WIMA Victoria: Are You Ready to Ride?

Are You Ready to Ride?

On short trips especially, we motorcyclists are usually fairly casual about our riding preparation—we tend to just throw a leg over, hit the starter button, and whizz off. Whether we're going to the local milkbar, heading off for a ride day, riding to or from work, or about to embark on a longer touring trip, paying some attention to our preparation is something we should all take time out to do.

1. Preparing Yourself

(a) Physical and Mental States

Anyone who rides knows that riding a motorcycle is much more exacting than driving a car. With the need to maintain balance, watch for irregular road surfaces and hazards, and keep a sharp lookout for vehicles who don't reciprocate their watchfulness for those of us on two wheels, the physical and mental effort involved in riding far outweighs the demands of driving. While there are some things that are obvious impairments to the physical and mental capacities one needs to operate a motorcycle—the effects of alcohol, or lack of sleep, for instance—some other factors ought also be considered. If you've just had an argument at work, or been told of the death of a close friend, your ability to fully focus on controlling your motorcycle and react to road conditions is likely to be adversely affected. If you're recovering from an illness, you might not be sufficiently physically capable of handling your bike. As riders we need to be aware of and assess our physical and mental condition before we ride. Our lives may well depend on it.

(b) Riding Gear

We all know that when we ride, we should wear appropriate riding gear. Most of us think about it in terms of protecting ourselves in case of accident. But perhaps we ought to approach the issue differently? Perhaps we ought to think about wearing gear that will prevent us from coming to grief? Rider fatigue is often a contributing factor in accidents, and can be caused by failing to wear gear that is up to the task. Using summer gloves in winter riding conditions, riding in wet and cold conditions without good wet weather gear, and not being covered up in searing heat and suffering sunburn or sunstroke as a result, are common causes of rider fatigue. I recently heard a story about a guy who had a bee fly up the arm of his short-sleeved shirt, repeatedly biting him on the upper body. Fortunately, he was able to stop without incident, but a painful distraction such as this could easily have resulted in a fall or a crash.

2. Preparing Your Bike

In another story I heard a while back, a rider got on his bike which had been left in a public carpark and rode off, only to discover at the first intersection, that someone had stolen his front brake lever. He wasn't going very fast and managed to pull up safely with the back brake, but this too could have turned into a horror story. Before riding anywhere, even around the block, riders should perform a quick inspection of the bike to ensure it is safe to ride. A handy system for remembering what to check is the T-CLOCK system:

T - tyres and wheels
C - controls
L - lights and turn signals
O - oils and fluid levels
C - chassis
K - kickstand

A quick but careful look over each of these areas (no doubt a more thorough check is warranted if you're heading off on a longer trip) will help eliminate potential safety hazards.

3. Preparing Your Load

Whenever loading your bike with gear, you should follow these guidelines:

never exceed the manufacturer's recommended carrying capacity of your bike
keep your load towards the centre of the bike, and as low as possible. Most gear racks have a platform that faces away from the rider, extending out over the back wheel. It is best to secure your load with it resting on the pillion seat, rather than on the gear rack platform.
distribute the weight evenly on both sides
ensure your load does not obscure any of your bike's lights or turn signals
if using a tank bag, take care that the bag is not so large or so full as to interfere with steering, access to levers, or your view of the instruments (mine causes some minor irritation to the neighbours when I do a full lock turn in the driveway and it engages my horn)
make sure your load is securely fastened, with no straps dangling to get caught up in your wheels.

4. Preparing Your Pillion Passenger

Riding with a pillion can really test your skills, so think carefully about whether you are competent enough to carry a passenger. If you've had no pillion-carrying experience, start out doing short trips first (preferably with relaxed rather than nervous pillions) to build your confidence before attempting anything more demanding.

(a) Preparing the Bike

No one should carry a pillion passenger unless their bike is suitably equipped—with pillion seat, handgrips, and footpegs—to carry one. You should also check that your combined weight does not exceed the carrying capacity of the motorcycle as specified by the manufacturer. Adjust your suspension to assist with carrying the extra weight.

(b) Preparing the Pillion

A pillion should be just as carefully dressed as the rider. Pillion fatigue could result in your passenger moving about in discomfort, or falling asleep and perhaps losing balance. And of course, if you do come off, your pillion is just as vulnerable to injury as you. Whenever riding with a new pillion (new to you, rather than new to being a pillion) you should make sure they understand what is required of them. Instruct your pillion to:

keep their feet on the footpegs at all times;
sit as still as possible, particularly when the bike is moving slowly or stopped (most pillions have a nasty tendency to shift about when you are slowing to a stop. They have moved forward in the braking process, and start to shift back just when the bike's balance is at its most precarious);
look into the direction of the turn. This way they will start to automatically lean with you through corners, rather than being freaked out by your request that they lean with the bike;
wave at other motorcyclists (doing 'the nod' from behind usually results in helmet-clunking)