Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival thread

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Pointing works!! I was driving my truck and a bicycle messenger I didn't see pointed at me. I can't figure out how I didn't see him before, but I sure did when he pointed! I'll use this method when My bike is done. Also I'm going to paint my helmet in police colours, that seemed to work in the past on my HD.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Forgot another tip. Assume the person turning left doesn't see you at all or is trying to hit you.

 

I don't follow anything that looks like something could fall-off it. SUV's with a pile of bikes on the back, RV's with stuff on the roof, trucks and pick-ups overloaded.

I don't want to be put in a position where I have to dodge something that got loose and flies-off the whatever's ahead of me.

New England is funny like that. You'll see stuff on the road that boggles your mind. Coolers, mattresses, ... I even saw an extension ladder across a couple lanes of highway once.

Around here, you have to play Defense all the time.
Especially during "Back to School" time.

 

same here with the back to school thing (UVA), i am a local and my bike is my main mode of trans port back and forth across town. student drivers are the worse, and then they start to drink and drive. i feel like i have learned to drive more saftely now that i ride a motorcycle., i see it as every car is out to hit me no one sees me except the people who ride and thoughs who used to ride motorcycels.

 

night time riding especially on non-lit roads, it's not a bad idea to have a car "punch a hole in the dark" for you.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

We where traveling through New Hampshire and came across thousands of Barbies in the road.
Multiple garbage bags full of them.
Scattered and mangled over the roadway.
:lol:
There were heads and limbs for miles.
we finally came to a full size station wagon, stuffed to the ceiling with the stuff.
Still spewing dolls out the rear window which was open.
:lol:

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

I have seen some very valid points on this topic. I have asked on a couple of different posts that the Mods have a Safety and Skill-building forum. I still don't know why it can't be done. Til then this will have to do. One thing I noticed on one of the posts........

"My dad taught me "plan your out" , plan your escape route. Imagine where are you going to go if somebody does something unexpected.
It applies to cars and bikes.

Recently I had to stop quickly and locked the back tire, twice, which caused me to automatically release both brakes, then re-apply favoring the front brake. That half second of no brakes really upped the ante on how hard I needed to hit the brakes. I would advise we all practice high level braking so our brains have the "raw data" available when it's needed.
Of course practice wearing your gear, and away from traffic."

His Dad was smart to teach him to "plan your out".
Depending on road surface, it is not a good idea to release the rear brake if it locks and the tire begins to slide. If you are on a good surface with good traction and the tire begins to slide with the wheels out of alignment, should you release it you could possibly "High-Side" when the tire regains traction. The wheel when traction is regained would be forced into alignment and the bike would "whip" to straighten and throw you off, thus causing the high-side. If you are on a surface that has less than good traction such as dirt, you can release and then reapply. The important thing to remember if you lock the rear wheel is to keep your head and eyes up and LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Even though the rear wheel breaks traction by keeping your head up and looking where you want to go, the bike will pretty much follow. You should keep the rear wheel locked until you stop. Should you inadvertently lock the front wheel, you should release it and reapply as necessary. Problem is that if the front wheel locks, you really have to be on top of it because everything happens at a split second and it is usually too late.
The important thing to remember is to ALWAYS use both brakes at the same time and apply the front brakes with all four fingers. You should practice until your automatic motor skills apply BOTH brakes at the same time without thinking about it.
It is VERY important to get your bike out where no one is around and practice MAXIMUM braking to get the feel of your bike and know what it will do. Get in a vacant parking lot and practice applying BOTH brakes at the same time. You should get a bit more aggressive with the braking pressure as you practice until you achieve MAXIMUM braking.
Ideally, Maximum braking is when you apply maximum braking to both wheels without losing traction with either wheel. For the most part, in a maximum braking situation, this isn't going to happen and you will brake traction. Losing traction when braking is not necessarily a bad thing. Preferably the wheels are not totally locked. The way I instruct my students is to apply both brakes (NOT GRAB or SLAM) quickly and apply steady and increasing brake pressure as needed while down shifting to get to first gear.
Once you stop at a maximum braking situation you should be prepared to take off immediately should someone behind you have their head up their butt. Two-IN, Two-Down. Two-IN is clutch and front brake, Two-Down is rear brake and downshift, all at the same time.
Another thing to remember, when downshifting to slow, it may be effective to slow you but it doesn't help the driver behind you if he doesn't see your brake lights.

