The 'oldies share their wisdom' thread

[Ben]

I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread where anyone can share a bit of knowledge which might help new riders learn things they would have otherwise taken years to figure out.

Whether it's something that you learned as the result of an accident, a little tip you picked up years ago or something you do that you think has set you up well.

Then anyone who's new to biking can scan through this thread and pick up some great tips.

I'll start:

If I'm leaving the bike for any period of time and it's going to be out of my sight, I always fit a disc lock.

[mangocrazy]

If (like me) you no longer ride the bike(s) in winter, add fuel stabiliser to the tank before laying it up and (on older bikes) drain the carbs if possible. Before the first ride of the year ALWAYS check tyre pressures and reinflate as needed.

And never eat the yellow snow.

[fatboy]

If he bike is going to be laid up for a long time then reduce the tyre pressures to mid single figures in PSI or raise the wheels off the floor.
This reduces the risk of creating flat spots on the tyres, then chuck a bit of engine oil down the plug holes.
When ou eventually get to re starting don't hit the leccy starter but put the bike in gear and gently rock back and forth,oil will slowly dribble down the bore.
And disconnect the bloody battery at time of parking up

[RiceBurner]

Slow in, fast out.

[katie1]

Do not, repeat, do not, take any single piece of the bike off before you own an telescopic magnet. You WILL need it to find that bolt you've just dropped somewhere inside the frame...

[Ben]

There's no silver bullet for staying safe on the road and I appreciate my riding can be a little questionable at times but the one rule I try and stick to is: Never overtake around junctions; there's just too much potential for something to happen that's beyond your control.

[RiceBurner]

There's a reason good tyres are (generally speaking) expensive.

[Wally]

If there is a car stationary at a side road junction, watch the wheels, you will notice the wheel rotate quicker than seeing the vehicle move.

[Korky1]

When travelling in a straight line and wanting to turn left, very gently pull on the right hand bar.... this will lean the bike over according to how hard you pull and you will make a nice smooth turn to the left, all due to a thing called ‘ gyroscopic precession’, lovely!

[Korky1]

Travelling down a road try riding in the track of cars right hand wheels. You will find a much better and cleaner surface than in between the tracks where cars drop oil and rubber and gravel collects. As an added bonus you can see further down the road.

[Fatshak]

Especially for newbies. I know this sounds silly but when you’re turning it really helps if you look where your going. Told you it sounded silly. To be more specific, I don’t just mean with your eyes, turn your head in the direction you want to go. You’ll find a small thing like this will make a huge difference to your position and balance.

[mini munchkin]

Check whether you have your disk lock on before you ride away

[mini munchkin]

It is quite possible to pick up pretty much any bike on your own. Here's how:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

[Mrecho]

3 tips for happy riding -

1- ALWAYS err on the side of caution, if there's any doubt that you can't make that overtake/ get through that gap etc then DON'T
2-when splitting lanes go around 20mph or less, some car drivers don't use the bloody mirror if turning.
3-if parking on the road/ driveway overnight get yourself at least 3 GOOD security devices and a rain cover

[fatboy]

It is safe to assume that everybody else out there is deaf,dumb and blind and wants to kill you