5 TIPS FOR BEING A BETTER MOTORCYCLIST – Sponsored by IAM RoadSmart

Today, we bring you Richard’s 5 Tips for being a better motorcyclist. Without further ado!

1. Motorcycle Gear – Make sure you know what you’re wearing

All the gear, all the time! There’s a phrase that Richard used which rings true to the statement, it’s often when the sunshine comes out you see folks on their motorcycle who believe they have ‘Kevlar legs’.

There’s a few variables as to why motorcycle gear is so important. Not only from an obvious safety element, but for reasons beyond what might come to mind. Your mind will be so distracted if you’re wearing gear that doesn’t fit correctly, if you’re too cold/hot or if your helmet is wobbling etc.

“The best gear you can afford and make sure it fits correctly. We’re lucky to have so many experts in motorcycle clothing in our local motorcycle shops who would always be happy to help, especially if you’re new to the motorcycle world. A helmet that fits correctly could be the difference between an accident you walk away from and one that you don’t. Motorcycle clothing departments will never turn you away because you’re looking to get a correctly fitting helmet.”

“If you’re too cold, your concentration goes, if you’re too hot your concentration can go. If money allows, I’d highly recommend a heated vest if you’re an all-year rider and no, there’s no shame in that! You end up being able to enjoy a ride in conditions that otherwise you wouldn’t be able to.”

“Buy the right size motorcycle gear for the conditions you’ll be riding. If you buy a motorcycle jacket that you wear 2x jumpers underneath, it gets to Spring/Summer and you’re now riding around in a parachute feeling jacket. It’ll be too big, uncomfortable and distracting”.

There’s an increasing trend in young people who want motorcycle clothing that doesn’t look like motorcycle clothing. Well, that now exists! Brands such as Alpinestars, Richa, Furygan and more – will allow you to have the same protection and also have an aesthetic look to them (if this is what you’re worried about!). AA rated garments, armoured trainers. There’s very little excuse to not wear the correct gear these days as there really is something for every type of rider.

For parents, it’s probably worth getting something in terms of value for money if motorcycling is a stop-gap for being old enough to drive a car. For example, the Richa Phantom 3 jacket – it’s an AA rated jacket with a removable thermal liner, packed with air vents making it a great option for year-round riding and keeping the wallet happy when it’s time to get all the gear together.

An extra recommendation from Richard is looking after your helmet visor. A visor that might be okay in daylight, but if it’s scratched and chipped is an absolute nightmare when it gets dark. Visibility could be restricted due to the poor condition of the visor, meaning it won’t be ideal in rainy conditions or when headlights are heading towards you either. Each one, making you incrementally more dangerous. So look after your visor, they’re typically inexpensive to replace if yours is looking a little on the weathered side and it’s a real necessity if you’re commuting to/from work in the Winter months.

Finally, the most obvious one yet the one that so many riders deem un-important. GLOVES! What’s the first thing you do when you fall over? You put your hands out, it seems such a simple thing but even if it’s hot – there is such a thing as a lightweight, vented motorcycle glove. Brands such as Held, Richa and more do a vast range of lightweight gloves. Many training schools get learners to pull their knuckles down a brick wall, uncomfortable right? Well even at 30mph, imagine how painful it’s going to be. Let alone if you’re training for a larger, faster motorcycle.

2. Preparation

“We get into the habit of getting in, slinging our bike into the garage. Our mate will then text at a later date to say “do you want to come out?” so you sling your leg over and the only thing people tend to look at is if they have enough fuel.” But people don’t ask themselves:

When was the last time I checked my tyres?
When was the last time I lubed my chain?
What do my brake pads look like?
Is my bike due a service?

If you’re going away on a long trip, you know if it’s been hard or easy miles on your own motorcycle. There’s so much benefit in taking your bike into a garage and getting the check over before you head off on your long journey. It doesn’t stop here though, it’s important to ensure you’re regularly taking steps to prepare your motorcycle at home.

I asked Richard, what would you say to someone who is too afraid to ask for help with maintenance? “Just bite the bullet, go to the dealership or join one of our IAM RoadSmart local Groups and speak to like minded people. That’s one thing about motorcycling, it should be fun.”

General maintenance at home between rides will only benefit you and the motorcycle in the long run. Perhaps you’re new to the world of motorcycles and you don’t know where to start, there is NO shame in going into your local dealer and asking them how to do these small maintenance jobs at home. If you’re a part of any motorcycle group there will always be someone to ask, we all have to start somewhere and that’s what the motorcycle community is about. Helping our own.

