1. Assume you’re invisible

Because to a lot of drivers, you are. Never make

a move based on the assumption that another

driver sees you, even if you’ve just made eye

contact. Bikes don’t always register in the fourwheel

mind.

2. Be considerate

The consequences of strafing the jerk du jour or

cutting him off start out bad and get worse.

Pretend it was your grandma and think again.

3. Dress for the crash, not the pool or the prom

Sure, the fish taco stand is a 5-minute trip, but

nobody plans to eat pavement. Modern mesh

gear means 100-degree heat is no excuse for a

T-shirt and board shorts.

4. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

Assume that car across the intersection will turn

across your bow when the light goes green, with

or without a turn signal.

5. Leave your ego at home

The only people who really care if you were

faster on the freeway will be the officer and the

judge.

6. Pay attention

Yes, there is a half-naked girl on the billboard.

That shock does feel squishy. Meanwhile, you

could be drifting toward Big Trouble. Focus.

7. Mirrors only show you part of the picture

Never change direction without turning you head

to make sure the coast really is clear.

8. Be patient

Always take another second or three before you

pull out to pass, ride away from a curb or into

freeway traffic from an on-ramp. It’s what you

don’t see that gets you. That extra look could

save your butt.

9. Watch your closing speed

Passing cars at twice their speed or changing

lanes to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just

asking for trouble.

10. Beware the verge and the merge

A lot of nasty surprises end up on the sides of the

road: empty fast food bags, nails, TV antennas,

ladders, you name it. Watch for potentially

trouble-some debris on both sides of the road.

11. Left-turning cars remain a leading killer of

motorcyclists

Don’t assume someone will wait for you to dart

through the intersection. They’re trying to beat

the light, too.

12. Beware of cars running traffic lights

The first few seconds after a signal light changes

are the most perilous. Look both ways before

barging into an intersection.

13. Check you mirrors

Do it every time you change lanes, slow down, or

stop. Be ready to move if another vehicle is about

to occupy the space you’d planned to use.

14. Mind the gap

Remember driver’s ed? One second’s worth of

distance per 10 mph is the old rule of thumb.

Better still, scan the next 12 seconds ahead for

potential trouble.

15. Beware of tuner cars

They’re quick and their drivers tend to be

aggressive. Don’t assume you’ve beaten one

away from light or outpaced it in traffic and

change lanes without looking.

16. Excessive entrance speed hurts

It’s the leading cause of single-bike accidents on

twisty roads and racetracks. In Slow, Out Fast is

the old adage, and it still works. Dialing up corner

speed is safer than scrubbing it off.

17. Don’t trust that deer whistle

Ungulates and other feral beasts prowl at dawn

and dusk, so heed those big yellow signs. If

you’re riding in a target-rich environment, slow

down and watch the shoulders.

18. Learn to use both brakes

The front does most of the stopping, but a little

rear brake on corner entry can calm a nervous

chassis.

19. Keep the front brake covered-always

Save a single second of reaction time at 60 mph

and you can stop 88 feet shorter. Think about

that.

20. Look where you want to go

Use the miracle of target fixation to your

advantage. The motorcycle goes where you look,

so focus on the solution instead of the problem.

21. Keep your eyes moving

Traffic is always shifting, so keep scanning for

potential trouble. Don’t lock your eyes on any one

thing for too long unless you’re actually dealing

with trouble.

22. Think before you act

Careful whipping around that Camry going 7 mph

in a 25 mph zone or you could end up with head

in the drivers side door when he turns into the

driveway right in front of you.

23. Raise your gaze

It’s too late to do anything about the 20 feet

immediately in front of your fender, so scan the

road far enough ahead to see trouble and change

trajectory.

24. Get your mind right in the driveway

Most accidents happen during the first 15

minutes of a ride, below 40 mph, near an

intersection or driveway. Yes, even your

driveway.

25. Come to a full stop at that next stop sign

Put a foot down. Look again. Anything less forces

a snap decision with no time to spot potential

trouble.

26. Never dive into a gap in stalled traffic

Cars may have stopped for a reason, and you

may not be able to see why until it’s too late to do

anything about it.

27. Don’t saddle up more than you can handle

If you weigh 95 pounds, avoid that 795-pound

cruiser. If you’re 5-foot-5, forget those towering

adventure-tourers.

28. Watch for car doors opening in traffic

And smacking a car that’s swerving around some

goof-ball’s open door is just as painful.

