Ride, but ride safe

Motorcycling is a lot of fun, but it should not be taken for granted. Here are 15 tips riders new and old should heed.

Costa Mouzouris

Sep 10, 2021 • September 10, 2021 • 6 minute read • Join the conversation

Photo by Costa Mouzouris

If you’re going to ride a motorcycle, whether you are a new rider or an experienced motorcyclist, it’s crucial that you ride safely. Thats’s doubly so for beginners, who not only need to learn a new skill, but also make the tricks-of-the-trade that promote safe riding a life-long habit.

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Indeed, some of these riding tips might state the obvious, but as a beginner you must remember to practice them constantly until they become automatic. Complacency prompts you to shut down some of your internal radar systems, and this increases the risk of a crash. Riding is a lot of fun, but it should not be taken for granted. Here then are the 15 top tips I stress when I am teaching new riders:

Maintain a proper distance behind the vehicle ahead of you. Two seconds is the accepted standard, but that’s under ideal conditions with very good visibility. If it’s dark, wet, or the weather is inclement that distance should be even greater. Pick a landmark, and when the vehicle ahead crosses it, begin counting — one Mississippi, two Mississippi — after which you should be crossing that landmark. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to maintain this distance, as it is sufficient space to allow cars to slip in, especially if there’s a high volume of traffic. It may be necessary to keep a tighter distance, but never ride so close that you don’t have time to react to a situation ahead.
Look far ahead. Try to avoid following vehicles you cannot see over or see through their windows, such as vans and trucks. A bike sits taller than a car, giving you a good view of the road ahead. Look over the tops of cars or through the windows of SUVs for what’s coming. When the car two or three vehicles ahead begins to brake, you’ll be ready to react.
Look into and through a curve. This means looking as far into a curve as the situation allows — roughly at the point where the road disappears from view, maybe behind trees or other structures. This will smooth your arc through the curve since you will not be trying to constantly correct your position within your lane, and it will give you ample warning to react to anything that might be on or in the road at the exit of the curve.

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Watch those apexes. The correct way to negotiate a turn is to go from the outside at its entrance, toward the inside — or apex — in the middle, and then toward the outside again at the exit. This essentially straightens the curve. However, on narrow, winding roads, don’t ride too close the right shoulder at the apex, since trucks often put a wheel on the soft shoulder and kick up dirt onto the pavement. Avoid going too close to the centre line, too, because while your tires might still be within your lane, your torso will be crossing into the opposite lane as you lean.
Be very mindful of intersections. Statistics show that intersections pose the highest risk of a collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle. Most of the time, it’s a vehicle in the opposite direction turning left in front of the bike. Don’t cross an intersection as if walls are put up protecting you if your signal is green. People run red lights. They turn left before the traffic clears in the opposite direction. They also creep into the intersection as they wait to turn. Slow down, raise your eyes, and prepare to react to any mistake the car driver crossing your path might make.
Use both brakes. Under normal braking, 70 percent of the braking power comes from the front wheel. The harder you brake, the more powerful it gets, as weight transfers forward. But it’s still only a portion of the maximum braking potential, and the shortest braking distance is achieved with both brakes applied. Too many people only use the rear brake of their motorcycle; the only time the rear brake is more effective is when stopping from a very low speed in first gear, or when making tight turning manoeuvres.

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Don’t remain beside semi trailers or other big trucks for too long. If you must pass, do so quickly. You can’t see what’s on the other side of a big truck, so you’ll have no warning if the driver needs to make an avoidance manoeuvre, and sometimes they might not see you.
Be seen. The best way to do so is by wearing riding gear that is highly visible. If you don’t want to, that’s your choice, but it’s always imperative to avoid riding in the blind spot of other drivers. You are in their blind spot if you cannot see their face or eyes in any of their rear view mirrors. Turning on your headlight’s high beam during the day will help distinguish you from the cars around you, thus attracting the attention of others. Refrain from using it if it’s overcast and dark, however, since it can be blinding to others in low light conditions.
Don’t forget to turn off your turn signals. All cars have self-cancelling turn signals; most bikes don’t. A common error I see among new riders is that they forget to turn them off after completing a turn or lane change. Doing so sends the wrong signal to the drivers around you and causes confusion.
Use your horn, but not in anger. If someone is drifting into your lane too close for comfort, use the horn to attract their attention. And if you do get cut off, honk briefly to make the driver aware of the error, but don’t flip them the finger, as it might lead to actual trouble. Continue riding diligently.
Be situationally aware. This means being aware of your surroundings — all the time. Check your mirrors frequently, especially when making an abrupt stop. Be especially vigilant in built up and commercial areas that are strewn with people pulling into and out of parking lots.
ATGATT. Wear All The Gear All The Time. Don’t go out in a T-shirt and shorts just because the temperatures are in the high 20s — not even for a short ride. Even a minor spill can lead to a trip to the hospital if you’re not wearing protective riding gear. A friend recently took a short ride up a the street in front of his house, inadvertently locked the front brake at a very low speed, and ended up in the hospital with a head injury because he neglected to put on his helmet. ATGATT.

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Trust no one on the road.

Tell your passenger how to behave on a bike. To an inexperienced passenger, when a motorcycle leans into a turn it will feel like it’s falling over. They often counteract by leaning in the opposite direction, which will throw off your balance. Tell them to wait for your signal before getting on the bike so you can brace for it. Tell them not to put their feet down at a stop or to shift their weight at low speeds, as that is when the balance of a motorcycle is at its most precarious. They also need to look far ahead and lean with you into turns. Also tell them not to text back there, since they won’t see what’s coming and will be unprepared for an emergency stop.
Zero alcohol or drugs before riding. While it’s not illegal for fully licensed motorcyclists to have a legal amount of alcohol in their blood, the truth is that anything that alters your consciousness will also alter your reflexes. And on a motorcycle, your reflexes, not to mention your balance, should be as sharp as possible.
Trust no one on the road. I tell this to my students all the time. You cannot trust the drivers around you to use their turn signals, their mirrors, or even proper etiquette on the road. You do not want to be on the receiving end of their stupidity.