Twenty-Five Things I wish I knew when I started riding

[andmoon]

If you see a fast food bag in the middle of the road don't kick it. It may contain a half eaten bowl of chili  

Boy was my wife pissed. She was pillion and somehow most of it wound up on her

I done that...just wasn't a bag but rotting wabit.

[gunwolff]

Here we go round the Lemon Tree...
 
As my teenage son just said...nearly..all right

Never ever...um...ride anything without a designer label on. (I really didn't mean that)
ALWAYS Be happy. Honest.
NEVER Park bike downhill, unless it's a Cossack and it's aimed at your neighbour's Suzuki. We all know which will win.
NEVER Vote for a mainstream party.
NEVER Go to war. I REALLY mean that. Unless you're old and don't have to do it in person.
NEVER Buy anything Japanese.

Not in the mood for this. Sorry. It was where I came in a while ago and I don't want to repeat old jokes. I'll get back when in a better mood.

3 out of 4 nevers, well it's as good an average that I have as with the 10 big ones

[Cpl Punishment]

NEVER linger in a car's blind spot...ever..

Work out where the car's blind spot is-they have these pillars holding the roof up.

[Cpl Punishment]

Most cars seem to have sat nav systems these days. These block their front view and can block out something as small as a bike. Be careful-even when it's your right of way.

[Lon]

If you see a car with spinner wheels you can safely assume they will pull out in front of you anyway.

... especially if it's a small-displacement, front-wheel-drive, 4-cylinder import with a whistle tip, coffe can, unpainted ground effects, and a spoiler the size of Montana over the rear wheels.

I'd add:

* In sand or mud at low speed, the front brake is your enemy.
* Listen to the reported GVWR on your motorcycle; the engineers who designed it know more about motorcycle design than you.
* There is no technological substitute for practicing emergency tactics.
* If you drop your bike on its right side, put the sidestand down before righting it.
* When you pick your bike up, grab the handlebar and the frame.  Put your ass against the seat and use your legs, not your arms, to right the bike.
* Appreciate jersey barriers and guard rails; for they do not cut you off or try to run into you.

[Lon]

Or your seat!

Or your footpegs or handlebar

[hockeycaren]

33. keep a clear space at your six.
34. know the status of your six.

and

If YOU'VE made eye contact with the cager

Now I'll ask a real beginners question:
what is "your six?"

Is a "cager" someone driving a car?

[Nny]

Now I'll ask a real beginners question:
what is "your six?"

Is a "cager" someone driving a car?

"Your six" refers to behind you.  Think dial clock.  12 o'clock would be in front of you.  Really old phrase probably originally used in the military for direction of enemy targets.

And yes, cagers are people driving "cages" (cars).

[bem136]

Watch out for trucks with duallies, if the rock between the tires come out and hits you at speed its a S.O.B.!

Regards,
B

[Cpl Punishment]

Cow shit is slippery.

Don't shave your dog whilst its awake.

[ridingfar]

Now I'll ask a real beginners question:
what is "your six?"

I must be old...

Clock positions were used by flyers to communicate the position of things in the sky. So think of a horizontal 360 degree plane, with 12:00 ahead, 6:00 behind, 3:00 to the right and 9:00 to the left, and "high" and low" representing above or below you. Your "six" on the horizontal plane would be directly behind you; 12:00 high would be directly ahead and above you.

Go watch some old WWII air battle movies...

[RBEmerson]

It's all about situational awareness, SA.  Not just what's at your six but at your 12 and everywhere in between.  And it's not just what's on that horizontal clock, it's what's above you (weather, flocks of birds, snowball dropping idiots on overpasses) and what's below you (water, ice, oil, sand, sand on oil, grates, steel plates, "edge traps").  In dealing with traffic, "be where they ain't".  If you don't have SA, you won't know where to go to "be where they ain't".  If you can't maintain your SA, think about taking a break.  If a car passes you and you didn't even see it coming up from behind, you don't have SA.  Time to get it back.  

Three quotes stick with me: "Assume all cagers are either about to have a heart attack or are on crack", "Motorcycles aren't the only thing that can be recalled by their Maker", and my sig line below, lifted from David L. Hough.  "Proficient Motorcycling" and "More Proficient Motorcycling"... read and heed!  

"Countersteering is the only way to turn your bike quickly!"  There is no choice here!  Once the bike is moving at speed, there is no other way to steer, short of lassoing a fire hydrant and hanging one for dear life.  There is no "well, golly gee, I think I'll countersteer this turn".  If you're moving at somewhere between a walking pace and a fast run, the bars turn with or into the turn, but above that speed, unless you're on a dirt track, wearing a steel shoe, and steering with the throttle, it's countersteering all the way.  See Hough for more on this.  

