The interminable argument – daytime riding lights and hi-vis clothing

  The interminable argument – daytime riding lights and hi-vis clothing

(First published 22 September 06 on www.survivalskills.co.uk)

If there is one thread on Visordown.com that I dread reappearing, it’s the regular discussion about whether or not to wear hi-visibility clothing and to use daytime riding lights (DRL). Partly because although it’s all been said many times, there is always someone who hasn’t read the arguments and refuses to listen to any rational argument.

The issue resurfaced in the last 10 days or so (last done to death in January) and has been rumbling on as it always does – it’s an interminable argument, but it’s one where there should be no winners or losers. It shouldn’t be about taking “sides” but an issue where ideas are examined logically. But for some reason, it always ends up with an “it’s obvious – if you wear hi vis people will see you easier”/”no they won’t” kind of argument.

Those who approach the issue with a closed mind won’t learn anything, except to discover the surprising degree of conflict between those who believe they are safer using visibility aids and those who think that the benefits are exaggerated.

I’d been intending to write something about this for a while, if only to save me having to re-state the same points over and over. However, this letter from Stuart Downie pushed me over the edge:

“I have been reading your rider hints and I read the item about being seen. I have no argument about it except that you do not mention dress. I see many riders, dressed in traditional black, disappear on suburban roads as they get lost in the light scatter from street lights, shops other vehicles lights and shadows. Perhaps it is because I am getting on a bit in years and realise I am mortal but I like to be seen and dress in yellow, with reflective bands if possible. It may not be ‘cool’ but I think it helps ensure that I WILL be seen. They can stick fashion I prefer safety.

“I hope you don’t think I’m being picky but I do wonder how many SMDSYs are the result of dark clothing.”

At the risk of being picky myself, why do the people who believe hi-vis is good always assume that those who don’t wear it do so as a matter of “fashion”?

Anyway, onto the meat of the matter.

The problem with hi-vis kit is that a lot of the time it isn’t.

Leaving aside the fact that the driver has to be in a position to see the rider, has to look in the direction of the rider, has to be able to see past obstacles like the door pillars and roadside furniture, and has to recognise “bike and rider”, remember what he is seeing and correctly judge speed and distance, it simply doesn’t follow that because it’s bright or reflective, it’ll show up.

One major issue is that the brain works by subconsciously recognising a pattern and flagging the conscious, decision making mind to sit up and pay attention. This means two things. The brain has to be “tuned” to the shape of a bike and rider. And by using different coloured vests and daytime lights, it has the effect of adding extra “edges” to the shape and breaking it down into smaller shapes that are NOT meaningful.

Just like you can see a bit of plastic lying on the floor and only when you have thrown it away do you realise that it was the battery cover off the TV controller, because taken out of context with the complete unit it was unrecognisable, so the unconscious mind simply never flags the splashes of light and patches of colour as a motorcycle plus rider. This technique has been known about for years as a way of hiding something in plain view – it’s called dazzle camouflage and was very successfully used to break up the outlines of ships on the horizon and buildings and docks from the air. 

Even if you don’t succeed in camouflaging yourself, don’t forget retro-reflective stuff only works when illuminated, which means it’s night-time use only. And it also only works if a light is pointed at it from or very near the driver’s own line of sight – in other words, the car’s own headlights. It won’t work under streetlights or other light sources. Which is why it’s called retro-reflective!

Retro-reflective is thus just about useless from the sides (until you are directly ahead of the car headlights which is too late anyway). Neither is it much better from behind and ahead when you’re in traffic where everyone is driving on dipped lights – Sam Browne, H belts and the like are too high up, and so only show up clearly on main beam. This is one big plus for the Aerostich Roadcrafter I own – it has big reflective panels on the back of the calves for this reason very reason, just as cyclists and kids often wear reflective ankle bands – but I’ve only ever seen one rider wearing them regularly – too “unfashionable”?

