Managing Risks of Riding... What is practical?

[jimhaleyscomet]

Last year I got back into riding and the first thing I heard was
"Be prepared to spend some money on gear" and I thought "What, a helmet, a long sleeve shirt and jeans isn't enough?"

A year later and I am pretty well geared up. But even more important I continue to take "parking lot" safety courses and read all I can. I have read and recommend
Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough
Ride Hard Ride Smart by Pat Hahn

Still I wonder how much can we manage the risks and what is practical?
Surely a bike ridden in traffic by someone with no experience, training, or gear will end badly sooner or later. Can we take what Hough and Hahn have said and reduce our per mile risks down to the level (or even further) a typical dazed cager experiences driving to work each day?

So here is a place for everything safety related. It is open to all your suggestions and lessons learned (often the hard way). Anything that can help us manage our risks and increase our knowledge and skills is welcome.

[Yasko]

Hi Viz gear is a good 1st start.

[wanabeguru]

Situational awareness, always watch your six, always have an escape plan.

[KenH]

Loud colors save lives. Loud horns save lives. Loud pipes attract road ragers.

[jimhaleyscomet]

Originally Posted by Yasko

Hi Viz gear is a good 1st start.

Pat Hahn suggests good rider vision is paramount and high viz equipment is secondary but still very important. He put it something like this.... Who has more chance.... a blindfolded rider in traffic that can see him or a rider with 20/20 vision in traffic where drivers wear blindfolds?

Some texting drivers, some cell phone users, some elderly, most animals, and some children are effectively blind. So I wonder how much high vis can do? Mr Hahn suggests good rider vision is 75% and high viz is 25% of the vision solution.

Personally I have had a hard time finding nice high viz equipment. It seems they always line the armored jackets with a lot of black which is also very hot. Nor have I been able to find a comfortable fitting high viz helmet (preferably with integrated drop down sun visor). Any suggestions?

As for helmets with internal drop down sun visors (not the main external visor), does anyone wonder what the edge of that internal visor could do to your to top of your nose in an fall. I wonder if it would cut your nose off?

[Meriden]

The most important part of ATGATT is ALL THE TIME.

Avoid reckless riders.

[tshelfer]

- Gear.
- Skillsets.
- Situational awareness.
- Defensive riding.

- Wear a good helmet and protective gear. In a low speed corner boo boo (which is statistically your most likely scenario), it has been the difference for many of us between having a couple of scrapes & bruises, and getting skinned and having our heads split open.
- Continue to practice skills that make riding both safe and fun. Pay attention to what you don't do so well, or what makes you uncomfortable. Consciously practice, develop skills that get you past those things. One young friend told me that left turns scare him. We broke down & analyzed how he turns, and picked on a couple of items that he could concentrate on.
- Be acutely aware of what's going on, and what MAY go on next. When you started driving, you started developing a 6th sense that sent you danger signals (that guy is going to pull right in front of me; that guy is going to slide right through that intersection when he finally brakes). You need all of that, plus more, on a bike. You have to be aware of all the people who just don't recognize that you're there, and you'll learn to sense that. Apply that knowledge liberally.
- Ride within the law. Ride within traffic and weather conditions. Apply situation awareness to keep yourself away from the person who may slam on his brakes in front of you, or veer into your lane. Don't challenge him -- there's no percentage in that -- put yourself elsewhere before the problem occurs. That's the whole point of defensive driving.

I worked my way through my senior year of college by teaching the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course. Except for the gear suggestions, my points come right out of their playbook.

[Jack Giesecke]

I won't bother just going to the store down the street. I wear a helmet almost always and a mesh jacket if the ride is long and good boots, not necessarily motorcycle specific boots. I kinda like my snake boots, actually, Kevlar and ballistic nylon and all the way up to my knees. The realtree camo is just for style.

