Motorcycle safety tips.

[woodchuck]

OLD AGE

I was just reading about the lady who just died in a Spyder accident and had some thoughts

I was telling someone the other day. You can be an Expert rider without being highly skilled. I would never attempt to race on a motorcycle and some people I ride with scare me because they corner so fast. I am mortified when I approach intersections where I cannot see who might be running the light or sign. I usually find someone who is going about my speed in a car and use them as a blocker in the event someone does something stupid.

I have been well over 250,000 miles on motorcycles over the years, and have not had an accident yet.

Thus even though I see many kids who can ride circles around me, I consider myself an Expert.

Anyone else out there use the Blocker Car method? I do the same thing at night to avoid deer and such

I remember (a decade and a half ago) When my Harley friends only wanted to ride to the next watering hole. I am going to really like riding with Spyder people because the seem to be mature and interested in staying alive. Isn't it funny when people get closer to death from old age they are more concerned about preserving whatever time they have lef?



How about using this thread to express things that you do to keep from getting killed?

any hints?

Maybe we should start a How do you keep from being killed thread.

IT IS SAID THAT LIFE IS LIKE A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER. :gaah:THE CLOSER TO THE END IT GETS, THE FASTER IT GOES.:yikes:

 

[stillriding]

Hand Brake

Make your own like Lamont did. He has a video of it somewhere here. :clap:

I too would like to add a hand brake and there is someone in St. Louis who has made at least one. While at Spyderfest I had the pleasure of dining with George and his wife and I wish I had gotten more info. George rides a trophy winning RS and has some physical limitations. A friend of his made him a hand brake. If only I knew how to contact him. I seem to recall the price to be about $500, about a third of the other maker. GEORGE, IF YOU'RE READING THIS, and if your friend wants to make more of these hand brakes, PLEASE DON'T KEEP IT A SECRET!

 

[Bob Denman]

:agree::2thumbs: Please let us know if there are options out there...

 

[Mr. White]

When an auto is going to make a left turn in front of you, or enter from a side street, look at their front wheel. If it starts rolling, even an inch, be prepared...

If an auto signals a left turn (or appears to turn) in front of me, I turn on my bright lights, even if he may not be moving, ya never know what they will do.

p.s. I, too, would like a hand brake.

:spyder2:

 

[Bob Denman]

Knowing what to look for so that other motorists' actions can be anticipated properly...
BR; you hit on a couple of good clues :thumbup:
What else out there should we be looking for?

 

[dilyles]

My Spyder is my first bike and this has been very imformative. Thanks for posting. I already do a lot of these and have some of the same issues. Keep them coming this newbie can use all the advice she can get!:2thumbs:

 

[SpydherLuv]

At Lighted Intersections

Whenever I go through intersections I constantly look each way until I am all the way through. You never know if a cager isn't paying attention and runs a red light.
Also, if I am the first vehicle at a light and it turns green, I will often wait for cars to stop (or know that they are going to stop) who are coming up on the left before I proceed - it's often hard to tell if they're going to stop or run the light.
I find I now drive my car with the same habits as on my Spyder. :2thumbs:

 

[Mr. White]

Bob Denman writes:

Knowing what to look for so that other motorists' actions can be anticipated properly...
BR; you hit on a couple of good clues :thumbup:
What else out there should we be looking for?

Bob, I ride with my rear wheel a little "left of the center oil strip" and in the left part of the lane when on two wheels. I have seen folks ride on the right side of the lane and a car passing the car behind them can not see them until they pull in and "bang". I do this so a car passing can see me earlier so they have some wiggle room, like speed up or slow down and not have to pull in and force me off of the road. Just my way of riding.

When passing an eighteen wheeler, I do it as quickly as I can... Most truck tires are retreads (capped) and if one of the caps comes off next to you while you are beside the truck, it can be very exciting. It does not happen often, but....

:spyder2:

 

[Bob Denman]

I move around in my lane a bit to try and increase my presence and make myself as visible as possible...
Example: If a line of traffic is approaching and is tightly packed, I move right so that anybody who might attempt a pass should be able to see me quicker...
I'm glad that you mentioned the "oil strip"... I honestly can't remember anybody mentioning that little beauty anywhere in here before... :thumbup:
Since I had so many years on only two wheels, I STILL can't ignore what I always heard about it... I can't put my rear tire in it for any length of time before I start getting nervous... :shocked: I tend to "bounce" left and right just off-center.

 

[IWN2RYD]

Very good point BR1... I still ryde my Spyder to the left like I did two wheels. Two reasons...

1. Budget cuts all across America have not allowed towns to stay on top of the roads like they had in the past. Many have the hump in the middle. This can cause folks the sensation that the Spyder is unstable. Well even if we road that hump on two wheels we get that, even on four... By ryding just a tad to the left or right of it we do not fight the steering as often.
2. Being in two mirrors to the car in front of us at all times is a good thing.

I would like to add...

Any time I ryde in a group of two or more bikes I like to drive in a checkerboard pattern (But in our lane). Here is what I mean... If the ryder in front of me is in the left of the lane, I follow the safe distance behind, and travel in the right of that same lane, then the ryder behind me rydes in the left of that lane... And so on and so on... For the same reasons above and!!!

We are now twice as visible to the cars around us especially those in front of us and behind us. Now they do not see one or two, but many.

Similar to two wheels brothers and sisters, they ryde 2x2 a lot just right next to each other, we just have to hang back behind each other to do it.

 

[granpa in Cincy]

When passing an eighteen wheeler, I do it as quickly as I can... Most truck tires are retreads (capped) and if one of the caps comes off next to you while you are beside the truck, it can be very exciting. It does not happen often, but....:spyder2:

Based on all the tire caps I see laying along I-75 in Cincinnati it happens all too frequently. :yikes: