50 Ways To Save
Your Life
1. Assume you're invisible
Because to a lot of drivers, you are. Never make a move based on
the assumption that another driver sees you, even if you've just
made eye contact. Bikes don't always register in the four-wheel
mind.
2. Be considerate
The consequences of strafing the jerk du jour or
cutting him off start out bad and get worse. Pretend it was your
grandma and think again.
3. Dress for the crash, not the pool or the prom
Sure, Joaquin's Fish Tacos is a 5-minute trip, but nobody
plans to eat pavement. Modern mesh gear means 100-degree
heat is
no excuse
for a T-shirt and board shorts.
4. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Assume that car across the intersection will turn
across your bow when the light goes green, with or without a
turn signal.
5. Leave your ego at home
The only people who really care if you were faster on the
freeway will be the officer and the judge.
6. Pay attention
Yes, there is a half-naked girl on the billboard.
That shock does feel squishy. Meanwhile, you could be
drifting toward Big Trouble. Focus.
7. Mirrors only show you part of the picture
Never change direction without turning your head to make
sure the coast is really clear.
8. Be patient
Always take another second or three before you pull out to
pass, ride away from a curb or into freeway traffic from an
on-ramp. It's what you don't see that gets you. That
extra look could save your butt.
9. Watch your closing speed
Passing cars at twice their speed or changing lanes to shoot
past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.
10. Beware the verge and the merge
A lot of nasty surprises end up on the sides of the road:
empty McDonald's bags, nails, TV antennas, ladders, you name it.
Watch for potentially troublesome debris on both sides of
the road.
11. Left-turning cars remain a leading killer of motorcyclists
Don't assume someone will wait for you to dart through the
intersection. They're trying to beat the light, too.
12. Beware of cars running traffic lights
The first few seconds after a signal light changes are the
most perilous. Look both ways before barging into an
intersection.
13. Check your mirrors
Do it every time you change lanes, slow down or stop.
Be ready to move if another vehicle is about to occupy the space
you'd planned to use.
14. Mind the gap
Remember driver's ed? One second's worth of distance per
10mph is the old rule of thumb. Better still, scan the next 12
seconds ahead for potential trouble.
15 Beware of tuner cars
They're quick and their drivers tend to be aggressive. Don't
assume you've beaten one away from a light or outpaced it in
traffic and change lanes without looking. You could end up as a
Nissan hood ornament.
16. Excessive entrance speed hurts
It's the leading cause of single-bike accidents on twisty
roads and racetracks. In Slow, Out Fast is the old adage, and it
still works. Dialing up corner speed is safer that scrubbing it
off.
17. Don't trust that deer whistle
Ungulates and other feral beasts prowl at dawn and dusk, so
heed those big yellow signs. If you're riding in a target-rich
environment, slow down and watch the shoulders.
18. Learn to use both brakes
The front does most of your stopping, but a little rear
brake on corner entry can calm a nervous chassis.
19. Keep the front brake covered - always
Save a single second of reaction time at 60mph and you can
stop 88 feet shorter. Think about that.
20. Look where you want to go
Use the miracle of target fixation to your advantage. The
motorcycle goes where you look, so focus on the solution instead
of the problem.
21. Keep your eyes moving
Traffic is always shifting, so keep scanning for potential
trouble. Don't lock your eyes on any one thing for too long
unless you're actually dealing with trouble.
22. Think before you act
Careful whipping around that Camry going 7mph in a 25mph
zone or you could end up with your head in the driver's side
door when he turns into the driveway right in front of you.
23. Raise your gaze
It's too late to do anything about the 20 feet immediately
in front of your fender, so scan the road far enough ahead to
see trouble and change trajectory.
24. Get your mind right in the driveway
Most accidents happen during the first 15 minutes of a ride,
below 40mph, near and intersection or driveway. Yes, that could
be your driveway.
25. Come to a full stop at that next stop sign
Put a foot down. Look again. Anything less forces a snap
decision with no time to stop potential trouble.
26. Never dive 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-touring bikes.
28. Watch for car doors opening in traffic
And smacking a car that's swerving around some goofball's
open door is just as painful.
29. Don't get in an intersection rut
Watch for a two-way stop after a string of four-way
intersections. If you expect cross-traffic to stop, there could
be a painful surprise when it doesn't.
30. Stay in your comfort zone when you're with a group
Riding over your head is a good way to end up in the 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, using your body as a
counterweight 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 be prepared
to apply a little calming muscle to maintain course. Ease back
the throttle, brake gingerly with the good wheel and pull over
very smoothly to the shoulder. Big sigh.
36. Drops on the face shield?
It's raining. Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier than
when it's been rinsed by a downpour, 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 yourself before
you wreck yourself. 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 won't hear that cement truck with Spinal Tap cranked to
11, but they might like you’re headphones in intensive care.
40. Learn to swerve
Be able to do two tight turns in quick succession. Flick
left around the bag of briquettes, then right back to your
original 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-maneuvers. It adds a
welcome bit of stability by minimizing unwelcome weight transfer
and potentially bothersome driveline lash.
42. Flashing is good for you
Turn signals get your 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 ad you cut
your chances of getting nailed in half.
44. Tune your peripheral vision
Pick a point near the center of that wall over there. Now
scan as far as you can by moving your attention, not your gaze.
The more you can see without turning your head, the sooner you
can react to trouble.
45. All alone at a light that won't turn green?
Put as much motorcycle as possible directly above the sensor
wire - usually buried in the pavement beneath you and located by
a round or square pattern behind the limit line. If the light
still won't change, try putting your kickstand down, right on
the wire. You should be on your way in seconds.
46. Everything is harder to see after dark
Adjust your headlights, carry a clear faceshield and have
your game all the way on after dark, especially during commuter
hours.
47. Don't troll next to - or right behind - Mr. Peterbilt
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 an intimate relationship with your front brake. Seek
out some safe, open pavement. Starting slowly, find that fine
line between maximum braking and a locked wheel, and then do it
again, and again.
49. Make your tires right
None of this stuff matters unless your skins are right.
Don't take'em for granted. Make sure the 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
80mph indiscretion beats the risk of ruining your life, or
ending it.
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