Fluorescent kit only works in daylight. In fact, at night under sodium lighting, an orange vest can appear brown. And hi-vis will only show up against a background that provides a contrast. An orange bib will not show up against an orange background like an RAC van, and a yellow bib will not show up against spring foliage. 

Think about which bits of a fluorescent jacket show up. The most visible bits of the rider from front and rear, particularly if you have a fairing and a top box, are tops of the shoulders and arms; from the sides just the arms.  Of course, if you have a passenger on the back, the rider is almost completely obscured from behind. A standard hi-vis vest of the sleeveless sort commonly worn is pretty useless on a bike with a screen and a top box. A full sleeved jacket would be better, or something like my old Scott jacket with bright hi-vis yellow sleeves. Light-coloured gloves can be easy to spot because they tend to sit wide of the body of the bike and you tend to move them – even small movements attract attention.  Or you could try leggings rather than a vest. Guess what – noone does – I wonder why?

And everyone and his dog (literally – I saw a dog wearing a fluorescent yellow coat the other day) is now covered in hi-vis paint or reflective stripes, so the “oooh, look at that” factor that once worked (apparently) is lost. Arguably, the most visible colour for a fluoro vest is pink, for the very reason that hardly anything on the roads is pink – and aside from carnations, it’s not that common in nature either! Funnily enough, you don’t see many riders wearing pink – another “fashion” problem I guess.

So what about daytime riding lights? On most bikes, DRLs are just a normal dipped headlight. Now, it seems to have escaped some peoples’ attention that the function of a daytime light to be seen, and a nighttime light to see with, are almost completely mutually exclusive. The problem here is that the well designed dip beam reflectors that are so effective at keeping stray light out of on-coming drivers eyes at night, do a similarly effective job by day – all the driver looking at the bike is likely to see is a lighter patch on the front of the bike.  

So, particularly when the viewing driver is offset, in other words in the classic SMIDSY position, it’s only if you run on main beam or have a badly adjusted light, or just possibly when they are close enough for the assymetric dip beam on the left to have an effect, will they actually get any light shining directly at them.  

So some riders have taken to running on main beam. And then the side effect is that the light obscures the bike behind it, breaking up the outline and effectively camouflaging the bike and rider, making it difficult to judge speed and distance from the observer. And I’m not even going to go down the  route of asking if there is an involuntary ‘flash’ to drivers when you hit a bump or the brakes.

Almost forgotten is that the Transport and Road Research Laboratory investigated DRLs back in the ’70s and decided what was needed was a lower powered (so non-dazzling) but non-directional light. The pattern required was that of a reversing light – so from the mid 70s through till the mid 80s most police bikes had a reversing light bolted to the fairing.

And even when you do use lights, you only add to the “light clutter” that surrounds you; other bikes using DRLs, buses, cars too, shop fronts, illuminated bollards and street signs, streetlights as the elevation changes, security lights and all the rest. How is your headlight going to jump out and say “watch ME” in the midst of all that?

I have no doubt that in certain circumstances the solid outline of black bike and black suited/helmeted rider shows up better than the camouflage effect of panels and blocks of different colours and lights.  

Putting all this aside, what effect do DRLs and hi-vis clothing have on drivers looking at you, and how does it make you safer at junctions from the much-feared SMIDSY accident? Why should it be a matter of so much importance that you are seen?

Well, it will only be an issue if you don’t take precautions in case the car pulls out! If you think about it, a hi-vis vest or running with the lights on in daytime is very like ABS. It just might protect you from the consenquences of your own error.

ABS cuts in when you’ve braked too hard – maybe you haven’t seen the car in front of you stopping or you haven’t anticipated a slippery surface, or you simply aren’t skilled at using brakes effectively. Whatever, a good driver very seldom needs it.

A hi-vis vest and DRLs are the same – they just MIGHT cause a driver to think twice about pulling out on you in a situation where YOU haven’t anticipated that it might happen, and are unable to take other avoiding action.

But it’s argued that as riders are fallible, hi-vis/DRLs will protect them from the consequences of their mistakes. 

