motorcyclemeditation.com

Zipping along the North Circular on the motorcycle today, mulling. You want to stay alive on a motorcycle, it pays to mull.

That statistic, thirty percent of accidents are rear end collisions. A worrying thought on a motorcycle, being rear ended, though you’ll be okay with riding disciplines and visibility clothing.

Fine. But that’s not the problem. On a motorcycle, you’re generally going faster than everybody else, it’s not their driving you have to worry about, it’s your riding. Forget being rear ended, concentrate on not rear ending. Far more likely. Also, far more painful to you than them. They have protection.

Today’s journey on the motorcycle containing a reminder of the hazards. A long curving slip road joining the motorway, designed to keep traffic flowing. At the front, where the traffic streams merge, often a hold up of some sort, drivers being ineffectual or cautious.

Riding on the slip road, released from speed restrictions, traffic flowing instead of stuttery, a soft adrenaline lift kicking in. The sensation, a distinctive pleasure of motorcycling. Ahead, the curve almost sensual. An opportunity for neat timing. While you’re still on the slip road, get a careful bead on the speed and line of the cars in front. Then when you come up to where the streams merge, check sideways, find a gap, watch it carefully, slide smoothly into it.

Finding the gap calling for skill and judgment. An absorbing exercise, given relish by the immediate prospect of acceleration. The cars still on the slip road, an uninteresting sideshow, fully taken into account a moment ago. Looking sideways through the visor at the main traffic, checking, checking again, finding the gap. Cars in front, now unseen, bunching, shifting, slowing. Wham.

Wise to this now, after a couple of near misses whilst a rookie. Same problem at roundabouts, and changing lanes. This being but a specific instance of a general motorcycling principle, the danger comes from the front. Watch your lines and the rest looks after itself, get distracted and it’s crunch time.

Okay, through that little hazard now, nice and slow, on to the motorway, good, let's open up.