[barcalad]

Me and fellow bhpian outofthebox have been invited by Prasar Bharati, India's national public broadcaster, to speak on the topic of Safe Motorcycling & other various motorcycling intricacies.

This is a part of the government's effort to reach out to the urban masses, especially the youth. Hence, the youth oriented topic of our interview.

Some tentative topics we both will be speaking on are :

• The art of riding sedately
• Riding Gear
• Motorcycling Maintenance
• Dealing with Road Rage
• What basic DIY can you do to avoid visiting the SVC
• How to plan and execute a group ride?
• Preparing yourself and the bike for a long ride
• Short riding destinations around both NCR & Bangalore

We both would greatly appreciate it if our fellow BHPians who are avid motorcyclists can suggest us some questions/topics from their end. Kindly keep in mind that have to keep all segments in mind i.e; commuters, tourers, and off roaders. Questions should be such that they are intriguing and awake curiosity in the average Indian motorcyclist who will be listening to us.

All of the questions shall be provided to the interviewer - they have asked us to excavate as many questions as possible that are related to Indian Motorcycling and the overall theme of the interview. The best questions and topics shall be then put on the final list.

The interview shall be recorded this week and will be broadcasted this weekend all over India.

Here's hoping to make our tribe and Team BHP proud!

[The Great]

This is a proud moment, congratulations sir .

My suggestion would be:

Super-bikes !!

Please make sure you send the message across to new riders that super-bikes cannot be ridden like regular bikes, and they do require special training / practice, baring in mind the number of accidents occurring due to lack of knowledge and respect for a higher capacity bike.

Cheers !

[outofthebox]

Thank you @Barcalad for starting this thread. I will attempt to focus on some specific topics which cover all classes of riding, such as:

• Defensive riding techniques

the 2 second rule
the invisible biker
determining safe speed dynamically for a given terrain

• Choosing the right riding gear

• How to keep yourself and others safe while riding
  (in other words, how not to be a squid )

• Some India specific riding dangers

• What new skills and how much riding experience is needed as one moves up the motorcycle grades i.e. <200cc<400cc<600cc and beyond

• Some resources on keeping up to date with riding skills and techniques

Please let me know if anyone has any specific questions on above topics or if I have missed out any important ones.

[Bookkeeper]

Maybe make an address to parents of teenagers. It a common sight to see kids as young as 15 - 16 being bought performance bikes like KTMs, Ninjas or Yamaha YZFs by their parents.

These kids ride around not wearing helmets, having earphones plugged in, talking on phone while riding, having selfies clicked while riding, engaging in drag races at every stop light, thinking that public roads are race tracks and they are Moto GP riders.

Many kids have been hurt while engaging in such tomfoolery or at times because it was too much bike for them to handle.

Parents need to be educated that:

1. It is an illegal act for kids not eligible for a driving licence to be hustling around high performance bikes on public roads;

2. Just cause your kid has a license doesn't mean he'll be able to ride whatever bike he wishes to;

3. Safety is paramount. Of their own wards as well as of other road users. Encourage or rather insist on safe driving practices and at least have them wear a helmet.

Wish you guys the best of luck.

[Added_flavor]

Some points from my end.

• Importance of rear view mirrors.
• Reading and Understanding road signboards.
• The concept of 'wait and proceed' at junctions, especially unmanned ones on fast highways.
• The importance of thoroughly reading the user manual and being aware of the vehicle.
• Understanding the difference in vehicle behavior with a pillion.
• Difference between riding fast and rash.
• Understanding that the concept of riding gear is not confined to "Racing" but to every individual on any vehicle irrespective of size/power.
• Perils of motorcycling and the need of awareness to parents of today's generation.
  

[Full_Minchingu]

Originally Posted by outofthebox

Thank you @Barcalad for starting this thread. I will attempt to focus on some specific topics which cover all classes of riding, such as:

Congrats and I would be eager to listen to your show. Please share the show timings.

AFAIK you have covered all the important topics, but one which I would like to suggest is, how to change the riding style while its raining and when you sense its going to rain in sometime, generally during this stage people tend to increase the speed and try to reach their destination before it starts pouring, which is very dangerous and risky.

[adrian]

Adding some more :

1. Proper braking techniques
2. Avoiding Target fixation - you go where you look
3. Throttle control - using the throttle like a potentiometer rather than a switch
4. Use of head and eyes to perfect your riding style
5. Death zone - How should the motorcycle and the rider be in the death zone ?
6. Braking is not the ultimate solution while handling surprises - evasive maneuvers (counter steering)
7. Inspecting the motorcycle before each ride - chain clips and the like
8. How to handle a rear and front wheel lockup.
9. Never let your guard down ;even when waiting at traffic signals. Check those rear views and be prepared to move out of the way. Conserving petrol only comes second.

[bblost]

Really good and thanks for taking our input.

Couple of points that I feel are very important:
1. Always check your bike before you start. Especially brake and tire check.
2. Wear a Helmet and strap it.
3. Do not overtake from left.
4. Do not violate stop signs.
5. Always respect others on the road. Smile at pedestrians. Don't get angry.
6. The first rains always make the road super slippery because of oil deposits getting wet. Be very careful.
7. If you are not enjoying your ride. Stop. Have a cup of tea. Then resume. Lets you cool off.


