How to Ride a Motorcycle – 1942 British Military Training Film [video]
youtube.com
youtube.com
HTH someone.
Somehow it’s popular in the US, but not in Italy, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland (it’s where I went racing and had instructions).
If the brake lever can reach the throttle grip, that's generally a roadworthiness failure - old brake fluid or other wear and tear in the hydraulics. Fingers getting in the way isn't short of it. I prefer a fairly sharp bite point some way out from the throttle grip and adjust the lever accordingly.
If you are planning to brake, and you should be in a racing scenario, then four fingers gives you more control. But if I'm filtering through traffic in London, I've got two fingers on the brake and two fingers and a thumb on the throttle. I also have fingers on the clutch lever. An added bonus of keeping a couple of fingers on the brake is to help maintain throttle position to stay within the speed limit over potholes and speed bumps.
I only feather it in tight slow maneuvers. At speed, proper distance from other vehicles is the best defense.
I would add, dont be a speed demon, BUT, its also best to be the fastest overall in the road. Its safer to be constantly slowly passing vehicles than being overtaken from the rear and getting pinched between two cars. Ride past congestion snd find open pockets of road. Never wait between two cars in a red light, split up to the front regardless of law, its safest.
Most deaths happen when a car left turns infront of you at an intersection and tbones you. Slow down at all intersections and try to use other cars as screen cover for your bike. They DONT see you. Ride like you are invisible.
This is incredibly anti-social, and I personally had a terrible life-threatening experience when a drunk asshole driving an AWD turbo v8 audi perceived my 04 R1's low beams as high beams (that model has two lights illuminated on low, four on high), and proceeded to ride my ass in the corners of a wet and twisty dark canyon road at enough elevation for my R1 to be significantly down on power and my tires bald having just ridden cross-country.
I had been following him for a while at a safe distance, and overtook him in a wide open straight. Little did I know he was becoming agitated the entire time I was behind him. In his own words "I know bikes, you've had your high beams on this entire time following me, blinding me!", shouted at me in a fury after I had pulled over to confront him over why he was all but running me off the road. He drove off in a rage after showing him the real high beams, but this is an example of what can happen when a driver believes you're blinding them with your high beams (which he accused me of having modified). I consider myself lucky this guy didn't either plow me off the road, or have a gun in hand when I confronted him. The whole experience was unbelievably nerve-wracking.
Anecdotal, but I've noticed when I had someone not see me riding, the majority of the time I forgot to turn on my high beams. It's a huge win and I don't think it's bothersome to others before the sun sets.
Also, the OPs advice is great. If you want to get technical the "Twist of the Wrist" books and videos are really great. Here's a clip on counter-steering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWuTcJcqAng
I don't know how much of a win it is, but it can be a pain even during daytime.
Older bikes have useless headlights, so they may be able to get away with it, but newer, LED-based ones, can be blinding. Happened yesterday to me around noon on an overcast day.
I also mostly get around by bike, and I've always found it very anti-social when others are riding behind me with their high-beam on. I ride a larger motorcycle, so I can actually see things other than my elbows in the rear-view mirrors.
Sure there are assholes everywhere, but riding with your high beams on constantly is obviously affecting the probability you'll enrage someone who will do more than just curse and squint. You're the vulnerable one on a bike, never forget that as a rider.
The problem with angry car drivers is that they have the power to kill you, and most don't even realize it. (my only motorcycle accident involves an a*hole driving a BMW car).
It will never happen, but I think the only viable solution is to force driving cameras (front and back) on all bikes - car drivers would know that every bike has these, and that if they do something stupid and run, even if they kill the biker, the camera would have recorded something.
As said, it will never happen, and there's tons of problems with implementing such a solution.
From personal experience riding in the chaos that is Paris traffic for almost 10 years. I really scared myself maybe 3-4 times with bicycles running red lights at full speed.
=> Regular drivers are paying quite good attention because they need their car to go to work the next day, the real danger comes from newcomers and people who don't drive often (tourists, old people, families on weekends, etc.)