• IF you can be seen.
• IF the driver looks.
• IF the driver sees you.
• IF he makes all the correct decisions.

Way too many “ifs” for me. So perhaps they don’t see me, despite all my hi-vis aids? Is that a situation I want to get into? Nope. I don’t want to rely on someone else for my safety.

If I am sufficiently on the ball, it shouldn’t matter whether the driver sees me or not – I’ll do everything I need to avoid getting tangled up in HIS accident – there is absolutely NO reason I should have it too.

For years I rode with DRLs on and wearing hi vis… and then discussions got me thinking about whether it really works – as well as the solid practical evidence whilst out training with three bikes and riders all wearing hi vis and with headlights on attracted dodgy manoeuvres like cows attract flies.

In all the years I’ve been riding, I’ve NEVER had so many near misses as when I was out with the trainees on basic training courses, and it was clear that drivers were certainly NOT having trouble seeing the bikes, but in fact were deliberately pulling out in front of the group, because “it’s only some learner riders.”

So two years ago, when riding for myself the lights went off. The hi-vis went on the hanger. Any difference? None that I can notice!

I suspect it’s partly that I don’t approach junctions as quickly and in such poor positions as some riders, as I think about things like the other driver’s line of view and the time they have to see me – and my own stopping distances. I do things like time my approach to a junction so that there’s something going past from the opposite direction at the same time, or open or close the gap ahead of me as appropriate to encourage or discourage a driver from turning, avoiding “should I, shouldn’t I” hesitancy. I move laterally across the road to attract attention in peripheral view.

If you do the right things – change position, slow down, cover the brakes, accelerate in a responsive gear once committed, the “killing zone” in which there is no way of escaping the emerging car by stopping, swerving or accelerating isn’t very big. Even if the car does a brick wall impersonation, from 30mph you can stop in 3-4 bike lengths if you are the least bit good on the brakes. Walk that distance backwards from the centre line of a side road (on the pavement preferably) and see what that means in terms of how LATE you can brake and still stop.

Being objective about it, hi-vis/DRLs are only of any use if I fail to make sufficient adjustments, either through ignorance, choice, or cock up. So if I take responsibility in situations where there is a potential conflict in such a way that I negate (or at least, massively reduce) any chance of an accident, then what REAL use are hi-vis/DRLs other than to make the rider FEEL safer?

It’s hard to find any flaw in that argument.

The case for hi-vis isn’t really supported by the evidence. There was a much reported article in the British Journal of Medicine in 2004 which claimed a link between safer riders and use of hi-vis. Unfortunately, the analysis of the evidence stopped short of revealing the real answers. The riders who had the accidents were:

• under the influence of alcohol
• driving whilst disqualified or without a licence
• inexperienced
• riding new (to them) machines

In other words, it was less to do with dressing like Dayglo Derek and more to do with skills and attitude. All stuff which has been known about for 40 years.

You would also have expected to see drops in accident rates in general over the last couple of decades as riders increasingly lit up and dressed up, and there should be another “blip” about now as permanent wired-on lights take effect. There’s certainly nothing immediately evident in reduced accident statistics, and no study to my knowledge has claimed to have found such an effect.

Whatever,  in my opinion, much of the endless debate about the pros and cons of DRLs and hi-vis is futile – a rider would be wiser to concentrate on working out where and why accidents happen in the first place, and in the second, working on the techniques and developing skills to avoid becoming one.

Now,so long as we understand that, there’s no real problem in stacking the odds a little further in our favour because we do make mistakes. Nitrondo a very nice jacket that they supply to the police and paramedics, made of waterproof flexothane too, that’ll no doubt last a couple of years. It’s a bargain at £129.99.

However, it’s worth pointing out that’s just £9.99 more than a one day course with Survival Skills, and a similar price to many other training courses!

A jacket for a couple of years? Or skills for life?

Copyright © 2006 Survival Skills & Kevin Williams

Thoughts on SMIDSY accidents

  SMIDSY Accidents

I was browsing on Visordown earlier and one of the usual discussions has been maturing nicely into the value of hi-vis clothing and daytime lights.