Thanks.

[Sojogator]

1. Importance of staying hydrated in long distance rides.
2. Importance of goggles/dark visors for long rides.
3. Wet tarmac riding techniques and tips.
4. Riding techniques in twists.
5. Importance of regular chain maintenance and tyre condition/replacement.
6. Importance of keeping calm inspite of being subjected to road aggression.
7. Starting the bike and running only after operating temps have reached.
8. Correct riding posture - common errors like locked elbows.

[dchahal]

Hi Barcalad, first of all congrats for this. I think if we are talking about a show on Prasar Bharti then we should keep the target audience in mind. More difficult is the topic and less interested will be the audience in this case. This show will be broadcasted to the remotest of the areas and keeping it simple will be a way to go. Yes, this is also possible that you can have segments for very generic/non-knowledgeable two wheeler users and then for urban commuters. I don't think talking about points like touring, trackdays and riding gear will make sense here. This way we can show our knowledge but a country where bikes with less than 100cc are still ruling and people are not ready to buy a proper helmet, we can't expect them to buy riding gear or use sign language.

Rather try to make them aware of the traffic rules and good road behavior.

[Tushar]

Awesome stuff!

- I feel many would like to understand monsoon riding better i.e. how to monitor throttle, maintaining double the riding distance, how to use your brakes (especially in emergency situations), how to work around road spray, wearing bright/reflective clothing, ensuring your tyres and electricals are in the best condition etc.

- Importance of pre-ride checks: Tyres, chain slack, checking if your indicators are working, making sure your helmet visor doesn't have any scratches/marks that can hamper vision etc.

- Talk about helmet quality too. People need to understand that you shouldn't wear a helmet just for the benefit of the traffic police. It needs to be a properly safe and high quality helmet that can actually protect you. Also, you can discuss how a helmet's fit should be for it to offer the right level of protection.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by dchahal

Hi Barcalad, first of all congrats for this. I think if we are talking about a show on Prasar Bharti then we should keep the target audience in mind. More difficult is the topic and less interested will be the audience in this case. This show will be broadcasted to the remotest of the areas and keeping it simple will be a way to go. Yes, this is also possible that you can have segments for very generic/non-knowledgeable two wheeler users and then for urban commuters. I don't think talking about points like touring, trackdays and riding gear will make sense here. This way we can show our knowledge but a country where bikes with less than 100cc are still ruling and people are not ready to buy a proper helmet, we can't expect them to buy riding gear or use sign language.

100% agree, saved me the trouble of typing the points myself

I think the two things to keep in mind, given the target audience, are
1. Talk to the parents - Most parents think its their responsibility to buy their college going son / daughter a two wheeler but they neglect the fact that its their duty to ensure the safety of their children. If they can afford to buy their son / daughter a two wheeler (what does a 100cc motorcycle or an Activa cost these days? 50K?) they have to ensure that they buy an ISI helmet and more importantly ensure that it is used all the time. Not just worn till they are around the corner and then strapped onto their elbows.

Also address the point that parents have to stop letting kids under 18 ride motorcycles or scooters. They are not legally permitted to. Focus on the legal repercussions if they get into an accident. If the parents are vigilant, a lot of such riders can be taken off the roads safely.

2. Talk to the riders - Again, for me always wearing the helmet should be point number 1. Then focus on safe riding and some of the other points fellow forum members have listed.

[Sangre]

Originally Posted by dchahal

...I think if we are talking about a show on Prasar Bharti then we should keep the target audience in mind. ...

I was just about to type this and dchahal has beaten me to it! I echo the same thoughts. See if you can get an inkling of the expected audience. Remote Rural, Semi-urban or newly urban audiences is my guess.

Reiterate some of the basics of riding on crowded city / town roads.

Talking about Motorcycling for pleasure might alienate the audience. Of course, do introduce the topic and stress that those who do motorcycle for pleasure follow the basics first.

Originally Posted by bblost

5. Always respect others on the road. Smile at pedestrians. Don't get angry.

Exactly: Safety, Responsibility & Courtesy on the road needs to be the mantra.

[sanmish]

Good suggestions from everyone. Only other point I would like to add is to tell motorcyclists to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. In Hyderabad, I see bikers almost sticking to the cars and trying to get into every little pocket of space they see. It is really very hard to anticipate their next move.

Also it would be good to have a gist of your show here for those who can’t follow it. I could also take a few inputs from that.

Thanks.

[Piyadassi]

1. Need by riders to understand a driver's perspective/limitations and vice versa
2. Understanding by a rider of blind spots in a car, that there are situations, especially on road junctions that he/she cannot be seen
3. Not to make in quick from LHS when the car is turning left and the driver's attention might entirely be on the oncoming traffic on RHS

And congratulations Barca. Do let us know when the programme will be aired. Best wishes.

PS - Life is a long drive/ride/journey. Live long to enjoy it.