Motorcycling Advice

[Davidtav]

So I seem to have had two eras of motorcycling. The early era which culminated in me commuting on an er5 from Essex into Central London every day. Filtering past everything … and then a gap of 20 years to the modern era. I booked some training with a company. Although I had full license I wanted to check if I still fancied it. Anyway after riding around on a Kawasaki Z 650 with the instructor following. He gave me these points:

On a motorway don’t ride at 70, cars are expecting you to go fast. Accelerate up to 80 plus and find clean air

Don’t bother indicating unless it’s really necessary

 

Well I loved my day on the bike and have bought an identical one. I did take the advice given with a pinch of salt. But I’m increasingly finding I’m following both of them. Would appreciate thoughts?

 

And as far as filtering. I used to be a demon. But hardly ever do it now. I am aware that my reactions now are a lot slower. Just my thoughts 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bender]

34 minutes ago, Davidtav said:

So I seem to have had two eras of motorcycling. The early era which culminated in me commuting on an er5 from Essex into Central London every day. Filtering past everything … and then a gap of 20 years to the modern era. I booked some training with a company. Although I had full license I wanted to check if I still fancied it. Anyway after riding around on a Kawasaki Z 650 with the instructor following. He gave me these points:

On a motorway don’t ride at 70, cars are expecting you to go fast. Accelerate up to 80 plus and find clean air

Don’t bother indicating unless it’s really necessary

 

Well I loved my day on the bike and have bought an identical one. I did take the advice given with a pinch of salt. But I’m increasingly finding I’m following both of them. Would appreciate thoughts?

 

And as far as filtering. I used to be a demon. But hardly ever do it now. I am aware that my reactions now are a lot slower. Just my thoughts 

 

 

 

 

 

I would just go with the flow, ride how your happy to, I see plenty of bikers that don't filter. 

[Bender]

I've deleted the other thread  

[Davidtav]

Thanks Bender. Yes sometimes think maybe I should filter?  And I used to do it all the time. Just don’t feel like it these days

Edited August 22, 2021 by Davidtav

[Davidtav]

I was particularly interested in views on the two bits of advice from instructor which I’m leaning toward these days. These are:

 

accelerate up to 80 plus and get away from cars on motorway. 
 

don’t signal unless necessary 

[KiwiBob]

8 minutes ago, Davidtav said:

I was particularly interested in views on the two bits of advice from instructor which I’m leaning toward these days. These are:

 

accelerate up to 80 plus and get away from cars on motorway. 
 

don’t signal unless necessary 

You won't get away from cars by doing 80mph on my stretch of the M1 so how fast are you going to go? 85? 90? .. then you'll lose your licence.

 

As for indicating on the road/motorway .. I want people to know exactly what I'm going to do.

 

The only place I usually don't indicate is going around parked cars!

 

[Davidtav]

Yeah Kiwibob … I think might have been instruction to accelerate away. I agree with your comment

 

yeah I agree with your comment about indicating but I am understanding what the instructor was saying. And I am indicating less

[manxie49]

If he's advising you to accelerate up to 80+ to get away from cars on a motorway, then he's advising you to break the law, dangerous advice with all the "average" speed cameras on motorways now, and is good advice to follow if your other hobby is collecting points.  Yes,  twisting the throttle to get you out of trouble IMHO is acceptable,  but if you read the road, ride within your limitations and keep your wits about you,  you shouldn't often find yourself in that predicament.  As for signalling,  yes, there are times when you may not need to signal,  remember, you signal to warn other roads users what you're doing, as much for your well being as theirs. If there's nothing else on the road, then again, IMHO, there would be no need to signal.  When it comes to filtering,  if you're not comfortable doing it then don't,  don't feel pressurised to follow the crowd and do what you see others doing, riding outside of your personal comfort zone usually ends in one way only.  Enjoy the ride mate and stay safe 

[Davidtav]

Yeah Manxie49. My thoughts exactly. But almost three years in I’m thinking I know where he was coming from

[James in Brum]

I do not follow that advice. Only been on a bigger bike a couple of years but done about twenty thousand miles and would not ride as described by the instructor.

i don’t indicate if there is not one to see but otherwise I do -)

[S-Westerly]

I'll indicate when there's someone to see. Speed wise I'm a bad lad. I don't like being on the motorway surrounded by idiots so I'll get away from them if I can. Of course if its endless miles all going at 65 it's difficult. As to filtering I'll do it when the traffic is really slow or stationery but not at speed.

[Davidtav]

Yeah. I’m agreeing with folks. It’s probably nonsense

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I don't like motorways because they are boring but my usual strategy is to find myself a bit of a bubble and keep some space around me. Generally I find keeping to the speed limit works better than trying to go above it. Most cars are doing over 80. I just stick to the inner lane and let them get on with it.

 

I filter whenever it is safe to do so, but always at a speed not much greater than the traffic flow. Too much can happen too quickly in busy traffic to be filtering fast.

[Stu]

Speed wise I do the same sort of speeds when safe to do so 

 

as for the indicating advice I use the rule of who would benefit from the indication? moving across when coming up behind a car when there is nothing within the immediate vicinity then I don't indicate as the car in front is probably not going to see it and anything behind is probably not close enough to benefit from it 

 

If its busy and a lot of traffic about then indicators are used all the time 

[Steve_M]

Join your local IAM or RoSPA group and work towards your test (no need to take it, but the guidance you get will clarify those points).

 

 

[exportmanuk]

20 hours ago, Steve_M said:

Join your local IAM or RoSPA group and work towards your test (no need to take it, but the guidance you get will clarify those points).

 

 

Good idea, but warning both groups expect you to adhere to speed limits.  Motorways  generally when joining I accelerate/chase into a gap if I can rather than slow/drop back in to a gap, That way you are looking forward in to the space you will use rather than behind you so much. One on the motorway if I can then go at a happy medium. I try to avoid getting boxed into a particular lane look to keep space around me that allows me to change lane easily if I can. If it  is safer to exceed the limit for a short time I will but these days I try to stick to the Limit +10%  so I am within ACPO guidelines. Indicators I use them if there is someone around to benefit but avoid starting to indicate where it may cause confusion  eg turnings when there are two options close together or to move lane when there is a junction close by.  If you are on facebook this guy talks a lot of sense ( Though his voice is very boring to listen too) https://www.facebook.com/SurvivalSkills

Edited August 23, 2021 by exportmanuk

[Steve_M]

56 minutes ago, exportmanuk said:

Good idea, but warning both groups expect you to adhere to speed limits.  Motorways  generally when joining I accelerate/chase into a gap if I can rather than slow/drop back in to a gap, That way you are looking forward in to the space you will use rather than behind you so much. One on the motorway if I can then go at a happy medium. I try to avoid getting boxed into a particular lane look to keep space around me that allows me to change lane easily if I can. If it  is safer to exceed the limit for a short time I will but these days I try to stick to the Limit +10%  so I am within ACPO guidelines. Indicators I use them if there is someone around to benefit but avoid starting to indicate where it may cause confusion  eg turnings when there are two options close together or to move lane when there is a junction close by.  If you are on facebook this guy talks a lot of sense ( Though his voice is very boring to listen too) https://www.facebook.com/SurvivalSkills

I’ll have a look at that. 

[Bianco2564]

Bizarre advice from a "trained" person whose role is to educate and promote safer riding.

Whatever next? Insurance; pah , waste of time thats for suckers. Ride on the left; nah just take the racing line you will be faster.

They should stick to the script (if they have one), not just spout personal habits.

Who trains the trainers?