bluesniper3906
Super Veteran
My dear fellow riders, it's the start of new year and since bagong scheds na naman ng mga tour rides for the whole year, let us resfresh our mind and body by recalling all those safety riding tips:
Safe riding tips for motorcyclists
Updated: December 22, 2010
A. GENERAL
Safe riding tips for motorcyclists- beginners and experienced riders alike!
1. Before every ride, check to make sure the bike is in top condition
Remember the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection:
o Tires and Wheels: Check your air pressure, tread, spokes, bearings and brakes. Look for no cracks or damage of any kind.
o Controls: Check levers, switches, cables, hoses and the throttle.
o Lights and Electrics: Check that lights and electric switches are in working condition.
o Oil and Other Fluids: Check oil, coolant, hydraulic fluid and all fuel levels. Don't forget to look for leaks.
o Chassis: Check the suspension and drive components. Adjust for any passenger or load. Your owner's manual will list the suspension setting for your motorcycle.
o Sidestand: Check the tension spring.
2. Always wear protection
Helmets save lives so make sure you strap one on, before you hit the road. Make sure it is a noticeable colour, and maybe add some reflective tape to the sides and the back for greater visibility. If your helmet is damaged, or has already been involved in a collision, throw it away and get a new one.
Don't forget about your clothing. Protective clothing can protect you from weather and debris while driving and can also serve as a buffer if in a crash. Even in hot weather, wear gloves, boots, long pants and a jacket specifically designed for motorcycling.
3. Be noticeable
Many motorcycle accidents happen because car drivers did not see the motorcyclist. So consider wearing bright or fluorescent clothing, light or white coloured helmets, and using daytime headlights while riding. A motorcycle has a smaller profile than a car or truck, so take extra measures to ensure that others know you're there. Also, make sure you drive defensively, keep aware of potential blind spots, and adjust your driving according to the weather conditions.
4. Keep your eyes on the road
Look well down the road at where you're going. Watch for upcoming traffic, curves in the road, bumps, garbage, potholes, cracks, stones, spills, and puddles.
5. Roads of hazard
While most riders recognize that roads and bridges become more hazardous when wet and take due caution, it's also important to note that different road surfaces present their own set of unique hazards - it is important to adjust your driving to the type of surface you are rolling on:
o Asphalt - Thanks to cold winters, asphalt can buckle or heave with frost, or break up to cause some serious potholes. Additionally, ruts in the road can make it difficult to steer, as can wet asphalt which can be slippery.
o Painted Lines - Avoid riding on painted lines, especially when braking or turning. In dry conditions, the paint offers you less traction than the road, and in wet conditions can be quite slippery.
o Cement - This surface is typically less slippery than asphalt, but it still has its own challenges. Cement roads are made with grooves to drain water, usually off to the side. However, sometimest these run-off groves can be difficult to steer in if they are running with the direction of your travel. Also, cement roads are poured in sections which can heave up or down relative to other sections. Be careful when steering across uneven sections of cement.
6. Drive defensively
Some quick sound bites for driving defensively:
o Carry the owner's manual and recommended tools and spare parts on your motorcycle.
o Maintain a safe speed that is consistent with the driving conditions and your skills.
o Assume other drivers don't see you and position yourself to be seen. Ride in the portion of the lane where you'll most likely be seen and avoid a vehicle's blind spot.
o Be especially alert at intersections because that's where most accidents occur.
o If changing lanes, check your mirrors, signal and make a visual check first.
o Don't tailgate and pass only when it is safe to do so. Do not pass or ride on the shoulder.
B. Group Riding - BASIC STEPS TO SAFE GROUP RIDING:
Discuss safe group riding before you leave with a group. Many riders have no clue as to how to ride safely with a group. Don’t be afraid to take charge and lay down some safe riding ground rules. This action benefits everyone in the group. I know that there are a lot of theory’s about how to do it so I am going to tell you what has worked well for my groups. Appoint a designated leader and trail bike of the pack. The leader consistently does the same thing in situations that effect the entire group. Swapping the lead at every stop will eventually lead to disaster down the line. Setting a pace that is easy for all of the group to get through intersections is tricky and needs the cooperation of the entire group. The trailing bike takes the lane for lane changes and keeps the traffic off everybody’s back.
