learning how to ride - lesson 6 road with traffic lights

What you want to do here is create a route that is a square shape so that you are always turning right (no left turns just yet). The reason for this is that you want to wait until you are comfortable with intersections before crossing lanes within them or waiting for any traffic lights.

Pay close attention to cars turning Left into your lane at intersections. Intersections make up for 50% of all city related motorcycle accidents and 50% of those are from left turning cars. If a car is turning left make sure they see you first before proceeding. You can tell if another car sees you by the driver looking at you, the car coming to a complete stop, and the wheels are straight.

To make yourself more visible to both drivers ahead and behind you, angle your motorcycle across the lane at a 45 degree angle. Your back tire should be in the left tire track of the lane, while the front tire should be in the right tire track. Not only does this increase your perspective so others can see you better, but it will also help you in cutting down the apex of the turn making it easier for you to make the curve.

turning

When turning, generally, slower is better. If you are going to fast and cannot hold the turn, you will end up crossing into another lane of traffic or going off the road. Approach turns and curves with caution and use the four steps -Slow, Look, Lean, Roll, for better control:

slow

Reduce speed before the turn by easing off the throttle, down shifting if necessary, and apply both brakes if needed.

look

When riding, where you look is where you will end up, so look through the turn to where you want to go when turning. Turn just your head, not your shoulders, and keep your eyes level with the horizon.

lean

To turn, the motorcycle must lean. To lean the motorcycle, press on the hand grip in the direction of the turn. Press left — lean left — go left. Press right — lean right — go right. Higher speeds and/or tighter turns require the motorcycle to lean more. Normal turning In normal turns, the rider and the motorcycle should lean together at the same angle. Slow turning In slow tight turns, counterbalance by leaning the motorcycle only and keeping your body straight.

roll

Roll on the throttle through the turn to stabilize suspension. Maintain steady speed or accelerate gradually through the turn. This will help keep the motorcycle stable.