Team-BHP - The Safe Riding thread
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Rollin' Thunda (Post 1836487)
If you are on a highway at night a good strategy is to find a large vehicle to ride behind. This will alert you to obstructions ahead, as the vehicle will slow down at them. It will also protect you from the glare of oncoming head-lights, and ensure that oncoming vehicles do not intrude into your lane (because of the larger vehicle ahead of you). Ride two seconds behind the vehicle to give yourself time to react to the smaller obstacles (pot-holes, etc) which may appear from under it. Position yourself so that your headlights in the RVMs do not irritate the driver of the vehicle ahead. Cars (esp. SUVs) are likely to be less tolerant of a bike riding behind them, and also tend to drive faster than is safe for a motorcycle to follow at night. Buses stop too frequently. Slow, safely-loaded Trucks are best.

I do follow this method whenever i am riding out at night, but i pick up on small cars like Santro/Alto driven by new drivers who do not cross 90kmph and provide me with good cruising speed,
keep your head-lamp in low beam if you are tailing someone and to the left, keep at least 5 car lengths behind so that you have the time to react and shift position/lane so that you won't get hypnotic

Do not ride in the blind spot of vehicles nearby.

If you are riding in someone's blind-spot [due to traffic circumstances], watch that vehicle, and stay far.

Many two-wheelers have their RVMs removed, so you are invisible to them. So stay far, and/or honk to let them know you are behind them.

Ensure that you can see the driver of a 4-wheeler ahead in that vehicle's rear-view mirrors, this means the driver can see you. [Caution: just because he/she can see you does not mean that he/she has seen and noticed you!]

You can attract attention by flashing your lights and honking, if you feel that you may be in danger if the driver does not know you are there [e.g., if you are being squeezed between a large vehicle and an obstruction/road divider, etc.]

Always keep track of your own blind spots: when you check your RVMs, also move your head slightly to look at your blind spot(s), especially before you change directions, overtake, or skirt an obstacle.

Regularly practice the two emergency maneuvers (a) swerving and (b) braking. Work your way slowly up from 20,30,40, to a max of 50 kmph, for both. Exercise extreme caution during these exercises (don’t practice or use in normal traffic—you may have an accident or get rear-ended!). To swerve properly learn counter-steering [see 1] YouTube - Swerve Technique on Motorcycle (Countersteering) YouTube - Countersteering; another jerk with his 2cents!
Counter-steering is not effective at low speeds (< 10 kmph), but is essential for high-speed maneuvers.

During a real emergency swerve don’t fixate on the vehicle/obstacle you are trying to avoid, instead look down the path you want to go.

If swerving to avoid a collision with a moving object/animal, it is usually better to turn towards its rear, not its front.

Remember, you cannot brake and swerve simultaneously, you have to choose one option and stick with it. Braking: Pro: usually the best option below 30kmph; above that speed, safest choice if you are unsure; Con: may not have sufficient space to stop. Swerve: Pro: can avoid collision even when braking distance is insufficient. Con: may hit another object at high speed.

[1] Counter-steering is easy to learn first on a bicycle: ride while putting your upper-body weight evenly on your left and right hands which are gripping the handle bar. At first ride in a straight line at a reasonable speed (>15kmph). Now raise your right-hand slightly off the handle-bar, so that more of your upper-body weight falls on your left hand; you will immediately notice that the bike starts turning to your left. Then do the opposite: raise your left-hand slightly off the handle-bar, and let your body weight fall on the right, you will go right. This is the meaning of the famous counter-steering rule: Push left to go left; push right to go right.

Now practice alternately pushing left-left-right-left-right...so that your bicycle weaves around a straight path. A swerve is just a consecutive left-right (or right-left) double push, that allows you to avoid an obstacle (by pushing in one direction) and then turn back (by pushing in the other) to continue along in your original path. Practice it on the bicycle till you can do it instinctively. Then see if you can do it on your motorcycle...on an empty street.

Keep it coming dude dont worry if you dont get responses, we are hooked on to the thread. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyboy (Post 1840649)
Keep it coming dude dont worry if you dont get responses, we are hooked on to the thread. :)

Thanks! But I promised 25 tips when I started, and so am almost done!

