Three tricks from experienced motorcyclists that could save your life

Experienced motorcyclists have reflexes they don’t even notice anymore: three little habits picked up over the kilometres, three simple moves that can save you from a crash. Here they are, and why they work.

1. At a stop sign, watch the wheels, not the driver

You roll up to a stop sign, a car is waiting on the side, and your first instinct is to look for the driver’s eyes. Bad instinct. A driver can look you straight in the eyes… and pull out anyway, without ever really seeing you. It sounds crazy, but it’s real: you can look at a motorcycle without really seeing it.

The wheels, on the other hand, don’t lie: as soon as they move, the car is moving. So keep an eye on the front wheels of the waiting car. If they twitch, wait. It’s a tiny move, but it tells you the truth before the car pulls out.

2. In town, position yourself to see through the windshield

In traffic, don’t just look at the car in front of you. Position yourself in your lane, when there’s room, so you can see through its windshield: you’ll see what’s happening two cars ahead, and if braking starts back there, you’ll react before the car in front of you even slows down.

Same logic for following distances: always keep a good gap with the vehicle ahead. On a bike, you don’t have a body shell to absorb an impact. And above all, never trust a car: ride as if it were about to make the worst move at the worst moment.

3. When engine braking, touch your brake

Third move, almost invisible: when you slow down on engine braking, tap your brake. On a classic motorcycle, the brake light only comes on when you pull the lever or press the pedal — under engine braking, it stays off, even when you’re slowing down hard, especially on a single or a twin.

Result: the car behind you sees nothing and can run into you — that’s how a lot of rear-end collisions happen. So touch the brake: your brake light comes on, and the driver behind understands. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation actually recommends flashing your brake light before slowing down when the car behind might be caught by surprise.

Bonus: at a red light, stay in first gear

Many experienced motorcyclists stay in first gear at a red light, eyes on the rear-view mirror, until the car behind has fully stopped. If it can’t stop in time, you can still escape to the side.

These aren’t obligations, just defensive riding habits. Adopt them one by one, and they’ll soon become automatic too.

And you, what’s your old-road-warrior trick? Share it in the comments — it could save another rider’s life!

Article inspired by the GeoRide reel, “30 ans de moto : les 3 gestes qu’ils font sans y penser”.