MY 'BIKESAFE' EXPERIENCE | EVERY MOTORCYCLIST NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT SACCADIC MASKING! 

I think the police rider specifically took us on that route as it has reasonably surfaced roads. Personally I think we have needs for resurfacing & potholes here in the Midlands like the rest of the UK! I concur with your hole avoidance as opposed to lane selection 🤣👍

Our roads are like a bombsite here in West Sussex!

And East Sussex, spend more time looking at the pot holes and way round them than what’s going on. The other day in the car I had a choice and quick decision to make of either hit the pot craters, hit the curb or hit the oncoming car on opposite side of the road, I opted for hitting the curb. Lesser of the three evils…

Really great pratical advice there Kevin, its a no brainer really isn't it. Great tips from advanced skilled riders & justification for doing from your own personal experiences. Every rider should take one of the courses available. I just did the 'Biker Down' 3 hr input with Leicester Fire service, another course I'd recommend covering three parts 1.Scene management 2. First Aid (how to remove a bikers helmet if needed etc. 3 The thinking Biker : the science of the types of coloured clothing we wear on out bikes & how in the wrong environment can actually camouflage us. I think all fire services run the course in the UK, its free, some valuable first aid tips & a free first aid pack 👍

Hi Ron, I think life experience or the university of life gives us knowledge over time & we become wiser to the world, that give's us the skills to best deal with situations whatever it is. The only thing I could say & worth noting, is that I went on a driving course after driving for 35 years driving, you can develop bad habits. My driving was enlightened by an advanced driving instructor which has made me a better driver. I found this course useful indeed. You're last point is a good mindset to have lol

@@DazmatronMotorcycleTrips point taken, cheers, ron

Do you have 50 years’ experience? Or do you have one year’s experience 50 times? Doing something for a long time doesn’t mean you’re good at it.

@user-ol2ys1ws8t it sure does, 50 years with no accidents means I'm as good a rider as you can get. Experience and time served in any field is the gold standard in life. Don't mean I ain't careful, because I am. At my time of life, over 70, any injury, however minor, is a life changing one. So I try and ride like every day is my last ride. Cheers x

Best words I have heard spoken for motorcycle safety

Thats a great initiative Ivan. There is a tendency I think especially back when I passed my test to just be unleashed. But you are building on what you have learnt by going on Ride Outs with experienced riders. Good to hear, ride safe my friend & enjoy you're riding 👍 Daz

Great point Arjan, I recently did another evening course with Leicester Fire Service called 'Biker Down'. They cover 3 topics, 1. Scene Management 2. First Aid 3. The Science of being seen (The Thinking Biker). The 3rd topic covers the colours we wear & how in different environments are preferable fof being seen. Im going to mention it in a upcoming vid. Thanks for commenting 👍

​@@DazmatronMotorcycleTrips Did a repeat training last weekend, it had been a few years and it's always great to be with a group of interested bikers and practise slow turns, swerve, emergency braking etc. It took me 3 tries before I managing to brake hard enough to trigger ABS. Very useful to feel that a couple of times, especially at speeds above 80kph. I have a feeling a lot of riders (myself included) don't do that often enough. Very easy to get comfortable and assume you'll be able to brake hard when needed. I'll be doing practice runs more often for sure now.

@@arjankroonen4319 Excellent, thats great dedication & very true there's nothing wrong with refreshing or gaining extra skills. I shall have to have a go at practising emergency stops again. I found a deserted car park at the weekend & practised figure of 8's. Keep it up Arjan 👍

Hi Branson from over the pond! Thanks for commenting & appreciating the vid👍. I agree entirely with your observational points of experience over the years. Especially with the 'school of trial & error'. I love the similiar expression 'the university of life'. All you're points are very valid & wise. Our highways department here in the UK have also put 'bike crash zone' signs where previously there has been an accident with a bike to prevent future occurrences. I always look at the road layout when I see those signs, more often than not they tend to be on twisty back roads. So food for thought when carrying speed...do you know whats around that corner? Thanks again Branson 👍 👏

Thanks Ali, every days a school day, can never take things for granted. Enjoyed the day, fully recommend it 👍.

Thank's Sid, glad you found it useful 👍

We are very fortunate to have such experiences, not bad £65 for a days riding with a pack up lunch thrown in 👍

Makes sense too although probably best when you're further away from the tin can waiting to pull out in front of you! I tend to weave & keep my hands & legs on the controls ready to react the closer I get to the unpredictable tin can! I also reduce my speed so they have longer to spot me. Thanks for the comment, all these little things are worth noting to keep us safe 👍

Thanks, yeah I'm glad I did a vid too to spread some awareness. I'm hoping to get on a 'Biker Down' course next with the Fire & Rescue service. Check that out, very useful for us bikers 👍

Awesome, let me know how you get on & what you think to the course. Share it on here for other's to hear. Thanks, Daz.

