The basic rules
You share the road with many other users: motorcyclists, car drivers, pedestrians, truckers, farmers, cyclists... You must therefore be extra vigilant, both for yourself and for others. You are on vacation in an unknown region, on roads you are discovering? You are probably not the only one: watch out for hesitant behavior, sudden stops, and changes of direction that are not signaled or at the last moment.
Respect safe distances. Adapt your speed to traffic conditions to allow you to deal with the unexpected, while still enjoying the ride. On dry ground, you can use the following method to determine the minimum safe distance from a vehicle in front of you. Determine a fixed point on the side of the road. Count 2 seconds when the vehicle in front of you has passed it. If you pass this marker before the 2-second marker is over, you are too close.
When traction is poor, increase the time and remember that in emergency braking, ABS systems prevent wheel lock-up, but increase stopping distance.
Go in good physical condition. Whether alone, in a duo, in a group, in a thunderstorm or in any other conditions, undertaking a motorcycle trip requires a good physical condition. You're usually traveling longer and more strenuous distances than your daily route or Sunday ride. You have to take into account that a loaded motorcycle, especially in duo, weighs a lot (sometimes more than 400 kg). Your legs will work when you stop and maneuver. On top of that, there is the nervous and mental fatigue due to the attention, doubled by the fact of riding on unknown roads. It is therefore vital to drive only at your best.
Avoid fatigue. If you are not used to long journeys, get some rest, make sure you sleep well the night before departure, eat lightly before setting off, and do not hesitate to stop at the first sign of drowsiness. On the highway in particular, the monotony of the route and the impression of safety lead to a decrease in attention. As soon as you feel your eyelids getting heavy, your eyes dropping towards the dashboard and not farther ahead, or experience those one-second micro-sleeps from which you wake up with a start, reduce your speed, open your helmet to take a breath of fresh air and stop imperatively at the next rest area.
Don't overdo it. Before the start as well as during the break, don't abuse coffee and tobacco, which give you a feeling of whiplash, followed by an even greater drop in your ability to concentrate. During meals, eat light. If you do indulge in a gourmet lunch, give yourself time to digest, even if it's only for half an hour. A little nap never killed anyone, but a lack of alertness did. Of course, the consumption of alcohol, drowsy medications and drugs is to be avoided in all cases. We remind you that 0.2 g per liter of blood is the authorized blood alcohol limit for young drivers, against 0.5 g per liter for others.
The two-man motorcycle
You are responsible for your passenger, physically and morally. It is up to you to make sure that they arrive at the right destination and appreciate this way of riding. How many lives or vocations have been ruined by bikers who wanted to show off to a novice passenger?
Carrying an adult. This is the most common case. For a transport of a few hundred meters, a ride or a trip of several days, the precautions to take are always the same For the rider: If your companion is not used to motorcycles, take the time - before starting the engine and without the helmet - to remind the safety rules: when and how to get on and off the motorcycle, where and how to hold on, how to behave during acceleration, braking, cornering, stopping...
When getting on or off the passenger, do not hesitate to put the side stand in safety first and make sure that you are in neutral.
It is not natural for a beginner to lean over the void in a turn. It is therefore necessary to approach the first curves gently, to bring the passenger to take the measure of the gyroscopic force, the adherence, the balance... Once ready, while the engine is warming up, help your passenger to check his equipment. Make the passenger feel confident by driving appropriately. Try to reassure him/her, especially in the first few minutes, by driving smoothly, without jerks and more slowly than usual. Remember that the passenger has much less anticipation than the pilot and is not in control of the machine. Stop regularly to let your passenger stretch his or her legs and give you feedback so that you can further adapt your driving. Don't forget that the passenger often cools down and gets tired faster than the rider. For the passenger: Get on or off the motorcycle respecting the balance axis of the machine and when the rider indicates it. Try to be one with the rider by following his movements. This is especially important when you are cornering. Without your help, the rider will not be able to negotiate the curve properly and the motorcycle may go straight or lean out excessively.
Get into the habit of looking at the road to anticipate the rider's position. Avoid any sudden movements that may startle the rider and throw the bike off balance. At high speeds, be careful not to turn your head too quickly. Do not lean on the rider's back when braking and avoid hitting the helmet. Using the grab handle on the back of the seat will help you keep your distance.
If you want to indicate something you want to see, you might as well say it out loud - by microphone or by raising the visor. In the latter case, if the speed is too high, agree on a code to ask to reduce the speed and be able to talk to each other, with pats on the back or shoulder, and never on the helmet!