Ride Safely,

Ed

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Lane position:

Every lane is broken into three positions. Left side, center and right side. There are no rules that say which part of the lane you should ride in. It is an individual judgment call, but normally you would want to position yourself within the lane that can help protect you from wind blast from other vehicles, help you see and avoid roadway hazards, and help you create and maintain a space cushion between yourself and other traffic. When following behind someone it is most desirable to ride in the far left hand side of the lane so that you can let the driver in front of you know that you are there. He will see you in his rear view mirror. If in the right side of the lane, the driver ahead can't see you.
One time that you could say that it is important to ride in the right side of the lane is if you are in a multi-lane road and you happen to be in the left lane. Picture if you will, that on the left side of your lane, there is a guard rail. In order to protect your lane, you might consider riding in the right side of your lane to help keep someone from entering into your lane and pushing you into the guard rail.
Another is if you happen to be group riding.

Ride safely,

Ed

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

FOLLOWING DISTANCE:

Two second following distance: The MINIMUM recommended distance (in ideal conditions) that you should follow the vehicle in front of you. Pick out a fixed object on the side of the road. When the rear bumper of the vehicle in front of you passes the object, start counting One thousand-one, one thousand-two. You should not have passed the object before you finish the count.

FOUR SECOND IMMEDIATE PATH: Anything that is within 4 seconds of your path is considered immediate because a quick response is required. Four seconds provides you enough time and space to swerve or avoid hazards or for someone entering you path.

TWELVE SECOND ANTICIPATED PATH: Proper SEARCHING technique requires that you scan 12 seconds ahead. This means that you would scan the area ahead that would take you that long to reach. It provides you time to prepare for a situation before it becomes immediate.

One thing to remember.... The ONLY thing out there that you have absolute control over is your following distance. In the event of a tail-gating driver, by slowing and creating a safety margin in front of you, it gives you an out. You can speed up to get out of someone's way if necessary should they become aggressive and it make it dangerous to ride in front of them. You can flash your brake lights to get the tail-gating driver's attention, but the way things are now-a-days it might PO the tail-gating driver. By slowing down it may irritate the driver enough to go around you or you could just pull off the road or make a turn.

CONFRONTATION: NOT a good idea. A local biker was getting irritated that a tail-gating driver was following too close. He tried waving her off, braking in front of her and then they began shouting obscenities at one another. At the next red light he got off his bike and went to ask her what her problem was. When he arrived at her vehicle window she said "This is your lucky day". He asked why. She replied "Because you're gonna die" and shot him in the chest with a .38. Avoid confrontation. You just might run into someone that is crazier than you. :lol:

Ride Safely,

Ed

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

STOPPING DISTANCE:

There are three components of TOTAL STOPPING DISTANCE.

PERCEPTION DISTANCE: distance traveled from the time that something is present until you see it.

REACTION DISTANCE: distance traveled from the time you see a hazard to when you actually start applying the brakes.

BRAKING DISTANCE: distance traveled from the time the brakes have been applied until stopped.

Use both brakes every time. The front brake provides 70% of the braking power. When using a hypothetical speed, by using just the rear brake you might go about 120' before stopping. At the same speed using just the front brake you might stop in about 60-65'. Using BOTH brakes you could stop in as little as 35-40'.

Ride Safely,

Ed

 

Ed; VERY GOOD. Thank you. Apparently all requests for a safety and skills forum HAVE fallen on deaf ears, which is why I started this thread. Lots of first-time motorcyclists buy XJs and join us, I wanted a way for the more experienced among us to be able to pass along our years of experience.

 

Ed those are excellent posts. I have been riding a long time but you can never hear the skills required enough. I learn something new to me all the time.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

STOPPING QUICKLY IN A CURVE:

One of the most dangerous things a rider can do is failure to set up for a curve. I am going to cover a few things that are LIFE-SAVING skills. Ideally, you want to set up for your entry speed before you enter a curve.

ENTRY SPEED: A speed at which you can enter a curve at which you can either maintain or roll on throttle.

Some have heard of the SLPR, or, Slow, Look, Press and Roll. Everything is pretty much self explanatory except that some new riders may not have herat the term. ROLL, is to roll on the throttle. Some call it SLOW, LOOK, PRESS AND LEAN. By pressing, you are going to lean anyway.