I've been riding, now, for 45 years non-stop. I've always considered the helmet first and foremost as the head can't heal that easily. I've had road rash, hurts a bit, but I'm a man, not a girl, and it goes away. If I am out corner blasting (don't do that much anymore), I like to wear armored pants, but the things are hot if the temps are over 80 degrees. Kinda neat, though, pockets just like my jeans and waterproof if I get into a rain shower. I like my armored tourmaster jacket if it's cool. My Brosh summer jacket, on a long ride, keeps the sun off my skin and is actually MORE comfortable than just a T shirt. It has Kevlar in the right spots and soft armor. It's getting old and brittle. I need to replace it.

[VFRRider]

1. Experience so when the bell rings, you recognize the hazard.
2. Training, to know what to do when you recognize the hazard.
3. Skill, to do the right thing ASAP.
4. Knowledge to recognize your limitations and dangers. City traffic, dangerous. Open road, complacency is dangerous.
5. ATGATT for when it all fails.
6. Luck, hoping it will never all fail.

So far, mine has held for all 40+ years riding. Only 2X have they caught me, one left turn ran me down an embankment, one from the rear at a stop sign. No injuries so far, knock on particle board.

Larry
VFRrider

[Meriden]

Originally Posted by tshelfer

-
- Wear a good helmet and protective gear. In a low speed corner boo boo (which is statistically your most likely scenario), it has been the difference for many of us between having a couple of scrapes & bruises, and getting skinned and having our heads split open.

Knew a tough guy in mid 80s in Fort Worth. He was just running down the the store and had a low speed crash turning onto Seminary drive from a stop sign. Last time I saw him he was wearing a diaper and they were trying to teach him to talk agian. I think about that guy every time I sit on a bike without a helmet.

[dukey33]

Your number one safety equipment is the noodle between your ears.
Your best outcome is to never need your helmet, armored gear, etc.

As stated, hi-viz is important, but secondary to what you see, think and do.
Think of it this way, hi-viz is putting your safety on the other driver's responsibility. Of course, we all have the responsibility to operate our vehicle safely, but above all else, I am responsible for my own safety.

Surely a bike ridden in traffic by someone with no experience, training, or gear will end badly sooner or later.

I can not agree with this statement. Experience comes with time. It is possible to have a lifelong riding career without an accident. I have met veteran riders that did not ever have any formal training and no accidents with hundreds of thousands of miles behind them. They may not recommend doing it their way, but to believe it is inevitable to have in an accident may not be the best mindset when throwing a leg over the saddle.

I don't believe that I won't ever have an accident, but I don't carry the mindset that it is inevitable either. To me, that's a negative mindset. I'm not ignoring the risk, I always have at least helmet and gloves whenever I ride to be prepared for the harsh reality, but I don't think of it as the inevitable. For me, that would be a defeatist attitude.

[TwoSmokeDS]

I would add that riding a moto well requires physical fitness also. I think fatique more dangerous than anything. Now new bikes are getting bigger and bigger, heavier and heavier. If you don't have the upper body strength, you're not going to ride that BMW GS very well. I think i've read in bicycle forums, that riding doesn't build up your core stenght. You need to build it another way. Us guys who work in the office don't get to exercise via work. Need to hit the gym and jogging trail.

[sandman]

Us guys who work in the office don't get to exercise via work. Need to hit the gym and jogging trail.

well said ... then hit the dirt via a track (read Three Palms) or trail (read Sam Houston National Forest) ... that will help sharpen your street skills for sure!

[calscrazy]

one thing you will never get me to budge on is gear. about 18 months ago i was the second vehicle in line at a red light. because i was the second car in line i didnt think about someone blowing through the light. i was watching the car in front of me as we turned left when a guy ran the red light doing 60. missed the first car and hit my rear wheel with his left front. witness reports say it launched me 20 feet in the air (probably exaggerated but i dont remember any of it) and i landed on my head behind my right ear. layed motionless for about 60 seconds before witness reports say i stood up slowly and was staggering and swinging at anyone near me. all i know is if i hadnt had my helmet on it would have been the end. i have wrecked dirt bikes and street bikes (on track) before but that was by far the worst i have ever had. i will never go without full gear because there are some things you just cant prepare for.

