1) Always leave yourself an out.

2) Screw the traffic behind you, ride at the capability of your skills and eventually your bike.

3) Look out for Turn 3 at Summit Point.

TheDucatiKid wrote:1) Always leave yourself an out.

There's the number one rule!

[as if you care] What Goes Through My Head (Typically) As I'm Riding (Solo):


What's he doing? Anything behind that bus? You're not staying on that curb are you? You're gonna come over, aren't you, you bastard? Here it comes, no signal, of course. Didn't think so. Who's next? Slowing cab... Where're you heading, you little yellow parasite? Which of you on-coming cars' gonna make the next U in front of me? Where's her eyes? Not forward. Probably wants a parking space, so wide berth, there. I see a hand -- Yup: Cell phone. Better change lanes. Who's close enough to my path to jump into it? Dumb ass kid thinks his Nissan is so special he'll probably jump the light with a left across my path. You're too close to the car in front of you, dummy; better back myself off. Very pissed off guy here, looking over both shoulders to jam himself somewhere. Steering clear. Whoa, nice ass. Hands moving all over the place, gesturing. Gotta be on the phone. Old man in Buick a few blocks ahead, got everybody in a knot. Stay to the side. Side streets? Anyone not know the meaning of "red" at this intersection? Good to go. Upshift to keep ahead of these two clowns. You don't even see each other, do you? Somebody's about to open a door at me. Who's it gonna be...?

... and so on, like that, all the time, non-stop, as long as the engine is running. NOTHING ELSE. Not my destination. Not what I left behind when I departed. Not my personal life. NOTHING.

By way of comparison, if your head doesn't sound something like that, what does your safety soundtrack sound like?

oh and i remembered this last night as I hit the fastest indicated speed so far on the stella (67mph) in the Lincoln Tunnel:

There is a wild variety of traffic cone...one that only grows in tunnels....it comes in a few varietals...some are orange...some yellow...but they both have the ability to grow very quickly in the harsh environment of subterrania...they can often be found without even looking.... usually about 1/4 mile deep....in just about every tunnel in the 5 and NJ...

do not touch them...they can be vary dangerous and can cause skin irritation, paint loss and severe tightening of the anus...

annuit_coeptis wrote:[as if you care] What Goes Through My Head (Typically) As I'm Riding (Solo):


What's he doing? Anything behind that bus? You're not staying on that curb are you? You're gonna come over, aren't you, you bastard? Here it comes, no signal, of course. Didn't think so. Who's next? Slowing cab... Where're you heading, you little yellow parasite? Which of you on-coming cars' gonna make the next U in front of me? Where's her eyes? Not forward. Probably wants a parking space, so wide berth, there. I see a hand -- Yup: Cell phone. Better change lanes. Who's close enough to my path to jump into it? Dumb ass kid thinks his Nissan is so special he'll probably jump the light with a left across my path. You're too close to the car in front of you, dummy; better back myself off. Very pissed off guy here, looking over both shoulders to jam himself somewhere. Steering clear. Whoa, nice ass. Hands moving all over the place, gesturing. Gotta be on the phone. Old man in Buick a few blocks ahead, got everybody in a knot. Stay to the side. Side streets? Anyone not know the meaning of "red" at this intersection? Good to go. Upshift to keep ahead of these two clowns. You don't even see each other, do you? Somebody's about to open a door at me. Who's it gonna be...?

... and so on, like that, all the time, non-stop, as long as the engine is running. NOTHING ELSE. Not my destination. Not what I left behind when I departed. Not my personal life. NOTHING.

By way of comparison, if your head doesn't sound something like that, what does your safety soundtrack sound like?

Rob, I'm afraid to hear what goes on in your head other times...

Why do you think I prefer to ride so much?

Rob. I have pretty much the same rant in my head, so it is normal I think. Is it? Anyway. I am too very familiar with that very same cone in the Lincoln Tunnel. He is always there, his name is Jim, he is a family already.

Whoa, nice ass

Right there, that nanosecond where you're not exactly paying attention, that's when the cab in front of you stops short and (if you have good brakes) you have one of those "holy shit" moments.

Just being honest. What can I say?

You can say what I always say when confronted with this - "I'll stop looking when I die."

Perhaps my single best tip came from a riding instructor I hired for a few lessons. She showed me how, when she came to a stop, she came to a complete stop, feet planted, arms relaxed, hands covering the brake, eyes straight ahead. Only then did she look in other directions for oncoming traffic or to plot her next move. She explained, "I don't care if my friends are waving to me; I won't even acknowledge them until I'm fully ready."

Why was this my best tip? Because so many rookie errors come from being tired or anxious or suckered into reacting vs. simply staying under control. The complete-stop routine places you right into a deliberate, safety-first mode. No trying to cheat with a half-stop. No trying to jump ahead into traffic. No being pressured from cars in any direction. Just taking care of business.

If you can break all your recurring driving situations into basic, unhurried routines like this one, you'll be riding safely while increasing your enjoyment. Because riding is too much fun to be getting yourself into needless trouble. There's too much at stake otherwise.

There is no limit to improve safety. You can wear a full face helmet and then argue that you shouldn't ride the scooter in the city without a protective jacket and pants when the temperature is in the 90 or look what happened to that guy in the picture... Or I can show a picture of a friend who was hit by a car while jaywalking or biking.

I can think about 10 other different things that will improve safety:

1. Slow down before intersections, always scan for cars and pedestrians crossing.
2. Control your breaking distance, do not tailgate.
3. Prefer bright colors scooters to dark ones. Make it easier for other vehicle to see you, day and night.
4. Use your horn as much as you deem necessary to prevent danger. And I mean *danger*, not collisions. Beeping at the last second won't help.
5. Do not trust rearview mirrors. Always look behind your shoulders when changing lanes.
6. Do not trust other drivers or pedestrians. Do not even trust traffic lights. See 1.
7. Master your vehicle. Know its limits when turning, accelerating and breaking. Take a driving course, if possible with your vehicle. Improve your skills.
8. When you're riding with friends, avoid engaging in racing contexts. I know it sounds obvious, but boy is it hard to do it in practice.
9. Distance to other vehicle is your best airbag.
10. Never be scared. Be aware and alerted. Enjoy your ride and your scooter.

Voila', this is my experience after 15 years of driving motorcycles in different cities and countries. I hope this is more helpful that posting terrifying pictures about open face helmets. Again, there is no limit to safety. If you want, you can wear a leather suit with back protection all the time.

http://www.sportrider.com/ride/146_9508 ... index.html