How about a saftey tip from each member?

[OrangevaleFJR]

A handgun is only a tool to keep you alive long enough to get back to your car/home where the real gun is kept.

"Any tool is a weapon if you hold it right"

--Ani DiFranco

 

[juniorfjr]

The last words I remember my brother saying, as he was heading to Vietnam. "The only fair fight is the one you win. Do what ever it takes." Rangers think like marines. I think we can apply that to riding.

 

[818Guy]

Well I got through the first 5 pages and I don't believe I saw this written as a "tip" which, to be honest, should have been the first thing as a safety tip:

DO NOT SPEED ABOVE POSTED LIMITS.

This is the most fundamental tip EVERY rider should be following. Yeah, it's not "cool" to only be going the max limit but it may save your life some day.

 

[rangerray]

I don't know about the speeding thing above...maybe if I'm the only one on the road I'd agree with that, but most of the time I feel safer when I'm going just a tad faster than the jerks in cars. I'd rather maneuver around them than let them maneuver around me.

Scott

 

[odot]

Um...don't ride into concrete walls.

 

[germany]

I would like to disagree slightly with the "do not speed above posted limits" tip.

If the posted limit is 65 and the flow of traffic is 70 (never mind the jerks in the fast lane doing 90), I'm doing at least 70 but probably slightly faster.

I was taught to ride just a little faster than the flow of traffic, even if they are exceeding the limit. Not much faster, just a mile or three per hour will do. This keeps your position among traffic changing and increases your visibility (we are all invisible when we ride). If you pace everyone else, you are going to remain invisible and get taken out.

If you ride the speed limit and everyone else around you is going faster, you are going to get rear ended or clipped by some impatient *******. Californians absolutely love to see how close they can get to your tire or bumper before they make a lane change. They think the freeway is a NASCAR track and if they were allowed to nudge you out of their way, they would.

Now, you have to maintain some modicum of level headedness with this tactic. If traffic is going faster than you are comfortable, by all means ride at a speed that is comfortable for you but, don’t pace and don’t go too slow. Don't weave in and out of traffic just to maintain that one to three mile per hour faster pace; make smart lane changes. Establish your lane position, let those around you know you are there (safely get into their field of vision) and change lanes when it is safe to do so.

When we ride, we have to constantly minimize risk. Often when we minimize one risk we increase or create another.

In California, when you legally split lanes you minimize one risk (getting rear ended) and increase another (sudden lane changes, getting squeezed or if at an intersection getting taken out by a light runner). You have to judge for yourself which and how many risks you can handle and to what degree.

 

[Silver Penguin]

DO NOT SPEED ABOVE POSTED LIMITS.

Just got home from England where I saw a very powerful TV ad. A small child is hit by a car, as another child's voice explains that at 40mph, there is an 80% chance that I will die. The tape is rewound as the child tells you that at 30mph there is an 80% chance that she will live.

Speed limits seem much lower there, and more strictly enforced.

Jill

 

[colin]

Just got home from England where I saw a very powerful TV ad. A small child is hit by a car, as another child's voice explains that at 40mph, there is an 80% chance that I will die. The tape is rewound as the child tells you that at 30mph there is an 80% chance that she will live.
Speed limits seem much lower there, and more strictly enforced.

Jill

The UK has some pretty sobering ads....that's one of them. Speed limits there are perhaps a tad lower than your average state. They are enforced mostly from a variety of speed cameras. Once you learn where they are, it isn't such a big deal.

I think the place where most europeans (uk & france is where i spent most of my time) check for speeds are the towns. So if it says 30 in town (which is the UK default), you should probably be pretty close to that, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area (london is a bit different I think...especially if you are commuting through/in it).

I think it is good sense to not speed through residential areas, not because you have a better chance of meeting LEOs, but because it is just not safe, for random kids, cats, bicycles that stray off where you'd want them to be.

 

[Toecutter]

Don't go triple-digit speeds in the dark, especially if you've been drinking.

Two days ago, a local sport bike rider, 35 years old, was killed when he rear-ended a pickup truck at a speed, which was described in the news report, of "about as fast as the bike could go". He also had some beer in his backpack, so alcohol was suspected as a contributing factor.

Night before last, I found myself in need of running an impromptu errand of a very pressing nature, took the bike, and was pushing for time. I was surprised by the lack of visibility of vehicles I was overtaking. The lights of the city blended in and the rather weak output of their tail lights wasn't easy to spot. I hadn't been drinking, BTW, and speeds were nowhere near triple digits. Be careful out there.