[DaveAlvarado]

I'm a MSF instructor, and I don't believe that books and training will teach you everything you need to know. I know for a fact the BRC is designed to give you basic motorcycle handling skills and a strategy to cope with the streets, but that's it.

You MUST ride in traffic to get more experience. It's definitely a catch-22, you can't get the experience to be safe without riding and you can't ride safely without experience. But, it's mostly a mental game once you can control your motorcycle. Give yourself big safety margins, be aware of everything around you. When I started I played a game called "spot the A-hole", where I'd look for people to do things that would get me hurt or killed. When I got good at figuring out who was going to be a hazard, I got a lot better at staying away from them.

[MotoTex]

I would sum it up as Constant Vigilance.

Always presume there is more to know, to see, to understand and take nothing for granted while riding, and while thinking/planning about riding.

Monitor your mindset when behind the bars. When the mind is wandering to other topics than Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, and Execute the rider has let down their guard and opened up the potential to be taken by surprise by the world around.

Practice constantly changing focus. Consider big picture (destination, route, etc.) then details (immediate conditions, engine, mirrors, surface, mental and physical state, etc.) then repeat. Change from looking down the road ahead to a soft focus queuing in on things in the peripheral vision, then back to the road ahead.

Notice what you are noticing, and more importantly, what you are not noticing. Always be prepared to adjust things from lane position to current state of mind. A rider will be most vulnerable when they are distracted.

When a rider catches themselves repeatedly getting complacent it might be a good time to take a break. Familiar territory can be a complacency trap.

Ride aware. Plan to mitigate potential consequences. Be honest about the risks when evaluating them. Ego should be way down the line on the list of things to protect.

[DaveC]

Hi-Vis is a white helmet and a black jacket. People see cops much better than they do any other single thing. They pull over to let you around, they stop fully at stop signs. Yep that florescent stuff is bright but the moto cop look works better.

[DaveC]

I recommend a video called "Ride Like A Pro".
Keith Codes write well on our favorite subject also.

[buck000]

Originally Posted by DaveC

Hi-Vis is a white helmet and a black jacket. People see cops much better than they do any other single thing. They pull over to let you around, they stop fully at stop signs. Yep that florescent stuff is bright but the moto cop look works better.

I like this strategy.

More moto-police are wearing reflective vests, so I'm hoping my high-vis jacket and white helmet give me that "it might be a cop" awareness on the part of the cager.

[KenH]

I ride in all weather, from 0 to 112*F, rain or shine or sleet or snow. Do not take your helmet off if caught outside during a hail storm. Don't ask how I know. I even have a set of wheels with studded tires for Tdub. One of these years I'm going to Tail of the Dragon during a blizzard, just because I can.

Hahn's comparing a rider's vision to that of what others can see is apples and oranges. Ride sober and attentive, with the best corrective lenses you can afford, AND wear high-vis. That's a no-brainer. I've switched back and forth between hi-vis and black/grey/silver on consecutive days, and can definately tell a difference in the number of people who notice me on the road, especially at dawn, dusk, and under clouds. Just don't think for a second hi-vis is a miracle cure for stupidity. Always consider everyone on the road as out to intentionally kill you. Some of them are.

There are hi-vis helmet covers that slip on if you want to be seen better, such as http://www.bikebiz.com.au/products/H...et-Covers.html .

If you can't find hi-vis gear, invest in a good ANSI Class 3 mesh sleeved vest. If you do a lot of woods riding where it might be possible to hang the vest on a branch be sure to get a break-away type such as http://www.awdirect.com/class-3-brea...lective-vests/

No one set of gear will cover all conditions. I've tried several expensive types with various venting and liner ideas and none really work. Most leaked in rain. Seems like those that could handle a wide temperature range changed their fit as liners and wind-resistant panels were added and removed and zippers were adjusted to provide just the right amount of ventilation. I found the variation in fit intolerable because too tight is uncomfortable and too loose is unsafe. I settled on hi-vis mesh gear with CE armor, added a spine protector to the provided pocket, and add the appropriate wicking, insulating, windproofing, and waterproofing layers as needed.

