In the Saddle is an eNewsletter for motorcycle enthusiasts that is produced several times a year.
Whenever you’re on the road, there are dangers lurking around every corner. Just ask Liz Jansen. She’s been riding motorcycles for almost 30 years and teaches rider training for the Canada Safety Council’s Gearing Up program.
Jansen strongly recommends that you regularly practise basic riding skills, like those taught in the Canada Safety Council course. Refresh them every couple of years and especially after a long hiatus from riding.
“It’s amazing,” she notes, “how many bad riding habits you can develop over time that you’re not even aware of!”
Tune up your skills
At the very least, go to an empty parking lot at the start of every riding season and practise manoeuvres like braking and cornering, because you can get rusty over the winter.
“Practising for emergency situations is especially important,” says Jansen “because you imprint your muscle memory. When you do have a real emergency, you’re less likely to overreact.”
Conveniently, many motorcycle clubs and other safety-conscious groups like the Ontario Provincial Police hold such “spring tune-up” sessions for riders.
Tips for the road
For your next road trip, remember these five practical tips from the Canada Safety Council about how to stay safe on the road this summer:
- Check your tires. The most common cause of tire blowouts is failure, caused by heat generated when tire pressure is low. If a blowout does occur, maintain a firm grip on the handlebars and do not grab the brakes. Ease off the throttle and get to the side of the road as safely and quickly as possible.
- Don’t overload your bike. Many touring riders risk serious accidents by overloading their motorcycles. To avoid problems, keep the load as low and as close to the centre of the motorcycle as possible. Load evenly on each side and place the heaviest objects in the load triangle, an area defined by your head and both axles.
- Practise the “two-second rule.” When you’re following another vehicle, always leave a space equal to the distance you travel in two seconds at your current speed. When being tailgated or on the highway, leave at least three or four seconds’ travel distance from the vehicle in front of you.
- Watch for animals in your path. Your best tactical defense against collisions with animals, especially dogs, is first to move to the side of the road the animal is on. Then veer away and accelerate just before reaching the animal. For larger animals, braking is often best.
- Always yield. Who has the “right of way?” Right of way is an often abused legal concept. Many drivers ignore it and others make mistakes. Yield to those who deserve the right of way and also to those who violate it. It doesn’t matter who is right, but whether you are alive and well.
“We all have to be responsible for our own safety,” concludes Jansen. “It’s up to each of us to keep our skills up to date.”
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