Young bikers

Given the amount of new permits this site and forums are frequenting, it seems to me that the "old" bikers might try to share their experiences with them to avoid those few silly shovels we all know.

So I'll start by listing a few tips, and I'm counting on you all to expand your to-do list and not.

At the stop:

Control list

Make a checklist before you leave so you don't forget anything:

• contact cut,
• dead point,
• disk blocker,
• side stand,
• retro setting,
• headlight on,
• helmet attached,
• closed jacket,
• the upper half of the body is closed,
• nothing posed on the back of the saddle, etc.

An oversight can be expensive (the blocker can break something) or it can be dangerous (install a retro, moved by a passer-by, or cover your jacket while driving).

You can also find yourself in an uncontrollable situation: imagine a heavy motorcycle parked on the sidewalk with a record lock. You can move forward enough to lower the front wheel off the sidewalk and it locks up. Impossible to retreat from the sidewalk, nor is it possible to put the crutch back on ... (don't laugh, this happened to me: the top lopet is guaranteed unless you have large cookies or a passenger to help).

Consider unlocking the steering BEFORE getting on your bike (in case of imbalance it is easier to catch up if the handlebars are loose).

Don't turn the handlebars until you have your butt on the saddle (the crutch can jump).

Corrupt practices

To stop, pay close attention to bribery.

• Avoid parking a heavy motorcycle so that you have to climb a hill to get out (for example, a parked descent with a front wheel against a wall or curb).
• Place the crutch on the ground after a full turn and lock the steering only after the machine has been set up (never turn the steering wheels with the machine placed on the side).
• If you point the rudders to the right before placing the crutch, always transfer speed (the side jumps much more easily when the rudder turns to the right).
• Consider the nature of the ground the side is on (ground: it might rain, hot tar: it might sink too, gravel: unstable, sand: let's not even talk about it).
• Use the center stand only on flat and firm ground. Do not load the top half of the case and suitcases to death in the power plant (sometimes it can no longer be removed).
• Do not park too close to another motorcycle (risk of domino effect and significant discomfort when leaving or maneuvering).

Make a checklist to remember to put on the lock, leave your helmet or gloves on the saddle, or worse, keep your keys on your bike.

• Rule 1: Any checklist should be resumed at the beginning if you were distracted (for example, a passer-by asks for a time or a cell phone rings).
• Rule 2: Never skip a checklist, especially if you're in a hurry.
• Rule 3: Don't make your checklist by talking to a passenger.

At the start:

Apply the brake after passing the first one: the clutch can stick, and a small, uncontrolled jump can be dangerous (imagine that the grumbler passes 10 cm from the front wheel).

Dry or warm up the brakes. Never forget that the very first braking can be much weaker than usual (wet, dusty or slightly rusty disc).

Get in the habit of starting out like a big lopet (in case you forgot your locker or U: two precautions are better than one).

Beware of a cold engine: in starting a curve (stop, fire, exiting a parking lot), do enough circles to not get stuck in the middle of the curve for 2 hours, because it is so surprising that it immediately becomes very, very difficult to catch up around the corner. This applies in particular to large mono and twins full of torque, because we quickly get used to contracting at idle. Knocking off the starter as quickly as possible, especially on Kawas, which traditionally do a lot of circles on the starter: added to the first braking, which can be odd (nothing at the start, but it works really fast), the engine's continuous thrust can easily turn to lock in the front. if you have to brake urgently, especially at a speed of 10 km / h, and even in a dry state, if you still do not know how to brake very well.

In the event of an emergency, stationary or very low speed:

Pied à terre: If you need to put your foot on the ground to catch up with a fall or stabilize the bike, push only vertically and not from the side: this good habit avoids finding your butt on the ground when the ground is slippery. Moreover, if you do not know how to do it, it is impossible to drive on snow or ice (this is the basis of everything). Always think about it, even when stopping at a fire or hitchhiking, and especially at gas stations, which are often washed out with diesel fuel (with cross-country boots with plastic soles, that is, or ice is a keef-keef). Do this systematically at a dead end. Find a suitable position to make it a reflex. Shortly speaking, train.

However, be careful not to place your foot where it might be blocked from the side (for example, against a curb). In the event of a fall from this side, it will be nearly impossible to save the ankle. You should better put your foot on the sidewalk, even if that means bringing in drivers if you have to. The best thing left is to predict where you can stop (keeping your margin). This is even more important if you have a passenger who is more likely to move and unbalance a stationary bike.

This is already a lot, and we have not traveled yet! No more checklists. When you are driving, you need reflexes, and do not say to yourself: "I think about this, then this, then ..." and Puff biker. Think only in a relaxed situation (straight line of the desert). The rest of the time, just drive and run your reflexes (well, you have to think too, but fast, not like in a chair, anyway, you know what I mean).

Excess.

This is the most dangerous maneuver. Therefore, we must pay close attention to this.

• When approaching the overtaken vehicle, frankly move to the left.
  
  If he slows down, he will offer a choice between crushing or avoiding. When in doubt, advocate avoidance. In most cases, it is better to rub into the body laterally than directly hitting the bumper (this is often catchy, it hurts less, and repairs are cheaper).
  
  This is not an absolute rule; for example, it is better to shove the rear of the vehicle than to jump into the truck that arrives in front of it. In the case of heavy weight, it is also better to hit it from behind than rub against huge wheels full of protruding large bolts. Either way, motorcycle versus truck is always an absolute disaster. Make sure this never happens to you.
• Never pass a heavy weight or van (actually anything that is not at all transparent) if there is an intersection, even if it is only on the right and protected by a stop. A car can come from the right without seeing you or seeing it, and turn left if it has time to pass in front of the truck. You can take it from the front without having time to brake.
• Do not overtake if someone stops at a stop on the road on the left. Some fools turning right only look left because they have no idea that we can double up when they are there. This is authentic, I saw him do it. overtaking in these conditions is only possible if the road is wide enough to pass between two vehicles, or if you have seen the driver turn his head.
• When passing heavy weight on the road or highway, the project will deport you more or less strongly to the left when you reach cabin height. Be prepared for this, but never foresee it, because the strength of this project and the exact moment when it will happen is unpredictable. Some of the latest truck models are very well researched and move much less air than others. It can also be coupled with a crosswind temporarily masked by a heavy weight.
• Exceeding the car lineup on the road is only for the professionals and the crazy. If you are a beginner, forget about it now. When you pass the line of a car, you are accelerating for a long time, and you have to brake for a very, very long time before you can fold, a time in which you have to add whatever it takes to make yourself space between the two boxes (which is far from obviously, especially at a time when mobile phones are flourishing). Estimating this incompressible folding time is very delicate and depends on many factors (motorcycle, speed, density of vehicles in line, etc.). For your information, this will take 4 to 8 seconds. It is too long. Can you tell in how many seconds it will take you to collide with a vehicle that is arriving in front of you when you apply heavy braking while watching the cars you overtake to equalize gears and find a hole, all in a stressful situation? This is possible by a professional who agrees to take his own risk, it is deadly for a beginner.
  
