid metal. I catch the corner of it and just as I'm thinking that wasn't too bad, I head right into the oncoming lane, right between two cars and get it stopped on the opposite shoulder and I look down and I have roofing nails in both my front and back tires.

After thanking God for a few minutes I knock on the door of the closest house, ask to use the phone and call the bike shop. They're all laughing their asses off as 4 of them come in the pickup to help me out. We take the bike to the shop, everybody was partying when I was gone, we're partying again and we put new tubes in both my tires and I head back to base.

Well I actually have an invite to a real Thanksgiving dinner off base. The owner of the bike shop's wife invited me and two other Marines to their Thanksgiving dinner. So I dress real nice and head off base. True to form once off base, I pull over and take off my helmet and strap it to the sissy bar. Not two minutes later I have the bike in a sharp banked left corner and the front tire popped. It took a long time to make it to the ground, at least it seemed so. It took a longer times to stop sliding over the assphalt on my butt, forearms and the heels of my hands trying to keep my head off the pavement. I went pretty far. I ate through one third of a tri-fold wallet and part of the 2nd fold. I really wish I had a wallet in both pockets that day.... My Thanksgiving was spent on a table with a Navy Corpsmen scrubbing asphalt out of my ass.

(A part of the tube on the front tire was caught between the tire and the rim, as soon as I laid into it, it popped.)

Lesson 1: Don't work on your bike when you're buzzed or let anyone else either.
Lesson 2: I should probably have left the helmet on.
Lesson 3: Two wallets are better than one? / protective gear is nice when you need it ...
and I'm sure I could think of several others, but Lesson 1 is really serious.

couple of good lessons here..one goes without saying and the other is leather is your friend!.....wouldn't want anyone scrubbing rocks out my ass! OUCH

 

[brad sweet]

It's not a matter of "IF" you will lay it down... just "WHEN".

ive been riding 41 years never been down..except in the dirt! and once at the drag races!

 

[Lobo1]

Always remember this:

Never get to the point that you aren't scared of your scooter. No matter how big or small it is or no matter how good you are at riding, your scooter is capable of throwing you down in the middle of the road, going a half mile up the road, turning around, coming back and running over you.

 

[biker_bill]

Always remember this:

Never get to the point that you aren't scared of your scooter. No matter how big or small it is or no matter how good you are at riding, your scooter is capable of throwing you down in the middle of the road, going a half mile up the road, turning around, coming back and running over you.

Oh ho ho ho ho!

 

[brad sweet]

for you guys that have been riding awhile and beginners, this may be a refresher course and feel free to add to the list
Always stay to one side of the lane or the other: reason; oil and anti freeze fall in the center of the road you don't want that on those tires.
when riding in traffic ride where you can see the mirrors(side view) if you can see them inside the car they can see you.
when approaching someone turning left or right from a parking lot have your finger on the horn and be ready for evasive maneuvers if you see that front tire move an inch.
when riding in a group ride stagger formation you don't want the other guy hitting you if you have to stop quickly.
when riding a passenger have at least 40 psi in your tires this prevents unnecessary wear on tires.
always wear a helmet and eye glasses..june bug in your eye not good.
always wear enough cloths that will be your second skin if you come off the bike...leather preferred.
always carry tools you may need them or someone in your group will at the most opportune time.
always fill your tank to the top and know your gas mileage and monitor at each stop.
know how to make a quick stop using front/rear brake at the same time always bias the rear to prevent lock up.
do the above in the rain in a parking lot with no cars just in case you fail.
NEVER ASSUME THAT THE DRIVER IN THE CAR CAN SEE YOU>>THEY NEVER DO flash lights honk horn rev motor.
revving motor when approaching car drivers blind spot gets attention with out freaking them out .
Get out of blind spot as quick as possible they cannot see you.
Go to a parking lot and practice scrapping the pegs get used to the angle and the noise.when in a corner never panic.
ALWAYS BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
NEVER GET TO COMFORTABLE ON A BIKE

And and this was the topic of a thread I started last year...when riding up on a three patch club..respect the colors and hang back or go another route!