Three Mistakes Every Motorcyclist Makes

[Music] the common motorcycle a gateway not only to transportation and stimulation but conception a rider sits between theory and reality three errors in the back of his mind project infinite fractures on the road ahead hold on pillions because tonight you're writing to the headlights up [Music] one deadly mistake that every rider has made starts here the night is especially dark with a new moon and fog I'm already less visible motorcycle is nearing invisible so what's the harm you say in compensating now we don't want to blind anyone but we can see that we're seen by running high beams brighter lights safer but wrong the high beam is often engaged a second lamp which creates a problem of perspective two lights close together it can mean two things it could be a motorcycle close up but it could also be car headlights from far away and obscure light the very conditions were trying to overcome this discernment is harder than ever when crossing the path of oncoming traffic well judging distance is everything now car drivers think like cars they see two small lights close together yeah it must be a large vehicle many seconds down the road right up until they pull out to pass and hit what was really the motorcycle directly in front them it's a misrepresentation most deadly and one that can be avoided by sticking with low beams however counterintuitive a single light is safer and that it's unmistakeably a motorcycle appearances and distances define this dimension but in a moment we'll enter another a place where shape and signal constitute our second fatal error a place called the polite zone [Music] [Applause] riding down the road you see another motorcyclist and you wait and that's only polite but it's wrong and the biker salute is upheld as motorcycle etiquette but it belies a fundamental flaw in this motion left hand out it's already spoken for hand signals 101 the biker wave actually means I'm about to turn left so when we hail our oncoming brethren as we all do this indicates an intent to turn directly into the other motorcyclist path I suppose the solution is just to wave straight ahead ooh nope no that looks bad a 90-degree angle now that just means I'm turning right I could use my other hand I need that on my throttle though it's a situation most perplexing that our only natural greeting should also be caused a panic break and Dom we confuse signal with so big to confound a warning with welcome you may say that's more technicality than reality and you'd be right in most places but not in the uptight so [Music] being overly cautious is the root of our third he bic wa to ser when faced with a challenging corner we liftoff and cruising at a tentative slower pace seems safer to all of us but it's not [Music] motorcycle suspension is most stable when loaded under acceleration or braking so the bike is easier to control if I never coast break into the corner power it out in the same way tires offer the best grip when they are loaded under acceleration or braking it widens the contact pepper I know the crutch says we have a dollar to spend on grip and 50 cents on cornering the 50 cents on acceleration and that math is true but how do we know there's a dollar to begin with if I Coast through every corner on wobbly unloaded suspension with tiny unloaded contact patches how more likely I'm starting with 80 cents a paradox coasting slowly saves some grip to spend on corners but riding aggressively earns us more grip to spend in the first place now I'm not saying fastest foolproof I'm not saying slow is unsafe I'm saying it's not that simple intricacies are infinite in the vastness of motorcycle space a rider's high beams intersect a car's distant headlight a friendly wave overlaps a legal indicator a cautious corner flies are risky and ever submitted for your disapproval are these three errors mark them with a stamp of road hazards and file them in the cabinet of the oversight Pro [Music]

Channel: FortNine

Views: 1,899,438

Rating: 4.8761859 out of 5

Keywords: motorcycle riding tips, motorcycle riding techniques, motorcycle riding for beginners, motorcycle riding basics, how to ride a motorcycle, how to ride a motorcycle safely, motorcycle safety tips, motorcycle safety course, motorcycle training, bad habits, motorcycling mistakes, riding mistakes, learn to ride, how to ride a motorcycle for beginners, common motorcycle mistakes, top 5, top 10, top 3, mistakes, motorcycle crashes, motorcycle accident

Id: QWPytpiml5c

Length: 5min 46sec (346 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 27 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/1twoC]

Who waves like that? I usually dip my hand below the grip and flash a “V”, unmistakable in my humble opinion.

Also a street triple rider, so always have two lights on.

Now that cornering tip, pro shit right there!!

Edit: trail braking into corners and accelerating out!

[u/Grobyc27]

Both of the headlights on my FZ1 are on, even with low beams. And no one mistakes my wave for a left turn because I always give them the finger just to be safe.

[u/madevilfish]

I understand the high beam thing and see where it comes from at lest in the U.S. You're not really told to look out for motorcycles as much as cars. The wave I don't agree with because I still my are down and out. Doesn't look like I am stopping or turning left.

[u/joeverdrive]

So this particular video was kind of a miss, but FortNine is still one of the top moto content producers and you can tell he puts a lot of time and thought into his work. I know that some people don't care for (to put it lightly) Ryan's on-camera mannerisms or even his face, but a mature adult can look past that and appreciate the videos for what they are. Fun, creative, and informative.

Here's three F9 videos I've found to be really informative. If you're new to this guy, check them out!

Dangerous DOT Standard

5 Telltale Signs of a Bad Used Motorcycle

Best Touring Tires of 2017

[u/Ironicalogical]

This video is a bit too much motorcycling gatekeeping for my tastes. Not everyone rides the same, has the same bike, has the same skillset, has the same tastes, perceives things the same, etc.

The grip point is the only technically accurate one, and one worth practicing, whether you take corners fast or sanely. The other points are, honestly, drivel.

[u/[deleted]]

High beam off when facing traffic otherwise they are blinded, same rules applies as when driving a car. Only time a car can see my two headlights on at the same time is if they are like half a mile away.

Driving around with high beam is something that was done in the 80s and prior, back when light bulbs were weak and yellowish. Modern headlights are way brighter than in the past, they will blind incoming driving even during the day, making it more difficult to judge our speed and distance; even to see our signals. Using high beams during the day is ill advised and to not toggling them off when facing traffic at night will just outright blind the other drivers.

[u/deck_hand]

I almost never use high beams on my bike. I ONLY use them when I'm alone on the road. Otherwise, they are dangerous to all around, as I'm blinding someone driving, and I don't want that.

More people know that I'm waving than think I'm signaling to turn. I don't wave in the same way I would signal, anyway.

As I don't ride a sport bike, and if I did, I wouldn't ride it as if I was on a track during track day, I'm not at the edge of my ability to control the bike through a corner in the first place, so the third "everyone does this wrong" doesn't apply, either. So, this is just...wrong.

[u/jdgsr]

Some bikes (like my street triple r), have both lights on for low AND high beams, so that point is kind of out the window.

[u/vtigerex]

I disagree with the two headlight thing. Bikes with two headlights help me distinguish between a motorcycle and a car with a headlight out. And I think the two lights actually help me judge distance, I’ve never mistaken two lights on a motorcycle for a car that’s far away.