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Rider Ed for June 2009 Road Hazards
The first hazard you may encounter is “Gators” or those infamous retreads that get ripped off of truck tires. The best advise on these is to avoid them if possible. We as humans are apt to stare at the item in the road (called Target Fixation) and after hitting it we wonder why we did that. If for some reason you do hit the object, get to somewhere safe and check over your bike. Motorcyclist has known to have tires blow out, damage to their radiators or brake lights from encountering gators. Being hit by a small one will leave a mark and a bigger one could break a bone or cut you pretty seriously. Another hazard exposed steel open girders or beams on bridges and overpasses. If you cannot avoid them slow down before approaching. Rely on pulling in the clutch versus hitting your brakes. If you must use your brakes,” ride the back one. Lips in the road can also bring a bike down. The bigger the lip you go over, the more direct or 90 degree angle you need to approach it at. You need to slow down slightly and come off the seat a little and push your weight forward slightly. This will help keep the front wheel on the ground and prevent you from a large “jolt”. Road construction is everywhere. New patches of asphalt and lane groves cause tar squiggles, Tar squiggles (Tar Snakes) are a temporary fix to repair cracks in the asphalt. When wet these are slick and in the heat, they get gooey so handle with caution. Try crossing the tar strips instead of riding on them. Grooved road are a different hazard all together. They tend to be recessed in the road, may have gravel and sand or fill with water when raining. If encountering one of these areas, slow down, keep your head up, lighten up on the handlebars and try not to fight the bike. Gravel is a different culprit all together, depending on how fresh it is, size of the stones, and condition of the under road. In rain the under road becomes soft and mushy. Fresh gravel is little more treacherous to ride in that packed gravel. Smaller grave is easier to ride in (Unless it is sand size) than large gravel. To ride in this you need to keep your head up and ride slowly. If you are riding in a group give everyone enough space to handle these items on an individual basis. Remember to wear proper riding attire, play it safe and look out for each other and the other drivers on the road. Taken from Biker Ally magazine. |
