ALT-5 Motorcycle Safety
Many people will regard this title as oxymoronic. Motorcycles are seen as intrinsically dangerous, because they offer very little impact protection to the rider or passenger. This is essentially a motorist's perception, and a selfish one (It is particularly common among those who refer to me and other riders as "temporary New Zealanders", as if this were either profound wisdom or sophisticated wit).
Considered honestly, cars are more dangerous than motorcycles because the consequences of driver error are often inflicted on others outside the car or truck and knowledge of this tends to foster complacency among drivers, who might well pay more attention to cellphone conversations or the in-car noisemaker than to what is happening outside. This truth is of little practical value to motorcyclists, as we don't want the coroner to confirm that we really were in the right. In an accident situation, presence of mind is good, but absence of body is better.
If you regularly ride a bike on the highway, or in urban traffic, I will assume that you are properly dressed, awake, sober and appropriately licensed, and that your bike is fit for the use you are making of it. If these assumptions are wrong, you will probably ignore my advice anyway. Try not to annoy the nurses.
However tempting it may be to test your bike's handling and roadholding to the limit, on the road you should always keep something in reserve, especially on unfamiliar roads where a curve may tighten unexpectedly or (as in two recent cases here) a police car may be part way through a three point turn just around a blind bend, in response to some sudden stimulus of which you are unaware. If you hit him, he will instinctively accuse you of speeding before calling an ambulance. There might be gravel or oil or a slip on the road. Don't rely too much on your brakes to keep you out of trouble; adjust your speed to suit the conditions. If you must show off your chamfered footpegs and scraped stand, use a file, discreetly, at home. It's less painful than pushing your luck on the road.
Already I hear you saying "You're making it sound like it's my fault!".
You're right; I am.
Most unaccompanied accidents are caused by the rider involved. What about collisions?
When a car and a motorcycle collide, the question of blame tends to be secondary to the question of immediate medical care for the rider of the motorcycle. Try not to collide with cars or other vehicles. It is inconvenient and painful, and it can be prevented in most cases.Remember the two-second rule - Watch the vehicle in front of you pass a landmark, then count off two seconds. If you have already passed the landmark, you are too close. Back off. Cars and trucks often have blind spots, so be where a driver might reasonably expect to see a motorcycle. Hide-and-seek is a children's game, not a good on-road survival strategy.
Never forget that, whatever the law says, you do not actually have the right of way in any meaningful (i.e. painless) sense unless the other driver acknowledges it. Don't be dogmatic about this right.
When you pass another vehicle, make sure that the driver knows what you are doing before you commit yourself, and map out an escape route in case he or she turns out not to have seen you. Remember that running off the road may be less traumatic than colliding, if that is the choice you are given. This precaution is especially important if your bike is quiet. When I bought my present bike, a BMW R65, its mufflers didn't muffle all that well. I couldn't afford to replace them, and now I'm not sure I will, as some of the less alert drivers I pass shout rude words and wave their white canes at me as I pass them.
Keep as much air as you can between you and other road users. Air is good. It doesn't scratch paint, dent tanks, bruise or lacerate your skin, break your bones....Space between you and the others gives you crucial time to react and judge. In wet weather, keep a greater margin of space. Always remember that brakes are no substitute for anticipation, and don't let your mind wander.
If you make a habit of these simple precautions, you'll be better equipped to enjoy being out and about on your bike.
