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King of the RoadAug 31 '01 (Updated Dec 29 '01) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Ride w/ a knowledge that anything can happen so be aware and pay attention. Learn to crawl before you walk. Speed comes with time and experience. My only experience w/ highway riding is on a rice-burner, crotch-rocket a.k.a. Japanese sportbike (GSXR600). There are other epinions on cruiser riding. Here are a few tips when riding your sportbike on the freeway/highway: 1. Before riding check and make sure you have all your gear. That includes, helmet, gloves, boots, leathers (or cordura/kevlar jacket). Leathers (motorcycle leathers, not designer/bomber jackets) are preferred. Do not ride in anything less. A T-shirt and jeans w/ tennis shoes will not cut it. Racers wear full race leathers w/ body armor for a reason. You may not be going quite as fast as they are but it helps tremendously to soften your landing. 2. Check your bike before riding. If you're riding on the freeway, chances are you're going to be there for more than five minutes so make sure you double-check your checklist when checking your bike. You do *NOT* want something going wrong w/ your bike at 65mph+! Unlike a car, bikes have only 2 wheels. Make sure your bike is in top form before mounting it. 3. Take it easy on your bike when you're starting out on the freeway onramp. It doesn't take much to get your bike to freeway speeds so don't gun it (it ain't a Toyota corolla). Fact is, modern stock/unmodified sport bikes give highly-modified drag racers a run for their money (my bike can reportedly make less than 11sec times on quarter-mile drag runs). You need to get the oil temperature up before your engine is being properly lubricated. 4. Try not going over the speed limit. I know it's very easy to do w/ a sportbike as they are meant for high-speed. 100+mph is not uncommon and can creep up to triple-digits if you're not careful. If you do, at the very least devote all your attention to riding and not have a clouded mind. If you're fatigued, you either have to pull over or pull over. Always remember stability is a key factor in staying alive. 5. There is no designated position in any lane that you must use all the time. Lane position is dictated by the situation. A general rule is if you're on the fast lane, stay on the right of the lane. It will allow you to be more visible to other as well as keep people from "sharing" your lane and visa versa if you're on the far right lane. More lane positioning techniques are taught in-depth in the DMV sponsored Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) courses. 6. Try riding with a group. It can be just as if not more enjoyable than riding alone. Motorcycle riders are a mostly a friendly bunch and it helps to ride w/ someone more experienced than yourself. If you're riding and happen to spot another rider, wave to them. :) Traffic riding *Unless traffic is almost at a standstill (-30mph) I would not recommend lane splitting (riding between lanes/cars). Cagers a.k.a. 4-wheeled vehicle drivers are impatient (assume they are) and will merge into a lane if they think it will get them going faster. Always assume cagers will not see you and cut lanes. Keep your eyes out for the cagers who seem edgy. It will save you from an or near accident. Keep this in mind when you do lane-split. If lane-splitting is too nerve racking for you, ride as if you're in a 4-wheeled vehicle. You won't get to your destination quite as fast in heavy traffic, but you'll definitely have peace of mind someone isn't going to cut in front of you suddenly. If you're riding an air-cooled bike, you may have to lane split or your engine will overheat. Just make sure to be especially alert and assume cagers aren't. *A general rule of thumb is to keep your speed approx. 10mph or so over traffic and no more. Group Riding Sportbike group riding is usually done in twisty roads at high speed. I am writing suggestions for that scenario. 1. Do not follow the leader. The leader of the pack is the fastest person in the group and it will only lead to trouble if you try to follow especially if you're just beginning. It is a good idea to stay somewhere towards the back. If you ride w/ a responsible group, there will or should be someone experienced in the back to make sure everyone gets through the road safely. 2. Do not "target fixate". If a rider crashes in front of you and you're rubbernecking, it is almost certain you will end up crashing yourself. Your bike will go in the direction you are looking at and if you're looking at a down rider... 3. Ride in a "staggered position". Meaning if the rider in front is on the left side of the lane, you stay approx. 2 sec. behind and to the right and visa versa for the rider behind you. This will give you some cushion in case something happens up front. Closing Statement As always, don't drink and ride. You think cagers have a hard time driving w/ 4 wheels planted? Try 2 w/ relatively faster acceleration and you'll soon be in the hospital. Guaranteed. Riding while fatigued or sleepy is almost if not as bad as riding while intoxicated. Key is stability and awareness and if you can barely walk, you have no place on a bike. If you're unsure of your skills or new to the whole experience, take the MSF course in your area. It will teach you the proper way of riding your bike as well as get your insurance rate down (depending on carrier). Also, it will let you know if motorcycling is right for you without having to invest in a bike and proper gear. Learn to crawl before you walk. Speed comes with time and experience.  |
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