  And above all, you NEVER have follow the biker who doubles the line up closebecause you can't see ahead well enough to be able to calculate his shot.
  
  And even if he is “pro-Phil” ahead, he will not have time to take care of you and make room for you. It is already difficult enough to overtake two cars at the same time without trying the whole line for several years of motorcycle.
  
  Just one exception: you can double the line of stopped cars by traveling at 20 or 30 km / h (never again due to opening doors or pedestrians crossing between boxes).
  
  If, after all these explanations, you try it 15 days after getting the permit in your pocket, you belong to the crazy category (but it can always be age-consistent).

In the town.

Waterfalls are common in the city, but rarely severe because you don't drive fast. You can still kill yourself or someone in the city, so this is no reason to be reckless. On the other hand, the danger is much greater, so attention should be redoubled.

Here is a list of the idiot traps:

Trucks, buses or vans stopped in a fire

it is not transparent and a pedestrian can cross it from the front. There is no question of exceeding this by more than 10 km / h, unless you want to risk hitting the child.

Climb the car line on the right

The first thing to remember is that the highway code completely prohibits this, because it is a particularly dangerous maneuver.

If you still want to risk it, this is only possible if the line is stopped and you also have to be careful about opening doors, pedestrians who cross boxes, and pedestrians who walk on the sidewalk turning their backs. Again, a maximum of 10 or 20 km / h depending on the available width.

Particular danger: taxis. A stopped taxi, wherever it is, is likely to drop the customer, who may not necessarily be careful when opening their door. The light indicating that the taxi is free is not a sufficient criterion, the driver was able to stop the meter while his passenger was paying.

Intersection

At an intersection, we are sometimes tempted to turn left, accelerating strongly, because we just have time to pass if a car comes up in front of us. Before doing this, you must have a place to perform outside. If you need to crash in the middle of the street, you first go after the jerk because you block traffic and you can easily crash, braking sharply in a curve aligned during a sudden launch.

At an intersection, as you turn, never forget that you will be passing the crosswalk (well slippery when it rains) at an angle. See where you are going and if there are pedestrians or crevices so that you do not have to urgently brake.

The great boulevards of paris

In Paris, we often come across large open boulevards, in a straight line, with beautiful asphalt. These boulevards often lead to squares that are not at all clear, not at all straight, and PAVEES. The sidewalk slows down motorists because of the noise, but you can't brake them too much. So always slow down a lot near an unknown intersection, or if you know well that it is cobbled.

Turn your head and retro

If you don't see well in your retro (unfortunately, too common for athletes), and you are used to turning your head to look close or behind, do it very briefly. The car you are following will take advantage of this moment of inattention to crush (Gurpoop's law applies to motorcycles in the city). In any case, do not follow the 10cm box.

Offset drive from drawers

When you are close, it leaves a very good chance of avoiding them if he fights in front. It can never be repeated enough. Also slide as much as possible if you need to fold (aim between two lines, or possibly very correct, but more risky). This can save you from getting stuck in the back. It is really everywhere, both in the city and on the highway.

On fire, climb the line

at least a little. Don't be the last, Jackie arrives for Donf with his wide-angle R5 turbo mega boost and he's on the phone. If you are the last (or only) one, leave room for the cash register to walk past you.

When you partially pull up the lines to a dead end (and it connects in front of you), you are in a blind spot of at least one car. Try to see if the driver has seen you and will not turn when starting, risking putting you on the ground. Be careful if this driver is on the phone: even if he sees you, he will forget you when restarting.

Beware of parked trucks and vans

If there is a hole in the parking line right in front of a large, opaque vehicle, this is not necessarily a free spot. This could be the priority on the right. This is very common in Paris (vans are often too long to enter a standard location. Therefore, they often park at the head or end of the line, even if that means minor intrusion into an intersection).

Beware of other bikers

couriers, scooters, crowds, shorter than both wheels. Some are unknowingly dangerous.

Don't adopt anti-motorcycle behavior on your own

1. We're not doubling another two-wheeler between the lines. Yes, there are some who do this, not just couriers or scooters!
2. You never take the side of another two-wheeler (other than a stop). If he gets pushed to the left, it’s because he might be overtaken, so he looks at what is happening to his left. If he refuses to overtake, and you refuse him, he may retreat without seeing you. Scooters and beginners are common because unfortunately.
3. Do not ride in a group with strangers meeting on fire. Depending on your car and them (but also your mood), rot them or let them go. You have no information on their ability to ride in a safe group. Once you can keep the group safe in addition to yours, you can. Not earlier.
4. Between queues, especially on the ring road and 2 × 2 lanes, watch your retro from time to time, some bikers may be impatient behind you. But only look at your retro when there are holes: we always look forward when we are between 2 cars. If you see someone behind you faster, back down only when it is safe to do so. Another biker might very well wait for you to finish passing 3 or 4 ass-driving cars. Turn it on (or turn it to the right if left to the left) to show that you saw it and that you will fold it as soon as possible. This way he will politely wait and will not try to maneuver dangerous maneuvers such as doubling between queues. Never resist in this situation. If you hear a horn from behind, it could be the police, even if it is a crowd horn. Yes, yes, this has already happened to me!

So beware of other bikers more than crates.

For two reasons:

1. on the one hand, because a two-wheeled car has faster and less predictable reactions than a car that it sees less well in its retro, and on the other hand
2. because a collision with another two-wheeler is much more serious than a collision with a body (for example, you can open your stomach on the steering wheel, not on the door).

To roll between queues

passes between two boxes only if at least one of them saw you (for example, the one on the left made a small gap when you arrive), or if you have a hole in front of two boxes, you can do it very quickly with good acceleration, and what you see quite far ahead (it is always very unpleasant to be surprised at a curve and

Drive with sufficient rpm

be able to accelerate strongly in case of problems. In the same vein, also roll with two fingers on the front brake and with your right foot on the pedals. Between queues, you should always be able to react extremely quickly. Also, never go beyond the speed with which you feel capable of responding to any opportunity. At first, limit yourself to queues at almost a dead end (often on the ring road), go gradually. Never drive at a speed greater than 20 or 30 km / h than the driving speed. You should always be able to brake in order to adjust the speed along the entire length of the car (to avoid taking a car that is out of control, you should never be forced to overtake it). Never overtake a vehicle that has turned on its turn signal. Even if it's a forgotten flash. In this case, wait long enough to be sure the blinking is indeed an oversight, in no way waiting for a hole to change lanes. Tell yourself that if someone forgets to blink, it might be because they are calling. So, take all of your confidence time before doubling down. If you are following another motorcycle, do so at a reasonable distance in case it slows down too much. But don't stay too far, you will love the initial path effect. Most of the boxes (real, non-responsible motorists) pay much more attention to motorcycles within 10 seconds of just seeing one pass them. Either way, it greatly limits stress, so you'll be less nervous. Moreover, if you start to get tired walking up the lines, stop immediately and put yourself in front of the car (but not a truck or van, it's not transparent, so stressful too). One final point: if the interline is wide enough, prefer to walk a little closer to the left car than to the right car, which is more likely to lead to deflection. As you approach the exit, the opposite is true. If there are more than 2 lanes on the ring road (almost always), be careful if you pass a heavy load, bus or bus on your right, with a large opening in front. Expect someone from the even more right-hand lane to fill the hole, encroaching on the bikers' queue, or even straight cut to go in one go at one time into the left lane. In this case, we only overtake at low speed, without acceleration and with 2 fingers on the brake.

