1. When approaching a red light or stop sign, survey your “landing” area for liquid spills that may cause the front tire or your feet to take an unplanned path. Many times an oil puddle is exactly where you need to stop.

2. Learn the traffic! I always keep my eyes active and never locked to one area. I look way ahead to cars pulling up to stop before entering the highway in front of me. I will provide a courtesy flash of my bright lights to increase the chances of seeing me. I have fun trying to predict where the traffic around me is going. I read the county numbers on the car tags and figure most likely where they may exit and prepare for them to do so. For instance, big 18 wheeler with a steel coil, I will go ahead and make the assumption he will be exiting at Nucor steel 5 miles ahead and understand what lane what he will need to occupy.

3. When an object in the road is unavoidable. Always try if possible to hit it at a 90 degree angle, arse up off of the seat and way back, making the front end as light as possible. NO BRAKES!!! Brakes suck the bike down to the road and you get the full effect! Same with railroad tracks, no brakes and moderate application of throttle. Let your knees take the shock and not your back.

4. For the clean freaks like me, take it easy on the Armor-All on the tires. Recipe for disaster! Even if you just do the sidewall and make pains to not get it on the treads, any water will carry it to there via centrifugal force.

5. If you have a center stand and perform your chain lube duties with the bike in gear, please don’t get your hands down there or try to wipe it off with a rag while it’s running.

6. Practice emergency stops! Especially true for newbies! Go to an empty parking lot and find a stripe or marking and practice approaching and braking at the same place. I don’t mean just feathering the brakes, I’m talking front wheel stoppies. Practice this often and also make it a scheduled maintenance checkout. This will also unconsciously train the feel of front to back brake maximum levels of intensity. The shortest stopping distance is the maximum application of brakes on the front and back without breaking traction. Proportional braking on both to their maximum levels are great things to know!

7. All your friends say take me for a ride! Very important: make sure they know to follow your lean angles and not try to stay upright or fight the lean to the opposite direction. You will straighten out the first curve and head directly in the ditch or into oncoming traffic because the thing will not turn!