Simple Riding Tips for Safety and/or Comfort

[snackbauer]

Buy a dirt bike. Find some dirt to ride it in. You'll develop skills you may need on the street someday.

 

[Jeremy]

Another one I thought of that should be obvious, but I've been dumb enough to screw it up so maybe pointing it out will prevent another from doing so:

Pay close attention to the grade of the surface you're parking on, even in a wide open parking lot. Make sure you have an easy route out even if every other available parking space is filled during the time between when you park and when you return. Trying to back the FJR up even a slight incline is no fun.

 

[PhilJet09]

Wear the right gear for the conditions you're in. The more physically comfortable you are, the more you can focus on riding.

 

[rushes]

I thought of a comfort tip I try to follow.

When I'm riding for a week or 2 or more, I like to take a day off every 3,4,or 5 to just kick back, wash clothes, screw off, walk around the area I'm in, lounge by a pool....

Take a break. Relax.....

 

[Old Guy]

When caught in cooler-than-expected weather without enough jacket, your rainsuit over the jacket really helps.

 

[hppants]

Aim your auxiliary fork mounted lights right in their faces and run high beams ALL of the time. Having them flash their lights at you is a sincere form of flattery.

 

[timk]

Make yourself more visible,eithor with lights on the bike,or your clothing. Never buy clothing or raingear without reflective piping.

 

[JasonB]

Ride Commando!

It’s the seams in one’s under drawers that cause monkey-butt.

Or if commando is not to your style, buy some of the overly priced long distance riding shorts.

 

[Old Guy]

Ride Commando!It’s the seams in one’s under drawers that cause monkey-butt.

Or if commando is not to your style, buy some of the overly priced long distance riding shorts.

I've been wearing Wilson Football Compression Shorts, which I get at Wal-Mart for about $16.

 

[hppants]

(more than 3 sentences - bad Pants)

My 12V accessory socket stopped working and a short diagnosis revealed a broken wire between the socket and the fuse block. That got fixed in short order, but since my accessory circuit loom is run under the tank to the fuse block under the seat, this did require me to lift the tank and when I go to tighten the front tank bolts, my ratchet extension separated from the ratchet and dropped onto the tank.

UUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Small chip through the clear coat. No one will see it under the tank bag, and even so, I'll have to show it to you first.

Cover the tank when you are working around it.....

 

[ShawnKing2]

Pretend your mirrors are a beautiful/handsome naked woman/man. Look at them often.

 

[wheatonFJR]

...But not right before a curve

 

[RJAMT]

When I pack for a ride, I put tools on the right side bag so I am farther off the roadway if I have an emergency at the side of the road.
I also pack my emergency medical bag in my ginormous FJR tank bag, so I can just pull it off and run to an injured rider without fiddling with keys and opening bags.

I do the same thing with tools for the same reason. Had not thought about the medical kit though. Good advice.

 

[hppants]

On a 2-way road, when on coming traffic approaches, I naturally shift over toward the right of my lane. If I think or see an approaching vehicle tucked closely behind another vehicle, I shift WAY over to the lane/shoulder line, giving the tailgater every chance to see me before he decides to pass the vehicle in front of him. If he/she decides to pass anyway, there's enough room between us to avoid the head on collision (happened once - wasn't even scary).

 

[1maxman]

Keep your bike in first gear at stop signs and stop lights, you never know when you'll have to make a hasty get away.( ie the dumb ass behind you is paying attention to someone else's rear end not yours.

 

[lonerider]

On a 2-way road, when on coming traffic approaches, I naturally shift over toward the right of my lane. If I think or see an approaching vehicle tucked closely behind another vehicle, I shift WAY over to the lane/shoulder line, giving the tailgater every chance to see me before he decides to pass the vehicle in front of him. If he/she decides to pass anyway, there's enough room between us to avoid the head on collision (happened once - wasn't even scary).

Good point, and to carry it a step further, if a bicyclist is approaching you on a two lane road and a cager is coming up behind him/her, expect the cager to come at least partially into your lane to get around the bicyclist as opposed to waiting a few seconds for you to get past so they can pass safely. This is particularly true on Skyline Dr. and the Blue Ridge Parkway; I assume it's because of the slower traffic and no paved shoulder for the bicyclist to use.

 

[RossKean]

On a 2-way road, when on coming traffic approaches, I naturally shift over toward the right of my lane. If I think or see an approaching vehicle tucked closely behind another vehicle, I shift WAY over to the lane/shoulder line, giving the tailgater every chance to see me before he decides to pass the vehicle in front of him. If he/she decides to pass anyway, there's enough room between us to avoid the head on collision (happened once - wasn't even scary).

I do not move over in my lane with on-coming traffic! I certainly try to keep my eyes open for escape routes (at all times) but moving over, especially close to the shoulder, may be seen as an invitation to oncoming traffic to make a pass when they shouldn't. The only time I would generally make a little extra room for the oncoming driver is if there is a fairly sharp turn in the road - lots consider the yellow line to be more of a suggestion than a rule.

 

[Old Guy]

On a 2-way road, when on coming traffic approaches, I naturally shift over toward the right of my lane. If I think or see an approaching vehicle tucked closely behind another vehicle, I shift WAY over to the lane/shoulder line, giving the tailgater every chance to see me before he decides to pass the vehicle in front of him. If he/she decides to pass anyway, there's enough room between us to avoid the head on collision (happened once - wasn't even scary).

I do not move over in my lane with on-coming traffic! I certainly try to keep my eyes open for escape routes (at all times) but moving over, especially close to the shoulder, may be seen as an invitation to oncoming traffic to make a pass when they shouldn't. The only time I would generally make a little extra room for the oncoming driver is if there is a fairly sharp turn in the road - lots consider the yellow line to be more of a suggestion than a rule.

Moving right also makes you harder to see. A car tailing the oncoming vehicle may just be waiting for an opportunity to pass. If you're to the right, you'll be hidden behind the car you're following. I prefer to stay left and back a little to be seen more easily. I will move right at the last moment, but I stay left as long as I reasonably can to better see and be seen.

 

[Bungie]

The move right thing is situational.

I do it sometimes. If I'm on a two lane, if theirs a transport approaching, if nobody is behind me. Then I move right. I've had it happen a number of times where cager peeks out from behind the transport to 'get a look' and almost clip me.

Ross has a point. There are some real dumb-***** out there. It's never happened to me, but I've heard stories of it happening.

Here's a tip: Check your mirrors when approaching a construction zone or a ramp. Doesn't matter if it's an on or off ramp. I've had ******-bags pass me, on the right, on a ramp. In Ohio in August I was approaching a construction zone. Left lane closed, merge into the right. Their were 4 of us. Sure enough, crackies back there in an Accord decided to 'get ahead' of us. Problem being, their wasn't enough room and they didn't back out of it. I saw them coming, but they were ticking pylons on their left, and I was onto the paved shoulder.

Should'a called 911 over the Sena. But I was seeing red and didn't even think of it.

 

[hppants]

That darker grey stripe in the center of your lane is oil and grease residue from the idiots that refuse to maintain their vehicles. It's slick as snot (especially when wet) and I avoid it at all cost.