Aunt Ruby's motorcycling tips

[RubyToogood]

My nephew has got a moped (some kind of trail bike type thing with no battery) and is doing his CBT. I've promised my sister to send him some motorcycling tips. Any suggestions for the list? I was thinking of things like:

1. Assume you are going to fall off and dress accordingly
2. Assume no one has seen you and ride accordingly
3. Do all your braking before corners, not during them.

That kind of thing.

 

[TopCat]

My nephew has got a moped (some kind of trail bike type thing with no battery) and is doing his CBT. I've promised my sister to send him some motorcycling tips. Any suggestions for the list? I was thinking of things like:

1. Assume you are going to fall off and dress accordingly
2. Assume no one has seen you and ride accordingly
3. Do all your braking before corners, not during them.

That kind of thing.

Check the bike for defects before every ride and never ride it with a known defect.

 

[StoneRoad]

Proper footwear (boots - without loose laces)
Proper leather gauntlets that cover the wrists.

Because laces can catch around footpegs
and
the skin on your hands is very thin and if/when you fall off your hand will need the protection - also protection from the cold / wet.
(i've had to apply first aid to someone who wasn't wearing gloves or gauntlets when they came off and the mess was significant & very painful)

 

[weltweit]

My mother's advice.

Always wear clean underwear, because you don't know when you might have an accident.

I know because I wasn't and I was if you see what I mean. Quite embarrassing being de clothed by the nurses in the knowledge that my undercrackers weren't clean.

 

[SpookyFrank]

There is no magic invisible motorbike lane in between normal traffic lanes.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Assume no one can see you . Ever.

 

[weltweit]

Never overtake at junctions.

Just don't do it ever.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Leather, proper leather, leather with built in armour, and an expensive full face helmet

and some advanced road craft training

and when you think yoh have enough leather get some more

 

[JuanTwoThree]

Everybody is trying to hurt you.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Just driving the housemate to buy a 400 cc commuter moped

weather is absolute bonk I fully expect him to ring and tell me to come back and extract him from a wet Cornish hedge

 

[tony.c]

Avoid driving on wet roads, and definitely don't use bike if there is snow or ice on roads.

 

[BristolEcho]

Avoid driving on wet roads, and definitely don't use bike if there is snow or ice on roads.

It's not really practical to not ride on wet roads here if you ever want to use your bike for commuting etc. Agree with ice and snow though.

 

[spudulike]

Do all your braking before corners, not during them

Really? What about trail braking? I've no idea if this is officially taught.

 

[MrSki]

My mother's advice.

Always wear clean underwear, because you don't know when you might have an accident.

I know because I wasn't and I was if you see what I mean. Quite embarrassing being de clothed by the nurses in the knowledge that my undercrackers weren't clean.

A mate of mine with a bike hard a bad case of piles & borrowed one of his girlfriend's sanitary pads to pile with piles cream for the ride to work. Woke up in hospital in a gown & was more worried about what they thought of him have a pad up his crack than his actual injuries.

 

[A380]

A mate of mine with a bike hard a bad case of piles & borrowed one of his girlfriend's sanitary pads to pile with piles cream for the ride to work. Woke up in hospital in a gown & was more worried about what they thought of him have a pad up his crack than his actual injuries.

Borrowed? He was going to return it??

 

[Sprocket.]

Assume every other road user, no matter how they are using it, is totally unaware of you and they are in their own world.
Do your utmost to avoid becoming part of the scenery.

 

[gaijingirl]

My training for my motorbike licence was amazing and although I no longer ride a motorbike many points have really helped with my cycling.

1. The concept of defensive riding has served me well. (basically your point 2 and lots of peole have said similar).
2. Rain after a long period of drought - you can smell it. The streets are much slicker and greasier than usual. Brake sooner and more gently.
3. Under bridges - especially when you've gone downhill before - there is often more oil/grease and it's a common slip point.
4. The edges of roads/hard shoulders often have a lot of detritus which can cause punctures/blowouts or can be very gritty.
5. Lifesavers. Always.
6. A visor in summer is a good idea if you don't want to be covered in flies or get wasps up inside your helmet.

 

[TopCat]

Always wear a high viz tabard.

 

[weltweit]

Always wear decent leather boots that come up above your ankles when riding.

 

[David Clapson]

Keep getting training after you pass the test. Motorcycling is much harder than driving a car. It takes years to get good at it. Most people never do. Try your hand at riding off road. It will make you much better at dealing with difficult situations and emergency stops.

And get an airbag jacket/waistcoat. And a full face helmet. And armoured clothes.

 

[Nivag]

I don't think they are running this at the moment but always worth doing extra training

BikeSafe - the UK's #1 police-led motorcycle safety & skills initiative

BikeSafe gives motorcyclists a crucial 'skills check-up' via police-led skills/safety workshops. Bridging the gap to a more skillful ride.

bikesafe.co.uk

Otherwise enjoy it and try not to be in a hurry to get anywhere, which doesn't mean don't have fun on it

 

[agricola]

Proper footwear (boots - without loose laces)
Proper leather gauntlets that cover the wrists.

Because laces can catch around footpegs
and
the skin on your hands is very thin and if/when you fall off your hand will need the protection - also protection from the cold / wet.
(i've had to apply first aid to someone who wasn't wearing gloves or gauntlets when they came off and the mess was significant & very painful)

This, really. If you are ever tempted to go out without proper gloves and armoured garb, go to your computer / smartphone / tablet, open google image search, take safesearch off and type "degloving" into the search field, and run the search.

 

[StoneRoad]

I'm in two minds about full-face helmets.
I don't wear one (never have done) although I do have a full face visor instead.

If you find someone who's come off a bike, and you need to assume they've banged their head.
DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE HELMET
until they've been checked over medically ...

 

[weltweit]

I'm in two minds about full-face helmets.
..

I was in a crash wearing an open face helmet. I landed on the tarmac on my face, it wasn't pretty.

Since then I always wear a full face helmet.

 

[StoneRoad]

I find the full face ones too heavy, too bulky and the last one I tried intruded into my vision, enough to create blind spots.

But then, I do ride old and slow British 'bikes !

 

[bellaozzydog]

I'm in two minds about full-face helmets.
I don't wear one (never have done) although I do have a full face visor instead.

If you find someone who's come off a bike, and you need to assume they've banged their head.
DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE HELMET
until they've been checked over medically ...

science and data say good luck

 

[weltweit]

I find the full face ones too heavy, too bulky and the last one I tried intruded into my vision, enough to create blind spots.

There are a variety available, I would always try them on with my glasses as that can make a difference also.

Basically when I came off with my open face helmet as I said I landed on my face, I was lucky not to lose an eye, as it was I needed 11 stitches on a gash just to the side of my right eye. It could have been much worse.

But then, I do ride old and slow British 'bikes !

What do you ride?

 

[StoneRoad]

650twin AJS, 250 Matchless CSR and the babybike is a D7/10 hybrid BSA Bantam.

Not all at once , and they've been laid up for a few years ...

The 250 has just had new (stainless) wheels and spokes and I hope to be out on it n a few weeks time ...

 

[TopCat]

I have crashed a bike at speed, got flung high, (higher) into the air and landed on my head. The arai helmet got cracked, my head though was intact. Get a good lid and look after it. Either in the helmet bag or on your head.

 

[TopCat]

650twin AJS, 250 Matchless CSR and the babybike is a D7/10 hybrid BSA Bantam.

Not all at once , and they've been laid up for a few years ...

The 250 has just had new (stainless) wheels and spokes and I hope to be out on it n a few weeks time ...

Pics!