When you approach an intersection, make sure you are in the right hand track of the#1 lane. If you ride in the left track of the #1lane you will give a signal to the oncoming left hand turner to pull out in front of you. This will lure them in every time because they think that you are committed to turning left also. Especially if you look to the left to check for traffic. If you ride on the right hand track, the left turners will assume you are going straight most of the time and they wont pull out.

Also, I really like my habit of staying in the right tire track on undivided roads (straight or twisty). This keeps me away from oncoming line-crossers and staying out of the middle of lanes avoids areas of debris which can cause a spill or flat tires. YMMV

 

[Scythian]

Well I got through the first 5 pages and I don't believe I saw this written as a "tip" which, to be honest, should have been the first thing as a safety tip:

DO NOT SPEED ABOVE POSTED LIMITS.

This is the most fundamental tip EVERY rider should be following. Yeah, it's not "cool" to only be going the max limit but it may save your life some day.

I'll keep this tip in mind as cars whizz past me on the left and cut violently in front of me and the guy in back of me is riding my ass and trying to pass me in my own lane 'cuz I'm doing 10mph below the flow of traffic.

There is no traffic law I will not break to stay alive.

To reiterate: Staying safe and returning home alive is the imperative; following traffic laws is a good idea and usually helps you do this....

 

[Toecutter]

DO NOT SPEED ABOVE POSTED LIMITS.

(WITHOUT A RADAR DETECTOR). There, now it's a safety tip.
Otherwise, I wouldn't even need 4th or 5th gear, much less a 6th.

 

[germany]

My tip about riding slightly faster than the flow of traffic came from a CHiP motor-cop I was talking to at the local Beemer shop while he was getting his bike serviced. So I'm not speaking entirely out of my ass.

 

[Silvermedic]

When riding in a group, stager, stagger, stagger. Almost all of the riders I know that have wrecked ahve been hit by otehr riders in a moment of inattention. Also a great tip form my son (a HArley rider no less), he points out hazards with his foot (sand, potholes, road kill etc). I thought it sounded odd but it works. Your foot is almost always free to leave your peg and the foot you use is the one on the same side of your bike as the hazard. Alos it's amazing how someone ahead of you pointing with their foot gets your immediate attention. It works in my riding group.

When riding in a group, stagger, stagger, stagger. Almost all of the riders I know that have wrecked have been hit by other riders in a moment of inattention. Also a great tip from my son (a Harley rider no less), he points out hazards with his foot (sand, potholes, road kill etc). I thought it sounded odd but it works. Your foot is almost always free to leave your peg and the foot you use is the one on the same side of your bike as the hazard. Also it's amazing how someone ahead of you pointing with their foot gets your immediate attention. It works in my riding group.

 

[Longrider]

I ride as if I expect every vehicle, person and animal I see to commit suicide by running into me.

Longrider

Age 71 years and 6 months

 

[Bounce]

2 rule, "watch out for silver hairs and orientals, they will kill you", (hey don't shoot me I'm just a messenger.)

We've shortened that to DWO around these parts.

Two days ago, a local sport bike rider, 35 years old, was killed when he rear-ended a pickup truck at a speed, which was described in the news report, of "about as fast as the bike could go". He also had some beer in his backpack, so alcohol was suspected as a contributing factor.

Typical NHTSA-influenced reporting. Of COURSE it was a contributing factor. Think of the additional mass that continued through his torso at moment of impact!

Geeze, these people and their cruisades. :trinibob:

Drunks

Against :alcoholic:

Mad

Mothers

 

[EXPDSGT]

When I started this thread I didn't think I would get any useful info from it, just really wanted to "remind" everyone "It's dangerous out there".

Fortunately; I did get several ideas from the posts. It has also made me think more about the dangers each time I ride -- kinda like a refresher in my brain.

I thank all who responded and read -- and I hope it makes all of us just think a wee bit more while we're out there being "invisable"

C.R. Miller -- Retired LEO

 

[jmarran]

I just always think of the worst thing the other drivers could do in anticipation for the 3% of the time that they do it. And stay the hell away from Buicks and Grand Marquis!!! (or any other vehicle with hats lined up in the rear window)

 

[BugR]

Particulary in traffic if you can see that you are going to have to stop, i.e. lights, stop sign, lightly double tap on the front brake before you haul on the anchors, just enough to trigger the brake light. The eye reacts to transistions, It might just wake up the cage behind that you are going to stop. Hyperlights are very good at this as well.

Chris

 

[catiadan]

Brake for animals....they may not do what you think they will do, ESPECIALLY DEER!!

 

[thegunslinger]

Moose have the right of way. :dribble: