Riding Tips
Some pointers to keep your bike ready, willing, and able. These are great, because as any rider knows, an asphalt highway beats a cement garage floor any day.

MOTORCYCLE CLASSES

To learn the critical skills needed to ride safely and enjoy the sport to its fullest, beginning riders can take the Motorcycle Rider training program supported by the Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council.

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PROTECTIVE GEAR

Helmet

A helmet is one of the best items of protection you can use. Always fasten the helmet strap. If it's not secured, it's doing about as much good as one of those old leather helmets the kamikaze pilots used to wear.

Eye protection

A fairing on a motorcycle is not eye protection; a bit of sand or a tiny piece of glass can whip in behind it and get in your eye. Proper eye protection means an approved shield on your helmet, a pair of goggles, or shatterproof eyeglasses.
Make sure your eye protection is clean and unscratched. At night especially, a scratched shield can create light refraction that causes two headlights to look like four. And at night, it's dark enough already, so don't wear a tinted shield.

Protective clothing

A jacket, preferably leather or one of the newer high-tech abrasion resistant fabrics, offers the most protection. Your pants should also be made of a thick material to resist abrasion and provide protection from the elements. Always wear gloves. Even on a hot day. Wear over-the-ankle boots with rubber soles and a good tread design for better gripping.

Raingear

Sooner or later, you're going to get caught in the rain. It's a good idea to have a rainsuit along, with rain covers for boots and gloves. Make sure they fit properly. Poorly fitted ones can lessen your ability to brake and shift.
To see what BMW has to offer in the way of protective gear, you can visit the BMW Rider's Wear & Equipment site from the safety of your own home.

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PRE-RIDE CHECK

  1. Check the tires. They're the most important part of your bike. You're looking for cuts or foreign objects in the rubber - like a nail. Check the tire pressures too.
  2. Check the controls. Look for kinking, stiffness, or anything unusual in the operation of the cables.
  3. Check your lights, including brake lights, headlights, and turn signals to make sure everything works.
  4. Check the oil and fuel and, if the bike is liquid-cooled, the coolant levels.
  5. If your motorcycle has chain-drive to the rear wheel, make sure that the chain is properly tensioned and in good shape. Chains do need an occasional cleaning and dose of lubrication.
  6. Make sure the sidestand and centrestand fold up properly and stay up.
  7. As you roll off, check your brakes. Just to make sure they haven't gone away.

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SAFE RIDING

You remember this five-point reminder don't you?
S - Search around you for potential problems.
I - Identify any possible hazards, such as turning cars.
P - Predict whether this hazard will or will not endanger you.
D - Decide how to avoid the hazard.
E - Execute the proper action to carry out your decision.

Make yourself visible

Wear bright clothing and utilize retro-reflective material whenever appropriate. The biggest thing a following driver usually sees is your back. Make it stand out. Always signal your intentions. Change lanes or make a turn using your turn signals.
Don't be shy about using your horn. Blow it if you have to.

Stay alert

Keep your eyes on what's going on around you. Look ahead. Look to the side. Look in your mirror. Look over your shoulders. Never let your eyes fix on an object for more than two seconds.

Maintain your distance

When riding in town at speeds under 60 km, always keep a two-second gap between you and the car in front. On the open road, adjust your gap to two or three seconds or more, depending on your speed.

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ROAD SURFACES

Watch for poor road conditions

Here are a few simple rules to follow when you anticipate coping with sand, mud, water, or any obstruction in the road:

  • Downshift and slow before you reach the problem area.
  • Try to cross the bad surface in a straight line, or at least do not change direction or speed abruptly.
  • Stay ready to maintain the balance of the motorcycle.
  • If you have to ride over an obstruction in the road, like a 2 x 4 piece of wood, rise up on the footpegs and shift your weight toward the back of the saddle as your front wheel comes up to the obstacle. After your front wheel bounces up and over, move your weight forward to help your rear wheel get over.
  • Do not accelerate until your bike is completely over the obstacle.

Use caution when riding in the rain

Be most cautious when it first starts to rain. That is when the water goes into all the dimples in the road and the oil residue from passing vehicles floats to the top. Actually, this might be a good time to stop for a cup of coffee.

Don't freak out over bridges

Steel-made bridges can be unnerving. Keep an even throttle and keep the bike straight. Don't grip the handlebars too hard. If there is a vibration in the handlebars, do not fight it. This is a natural feedback from your tires going over the bridge's grating.