Hi Craig, that's intriguing, the more courses the merrier. I think the BikeSafe day was good for the price however I did know the staff member that took us out on the day. He doesn't own a motorcycle himself but chose to do the instructing as it could be done whilst in duty. I may sound a bit harsh but he did lack some passion & enthusiasm on the day. I know some instructors that are motorcyclists themselves & you could tell the difference. RU-vidr called 'Rest Day Rider' did a similiar video & you could tell the instructor was passionate about passing on his advice. Where & how would someone look to get on a Rapid Training Programme? Thanks in advance 👍

One must understand that the police are trained to ride at high speeds which at times can be much higher than those required or are legal for civilians. So to anyone wanting to ride like a police officer then understand that under the normal patrolling of roads they keep to the speed limits and only overtake when and where it is considered to be necessary. That means where there is a 'NEED' to do and not just a want or desire or where there is pressure to make one. They observe others and are considerate to all other road users. We should not be trained to ride or drive at any speed that is above the speed limits and if anyone is so trained then they are breaking the law. Even if just in training under instruction speeds in excess of the speed limit are a total no no. The maximum speed we can be trained to in mainland UK [ Including roads in Scotland and Wales ] is 70 mph. and on country roads its 60 mph and one rides at slower speeds where indicated.

Yes its definitely a worthwhile course, I might consider an advanced course? Although I heard they offer discount on your bike insurance but then costs to renew your membership? Wheel movement, arh yes thats another good point, I tend to look at the whole car & drivers head to see which way they are looking & if they have clocked me! In future I'll be checking any street furniture impeding their view along with head & wheel movements 👍. Thanks for that great point, ride safe, & have fun, Daz.

We should no longer be picking up daisies on the nearside verge as it was called many years ago when police trained on driving courses. However since 2013 we no longer have 5 road position. Number one being closest to the kerb or verge. That was removed from Roadcraft then and replaced with a just 3 positions. Number 1 now being about the inside tyre line of a car so further away from kerbs and verges. If anyone is ever still being taught the closer line in number 1 then the instructor is well out of date and thus not up to doing his job right of keeping you safe. Yes it may be that the police still teach the closer to the kerb line but that is to police officers or other emergency service riders only and its no longer taught to the general public as it was considered to be too dangerous.

Arh yes I seen that video & I actually incorporate a bit of a weave side to side sometimes when I approach car's waiting to pull out. I forgot to mention that so thanks' for highlighting it Southwest.

Thank you for you're input, totally agree. Looking back on my own motorcycling experience, I'd have a guess it's the same for other riders too, I never really considered advanced rider training until later on in my more senior riding years. I did have a big 30 year gap in-between when I didn't ride bikes, for whatever reason once the bike test was passed I just thought that's it, I can ride a bike now, I'm trained, lets get riding. I did the original 2-part test back in the day when it was easier, the CBT, Mod 1 & 2 have improved preparation & training dramatically. The next level as you rightly say of completing an advanced level of skilled riding should be seriously considered for the reasons you state, a smooth & safe ride, being aware of the potential risks such as junctions, looming & saccadic masking. Roads are more hazardous now, more vehicles on the road, potholes. I remember years ago I read a stat that 1 in 10 drivers didn't have any insurance, so it makes you wonder how many have a proper licence, certainly the standard of driving is worse now with so many more distractions. We all know most people speed whether it be car or motorcycle, some bikes are quick & a lot ride them for that power & exhilaration. There's a time & place, a track day would be good! But there will always be people that go beyond their limitations which lead unfortunately to serious accidents. The previous comment from an ex paramedic is testament to that. I just did the 'Biker Down' incentive with the Fire Service, an input on first aid, scene management & the science of being seen or the thinking biker. Along with the 'Bike Safe' & all the other advanced rider training out there, I'd recommend bikers to broaden there bike riding knowledge & first aid.

@@DazmatronMotorcycleTrips Spot on. Biker Down is an excellent incentive that all bikers should try and enroll on. Most Fire Services will provide this once they get enough to put the course on, so checking with your nearest fire service station, they should have the information on this. I was riding for 39 years before taking my advanced test, and the thing I took away is that every single ride is different and every day on the bike is an opportunity to learn. The secret is to approach training with a little humility, no-matter what level of experience or competence you're at. We have a very experienced rospa instructor now undertaking his IAM adv test and he's doing it for the extra experience and because he's enrolled as a National Observer(a course I'm now on). I needed the adv test to ride with the blood bike service and am really glad I made the effort. It's actually cheaper than taking the standard bike test! Your training and exam and first year's IAM membership is all included in the price. Most will be surprised by what they learn and by some of the bad habits they've formed, but most surprisingly of all, riding to the IPSGA system and planning ahead makes every ride that much more enjoyable too. It's not all about the speed. Of course, doing the training will give any rider the tools to ride more swiftly in a far safer manner and this point is often missed. There's a bit of sniping between some in the IAM/ROSPA and RAPID as some don't view riding well beyond the speed limit as helpful to accident prevention and I agree with that, BUT, RAPID training takes what you learn as an advanced rider and builds upon it, enabling further improvements in riding quickly competently and processing a frankly unbelievable amount of information in the process as second nature. I would advise anyone thinking of some RAPID training to first get the basics of IPSCA out of the way by getting some advanced training. You'll get your money's worth then and are more likely to benefit from RAPID training. It's all pretty much based on the Police Federations Roadcraft, riders edition for advanced police riding (and driving).

