The main one that I was thinking about was.....they taught to adjust your speed to avoid being in blind spots. Makes sense. BUT on the way home from class that night I was behind a bike on a 4 lane road with stoplights every mile or so. Everyone's speed varied just enough that if you got out of the blind spot of one car, that car usually moved or the car in front of the bike slowed down, putting his right back in someone's blind spot. To me, realistically, if the biker was the one making the speed/position decision that statement would be easy to follow but since it's not, he could just do the best he could to stay safe.

 

In heavy traffic it is difficult to stay out of a car's blind spot but cars that come up from behind and pass you at least know you're there and thery're more likely to look for you before changing lanes. I try to stay in the same lane, the entire route, in heavy traffic. Once I have a car in front and a car behind me, I feel relatively safe. Any car's that pass on the left or right see me. It also helps to stay in a lane that has no adjacent lane either on the left or right and then you only have to be concerned with one side.

 

That sounds like something that works much better on an open road or highway, as bar says, tight traffic makes that pretty hard to do.
Thanks for clarifying.

 

the old double post thing again!

 

Thanks for the clarification. I was just reading another thread about safely riding the freeways and am learning just this kind of thing! Classes are great but I like real life lessons, too.

 

congrats and hope you all the best

 

Countersteering. If you've ever ridden a bicycle than you have countersteered and just don't know it. First, you need to clear you head of the notion that in order to turn right you need to turn left. What should be in your mind is that if you want to go right, then push right and lean right. Want to go left? Push left and lean left. That simple.

The part that confuses people is that they think they actually need to turn the handlebars. Basically what happens is that when you push the handle bars to the right, and lean right, the front tire of the motorcycle 'slightly' turns to the left. You are not actually turning the handlebars that direction...well you are...but your not

Just remember...to go right...push right and lean right. To go left...push left and lean left.

 

Congratulations on the new bike and the class.
Think about the things they taught in class and practice them.
Take your time and keep a watchful eye open for the other guy.

Ride safe and have fun!

 

Grats on scoot and completing the edge class. With in first 6 months I had a deer come out in front of me. Also had a cage make a suddon right turn with no signal and locked the rear wheel. Funny how the stuff in class sticks in your head. Both incidents I got out of due to staying calm and not over reacting.....ride safe and enjoy

 

My experience is that I started to forget. Now I practice a LOT. Best freaking thing any rider can do. Yeah, you wonder what all this slow speed **** has to do with riding. You will understand, but only after doing it.