WANDERERS MC MOTORCYCLE SAFETY
 
BASIC VEHICLE CONTROL

HORN Be ready to use your horn to get someone's attention quickly. It is a good idea to give a quick beep before passing anyone that may move into your lane. Here are some situations: A driver in the lane next to you is driving too closely to the vehicle ahead and may want to pass. A parked car has someone in the driver's seat. Someone is in the street, riding a bicycle or walking. In an emergency, press the horn button loud and long.  Be ready to stop or swerve away from the danger. Keep in mind that a motorcycle's horn is not as loud as a car's, therefore, use it, but do not rely on it.  Other strategies may be appropriate along with the horn.

RIDING AT NIGHT At night it is harder for you to see and be seen.  Picking your headlight or taillight out of the car lights around you is not easy for other drivers.  To compensate, you should: Reduce Your Speed Ride even slower than you would during the day particularly on roads you don't know well.  This will increase your chances of avoiding a hazard. Increase Distance Distances are harder to judge at night than during the day.  Your eyes rely upon shadows and light contrasts to determine how far away an object is and how fast it is coming.  These contrasts are missing or distorted under artificial lights at night.  Open up a three-second following distance or more.  And allow more distance to pass and be passed. Use the Car Ahead The headlights of the car ahead can give you a better view of the road than even your high beam can.  Its taillights bouncing up and down can alert you to bumps or rough pavement. Use Your High Beam Get all the light you can.  Use your high beam whenever you are not following or meeting a car. Be visible, wear reflective materials when riding at night. Be Flexible About Lane Position.  Change to whatever portion of the lane is best able to help you see, be seen, and keep an adequate space cushion.

RIDING A CURVE A primary cause of single-vehicle crashes is motorcyclists running wide in a curve or turn and colliding with the roadway or a fixed object. Every curve is different.  Be alert to whether a curve remains constant, gradually widens, gets tighter, or involves multiple turns. Ride within your skill level and posted speed limits. Your best path may not always follow the curve of the road.  Change lane position depending on traffic, road conditions and curve of the road.  If no traffic is present, start at the outside of a curve to increase your line of sight and the effective radius of the turn.  As you turn, move toward the inside of the curve, and as you pass the center, move to the outside to exit. Another alternative is to move to the center of your lane before entering a curve and stay there until you exit.  This permits you to spot approaching traffic as soon as possible.  You can also adjust for traffic "crowding" the center line, or debris blocking part of your lane.

UNEVEN SURFACES AND OBSTACLES Watch for uneven surfaces such as bumps, broken pavement, potholes, or small pieces of highway trash. Try to avoid obstacles by slowing or going around them.  If you must go over the obstacle, first, determine if it is possible.  Approach it at as close to a 90º angle as possible.  Look where you want to go to control your path of travel.  If you have to ride over the obstacle, you should: Slow down as much as possible before contact. Make sure the motorcycle is straight. Rise slightly off the seat with your weight on the footpegs to absorb the shock with your knees and elbows, and avoid being thrown off the motorcycle. Just before contact, roll on the throttle slightly to lighten the front end. If you ride over an object on the street, pull off the road and check your tires and rims for damage before riding any farther.

