Page 35 - June Edition.cdr
P. 35
“If something feels off—weather, mechanical issue,
your own state of mind—listen to that voice.”
L i f e s a v i n g R u l e : cars. Your bike occupies 10% of Let's drop the curtain for a second.
Check your ego at the ignition. Ride their visual field. They're not Here's what ignoring these tips can
for you. Not for the audience. The scanning for that—especially when get you:
smartest riders are often the distracted.
· A punctured lung from a no-
slowest when it matters most. L i f e s a v i n g R u l e : gear crash
6. Ride Sober. Ride Straight. No Never assume right-of-way. Make
· Permanent nerve damage
Excuses. eye contact. Use your horn. Flash from road rash
high beams. Position yourself in
This should be obvious—but it isn't.
mirrors. Stay in blind-spot shadows · A totaled bike because you
Even one drink affects your as little as possible. chased a faster rider
reaction time. Riding hungover is · Waking up in a trauma ward,
nearly as bad as riding drunk. And Be seen, or be gone. unsure what happened
drugs? Legal or not, if they alter
your mental state, they don't belong 9. Fatigue and Dehydration Kill · A coffin on a trailer at your
on the road with you. Focus—and Focus Keeps You funeral, carried by your
Alive riding buddies
Your motorcycle doesn't care if
you're “just a little buzzed.” Neither You wouldn't fly a plane while These are not theoretical. These
do the laws of physics. exhausted or dehydrated, right? happen every single week in the
Yet motorcyclists routinely go on global riding community.
L i f e s a v i n g R u l e :
You wouldn't hand a drunk friend a long rides without proper hydration,
loaded gun. Don't give one to food, or rest. Tired eyes and a foggy What These Tips Are Not
yourself in the form of 200 kg of m i n d m a k e f o r d a n g e r o u s These aren't meant to scare you
speed and steel. decisions. out of riding. They're meant to
On a bike, every second counts. scare you into riding smart.
Every choice has consequences. Motorcycles are not dangerous. It's
7 . P r a c t i c e E m e r g e n c y
Braking—Until You Can't Get It L i f e s a v i n g R u l e : how people ride them that is.
Wrong Hydrate regularly. Eat light. Stop Motorcycles: thrilling, beautiful,
every 90–120 minutes. Stretch. r a w .
Most riders freeze up or over-brake
when the worst happens. They Breathe. Don't ignore the signs of Stupid decisions: lethal.
either lock the brakes or don't apply fatigue—your brain is your first
enough. In a panic moment, your safety system. Final Thoughts: Ride Hard. Ride
brain goes to muscle memory. If Smart. Ride Alive.
you've never practiced hard stops, 10. When in Doubt, Abort the You'll hear a lot of voices in your
your instincts will betray you. Ride
motorcycling life. Some will tell you
ABS helps—but it's not magic. Gut feelings exist for a reason. If to loosen up, enjoy the ride, live
Learn to stop like your life depends something feels off—weather, fast. Some will tell you that safety
on it. Because it does. mechanical issue, your own state gear is for wimps or that accidents
of mind—listen to that voice. are just “bad luck.”
L i f e s a v i n g R u l e :
Practice emergency braking in a Too many riders have ignored Ignore them.
safe lot. Front brake 70–80% warning signs and paid the price.
pressure. Squeeze, don't grab. That wobble in the bars. That weird Trust the voices of those who've
crashed and come back. Trust the
Practice until it's automatic. brake noise. That mental fog from a riders who've buried friends. Trust
stressful day. It all adds up.
the old heads who've survived long
8. You Are Invisible—Act L i f e s a v i n g R u l e : enough to ride with wisdom instead
Accordingly There is no shame in turning of ego.
around. Ride another day. The road
You may be wearing hi-vis. Your Motorcycling is one of life's greatest
lights might be on. Your exhaust isn't going anywhere. You have joys. And when done right, it's worth
might be loud. Still, assume no one nothing to prove—and everything every risk. But you've got to stack
sees you. to lose. the odds in your favor. LHR
Why? Because people don't look
for motorcycles. They look for Brutal But True: The Real Cost of
Ignoring the Rules
LHR MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE 35 JUNE 2025
