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Here are some ideas for new riders and for forgetful seasoned riders, to help make your outings safer. Feel free to add more tips to this thread, someone's life my depend upon it. Make eye contact, and once you are looking the square in the eyes and they are looking you square in the eyes, assume they do not see you anyway. Assume that the other guy will misjudge your speed. When approaching intersections, be prepared in your mind how you will avoid contact when the other driver suddenly turns in front of you at the last moment. Watch your mirrors frequently, and allow the person behing you plent of room for stopping, they will not alway slow done sufficienty - you want to be gone before they can reach you when you turn or slow down. When you are stopped in traffic, for any reason, you are very vulnerable, you cannot maneuver while stationary. Have an escape route planned to beout of the way of the car that is going to hit you from behind, so keep a close watch on cross traffic so you can see the hole you will need to dart through if running through cross traffic is your only way of escape. Keep the threat factor in mind, The bigger a vehicle is, the more visible it is and the more threatening it is. Guess what, you do not represent much of a threat, so bear in mind that the other guy is not afraid of you, and will do stupider things than would otherwise be so. Be confident, not over confident. You might think yourself quicker and mor maneuverable with better stopping power than other vehicles around you, and that might even be true. However, what the bike can do and what you will actually do in an emergency situation, are seldom the same thing Leave yourself margins of safety. Take your vulnerablilites seriously. You are out in the open, and have little protection in a collision. If hit, you will get hurt. You will fall, for stupid reasons, and even a fall while standing still can break bones. Things that are not serious safety concerns in a car, can be fatal on a bike. Confidence grows with experience, faster than skill does. After riding for 6 months, you will feel pretty sure of yourself. DON'T! Letting your gaurd down is asking for trouble, and might lenghten you reaction time, but so can being tense. Find that balance between cockiness and being dethly afraid for your life. Pay attention. Look around a lot. Look around some more. When you are about to transition from a parking lot to a street, consider hesitating in the parking lot somedistance from the street - reason is that you will likely be higher there, and able to see over parked cars. Be aware that often there is water, or sand, or oil on street surfaces, and they can cause you to lose traction during acceleration, deceleration or cornering. Avoiding sudden changes in velocity or direction, will maximize stability in traction challenging situations. Dress appropriatly, it is far better to keep your skin than it is to me comfortable in hot weather. Wearing shorts, sandals, short sleaves as riding atire, is just plain stupid actually. Helmets go without saying. When choosing riding atire, consider how likely it is to tear in a spill, or wear away from abrasion, There is a reason that leather is common, also true with some tough artificial fabrics. Look over the attice for features like daytime visibility, reflectivness, pockets (you do not want to carry things not secured in some way) and flaps, snaps, and zippers that can be configured to keep wind out if could, and force air through when hot.The more comforable it is, the less likely you will want to take it off. Fabrics should be water shedding, if possibility exists for rain riding. Don't ride in fog, just don't. Anytime visibility is limited, riding is a bad idea, but during fog, the streets are slippery also. This means that the car behind you will not see you until he is skidding into you, and you cannot see far enough ahead, so you must ride slower. Of course the stupid driver behind you, won't slow down, and he will see you when it is too late. Don't be afraid to call in sick or take the car and arrive late. Check your tire pressure everytime before you ride. Keep a cell phone with you, and figure out ahead of time, what you will do when you get a flat, after all, you have no spare. I recommend that you prove that you can change (rear) tire roadside, with the tools you will be carrying, if you lack that mechanical, skill, maybe a bike is not your best choice. Don't ride a bike you cannot pick up, or that you cannot put both feet at least mostly flac footed on the ground. On your shoes or boots, no heels, and get soles that are oil resistant. If you have to drive through a puddle or greasy/oily spot, remember that that substance will remain on your tires for a while. Some recommend that you avoid the center of a lane, as that is where the oil and debris is. While that is true, riding off center puts you closer to other cars and truck, and at high speed, winds from them can move you around. Extreme tail winds can cause over heating expecially with an air colled motor, pay attention to that. Gusty side winds can be interesting, but usually not a problem. I gust from your right side, will cause you bike to lean right (sounds wierd but true) and that will make you automatically steer into the wind as a correction, but it can startle you the first time it happens. Be careful using a side stand on a hot day on asphalt (tarmac). It might sink in and topple the bike. Sometimes an inexperienced rider will enter a corner too fast, and then realize "I am going too fast, and won't make this curve!" Chances are the bike will make the curve just fine, if it isn't dragginh the frame on the ground, it is probably not hear it's limits. remain confident and just lean around the turn - resist the urge to go straight, that almost never turns out well. If you are a passenger or what to tell your passenger: Hang on to the waist of the driver, do not be shy. Almost any motorcycle can accerate hard enough to leave you sitting in imbarrassment in the street. However this embarrassment is short lived, the followuing car is only seconds behind you. When the driver leans the motorcycle, do not fight it, and do not add to it, follow the riders lean motion, Motorcycles do not turn or steer with the handlebars, the handlebars only help leverage a lean.So when a passanger leans differently that the driver, he or she is fighting and hurting the drivers ability to control the bike. Upholstery. Really? Yes really. Many motorcyclists take pride in the appearnace of their rides. Some atempt to use upholstery cleaners and conditioners. Use caution here. SOmetimes these productc contain slippery ingredients, and in combination with some riding suit material, create a situation not unlike trying to cactch a greased pig with teflon cloves. A little throttle and you look like the inexperiences passenger we just described, except you are more embarrased becuase you cannot blame another driver.