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| Tips & Training Riders new and old can always learn. Share and experience ideas for making motorcycling safer and more enjoyable here! |
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| | #1 (permalink) |
| Sprocket Pilot ![]() Joined: Nov 2004
Bike: 2005 BMW R1200RT
Location: Bellevue, WA
Posts: 890
| I put together a page of commuting tips that I thought you guys might find interesting. I started off just writing to clarify my own thoughts but as it got longer and I dropped in a few pictures it started looking like a real 'article' so I figured I would share http://st0nkingbyte.whizy.com/commuting_tips.html
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| Rowdy no mo' Joined: Dec 2003
Bike: 2002 Bandit 1200 S
Location: St. Cloud, MN, USA
Posts: 81
| Excellent job, mate! If I may be so bold, consider putting it in a table or a <div> tag with a width of roughly 700 pixels. Those long lines are tough on the eyes.
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| | #5 (permalink) |
| Sprocket Pilot ![]() Joined: May 2005
Bike: 2004 FZ6
Location: Torrance, CA
Posts: 858
| +1 on the good info. Commuting is an adventure (especially on these roads) and not in a good way.
__________________ Quacktheduck is one lucky duck. Miss my v-strom...06/14/06, the best i ever had... |
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| | #6 (permalink) | |
| Sprocket Pilot ![]() Joined: Nov 2004
Bike: 2005 BMW R1200RT
Location: Bellevue, WA
Posts: 890
| Quote:
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| | #7 (permalink) |
| Muscle Biker ![]() | Good work! You mention one point that is truly international: There is a common saying in Germany that Mercedes and BMW are so expensive because they come with "eingebaute Vorfahrt" - built-in right-of-way. There is much more focus in Europe on keeping a cushion in front of you. The driving instructors here teach their students to keep 50% of the speed in meters. In other words, if you are travelling at 100 kmh, there should be at least 50 meters of space between you and the car in front of you. This is easy to measure, since the road markers are always 50 meters apart. The other rule is the rule of 2 seconds. When the vehicle in front of you passes a marker (a sign or a shadow), you should be at least 2 seconds behind them. The traffic laws over here also make it a bit safer. Most highways are 2 lanes (only expanded to 3 lanes where additional capacity is needed). The law says that you drive in the right lane, and the left lane is for passing. Passing on the right is strictly prohibited, and is considered a major offense - up to $1000 fine and 1 month suspended license. Constantly driving in the left lane (holding up traffic) is a lesser offence and can be fined up to $250. Tailgating is also a major offense and can result in up to 3 months suspended license. That said, we don't have any kind of traffic like in the USA (with the exception of the holiday traffic that rolls through a few times per year). I drive one of the most heavily travelled sections of the Swiss motorway, but traffic rarely comes to a complete stand-still. On a bad day, I need about 45 minutes to get to work (15 miles). On a good day, I'm door-to-door in 25 minutes. The most important thing to remember as a commuter is that most of the cagers are not awake on their way to work. Their eyes are open, but the brain is not processing any visual clues. They are on autopilot, and motorcycles don't appear on the radar. Assume that they don't see you, and that they are about to do something stupid. In most cases, you'll be right. |
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| | #8 (permalink) |
| Fourth gear and illegal ![]() Joined: Oct 2005
Bike: 05 Red M50
Location: Iowa, riding in the Rain!
Posts: 782
| Excellent advice on the road, keep it coming guy's
__________________ . "Grow up, what a waste of a good time, if Peter Pan can do it so can we............... " 05 Red M50 (mine) 97 Yellow Honda Rebel (her's) |
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| Rowdy no mo' Joined: Dec 2003
Bike: 2002 Bandit 1200 S
Location: St. Cloud, MN, USA
Posts: 81
| Quote:
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| | #11 (permalink) |
| Bridal Boutique Manager ![]() Joined: Oct 2005 Location: St Paul Mn
Posts: 2,885
| That is a very well written, and all good advice. Other motorist fallowing me to close is something I find that I can usualy do something about. If it is convenient, I just change lanes, or pull over and let them go by. If it's not convenient, I watch them in my rear view mirror, than I let off the gas just enough for them to have to let off there gas. As soon as I see them slowing down, I speed up. The bike, any bike can pick up speed much faster than most cars. This creates a large gap, at least for a short time. Most pepole wake up if I do this two, or three times, and they drop back a bit. Sometimes the gap is wide enough that some other car, hopefully with a more couretous driver get's between us. There have also been a time or two when the driver behind me has gotten upset, when this happens, I get out of there way, even if it's not convenient. I think that the number of drivers out there that would run into someone on purpose is very few, but I'm not going to take the chance that that's not one of them behind me. |
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| | #14 (permalink) |
| I took the All Bran Challenge ![]() Joined: Jun 2005
Bike: C50SE
Location: Aldergrove, B.C., Canada
Posts: 7,099
| Good article. Perhaps you should send it into a Magazine like Rider or such. I have been using the approach that I do not share my lane and weaving to maintain it is one. I have found it works really good in road construction areas, of which we have lots right now. Another area of concern here, is the drivers who slow down as they hit the creast of a bridge. Having this article as a sticky would be good for new riders and a reminder to the rest of us. Thanks |
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| | #15 (permalink) |
| U.B's LoveChild ![]() Joined: Dec 2005
Bike: '07 Harley Road King
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 1,212
| CHEERS, St0nkingByte! As a new rider, I can really appreciate your tips. I'll raise an ice cold barley pop in your honor after my next ride through city traffic.
__________________ http://www.lonestarmotorcyclealliance.com/ |
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| | #18 (permalink) | |
| Sprocket Pilot ![]() Joined: Nov 2004
Bike: 2005 BMW R1200RT
Location: Bellevue, WA
Posts: 890
| Quote:
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| | #19 (permalink) |
| Newbie Joined: Feb 2006
Bike: 1979 Suzuki GS550L
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1
| Hi. Thanks for the commuting tips. I just bought my bike in November in an attempt to be proactive this upcoming spring in regards to the high price of fuel. I bought a 1979 Suzuki GS550L that is absolutely clean and has been alot of fun to learn on. I will attend a MSF Basic Rider Course next month, then I'll be all set to begin commuting when Michigan weather allows.
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| | #20 (permalink) |
| Puddle Runner ![]() Joined: May 2005
Bike: Suzuki M50
Location: South Florida
Posts: 378
| Great article! Living in South Florida I can relate to almost everything that you mentioned. One thing that I will NEVER understand is the person that is driving directly into the sun in the morning WITHOUT sunglasses! No wonder they don't see me! Last edited by sundude; 02-08-2006 at 08:36 PM. |
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