Many of you out there are seasoned riders and have been on motorcycles for many years, therefore you know the do's and don'ts when riding a bike - so, at risk of teaching grandmothers to suck eggs, here are a few things we think are no no's on a bike and we'd love to hear what you think are the definite things not to do when using your motorcycle...

 

1 Don’t use a disc lock without a visible reminder, or you might end up ruining your brakes or calipers and possibly hurting yourself, depending on how fast you decided to pull away if you forget to unlock it. A reminder is a brightly coloured, usually fluorescent cord, with a loop at each end which you loop round the lock and round your handlebars as a visual cue to remind you not to just hop on your bike and zoom off. You wouldn’t get very far with your disc lock, or your reminder, still on.

 

2 Don’t leave your bike parked up anywhere without the appropriate, perhaps even heavy handed, security measures. A really determined thief or gang could find a way to get your bike anyway, but the chances are that if it is locked up with heavy duty chains or ground anchors it will be safer. If it’s overnight, or at home, we recommend a cover as well so that no one can see what is underneath and get tempted. Chances are thieves will opt for nicking a machine which they can see and which is not securely padlocked as it’s easier. The steering lock can be snapped in a matter of seconds by an experienced bike thief, so if you are relying on this then you may be saying goodbye to your bike sooner than you think.

 

3 Don’t brake suddenly, particularly when cornering, unless it’s essential. If you change your mind mid corner and decide that you are going too fast, your instinct can be to grab the front brake to slow down a bit but this can have disastrous consequences. This can make your turn increase or cause your brakes to lock up which can make you lose control.

 

4 Don’t try to keep up with your buddies if they are driving faster than you normally would, or feel comfortable doing. They may have a different style of riding or be prepared to take too many risks.

 

5 Don’t allow yourself to get involved in road rage. There are plenty of car drivers who will happily move over to let a filtering motorcycle pass or pull in in front of them, but there are others who really get annoyed. These are the ones who will block your way, drive in the centre of the road and refuse to let you in if you are filtering. Ignorant, obviously, as your filtering means that all the traffic moves faster which benefits everyone. So if some bone headed driver is blocking you, just ignore them and pull in behind calmly waiting until you can cruise past them when a clear opportunity arises.

 

6 Don’t automatically think that other road users have seen you. The best way to ride is as though everyone else on the road is wearing blinkers and you are wearing an invisibility cloak. If you always ride wisely like this then you can usually identify hazardous situations before they arise and protect yourself from the fact that most car drivers will probably not have spotted you.

 

7 Don’t go out riding without the appropriate gear.  Warm motorcycle specific clothing and wet weathers in winter. Cool clothes, water and sunscreen in summer. Getting too cold can affect your ability to perform safely.

 

8 Don’t ride when you’re tired, take frequent breaks. If you start to feel tired stop for a rest straight away and rehydrate and have a coffee and a snack to raise your blood sugar. There is little margin for error on a motorcycle and a lapse in concentration could spell disaster.
Look after yourself and don’t take unnecessary risks.

 

9 Linked to the point before – don’t ride your bike if you are in a bad mood. If you are angry or upset, or even stressed out, then it is a good idea not to ride you bike, choose an alternative method of transport like a train where someone else will be taking the strain. Anger could lead to poor decisions on the road and could detrimentally affect your judgement.

 

10 Don't relax completely when you turn into your own road at the end of your journey. If you take your eye off the ball too quickly you can come a cropper at the eleventh hour. Stay frosty right up until you reach your front door.

 

Do you have anything to add to this list? If so email: [email protected] or let us know on Facebook