Motorcycling 102: The art of riding (and staying alive!)

Motorcycling 102: The art of riding (and staying alive!)

So now that we've got the motorcycle and the riding gears going, let's talk about riding etiquette. This section will cover all scenarios of solo riding in the city or on highways and on desolate valleys and plains.

First rule: Everything out there is trying to kill you. It is never wrong to be too paranoid, and assume Murphy's law applicable in all situations! Even when you get down and prop the bike on the stand! The key to successful motorcycling is to be aware of your environment and never underestimate any factor.

Now, as your'e on your motorcycle, riding in the city, you have certain limitations. You cannot go over a certain speed. You have to be considerate to your fellow motorists, no matter how stupid they may seem. Face it, we're all the same species. Be aware of your surroundings and the traffic around you. We live in a world of mirrors, anything can be used as a mirror! A puddle of water, the windows of the car in front of you, and most importantly your rear view mirrors!

This is a rear view mirror!

It is going to get frustrating most times, to check your rear view mirror before overtaking a vehicle or when taking a turn. But stick to it! What if a pedal happy bus or a trucker is right behind you and is in the process of overtaking you, you step right onto his path! Smoosh! Road kill! So never underestimate your rear view mirrors. I know they don't look that cool, and the bike looks cooler without them! But you need it to live tomorrow. 

Second, use your turn indicators to signal other motorists on your intent to turn left or right. Please do not switch on your hazard light (if you have one on your bike) and continue right at the middle of the road. Whenever i see that, i feel sad. Sad for their teachers in school. Sad for the chap who approved their license. Sad for the blokes who look at the guy and follow the same! Don't deny it! I know you've done it before!

See those little orange lights at the sides? These are them indicators!

Please do not switch over your indicators to smaller cool looking ones! They are meant to be as conspicuous as possible. Because motorists do not have the time to look for your tiny microscopic turn indicators!

Third, always use your headlights/daytime running lights at all times the vehicle is in operation. This helps inattentive motorists to acknowledge your presence. During night time, lower your beam and give them a pass signal to overtake. And for the love of God! If your'e using the high beam, and you see a motorist on the opposite side, please switch to low beam. Do not blind the guy coming opposite to you! He might just crash into you! Sometimes i just wanna !@#$%(*&^... Well that's for another day...

Coming back to the subject, it is good for a biker to be as conspicuous as possible! High viz riding gear helps in the nights! 

This is a high viz helmet. I own one of this! (I lied, i own three of these!)

Now , once you're clear with what to do with the vehicle's indicators, lights and mirrors, lets talk about riding styles! Hmmm... Interesting! There are basically two styles of riding, they are as follows;

AGGRESSIVE RIDING: 

This method cares the least for other motorists on the road, and has the emotional intelligence of an emo teenager in the middle of sunday school! It is as aggressive as it gets! You do not follow lanes, and just piss off everybody on the road. These kind of motorists are labelled as "Sleeper Cells" from now on. (Sleeper Cells: Inactive KGB spies triggered by a combination of keywords to make them kill)

This here is an image of a Sleeper Cell (No they don't all look the same. Don't be a racist now!)

However, there is a method to aggressive riding as well. I will explain it to you, and i know that you will do it no matter how much i forbid you to. Aggressive riding keeps the rider on edge. You reach a level of complete awareness that you observe the traffic around you, monitor their movements and slip into gaps fast! Mostly with the throttle wide open. The key here is speed, speed taken to get in and out of that sliver of a gap. In your tryst with aggressive riding, you will often leave a path of disturbed motorists, hurling curses at you. be prepared to get your butt kicked if they catch you. 

I urge you to wear all your riding gears when riding aggressively. So we can beat the crap of whatever is left behind when you crash!

So now that we have aggressive riding out of the way, let's move on to the next type;

DEFENSIVE RIDING:

Now this here method is the best, you are not the fastest moving thing on the road, you follow lane discipline, you respect and smile to your fellow motorists, maybe even give a few flowers to motorists of the fairer sex, ahem... 

Ooh La La :P

Ok, i'm getting sidetracked here! back to topic! Yeah, defensive riding is the best hassle free tension free kind of riding you could do. You use your turn indicators, use your mirrors, never overtake without signaling first and are aware of all your surroundings. You do not jump traffic signals, you stand way behind stop lines, in other words, you'd rather be late than be called the Late Mr./Ms. 

Defensive riding techniques work well on highways as well. Highways are the place where cars, trucks and other multi wheel cages let loose. you're gonna be competing with a 2600cc diesel monster on a puny 250cc  petrol engine. Don't! Instead, accept the fact that these docile cages in cities can mostly eat up a lot of tarmac on the highways and not break a sweat doing it. Once you accept it, the better.

While riding in desolate valleys or plains, be aware of any movements in the surroundings. There might be a wild animal trying to cross the road and might jump right in your path! Or a landslide might happen! The key to survive is to be aware! Do not think of your past or reminisce of happy times, or worry about your future. You need all your concentration on the path ahead and behind. Motorcycling is a form of yoga, where the rider has no past, no future but finds a gift in the present in the form of two wheels, a chassis and an engine. Enjoy it!

This brings us to the end of motorcycle etiquette(solo), and i leave you to be the better judge of yourself to decide which technique to follow, and instruments to use. Stay tuned for the next blog about Group riding techniques! Hariathoo till then my friends!!!