Here are some basic steps on how to do it:
1. Stay staggered. Riding side by side eliminates half of the road for you if an animal, or an object in the road or something crosses your path. If you, or him swerve, guess what, both of you are wiped out. You own the entire width of the road at highway speeds. Try to follow this rule at speeds of 25mph or above. Never swerve to avoid an animal, if you are moving in a straight line at impact, most likely you will not crash. You can slow your pace then speed up to fake the animal out, but he is trying to avoid you. Don’t tailgate those in front of you.
2. Stay tight together when approaching intersections, traffic, turns, or any time the possibility exists that a car can cut into your group and create high risk. On a freeway where traffic moves very swiftly, don’t lay back, you put the group and especially those behind you at risk by allowing traffic to weave in and out of the group. Stay with the pack, maybe you don’t want to do 65mph, but your much safer up with the pack. Remember, everybody in front of you is watching in their mirror to see that you are there. You should be just far enough back that the rider if front of you can see you in his mirror, so if he can’t see you, you are too close. At highway speeds, you own the entire width of the lane for your safety.
3. Give hand signals so that everybody knows what to do. Your passenger should be briefed on what proper hand signals are. Right turns are with the left arm up!
4. Stay in the center lane every chance you have or to the left in a two lane highway. 90 percent of accidents occur in the right lane or left lane. Risk factor again takes over. Remember, turning traffic, traffic pulling out, slowing down for that stop three blocks ahead, turning with no signal, slow pokes, snowbirds, kids, animals, trash cans, and drunk drivers all use the right lane. Watch for that driver that cuts across two or three lanes to make a left turn in front of you, this is how T Bone wrecks occur. Also be watching for the guy that goes straight from a turn lane. Always make left turns from the inside left lane.
5. Take the lane, this means the trail bike should move over and take the lane, for a lane change early enough for the entire pack to move over before you get to the turn off. Sometimes, a mid group bike has to take the lane if traffic is too tight. It is much easier for a group to move into a lane that already has a rider in the rear to stop over running traffic. We should all move like a connected snake. Not only is impressive to all the other car traffic and they realize what we are doing, it is safer for us.
6. Approaching traffic signals should be as a tight pack, don’t wait until the last minute to catch up because the delay factor won’t give those behind you enough time to tighten it up when you reach the intersection, and you will leave someone sitting at the light. The question is, now, do we all pull over and wait?, or slow down and wait for those left at the light? There, pops up the risk factor again. It is much safer to continue at a slower pace allowing those left behind to catch up unless there is an extremely safe large area to pull off and take a quick break for everyone. It gives you a breather and time to discuss the next plan.
Watch far ahead at the PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL LIGHTS, they tell you the status of what the signal light is going to do. A flashing light means that the Intersection traffic signal is ready to change. A steady green or white means that you have time to approach and get safely through the intersection. Be aware of the gear that you are in. If you are day dreaming and don’t down shift, you will stall out in front of everyone. Now that is embarrassing!
7. Break downs are going to occur so be prepared. That is why we watch in our mirror for those behind us, so when it happens, flash your lights, high, low, high, low and blow your horn if necessary. The group can safely pull over at first opportunity. If you were lagging too far behind, guess what, see you at the next rest stop, because nobody saw you pull over. Running out of gas at highway speed can be extremely dangerous, and you will put your friends riding with you at risk when you suddenly slow down in front of them trying to find the reserve lever.