=> Anything that does not require a license (especially all these new stupid fast electric things that go over 20kmh) will make crazy tight turns without checking anything. They will get away with everything and never get stopped by the police, they don't have insurance and will not get fined for anything.
So I would add:
- Don't overspeed in traffic jams
- Don't ever come close to a bus or truck, moving or stopped (massive blind spots + not going to feel a thing running over you)
- Don't mess with car drivers (they will try to run over you and your 200kg bike)
- There will ALWAYS be a **** crazy biker with a death wish riding faster than you, whatever your speed is
Beginner rider (bought a yamaha V-Star 650 3 days ago) here. It does.
>1) ride with one or two fingers on the front brake My driving school instructor chastised me for that. I kept doing it. As a cyclist, I ALWAYS keep my fingers on the brake, I know how fast I need to react and there is no time to waste reaching for that lever.
>3) ride with your high beam on at all times Good idea. Will do (During daytime)
>6) gear up I don´t understand why this has to be repeated so often. It´s a complete no-brainer, when I was budgeting my bike, I added 1000 €for gear: proper motorcycle gear, with pads, with kevlar, with leather, certified. It´s insane how many people ride in their street clothes (when doing my test drive, I wore shorts, a hoodie and a helmet. Luckily I didn´t fall, but as soon as I got off, i got burned badly on the exhaust. There are countless ways to hurt yourself on that machine.)
7)do not ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Again, why do people keep doing this? This is a shortcut to death. And it´s so often combined with the previous point.
Thanks for the tips, I´ve been binge watching motorcycle tips and safety recommendations for months now, most of these repeat so often I have them hammered into my brain.
Gear-wise, denim doesn't really do much of anything, aside from providing a marginally useful millimeter of additional abrasion. From having crashed my bicycle often (never had a moto crash, thankfully), I've had severe scrapes underneath denim that looked just mildly scuffed on top. With pressure applied, it can act like sandpaper on your skin. Gear up in proper gear, modern cordura/kevlar gear is comfortable and not that expensive, plus the hip/knee/elbow pads make a big difference in a crash.
I also got the "you're invisible" part drilled into me by every instructor I've had, and it's probably the most important lesson.
On top of that, always look ahead! On a bike you sit at roughly SUV head height, plus you can stand up on the pegs if you need to. Always look ahead, not just at the 2-3 cars in front of you, but as far ahead as you can, scanning for brake lights, traffic clumping together, anything that looks like it could be an issue. I do this when driving a car as well, if people start braking way up ahead, let off the gas and keep an eye on it. I see so many people just charge right into traffic jams and stomp on the brakes, probably because they didn't notice or maybe just didn't care.
Always be smooth on your inputs, but try to also be smooth in traffic.
There is a company that makes denim pants with kevlar inserts and knee&hip pads. While not as good as proper leather outfit, they´re way better than regular jeans and I like the looks better.
https://www.motorcycle.com/products/trilobite-661-parado-jea...
If you are considering getting a bike, get proper training and buy the right gear. I did the UK IAM Advanced training, which was very helpful in keeping me alive. If you can't afford decent protective gear, then you can't afford to ride to a bike.
Pillion riders often come off wore than riders in accidents. If anyone ever offers you a ride on the back of the bike, do not accept unless:
* They are an experienced rider.
* You are 100% sure they don't try to show off (particularly applies to girls on the back of men's bikes).
* You have the right gear (a well fitting helmet, gloves, leather and boots as a minimum).
I suggest you try to impress the above on your offspring as well.
How is it that I find a 1940s instructional voiceover much more human and encouraging than a fake cheerful "Yeah! You can do this!" 2000s voiceover?
I recently moved to a Zero, and despite the concerns of my peers for missing out on the pure riding experience, its really re-ignited my joy.
Adjusted for inflation that equals ~$1300 today.
I've looked around at a lot of used motorcycles and I've see other 1984 Honda's that are asking $2500-$3000 The average price seems to be $4k-$5k for 20 year old bikes!
This used to be a financially viable option for CHEAP transportation. Not anymore.