To enter a curve you must first set up your entry speed. It is extremely dangerous to brake in a curve. Deceleration, or letting off the throttle comes under this to a large degree. I should first explain why it is so dangerous to slow or brake in a curve.
First of all, when you go around a curve and you are in a counter-steer with the bike in a considerable lean, there is a force on the motorcycle called CENTRIFUGAL FORCE which causes the bike to want to go to the outside of the turn, thus the lean to counter-act the force. The tires of the motorcycle will do some unbelievable things. It is amazing how the can hold while in considerable turns and curves. When you perform any kind of braking action or deceleration in a curve you are asking the tires to do more than one thing. In addition to the centrifugal force that is already on the tires, now you are asking them to brake the motorcycle. This takes away a major part of the ability of the tire to maintain traction which can result in a loss of traction causing the bike to fall and leave considerable amounts of skin and feces as you slide across the road or under a passing vehicle. Not too much fun at all.
So, the idea is to not brake or decelerate in a curve. Different things can cause problems in a curve such as entering the curve too fast, braking, decelerating or downshifting. When preparing for an entry into a curve you should first slow to a suitable entry speed. Remember? A speed at which you can either maintain or roll on the throttle throughout the curve.
I should add one very important thing. By maintaining speed or accelerating throughout the curve you will be stabilizing the suspension. By braking or decelerating you effectively shift the weight of the bike causing the suspension to become unstable, therefore adding another undesirable force on the tires.
This being said, in spite of it all, sooner or later you may come across a situation where it will become absolutely necessary to slow while in a turn. The key here is to avoid any abrupt movements that will cause the suspension to become unstable. If you find yourself in a situation that you MUST slow while in a curve, GENTLY roll off the throttle and apply BOTH brakes VERY LIGHTLY favoring the rear brake until you can get the situation under control. This can still get you in trouble. It is a judgment call on your behalf that only you can make. Sometimes a situation can change from one second to another.
Back to the topic on hand. When you are approaching a curve, before you get into the curve, SLOW, using both brakes while downshifting as necessary. Stabilize your speed. LOOK into the turn or curve as far as you can, PRESS the handlebars in the direction that you want to go (press right - go right, Press left-go left) (more on this later). ROLL on the throttle. If the situation allows you can up-shift throughout the turn or curve so long as you don't go crazy with the throttle. Not a good idea to try wheelies in a curve.

Now, for stopping quickly in a curve: The technical definition of a swerve is TWO CONSECUTIVE COUNTER-STEERS. One to get into a curve, the other to recover and square the handlebars. By "Square" the handlebars, I mean to level them horizontally. If the handlebars are horizontally level, you are effectively out of the curve. At that time it would be safe to apply BOTH brakes for MAXIMUM BRAKING.
You can SWERVE and you can BRAKE. It is very important to separate the two. NEVER brake in a swerve, I promise you that you won't like the result. It can lead to broken bones and a lot of lost skin.
You should get out and practice this so you will have a pretty good idea as to what to do.

Ride Safely,

Ed

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

COUNTER-STEERING:

How many riders that you know that actually know what counter-steering is and how to explain it?

I have talked with EXPERIENCED riders, and just for giggles asked them if they could explain counter-steering and how to do it. Actually, I just ask them how they initiate motorcycle lean. Surprisingly enough, most tell me that they just lean their body a bit and the motorcycle follows. It can do that but it is not the proper was to initiate motorcycle lean.

Some tell me that they "push down" on the handlebars. This also can work to an extent but is still not the proper way and not nearly as effective.

TO EFFECTIVELY INITIATE MOTORCYCLE LEAN: Press FORWARD on the handlebars in the direction of the turn. Press FORWARD on the LEFT hand grip and the motorcycle begins to lean to the LEFT. Press FORWARD on the RIGHT hand grip and the motorcycle begins to lean RIGHT.

This is where it screws a lot of riders minds up big time. Effectively, you are turning the handlebars in the OPPOSITE direction that you want to turn. I have had people look at me like I am some kind of idiot. I will try to explain this a bit better than to just let it hang.

The front wheel acts somewhat like a gyroscope. If you have ever played with a gyroscope or a spinning top when you were a kid you might get the idea as to what I am talking about. Gyroscopes have been used for who knows how long. They are used in the space capsules, the space shuttle, aircraft and also in aircraft instruments to to stabilize the path of travel. They help keep down and resist erratic movement.

I need to clarify something before going too far. When performing a counter-steer, the motorcycle actually does the leaning and you, the rider, sit upright with the motorcycle. You do NOT lean to either side. In other words, you lean with the motorcycle.