8. Stopping for a rest or at a place of business for fuel also adds to the risk factor, so it should discussed prior to the stop happening. Move your bike as soon as possible after fueling up and make room for others and car customers. While stopped, walk around your bike and inspect it for any parts missing or hanging loose and don’t forget to tell your fellow biker about that burnt out light bulb, because he didn’t know about it. Use your front brake because it provides 70 to 75% of the braking power. Stay with the group, because if you park way across the lot by yourself, you will not know the plan for the next stop or turn, and that places you or the bike behind you in a risk zone. The bike off by its self is the one that hit by the car.
9. Pulling out is a very important topic because it can be the number one dangerous thing you do. First of all, make sure all bikes are running and everyone is ready and gives the high sign that they are ready. Second, the pack should be tight and ready to go at the same time if possible. If you don’t make it out, the group leader will hold down the pace until you catch up. Some groups like to use road guards but this is dangerous and illegal, but sometimes it can be done safely if the traffic isn’t roaring by at high speed. Whoever pulls out and acts as road guard will wind up in the rear of the pack, so discuss ahead of time of who wants do to it.
10. Leaving intersections has a few things that can affect the risk factor so if you lead off traffic, pause a second or two for that idiot that just ran the light then accelerate through the intersection then up to the speed limit rapidly. This should place you far out in front of the traffic where they can see and hear you. You are riding a high performance machine just itching to go fast. Everyone should do the same thing and not stretch out the group by riding like my grandma. Use another vehicles as a shield if you can by staying on the opposite side as you move through the intersection. Also watch out for the vehicle that was left in the middle of the intersection when the light changed, he will not yield to you, instead, he will proceed after the light is red, no matter what happens. It can lead to a serious T Bone crash.
11. Flowing with the traffic should be done at all times possible. Speeding and weaving in and out of traffic will get somebody killed. If traffic is to be passed, stay in the left lane and go by the traffic, most traffic will move over for a group of bikes. Passing in the right lane is in the highest risk factor area you can be in. Riding in the right lane anytime, is suicide and should not be done unless you are going to turn. Speeding must be done if traffic is moving above the posted limit but try to avoid it. I remember riding in Atlanta where the average freeway speed was 80 to 85mph+ and that is what we did to keep from getting run over. Keep your eye on the front wheel of traffic that might pull out onto the road way in front of you, if it moves, prepare for it. Now a days, windows have too much tinting so there is little to no eye contact.
12. Practice counter steering for a quick reaction to avoid an object in the road way, it will save your butt someday. Watch the front wheel of vehicles that are beside of or in front of you for drift into your lane. Don’t follow too close if you don’t have to, but sometimes you have to stay tight with the traffic or someone will cut in front of you. Stay in the right track of the lane if you are in the left lane because you are more visible to traffic coming up behind you and you are less likely to be cut off by a vehicle moving into your lane from the right side.
13. Speed limits are the safest bet you can make because you won’t get tickets, and you will have time to react if someone pulls out in front of you. The road engineers designed the speed limits to create safe conditions for you and every vehicle on the road. On open highway, you can do what ever feels good for you but do what ever the group does, 5 to 10 mph over probably won’t get you ticket but gives you some satisfaction. Neighborhood speed limits are where you will get into trouble, so do the limit, besides, grandpa will pull right out in front of you because you are invisible to him. Most accidents happen within 5 blocks from home.
14. Approaching traffic that is slower up ahead of you can be handled by slowing down and staying back, or move left and pass but do not catch up and stay in their blind spots or behind them in the right lane. If you do, you are in a high risk zone and will eventually become a statistic. Watch the drivers head, he will look at his rear mirror at a glance if he plans to change lanes, This will give you a little indication of what he is going to do a second before he actually does it. Don’t follow too close, look as far ahead as possible and and you will never run into the rear of a vehicle if a panic stop occurs ahead. Beware of the gear you are in and be ready to accelerate out of the way if you are approached from the rear too fast.