If there are more than 2 queues,

and if you want to win or lose 2 lines at once, take the time to cut and return your flash to the middle of the maneuver. Thus, your maneuver is ambiguous. For your part, keep in mind that the flash can mean “everything to the left” as you pass the car, changing lines to your right.

Avoid corners of trucks or buses at a stop

when you go up the lines. If, for example, you try to drive from right to left of the line in front of the bus, the driver will not see you immediately (you are not in sight). If the queue starts at this time, and the bus is with it, scrouuuuiiiitch the biker if you don't have super reflexes and good control over the bike (stress can make you get stuck). The same is true if you are stuck next to a bus or truck that will be working. To outrun them in a dead end, you must plan ahead of time where you can be safe. Or a horn, but less reliable as a method. Personally, when I want to do this kind of thing, I look at the driver before doing it, and maybe I'll say hello to him to get his attention if he hasn't seen me.

Know how to waste your time

In some situations, you may have two potential hazards, but you cannot have two hazardous spots in sight at the same time. For example, a van parked on the left that masks a pedestrian crossing and priority on the right on the other side. Since you cannot look from both sides at the same time, you have to know how to spot such a situation and go to 10 km / h even if no one is there, where you usually go to 40 (when the van is not there). Another time you should know how to waste your time: if you find the street you're looking for at the last moment, go straight ahead. If you see a metal fitting on a curve (strap at the bridge exit) and walk at a speed assuming good bitumen, walk straight. You can always turn around. However, never undo the engagement maneuver. If you've already started filming, you have to guess. Maybe at the cost of a lot of heat or even a small drop. Returning to a straight line can be much worse if someone who is retreating took advantage of your exit from the line to take a seat. There is a proverb that says, "Better arrive late than the hearse." Know how to hear it.

When you are stopped at the fire

Take advantage of this respite to look around you. This can allow you to anticipate other starts, distracted pedestrians, pavement defects, etc. We get really stupid when faced with a danger that we could easily see if we used a stop to look around.

On the highway:

The highway, once you get used to the speed, is the easiest and safest. The paths are very wide, and this gives many more opportunities for evacuation routes. In the event of a problem (like a big slowdown), put yourself on the edge of the line to avoid hitting your butt (or hitting someone's butt).

Do not drive the BAU (Emergency Stop Lane).

This is the only really dangerous place on the highway. The average speed is zero km / h, while in the next lane it is 130. This difference in speed is not compensated for by little acceleration or slow braking. To stop there (in case of failure), slow down very to the right, but stay in the right lane. Only take BAU when the speed is very low. Leave the same. Accelerate on the right edge of the right-hand lane, not on the BAU itself. Riding a BAU multiplies the risk of puncture by at least 100.

In the event of a stop, stop the bike as much as possible.

The wind caused by the passing of the truck can turn it around like a crepe and even make you fall if you are close to the traffic lane. If you have the option to choose where you are staying, choose a prominent location, especially off a left turn, and, if possible, protected (ideally the gap just after the bridge, where radars are usually found: cops are not crazy if they stop there , it is not only to hide, but also to be safe). If you need to walk, if possible, do so behind the safety rail, even if you need to get your boots dirty. Also, prefer the opposite direction of the vehicles to see whoever makes the eventual deflection (or the killer who doubles the BAU). It at least gives you the ability to dive off the rail (more or less gracefully 😉).

Be careful at the toll booth.

On the one hand, re-passage of vehicles (very hot engine) involves slippery ground (very hot idling of the engine is more likely to leak oil). In addition, it is protected, so little wind and oily exhaust fumes are deposited on the ground. Not to mention the lost diesel fuel. In short, it is very slippery, especially near the terminal or cockpit, so be careful not to stop. In addition, as the cab gets closer to the toll, many motorists rush to get one or two seats in the queue. The same people rush to the start to be first in the left lane. Therefore, in order to leave, you have to quite openly accelerate (in turns, at least be heard if they are not well seen), paying attention to what is on the sides and in front (it can accumulate in front after the fishtail when the number of lines decreases ).

To save time, know that a long line of trucks travels faster than a shorter line of cars because there are fewer vehicles and almost all trucks pay with a special card (Cash members are generally less used to, so it takes longer for them to search pockets or count changes). What takes the most time are motorcycles! It's not easy to take a wallet into the inside pocket of a jacket with gloves, raincoat and frozen fingers ... and close everything after that. If you have a tank bag, put a credit card or currency in it. On the other hand, be careful: queuing up with an employee at the booth, because otherwise you won't be eligible for a special biker fare (often double the price).

Still take time to mess around after you pay. A scarf that locks or a jacket that opens on its own will not increase your safety after a highway launch.

Beware of the backpack, and especially the zippers: never put the zippers in the middle of the bag. Air can rush between the closures and scatter them apart. Since then, the bag is opened and everything in the bag is lost. Place the zippers on the side only. Of course, avoid putting anything solid in your bag, which could be dangerous in the event of a fall (especially in relation to the spine).

On lanes 2 × 2, highway, ring road:

In short, on all roads where there are several lanes in the same direction.

Beware of getting close to the entrances and exits:

Here we will most likely see someone carve out all lanes at the last moment to get out, or see Jackie arrive at Donf, who will cut everything to go directly into the left lane. When entering such a road, if there is a truck, prefer to enter behind the truck rather than in front when the traffic is heavy (very common on the ring road). You will have a much better idea of ​​what is going on behind you in order to follow the left lane or the biker line. You will also be much more visible to others (they may in good faith think there is a small hole to fall right in front of the truck).

Beware of places where the road narrows (from 2 × 3 to 2 × 2 lanes).

If you are in the left or center lane, expect a doubling in extreme conditions. Put yourself in the middle of a wide line as soon as possible to contain this dangerous behavior (but only by looking closely at your retro).

Also beware of places where the road expands (not another lane).

A lot of people seem to be quietly behind the wheel waiting for it to become clear to the donf and the first to overtake. Be prepared for anything if you even intend to debug (sometimes the whole line is paged out at the same time with more or less flashes, yes, yes, it does).

