Top 5 lessons you have learned the hard way

Clearandlock

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Hi All,

As there is many lifetimes of motorcycle knowledge and experience here, what are the your top 5 lessons (or rules of thumb) you have learned (perhaps the hard way) and what advice would you pass on to those who are new to the road.

cheers,

Clayton
 
Use the back brake for wheelies
Don't crash into hard objects.
Always try to keep on your side of the road unless overtaking
Don't fall asleep
Don't get caught
 
visor

don't ride with your visor up full in beautiful hot sunny weather unless you have glasses /sun glasses on i went riding travelling about 50 mph and got hit in the eye by a bee
also no matter how hot it is never never leave your gloves off whilst riding
 
Do an IAM course.

Keep your distance.

Never underestimate the amount of stupid people with a driving licence.

:thumb
 
Whether a gun, bike, car, plane - all are metal - all will kill you depending on how you use them..... (they cannot do it on your own)

Respect the "device" it's not a toy............... and don't show off - that's normally when you lose consentration, screw up and make an ass of yourself.....

case-in-point I tried to impress some ladies, did a turning manoeuvre on the scoot, hit a bit of oil and went down in front of not only the ladies... but about 20 other hard-core riders........... :( :blast
 
Use ALL the road when safe to do so.

Don't speed in built up areas (and watch for scamera vans when coming into limits).

Treat everyone as idiots.

Don't target fixate.

There's always someone faster/more skilled than you.
 
Serrated footpegs and shin bones don't mix.
Summer armoured gloves are better than skin loss.
Eye protection is only any good if you're wearing it.
Sun burn is a bitch in the evening.
Don't swerve for anything smaller than a sheep.
HTH
Mark
 
NEVER think that you've just about got enough petrol to get you home: You haven't.

Waterproofs are not for pussies, and a warm dry morning can suddenly turn very wet in Geneva with 400kms to go to Bregenz with soaked jeans!

That dumb yellow twisty thing that wraps round your bars to remind you you've got a disc lock should be a bit of a giveaway that you've fitted a disc lock :tears

Always match your speed to the road conditions and what you can see ahead, and always leave enough space to brake safely.

Every and I mean EVERY other driver on the road is a blind/drunk/moronic cretin that is out to kill you. :mad::mad:
 
1. Waterproof clothing generally is not
2. Your mates riding ability is not as good as he thinks it is
3. Your riding ability is not as good as you think it is
4.. When your son helps with a job on the bike, the nuts and bolts he was supposed to be doing up tight; he didn’t
5. If you plan for something to go wrong it wont, if you forget to it definitely will
 
1. Show off/fall off

2. Try to cross onto fresh raised tarmac at as near to 90deg as possible.

3. Never brake for a pheasant, just get your head down.

4. Don't ride fast over a blind crest of sand dunes.

5. No matter how good you think you are or how visible you are someone, somewhere is going to pull out on you, you just don't know where or when.
 
Be a sponge; go out with other riders and watch what they do. Pick different aspects out of their riding that you like, and disregard the bits you don't. That way you'll develop your own style based on all the good bits that you've studied.

Go and do a track day. You're going there to learn about your tyres. Many accidents on the open roads are bends and refusals. Quite often a bike is more than capable of going round a corner, but you bottle it, and go straight on. Book yerself in, stick on a yello bib, forget lap times, turn in points and all that malarky - go there with the sole intention of understanding motorcycle tyre grip, tyre grip trade off, (lean angle versus acceleration / braking) and above all, confidence.

Know your limitations. I've seen many accidents (one fatal) where a newish rider has gone out with experienced riders and has been sucked out of his confidence zone. There's always someone beter and quicker than you. Have the maturity to say 'go on fella, you're much quicker than me - I'll see you at the cafe, get me a coffee...'.

Go abroad as soon as you can. Biking down to the Pyrenees, rural France, where ever, is what it's all about. Go and have your own mini adventure, don't pre plan too much, wing it and see where you are at 5 pm! It'll be one of the best holidays you'll have. (try a company first, like msl tours, if you prefer).

Yearn to be the best. Don't sit still. Yes there are more important things in life than riding a fecking motorcycle! But learn to be bloody good at it! Invest in training, put it into practise get to a stage where you go out with mates and whilst you're in the Karsey at the cafe, they talk about you behind your back. 'Feck me, Clayton has really come along, he's only been riding a short while and he's fecking mustard on those lanes, I was really struggling to keep with him - what a top rider...'

:thumb
 
While overtaking a line of stationary traffic, pay special attention when passing the front end of trucks or buses - they may be letting a car out of a side turning, or a pedestrian may step out from in front of the bus. I've bounced off both...

Don't take too long over "rear observations," the traffic in front may stop, causing a full "flying W" as you handstand over the ace bars - bent the forks, that did...

If your throttle is sticking, don't try to free it by giving it a good wrench, it may not close again. Ouch.

Chains need love, too, otherwise the split-link fails on the South Circular on the way to work.

And yes, before pulling away, remove the disc lock...
 
Don't suddenly (although accidentally) dump the on/off clutch on your 1966 Vespa SS180 when stopped talking to your girlfriend who is standing in a long bus queue on the A3 opposite the Milk Marketing Board at Thames Ditton.

No one is impressed as you carve across the road onto the grass eventually falling off on the MMB's immaculate front lawn.

A lesson learned the hard and painful way.
 
1. Stupid Hurts
2. If it's not goretex, it ain't waterproof
3. If you feel you have taken a corner too fast, lean further
4. When you are on reserve just take the next petrol station you see, it's not the time to start shopping around
5. If you're not feeling 100%, stay off the bike
 
Setting your 'cruise control' to 10mph below normal on your favourite set of twistys is not big and it's not clever.....fecking good fun though.

Bump starting your bike sidesaddle is best practiced in private.

If your gut feeling tells you to turn around, listen to it.

If you have a wife/partner/girlfriend/pain in the neck who gives you grief with texts, turn the phone off and leave it off, don't let them feck with your head whilst on the bike.

When you pick up a 'new' bike, make sure the fuel tap is not on reserve.
 
change your tyres sooner rather than (too) later

hi Viz works - my life is more important than my image

An ounce of caution is worth two ounces of bravery, and 6 ounces of gambling.
 
Never ride down into something you cannot get out of, especially if you are on your own and without mobile phone reception.

Never assume faster is better when filtering

Trust no-one, not even your pillion.

Never speed up on icy roads just because an idiot in an Audi is driving far too close.

Never shag blondes if they are your (ex) wife’s best friend.
 


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