15. Approaching and passing large vehicles like trucks, busses, and RV’s can place you in the high risk zone. Stay way back, or approach from the same lane, until your are in mirror range to the vehicle, then move to the far side the passing lane and pass without delay. Flying debris, sand, gravel, pieces of tires, rocks, and anything on the road way can be lifted up and hit you from large vehicles. Flying objects tend to be out to the sides of the large vehicle. On a two lane, if you have to pass, down shift to be in you power curve so you can use the motorcycle power to get around quickly and safely. Do not ride directly in front of a large vehicle, they cannot stop like you!
16. Riding in rain or on wet roads can be just as enjoyable if you are prepared for it. We have ridden hundreds of miles at a time and still enjoyed every minute of it. We had proper rain gear, helmets, goggles, gloves, and face protection on, so we could have cared less about the rain. Slow down and relax, it is not so bad. Brake gradually ahead of time. Think an extra quarter of a mile ahead and you will be fine. When turning, don’t lean so far, do it slowly and gradually. Remember with a passenger on back, you have extra weight to stop. Leave extra following space just in case. Stay in one lane, and not in the right lane. Center is best but left will do. Ride toward the crown of the road where you won’t hydroplane on puddles. You should follow in the tracks of the vehicle in front of you where the water was just splashed out, especially in hard rain, less risk. Leave you bright lights on, you will be seen better. Use hand signals because they will be more visible. In other words, you don’t have to be a fair weather rider. Apply throttle after your turn, not in the middle of it!
17. Hazardous conditions exist at toll booths when you go through so be prepared for the oil spot you are going to put your foot on. Same thing at intersections, so watch it. Worn tires are going to spin when you start so be careful on the throttle. Discuss the tolls ahead and have a plan. One person should pay for all is the best thing when ever possible. This eliminates many risk factors and have change ready, and let you passenger have the job. Purchase a Sun Pass, it is the safest way through any toll booth.
18. Turning left at intersections should be done from the inside lane if at all possible to prevent a vehicle that might decide at the last moment to go straight and cut across in front of you.
Hope this will refresh your riding skills and safety awareness in riding our beloved YamahaT135 MC's
Ride Safe throughout the year!!!
Safe riding tips for motorcyclists
Updated: December 22, 2010
A. GENERAL
Safe riding tips for motorcyclists- beginners and experienced riders alike!
1. Before every ride, check to make sure the bike is in top condition
Remember the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection:
o Tires and Wheels: Check your air pressure, tread, spokes, bearings and brakes. Look for no cracks or damage of any kind.
o Controls: Check levers, switches, cables, hoses and the throttle.
o Lights and Electrics: Check that lights and electric switches are in working condition.
o Oil and Other Fluids: Check oil, coolant, hydraulic fluid and all fuel levels. Don't forget to look for leaks.
o Chassis: Check the suspension and drive components. Adjust for any passenger or load. Your owner's manual will list the suspension setting for your motorcycle.
o Sidestand: Check the tension spring.
2. Always wear protection
Helmets save lives so make sure you strap one on, before you hit the road. Make sure it is a noticeable colour, and maybe add some reflective tape to the sides and the back for greater visibility. If your helmet is damaged, or has already been involved in a collision, throw it away and get a new one.
Don't forget about your clothing. Protective clothing can protect you from weather and debris while driving and can also serve as a buffer if in a crash. Even in hot weather, wear gloves, boots, long pants and a jacket specifically designed for motorcycling.
3. Be noticeable
Many motorcycle accidents happen because car drivers did not see the motorcyclist. So consider wearing bright or fluorescent clothing, light or white coloured helmets, and using daytime headlights while riding. A motorcycle has a smaller profile than a car or truck, so take extra measures to ensure that others know you're there. Also, make sure you drive defensively, keep aware of potential blind spots, and adjust your driving according to the weather conditions.
4. Keep your eyes on the road
Look well down the road at where you're going. Watch for upcoming traffic, curves in the road, bumps, garbage, potholes, cracks, stones, spills, and puddles.