Roundabouts:

Great classic! Rule of thumb: Any roundabout should be treated like a diesel bath.

To enter the roundabout, try to walk into the center in a straight line as much as possible, stay in the center for as long as necessary, and then take the most straight path to the exit. Diesel is always in the outer lane (s) while the center lane is clean. Very rarely falls on the bold centerline, except in an oil puddle accident (but it can happen anywhere).

Also, never drive fast on roundabouts on full central land: you don't have far enough visibility for that. Anything can drag along the track, and it will be difficult to brake. If you need to stop at a roundabout, be sure to stop at a location that limits the risk of getting stuck in your back. Many people do not look in front of them at the roundabouts, but rather to the right (to plan their exit).

So stop at the right side of the line. Also, if there is a central solid ground, you will be visible from the further field. Another possible choice is to stop to the left, but only outside the lane if the roundabout allows it.

Overcoming obstacles:

For sidewalks, rails and metal reinforcement (bridges), always take them as perpendicular as possible, with the smallest possible angle. You can slide from the front or back by climbing onto the sidewalk. In both cases, it is a fall if the motorcycle is heavy and / or tall. The rails are the worst, the tires can hit (in the city) and seriously slip. Metallucers (bridges) are terrible in curves. The bike will definitely move. To limit this phenomenon, anticipate a turn, straighten the bike a little while passing, and immediately restore the angle. Nothing obliges you to have a perfect trajectory. Just stay in line, but use it.

Headlight calls:

Use them, don't overuse them.

Never sit in full headlights when daylight is on. You are putting everyone in danger, as are you. It is impossible to assess the distance and speed of the motorcycle in the spotlight. The healthiest reaction of a blinded driver (even his retro) is to slow down his speed. He doesn't know if you are one meter or 50 meters behind. This braking is not crazy behavior, it is logical and desirable (you should significantly increase your safety distances when blinded). This is the one who drives crazy headlights. Spotlight = invisibility = danger. If you are blinded, you slow down too quickly (but without crushing). It’s a survival reflex in case something happens in front of you that you don’t see. In this case, which is an exception to the emergency braking rule, do not switch between the two lines or onto the side of the road. Stay in line and slow down while maintaining your position. You may be overtaken by a madman and there may be a pedestrian on your right, so do not move in this case. An important note for those who don't know: it takes 15 seconds to recover from glare (for those who are healthy and without vision problems). Time within 15 seconds you will see that it is colossal while driving. On the highway at a speed of 130 km / h in fog over 500 meters.

Generally speaking:

Any unusual and / or illogical behavior of another road user should make you suspect the worst. He might be a drunk guy who gets a little treat while he calls while eating his sandwich. A mobile bomb is doubled only with the utmost care and an enormous safety margin.

Likewise, beware of someone who drives very slowly. Look at the driver's head. If he looks everywhere, it is because he is looking for his own way. It can be folded to turn around without blinking at any time. Keep your distance or get his attention (call the headlights, downgrade if you have a pot of homoloches, and if you're not in a rush, get ready to leave).

When you have identified the danger, do not focus all your attention on it. At the same time, another hazard will arise (again, Murphy's Law applies to motorcycles: when you pay attention to one hazard, another hazard will surprise you)

Always look near the obstacle. The motorcycle follows the eye. Don't look where you might crash, watch where he goes. In both cases, it will be followed by a motorcycle.

Practice looking to the sides without biking. Train in a wide, clear, straight line at reduced speed. Stand in the middle of the line and look at the landscape on the left for half a second. Make sure you don't stray. Repeat for a second. Check again. You should be able to do it for 3 seconds after a little workout (no more than that, besides, it is dangerous and not of interest). You should be able to do this by looking left or right. What is it for? To enjoy the scenery! No, I'm kidding. This is the first moment you need to work on in order to ride in a group. Otherwise, how do you get on a different motorcycle to say something to your neighbor without getting on it? In addition, it allows you to maintain the trajectory if the eye is attracted by something unusual on the side of the road. For example, an accident. This will prevent you from joining the victims. Remember: the motorcycle follows the eye. You should also be able to look elsewhere than where the motorcycle is supposed to go.

Practice hard braking when it rolls fast. When danger comes unawares, immediately brake hard. In the next half-second, you will decide how best to act, namely: often release the brakes. The 10 or 20 km / h you just lost gives you a significant additional margin. It's always a shame to practice casting, just turn off the throttle and think a little late that we could save a second on braking (it's huge on the highway). Take on the reflex to brake hard (but not too much anyway: say heavy braking in the rain), being ready to release everything immediately. When this becomes a reflex, the passenger may complain, but you will have a much higher level of safety and you will also be able to drive faster with the same level of safety. After all, when you are an old biker it will be very rare because you will know how much to plan ahead. Train your reflexes to instinctively do this kind of grip / release of the brakes (of course, on desert roads, never on highways). For your information, this is a technique that comes from on-road rallies where you drive very fast with surprises all over the place.

If you're tired, sick, not awake well, in short, shrunk in your houses (which happens to be out of shape), take more margin and slower. But don't go slower, even if it's difficult. For example, if your migraine or torticoli requires a headache to peek near or behind, takes at least three seconds, never change queues (unless you have effective retro, of course, but even then take the time to make sure that your blind spot is empty).

Drive with A if you cannot go any faster than cars under all circumstances. Don't be ashamed of it. Motorists will keep a greater distance. This will relieve you of the stress of the rear tire suction cups. Tell yourself that this is safety equipment, like a helmet. If you start riding a motorcycle without its validity (if you have had another license for at least two years or if you did not practice a motorcycle immediately after obtaining your license), use it anyway. This is not prohibited and people will pay more attention to you.

To get to know a new bike well, an experienced biker takes between 6 and 8000 kilometers. Much more than a young license, about 10 km. From 000 kilometers we begin to feel comfortable on a bike. We think we can use our abilities and react to all situations. This is not true. Most bikers get drunk on a new bike that ranges from 2000 to 2 km. Now that you know this, don't think that you are an exception to this rule. Wait for 4000 or 8 terminals on your motorcycle to start increasing the pace. Not earlier. Your life and / or wallet is at stake.

When you pick up a large insect in a visor, you may not see anything else. DO NOT FOLD! Those who follow you saw no reason for you to slow down, they would be surprised, so they can fit you into it. Just turn off the throttle and start braking slightly. Turning the head slightly, raising or lowering it, there is always a part of the visor, at least vaguely transparent. At the extreme, open it and stop quickly, remembering to turn right and watch others.

Countryside Drive:

The countryside is full of fun, but there are also many surprises.