Always wear at least a helmet, riding gloves and ankle-covering boots, even if you are going just to the local shopping area. If you can, also wear a riding jacket, thick jeans, knee-pads and elbow protectors, especially for rides on highways.

Never, EVER, drink and ride (not even one beer!), unless you want to cause a sudden increase in the average IQ of humankind :D

Keep the motorcycle in good condition. Have your motorcycle serviced on time and replace fluids, tyres and cables at prescribed intervals.

Check tyre condition, oil and brake fluid levels and brakes every day, and air pressure every week at least.

While riding keep your elbows relaxed and loose [not straight and stiff]: this allows quick handling responses. Also ride with your body in a relaxed state to avoid fatigue, especially your neck, shoulders, arms and legs.

On long rides, watch that you do not become aggressive & careless from fatigue and hunger and also from impatience as you near the destination. Do not ride when tired, take hourly breaks on long rides.

Always be in the correct gear for any defensive moves you may need to make in the next few seconds. When in doubt, shift down to a lower gear and reduce speed.

Continuously adjust your speed to the current conditions you are in: do not go fast on a narrow road because you just got off a highway, doing 80 kmph --- nor because you are impatient to get on the highway. Have no mental resistance to speed changes : go from 80 kmph on a highway to 40 kmph on an exit road, on to 20 kmph on a village road, 10 kmph through the village market, down to 5 kmph through a crowd of children leaving school --- all in the space of 3 minutes. Never Hurry--- impatience can be deadly.

If someone ahead of you (even in an adjacent lane) slows suddenly, also slow down and pass only after checking for obstructions/traffic.

Cultivate good riding habits: You may sometimes think it acceptable to take a risk that has just 1/100 chance of leading to an accident. But if you do it 1000 times, there is 99.996% chance that on some occasion it would cause an accident [These are not arbitrary numbers, I did the math!]. So even taking small risks habitually is not acceptable.


To keep on learning, analyse your rides: every time you have a close call, or even just notice one on the road, ask yourself, "What could I have done to avoid that situation?" (No point just saying, "That @#$%&^% almost killed me, he must have learnt to drive just yesterday!"). You can only control your own actions, not those of others.


Over-confidence: after you have mastered the intricacies of clutch, throttle, brake and gears, and have ridden a few thousand kilometers, there follows a period of over-confidence, where you begin to believe you have become an "expert". Disabuse yourself immediately. You may think you ride like Rossi, but never forget that all that is needed to kill you on the road is 2 seconds of inattention.

That's all, folks!
Ride safe, die of old age!

I would always suggest people to follow lane discipline when driving in the city limits, specially in the crowded traffic and signals. Do remeber "Better Late Than NEVER".

Many things/advices in this thread can be learnt very easily rather than learning it the hard way later.....!

Do you want to learn in the legacy schooling method? :deadhorse

Wake up...!!! Have a safe drive....!!!

And kudos to the the thread starter.

Finally got free from work to post the experience today morning.

First up a BIG thanks to rollin thunda for putting up the thread. Though i was following most of the tips sub-consciously, reading the thread made sure that i was consciously following the advice and was practicing defensive driving day in and day out.

Time: 13:00 today
Location: Graphite India signal leading to RMZ campus.

Signal turned green and the traffic started flowing. I was nearing the RMZ campus gate 1 when a Platina guy was desperate to overtake me on my RTR from the left. At the same time there is an Indigo on my right honking and asking for way. In the midst of all this, i had seen a biker moving from the right lane to the left for reasons known to him, hence was trying to get to the right side of this biker when i got sandwiched. I eased the throttle and the platina guy blasted past me & was in the intention of overtaking the biker in front also from the left. But unfortunately for him, the biker ahead moved further left closing the door on him.