5. Roads of hazard
While most riders recognize that roads and bridges become more hazardous when wet and take due caution, it's also important to note that different road surfaces present their own set of unique hazards - it is important to adjust your driving to the type of surface you are rolling on:
o Asphalt - Thanks to cold winters, asphalt can buckle or heave with frost, or break up to cause some serious potholes. Additionally, ruts in the road can make it difficult to steer, as can wet asphalt which can be slippery.
o Painted Lines - Avoid riding on painted lines, especially when braking or turning. In dry conditions, the paint offers you less traction than the road, and in wet conditions can be quite slippery.
o Cement - This surface is typically less slippery than asphalt, but it still has its own challenges. Cement roads are made with grooves to drain water, usually off to the side. However, sometimest these run-off groves can be difficult to steer in if they are running with the direction of your travel. Also, cement roads are poured in sections which can heave up or down relative to other sections. Be careful when steering across uneven sections of cement.
6. Drive defensively
Some quick sound bites for driving defensively:
o Carry the owner's manual and recommended tools and spare parts on your motorcycle.
o Maintain a safe speed that is consistent with the driving conditions and your skills.
o Assume other drivers don't see you and position yourself to be seen. Ride in the portion of the lane where you'll most likely be seen and avoid a vehicle's blind spot.
o Be especially alert at intersections because that's where most accidents occur.
o If changing lanes, check your mirrors, signal and make a visual check first.
o Don't tailgate and pass only when it is safe to do so. Do not pass or ride on the shoulder.
B. Group Riding - BASIC STEPS TO SAFE GROUP RIDING:
Discuss safe group riding before you leave with a group. Many riders have no clue as to how to ride safely with a group. Don’t be afraid to take charge and lay down some safe riding ground rules. This action benefits everyone in the group. I know that there are a lot of theory’s about how to do it so I am going to tell you what has worked well for my groups. Appoint a designated leader and trail bike of the pack. The leader consistently does the same thing in situations that effect the entire group. Swapping the lead at every stop will eventually lead to disaster down the line. Setting a pace that is easy for all of the group to get through intersections is tricky and needs the cooperation of the entire group. The trailing bike takes the lane for lane changes and keeps the traffic off everybody’s back.
Here are some basic steps on how to do it:
1. Stay staggered. Riding side by side eliminates half of the road for you if an animal, or an object in the road or something crosses your path. If you, or him swerve, guess what, both of you are wiped out. You own the entire width of the road at highway speeds. Try to follow this rule at speeds of 25mph or above. Never swerve to avoid an animal, if you are moving in a straight line at impact, most likely you will not crash. You can slow your pace then speed up to fake the animal out, but he is trying to avoid you. Don’t tailgate those in front of you.
2. Stay tight together when approaching intersections, traffic, turns, or any time the possibility exists that a car can cut into your group and create high risk. On a freeway where traffic moves very swiftly, don’t lay back, you put the group and especially those behind you at risk by allowing traffic to weave in and out of the group. Stay with the pack, maybe you don’t want to do 65mph, but your much safer up with the pack. Remember, everybody in front of you is watching in their mirror to see that you are there. You should be just far enough back that the rider if front of you can see you in his mirror, so if he can’t see you, you are too close. At highway speeds, you own the entire width of the lane for your safety.
3. Give hand signals so that everybody knows what to do. Your passenger should be briefed on what proper hand signals are. Right turns are with the left arm up!
4. Stay in the center lane every chance you have or to the left in a two lane highway. 90 percent of accidents occur in the right lane or left lane. Risk factor again takes over. Remember, turning traffic, traffic pulling out, slowing down for that stop three blocks ahead, turning with no signal, slow pokes, snowbirds, kids, animals, trash cans, and drunk drivers all use the right lane. Watch for that driver that cuts across two or three lanes to make a left turn in front of you, this is how T Bone wrecks occur. Also be watching for the guy that goes straight from a turn lane. Always make left turns from the inside left lane.