Roads are often slippery, gravel, full of cow or slurry. In one of his great posts, Dr. NO told us, "Sometimes we want to follow in the footsteps of a dinosaur with intestinal transit problems." You will notice that the gravel is often at the exit of the curve. The same exits from the curve can also induce cows to free themselves. It's not me speaking, it's still Murphy's law. It is over and over again at the end of the corner that we see a tractor or combine rotting a record of slowness. No special instructions other than "be prepared for anything and everything." Do all the turns without aiming outward at the exit, just to have more field. This includes a little latency of the rope seams.

Learn to brake in a curve.

If you run into a deserted road and have recently been remodeled with gravel, practice driving in the middle of the queue, where there is most gravel (only if there is none). You will see that it moves a little, but not much, it gives the impression of being blurred (like a well drawn swing). Be familiar with this strange feeling. You will see that you can still brake the gravel a little, but only in a straight line. You will easily find that gravel handles acceleration and deceleration much better than an angle. It always slips a little, drifts, no trajectory accuracy, but if you don't have an angle and stay sane on the brakes, in the end it’s not that dangerous. If you have a choice between braking and cornering, then brake. You're less likely to run into a brake than a corner outlet. This knowledge will prevent deprivation of you in an emergency, and you are less likely to panic for nothing. The Gravillon four-bus is crafted enough to be better equipped on a day off guard.

Cow dung is more difficult because it comes from different states. Shallowly spread by the aisle of many vehicles and well dried in the sun, it is not very slippery and can easily withstand normal driving. Abundant and diarrheal, it's like a pool of oil. Thick, it may look dry on the surface, but will turn out to be greasy and liquid on the inside when you ride it. Those who live in rural areas can at first glance distinguish dry manure from manure. For clean Parisians: all the dung should incite distrust. (Perhaps that is why parigots systematically rot as villagers in the countryside ... ;-)))) The advantage of manure over gravel is that it can often be avoided because it is localized. The use of DDE gravel is significantly greater than cattle gut manure (all cows in a herd rarely give themselves the word to defecate at the same time).

Manure is something else: it is widely distributed by farmers during tractor transport. It is easy to see because it is continuous, with greater thickness outside the corners. It's terribly slippery. When you see something, drive very slowly and endure the pain. Forget that you are in a hurry and everything will be fine.

Agricultural machinery of all kinds travels at ridiculous speeds. Their maximum speed ranges from 20 to 45 km / h. This is already much slower than you, and many drive even slower so as not to tire the mechanics and not be afraid (the combine, it really does not hold well. In fact, it holds the ENTIRE road if you push it more than 15 km / h). Only one solution: to think that at every step, the exit of which is not visible, there is a tractor and that you will have to brake. Monitor road conditions to see how quickly you can take turns, always having the opportunity to stop before exiting. Be even more careful if you have previously seen tractor tracks coming out of the field (after 100 meters, the tractor tires are clean and no longer leave marks, but the tractor may still be far ahead).

Driving with a passenger:

The passenger changes the attitude and inertia of the motorcycle. You can never drive as fast as when you are alone, except on the highway, and again, with only some motorcycles (which are meant for duo, i.e. real GTs, big road cars and the biggest trails). With a passenger, your motorcycle changes its weight category. You are riding a motorcycle, the weight of which is increased by the weight of the passenger, who is also poorly positioned. However, your engine and brakes are not boosted, which can prevent overtaking unless you have a very powerful car. This is at best, that is, with a passenger who never moves and stands firmly.

In fact, the passenger is a lively, flexible and more or less capricious creature. Some passengers are insensitive, do not resist angle adjustments, do not get intimidated and stand well. Others are real wandering disasters: emotional, scary, carefree, restless, etc. In this case, it is better not to take them with you. However, if you do, you know how to calm them down with acting driving, paddle angles, ridiculous accelerations. At the same time, triple your safety margins. Borrow the car. The passenger can easily move the motorcycle from the side, so you REALLY need the space the car takes up. Therefore, it is forbidden to wade between cars. When you've driven a few thousand kilometers with your regular passenger, you might think again that you are riding a motorcycle when it is behind you, but the motorcycle is even wider, heavier, softer and less nervous than usual. Don't forget about it only after a few thousand kilometers!

Group trip:

Group driving requires some additional skills in addition to those required for simple motorcycle driving. The goals are to maintain a high level of safety (not to cling to bikers in the same group), not to lose anyone along the way, and by the way, maintain a reasonable average speed (slightly lower than we would have if we were alone). Group driving should not cause additional stress or fatigue that compromises safety.

There are several ways to ride in a group, depending on the driving level of the participants, their number and the mood of the moment (quiet walk, quick walk, asui). Some rules are applied all the time, regardless of the pace (for example, staggered rolling). Others are purely indicative (there are several methods not to lose anyone). It is important to know all the basic rules well and agree.

To ride in a group, there must be enough experienced bikers to be able to look elsewhere where they want the bike to pass by. Indeed, you should keep an eye on the other members of the group from time to time, and sometimes (very rarely) it can be useful for two bikers to put themselves at the same height to exchange a few words (at reduced speed, but without stopping).

Staggered driving improves safety. Indeed, if necessary, you can stand next to the bike in front. This is absolutely no reason to reduce the safety distance. Safety distance is determined by the motorcycle immediately preceding you, not the one in front of you on the same side of the track. You should consider that the bike in front of you takes up the entire width of the track, not that it leaves room for you. Indeed, the biker in front of you must be able to switch to avoid potholes, traverse a trajectory, or avoid a car that is encroaching on the track. The extra space offered by the wobbly is used for only two purposes: to provide better visibility and to provide a wide safe distance in the event of emergency braking. For your part, you don't have to keep wobbling. If you need to avoid something, feel free to temporarily switch sides. On the other hand, don't do it unnecessarily, it is a matter of courtesy to the biker who follows you (when you change sides, you limit his vision and cause him to increase his concentration, therefore stress and fatigue). However, in the event of emergency braking, it is imperative not to move. The biker who is following you may have been surprised and will really need a seat next to you. To switch during emergency braking, you must absolutely be obliged to do so (for example, to avoid a car). Otherwise, you risk getting stuck in the back.

As a rule, one line should be avoided. However, it may prefer to stagger on virulent roads (requiring trajectory trajectory) when there is enough traffic to drive at a relatively high speed. But one line is only used if you have wide safety distances between each motorcycle.

In the city, when the speed is very low, the safety distances can be reduced by calculating them according to the motorcycle on the same side of the line. However, it is still forbidden to encroach on the clear space next to the previous bike (except for stopping, of course, but this implies that not all start at the same time when the light turns green). Reducing safety distances requires everyone to increase their concentration, but in return it helps to preserve the entire group (the more compact the group, the less likely it will be cut in half by red light). When the group is small (5 or 6 motorcycles), bungee can be played on main boulevards with few lights: long safety distances between lights when the speed is relatively high and lower when approaching lights. This means that the group leader slows down as the green light approaches and that the last bikers take on extra stress by speeding up to stick with the group when the leader has just passed the green light to prevent him from turning red before they pass. It is inaccessible for beginners and only a small town can be traversed (otherwise it becomes too tedious and the risk is too great).