I want to ride again, and even though my wife would kill me if I did; I just can't afford it. Once upon a time, it was all I could afford; now it's a fancy toy that I can't afford. I think that stings more.
For example, Texas State Highway 130 has an 85 mph speed limit and traffic typically rolls along at 5-10 mph above that. There isn't a lot of headroom for passing a car going 80 mph on most 250cc bikes.
If I were buying a bike today, I don't think I would consider anything that didn't have anti-lock brakes.
My last bike was a KLR650 and it was pretty crude. I sold it and gave up on motorcycles because drivers around where I live are too distracted. I rode 35 years accident free and decided to quit before my luck ran out. I do miss it though...
I used it to get me to high school. I was always sick that winter though. I had money for the bike, but not the gear.
CA had a insurance policy of requiring insurance, but not demanding it at DMV. Cops couldn't ask to see proof of insurance for any reason. It was all civil if their was an incident.
To be devils advocate here, that’s a one-time capital cost that you may well be able to make money on once you sell again, assuming the price trend continues. It seems to me that price is also way cheaper than a comparable* car. If it were me, I’d be enjoying fun driving, cheap operating costs and easy parking long after the sting of not getting the bike for $800 had worn off.
*for some definition of “comparable”
Safe riding is still more dangerous than being in a car, of course. But, the vast majority of motorcycle injuries are due to known dangerous factors such as alcohol, or going too fast through turns.
So, that's a pretty hefty claim. I'd like to see some data. :)
A very large chunk of motorcycle accidents are single party (about 25%), the rest involve a car, usually at low speeds such as an unprotected left turn or bad merge.
I did some quick googling and found that motorcycles are less likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents than cars, but I think the the onus is on you to support your claim.
That makes 85.2% of pedestrian fatalities. This does not make automobile traffic a "safe" form of traffic in my book...
Going fast through turns is exactly the point for the majority of riders (all except choppers)
One of the reasons I stopped going on group rides was lead riders who burned through blind corners. I'll take an open corner with good visibility as fast as I dare, but if I can't see through the turn, I take it slowly.
Let the other guys arrive at the scene of the accident first.
You, me, a couple of other middle aged guys all hanging back on our sports tourers, while the crotch rockets are off antagonising the cage dwellers.
We'll all arrive in time for coffee, no sweat.
Good gear, I mean expensive gear, has built in spine protection. Good helmets limit your neck movement. We even have airbag-equipped suits! Outcomes are WAY better than they used to be. If you are in full leathers and with good neck protection, your odds for major spinal injury are incredibly reduced. Similar results also come from riding a motorcycle with ABS.
Problem is: people do not take safety seriously.
The thing is the people you didn't see at the hospital: People who don't wear helmets, let alone the rest of the gear. They died before then.
Motorcycles are a calculated risk, few correctly do the math, but when the math is done it is a far lesser risk.
I don't think it's settled that this has been "solved"
"This systematic review highlighted lack of appropriate evidence on efficacy of back protectors. Based on limited information, we are uncertain about the effects of back protectors on spinal injuries. Further research is required to substantiate the effects of back protectors on mortality and other injuries to the back."
https://sjtrem.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13049-016...
This is a great video about the Helite Turtle (it came out before the electronic e-Turtle) and motorcycle airbags in general.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2jZryt607U
I'll definitively grab a Helite e-Turtle when I start riding next year.
I doubt it has solved basic physics, though. When a huge, fat SUV overlooks you at > 100 km/h - then yes, you want all the protection gimmicks avaiable - but chances are you still wake up in hospital - if you are lucky.
I had the same experience, I was in hospital and feeling like sh* - but next to me was a motorcycle accident. He put my misery into perspective.
I don't ride, but I am a big fan of racing.
The MotoGP guys (wearing the best of all said gear) crash regularly at VERY high speeds. You'll see them eat asphalt at 150mph, cartwheel off into the gravel trap... and pop right up and dust themselves off. 5 minutes later, they'll have caught a ride back to the pits, get a new suit (if the airbag went off), and be right back out on track.
Not that there aren't injuries, sometimes severe, but generally the outcome is way way better than you'd expect if you aren't used to it.