Finally, are you feeling the best and most alert before going out? “If you’re not feeling like going out on the bike that day and it is an optional journey, you don’t have to do it if it isn’t going to be fun. The most important thing you can pack onto your motorcycle is your smile – if you’re going to have a day without a smile, maybe you’re about to take an optional journey but you’re not in the right headspace – maybe leave the boots, take a breath and reevaluate later on.”

3. Positioning | “Just because it fits, doesn’t mean you should put it there!”

Richard talks us through the importance of positioning and just how this is picked on throughout their IAM Advanced Rider course. It’s a vital part of being safe on the road and the courses put positive practices into place to further enhance your safety on the road.

“Our training all comes from the police roadcraft book, in which they talk about positioning in relation to a bend and your priorities – Safety | Stability | View. If you prioritise these things in everything to do with motorcycling, then that’s a really good place to start.”

“If you’re going into a right hand bend, you’re going to safest over to the left, you’re going to be more stable if you take a wider curve, rather than a shallow curve. This will then mean I’ll be able to see round the bend earlier because you’re closer to the pavement.”

“You need to be aware of what’s happening around the gap you’re moving into. You can also utilize the car mirrors to see what the driver is doing, are they looking the other way? Are they looking down on their mobile?” Unfortunately, it’s no statistical secret that a huge factor in motorcycle/car RTA are due to negligence of the car driver not taking the time to see the motorcyclist coming.

One final tip Richard gave for motorcycles entering a roundabout, if you filter between cars to get to a roundabout which is very normal – he emphasises the importance of ensuring the motorcyclist chooses a distinct lane to stay in when on the roundabout. “The last place you want to be riding is on the paint, but in actual fact you don’t want to be alongside somebody. It only takes for them to move over to exit or realise they’re in the wrong lane and not see you beside them. Choose to be either directly in front or behind them.”

4. Filtering VS unsafe riding – what’s the difference?

A controversial topic for non-motorcyclists is filtering. But first we need to establish the difference between filtering appropriately through traffic and overtaking dangerously on the nearside.

“If I’m driving down the motorway at 70mph and there’s a motorcyclist hooning between the traffic at 85+mph, he’s not filtering, he’s overtaking dangerously. Whereas, if I’m on the motorway and I’m in stop-start traffic, we’re travelling less than 30mph and intermittently slowing down and speeding up – there’s no problem with a motorcyclist safely filtering through travelling sub 25 mph an hour. My rule of thumb is when the traffic starts hitting 30 mph, as long as the motorcyclist tucks themselves into position and stays put while the traffic speed increases I’d say this is appropriate filtering. I personally wouldn’t want to be filtering at a speed higher than this and you certainly don’t want to be filtering at a speed that is inappropriately greater than the traffic.”

5. Practice makes perfect!

If it’s been a while since you sat in the saddle, start off gently, don’t decide to get the bike out and do 270 miles on your first run out. Start with short journeys, make sure you’re in the right mindset and you’re feeling comfortable. Don’t be afraid to feel self critical about your ride – you’ve never held your licence for too long to not give yourself pointers and self evaluate your riding.

3x things Richard talks about in terms of personal analysis which is important for riders of any age and experience – “If i was making a video about that ride…”:

What bit would I want to show to everybody that went really well?
What bit would I take inwardly to develop further for myself and improve on?
What bit would I like to delete and leave on the cutting room floor?

The last one is really the one to analyse, ask yourself what could you have done differently leading up to it/in the moment to react.

Richard said in his career you’d always refer to ‘Limit point of vision, which refers to the furthest point on the road where you can clearly see the road surface. You should always be able to stop before you get to that. Is there any other information you can get, i.e looking across a field, look up. As a motorcyclist you should be the most clever person on the road. The way you do that is by just being nosey! You need to always be one step ahead. Especially in rural areas, you turn a bend and all of a sudden there’s 4x horses! Always expect the unexpected.

We’d like to thank Richard for his time to be involved in this article. A big welcome onboard to the IAM RoadSmart team for sponsoring the first in the 5x part IAM RoadSmart series on our website unfolding over the next few months.

IAM RoadSmart are a national road safety charity, founded in 1956. They offer a wide range of courses available all across the UK, with folks like Richard being the driving force behind further skills, education and awareness into road safety.

You can find out more about their Advanced Rider course here: IAM RoadSmart Advanced Rider Course