Horse notes: “Most SMIDYs happen in urban situations, when the bike is travelling at 30 or under. The ‘at risk’ zone is just 3 seconds long. If someone doesn’t see a bike & rider 3 seconds away, it’s not because of a lack of hi-viz, it’s simply because the driver didn’t look.”

I like this way of thinking…

…though of course there’s also the “looked in the wrong place” explanation – research shows that experienced drivers look down the road directly to where they want to find a gap and don’t scan across the zone closer to them. And there is also the “looked but didn’t see” reason, where something was in the way or drew the driver’s attention.

It’s definitely worth emphasising the effect of slowing and reducing momentum, and removing recognition and reaction time from the equation. From 25mph, if you have set the bike up on the brakes by applying them lightly before you need them in anger, you can stop in three bike lengths! Even at 35 it’s only 6 bike lengths, MUCH less than most people would say you need for an emergency stop, but it’s because you remove reaction and set-up time.

Whereas if you are expecting your hi vis kit and lights to stop a driver in their tracks, and thus aren’t on the ball looking for an accident waiting to happen at every junction, you won’t be on the ball. In this condition, it can take up to 3 seconds from the moment the Mid-brain wakes up from its ‘relaxed awake’ state to an ‘attention-demanding reaction time task’ for the decision making Neo-cortex (thinking brain) to actually process the visual information it’s receiving, work out what is happening, decide on a course of action and actually activate the muscles.

3 seconds? Isn’t that where we came in? Proactive responses to the risk of a SMIDSY by the rider narrow the
killing zone to virtually nothing, and are far more reliable than
hoping someone might see you and not pull out.

What’s New – 23 March 07

Comment: 23 March 2007

Survival Skills moves What’s New to a Blog

Regular visitors will probably have noticed that the “What’s New” section has undergone a few changes this week!

The obvious change (or maybe not so obvious if you aren’t interested in site design!) is that whilst the page remains hosted on the Survival Skills website, the content is now embedded and drawn from a Blog page. This will obviously mean much easier updates, straight from the browser rather than having to fire up the site editor.

Comment: 23 March 2007

Survival Skills launches e-learning courses

The big Survival Skills news for 2007 is that we are taking motorcycle training online!

STOP PRESS The first e-learning courses are booking now for an opening price offer of just £100 per person. Hurry – these prices won’t be held for long!

In this pioneering step, Survival Skills is probably the first motorcycle training school in the country to make full use of the internet to
deliver training using interactive websites, email, and online chat facilities.

Most people are aware that e-learning has taken off in a big way in the field of education generally. However, with the latest developments in interactive learning environments online, it’s now technically possible to support e-learning in many practical subjects that many would have thought quite impossible to teach without face to face contact – for instance, open heart surgery and other medical techniques are now done routinely demonstrated via the internet.

SurvivalSkills has been long been offering online advice and coaching both through the Survival Skills website (online since 1997) and in chat forums, notably the CompuServe Ride forum from 1996 to 2003, and from 2000 to date through the Survival Skills bike safety forum on Visordown.com, probably the busiest motorcycle forum in the UK.

In addition, Survival Skills has made available the theory element of the practical training courses via articles on the website and also a series of illustrated e-books published on CDROMs since 2000.

By combining the huge database of information about the problems that riders face, the solutions that work and our considerable experience of delivering those solutions via online, the obvious step has been to combine these into a structured e-learning course, and for the last year or so, that’s exactly what Survival Skills has been working on behind the scenes.

The benefits to the e-learner are many, the most obvious of which is that the Survival Skills courses are now open to anyone in the UK, and potentially beyond:

• location independent – learn where you want to
• flexibility – learn when you want to
• expert, personal advice – your tutor is focused on your individual needs
• interaction with other learners – in a group learning environment you can swap ideas with others
• communication – be put in touch with a wide body of learning and information resources available on the internet
• easy access – if you can access the internet, you can access the course

In particular, don’t discount the ability to learn in your own time at your own pace, even the easiest pace training courses are still a hard day’s work!

