Riding
Written by: David - 5th January 2009
RIDING IN GENERAL
- Ride defensively - take every sensible precaution beyond just the legal ones
- Be orderly and conservative - ride so as to prevent incidents despite errors made (yours and others) and despite adverse conditions
- Exercise tolerance and restraint towards other road users and riders in a group ride
- Make yourself highly visible - use reflective gear at night; use reflective tape on your bike; always ride with lights on; use the hooter ‘politely’
- Know the controls and handling characteristics of your motorcycle under a wide variety of conditions/circumstances
- NEVER compromise on riding gear - dress for the fall
- Recognise hazards, understand their defense and act in time
- SCAN - look for trouble & hazards; register everything but hold your focus on the escape and not the hazard
- IDENTIFY - pick out those things likely to cause you to change course
- PREDICT - what is likely to take place & know the means of escape
- DECIDE - what to do to avoid the hazard/s
- EXECUTE - take the proper action (i.e. change direction and/or speed)
- Shoulder check and check mirrors frequently
- Give signals early enough for others to react - the 300m rule
- NEVER ride in another vehicle’s blind spot
- Apply a sequenced system of bike control (mnemonic “Can My Safety Possibly Be Given Away”):
- COURSE - decide where to place yourself & the speed to traverse the hazard
- MIRRORS & SHOULDER CHECK - check that it is safe to deviate
- SIGNAL - show other traffic your intention to deviate
- PLACE - shoulder check and take up the correct position
- BRAKE - approach the hazard at a safe speed
- GEAR - be in the correct gear to negotiate the hazard
- ACCELERATE - leave the hazard safely and smoothly
- Brake & shift gears in a straight line; apply brakes progressively with both front and rear together
- Learn to use cadence braking (in case your ABS fails or is switched off)
- Turn by counter-steering (push handlebar left - and/or pull right - to go left; push handlebar right - and/or pull left - to go right); shift your weight into the corner
- Go easy into corners - accelerate out
- Look as far through/around the corner as possible (look for braking, turn-in, apex and exit points)
- If you LOOK THERE - you will GO THERE; fixation is a killer
RIDING IN A GROUP
- Bike tanks full; rider tanks empty at the start of any ride
- Select the group you wish to ride in (Brisk; Leisurely or Dirt Road as available)
- Wait in pairs or threes at intersections
- Do NOT ride in the classic bikers ’staggered’ formation (en echelon) R
- ide generally in or just off-centre of the lane and know that you are free to use the whole lane width at any time (especially negotiating corners and other hazards)
- Maintain a spacing from the bike ahead of you on the road of not less than 2 seconds (double this in rain or adverse conditions) - count at least “twenty-one; twenty-two”
- Position yourself in the lane to have maximum visibility beyond the rider ahead (i.e slightly but not completely to the left or right of the bike ahead in the lane)
- Look out for and show to rider behind, by hand or leg, hazards you note along the path
- Transfer signals (indicators, hazard-lights or show hand/leg) back along the line
- Do not necessarily ‘chase’ after the bike ahead of you if this gap widens
- Rather take responsibility for showing the bike following you the direction the ride has taken at route changes of direction
- Slow down if the gap behind extends and stop if the rider behind does not show
- Assist Marshals by letting them pass and being aware that they are there
- Move to the left and wave others past if you wish to maintain a different pace, always remaining between the Lead Rider and Tail-end-Charlie
- Advise Tail-end-Charlie if you wish to leave the ride for whatever reason and do not take other riders in the group home with you
- Know that there will be several regroup points along the route and planned refuel stops on longer rides
- NEVER pass others on their left hand side
- The general rule at intersections is to proceed straight ahead unless a Marshal or other rider from the group indicates otherwise
- Ride within the group towards the front for a more consistent pace and towards the back of the group if you wish to play ‘catch-up’ from time to time
- Know also that the route being ridden has been recently recce’d (usually by the lead rider) and that regroup/refuel points and arrangements at destination have all been planned and checked out.
- Make sure that you at least have a fair grasp of the route itself given at the briefing - don’t just ride along, blindly following someone else. You may just become tagged onto another ride with BMW bikes or you may be following someone who may just want to duck on home
- Identify the Ride Managers especially Leader, Tail-end-Charlie and any Marshals (they would more usually be wearing reflective gear to easily be seen at a distance)
Club Information
Upcoming Events
- Long Weekend Away - BMW Club Fest, Phakisa, Free State - Friday, September 24th, 2010
Latest Forum Posts
- Baehr Bike Comms System - R2000 by: Charles
August 25, 2010, 08:08 - Re: New Couple in BMW MCC by: must be...
March 2, 2010, 17:47 - Re: New Couple in BMW MCC by: Brandt
March 2, 2010, 15:25 - Hi there! by: Brandt
March 2, 2010, 15:22 - In Search of... by: Brewse
February 21, 2010, 09:59
Polls
- Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.