Mirrors... if you can see much more of your bars than the weights at the ends of the bars, they're pointed in too far.  With the mirrors looking out, your blind spot from your helmet will be filled in with what the mirror has to say.  The stuff that you can't see will be climbing over your back tire and you won't need a mirror to tell you that.  

[919Maniac]

I have learned the following:

**deer suck - can't be predicted, can't be seen - they are the embodiment of fate.

**horse shit is really slippery. (lancaster, PA  - Amish country)

**riding at night is more risk than it's worth - can't see stuff in the road, can't see animals, can't see ****

**car drivers won't just "understand" the truths of power-to-weight ratios - you will teach them.

**the size of the fart can exhaust is inversely proportional to the driver's brain size.

**travelling by motorcycle is far better than you imagine - even in rain and other adverse conditions.

**Motorcyclists are a family - you can rely on them and they should be able to rely on you when the time comes.

[evilmedic13]

If you don't have centerstand and you're not gymnast, Doggystyle is the safest positon! Luckily, I have a centerstand and she was a gymnast!

[RBEmerson]

+1 on 919Maniac's comment on deer.  During mating season Jane Doe is being chased by "What's Up" Buck and they're thinking sex, not "look both ways when crossing streets" or "cross on the green, and not in between".  While they tend to move most around dusk (when visibility is at its worst), they will move any time they please.  Do not assume that deer go away when you hit the 'burbs.  I dodged one coming out of a garden center in the middle of divided US 202 outside of Wilmington, DE and was almost run over, while sitting in my front yard, by one coming from the Philadelphia side of my yard in Drexel Hill, PA.  

Deer "only" weigh 100 - 250 lbs for the most part.  Think about tagging one at even 35-45 MPH.  Yep, deer suck.  

[kenish]

- Never let your bike (or anything mechanical) know you're in a hurry.
- Put the key in the ignition before putting on all your gear.
- You will have to sneeze moments after buckling on the full-face helmet.

[Cpl Punishment]

Anything with wheels and an engine will go wrong-some day. Bit like my wife really.

i have since discovered-well, since owning a bike, anyway-that syphoning off all the petrol from the tank-whilst leaving the ignition keys in the lock-and carrying the petrol around in a plastic bucket, whilst you go shopping or whatever, deters thieves.

[LENSMAN]

I'll add these: When stopped at a light be in gear; ready to move if the cage coming up behind you looks like it's going to hit you.  Don't keep disc locks, or anything hard in your bike jacket. If you fall, it can bust up your ribs. Lock up  your helmet through the chin bar- take it with you if you'll be gone a long time, or don't trust the locals.

[RBEmerson]

+1!

I was rear-ended in a Saturn rental car (whew!) when the driver of an SUV (Toyota Land Cruiser!), intent on yakking with her passenger, totally missed the stopped line of cars in the middle of a block.  The good news was I saw her coming.  The bad news was there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of moving out of the way.  At least she hit the brakes and "only" stuffed the car's trunk lid up to the rear window.  Oddly, I walked away with only a slightly sore neck that cleared up in a couple of days.  AFAIK, the other driver got a ticket.  

One of life's little strange coincidences: the Saturn ("my" car) was rented from Enterprise.  The accident happened in front of a Saturn dealer who was also an Enterprise rental office.  They replaced the car on the spot.  Silly them.  

[Powder Addict]

Not huge thing, but things I've learned along the way.

- Keep a towel/shirt/rag large enough to cover the seat when riding in hot weather.  Drape this over your seat when stopping for a break.  Otherwise, 1/2 mile down the road your balls will feel like they are roasting on an open fire.

- Look for gloves with a "Squeegee" built into one of the fingers.  These can make the difference between seeing color blobs in front of you, or actually seeing where you are going.

- Check your tire pressure often, and keep a gauge with you at all times.

- I have not had to use mine yet, but I recommend keeping a tire repair kit with your bike.  You can buy one for about $50 from www.stopngo.com.  

- Relax, and have fun!  I am much less stressed riding the bike then driving the cage, but at times I can feel my stress rising.  Try to step back and keep your emotions and pride in check!  Your not going to teach anyone anything, and a bad situation can get worse very quick.

- Ride your own ride.  Don't try to keep up with or impress your buddies you are riding with.  When I'm in a group, I like to have a pre-determined meeting place, like where we will eat, etc.  That way you don't feel pressured to keep up, run the red light, etc.

- when it's very hot out, I'll drench my t-shirt.  With just the mesh shell of my jacket, it's like having air conditioning, but with the protection of the jacket.  When it's hot, on your bike, in traffic, it's easy to get overheated and miserable.  

Sometimes it's the little things that is the difference between a very enjoyable, and miserable ride!