in nature we trust

There is a common misconception amongst non-bikers that anybody riding a motorcycle is, by definition, a nut case. This is despite the fact that most accidents involving bikes are caused by other motorists. Yes it is true that a modern super-bike has a performance that is close to that of a Formula 1 car, but these riders are well aware of their vulnerability on the open road. It is unlikely that you will see a rider on a super-bike dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt; the most common sight will be a rider dressed in full leathers, proper boots and beneath all that, spine and kidney protectors, topped off with a top-of-the-range helmet. To paraphrase the legendary motorcycle racer Kenny Roberts, “Only someone with a $10 head wears a $10 helmet.”

So what can the riders do to prevent themselves becoming another road death statistic? The best bike insurance the rider can have is observation skills. There is nothing better than a run through Snake Pass on a visit to Donnington Park; the problem is, though, that lorry that passed through the curves before you might have spilt diesel on the road. Diesel is the real bane of a biker’s life because unlike petrol, it will not evaporate and with a contact patch the size of your credit card, motorcycle tyres cannot cope with unexpected slippery surfaces well. Braking hard into the twisty bits and finding yourself on an oil slick means you will get to have the pleasure of tasting hospital food, and if you're lucky, not for an extended stay. So changes in tarmac colour should wave a warning flag to an observant rider.

Another road hazard that awaits the unwary rider is loose chips; these are most commonly to be found on B roads. Again, the contact patch afforded by a motorcycle tyre cannot deal well with this, particularly under braking. Meeting loose chips on the verge of the road means that you will have an unwelcome introduction to the roadside furniture, i.e. trees, walls and gate posts. Meeting them in the centre of the road can lead to you spilling down the tarmac in front of oncoming traffic; neither a prospect to look forwards to.

The final danger this article will address is traffic pulling out from a side road. Aside from a biker speeding and losing control, this is the cause of most fatal motorcycle accidents. As the driver of the car approaches the junction, they look to their right expecting something that is at least six foot wide and four foot high, they fail to realise that the motorbike, travelling at perhaps 60 MPH is not a car in the distance, rather a vehicle that is very much closer than that. The advice to riders here is to take preventative action, assume that the driver is going to pull out. Being aware of your surroundings is your best bike insurance.