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Survival Skills
CDROMs
just £12.99
Course Notes
If you want to know about
Advanced Riding Skills
start here.
Tarmac Tactics
The latest from Survival Skills -
Practical Survival Tactics
available now!
Getting Started
explains
Direct Access
and how to
Pass the Bike Test
Both packed full of
practical riding
knowledge, hints and tips, in an easy-to-read format
Available from the
SHOP
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Visit the
Survival Skills
FORUM
on Visordown
chat online to the Doctor and get
free help
and
advice
on your riding
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Survival Skills
WEBSITE
recommended by
"StreetBiker"
featured website
Dec/Jan 2002 edition
"a quick search in Google produced what I can only describe as one of the best UK based websites"
"Inroads"
journal of the
Institute of Road Safety Professionals
featured website
December 2001
"interesting to look at and informative to read"
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Updates normally made bi-weekly on Fridays but occasionally I miss an update due to work - please check back. This site is
designed to be viewed in Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Firebird or Netscape Navigator. If you have table display problems in Opera - apologies to all Opera users - it seems to be a browser
problem.
Error reports by email please.
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You can support the upkeep and maintenance of this motorcycle safety resource by purchasing from our
"Amazon"wish list"
Gifts are gratefully received.
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Holiday Riding Tips 1 - Dealing with hairpins (a new occasional series)
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One of the questions I'm regularly asked via the website is how to deal with hairpin bends in the mountains. They're not actually all that tough once you've figured out the right technique but if you get
it wrong, things can get a bit messy.
Hairpins are all about "slow in". Like any bend you should make sure you get the speed adjusted upright before you start to turn, because upright
you can still give them a firm squeeze if you are going a bit too fast. There's no run-off if you are facing a cliff and if you over-shoot the other way you'll be needing a parachute. So it's
particularly important when going downhill you are confident with the brakes, but it IS possible to enter hairpin too quick going uphill too! It's a good idea to practice using the brakes firmly before
you leave, particularly if you are going to be two-up and loaded with gear.
Between hairpins try to get the best view you can, looking either up or down, partly to see where the road actually goes
and to judge how tight the bends are, but also because you might spot other vehicles like coaches or lorries which might need a lot of road in a hairpin and are best avoided.
Particularly going
down hill, you need to give yourself time to pick your line and set the bike up to turn tight, so get on the brakes early and positively. Get your gear selection done early. Going uphill, you'll need to
get the power back on whilst still upright to drive through - if the engine feels like it's about to bog down, slip the clutch rather than try to change gear mid-turn because the bike will stop dead -
don't forget that the steepest part of the turn is usually half way through and on the inside of the turn.
Take the widest entry line you can that is safe, and don't turn in too early - like any
bend, an early turn-in tends to push you wide on the exit. You need to follow the outside of the corner and only turn into the hairpin when you can see up/down the next straight. If you are apexing a
hairpin mid-turn, you are cutting into the corner way too early - misjudge it and you'll be running wide with no margin for error.
Don't put the power on hard too soon. Though you need to turn uphill on the power, too much too soon will push you wide. Get the bike upright and pointed where you want to go, and only then twist the
throttle. You may need to have the back brake on going downhill to stop yourself running wide on the exit before you switch to positive acceleration. Try to minimise gear changes - it's one thing less to
do - let the engine rev and you'll get good drive going up and good engine braking going down.
Couple of other tips...
...if you are nervous about hairpins, getting the first few wrong will
make you nervous about the next few. So take your time to get the first ones right.
...don't follow the rider in front, but ride your own ride. If you copy the guy ahead and they get it wrong, so will
you. You'll also have a poor view.
...don't try to outride the locals. They'll know where the nasty bends are.
...watch out for buses and trucks. They'll need a lot of room to turn, particularly on
narrower roads. Keep well clear and give way by stopping well back from the bend if necessary.
...remember you're dealing with bends. That means polished surfaces, rippled tarmac and fuel spills.
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Note: these pages have been rearranged and you may not arrive at the right page following a keyword search from a search engine - use the index
link above to search for the tip you are interested in.
However, the upside is that they shouldn't move around any more when I add a new article!
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Copyright © 1999-2008 Kevin Williams
Survival Skills
CDROMs
£12.99
Course Notes
and
Tarmac Tactics
If you want to know about advanced riding skills, start here - two
Survival Skills publications on CDROM - both packed full of practical riding knowledge, hints and tips, in an easy-to-read format
Getting Started
Explains Direct Access
and how to pass the test
Guide to CBT
Tells you everything
you need to know about your first day on two wheels
Get them
here!
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Last Page update Thursday, July 17, 2008
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Copyright © 2008 Survival Skills & Kevin Williams
Last Page update Thursday, July 17, 2008
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