Over the past 20 years or so, deaths have been pretty rare (roughly the same as in open wheel racing - F1 and similar). Almost all of the fatal crashes involve a rider falling off, and then getting run over by another bike.
It's a fun hobby and a uniquely direct interaction with some interesting physics, but I can't recommend anyone do it on public roads shared with vehicles driven by careless/incompetent/inattentive/distracted/tired/drunk/stoned drivers.
If you're going to play on two wheels do it off-road or on otherwise closed courses, unless you're looking forward to being crippled, paralyzed, or dead, through no fault of your own.
I love motorcycling. It is a passion. I had my motorcycle classification before I got my car license.
But, I don't recommend it to anyone. I will not be party to suggesting, encouraging, cajoling or any other "ing" to get someone on a bike.
It's too dangerous to allow someone else to convince you.
Anyone in the community for any duration has their share of personal experiences, being close to someone lost or badly hurt, or simply being in a small community where loss and injury happens. I've lost friends. Had my share of (thankfully) mostly minor injuries. I've gone down on a freeway in rush hour traffic. It happens, it's real.
The two highest cohorts of folks getting injured or worse on a motorcycle are folks riding under the influence, and folks new (or even returning) to riding. The first cohort you can do something about, don't drink. The second, you can take measures (training, reading, practice), but, in the end, you have to just survive through it. You have to find yourself in situations and work your way through them.
I like traveling on a motorcycle. I love long distance touring rides. One of the best aspects of riding is going on a long trip with a friend. You may both take the same path, but, in the end, you have separate journeys and get to share them at each stop. In a car, you have a driver, and everyone else essentially asleep. As a driver you're likely barely conscious. Fingertip on the steering wheel, cruise control holding steady, songs serenading you on the stereo. On a bike, that's just not the case.
On a bike, you get to smell the air. High on my list is riding behind a lemon truck. You get to feel the environment. It's hot. It's cold. It's wet. Ride through the desert and feel the temperature change as you drop down in to a wash, even if just for a few hundred feet before you rise back up in the heat.
I love it.
But I don't recommend it.
I've described it like this before, but it feels less like driving than like running really quickly.
Road trips are nice, but even on largely open country roads fatigue is real and it is easy for experienced riders to have accidents. Commuting is not safe. Some car drivers are just bad and will pull in front of you. Some car drivers will pick fights and threaten your life with their motor vehicle.
After giving it up, and growing up I suppose, I have also come to realize how many motorcyclists are jerks. I don't expect this to be a popular opinion. I always knew some were jerks: I saw their bad riding & picking unnecessary arguments with car drivers when out on rides with them! As a motorcycle-aware car driver many years later I have encountered many more whinging motorcyclists who themselves created unnecessarily dangerous situations then lectured me or flipped me off.
As a car driver, stay away from motorcycles. Considering motorcycling?: stay away from motorcycles. ;-)
As a non-motorcyclist, I detest the noise from loud exhaust pipes. Bad enough are the ones that sound like loud farting, the absolute worst are the ones that sound like roaring thunder and can be heard from 500 m away. These noises degrade my experience living in the city, whether I'm walking on the streets or in a building (street shop, apartment, etc.). It is absolutely selfish and despicable that one driver can cause so much noise for hundreds of people nearby.
There are cars and motorcycles that are guilty of making excess noise. Motorcycles make up a minority of traffic, but I would say about 50% of them are overly loud. As for cars, the vast majority of them are normal, and maybe 5% are the obnoxious noisemakers. These are my observations in Toronto.
There was also a recent anecdote that the CHP was enforcing noise regulations at a popular motorcycle destination/hangout. And you have to appreciate the difficulty of this, as it requires special equipment, and a specific process to perform the measurement, which is not something the typical CHP officer carries (I can't speak to their training if they, indeed, did have the equipment).
Also, violations are no longer "fix it" tickets, but immediate fines, which deter those that simply swap them out, get them checked out, and then swap them back in. There's also recent (past few years) requirements for badging and labeling from the manufacturers about compliance, and these need to be retained on the equipment which is an immediate violation if they're inspected and found lacking.