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EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Don't let animals spook you

Mostly it's dogs you've got to worry about. A lot of them like to chase motorcycles. Others often blunder right into your path. If so, here's what to do:

  • Slow down well before you reach the animal.
  • Do not kick at the animal.
  • If the animal looks like he's going to intercept you, speed up just as you are about to reach him. It will throw off his timing.

Also, on roads where deer may be present, if one jumps out in front of you, but is far enough ahead not to be worried about - watch out for its mate. Deer tend to travel in pairs.

Braking

In an emergency situation these tips should help. (Keep in mind if your bike has antilock brakes, only the first two tips apply.)

  • Apply both brakes to their maximum with a firm progressive squeeze. Practice in an open, good-surfaced place, such as an empty parking lot.
  • Keep the motorcycle upright and traveling in a straight line; and look where you're going, not where you've just been.
  • You don't want to lock the front brake. If the wheel does chirp, release the brake for a split second, then immediately reapply without locking it up.
  • If your rear wheel locks up, do not release the brake. If your handlebars are straight, you will skid in a straight line, which is all right.

Braking while leaning into a curve

You should try and avoid this, but sometimes it might be necessary. If so, brake (with both brakes) while leaning over, but you must do it gradually and with less force than if the bike is standing up straight.
For maximum braking efficiency in an emergency (when traffic and roadway conditions permit), straighten the bike up first and then brake hard.

Skids

In a highway-speed, sand-in-the-corner skid, steer slightly in the direction of the skid. (If you're leaning to the left and skidding to the right, press gently on the right-hand grip.)
If you hit a slippery patch while you're braking for a stop sign and one or both wheels lock up, you want those wheels rolling right away. Release the brakes for an instant, then reapply a little more gently. You want those tires to have traction.
At higher speeds, when traction is good and the rear wheel skids when braking hard, do not release the rear brake.
If your back end is skidding sideways because the tire is on a slick spot and simply spinning, ease off on the throttle. A spinning wheel provides no more control than a locked wheel.

Blowouts

If your tires are in good condition, chances of a blowout are small. But should it happen to either of your tires, you must act quickly and properly.

  1. Do not use the brakes: braking hard will only make things worse. If you must use some brake, apply gradual pressure to the brake on the good tire and ease over to a safe spot to stop.
  2. Ease off on the throttle and slow down gradually; rapid deceleration could throw the bike out of control.
  3. Hold the handlebars firmly; a great shuddering may occur as the out-of-round tire flops against the pavement, but your only concern should be to keep the front wheel pointing ahead until you stop.

Stuck throttle

Most bikes have a cut-off switch by the right thumb, just in case. Practice flipping the cut-off switch. Chances are you will never have a throttle stick, but if you do, you'll know how to deal with it.
As you hit the cut-off switch, pull in the clutch (you will probably be in gear), then look for a safe place to coast to a stop.

Broken clutch cable

No fun, but not dangerous. You can shift the bike without a clutch. This is not advisable unless necessary, but it can be done. Back off on the throttle and shift down a gear.
If you have a sensitive foot, you can probably find neutral before coming to a complete stop.

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PACKING YOUR BIKE

When you load saddlebags, keep weight on both sides. This is even more important when you are using soft throw-over bags because an imbalance can cause one side to drop down and rest on the muffler.
Keep the weight relatively light in your travel trunk or on your luggage rack.
Check the security of the load frequently, and make sure nothing is dangling.
Above all, DO NOT EXCEED THE GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your motorcycle.

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TWO-UP RIDING

Putting extra weight on the motorcycle will affect the handling. Adjust your shocks and tire pressure to compensate. (Check your owner's manual.)

Take into account that your braking capabilities have changed. The more weight you have on the motorcycle, the longer it takes to stop.

Passengers need the same protection as you do - proper clothes and a helmet. They should be careful to avoid loose pant legs that can catch on the rear wheel or chain.

Caution against coming in contact with any hot parts and remind them rubber soles can melt and cause a mess.

Tell your passengers to hold onto your waist or hips. Ask them to lean forward slightly when you leave from a stop or accelerate on the highway.


Also, when you brake, passengers should be firmly braced against your waist and should lean back slightly. You won't want their weight to shift forward.

Advise passengers not to lean unless you do. However, when you lean going around a corner, passengers should definitely lean as well. So have them look over your shoulder in the direction of the turn when you go through a corner, which will put the weight where you want it.

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ALCOHOL & DRUGS

Just say no. Alcohol is a depressant. It affects your judgement. And bad judgement can get you into trouble. Over-the-counter, prescription, or illegal drugs can all affect your ability to ride safely, too. Even common cold medicine can make you drowsy - too drowsy to ride.

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