To see the Survival Skills e-learning centre, and learn more about e-learning and the options open to you, log on here.

Letters – March 07

From Simon – about the Survival Skills e-course

…the e-course material itself is excellent, it’s certainly working in terms of making me scrutinise the way I ride and the thought processes involved. The format of weekly assignments works for me too, I need a deadline to work to!

Excellent feedback – I hope you find the next week’s exercises equally interesting.

From Hawker – French days out:
How much notice do you need for a French day out? I get the impression from your post above that they are almost an ad hoc ride, but presumably you need riders and dates! Please let me know when, where, how much etc etc.

Unlike the Wales/Yorks dates, France trips can be done any time I’m here in Kent (ie., not in Oxford, Yorks, Wales or anywhere else), because from my point of view, it’s 30 mins to the Chunnel Terminal.  So a one dayer can be booked as late as the night before so long as there is space on the train!!!

The two dayer does rely on the Gite being available, though there is a back-up option just round the corner – nice accomodation again, but they don’t do food, which means a 15 min walk to the pizzeria… Weekdays obviously are easier than weekends. At some point soon, I should be able to arrange overnight accomodation in Kent too – but it’s still being built at the moment which is why I’ve not mentioned it before.

I’ve researched and put together one or two day routes, which take in the well-hidden downland scenery behind Calais and Boulogne, with a mixture of sweeping and highly technical roads, including a dozen hairpin bends. The roads are well surfaced and virtually empty, particularly on a weekday. The route starts nice and easy, goes via some splendid sweeping corners, mixes up a bit of town work, and finishes off by taking the magnificent coast road around Cap Griz Nez and Cap Blanc Nez back toward Sangatte and the tunnel. Oh… and I explain “Priorite a droit” PROPERLY.

One dayer is same price as regular training in Kent (£120), two dayer is same price (£240 per person) if done 2:1, but with a £60 supplement if 1:1 (ie £300).

Doctor’s Surgery – March 07

From James – slow Virago 125

Can you please tell me how to derestrict my Yamaha Dragstar 125cc, it is hard to get it to 50mph and mostly it only does  40mph, the only way I can get it to do even 50mph is to rev it hard through 3rd, 4th and then put it into 5th gear, it’s a pain in the backside as on motorways I am in everyone’s way and it would be far safer if I could get it to do about 90mph, that  would mean I would have the engine not working as hard to at least get 60mph out of it.

Right, first the bad news. There is no way on earth short of dropping it off a cliff that you will ever get a 125cc Dragstar  to do more than about 60-65mph. Learner 125s are restricted by law to a maximum of 14.6hp and according to some specs your 125 only manages 12.5. Even with a sportsbike riding position and a light bike/rider, that means a top speed of about 70mph is the absolute limit. With the riding position and weight of your machine, that means 60mph is going to be about top whack.

To get to 90mph, you need around 25hp. Unlike something like an Aprilia 125 which is actually built to produce  something nearer 30hp and artificially restricted, I don’t believe your Dragstar can be derestricted to produce more than it does already.

Having said that, it should go a bit faster than 50mph. I’m assuming you have a full licence as you mention you are riding on motorways, and the simplest solution would be to upgrade to a new, bigger machine. You’ll find something like a  GS500 (yes, I know, not very sexy but they are sound bikes) will fit the bill for motorway riding being quite capable of 90+mph, is reasonably cheap new, there are plenty around second hand and more importantly they are reasonably  cheap to insure and to run – they’ll do 60mph without any problem. If you want a custom, try looking for a 535 Virago or the later 650. There’s nothing much available smaller than that.

Now, if you are stuck with the 125, there are a couple of things you can try to eke out the last possible mph!!

First thing, and possibly most effectively, a screen will help the airflow round your body, and cut down aerodynamic drag.  Even something small like the one on my websitewww.survivalskills.clara.net/motrax_flyscreen.htm will help  enormously.