It's difficult to enforce in the wild. You can't, necessarily, readily cite someone for being "too loud". Just like you can't cite someone for going "too fast", they need an actual measurement, and they can't normally do that in the field. The labeling requirements help, as well as the fines to vendors and installers if they're caught facilitating the violation. Mind, many bikes are grandfathered in, and it will take more time for them to fade off the roads. But it should get better.
Right now, there is pressure back on the State because there's more legislation in the works that starts making it more and more difficult for folks that do, indeed, wish to modify their vehicles for competition and other off road activities. There should be balance, and it's not unheard of for the State to go too far and need to be reeled back in.
I also have a lot of negative stories. Right now I have to ride 700 kilometres of highway in 14 degree cloudy weather to get home. My ears are ringing. They are sore from the ear plugs. I have to wear 4 layers of gear to make it. It's dreadful.
Yet I keep putting myself in that situation every year. It's that good.
I knew 100% that a bit of gravel in a turn, me or someone else not paying attention to the road, and a million other things could mean I'm dead or permanently disabled. Just the other day a couple died on a bike near here at low speed because a deer ran in front of them and they fell into the other side of traffic. That same scenario with a car and they are looking at minor injuries and car damage.
I chose to ride because I've always wanted to get that thrill and figured better do it before I had kids. Now that I got my son I don't ride anymore - it's just irresponsible IMO. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone and think that people promoting "safe riding" are deluding themselves. You can drive smarter, but there's no reasonable definition of safety on a motorcycle going anywhere near the speeds that make it worth driving a motorcycle (even if speed is not your thing long distance riding requires non-trivial speed to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time). That said it's fun and I haven't been able to get the same feeling with other things. If you chose to do it you should know that you're taking a real gamble.
Edit: Quora provides an explanation. It was a British thing until the 1970s:
https://www.quora.com/In-the-1970s-motorcycle-foot-controls-...
Observations: This is a good hobby to start when you're younger. My 19yo son picked it up quickly, hasn't had any problems, handles the bike well and is of course, fearless.
Myself, on the other hand, being 49yo and a klutz in general, has come close to disaster more than a handful of times, pulled my hamstring badly among other bumps and bruises, and it's only been a few months. I've yet to get to the point where the fun outweighs the fear. I've definitely had moments in the Santa Cruz mountains, but for the most part I'm seriously debating whether I'm going to keep riding.
They are some of the best in the bay area to ride!
Motor Cycling Elementary Control
Motor Cycling Maintenance
Motor Cycling Cross-Country TechniqueThe actors are super bad but the educational parts are all you need to know about bikes
Ride like everyone is actively trying to kill you.
Off-road riding? Totally different ballgame and a lot of fun!
About 2/3 of the accidents are caused by rider error [0]. I've heard several references, but [1] says that 27% of motorcycle fatalities involved a drunk rider. Cars about to turn left in front of me are generally visible and avoidable (the intense focus needed is part of the fun for me). All that is to say that some factors are controllable, others are not, and risk tolerance is subjective. I accept my odds, but I also know that none of my Harley-riding neighbors have any interest in training or improving skills at all.
With the <1 year old bike I spend the most time on, I find it worthwhile to reduce my CO2 footprint the small amount that I do. Not all motorcycles are much better than a larger car pollution-wise, and not all people think taking a personal risk (or any cost) is worthwhile to reduce pollution, but if everyone did the situation would be improved. I find that compelling. My Harley-riding neighbors… uh… definitely don't.
Personally, the joy of riding is part of what makes life livable. Of course I could decrease my risk profile (indeed, so many people seem to think that I ought to do just that). But as my wife cares for the dying elderly at their bedsides she tells me that they never celebrate their decreased risk profiles, but rather wish they would have taken more chances and opportunities that they had been presented. In my mind, to ride pecks at the question of why we do anything.
[0] https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/little-known-facts-about-m... [1] https://carsurance.net/blog/motorcycle-accidents
"Motorcyclists account for less than 1 per cent of traffic each year, but 19 per cent of fatalities in 2013."