Carrying a child. It is possible to take a child behind you, with accommodations and with constant awareness of the vulnerability of young passengers. The law does not set a minimum age for the passenger, it is the size of the passenger that counts. However, the Highway Traffic Act states that a child under 5 years of age must be seated and secured in an approved seat with integrated and adjustable footrests and a handle or belt. Children over 5 years of age must be able to put their feet on the footrests and hold on with the help of the hand strap or side handles. Child motorcycle seats are available from 2.5 years to 8 years of age. The adult riding the motorcycle must check that the child's legs do not hang down and cannot get caught between the wheel and the fixed part. When riding a sidecar, the law requires that a maximum of one child be carried in the basket and one in the seat: the concept of "half-person" does not apply. The passenger of a sidecar must wear a helmet, unless the hitch is equipped with approved safety belts. Protection: Children should be as well (or better) protected as adults and should wear full protective gear that covers the entire body. Choose with him a full-face helmet (for better protection) specific to his head size and imperatively approved. On the move: When traveling, it is best to reduce speed and avoid "leaning" too much with a child behind you. To further reduce the risk of falling, a top-case or a bag avoids tipping backwards. As with any passenger, an intercom will allow the child to talk to the driver without having to bend over. Fatigue: It is important to remember that a child tires more quickly than an adult and may fall asleep, especially in hot weather. Taking the road with him requires more breaks than usual, at least every half hour, taking the opportunity to remind him of the safety rules, sometimes too quickly forgotten.
Preparation of the motorcycle for the duo. Riding together requires some adjustments to your machine. Adjust the tires to the recommended pressure (indicated on the sidewall), harden the settings of the rear shock absorber and adapt the height of the headlight beam. Some models allow this last maneuver more quickly than others, especially when the adjustment is hidden by a fairing component. Touching the shock settings can be quite tricky, so test the different configurations and find the best setting before you hit the road. Before leaving for a long trip, a small test under the load conditions of the trip will not be too much to get new marks and judge the expected comfort.
The effects of loading. With a passenger and/or luggage, your motorcycle becomes heavier with important consequences on its behavior: less power, longer braking distances, tendency to go out of corners, decrease of the handling...
Concerning power and braking, there is only one thing to do: anticipate. The lack of recovery makes it more difficult to overtake without being well launched. Be careful not to keep your old reflexes, especially if you have a light motorcycle (without load). The new width of your motorcycle and its lesser manoeuvrability mean that you should not overtake as often as you would on your own and without luggage. As far as understeer is concerned, smoother trajectories can compensate for this problem. In general, practice riding with the loads of the trip to get a feel for what should be considered a new ride.
Even without a passenger, riding with luggage requires an adjustment in your riding style, and not just because of the new behavior of a heavier bike. If you're a fan of home-made luggage, bags secured with a net or straps, you know the risks: it's not uncommon to lose an item of clothing or an object that has fallen from the saddle. If you use hard luggage, you are normally safe, as long as you respect the speed limits indicated by the manufacturers of adaptable luggage for their products. Finally, if you ride with a backpack, the problem is not so much with the bike as with yourself. Because a bag puts pressure on your back that can become painful. It also does not improve your comfort in the buttocks area, which is often damaged on a motorcycle. Remember, in case of a fall, the backpack represents an additional risk of injury.
Risks on the road
Motorcycle safety depends in part on the condition of the road. This varies a lot depending on the weather or the quality of the surface.
The different configurations. Regardless of the type of area in which you are riding (mountain, seaside, countryside), this quality varies according to its age, any work that may have been carried out and whether or not the section of road you are riding on is regularly maintained. The maintenance of the roads being in charge of a municipality, a department or an interdepartmental direction, it is not rare that the state of the road suddenly changes at the border of some and the others. For freeways, the freeway companies are responsible for maintenance.
In hot weather. One of the worst summer hazards is sun-softened tar. It reduces the grip of your tires, especially when braking, and causes your machine to "veer" on the corner. Be especially careful of the asphalt repairs found on so-called "healthy" roads, and traffic circles where the pavement cracks have been repaired by these black flows, which are fortunately easily spotted.
In wet weather. Beware of the ground markings (crosswalks, zebra stripes, arrows and other white stripes). Some of them are said to be "anti-slip", but they are often extremely slippery and all the more dangerous if the motorcyclist approaches them at an angle. The same advice applies to all manholes and cast iron or steel plates on the road.
In the country. Beware of dung and mud at the exits of meadows and farms. Count on farm equipment to leave some of their harvest on the road and to deposit clumps of dirt falling from their large tires.
In the mountains. The road will often be in very uneven condition, especially after the snow melts. Beware also of rocks left by a landslide and potholes in winter-damaged roads.
In traffic circles. Oil traces and diesel spills from overfilled tanks are more abundant there than elsewhere. It is preferable to approach and use them avoiding the outside of the roadway, because that is where the spills are the most significant. Also, these areas are relatively dangerous due to last minute changes in direction by some users or sudden slowdowns that can occur on the ring road when there are crosswalks at the exit.
Approaching speed bumps. Beware of speed bumps, which are becoming more and more numerous, both in cities and in small towns and at the approach of intersections. They can make you lose control of your machine if you cross them too quickly, destabilize your passenger or simply damage your machine or certain accessories.
