Those Steep Edges of New Pavement Can Be Your Downfall

David Hough © 2005

Reprinted for educational purposes from Motorcycle Consumer News with permission of the author.

You’re on a quiet two-lane highway in forest country, enjoying a relaxed July ride. There are signs that deer is present, so you continue to watch the side of the road. You also know that logging trucks come roaring through, so you check on the mirrors occasionally. And when you do see an empty logging truck gaining on you rapidly, you move over into a convenient slower traffic lane to let the trucker by. Suddenly your tires bump down over a steep pavement edge, and you realize the left lane has just been repaved. At the end of that lane, you gradually ease back toward the left, but when your front wheel hits the edge of the new pavement, the handlebars are suddenly yanked from your grasp, and the bike slams over onto its left side in a shower of broken plastic.

Fortunately, your decision to wear your leathers today paid off in limiting your injuries to bruises, and the bike is still operable, but you can’t believe how quickly you lost control of balance. While it is wise to let faster moving traffic go by, you should be more aware of the road surface before changing lanes. Even though there may not be any warning signs of an edge trap, the difference in color and texture of the new and old paving is a clue. You should expect hazardous edge traps wherever highway repaving is in progress. Steep pavement edges can trap the front tire of a two-wheeler and make it very difficult to maintain balance if you approach at a narrow angle. To bounce the front wheel up and over such edge traps without falling, it is essential to move away from the edge and then swing back at a wider angle-preferably at least 45 degrees.

David Hough essential books for safe and advanced riding (presented in all OMM Theory sessions) are available at Bowtie Press, 888 738-2665 or Whitehorse Press 800 531-1133. (WWW.whithehorsepress.com)

Remember that loose debris gets pushed to the center of the lane

Reprinted for educational purposes from Motorcycle Consumer News with permission of the author.

You’re riding in heavy traffic with your defences on full alert. All three lanes are crowded with cars, and you’re especially  attentive to vehicles around you that might suddenly change lanes or stop. You maximize your road space by riding in the center of your lane. To discourage another driver from suddenly changing lanes right in front of you, you close up the gap, but you compensate for the too-close following distance by looking over and around the vehicles ahead to spot hazards, and cover the clutch and front brake lever.

Suddenly, a large brick appears from under the car ahead, exactly in the center of the lane. Before you can even think about swerving, the bike’s front wheel is vaulted upward, then the rear end is thrown sideways as the rear tire also ricochets off the spinning brick. You barely manage to avoid to spill, but the bike is now wobbling. Working your way to the side of the road, you discover that both rims are severely dented and the tires are going flat.

Sometimes you can’t avoid getting boxed into traffic situations that don’t allow an adequate view of the road surface. While it is wise to scrutinize traffic ahead and prepare for a quick stop, riding in the center of the lane exposes you to surface hazards such as wooden blocks, potholes pavement breaks, grease strips, or bricks, which four wheeled vehicles can straddle. When the close proximity of traffic prevents you from having an adequate view of the street surface ahead, you might consider riding in one of the wheel tracks rather than the center of the lane.

David Hough essential books for safe and advanced riding (presented in all OMM Theory sessions) are available at Bowtie Press, 888 738-2665 or Whitehorse Press 800 531-1133. (WWW.whithehorsepress.com)