Increase distance
Distance is more difficult to judge at night than in the day. You can make up for
this by allowing extra distance. Follow at a greater distance from the vehicle
ahead. Leave more room on either side of you when riding alongside other
vehicles. Give yourself more distance to pass. (For more information, see the
Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook.)
9. Handling dangerous surfaces
A motorcycle is balanced on only two wheels. To stay upright, the two wheels
must have good traction. Any surface that affects the motorcycle’s traction will
affect its steering, braking and balance. Any slippery surface reduces your control
and increases your chances of falling.
Slippery surfaces
Slippery surfaces can pose hazards to driving. Be cautious of:
• wet pavement, particularly just after it starts to rain and before oil washes to the
side of the road
• leaves, sand and gravel on hard surfaces such as pavement, especially in spring
before the sand has been cleaned from the streets
• mud, snow and ice
• worn, polished pavement, particularly when wet
There are a number of things you must do to operate safely on slippery surfaces:
Reduce speed
It takes longer to stop on slippery surfaces. You must make up for this by going
slower, especially in curves. Remember, speed limits posted on curves apply to
ideal surface conditions.
Avoid sudden moves
Any sudden change in speed or direction can cause a skid on slippery surfaces.
Therefore, you should turn, brake, accelerate and change gears as little and as
smoothly as possible.
Use both brakes
The front brake is still more effective than the rear brake, even on slippery
surfaces.
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Avoid the worst slippery areas
Try to find the best area of pavement and use it.
Oil from other vehicles tends to build up in the centre of the lane, particularly near
intersections where vehicles slow down or stop. On wet pavement, therefore, it is
better to operate in the track created by the wheels of moving vehicles. However,
you should avoid driving through standing water.
Old, worn pavement is often polished smooth. When it is wet, it is very slippery.
You can see these extra-slippery sections if you look for the shiny areas on the
road.
Dirt and gravel tend to collect along the sides of the pavement. It is important to
stay away from the edge of the road when you make sharp turns at intersections
or enter and leave freeways.
Use extreme caution if you are riding in early spring before the street sweepers
have removed the winter accumulation of sand.
Certain sections of the road dry out faster after a rain or snowfall. Try at all times
to stay in the best part of the lane.
Gravel roads
Traction on gravel roads is not as good as on pavement. Some areas are better
than others. Stay in the tire tracks away from the loose gravel at the edge of the
road and avoid any sudden movements.
Grooves and gratings
When you ride over a badly rutted surface or a metal bridge grating, the
motorcycle will tend to wander back and forth. While this may give you an uneasy
feeling, it is not generally dangerous. Therefore, the best thing to do is stay on
course, grip the controls firmly and ride straight across.
Ice or wet wooden surfaces
It is almost impossible to maintain balance on ice or wet wooden surfaces. Avoid
these surfaces if at all possible. If you can’t avoid one of these areas, slow down
as much as possible before you get to it.
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Uneven surfaces
Watch for uneven road surfaces such as bumps, broken pave­ment, potholes,
railway tracks and construction areas. If the condition is bad enough, it could
affect your control of the motorcycle. This is how to handle uneven surfaces:
1.Slow down to reduce the impact.
2.Keep your motorcycle as upright as possible and avoid turning.
3.Rise slightly on the footrests so that you can absorb the shock with your knees
and elbows.
Railway tracks
Remember to check for trains before crossing any railway tracks. Slow down and
cross at an angle between 45 to 90 degrees to prevent the wheels from getting
caught in the tracks.
It is necessary to turn when you want to cross something that is running parallel
to your course, such as railway or streetcar tracks, ruts in the middle of the road
or a pavement seam. To cross something running parallel to you, move away far
enough to be able to cross it at an angle. Then make a quick sharp turn. Do not
try to edge across it. It could catch your tires and upset your balance.
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