Beginner Bikes

Defensive Riding 101

by Bob DelPriore
Associate Editor
Beginner Bikes Magazine

You could call this defensive riding 101 if you like. We will be discussing the absolute basics of ride management. Proper gear, practice and good techniques are required to keep safe on the road. But nothing works better then "Risk Avoidance". Risk Avoidance is a plan that keeps a rider out of situations that might require emergency riding techniques. We will be addressing two types of riding here, local streets and highways.

Defensive Riding 101

Wear Proper Gear
Warm Up Bike
Defend Your Lane
Stop In First Gear
Delay Crossing Intersection
Avoid Accident Scenes
Use Center Lane When Possible
Maintain Safe Distance
Use Brief Head Turns For Lane Changes
Be Cautious On Unfamiliar Roads

OK, here is avoidance step number one on every local ride. WARM UP THE BIKE! Imagine pulling out of your driveway and stopping at your corner. Checking both directions you see it is safe to proceed. Open the throttle ease out the clutch and feel the bike move forward. Suddenly, it starts to sputter and die in the middle of the intersection. Take it from me, the center of a through and through intersection is not the safest place to hang out.

Lane position is an important part of any ride. Either local or on the highway. There is a big difference between claiming a lane and defending a lane. When making a right turn position yourself in such a way that cars can not enter your lane either to the left or right of you. Should a car attempt to share a lane with you do not defend your lane. Get out of his way. I can not stress enough the irrational behavior of people afflicted with Road Rage. Do not allow yourself to become the victim of another's temporary insanity. It's also important to leave sufficient room between you and the vehicle in front of you. More details on proper spacing will be discussed as part of our highway riding plan.

When stopped at a light or stop sign keep your bike in first gear. There are a number of reasons for this. It allows you to escape if you see danger approaching from the rear. You won't have to worry about getting bumped in the rear while searching for first gear. And finally, it just doesn't look cool being stuck at a light fumbling around with your foot.

If you can avoid it, never be the first one through an intersection. Let the cage with the airbag intercept the guy trying to beat the light. Let's be honest here. I want a show of hands. How many of us have tried to beat a red light at least once? I rest my case. Most multi-vechile accidents occur at intersections. You can not scan enough or be cautious enough at an intersection. Just don't scan the road. Scan the sidewalk. Watch for a dog or child that might cause vehicles to take abrupt evasive maneuvers into your path.

Everyone has natural curiosity. We see a car broken down or a police stop and want to see what's happening. Guess where everyone is looking? Yup that's right. While they are focused on the accident they are not looking for you. Get as far away from the distraction as possible. If there is a need to offer help get past the disturbance and find a safe place to stop.

OK, now it's time to talk a little bit about Highway driving. The first challenge here is getting on the highway. Make sure the entrance lane is clear then check if it is safe to accelerate. When you check remember to turn your head. Keep the head turn brief. You never know when the car in front of you will stop. Once on the highway get out of the right lane. Cars entering the highway and people trying to exit from the left lanes make the right lane a scary place to ride.

So now we are on the highway. We've placed ourselves into a lane we feel is safe. What's next? Distance. Distance is your friend. The further away you are from everyone else the safer you are. If you must pass someone approach carefully. When you can't see a driver's eyes in any of his mirrors you are in the blind spot. Accelerate and finish the pass quickly. By now we are all familiar with timed intervals. In the event someone has been lurking in the mountains of Tibet for the last 10 years I'll review it. Timed interval is the popular way to measure safe driving distances between vehicles in the same lane. Under perfect daylight conditions a three-second interval is recommended. You accomplish this by waiting for the vehicle before you to pass a fixed object. Once the rear clears that fixed object you start counting, one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three. If you pass the fixed object before you complete the count you are too close. Add additional time for night driving and even more time if the weather is bad.

Now we are approaching our destination. Time to get into the exit lane. If possible, get into the right lane immediately after the exit prior to yours. This will allow you to avoid the entrance ramp for that exit. In addition, it allows you plenty of time to safely negotiate your lane changes. Remember when changing lanes turn your head. Your mirrors are great for seeing most obstacles. However, they have blind spots and a quick head turn is required to verify the lane is clear.

There is no way to eliminate risk. All we as riders can do is limit our exposure. Ride within your abilities. Be cautious on unfamiliar roads. Keep your eyes open. Wear proper gear. Maintain your bike properly, and watch for problems before they develop.