1.) Assume Drivers Can’t See You –This is rule number one for newer riders! Ride assuming that you and your motorcycle are totally invisible to other motorists. That means you must never assume that drivers can see you.
2.) Maintain Safe Spacing – leave plenty of space in front, back and to the sides from all other vehicles. Be an “island” - Stay away from traffic as much as possible. Create a “Safety bubble” around you and your bike. This gives you more visibility and more time to “read and react” to situations. Always ride in view, with a view!
3.) Anticipate Trouble – Anticipate trouble situations and know what to do when you see them. Analyze what the vehicles are doing around you and try to predict the outcome. Then make sure you’re ready to avoid a bad traffic situation.
4.) Beware of Oncoming Left Turners – This is the leading cause of crashes to motorcycle riders. You must be aware of oncoming motorists turning left in front of you at intersections. If you only remember one tip here, let it be this one. Slow down before you enter an intersection. Have an escape route planned. Stay visible. Don’t travel to close to the car in front of you. Position your bike so it can be seen by the left turner. Eye contact is not enough. If possible, always adjust your lane position to create more space.
5.) Ride Your Own Ride – While riding with a group, don’t try to keep up with your friends who may be more experienced. Know your personal limits. Ride your own ride.
6.) Watch Out For CURVES – Beware of taking curves that you can’t see around. A parked car or a patch of sand or gravel may be awaiting you. Always remember “Slow, Look, Press and Roll”. Slow - before the curve. Look (turn your head in the direction of the curve) Press (push your handlebars in the direction of the turn) and Roll (maintain, or increase throttle) as you ride through the curve. If you feel you are going to “wide”, press harder in the direction of the turn and continue to look through the turn.
7.) Don’t Give in to Road Rage – Do not give in to road rage and try to “get even” with another rider, or motorist. If you follow these tips, most likely you won’t fall victim to road rage. It’s better to calm down, slow down and collect your thoughts first. Then continue on and enjoy the ride. That’s what we’re all out there for in the first place!
8.) Don’t Allow Tailgating – If someone is tailgating you, either speed up to open more space or pull over and let them pass. Life is too short. Remember that a bike can stop faster than a car, so you don’t want a car or truck on your tail when you find yourself trying to brake to avoid an accident. Also, don’t tailgate the vehicle in front of you. Oncoming drivers can’t see you.
9.) Don’t Be Blinded By Sun glare – Beware of riding your motorcycle into the sun at sunset. All it takes is turning into a corner and finding the sun either directly in your face, or passing straight through your windshield – Not Good! Some helmets have inner shields to shade the sun. Face shields help somewhat, but sometimes you just find yourself blinded by the sun glare. Slow down, pull over and wait for the sun to set further into the horizon. And remember, if you are blinded by sun glare so are the “cagers”. They might not see you either!
10.) Avoid Riding Back Country Roads at Night – Remember the Deer Factor! Especially here in our area, deer are all over the place. They become much more active during fall mating season. The highest incidence of deer / vehicle crashes occur either at dawn (about 20%), or from dusk to midnight (about 50%). If you see one deer near the road, normally they’ll be more to come. The best thing you can do if you see a deer is to slow down or stop altogether. Ride at a sensible speed at night and don’t override your headlights! Besides the deer, there are numerous other creatures that you can happen upon down that dark country road like opossums and raccoons. Not so bad if you’re in your car or truck, but not too cool on your bike.
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