@@ReferenceFidelityComponents excellent, thanks for providing the information for anyone reading too, very useful stuff 👍

He's excellent, I love how he uses his physics knowledge for motorcycling topics. One of my default channels to watch. I hope my little vid gave a brief insight, thanks for watching 👍, Daz.

Yeah I tend to agree with that PW3. Especially with some of the road conditions right now, the lane 3 position going into a left bend also can put the rider close to the wing mirrors of vehicles especially commercial trucks taking up more of the road. We had a motorcyclist locally that was hit by a wing mirror of a van on a A road & unfortunately died. Its a good point. Its a good point you make, thanks for your comment & ride safe 👍. Daz.

I did wonder whether just keeping my fog lights on would help with the triangulation of the headlights but the bobby said not to as it can be confusing to other motorists? I've found bizzarly when I approach a car, as I ride the GS1250 the indicators stay lit until turning then flash, along with the daytime running light & when I've had the foglights on, cars move over thinking I'm an emergency vehicle lol, sometimes it makes it easier to make progress!

Totally agree on road positioning comment

Totally agree with position 3. I was taught to be in position 3 on a left handed but unless you have a really clear view you had better pray that any approaching vehicle is on their side of the road . Almost every ride out over the Peak District I loose track of the amount of oncoming vehicles well over the white line. If you are in position 3 you’re toast. Much safer to be slower going into the bend in position 2 and stay safe out of the firing line. Another invaluable tip, always look where you want to go. If an oncoming vehicle has crossed the white line don’t get fixated on it look where you need to go to avoid it because if you get fixated on it that’s where you are going.

As a police advanced rider, my position 1 is often adjusted to more of a 1.5 position to clear any crud, potholes and poor surface. It’s actually no good being in any position unless it gives you an advantage. Vision is sometimes sacrificed for a better position (Road Craft - safety position), but if this happens then speed should be reduced proportionally. For left handlers, if I can see ahead and there’s nothing oncoming, I’ll sometimes be over the centre line for a smoother line into a left handler. But I won’t be there if I’m not going any advantage from it. Roads are abundant with hazards so there are lots of compromises. As an ex racer.. race tracks are an example of using every inch of surface… no need to trade speed, so speed around the corner is more important than vision.

To be aware of that situation approaching a side road on the left or right when we have right of way.. Having the knowledge that the driver of that car won't potentially be concentrating or looking out for a bike. So, look at the drivers head movements, are they quickly scanning from left to right? If so the saccadic masking could lead to the driver putting us into a blind spot. Look at the front wheel of thd car, it'll be the first thing that moves. Also is there any street furniture in between us & the car driver to impede his view. Each circumstances will be different, I approached a side road once & a young male driver just suddenly appeared & continued across my path! I had to swerve to avoid him. So i think its arming yourself with all those tips, use street signs indicating a side road or junction on a A road coming up to prepare if necessary to slow for the junction. Sometimes a car driver will appear at a junction, look left & right then pull out, it might be a scenario where the bike rider is going to fast, so the inevitable happens. We don't want to be stressed out riding our bikes, we can still enjoy our ride, but just ride wise. 👍

@@DazmatronMotorcycleTripsHi Daz, I had this issue a lot until I decided to wear a yellow hi-viz jacket similar to yours. The difference when I wore this jacket was huge, I don’t remember anyone pulling out in front of me. It may be that from a distance I looked like a police bike. I had a navy Fazer 600 at the time with a high windscreen. Cars often moved to the left for me also when I was filtering. The first few weeks of driving the bike I was all in black, black biker jacket and every day I had a few instances of cars pulling directly out in front of me from junctions. I would use the horn as I approached. What’s your view on using the horn to warn them to stay put? Flashing your lights might be a bad idea as they could misinterpret it to think you’re allowing them to pull out.