On the road or highway, increasing safety distance reduces stress. This allows you to enjoy the landscape and limit fatigue. On the contrary, reducing them helps to maintain the unity of the high-stress group. Never drive long with reduced safety distances, even on motorways where the risk of braking is low. This ultimately causes a glamorous effect to illuminate the rider in front of you, which can prevent you from seeing danger in time. In the event of strong braking at the head of the group, there is a risk of accumulation. This glamor phenomenon is much more pronounced at night, but it also exists during the day. Do not neglect this and force yourself to regularly look at something other than the motorcycle in front of you.

Ideally, you should only ride in groups between experienced bikers who know each other well. In practice, this almost never happens. There is always at least one beginner or at least one biker who is not used to riding with others. The beginner's case is the most delicate. Better to surround him with two experienced bikers with group experience, responsible for protecting the beginner. The previous will have to avoid seeding the newbie so that he is not tempted to "force his talent", he will have to ride a little faster once there is a clear straight line to hang the group, and if the opportunity does not arise, the group leader will have to take that into account and slow down ... He will also have to calculate his overtaking so that the beginner can systematically follow this example (this does not oblige the beginner to overtake if he does not "feel" the maneuver, on the contrary, to avoid its restriction if he follows the step mechanically). The rider who follows the beginner will also keep him safe by staying close enough to prevent a car or other biker from bumping into and possibly sucking on his wheel (which is always a concern, especially for a beginner). On the highway or 4 lanes, he will also need to clear in front of the beginner to facilitate his passage, and thus limit the control before the beginner passes. In this way, the beginner will be "helped" that will limit his stress and fatigue so that he can ride safely on longer trips than the ones he was used to when he was alone. In case there are several newbies, it is better to insert experienced bikers with each other in order to avoid following the more or less bad example of another newbie who is in front of him.

The case of an experienced biker who doesn't know the band is easier to manage. Just place it in second place, right after the group leader. In all cases where there are those unfamiliar with the group or newcomers, the instruction should be that no one changes seats unless absolutely necessary (for example, if someone breaks down, the broom bike can lift up to stop the leader if that the type of behavior was determined at the start). Note that there are group driving techniques that never require changing positions, no matter the circumstances. We'll see this a little later.

Should the group leader ride to the left or right of his line? There is no absolute rule, it depends on the circumstances. However, in most cases, he preferably sings to the left, ready to start overtaking. On the other hand, if the group's pace is slow and the group is more likely to be overtaken by cars than opposing vehicles, it will be able to drive to the right of its choice. This is also possible on a deserted highway. The idea is this: Many maneuvers force the biker to move to the left (overtaking, turning left). If the lead biker rolls to the right of his line, the slightest preparation for overtaking will cause the reversal of the wobble, which leads to swimming across the group, which is undesirable at a time when everyone has to slow down (before passing or turning left). Therefore, the lead biker can ride to the right, but only if he believes that he can maintain this position for many kilometers, which is rarely the case. When in doubt, it is better for him to always go to the left.

In terms of signage, some bikes in a group may not have turn signals (or have almost invisible turn signals). These bikes should not be placed at the head of the group, in the tail or in front of the beginner. There should not be two following each other, at the risk of making the change of direction invisible on the tail of the group. In the case of grilled lamps (this can happen), we follow the same rules, we do not put the code on the grill at the head of the group, and the taillight on the grill in the tail or in front of the beginner. If some motorcycles have warnings, it is best to queue up one of them, especially at night, if you need to stop at the side of the road (for example, a crash) or if there is a serious slowdown on the highway. Experience has shown that most warning bikes are powerful and driven by experienced bikers, this shouldn't be a problem (broom biker should experience group driving).

There are many traits that you can use. Calls to the headlights should only be intended to grab the attention of the previous biker (yelling at someone arriving across the street in full headlights, the lead biker must take care of them alone). For example, headlight calls can be used if you are about to overtake another member of the group (because this is an unusual maneuver, usually prohibited in the group). If we have already agreed, a short call to the headlamp may indicate to the previous rider at night that he may detach in front of you (you are protecting him, and therefore it is certain that he will not be overtaken by a motorcycle outside the group). Repetitive and persistent calls mean you will overtake. During the day, you can use hand signals to indicate that you want to change position with the rider in front of you, or that you want to allow yourself to overtake, or train someone behind you and know that they can follow safely when they are short. visibility (in the case of some right turns). We can also inform someone that they forgot to put the headlight on (the hand closed and opened several times), slow down (the hand is flat from the bottom up), that we have almost more gasoline (an inch stands for tank), etc. Usually hand signals are useless for driving in groups. Proof that they are unusable at night and does not prevent you from riding. In exceptional cases, this is just a one-time aid.

To walk the line of a car while remaining grouped (a common case in national loading), there is a strict procedure (almost a ceremony) that allows it to be done safely. The first are overtaken. Never more than 2 or 3 cars at a time, but usually only one. Always only one if there are novice bikers in the group. After passing, he falls well to the right to leave the motorcycle seat next to him for the second place in the group. When the second arrives (possibly next to the first if there is no room for 2 motorcycles + safety distance between cars and each motorcycle), the stop time is noted, the time it takes to create space between the cars. Meanwhile, the second biker allows himself to distance himself a little from the first, which helps create a living space. At this moment we "cross": the first biker moves to the left to prepare for the next overtaking. The second moves to the right to stay staggered. The first biker duplicates again. The second stays on the right without trying to double up quickly. He still does not need to approach the car he is following, in case the first one refuses to overtake. At this point, as soon as the third biker (still behind) sees the first disconnect, he in turn doubles up and falls next to the second. Bikers 2 and 3 find themselves in a familiar situation, go to the intersection, the second biker can join the first who is waiting for him, and the fourth joins the third. and t etc. and t etc. This proven technique allows a group to be promoted relatively quickly without creating security issues. We're wasting time because each biker only doubles once, but it's much safer than if everyone made their own hole behind the car brakes to make room for the front biker. The first two bikers should be the most experienced, wisest and consider the acceleration of the least powerful car that follows them (to avoid as much of the need to give up perfect overtaking as possible). Thus, bikers with an odd number can overtake everything at the same time, even twin bikers also double everything at the same time. Everyone should simply take their place in the procession and respect the protocol. On the other hand, by sign, two bikers together in one hole can easily replace their seats (even or odd) with a simple sign. Just don't cross paths. This allows you to allow yourself to drift in line or climb up a group to get a message to the first one (for example: we have to stop at the next station). It is also useful to transfer the first biker in the group from time to time, because it is he who takes on the most nervous tension, because he has the difficult task of creating holes between cars, which others do not need to do, because they will always find a very hot place that waiting for them. In this diagram, only the first two bikers decide to overtake, the rest just have to follow, which is nervously resting. Well, that doesn't absolve you from evaluating yourself if overtaking is still possible, which can vary, especially for the latter.

