Be defensive. Be trained. Be aware.
Be Defensive. Let’s get a few things clear off the bat. Being a defensive rider doesn’t mean “slow” or “boring”. Actually, sometimes it even mean “fast” or “exciting”. Many riders think that the faster or more aggressive you ride, the less safe you are. Or on the opposite end, some riders think “slow is safe”. That is not entirely true.
Safety has little to do with speed. Some riders stopped at an intersection or side of the road not riding at all (“zero” 0kph) still get hit. Safety is all in the mind. What we think, how we react to our surroundings, what decisions we make while riding (or when stopped) – these are all tasks of our brain. Tasks that determine how safe or unsafe we are. To put it simply, Being defensive is all about the questions we ask while riding. The answers to which dictate our actions. For example, when you approach a slow vehicle and plan to overtake, ask yourself “is he stopping? Slowing down? Swerving left? Or right? Does he know i’m behind him? Is he gonna signal?. . . There’s only one answer – “YOU DON’T KNOW.” So when you don’t know what another motorist is going to do, what are YOU going to do next?
“Your most important riding gear is your brain.”
Be Trained. Being trained means you need someone to train you on the correct skillset of riding that will result in fun and safety. But the usual problem is many riders choose the wrong trainor – the neighbor or brother, online videos, articles, friends, or just self study. If you wanted to learn to be a doctor or engineer or shoot a gun, would you simply Youtube it or ask a friend? Or would you go to a school or at least a learning center to “properly” learn what you need to learn? Remember this – trainors study and go through trainings in order to teach people. They want people to enjoy and be stay alive because they make a living from riders. It’s a long term activity for them so they take every measure to make sure that customers (we riders) tell other people so the business can go on. One the other hand, friends or neighbors teach only what they know so you can have fun together and online videos don’t even care what happens to you. So the question is who do YOU want to learn from?
“Proper technique saves lives.”
Be Aware. There is an old saying that riders should hope for sun but be ready for rain. This is called awareness and preparation. Being aware of what MIGHT possibly happen and taking action so that the ride goes on despite. Awareness is not simply about the weather though. It is about understanding the behavior of your body and motorcycle and reacting to it properly in order to be safe. Let’s emphasize through specific points here:
Are you aware how your motorcycle hard brakes?
Are you aware how far a lean your skills and tires can do at a corner?
Are you aware of what will happen when you front brake on gravel?
Are you aware of what might come out of a tree and suddenly dart across the road?
These are some things all riders should be aware of. Unfortunately, many are not and simply resign themselves to enjoying riding without the awareness of many things. Will yo ube one of those riders?
“When you prepare for the crash, then you will likely not.”
Wheeltek advocates safety for all riders – big or small. If you would like to be the SAFEST you can be and enjoy the thrills, friendships, activities and pride of riding motorcycles, follow us on Facebook (Wheeltek Nationwide) where we make announcements for safety riding seminars, rider trainings, riding events, and more. Message us anytime if you are part of a motorcycle club and want additional improvement for your members’ riding skills to keep them safe. Or if you are simply a solo rider and wish to learn more and be safer, send us message and we’ll update you for oncoming events you can join. Ride safe and God bless you all.
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