Safe Riding: Are You An Experienced Rider? Or Do You Just Think You Are?

Making the transition from newbie to experienced rider takes more than time. It requires putting effort into practicing physical riding skills, improving situational awareness, and ensuring your motorcycle and riding gear are ready for the roads ahead. 

For this column, I’ve tapped the expertise of some Connecticut Rider Education Program instructor colleagues – John Purdy, Mike Rossi and Bob Stonehill – plus added my own thoughts to come up with a list of items that longtime riders should consider… 

Are you experienced?

Inside the rider trainer world, it’s often mentioned that there are riders who claim many years of experience when what they really have is the same experience repeated many times. This is familiarity, not experience. 

When something unexpected happens, these riders will have a higher propensity to panic.  For instance, many riders never ride at night or in the rain. To gain experience, riders must ride in new and diverse conditions. 

Instructor Mike Rossi says, “Experienced riders have learned how to ride within their ability and have learned how to constantly self-assess themselves in real time as they ride through constantly changing conditions.”

What are your riding habits with others and in groups?

Motorcycling is an individual activity we do with others. It’s always wise to respect each other’s space and share the road. 

Instructor Mike Rossi says “Experienced riders have learned how to manage peer pressure. Experienced riders avoid the trap of racing to keep up with a peer or attempting maneuvers that are beyond their abilities.”

Do you practice 360-degree situational awareness?

This is an advanced mental process that involves observing and evaluating details of a rider’s 360-degree environment and taking appropriate action. Riders need to remain undistracted and focused while riding. Developing a keen situational awareness takes time and practice. 

Instructor Bob Stonehill advises, “Look much further and much more aggressively forward when approaching traffic and intersections. Do not trust the other traffic to yield properly to your right of way.”

Instructor John Purdy says, “Riding is 90 percent mental. Focus on the ride 100 percent – not your phone and farkles. Focus is a ride enhancement, while distractions are a liability.”

Are you aware that riding is physically demanding?

Don’t underestimate the physical requirements of riding. Riding is not a passive activity. Core body muscles, arms and shoulders get a significant work out. Regular aerobic exercise and core body muscle strengthening should be part of your regimen. 

How are your braking, swerving and cornering skills?

Many riders do not practice braking, swerving, and cornering skills regularly, if at all, to be able to use them effectively when involved in an emergent situation. Bikes with ABS are good to save your bacon if you begin to skid from over-braking, but relying on them 100% of the time and not using proper braking technique will not stop the bike in the shortest possible distance. Threshold braking is an important technique to master. 

Like braking, swerving is another potentially life-saving skill. When facing an unexpected situation there may not be enough time to brake to a complete stop without impacting the obstacle ahead. This is why having excellent swerving skills is very useful. A properly executed swerve will get a rider around an obstacle. 

Statistics show that 33 percent of single vehicle motorcycle crashes happen during cornering. Plainly speaking, this is typically caused by rider error and improperly negotiating the turn. Taking an experienced rider training course and receiving feedback from instructors who are observing you is an excellent way to assess your execution of these techniques, receive tips to improve, and time to practice. 

How aware are you of road surface dangers?

There are many things that are part of the road-surface that can make you go down. It is best practice to avoid sudden changes in speed or direction when dealing with any road surface danger to avoid loss of traction. Painted lines, arrows, and crosswalks can be very slippery surfaces, especially when wet. Expansion joints, bridge grating and railroad tracks can be unnerving if the surface causes the tires to move unexpectedly and when wet, they can be downright dangerous. 

Instructor Mike Rossi says, “Experienced riders will use SEE (search, evaluate, execute) when approaching railroad tracks or grated bridges. Experienced riders will search for potential dangers (holes, uneven surfaces) and note any signage that warns motorists of narrow or dangerous sections. Riders will evaluate best path of travel (cross rails or grates straight on and squarely) and reduce speed. Riders will execute using a steady throttle, smooth turning, soft breaking, firm grip, good posture and looking forward when crossing grated bridges or railroad tracks.”

Road surfaces are most dangerous for motorcycle riders during the first 30 minutes of rain after a dry spell. This is due to what I have heard called the “oil slick” effect. Leaking vehicle fluids such as oil, grease and other petroleum residue, coolant, exhaust, rubber residue, and dirt accumulate up on the asphalt. When it first rains, these float to the top creating a very slick film on the surface of the water that significantly reduces tire traction and increases stopping distances before the rain eventually flushes the residue away. 

Instructor Mike Rossi says, “Experienced riders remember the BRC material discusses roads being slick at the beginning of rain because the oil and debris on the road have not had a chance to wash off. An experienced rider will immediately adjust speed, braking and turning to prepare for possible slippery conditions. They will also increase following distances and make other adjustments (lane positioning) to manage the increased risk from other motorists that may not slow down in the slippery conditions.”

Do you check your tires?

You may have heard from other riders that “tires matter.” After all, they are the only things between you and the pavement. Before each ride, check for correct tire inflation pressure and visually inspect them to ensure they are in good condition with sufficient tire tread depth. While you’re at it, it’s probably a good idea to perform a complete pre-ride check on your bike before heading out for a ride. This should only take a few minutes. 

Instructor John Purdy says, “Look for the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection checklist available from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.”

Do you have proper riding gear?

When shopping for riding gear it is important to know that motorcycle shops carry different types of riding gear. There’s “protective” gear and “fashion” gear. Protective riding gear is made from material that can withstand the amount of abrasion typical of when a rider hits the asphalt. They also typically have some type of CE rated armor to protect the rider’s major joints against impact. Ensure your gear is fitted properly. It should be a snug fit to prevent it from shifting or riding up on the body. 

When shopping for helmets, pass on the fashion ones and go for those that at least meets the minimum mandatory DOT standard, or higher safety ratings such as Snell, ECE 22.06, or FIM. A full-face helmet provides the most protection. Be sure to use approved eye protection. Full fingered gloves with palm and knuckle protection is a must. Leave the fashion fingerless gloves at home. For the feet, wear sturdy, over-the-ankle, low-heeled boots. 

Instructor Bob Stonehill says “Wear very bright helmets and jackets for better visibility.“

Do you use earplugs?

Excessive road and wind noise can cause mental fatigue as well as hearing loss. Using earplugs to reduce the noise level can save your hearing and will help you to remain focused on situational awareness. 

Instructor Mike Rossi says, “I use them all the time to protect ears from engine and wind noise. They do not interfere with your ability to use your ears as a defense mechanism. An experienced rider knows that their ears can be just as important as your eyes when it comes to searching for potential hazards.”

Hope these items provide food for thought. So what’s your assessment of yourself? Can you honestly say that you are an experienced rider, or not?