Since the mesh was sized for jeans and oxford shirt in summer, there is room underneath for wicking underwear and thin 100% polyester fleece sweatpants and shirt in cooler weather. A water and wind-resistant layer (ANSI hi-vis roadworker pants and jacket) over the mesh turns the mesh and armor into insulation while still allowing enough ventilation to avoid that icky, sticky, clamminess, and adds protection from a light shower or splashing through creeks. Adding 100%polyester sweat pants and jacket between mesh and the hi-vis extends comfortable riding temps down to the 40s*F. I have 100% polyester quilted long underwear that is good. I also have a 100% mesh fleece-lined winter jacket with hood I add over the quilted stuff, and my core is good on long highway rides on a naked bike down to 30*F.

Nothing beats a dedicated motorcycle rainsuit for hard rain protection and nearly absolute windproofing. Swap the hi-vis for a good rainsuit, and long rides at 0*F are not a problem. Just don't get caught in traffic in sun--you'll quickly cook.

One plus with the hi-vis or rainsuit is that in bad weather the mesh gear stays clean and dry. I could not find a hi-vis rainsuit that fit over gear so I have an ANSI Class 3 mesh vest to make myself visible.

If I could find some that fit, I'd wear ATV boots for dualsporting. They are like motocross boots but have traction soles. Flat soles are fine for bouncing off berms and flattracking, neither of which I do while dualsporting. Traction soles are wonderful when plodding along difficult sections where a trials bike would be more appropriate. First time you stick your bike in East Texas owl snot you'll wish you had traction soles. Some people layer up socks for cold weather but I've never really found a way to keep my feet dry when riding through creeks, so a small chemical heat packet under each set of toes is my preference. Riding with waterproof boots full of water becomes a warm foot whirlpool.

No fancy helmet I've tried fits my head. Good helmets with lots of features are stupid expensive. Cheap helmets with lots of features break. My solution is 3 simple, no-frills helmets: 1) full-face street helmet with added anti-fog for winter, 2) full-face street helmet with enhanced ventilation and 2nd tinted visor for summer, 3) offroad helmet and goggles for dualsport. I did buy a tinted flat shield and cut out an insert that snaps in place behind the clear lense for sunny days. If facing a long pavement ride with the dualsport helmet I'll put masking tape over the chin vent to keep the bugs out and remove the visor to avoid the wind twisting my head around on the highway. All three are cheap Bell helmets from Walmart, their lack of features means nothing to break, catch the wind, hang up on branches, and relatively light weight. All three together cost less than one of the keep-up-with-the-Joneses helmets and work just as well. There are stretch covers in hi-vis colors for helmets. There are also hi-vis retro-reflective vinyls that can be added to any helmet. All my helmets have reflective vinyl.

If you ride long enough and cover enough of Texas eventually you will be faced with blowing sand and dust. You will want goggles, even on a street bike with a windshield. I always take googles and make sure they will work with the street helmets with the visor up. I've only needed them once on a street ride, and they were a godsend. I much prefer goggles offroad because there is almost always someone who is inconsiderate with his roost.

I also have several pairs of gloves and choose the most appropriate for the expected weather. All offer excellent crash protection, are comfortable, and together cover tenps from 0*F to 112*F, with much overlap. I did not wait until I needed a specific pair of gloves, I browsed here and there and picked them up in their off-seasons over a period of time. Hippo Hands or something similar cannot be beat for cold, wet weather. Tdub now has electric grip heaters and a new set of grips but I've yet to use them. I rode all last winter with Hippo Hands and good gloves and neverr needed additional heat.