Second, make sure what you’re wearing isn’t flapping about in the breeze – baggy fabric jackets and  trousers cause lots of drag – racers don’t wear leathers for the looks!

Third, check your chain. If this is worn out,  over-tensioned or not lubricated, it’ll cause unnecessary friction. Use a heavy oil like gear oil rather than spray on chain  lube, unless you are religiously cleaning the old stuff off before you apply the new. Oil gets flung off so is “self-cleaning”. A badly maintained chain can sap big HP.

Fourth, make sure brakes aren’t binding. Spin the front wheel and see if it turns  freely. If the pads are touching the disc, this will cause friction. 

 Fifth, make sure the tyres are at the right pressure – flat tyres cause friction.

Sixth, check the air filter is clean – the mixture won’t burn properly if the filter is clogged and you’ll lose significant  amounts of power. You could also try some top quality spark plugs to get the most out of the “bang” in the cylinders. I like NGK V platinum plugs on my 250 Honda. On some bikes, using top grade unleaded also adds a mph or two.

 None of these will make a huge change but put them all together and hopefully you’ll find a few more mph to make  motorway riding less fraught.
From Kaye (from Australia) – tight turn problem

I wonder if you can help me. I have recently started motorbike lessons and when I was practising tight turns I fell off and  hurt myself. Ever since then I have been a wreck while practising circles – have you have tips I could use to now overcome my fear of circles. I am okay on a big road but trying to turn in a tight road with kerbs is proving too much for me. Thank you for any assistance you can give me.

First thing to say is that you are not alone. You’re not the first to have this problem and you won’t be the last.

I’m assuming from what you say about motorbike lessons that you are training via a training school. A decent instructor should be able to demonstrate good slow control, but if you are being taught by family or friends, then they may not know the right techniques or how to teach them!

You haven’t mentioned what training you are doing -the Aussie equivalent of restricted access on a 125 or DAS training on the “big” bike. Whilst the basic physics of the bikes are the same, the extra weight, height and length of the bigger bike make the techniques you can use on slow turns more important to the successful conclusion of the manoeuvre. 

Anyway… some tips… Start from basics…

1) Get your clutch/throttle coordination smooth… make sure your clutch lever isn’t set too far from the handlebar – the  free play is adjustable. If you move the clutch lever back towards you, it’ll be easier to use. It’s a common mistake to try  to use the clutch at the very end of the reach of your fingers – when the bars turn to the right, the clutch moves even  further away and it gets even move difficult to hold. You don’t need to rev the engine hard, but it should be revving a bit  higher than tickover. Practice riding on the clutch in a straight line. Get into the habit NOW of keeping the fingers OFF  the front brake.

2) Then practice rear brake control, again the rear brake lever is adjustable – you shouldn’t have to “hoick” your foot up  to use it – it should be set where you can get to it easily – get it adjusted if necessary. Once moving you should keep the  clutch and throttle steady, and control your speed with gentle application of the rear brake. Then practice riding in a  straight line and speeding up and slowing down smoothly to get the hang of slowing down/easing off the rear brake. 

3) Then mix smooth pull aways and smooth stops, still in a straight line.

4) The next useful exercise is riding fig 8’s helping learn and get confidence with leaning and tightening the turn. Do this  on an empty area where there are no kerbs to distact you. Learn to use counterweighting. This involves leaning the bike  INTO the turn, whilst bending at the waist and keeping your torso and head vertical. It feels weird to start with, but it  works by increasing the lean angle of the bike for the chosen speed – the more the bike leans, the tighter it turns. The  roads used for U turns often have big kerbs and steep cambers, and even when you wheel them round, you may not  have much more than a metre to spare on full lock. If you can keep away from the kerb and the drop of the camber, it  makes it a damn sight easier if you can turn the bike tighter. To do that, the only way left is to add lean angle – and that  is why you counterweight. If you are having trouble doing this, try to keep your head nearer the outside mirror (as the bike leans it’s the one that is higher!) than the inside one.

