Motorcycle Defensive Street Riding Safety Tips

How to Stay Alive – Motorcycle Defensive Street Riding Safety Tips

So if you’ve read the About Me section, you’ll know I’ve been riding for over 2 years now. I consider myself to be a very careful rider. My track record shows this. I’ve never had a crash, or any accident. I’ve had plenty of close calls, but that’s to be expected. Anyways, I employ a method I call Motorcycle Defensive Street Riding to stay alive and out of the hospitals.

Riding is incredibly fun. However, it is inherently dangerous. I know many many people who get into accidents within their first few months of riding. There is a lot that is going on on the roads, and therefore a lot that can go wrong. We as riders need to be in a completely different mindset while riding. If you’re in the a car, encased by metal and a whole lot of safety features, you have the luxury of being a little less attentive to what you’re doing. Cars are inherently more stable, and easier to handle, it’s got something to do with having 2 extra wheels. That being said, things are a bit different on a motorcycle, which is why I ride using the Motorcycle Defensive Street Riding technique.

It’s true that you want to stay relaxed on the bike. Heck, some of us are more relaxed on the bike than in other situations. However, it’s important to stay alert. There is a distinct difference of being relaxed, and being alert. Being alert does not mean you can’t be relaxed. In fact the best way to execute Motorcycle Defensive Street Riding is to stay relaxed, and stay alert. Now the question arises: How do you stay alert? Before we get to that, let’s talk about staying relaxed. Keeping relaxed will help you focus attention to what’s in front, behind and all around you, in turn, keeping you more alert.

Relax

The Motorcycle Defensive Street Riding technique I ride by is to be relaxed on the bike. Stay loose on the bike. The more tense you are on the bike, the more the bike will fight you. Keep your arms loose and don’t death-grip the bars. This doesn’t mean you should completely let go of the bars either. It’s a nice balance between staying loose, while staying in control. You’ll want to be able to manipulate the bars if necessary. While riding, wiggle your elbows around. If you’re loose on the bike, your elbows should move freely, and loosely, but your bike will not move. Don’t be afraid of falling off the bike. A good way to stabilize yourself on the bike is to pinch the tank between your legs. Also try riding with the balls of your feet on the pegs. This gives you a better “locked in” feel on the bike. Clear your mind. Don’t be thinking about what you’re going to wear to your cousin’s wedding, or what you’re going to do to make up for the anniversary you forgot about. Leave those thoughts for when the kick stand is down. One thing that helps eliminate stress is the use of ear plugs or listening to music. I prefer ear plugs, but sometimes I will turn the radio on the ChatterBox X1 Slim on. I recently picked up a case of single use disposable ear plugs. I went with the 3M E-A-Rsoft Earplugs based on a recommendation from a friend. So far they’ve been great. Killing wind noise and road noise can help reduce stress while riding, leaving you more relaxed.

Be Alert

Now that we’re all nice and relaxed part of Motorcycle Defensive Street Riding, let’s focus on being alert. There are many many many variables when it comes to street riding. It could be the asshole on the cellphone changing lanes erratically, or the SUV pulling into the street from a driveway, or a giant pothole, or the cyclist that’s riding too close to the middle of the road, or the… well you get the point. Pick up on every single visual cue. Keep your head on a swivel. Check your mirrors. Check both sides of EVERY intersection. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen people blow right through a red light. Mind the road conditions, watch out for signs indicating construction work. Watch the traffic lights. Be mindful of the behavior of other drivers. If they change lanes without signalling, be careful since they probably aren’t looking twice either. There are just so many variables on the road. I’ve actually decided to start a video series of all the stuff that runs through my head while riding. I’ve got a few videos already, so take a look, maybe you’ll learn something. Check them out under this post, I’ve labeled them Motorcycle Defensive Street Riding Safety Tips . Ride safe, and keep the sticky side down.

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