5. Take the lane, this means the trail bike should move over and take the lane, for a lane change early enough for the entire pack to move over before you get to the turn off. Sometimes, a mid group bike has to take the lane if traffic is too tight. It is much easier for a group to move into a lane that already has a rider in the rear to stop over running traffic. We should all move like a connected snake. Not only is impressive to all the other car traffic and they realize what we are doing, it is safer for us.
6. Approaching traffic signals should be as a tight pack, don’t wait until the last minute to catch up because the delay factor won’t give those behind you enough time to tighten it up when you reach the intersection, and you will leave someone sitting at the light. The question is, now, do we all pull over and wait?, or slow down and wait for those left at the light? There, pops up the risk factor again. It is much safer to continue at a slower pace allowing those left behind to catch up unless there is an extremely safe large area to pull off and take a quick break for everyone. It gives you a breather and time to discuss the next plan.
Watch far ahead at the PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL LIGHTS, they tell you the status of what the signal light is going to do. A flashing light means that the Intersection traffic signal is ready to change. A steady green or white means that you have time to approach and get safely through the intersection. Be aware of the gear that you are in. If you are day dreaming and don’t down shift, you will stall out in front of everyone. Now that is embarrassing!
7. Break downs are going to occur so be prepared. That is why we watch in our mirror for those behind us, so when it happens, flash your lights, high, low, high, low and blow your horn if necessary. The group can safely pull over at first opportunity. If you were lagging too far behind, guess what, see you at the next rest stop, because nobody saw you pull over. Running out of gas at highway speed can be extremely dangerous, and you will put your friends riding with you at risk when you suddenly slow down in front of them trying to find the reserve lever.
8. Stopping for a rest or at a place of business for fuel also adds to the risk factor, so it should discussed prior to the stop happening. Move your bike as soon as possible after fueling up and make room for others and car customers. While stopped, walk around your bike and inspect it for any parts missing or hanging loose and don’t forget to tell your fellow biker about that burnt out light bulb, because he didn’t know about it. Use your front brake because it provides 70 to 75% of the braking power. Stay with the group, because if you park way across the lot by yourself, you will not know the plan for the next stop or turn, and that places you or the bike behind you in a risk zone. The bike off by its self is the one that hit by the car.
9. Pulling out is a very important topic because it can be the number one dangerous thing you do. First of all, make sure all bikes are running and everyone is ready and gives the high sign that they are ready. Second, the pack should be tight and ready to go at the same time if possible. If you don’t make it out, the group leader will hold down the pace until you catch up. Some groups like to use road guards but this is dangerous and illegal, but sometimes it can be done safely if the traffic isn’t roaring by at high speed. Whoever pulls out and acts as road guard will wind up in the rear of the pack, so discuss ahead of time of who wants do to it.
10. Leaving intersections has a few things that can affect the risk factor so if you lead off traffic, pause a second or two for that idiot that just ran the light then accelerate through the intersection then up to the speed limit rapidly. This should place you far out in front of the traffic where they can see and hear you. You are riding a high performance machine just itching to go fast. Everyone should do the same thing and not stretch out the group by riding like my grandma. Use another vehicles as a shield if you can by staying on the opposite side as you move through the intersection. Also watch out for the vehicle that was left in the middle of the intersection when the light changed, he will not yield to you, instead, he will proceed after the light is red, no matter what happens. It can lead to a serious T Bone crash.
11. Flowing with the traffic should be done at all times possible. Speeding and weaving in and out of traffic will get somebody killed. If traffic is to be passed, stay in the left lane and go by the traffic, most traffic will move over for a group of bikes. Passing in the right lane is in the highest risk factor area you can be in. Riding in the right lane anytime, is suicide and should not be done unless you are going to turn. Speeding must be done if traffic is moving above the posted limit but try to avoid it. I remember riding in Atlanta where the average freeway speed was 80 to 85mph+ and that is what we did to keep from getting run over. Keep your eye on the front wheel of traffic that might pull out onto the road way in front of you, if it moves, prepare for it. Now a days, windows have too much tinting so there is little to no eye contact.