For some reason the switch from one direction to the other on a fig 8 makes it easier for people to get the hang of  moving their body. Remember that you MUST keep the speed up and lean the bike to turn – if you try to ride too slowly   the bike simply won’t balance in the turn and will try to fall over. This is the error that many nervous riders make. The second error is to cover the front, and then grab it when the balance starts to go – the bike will now crash over in the  direction it’s leaning. A bike turns on a radius determined by SPEED and LEAN ANGLE. There is a minimum speed at which you lose the ability to balance the bike, so you can’t go any slower than a gentle jog. 

 A bonus is that if you counterweight by shifting your shoulders out and twisting slightly so you keep your shoulders in line with the bars, you get a better line with the controls – the forearms are still more or less straight to the grips, which  makes for much easier use of the clutch and throttle.

5) When you have mastered this, it’s time to do off-road U turns whilst you get progressively tighter – if you have some  cones or similar (some tennis balls cut in half will do), try putting them on the INSIDE of the turn, whilst you practice,  rather than on the outside – it’s a way of ensuring that you focus on turning tight rather than what goes wrong when  you run wide. Make sure you practice your observations and do your U turns exactly as you would on the road, or you’ll  forget the important bits like looking when you DO shift to the road. 

6) Only when you are comfortable, then move onto practice on wide roads that have little camber. Then move onto  narrower, test standard roads, then roads that have some camber…. and then maybe ones that have a slope too.

When you get to the U turn itself (Adapted from my “Getting Started” CDROM for Learners) this is what works to keep the UK examiners happy.

A) Start from as close to the kerb as you can – you can put a foot on it. Make a mental note of where you want to stop  on the other side of the road and then as you make the turn, concentrate on looking for that point – avoid staring at the kerb directly in front of you.

B) Make sure your rear observation at this point is good – use the mirrors as well as looking over your right shoulder – if the road is curved, see which mirror gives you the best view! It’s not absolutely necessary to look left and right in the middle of the road – it’s an added distraction that you don’t need and it’s too late to take evasive action anyway. If there is anything to see, you should have seen it before you set off! Make sure that once you check your shoulder, you set off without delay.

C) When you move, get your balance by pulling forward a bike length or so in a straight line – don’t try to turn immediately or the bike won’t be balanced. Try to get more of the turn done in the first half of the road – you can then roll down the camber to the kerb. A good tip is to try to turn tighter than the road is wide by a half metre or so – this gives you room for error and is much easier than trying to turn tight at the last minute, next to the kerb. Don’t aim for a perfect U – the turn is more of a backward J shape, where you finish further down the road than where you started from. Look at the road surface – if the bike is going to bounce through a pothole as you pull away, pull forward a little past the problem and do the turn from there.

D) Use counterweighting – it’s not necessary to shift your backside off the seat, because you want to grip the tank with your knees for balance, but you do want to try to shift your shoulders to the outside of the turn, so the bike tips in and turns tighter – the greater the lean angle, the tighter the radius turn at the same speed.

E) Don’t forget the camber – you may need to drive up the hill on the throttle, then drag the rear brake down the hill to control speed. Check the shape of the road BEFORE you turn, drag the brake gently on the way up so you are ready to catch the bike on the rear brake on the way down.

F) You generally know if the turn is going pear shaped in the first few metres. Stop, back up to the kerb, and start the whole thing again. The exercise is for you to perform in your own time – there’s nothing that says “you’ve started – you’ve got to finish”.

I probably spend upwards of 2 hours working on slow control on a typical 4 day course. You’ll find more tips in the Riding Skills section, and I would recommend you order my “Getting Started” CDROM which covers the whole range of skills needed for the bike test, including how the bike works, and what you need to know in terms of traffic skills for the test. There’s also a full walk through of the test day so you know exactly what the examiner is going to get you to do. Most importantly it fills in the many holes that the instructor simply doesn’t have time to cover – it’ll answer questions you never realised you needed to know the answer to.