TECHNICAL

TEN TIPS FOR SURVIVAL RIDE TO LIVE WORDS MARK MCVEIGH PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory. W. Edwards Deming

Unfortunately for riders it’s more perilous than ever riding a motorcycle these days. Congestion, drivers using mobile phones, tailgating, poor road surface and just a general disregard for fellow human beings by aggressive drivers is making riding a motorcycle around Australian cities just not as much fun as it should be. Here are ten tips to help you ride to live – and incidentally to have fun as well. You don’t have to do this, of course. As Professor Deming says, survival is not mandatory…

1 WEAR GOOD GEAR
Good riding gear is a must and can help hugely in reducing injury should the worst happen. There is a lot of cheap rubbish out there so always buy the best protective clothing and helmet you can afford.

2 SORT OUT YOUR ATTITUDE
It’s not fair that drivers use their mobile phone or tailgate. Sure. But it’s important for riders to take responsibility for spotting these hazards. We are the ones who get hurt if it all goes wrong.

3 COVER THE BRAKES
Sometimes you need to react quickly and having your fingers on your brake lever reduces the time you’ll take trying to find it in an emergency.

4 SCAN
You should always be scanning for hazards looking forward and in your mirrors, whether it is road conditions, blind spots, texting drivers and so on. Make sure you are looking far enough ahead, too.

5 GET SOME TRAINING
As a trainer I see huge student skill gains after even one day of advanced training. Motorcycles are a lifelong journey and you should get regular training to keep your skills sharp. It’s a lot of fun too.

6 PRACTICE EMERGENCY BRAKING
Emergency braking should be intuitive and therefore practiced regularly. Start with using only the front brake and practice your way to including the rear plus changing down into first gear – just in case you have to make a hasty getaway from the tailgating cagers.

Start off by finding a quiet area with a slight uphill and make sure no one is behind you. Think of braking in two stages. First setup; with light pressure, this will make the bike pitch forward, transferring vertical load onto the front tyre which increases grip. Then squeeze the brake lever progressively, until you come to a complete stop. Never snatch at the brakes as this can cause the tyre to skid. If the tyre begins to skid quickly release the brake and reapply.

Fifteen percent of moto DNA students have the throttle on when they first practice emergency braking. We recommend you also pull the clutch in when you apply the brake, which overcomes this common issue.

Scanning is vital, even if it isn’t always easy. Skippy could be waiting to surprise you.

7 POSITION YOURSELF ON THE ROAD
Your road position is dynamic which means it should change depending on the risk around you.

Imagine you are at the centre of a safety bubble, the dimensions of which change in relation to the proximity of other road users, junctions and the condition and width of the road. This creates a buffer zone between you and hazards, giving you more time to see, be seen and react.

Resist pressure to get pushed along by cars following too closely behind you. It’s important that you keep that 3-second gap to the car in front so you can react in time to any hazards. This also makes you more visible to other traffic users and you can see more clearly around the car in front.

8 GET TO THE FRONT
Bikes are lighter, narrower and more manoeuvrable than other vehicles, which is great for lane filtering. Getting to the front of the traffic at the lights means you can zoom away from the cars and get some space. [This may not be legal in your State… – Ed]

Roadside hazards can get tricky, like here in Quilpie…

9 NEVER TRUST A GREEN LIGHT
When you approach any junction you should be scanning for hazards. Never accelerate through the junction, cover your brakes, adjust your road position and scan that a car is not going to run their red light or stop sign and come out in front of you.

10 WATCH YOUR SPEED
If you are fanging around the city in a rush it’s not going to end well for you. Chill out and reduce your risk by watching your speed.

On the open road, stock is not your friend.

THE AUTHOR: Mark McVeigh is a Moto Journo and Director of Coaching at motoDNA Motorcycle Academy.

Read more of Mark’s work on the motoDNA blog, or follow motoDNA on Twitter and Facebook.black or white. Promoto’s Oggy Knobbs take the brunt of impacts and road surface abrasion and can significantly reduce repair costs after a fall. Only the strongest, most resilient materials are used to ensure strength, performance and appearance. We’ve used Oggy Knobbs numerous times and love the high quality fit and finish. We’ve also seen the result after a crash (not ours) and they really do reduce the amount of damage – a lot! See your local bike shop or www.kenma.com.au

SPORTIER OUTFIT
Ural cT

The Ural factory has tweaked its outfits to get an even better ride from a well proven design and released the “cT” model. The factory has made a small compromise in ground clearance and lowered the whole outfit a little by running 18” wheels all round. Then they have used the retro sidecar suspension to bring the chair itself down a couple more centimetres. All this lowers the centre of gravity to increase stability and cornering ability.

Still suitable for road or adventure riding, there is more to the mods. The mounting brackets have been expanded to push the wheel track wider. A wider wheel track has created more stability and less inclination to lift the chair when on fast or off-camber turns. Ural Australia has landed the new “cT” with 2015 specs in Gloss Grey, Terracotta or Yellow. Supplies are limited and you can find out more from www.imz-ural.com.au or 02 6778 7436.

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