12. Practice counter steering for a quick reaction to avoid an object in the road way, it will save your butt someday. Watch the front wheel of vehicles that are beside of or in front of you for drift into your lane. Don’t follow too close if you don’t have to, but sometimes you have to stay tight with the traffic or someone will cut in front of you. Stay in the right track of the lane if you are in the left lane because you are more visible to traffic coming up behind you and you are less likely to be cut off by a vehicle moving into your lane from the right side.
13. Speed limits are the safest bet you can make because you won’t get tickets, and you will have time to react if someone pulls out in front of you. The road engineers designed the speed limits to create safe conditions for you and every vehicle on the road. On open highway, you can do what ever feels good for you but do what ever the group does, 5 to 10 mph over probably won’t get you ticket but gives you some satisfaction. Neighborhood speed limits are where you will get into trouble, so do the limit, besides, grandpa will pull right out in front of you because you are invisible to him. Most accidents happen within 5 blocks from home.
14. Approaching traffic that is slower up ahead of you can be handled by slowing down and staying back, or move left and pass but do not catch up and stay in their blind spots or behind them in the right lane. If you do, you are in a high risk zone and will eventually become a statistic. Watch the drivers head, he will look at his rear mirror at a glance if he plans to change lanes, This will give you a little indication of what he is going to do a second before he actually does it. Don’t follow too close, look as far ahead as possible and and you will never run into the rear of a vehicle if a panic stop occurs ahead. Beware of the gear you are in and be ready to accelerate out of the way if you are approached from the rear too fast.
15. Approaching and passing large vehicles like trucks, busses, and RV’s can place you in the high risk zone. Stay way back, or approach from the same lane, until your are in mirror range to the vehicle, then move to the far side the passing lane and pass without delay. Flying debris, sand, gravel, pieces of tires, rocks, and anything on the road way can be lifted up and hit you from large vehicles. Flying objects tend to be out to the sides of the large vehicle. On a two lane, if you have to pass, down shift to be in you power curve so you can use the motorcycle power to get around quickly and safely. Do not ride directly in front of a large vehicle, they cannot stop like you!
16. Riding in rain or on wet roads can be just as enjoyable if you are prepared for it. We have ridden hundreds of miles at a time and still enjoyed every minute of it. We had proper rain gear, helmets, goggles, gloves, and face protection on, so we could have cared less about the rain. Slow down and relax, it is not so bad. Brake gradually ahead of time. Think an extra quarter of a mile ahead and you will be fine. When turning, don’t lean so far, do it slowly and gradually. Remember with a passenger on back, you have extra weight to stop. Leave extra following space just in case. Stay in one lane, and not in the right lane. Center is best but left will do. Ride toward the crown of the road where you won’t hydroplane on puddles. You should follow in the tracks of the vehicle in front of you where the water was just splashed out, especially in hard rain, less risk. Leave you bright lights on, you will be seen better. Use hand signals because they will be more visible. In other words, you don’t have to be a fair weather rider. Apply throttle after your turn, not in the middle of it!
17. Hazardous conditions exist at toll booths when you go through so be prepared for the oil spot you are going to put your foot on. Same thing at intersections, so watch it. Worn tires are going to spin when you start so be careful on the throttle. Discuss the tolls ahead and have a plan. One person should pay for all is the best thing when ever possible. This eliminates many risk factors and have change ready, and let you passenger have the job. Purchase a Sun Pass, it is the safest way through any toll booth.
18. Turning left at intersections should be done from the inside lane if at all possible to prevent a vehicle that might decide at the last moment to go straight and cut across in front of you.
Hope this will refresh your riding skills and safety awareness in riding our beloved YamahaT135 MC's
Ride Safe throughout the year!!!
ride safe everyone
