John S. Hegamyer is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach and coaches at training sites throughout Virginia.

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Lesson #6 - Street Tactics

John S.Hegamyer

Fellow riders, scooter tramps, wind jammers, and motorcycle enthusiasts, welcome one and all! Welcome to a brief discussion on "Street Tactics". Here you'll find some ideas about how to position yourself and your bike in traffic amongst the people wrapped in steel and metal that may seem to forget that we're out there too. Now don't get me wrong, not all car and truck drivers are oblivious to us, but they don't come with signs on that tell us how observant they may be, and don't always trust the guy with a "Watch for Motorcycles" sticker. Unfortunately, that leaves us riders in a very precarious position. We have to develop strategies and tactics that enable us to ride in a position that allows us to see what's ahead and makes us more visible to other vehicles on the road. Simply, "Ride to see and be seen", a short and concise summary that is unmatched in wisdom.

A quick look around reveals some sobering insight as to what we're up against. Let's take a look at just a few of the possible distractions that four wheeled drivers contend with before they even notice we're out there next to them or riding nearby:

• Cell phones
• Window mounted GPS devices (Tom Toms)
• Beads, or decorations hanging from rear view mirrors
• Kids and spouses in the car
• Unruly kids and spouses in the car
• DVD players, radios, electronic toys and gadgets
• Eating lunch, putting makeup on, even shaving
• Reading maps, books or directions

That's just a few, I'm sure you can list even more; the point is that we are low on the list when it comes to the concern of some drivers.

What can we do to reduce the potential of trouble while sharing the road with larger vehicles? Here are some ideas to get us started:

• Accept the fact that you are more vulnerable and less protected than a car or truck
• Ride defensively; avoid putting yourself in a risky position. That means no tailgating!
• Respect the other drivers on the road, give them their space too.
• Continuously improve your riding skills

Tactic #1

Ride informed by aggressively scanning all areas around you and your bike. Make mental notes of road conditions to include visibility issues such as light, fog or rain. Pay attention to the road surface; is it clean, sandy or full of potholes? Get a feel for the flow of traffic; sometimes the mob rule is for everyone to drive maniacally in a rush to be the first one to the stoplight.

Tactic #1 ½

Process the information listed above; now consider all possible escape routes available should a problem occur. These escape routes will fluctuate with the flow of traffic and areas where merging traffic meets the main artery. Pay special attention to areas that have a lot of driveways, they can be an issue.

Tactic #2

Be a voyeur! Calm down, just kidding. Seriously though, you do have the ability to see inside the vehicles around you. Watch the actions of the occupants, get a feel if they are acting erratically, and see if the driver is distracted. Adjust your position accordingly. Give yourself a space cushion, you know that safety margin.

Tactic #3

The absolute best lane position while riding is……….?

Give up? I'll tell you the answer, it's everywhere. Yep, that's right, everywhere. Your best option for lane position is to be extremely flexible. You should constantly change position within your lane dependent on the ever-changing conditions. I personally like to ride near the center line, positioned in full view of the driver's side rearview mirror, but if a large truck is headed towards me from the on-coming direction, I'll float to the other side, let the truck pass and float back to the left. If there is a consideration on the right like a lot of driveways, I'll hang more to the left portion of the lane. Heavy on-coming traffic, you know, hang more to the right. Try to stay in the mirrors of the car in front of you, let them know you are there. Remember, avoid the center of the lane, not much visibility there and traction is reduced by accumulated oil and dirt.

Tactic #4

Wear clothing and gear that is highly visible. I know it's not the coolest and depletes your bad boy image, but then again how cool is a hospital bed and those weird gowns?

Tactic #5

Keep your head in the game. There is an over abundance of information coming your way while you're riding, start fading out on the signal and you just might miss a really important infomercial! We ride because of the scenery, the wind and the freedom, ironically getting lost in all that can be dangerous.

Tactic #6

Ride neutral. Not too aggressive and not too timid. Make yourself visible, position yourself with escape routes; use hand and arm signals to ensure other traffic know your intentions, ride with respectable authority.

T.V. Chef Alton Brown said in his book "Feasting on Asphalt", "On a bike you are in the movie, not just watching it. You smell the mowed grass, the stinky dead raccoon, and the barbecue when it's still five miles away. You feel the sudden changes in road texture and air temperature, and when you lean deep into a corner, accelerating smoothly through and out on your intended line-dang. And there's something Zen-like about the kind of attention you have to pay when you're on a bike. You can stare into the middle distance, but your attention can never wander far from what you're doing or you'll end up in a ditch, or worse." Amen to that brother! Not bad for a T.V. guy huh?

See ya,

Take a skills refresher course and ride safe out there! Please visit the following: Motorcycle Safety Foundation website at: www.msf-usa.org
Virginia Rider Training Program website at: www.learn2ride.com

Next issue: Cornering Basics

1. Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough published by Bowtie Press available at Barnes & Noble
2. Ride Hard Ride Smart by Pat Hahn Photography by Kim Halvorson published by Motorbooks International available at Barnes & Noble
3. Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ienatsch published by David Bull Publishing available at Barnes & Noble.
4. Total Control by Lee Parks published by David Bull Publishing available at Barnes & Noble.
5. A Twist of the Wrist & A Twist of the Wrist II by Keith Code available at Barnes & Noble

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