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/...
So relatively dangerous, compared to most other activities. But also exciting!
I've done quite few exciting things and going around the corner of a track leant over, knee-to-knee with another rider at well over 100 mph was one of the best.
You can reduce your risk by riding defensively and wearing good protective gear. But you are never going to be as safe as you will in a car.
https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/chacun-son-mode-de-dep...
Source for 2012 saying 27 times, but current data seems lower at 22: https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/actualites/27-fois-plu...
She said I could just have his.” -bad paraphrase of Anthony Jeselnik
My strong advice is to never ride motorcycles. There’s plenty of other wonderful experiences to be had in this world without taking such risks.
I'm wondering how the risks compare in blasting through busy highways on a 650cc superbike vs dirt bike on a path vs a lightweight 125cc on 'burbs and rural back roads never going faster than 50 mph..
(I've been considering something like the Honda Grom or Monkey 125!)
Also, what experience would you recommend as an alternative?
I am also considering a Grom.
With that said, over countless hours of riding the ‘burbs, rural back roads, and trails; I never had what I considered a near-death experience on a dirt bike versus having at least three on street bikes. I was undoubtedly lucky, but if you avoid competitive motocross, don’t try stupid stunts, wear a full complement of protective gear, and limit your time on the street, I suspect you are safer on a dirt bike than a big street bike. Even so, I wouldn’t do it. I’ve seen dirt bikes put friends in the ICU and I now realize there are better ways I could have spent that time.
Here are a few leisure experiences from which I have received greater fulfillment with far less risk:
- Volunteer to help someone in need.
- Actively support a cause that makes the world a better place.
- Learn a new skill.
- Backpack remote areas with interesting geology, wildlife, and skies that are so bright with stars at night that it is difficult to find the constellations. Study the route beforehand to fully appreciate the area and know where to look for fossils, prehistoric artifacts, interesting minerals, geological formations, plants, and animals. For an extra challenge, pursue ultralight backpacking.[1]
- Travel to places with unique cultures. Hang out with the locals and get to know them. The lowest-profile people tend to have the most surprising and interesting life stories. Learn some of the local history and language beforehand.
- Learn to sail. With sufficient qualifications, you can rent sailboats all over the world. Fly to a beautiful location, rent a boat, island hop, travel the coastlines, and explore.
Even better for me was to start a family and focus on giving them a wonderful life.
I don't know what you would define as other wonderful experiences, but I suspect that someone rotten like me can't appreciate them. The madness of gambling with my life for no benefit at all is specifically why I ride. Appealing to a part of me that wants very much to die and be done with all. And appealing to the part that doesn't want to die, and forces me focus everything on the act of riding itself. Not the landscape, not the experience, but the act in of itself.
Apologies if it's strange to read, I have a difficult time trying to explain it... this is about as close as I can describe it, without writing long paragraphs.
I'm not sure I'll be following suit. I like riding on dirt, but the streets aren't forgiving and are populated by people who won't put their phones down.
I turn coffe into code to earn $ for gas for my enduro bike and to take long distance trips across Europe and maybe other continents soon :)
The point being that the gearchange on the Triumph was 1 up, 3 down on the right, the japanese bikes were 1 down 4 or 5 up on the left and the ducati was 1 down 4 up but on the right hand side. Given the random interchange/pattern between gear and rear brake, the first few miles were always interesting while trying to re-arrange the mental model to fit the current bike.
Which is why, to this day, I really dislike it when new versions of software randomly shift the position of the steering wheel from the usual position to wherever some UX person has decided it should now be (like behind my left ear).
Edit: But to expand on this a little, on a motorbike (or indeed a bicycle), the interface puts everything directly under hand/foot control. Every necessary control is a minor movement, and pretty much the only difference between bike controls these days is the (thumb-based) switch layout
When you update and the handle bar is suddenly behind your head. "We modernized our UI ..."
[1] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/who-moved-my-steering-wheel-s...
It was an automatic scooter though so I'm sure that makes it way, way easier than some sort of manual sport motorcycle!
Also I have a ton of mountain biking experience so it felt quite natural