At gas stations. Don't put your wheels or feet on the diesel fuel tracks. Rinse or clean your soles as soon as possible if you have put your foot in this type of fuel, otherwise slipping when you put your foot on the ground at the next red light or stop sign is almost guaranteed.
Night and bad weather
When traveling, it sometimes happens to ride at night, either for pleasure, by leaving before dawn to avoid traffic jams, or by coming back later than planned from a ride. Less predictable than daylight, rain, wind and fog can be present on long trips. These deteriorating conditions require a high level of concentration and a rigorous adaptation of one's driving to the conditions encountered. A clean visor (not tinted), well adjusted optics and a reduced speed are the first imperatives.
Apart from the attention to the road surface which we have already mentioned in the section above, here are some tips on a case by case basis:
In case of rain. There is no need to make any special adjustment of the tire pressure when it rains. If your machine is equipped with it, make sure that you are in "Rain" driving mode and that the traction control is activated to limit the risk of hydroplaning. Avoid puddles (you'd only know how deep they are if you drove through them) that may be hiding a hole.
In case of wind. Be careful when overtaking, crossing bridges or driving through open areas. The force of the crosswind can suddenly increase as the side obstacles disappear and blow you off course. Don't ride too close to the side of the road and hold on tight to your handlebars.
In fog. Do not use your high beam: its beam must light up far away, it will "hit" an impenetrable wall and will not help you at all. The phenomenon is identical in case of snowfall. Just use low beam headlights, supplemented by the fog lights that you may have. Be careful of vehicles following you and at stops: your rear light is not equipped with fog lights and you may not be seen in time.
If there is a risk of icy conditions. Cold weather is merciless and the numbness of the limbs and the reduced sensitivity of the extremities can greatly slow down your reflexes. Avoid all shiny surfaces on the ground and shaded areas, and therefore colder. Take a route using the main roads which will theoretically be salted, and therefore safer: do not venture into private streets and yards. Choose your parking spot carefully and do not attempt to ride on a sidewalk. If your motorcycle has been sleeping in the warmth of your garage, the riskiest thing you can do is to ride the distance between your garage and the already salty public road.
In case of snow. If a little snow covers the road, in addition to the above tips, try to stay in the tire tracks of the vehicles in front of you. When starting and stopping, choose the latter over the former and be prepared to put your foot down.
Animals, big and small
Despite the quietness of the roads that the motorcyclist usually takes, the countryside, mountains or forests crossed are all places where wildlife is present, but hidden. Even if collisions are quite rare, be vigilant, because the sudden appearance of an animal, even a small one, is surprising and can lead to dangerous reactions of avoidance or sudden braking. Dawn and dusk are the two times of day when animals are most common on or near roads.
Regardless of the road you are driving on, and whether or not it is protected by fences on both sides, the most reckless animals will not hesitate to jump out on one side of the road before disappearing on the other... when they don't suddenly stop in the middle of the road before turning around for an apparent reason.
The crossing of a forest can provoke more surprises because there is not the visibility that one can have in the middle of the fields (be careful when the crops are high). It therefore implies an increased vigilance, a reduced speed and possibly a trajectory close to the central strip to have a little more time to react.
Finally, think about the insects that, like you, like good weather. Their company "on board" can be very unpleasant! It is therefore wise to protect yourself by riding with your visor down and your jacket closed. If your neck is not sufficiently protected by the latter, wear a scarf or a neck wrap.
Warning means and devices
The smartphone is the first means of alert that any motorcyclist on a ride must have. In addition to the possibility of calling directly for help (the mechanic in less dramatic cases), this precious tool can also be coupled with different downloadable applications and/or systems integrated to your machine and intended to determine a fall or a sudden stop against an obstacle.
Mobile applications. Some of our smartphones' applications are able to detect the accident we could be victim of. It is an advanced algorithm of the program that allows to detect the shock perceived by the cell phone of the pilot (or passenger). The application sends an alert signal to a call center with the geolocation data collected by the GPS of the smartphone. The center immediately tries to call you back on your cell phone before sending the emergency services to the accident site. The application can also automatically send a message to relatives whose contact details you have pre-saved. In 2021, Liberty Rider and Cosmo are the main leaders in the French market and each offer their own application.
The eCall system. The eCall is an electronic device integrated into the vehicle that allows for automatic emergency calls by transmitting the geolocation of the accident site to a 112 call center. The latter is responsible for alerting the emergency services. The call can also be made manually using a dedicated button accessible in the passenger compartment. This equipment is mandatory on all new motor vehicles since April 1, 2018.
While mandatory on two-wheelers is not yet on the agenda, BMW did lead the way in 2017 by offering this system as a factory option on its top-of-the-line models, with its own call center. No communication system is needed in the helmet for voice communication with the BMW call center: a speaker and microphone are pre-installed on the handlebars. The system already works in France and several European countries, and the list is growing. Beware, however: the system only works if a cell phone network is available at the location of the call or accident.