7 common mistakes of new manual motorbike riders

Motorcycle driving instructors have listed 7 common mistakes made by beginners learning to ride manual motorbikes.

Driving a two-wheeled vehicle with a capacity of several dozen to hundreds of horsepower and the ability to accelerate to 100km/h in the blink of an eye is a dangerous job, requiring serious, hard-working lessons and practice.

Unlike the common scooter or automatic motorbike, driving a manual motorbike requires a smooth combination of both hands and feet. Here are 7 mistakes that new drivers often make when learning to drive a manual motorbike.

Not paying attention to signs, traffic lights and information on the traffic system

Driving a manual motorcycle requires the brain to process more information at once than other means of civilian transport.

Specifically, with a scooter, the driver only needs to control the throttle and brake with both hands. But with a manual transmission, the direct mechanical control operations alone require the coordination of both hands and feet, while of course the driver still has to maintain instinctive operations such as balancing, navigating and observing the front.

7 common mistakes of new manual motorbike riders

At this time, the new driver's concentration will be focused on controlling the vehicle smoothly without paying attention to "static" factors such as signs, traffic lights or road markings... This is one of the main causes leading to unfortunate collisions or traffic violations by inexperienced bikers.

Incorrect clutch control

Squeezing/releasing the clutch is an important operation when operating a manual motorbike. In theory, controlling the clutch only needs to be based on the basic principle of "cutting in quickly, releasing slowly". However, in reality, when participating in traffic, controlling the clutch is also closely related to the throttle, brake pedal, feeling of traction, power and speed.

For new drivers of manual transmission vehicles, the common situation is that the engine stalls due to releasing the clutch too quickly or forgetting to release the clutch when the vehicle is decelerating. As a result, the vehicle suddenly stops in the middle of the road, making it very easy to be hit by vehicles traveling in the same direction. In addition, new drivers often make the mistake of not releasing the clutch completely when the vehicle has reached a stable traction and speed, causing the clutch to rub and burn the clutch plate, damaging the clutch system.

Following too closely to the vehicle in front, lack of safety experience

Compact and powerful motorcycles can easily overtake vehicles in the same direction with just a quick acceleration. This advantage often leads to situations where the motorcycle rider rides too close to the vehicle in front to overtake as soon as there is a gap. At that time, the driver in front may not have time to notice the biker following, if they suddenly change direction or slow down, it is difficult to avoid a serious accident.

According to advice from experts, on dry roads, the distance from the vehicle in front is enough for a motorcyclist to react in 2-3 seconds (equivalent to 34-50m at a speed of 60km/h), or 5-6 seconds if the road is wet. In addition, new drivers must also master the skill of constantly observing and predicting the traffic situation to handle dangerous situations early.

Overcoming decisiveness, going hand in hand in dangerous positions

This is a common mistake that drivers make, they do not have enough confidence or safety awareness to accelerate/decelerate to avoid vehicles traveling in the same direction. It is very dangerous to maintain a steady speed and drive too close to vehicles traveling at the same speed, the worst is to drive alongside large cars. Especially when the steering wheel or emergency braking of cars traveling in the same direction can easily push the biker running too close to them to death.

Therefore, awareness and the ability to assess situations when to overtake quickly or slow down to stay a safe distance behind vehicles in the same direction are also very necessary.

Improper braking skills

This is a mistake that most inexperienced bikers often make unintentionally when first getting used to the vehicle, especially high-end motorcycles equipped with "huge" brake systems.

Because the braking system of these models is designed to be effective even at high speeds of 200-300km/h, when running at low or medium speeds, if the driver suddenly squeezes the brake a little too hard, it will cause the car to stop or lock, making it very easy to be hit by the car behind or fall due to loss of balance.

Entering a corner at an inappropriate speed

Manual motorcycle riders are often fascinated by cornering; however, cornering at high speed and with a large lean angle is a difficult technique, requiring a lot of skill and experience.

When entering a corner and realizing that the speed is beyond control (understeer), the biker will reflexively use the brakes to adjust, causing increased friction between the wheel and the road surface... causing the bike to fall sideways right on the road surface. This is a very dangerous situation for both the driver and nearby vehicles.

According to experts, to ensure safety when cornering, the driver must reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before turning the wheel to feel the vehicle's ability to orientate, then gradually increase the throttle in the corner depending on the ability to balance the vehicle's center of gravity and steering direction with the acceleration and centrifugal force arising from it.

Lack of concentration in observing traffic situation

On a motorcycle, the most attractive detail for the driver is the dashboard. When driving a new vehicle, the driver always tends to observe the speedometer to monitor the engine rpm index, speed, gear level... and other trip parameters, this behavior leads to moments of not focusing on observing the traffic situation ahead.

This situation becomes more dangerous when driving in crowded urban areas, because the density and types of vehicles, intersection patterns and signal systems here are much more complex than in the suburbs.

Experts advise that new drivers should spend a lot of time practicing, getting used to and enjoying their new manual motorbike on practice grounds and deserted suburban roads. The most important skill, covering all safety issues, is still: mastering speed.

According to VNN