Not anticipating the move, the platina guy locked his brakes, went out of control and banged the biker ahead, fell off the bike. Stopped at the side to see how he was. But the biker whom he hit did not fall and did not bother to stop as well. Went to him and found that he was only having some road rash and no serious injuries. Lucky for him as he was wearing the 100 bucks hat for a helmet!!!

whenever there is a speed breaker, do not jab the brakes as tractors/trucks carrying construction material (esp sand) do some droppings and you are left to try your luck/braking prowess.hear beat rate all at once,
thanks to my m'cycle awesome dynamics, i saved myself

I am visiting Hyderabad for a while. I decided today to take a ride from Gachibowli to Tolichowki, my first ride on a major highway in Hyderabad (although I have ridden in the suburbs).

Half-way through the ride I noticed a signal light turning from green to yellow and then to red. I dutifully slowed and stopped just before the white lines. But I was the ONLY person to do so! All the rest of the traffic just kept going as if the red light did not exist, while I stood like a hick who hadn't received the office memo that there was no need any longer to stop at red lights!

In my RVM I saw a white Verna, doing around 60 kmph, just speed past me without slowing. Fortunately I was not in its direct path, because otherwise he would have rear-ended me, not having slowed a whit on the yellow light. So it is extremely important to watch your back when stopping at red-lights (especially in Hyderabad!).

On the way back, however, I saw traffic stoppping at the same lights. Couldn't figure it out...

PS: Another thing, overtaking dangerously from the left seems to be the local blood-sport for two-wheeler riders!

For those really intent on learning the correct techniques in a scientific manner as opposed to the machismo style of "crash and learn" prevalent in India, here is a must read . Please read right down to the bottom where the real stuff lies :

Riding a motorcycle safely please:

For people with still greater enthusiasm and desire to learn all about "counter-steering" , "delayed apex" , "double apexing", "continuously tightening curves", "phased braking", controlling a slide, riding through oil/gravel/sand, deciphering standing vehicles, and reading the animals sitting by the roadside.
it is a must to read :Proficient motorcylcing - The Ultimate guide to riding well by David L Hough.
It is an old publication but mind you it is still very informative. About 200 pages.:Frustrati

The only major accident I had was I didn't see where I was going.

I was riding with a fellow Motorcyclist and we were cruising at a steady 90kmph and we both were comfy and were sitting ducks at this speed for past 120kms or so.

Came a small bridge, he overtook a bus, moved to his left, but when I was parallel to this bus, I saw a speeding Indica right unto my face.

Had a spill, the Motorcycle got damaged, but I was lucky, just a small bruise.

If I could see the Indica coming, i wouldn't have gone. But why did I go?
I was young, didn't want to lose the sight of my friend and thought nothing would happen to me and I could make it.

I couldn't see because of my friend's luggage and the hump.

Now, I never ever overtake w/o visibility being a 100%. I still overtake on corners but I am 110% sure on corners because I can see through them.

Look far and wide, don't 'target-fix'

^This accident took place in 2005 and I had another spill in 2007(I was foolish then), but have matured enough to know where to put in my nose and rub it.

One thing I had to get used to after moving to Hyderabad was the amount of gravel that is on these roads, much of it from building constuction which seems to be going on everywhere, but the soil here itself seems to be gritty.

If you are habitually using both brakes (as you should!) to stop/slow your bike, it is best to go easy on the front brake, or not use it at all, when on gravel. Applying it too strongly would cause a skid. Happend to me a couple of times.

Applying the rear brake too hard would also cause a skid, but that is more easily controllable than a front tyre skid.

It is best to slow down before you hit a gravel patch, and ease off the brakes when on it.

Braking is entirely different on different genres of Motorcycles.

You brake differently on a cruiser, street bike and on a sports bike, scooters are different ballgame again.

Rear-Brakes have many uses, stopping a Motorcycle isn't one of them.

Off-Roads, you need rear brakes, but on-road with gravel?

You need to load up your front, brake progressively and feel how much traction you have, all this while, blip and go down the gear box. Going down the gear-box will aid in hauling you and subcutaneously will keep the bike in-line.

^^My experience is largely based on (so called) sports Motorcycles available in India, but you should understand as to why a twin/larger disc set up is provided at the front.

@sheel I was talking about gravel patches on the road no more than a meter or two across--- not enough space to brake progressively, best to go very easy on the front brake over the patch.


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