With motorcycling growing as a lifestyle there are increasing numbers of new young and older reborn riders out there, and when it comes to motorcycle safety nobody’s too old or too experienced to learn. For beginners, the most important thing is to avoid becoming too confident too quickly and to always ride within your limits. Always be aware of the condition of the road upon which you’re travelling, so scan continually for bumps, potholes, water, diesel and sand, but don’t fixate upon them. Where you look is invariably where you’re going to go, so be aware of that patch of gravel or that monstrous pothole or the shiny, maybe wet road surface, but stay focused on where you want to be. Another good riding habit is to relax your upper body – don’t hang onto the handlebars like grim death. Use your weight on the footrests to move the bike around, and let your arms remain loose rather than try fight the bars all the time.
Braking properly is also very important, and while ABS helps reduce the risks, it’s still important to balance the braking between front and rear wheels. And yes, you do use the back brake. Not usually as hard as the front, but it’s invaluable for making the bike turn quicker in a tightening corner, and way safer than the front stopper on slippery surfaces.
Both new and old riders can benefit enormously from attending a track school that’ll allow them to explore the limits of their and their motorcycle’s capabilities in a safe environment. Even if you don’t want tuition, a track day is worth every cent it costs you, for the same reasons.
has posted a very useful list of ten riding tricks you probably don’t know yet that will make you a more competent rider and could save your life one day. Experienced riders may already do many of these things subconsciously, but often don’t realise what they’re doing, or why. Now start reading, and Let the Good Times Roll – safely!
by Gavin Foster.