Say I am preparing to go around a curve to the LEFT. I SLOW to an appropriate entry speed, PRESS (forward) on the LEFT hand-grip. The motorcycle will begin to lean to the left and also start making a turn to the left. To straighten, I merely PRESS the RIGHT hand grip (forward) and the bike will straighten and become upright again. The amount of lean is a direct result of how much PRESS that you apply. To go around a curve to the RIGHT, PRESS right, lean right, GO right. To recover, simply press forward slightly on the left, or opposite hand-grip and there you are.

I have seen instructors teach with the terminology to turn the handlebars in the opposite direction that the rider wants to go. This is absolutely true but it does not sit well with someone's mind that if they want to turn right, they need to turn the handlebars left. Something up there just does not compute.

A good way to try what I am talking about that you can actually see. Have someone stand in front of your bike facing you with their knees on each side of the leading edge of the front wheel. The natural tendency for you to sit on the bike is to brace the bike with your legs to keep it from leaning. Ease up on this a bit to let the bike move a bit side-to-side. This is necessary so the the bike will lean a bit while sitting still.
Assume a comfortable riding posture. With your assistant holding the front wheel with his knees, press forward on the right hand-grip. You will notice the front wheel actually turning to the left and the motorcycle will lean to the right. Now try pressing on the left hand grip and you will see the wheel turning to the right and the motorcycle will lean to the left. This might take considerable pressure since you will have the tendency to keep the bike upright. That is why I say to relax your stance a bit to allow the bike to lean a bit. You can still keep the bike upright and let it lean some to see how it works.

OK, after initiating the lean by doing the press (while riding), the front wheel will turn ever so slightly in the opposite way you want to turn. Once you initiate the lean, without thinking you will ease off the press and the front wheel will follow the desired path of travel. More lean or turn - more press, less lean or turn - less press.

I really hope I haven't confused anyone on this. I have tried to keep it simple so it could be understood without screwing up your mind. Have you ever tried to "turn" the handlebars while running down the road at 60 MPH? If you expect it to turn in the direction you turn the handlebars, be prepared for a surprise.

Counter-steering works best at speeds above, say 15 MPH? The faster you go the more you notice it.

Now, for those that think that the procedure works just fine by "pushing down", there is as much difference in pushing down and pressing "forward" as there is in driving a car with manual steering and power steering. It is effortless and almost like a "thought" rather than an action.

Ride Safely,

Ed

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

SWERVE:

What is a swerve? The technical definition of a swerve is "Two consecutive counter-steers. One to initiate the swerve, the other to recover, or to straighten.

This is done somewhat like a Counter-steer by pressing the handlebars in the direction you want to go (See last post). What is the difference? In a Counter-Steer you lean with the motorcycle. In a Swerve, Motorcycle lean is independent of body lean. In other words, the motorcycle leans and you stay upright.

Sometimes it is more beneficial and takes less time and distance to do a SWERVE instead of a quick stop should something suddenly appear in your path of travel such as someone opening a car door or stepping out in front of you. It is all practice, practice, practice.

Ride Safely,

Ed

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Thanks for posting that. I have to admit that I'm guilty of riding in a t-shirt and shorts...mostly on short trips and never over 45 MPH or so. Those pics will certainly make me think twice about doing that again.

 

All it takes is one crash and you'll always wear your gear. ALWAYS. Broken bones are one thing, broken bones PLUS multiple surgeries to pick gravel out of your back=lesson learned.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Why is it that, when you drive up a hill? The car in the opposite lane always rides the center line. I always ride in the middle of the lane going up a hill to avoid getting clipped by a car too far over into my lane. This works driving a car too. Stay a bit over to the right side. Just in case. Ed you have lots of excellent points to survive on the road. If there are signs posted as for the speed to enter the curve. Slow down to it what the speed the sign says, before entering a curve. It will help tremendously.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

Hmmm... I would say only if you weren't familiar with the road. I know ours are a TAD (way) more conservative here in the States than yours (I ride in Ontario a lot your roads are better) but still a lot of those signs pass the Grandma test. There are a lot of "35mph" corners on my route to work that aren't worth slowing down for, cruising at 62mph.

 

Re: Be The Bunny! Safe riding and motorcycle survival threa

This brings up a good point that a lot of people don't know. The posted signs that are actually "Advisory" speeds at the beginning of a curve. These signs were actually designed for information of a fully loaded tractor trailer, or Semi truck if you prefer, for the maximum safe speed for them to go around a curve with the posted sign.
This doesn't mean that you should totally disregard the signs while driving a car or riding your bike. If you should disregard the signs you could possibly be picking corn cobs out of your shorts, or a few unmentionables.
Again, this is another judgment call that comes with experience and common sense.