Bikesafe Riding Tips

CORNERING

  • Always be able to stop within the distance you can see to be clear.
  • Good observation/planning is essential.
  • Position for early view allowing safety margin.
  • Line is secondary to safety.
  • Left-hand bend entry speed too fast, bike will drift into oncoming/opposing traffic on exit.
  • What is around the corner? The road is not a race circuit with racing lines and flag marshals warning of danger.
  • A high proportion of single bike crashes are caused by trying to corner too fast.

OVERTAKING

  • If in doubt, hold back – no matter how quick or agile you think your bike is, or how good a pilot you think you are.

COMMON OVER-TAKING MISTAKES

  • Too much speed approaching vehicle to be overtaken.
  • Riding too close – no clear view.
  • Riding too close – upset/unnerve driver in front.
  • Overtaking at junctions.

BUT YOU SHOULD

  • Use your bike’s advantages – i.e. acceleration and agility.
  • Plan your overtake
  • THINK: Distance – Speed – Gear – BEFORE manoeuvre.
  • Before you begin to overtake, know where it is you are going to finish.
  • Make decisions on what you can see, what you cannot see, what you reasonably expect to develop in the next 5 – 10 seconds.

JUNCTIONS

  • When rding your motorcycle, it’s not smart to have a false hope that everyone else will do the right thing – be proactive not reactive.
  • Don’t overtake at junctions. Consider what direction an emerging driver will look before turning left.
  • Consider position and speed on approa ch to a junction.

CLOTHING

  • Don’t scrimp on the things that could save your life… acquire the best protection you can afford. Make sure it fits like a glove and use it.
  • Ensure you ‘lid’ carries the CE22-05 or B S6658 Kitemark.
  • Don’t ride in T-shirts or shorts, even for the shortest journey.

SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE

  • Have your bike serviced regularly, making sure the lights, brakes are in top-class order and that ‘sticky hoops” have adequate tread and correc t pressure.
  • Keep the bike clean, lubricated and properly adjusted fo r the roads.
  • Keep the bike safe from thieves… protect it with an approved safety device.

Invariably, when motorcyclists are involved in collisions, regardless of blame, we are the ones likely to end up in hospital.

BikeSafe Northern Ireland – Click Here

For BikeSafe assessments – IAM – RoSPA/RoADAR and training

Click Here and “Get Hooked!”

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