Harley Davidson Forums banner

Wisdom found only on the road

29K views 147 replies 81 participants last post by  tramus0 
#1 ·
I am a fairly new rider and always interested in wisdom from those that are longer in the tooth than I, what words of wisdom would you share with a new biker? Looking forward to replies- George
 
#4 ·
Never ride through a cloud of gnats, laughing with your mouth open.
 
#7 ·
"Ride large."

Very good point.

To me, I think of it as being very obvious on the road. Make your presence and position obvious to the vehicles that surround and approach you. When I was new, I tended to move over in my lane, whether I was in the left or right lane to give myself more room. Problem was, though, that when I did that, the cars in my "zone" would take advantage of that and encroach on my space. I even had a close call with a state trooper SUV which pulled into the left lane right in front of me and nearly clipped me. So, now I stake out my position and "own" it, so to speak, but I'm always at the ready to give way. I don't get into pi$$ing matches with vehicles larger than mine. I avoid riding in blind spots -- if I can't see the driver's face in their mirror, I know they can't see me.

I guess, simply, it's a philosophy of being passively aggressive without being obnoxious enough to tick somebody off enough to make them want to cut me off on purpose.

Always assume you're invisible and vulnerable.

--
 
#11 ·
I guess, simply, it's a philosophy of being passively aggressive without being obnoxious enough to tick somebody off enough to make them want to cut me off on purpose.

Always assume you're invisible and vulnerable.

--

Very well said. Use your head, trust your gut. Always ride your own ride, within your skill level. If someone makes a comment about too slow or something along those lines, thats on them.
Listen and learn from those that have been there. When riding slab, or twisting that throttle, remember... bad happens fast. Always have an escape route. Just a few off the top of my head, but its kept me alive.
 
#9 ·
Don't assume they have seen you or know you are there. Be cautious of intersections where the cross street has a stop sign and you don't. Three people I have known got in wrecks when a car pulled out from a stop sign suddenly and they T-boned them. I have close calls with these situations at least once a year.
 
#10 ·
There is no substitute for practice. At least once a month I go to a vacant parking lot and practice most of the "Ride like a Pro" maneuvers.
Including hard stops from 40+ mph. Right now I'm getting ready to change my rear tire, and have been finding the lock up point.
 
#18 ·
Motorcycle Mode of transport Vehicle Motor vehicle Motorcycling


This guy

--
 
#20 ·
Have read / heard a lot lately about accidents involving left-turning vehicles pulling into the path and violating the biker's right-of-way due to the driver not seeing the bike (or just plain stupidity). It's made me much more cautious when approaching intersections. I think it's easy to become complacent and just ride along with your head in the clouds. One mistake can lead to bad things. Stay alert out there.

I'd also echo the idea of regularly practicing the Ride Like a Pro exercises to keep your skills sharp. When you really need one of those skills to avoid catastrophe you want it to be instinctual, not something you have to think about.
 
#21 ·
And one that I first heard it termed on here: Beware the turn signal of death. When a vehicle is approaching you with a turn signal on, the only thing you know for sure is that their turn signal works. Even if they are slowing down, do not pull out in front of them assuming they will turn. They may at the last minute realize it's not their street and gun it.
 
#27 ·
Never write checks your ass can't cash. Its easy to get cocky and push the limit, but the streets change as does their surface. Traffic, pedestrians and the unknown around every corner. Ride lime the world is out to kill you and you'll be fine.

Sent from Motorcycle.com App
 
#28 ·
Ride a lot. Nothing learns you quicker or more authentically than miles.

Be safe and stay up.
 
#29 ·
Something I learned flying is be aware of everything around you at all times. What you don't see will hurt you at the most inopportune time. When changing lanes signal your intent. Use the mirror, but verify just before you make your move with a quick glance back into the lane. You'd be amazed how many times there will be something there that you weren't aware of. And one that has saved me a lot of skin....find a nice parking lot and practice practice practice emergency stopping/braking.
 
#30 ·
Wow guys, good stuff here. This hits closer to home to me than most. I grew up in a biker family, Mom always rode on the back of Dad. In 2007 at 56 she decided she wanted to rider her own and got got a permit and a brand new Sportster. The second day she had it Dad and her were coming off a light just after breakfast with Dad in front. He heard a crash and looked behind him to see that Mom had wrecked. We have no idea what happened but she did the Superman and hit a 6 inch in diameter tree with her face. The damage was a TBI, spine fracture at T5 resulting in paralysis from the chest down, two collapsed lungs, broken femur, every rib broken and a cracked sternum. Dad swung around and got to her, she was gurgling and her airway was obstructed by her dentures. Dad did a finger sweep and popped them out, but was forced to remover her helmet to get the airway. This caused no more damage but did save her life. She was flown out and was not supposed to make it. By the Grace of God she did and spent the next year in and out of rehabs. She has a totally different personality than before the accident. This is the hardest thing. Dad is her primary care giver, married for 44 years. So you can imagine the trepidation they both had when my Dad got his new bike and I got his old one. I think about her all the time when I ride. I can always hear her say "be careful" and the Old Man say "pay attention to what you are doing". I have the bug bad and they know it. Mom always says she can tell it in my voice if I rode when I talk to her. She says she is happier it happened on a bike doing what she loved instead of in a cage on the way to work. This whole thing has made be thirsty for any and all biker wisdom as well as wanting to become the best technical rider that I can. Thanks for listening- George
 
#34 ·
Learn a little bit about deer behavior if you're not already a hunter. Be especially cautious of funnels.

Ex: Riding along with fields on both sides, then come to a place where there is forest on both sides. The narrower the strip of woods, the worse. Deer will be more likely to cross the road there to avoid being out in an open field. Around dawn and dusk are the more likely times for them to be active, but the damn things will surprise you in the middle of the day too.
 
#35 ·
This time of year watch the center of the roads and intersections for gravel. Watch the inside line of curves, cars tend to cut sharp and throw gravel when they run.off the edge. Watch around you 24/7. My father was killed when a woman lost control, looking down at her cell phone and run off the road and swerved back into his lane. Dont think there was much he could do. So watch out, cuz drivers look for a threat, a small bike is not a threat for the big cars.
 
#36 ·
Sorry for your loss Brother. As previously stated it is a sobering reality of our passion. During my entire career as a police working the Rt 40 corridor Baltimore and Delaware I never handled a MC accident involving a cruiser where it was the riders fault. The funny thing is that I also can never remember one involving a sport bike where it was not their fault, and this includes the fella that ran into the back of a semi at about 80 MPH and lived.- George
 
#37 ·
And always remember, if you ride a lot, you are going to ride in bad weather. Under ideal conditions, a guy on a good bike has some advantages to work with like better vision and acceleration capabilities. But when the pavement is wet~~EVERYTHING can out-stop you.
On the streets, you HAVE to back off more from the car ahead of you. Beware of other cars taking advantage of that and diving over in front of you as you near an intersection.

They already claim they can't see bikes. They sure can't see 'em when it's pouring down rain, foggy, road-steam, etc. Bad weather really amps up the challenges.

I ride an average of 350 days a year and that puts me in all kinds of weather conditions. Always take into account the conditions of the road.

Two weeks ago me and a friend rode about 2 hours just to get to the road we wanted to ride, Push Mountain Road (Arkansas 341). Upon arrival, as I went blasting around the third major hairpin turn, my back tire began to slide. There was sand all over the road that was left over from the last big freeze. We both slowed down considerably and put Push Mountain Road on the rain-check list. PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD AT ALL TIMES.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top