29. Don’t get in an intersection rut

Watch for a two-way stop after a string of fourway

intersections. If you expect cross-traffic to

stop, there could be a painful surprise when it

doesn’t.

30. Stay in you comfort zone when you’re with a

group

Riding over your head is a good way to end up in

the ditch. Any bunch worth riding with will have a

rendezvous point where you’ll be able to link up

again.

31. Give your eyes some time to adjust

A minute of two of low light heading from a welllighted

garage onto a dark street is a good thing.

Otherwise, you’re essentially flying blind for the

first mile or so.

32. Master the slow U-turn

Practice. Park you butt on the outside edge of the

seat and lean the bike into the turn, using your

body as a counter-weight as you pivot around the

rear wheel.

33. Who put a stop sign at the top of the hill?

Don’t panic. Use the rear brake to keep from

rolling back down. Use Mr. Throttle and Mr.

Clutch normally – and smoothly – to pull away.

34. If it looks slippery, assume it is

A patch of suspicious pavement could be just

about anything. Butter Flavor Crisco? Gravel?

Mobil 1? Or maybe it’s nothing. Better to slow

down for nothing than go on your head.

35. Bang! A blowout! Now what?

No sudden moves. The motorcycle isn’t happy,

so be prepared to apply a little calming muscle to

maintain course. Ease back the throttle, brake

gingerly with the good wheel and pull over very

smoothly to the shoulder.

36. Drops on the faceshield?

It’s raining. Lightly misted pavement can be

slipperier than when it’s been rinsed by a

downpour, and you never know how much grip

there is. Apply maximum -level concentration,

caution and smoothness.

37. Emotions in check?

To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check

yourself before you wreck yourself. Emotions are

as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every

time you saddle up. If you’re mad, sad,

exhausted or anxious, stay put.

38. Wear good gear

Wear stuff that fits you and the weather. If you’re

too hot or too cold or fighting with a jacket that

binds across the shoulders, you’re dangerous.

It’s that simple.

39. Leave the iPod at home

You won’t hear that cement truck in time with

Spinal Tap cranked to 11, but they might like your

headphones in intensive care.

40. Learn to swerve

Be able to do two tight turns in quick succession.

Flick left around the bag of briquettes, then right

back to your original trajectory. The bike will

follow your eyes, so look at the way around, not

the briquettes. Now practice till it’s a reflex.

41. Be smooth at low speeds

Take some angst out, especially of slow-speed

maneuvers, with a bit of rear brake. It adds a

welcome bit of stability by minimizing unwelcome

weight transfer and potentially bothersome

driveline lash.

42. Flashing is good for you

Turn signals get your attention by flashing, right?

So a few easy taps on the pedal or lever before

stopping makes your brake light more eyecatching

to trailing traffic.

43. Intersections are scary, so hedge your bets

Put another vehicle between your bike and the

possibility of someone running the stop sign/red

light on your right and you cut your chances of

getting nailed in half.

44. Tune your peripheral vision

Pick a point near the center of that wall over

there. Now scan as far as you can by moving

your attention, not your gaze. The more you can

see without turning your head, the sooner you

can react to trouble.

45. All alone at a light that won’t turn green?

Put as much motorcycle as possible directly

above the sensor wire – usually buried in the

pavement beneath you and located by a round or

square pattern behind the limit line. If the light still

won’t change, try putting the kickstand down,

right on the wire. You should be on your way in

seconds.

46. Everything is harder to see after dark

Adjust your headlights, carry a clear faceshield

and have your game all the way on after dark,

especially during commuter hours.

47. Don’t troll next to – or right behind – Mr.

Peterbilt

If one of those 18 retreads blows up – which that

do with some regularity – it de-treads, and that

can be ugly. Unless you like dodging huge

chunks of flying rubber, keep your distance.

48. Take the panic out of panic stops

Develop an intimate relationship with your front

brake. Seek out some safe, open pavement.

Starting slowly, find that fine line between

maximum braking and a locked wheel, and then

do it again, and again.

49. Make your tires right

None of this stuff matters unless your skins are

right. Don’t take ‘em for granted. Make sure

pressure is spot-on every time you ride. Check

for cuts, nails and other junk they might have

picked up, as well as general wear.

50. Take a deep breath

Count to 10. Visualize whirled peas. Forgetting

some clown’s 80-mph indiscretion beats running

the risk of ruining your life, or ending it.