Everyone knows that riding a motorcycle is more dangerous than riding in a car, and it’s a good idea to take a motorcycle safety course before you even think about hitting the road. It will really teach you a lot of things that you will never learn on your own after years of riding a bike, and these little things can really mean the difference between getting into a serious accident and maintaining a flawless record on the road. Here are some counter-intuitive tips that can really help with your driving.
1. Straighten out before you swerve
When a bicyclist is turning a corner and something suddenly appears in their path, such as a large rock or a car, it is their typical instinct to immediately veer off the road. This often leads to big problems, as sharply correcting or changing direction even slightly in a deep turn can easily lead to losing control of the bike and crashing into the ground.
Anytime you’re around a curve and something unexpected gets in your way, your first move should be to slow down, straighten the bike, and then steer around the obstacle or pull to the side of the road (if you can, get off the bike and remove obstacles in the road to protect other drivers, but be careful if it’s a particularly blind corner).
It’s a good idea to practice this off-road if you can; the more you do it, the more intuitive it becomes.
2. Watch the curves
Another thing about turning that is quite contradictory is that you always want to look at your curves. In fact, you want to look deep into your curves. Many cyclists make the mistake of looking ahead or to the side in a turn, but what you want to do is look ahead and fix your eyes on where you want to go, even if it’s out of sight. This nifty trick will really surprise you when you find that your bike goes exactly where you see it as if it were on its own.
3. Don’t Hug Your Shoulder
I’m a big fan of defensive driving in any vehicle, and when you’re on a motorcycle, it’s normal to be extremely nervous about any other vehicle around you. You should be.
But one case where many motorcyclists make a critical mistake is when they are on a fast-moving highway and tailgating, especially if there are many aggressive drivers on the road. Many inexperienced drivers will hug the shoulder to allow other drivers to shift and pass.
But, this is a mistake.
Hugging the shoulder like that not only lets them through, it encourages them to pass unsafely. And because you’re on the side of the road, you’re exposed to other hazards that could sneak up on you without warning, even as the aggressive driver pulls off the side of the road. To make matters worse, any other driver coming up behind you may not even see you because they are being pushed to the side.
Stay in the middle of the lane as if you were in a car. If the driver behind you becomes too aggressive, pull off the road at the next safe turnoff, and then let him or her pass on that road. Otherwise, they can use the passing lane like everyone else.
4. No sudden stops
Another danger on a motorcycle is stopping suddenly when we think we are about to have an accident, much like swerving around a curve. It is always instinct to stop when we are about to hit something. After all, the last thing we want to do is hit him. But the problem is that a two-wheeled vehicle is much less stable and top-heavy, and suddenly grabbing the brakes at high speed very often leads to a slide, and then a fall. In some cases, you can even fly over the handlebars.
First of all, drive at low speed and always be aware of what is happening. You should have a bigger safety cushion than when you drive a car. If a hazard arises out of nowhere, it’s best to slow down and take a different path of movement at the same time, moving away from or dodging the threat.
Like I said before, a motorcycle training course can really go a long way when it comes to learning these counter-intuitive little things that most riders never think about. In the meantime, keep some of these tips in mind and do everything you can to stay safe. And have fun!