Did you think everybody experiences speed the same? Think again. Are you able to sync with your motorcycle capabilities and enjoy it to the max? Do you ever make minor adjustments to your bike to fit your body type? Here are some aspects of motorcycling that affect rider safety.
1. Speed is relative in nature, everyone experiences it differently
When I was really young, a ride on a scooter at 60 kph through narrow Delhi roads would seem like very high speed. Recently, I took a Suzuki Hayabusa to 260 kph and I felt that I could still go faster. As we get hold of more powerful motorcycles, gain more experience and roads get better and wider, the speed that we experience and get used to would also go up. But, this is not for everyone.
When we are behind slow-moving cars, commuter motorcycles, autorickshaws, we get really annoyed and we just want them to move to the side and let us zoom away. We feel frustrated that they are not letting us ride at our usual speeds and enjoy the ride.
Even when we pick-up speed on seemingly empty roads, despite seeing us coming, someone would just jump in suddenly and we panic-brake to avoid hitting them. We call them stupid and what not before accelerating again. At crossings, some would see us approaching yet decide to cross anyway and we are forced to brake hard to let them cross first.
In all these things, we forget the fact that, just because we have a powerful high-speed motorcycle doesn't mean the world has also gone faster for everybody. Daily pedestrians who walk to earn a livelihood are still experiencing the world at a much slower speed where the speeds of cows walking, autorickshaws moving, low-capacity commuter bikes turning and cycles are their reference points.
As this is a very important factor in predicting and avoiding accidents, I will elaborate this in a separate article, watch out this space for the article soon.
The lesson to learn here: Everyone experiences speed differently. Just because you have a powerful motorcycle and fast reflexes doesn't mean others should also jump around at lightening speed to make way for you. Learn to moderate your bike speed to accommodate the slow reflexes of other riders, driver and pedestrians. Sometimes, many a times, your mind has to compensate for other people's miscalculations.
2. The tango between speed, braking, changing direction (agility) and reflexes
I have always been an enthusiastic rider. No matter what bike I sit on, I like to push it a bit to understand its capabilities and experience what it has to offer. With time, I realized that when I am on the move and if I want to fully enjoy a motorcycle without getting into an accident then four things matter a lot. These four aspects of spirited riding includes speed, braking, changing direction and your sharp reflexes.
If you master the different behaviors of a motorcycle at different speeds, its braking, how effectively you can change its direction using different techniques, and you happen to have sharp reflexes, then you will not only enjoy the motorcycle fully but do it safely too (relatively speaking). An effective motorcycle riding is like doing a tango partner dance and your four most reliable partners are speed, braking, agility and sharp reflexes.
The lesson to learn here: There could be a 1000 different things that goes into safe riding practices but if you want to push a motorcycle without getting into trouble then remember that a spirited motorcycling is a tango between speed, braking, agility and reflexes.
3. Adjust your lever and suspension setting for rider safety
A lot of motorcycles, especially the ones in the premium category, come with adjustable lever setting, up to 5 levels for both clutch and brake. It is advisable to adjust the lever length from the handlebar to suit one's hand/finger length and reach. Every hand size is different and the distance between the fingers and lever can directly affect the emergency braking and reaction time during an accident.
The longer the distance between your resting palm and levers, the more difficult it will be to pull them effortlessly and effectively. What I have personally noticed is that people don't even pay attention to this aspect and they adapt to the lever distance without accounting for panic braking situations where that small distance could make a huge difference with respect to braking distance.
Similarly, your motorcycle's suspension settings can influence your bike's agility and stability. All motorcycles come with suspension systems tuned for the average rider with average weight. If the motorcycle suspension is too soft for your height and weight then it will be jumping all over the place around corners at high speeds and through potholes. You might want to stiffen it up or loosen it according to your weight and height.
I had set my Kawasaki Versys's suspension to the softest setting and I could feel the difference immediately. On straight roads, the suspension would iron out all mild bumps like a magic carpet. But, around corners I could feel my motorcycle unsettle a bit and I would slow down and lean less to compensate for the soft suspension setting. If you keep the suspension too stiff then it will eject you off the seat over hard potholes.
The lesson to learn here: Adjust your brake and clutch lever settings according to your finger length. Keep them closer within your fingers' reach, but not too close. Adjust your motorcycle suspension according to your weight and height for better stability, feedback and control.
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