When traffic is not very busy, you can double down in a less regulated manner. In this case, if the double biker thinks that he is the only one who can overtake and that he should not be followed, he remains to the right of the left lane so that he can fold faster once he is overtaken. The next biker will not start overtaking in a row, nor will he be tempted to do so due to lack of visibility. On the other hand, if there is nothing ahead, the first biker to overtake will move completely to the left, which does not endanger him as he has all the time, but allows the next biker to have full visibility of what is happening in the front, and thus way, will prompt him to overtake immediately, if possible. This way we can outrun groups of two, sometimes three or four when conditions are ideal (but only with experienced bikers who are used to doing this maneuver together). In this diagram, it is especially important that each beginner is preceded by two experienced bikers. This type of mark does not need to be known to all members of the group for use; it is explicit because it is based on the visibility left or not left to the next biker, because when you don’t see from the front, you don’t double, it’s well known. However, it is impossible to follow a biker in overtaking who always stays to the right of the left lane, which wastes some time.

There are several methods to navigate motorways or 2 × 2 lanes.

If the group is small, extremely disciplined, you can use the technique of American bikers. This is the last biker in the group to unlock the first one by occupying the left lane so that all bikers in the group unpack at the same time. It is rarely usable and should be said to be quite unusable for European traffic. Also, American biker groups are often equipped with CBs and they all talk to each other to negotiate. This technique should be used here in subgroups of two: a beginner biker followed by an experienced biker. The seasoned biker will anticipate a beginner's line change, switch with a flashing turn signal to the left, and make a short headlamp call to tell the newbie he can unpack safely. Therefore, it will only be used for this protection. Otherwise, the group will switch off into a "caterpillar" without forcing it to pass (one or more cars, which are also performing, may temporarily intervene in the middle of the group). It is important to keep the workout staggered when the group is on the left lane. The group leader will allow himself to monopolize the left lane a little more than if he was driving alone, so that the track does not constantly change lanes, because this maneuver adds stress to everyone. This does not mean that you have to constantly stay to the left, it just does not mean that you should not fall back in front of one car, if you see that there is another one to double a little further. In this diagram, the bikers followed by the newbies will have to fall far in front of the car they have just passed because many newbies are tempted to change lines at the same time as the biker they follow, risking a fish line to the car they just passed. passed. This is still a form of protection.

Generally speaking, be free. Make the progress of the group enjoyable to watch. Grace and Harmony is a group driving udder. It seems curious to say so, but it is much more important than meets the eye. To achieve this "effect", you must ride without brutality, regularly spaced, and without much change in pace. Experienced bikers, regularly distributed in the group, guarantee this harmony by performing only perfectly logical and predictable maneuvers of those who follow them. If you manage to manage the group in this way, it means that all the maneuvers are known and understood by everyone. That no behavior leads to surprise, and that discipline reigns supreme. It also makes it easier to fake the experience of beginners who will follow a good example. This “beauty of gesture”, purely free in appearance, is in fact a guarantee of a very high level of safety, reduced stress for each biker in the group and therefore minimal nervous fatigue, even at a steady pace and / or on long trips. Note that this harmony cannot be achieved when safety distances are not respected, the wobble is approximate, and the routers only think about the fights, all the things that endanger the group's safety. Another advantage is that if the bike is equipped with an onboard camera, it will make excellent film on small mountain roads! ;-))

The last point: how not to lose anyone. Those who have led large groups know how difficult it is, how many opportunities to lose someone. We will say that there are two families of techniques. "Visual" driving techniques and "unsightly" orientation techniques. In the first case, we will try to keep all the bikers in sight of each other (each biker should see at least the one who precedes him and the one who follows him). This requires the least preliminary organization, but the most attention when riding. No-visibility methods are based on rigorous travel arrangements with procedures that must be known to all members of the group, without exception.

To ride in plain sight, there is a simple and effective technique. The one who no longer sees the next biker stops. The one who precedes him will eventually become aware of his absence, and will also stop and so on until the leader of the group. This is the basic technique. In practice, anyone who notices that the tail of the group has stopped puts their flash on the right and makes calls to the headlights to indicate the problem, and the entire start of the group stops together as soon as possible. Thus, we always remain in sight, even if the group is separated by red light. Attention, there is one case that can be a problem, this is when a biker, alien to the group, intervenes in the middle. This is rare (in general, if a biker doubles the latter, this is because he goes faster than everyone else, so he will overtake the whole group), but it can happen, especially when you leave the city you have just crossed (some bikers will interfere into a group within the city, and one day they will ride at the same pace as you). It will be difficult to distinguish a group member from another biker who travels at the same speed as the group, especially at night. To avoid this kind of problem, it is imperative that the broom biker knows the course and can wear the group tail stuck due to it.

There are several possibilities for methods without visibility. You can ride in reduced subgroups with a leader in each subgroup who knows about the entire journey, meeting points and stops planned by others (not all subgroups necessarily have the same autonomy, for example, there may be a GTS subgroup and a customs subgroup). Then each subgroup leader is responsible for the consistency of his team and rides "in sight".

You can also drive individually using the TDSRP directive (right on the main road). Each time we change direction, we wait until the next biker comes into view before starting in the right direction. This biker has to stop to wait for the next one, and so on until the biker broom. If you are in doubt about what “straight” means (for example, in the case of an ambiguous fork or intersection between a main road that turns into a secondary road that goes straight), simply stop. After a while, the previous biker will turn around to pick you up. This type of organization is efficient, everyone can ride at their own pace, but in the event of a problem (such as failure) it will waste a lot of time, because bikers who have passed the point where the problem arose may have many kilometers to go back. which can be very problematic on the highway, especially if someone doesn't have a cell phone. Therefore, recommending in absolute terms is not a method. However, the TDSRP directive can be used to ensure that some poppers have the ability to release the rest of the group from time to time when their right wrist itches.

We can imagine other possibilities, but in general the most pleasant thing is to go for a ride in a group, so "by sight". When a group is too large to manage, it is best to divide it into two or more subgroups, working in full view, with predefined meeting points and at least one mobile phone per subgroup. Then each team leader should know the route and meeting points perfectly. In this diagram, it is also not useless to assign first aiders and mechanics to different subgroups, if applicable. The most important thing is to make subgroups homogeneous in terms of performance and temperament (we should avoid placing a 125-year-old rookie in the group of professional drivers in full power sports cars 😉).

That's all there is to know. For the rest, it is experience that will teach you this. The more you ride in a group, the better you know how to do it. So don't hesitate anymore, go for a walk with other bikers. Just drive quietly, never twisting, at least before you get to know your fellow travelers perfectly and forge yourself some solid habits, the result of long group driving practice.