SLIPPERY SURFACES Motorcycles handle better when ridden on surfaces that permit good traction.  Surfaces that provide poor traction include: Wet pavement, particularly just after it starts to rain and before surface oil washes to the side of the road. Gravel roads, or where sand and gravel collect. Mud, snow, and ice. Lane markings, steel plates and manhole covers, especially when wet. To ride safely on slippery surfaces: Reduce Speed Slow down before you get to a slippery surface to lessen your chances of skidding.  Your motorcycle needs more distance to stop.  And, it is particularly important to reduce speed before entering wet curves. Avoid Sudden Moves Any sudden change in speed or direction can cause a skid.  Be as smooth as possible when you speed up, shift gears, turn or brake. Use Both Brakes The front brake is still effective, even on a slippery surface.  Squeeze the brake lever gradually to avoid locking the front wheel.  Remember, gentle pressure on the rear brake. The center of a lane can be hazardous when wet.  When it starts to rain, ride in the tire tracks left by cars.  Often, the left tire track will be the best position, depending on traffic and other road conditions as well. Watch for oil spots when you put your foot down to stop or park.  You may slip and fall. Dirt and gravel collect along the sides of the road especially on curves and ramps leading to and from highways.  Be aware of what is on the edge of the road, particularly when making sharp turns and getting on or off freeways at high speeds. Rain dries and snow melts faster on some sections of a road than on others.  Patches of ice tend to crop up in low or shaded areas and on bridges and overpasses.  Wet surfaces or wet leaves are just as slippery.  Ride on the least slippery portion of the lane and reduce speed. Cautious riders steer clear of roads covered with ice or snow.  If you cannot avoid a slippery surface, keep your motorcycle straight up and proceed as slowly as possible.  If you encounter a large surface so slippery that you must coast, or travel at a walking pace, consider letting your feet skim along the surface.  If the motorcycle starts to fall, you can catch yourself.  Be sure to keep off the brakes.  If possible, squeeze the clutch and coast.  Attempting this maneuver at anything other than the slowest of speeds could prove hazardous. RAILROAD TRACKS, TROLLEY TRACKS AND PAVEMENT SEAMS Usually it is safer to ride straight within your lane to cross tracks.  Turning to take tracks head-on (at a 90° angle) can be more dangerous - your path may carry you into another lane of traffic. For track and road seams that run parallel to your course, move far enough away from tracks, ruts, or pavement seams to cross at an angle of at least 45°.  Then, make a quick, sharp turn.  Edging across could catch your tires and throw you off balance.

GROOVES AND GRATINGS Riding over rain grooves or bridge gratings may cause a motorcycle to weave.  The uneasy, wandering feeling generally is not hazardous.  Relax, maintain a steady speed and ride straight across.  Crossing at an angle forces riders to zigzag to stay in the lane.  The zigzag is far more hazardous than the wandering feeling.

TIRE FAILURE You will seldom hear a tire go flat.  If the motorcycle starts handling differently, it may be a tire failure.  This can be dangerous.  You must be able to tell from the way the motorcycle reacts.  If one of your tires suddenly loses air, react quickly to keep your balance.  Pull off and check the tires. If the front tire goes flat, the steering will feel "heavy." A front-wheel flat is particularly hazardous because it affects your steering.  You have to steer well to keep your balance. If the rear tire goes flat, the back of the motorcycle may jerk or sway from side to side. If either tire goes flat while riding: Hold handlegrips firmly, ease off the throttle, and keep a straight course. If braking is required, however, gradually apply the brake of the tire that is not flat, if you are sure which one it is. When the motorcycle slows, edge to the side of the road, squeeze the clutch and stop.

STUCK THROTTLE Twist the throttle back and forth several times.  If the throttle cable is stuck, this may free it.  If the throttle stays stuck immediately operate the engine cut-off switch and pull in the clutch at the same time.  This will remove power from the rear wheel, though engine noise may not immediately decline.  Once the motorcycle is "under control," pull off and stop. After you have stopped, check the throttle cable carefully to find the source of the trouble.  Make certain the throttle works freely before you start to ride again.

WOBBLE A "wobble" occurs when the front wheel and handlebars start to shake suddenly from side to side at any speed.  Most wobbles can be traced to improper loading, unsuitable accessories, or incorrect tire pressure.  If you are carrying a heavy load, lighten it.  If you cannot, shift it.  Center the weight lower and farther forward on the motorcycle.  Make sure tire pressure, spring pre-load, air shocks, and dampers are at the settings recommended for that much weight.  Make sure windshields and fairings are mounted property. Check for poorly adjusted steering; worn steering parts; a front wheel that is bent, misaligned, or out of balance; loose wheel bearings or spokes; and swingarm bearings.  If none of these are determined to be the cause, have the motorcycle checked out thoroughly by a qualified professional. Trying to "accelerate out of a wobble" will only make the motorcycle more unstable.  Instead: Grip the handlebars firmly, but do not fight the wobble. Close the throttle gradually to slow down.  Do not apply the brakes; braking could make the wobble worse. Move your weight as far forward and down as possible. Pull off the road as soon as you can to fix the problem.

CHAIN PROBLEMS A chain that slips or breaks while you are riding could lock the rear wheel and cause your cycle to skid.  Chain slippage or breakage can be avoided by proper maintenance. Slippage If the chain slips when you try to speed up quickly or ride uphill, pull off the road.  Check the chain and sprockets.  Tightening the chain may help.  If the problem is a worn or stretched chain or worn or bent sprockets, replace the chain, the sprockets, or both before riding again. Breakage You will notice an instant loss of power to the rear wheel.  Close the throttle and brake to a stop.

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