"Doubtful" moments

I use the word "doubtful" to mean that there is doubt, ie. alternatives, different ways of doing business. Not to mention, it sucks in absolute terms. So, it's up to you to see and find the methods that suit you.

Look at the left front wheel of the car you are passing

This indicates that the car will turn slightly before the car changes its trajectory. It is always good to be able to foresee. The downside is that when you are close, you must direct your gaze to the wheel, which results in a loss of forward visibility. Looking not enough, Murphy's Law says that a car will turn when you don't look at its wheel. Personally, I don't, I prefer to go far to the left. I also don't do this between queues. I prefer to overtake quickly, even if that means braking immediately afterwards. On the other hand, it is useful to do this when you are stopped in the blind spot of a car on fire. Some are planning a line change at startup and start to indicate a stop.

When a box follows you at a high speed 10 cm away from your plate, how do you get rid of it?

A classic bump is two or three small braking strokes to turn on the brake light. All in all, this is enough, and the other is distancing himself. Well, sometimes it doesn't work. One of the possible things is to look like a "packed biker". Vaguely inaccurate trajectory, the foot slips out of the footrest and you have to do it two or three times to put it back on, look slightly from one side, move slightly in its lane and get scared by straightening the trajectory. All these maneuvers should be carried out without frills, you should not put yourself in danger and of course always pay attention to what is happening ahead, you never know. Thus, whoever watches him closely fears that you will crash right in front of him and ruin his precious box. There he will take a considerable distance of safety.

How to brake well

In braking, it is sometimes a problem not to lift the rear wheel with modern motorcycles. Huge front brake on short and relatively high brake (to increase ground clearance, therefore friction-free cornering possibilities). In the past, cars were longer and slightly lower. Very large calibers such as the CBR 1100 or Hayabusa are long and relatively low bikes that are less prone to rear wheel lift (BM also for that matter). They only create a rear wheel dribbling problem (much less severe), and the braking force balance between the front and rear is much easier to instinctively find. On the other hand, medium-sized athletes (600 to 900) are very short, rather tall, which also applies to roadsters. This gives super maneuverability, easy steering, at the cost of braking stability problems. You can compensate by loading the rear (passenger, suitcases, on the top of the body austerity, but it does less), but you lose weight in the front (steering, instability, lack of maneuverability). In short, modern motorcycles do not make emergency braking easier. Therefore, we must find a safe method.

In parallel with this reduction in wheelbases, tires have developed in the direction of expansion. Contrary to what one might think, despite heavy braking at the front, 180 tires at the rear allow for really hard braking due to the ground contacting surface and the quality of modern rubber. So, you must learn how to brake according to your motorcycle.

Brake a little less at the front to keep the rear wheel in contact with the ground at all times, and use the rear brake frankly.

This is complemented by a good adjustment of the rear shock to avoid dripping, you can stop much shorter than lifting the rear wheel. Also, note that once the rear takes off, the center of gravity moves up and slightly forward, so you must reduce braking if you don't want to turn around. Thus, raising the rear wheel results in a wider braking distance, as opposed to the feeling of “maximum braking” that can be felt at that time. In addition, the rear brake tends to lower the motorcycle (this is due to the angle formed by the swing arm with the horizontal, which plays an anti-sinking role). The lower the bike, that is, the more you brake from the back, the more you can brake from the front without risking to raise your back. This is partly why we should not rush to the front brake like a sick person, unlike the rear brake, but apply it gradually, (short) time, when the bike finds its new balance and settles on its suspension.

At low speeds, you can only brake hard with the rear brake, and the rear block at very low speeds is not very annoying. While the front blocking does not give time to catch up with the bike when driving less than 60 km / h. Thus, at very low speeds, especially in curves, favor the rear, while at high speeds you should favor the front.

Once this is understood, it is about better distributing the braking force between the front wheel and the rear wheel in order to have the best braking distance. Compulsory loop training (or at least on a really deserted road, but then, indeed, and by monitoring his retro every 10 seconds). Sorry, but I can't explain how much force to apply to the lever and pedal. This is part of the biker's experience.

A good indicator of your braking performance is pad wear. With a classic car (double front disc, one rear disc), you should wear 2 sets of front pads at about the same time as a set of rear shims (slightly faster anyway). You will carry the front on the road faster, the rear in the city faster. This is an average and it can vary a lot from one car to another, and depending on use (in pairs, for example, you have to use the rear brake much more). But if you change the front pads 3 or 4 times more often than the rear, practice braking harder from the rear. Conversely, if you eat the back pads much faster than the front pads. However, if you have a simple front disc, count about 3 sets of spacers for one set at the back. It is impossible to give exact proportions because it can vary greatly from machine to machine, but it gives you at least one idea. Compare to other bikers with the same bike as you.

How good it is to get dirty!

I saved the best for the end: how good it is to rust!

When you look, the real pleasure is to transcend yourself. No to come first. To begin with, do only asui for two. If you are in front, voluntarily leave a hole so the "enemy" can pass you. Never plug in. Pass it only if it leaves the hole. The principle is never to force the passage.

Never sit down faster than if you were alone, or even a little slower to give the other the opportunity to surpass himself. Know how to stop accelerating when you are in front, and choose a reasonable speed, leaving the other to safely overtake you. If you see danger ahead, make a sign telling the other to go slower rather than double up. Everyone's safety is at stake. Just raise your left hand to make this sign.

First of all, do not play the little game "I am speeding up, doubling up, not slowing down, being overtaken, speeding up, etc." With powerful cars, we quickly drove more than 200 people through the city or along small roads. This is a real danger.

Give yourself a rule beforehand. Experienced bikers know it: if the biker is in front of you to the left of his turn, don't overtake him. This is because he is going to double up. If he's on the right, you have his permission. This rule allows you not to be surprised when you spin more than two. Pay close attention to the retro as you move from right to left in the queue.

In case of fatigue or high vehicle density, know how to stop. It has become too dangerous, you will postpone the rest.

Not in the back in large numbers. Hibernation is very pleasant at a maximum of 4 or 5 and very stressful at 10 or 12, because the danger increases exponentially with the number of participants.

Do not go astray if you do not know the way, or very slowly, like a lopet. Especially in the mountains or in the city, as well as on small country roads. For these roads, you must know perfectly well every turn, every pothole, every ruin, or every paved street corner in the city.

With these simple rules, you can kneel with other sensible bikers on the open roads, not too quickly, and enjoy it. Because often overtaking, accumulating acceleration and braking while overtaking is a real pleasure to jam.

These methods do not allow you to work on trajectories or stopping points. There are schemes for this. Older scurers do not enforce these rules, they are prepared for any accident and know how to avoid each other under any circumstances. Wait until you become a real pilot to do "anyway" on the open roads.