@@johnflavin1602 I can relate to all of your points regarding the yellow fluro jacket. I only put it on from my top box as it started spitting with rain but since then in inclement weather I've been surprised how much of a difference it makes. I'm going to sign up to that 'Biker Down' course as they talk about the visual effect of bike clothing. (Biker Down talkie bit on my recent vid on the ABF soldiers ride out). As regards using your horn, us as bikers would be constantly beeping our horn not knowing whether a negligent car driving was going to pull out in front of us? I think its just best to factor in all of the points when we see that car at the side of thd road. Sometimes I take speed off to make sure that car has acknowledged I'm there & doesnt pull out. Ill have my additional lights on & perhaps wear my fluro more often. Ride safe & thank you for commenting, Daz 👍

Thats persuaded me to keep my foglights on! 👍. Thanks CPU. It'll be interesting to see what other bikers think.

⁠@@DazmatronMotorcycleTripsThose additional front lights I see on the BMW GS are a great idea, I think all bikes should have them. From my car I can see one of those BMWs approach from a long distance away.

@@johnflavin1602 its a good point to have it standardised on bikes but I guess it will only suit certain bikes.

Really appreciate that Crusty, I think that again explains the dangers for us bikers. Its good to get us bikers considering these aspects when we are out on the road. To make us think about looming & saccadic masking might make us look one more time, pause a little longer or brake in anticipation. In so doing, we will be safer riders. Thanks for your comments, much appreciated, Daz 👍

@@DazmatronMotorcycleTrips welll, since you’ve got me started… My tool of choice has been a vfr for years. And the bikers oracle vfr forum has been a gold mine of information. You get ex-police riders and RAF n all sorts which brings me to my next point. In WWII pilots were taught when flying, not to look directly for enemy aircraft. Instead they were to scan their eyes side to side, up n down, as this would invoke their more sensitive to movement peripheral vision to detect enemy aircraft. Likewise, when you’re approaching a junction, shift your position from 1 to 3 or 3 to 1 , or even that and back again. That way you can get seen. You gotta do it at the right range though, say 2-3 seconds out. Now here’s what Ive found - if say there’s a side road on the left at a right hand bend and someone is waiting to emerge. (You gotta time this and do it in the right order so as when you get close you’re in position 3 as that’s what’s recognized as your best separation for safety at that point) Yea, move 1 to 3, in preparation, but then move 3 to 1, but do it so as you’re lined up on their driver’s door and just for a fraction of a second it will look to them like your about to run wide and ploughing into them. It sounds mad, but in practice it only has to be ever so subtle ‘body language’ And I tell you what - it really gets their fucking attention..! But don’t forget to leave yourself enough time to get back to a safety position in lane 3 - and make sure there’s no way they can think you’re turning left without indicating. The only time I’ve ever been pulled out on was just as I decided to go left anyway at the last minute. A couple of old girls on their way to church. - watch out on Sundays, when the churches are kicking out. One time I was driving through Solihull and this guy pulled out of church right in front of me and then got triggered when I complained. I thought, ‘your Communion didn’t last long, did it, Mate?’ Fucking Catholics…lol

@@crustyzimmerman3324 🤣 that made me chuckle at the end of your paragraph, glad you came through unscathed! Yes I tend to weave also when approaching a junction when tin cans are waiting to pull out in front of me at the last minute. Only when circumstances dictate. If I'm behind a car I'll move to lane 1 so they can see me & increase the gap to the car in front as that driver waiting to pull out potentially won't clock me! So movement left to right, 'weaving' can also save you're life!! Regarding WW11 pilot's, really sad about that Spitfire mishap at the weekend, my thoughts & condolences go out to family & friends.

At the beginning of the course he explained the lane 1,2 & 3 approach to bends, I have adopted that technique & found my rides a lot easier & safer. I think the point you make though is a good one & somebody else mentioned this too. If say, you are going into a right hander then lane 1 is the positioning. The instructor did say at the beginning of the course he would be adopting a more extreme position in lane 1 & 3, to me when I was riding behind him in lane 1, I thought he's riding in all the dust & muck which must be hazardous? Lane 3 I didn't notice it so much. The instructor said as they are trained & carry out lots of pursuits, their level of speed in pursuing vehicles would mean they were using more of the outside of lane 1 & 3. So I kind of understood that. Good point though Karen.

Thanks Nigel, yeah I did see that & consequently weave sometimes approaching junctions where cars are waiting to pull out on me!

Did you find it beneficial Vivien?

How far we have come & rightly so to best prepare ourselves for our ever worsening roads. Something I perhaps should have mentioned in the vid is it's a good habit to take you're bike regularly to a empty car park & practice some bike drills & maneuverability exercises 👍

@@DazmatronMotorcycleTrips I lived in Loughborough in the 70's and lived next to to a Police motorcyclist. Sadly he was killed on duty, on his bike around 1975? Roger Bason RIP.

That's really sad, my thoughts go out to his family. The police book called 'Motorcycle Roadcraft' is a great system which the Police adopt. I have put a link in the description for anyone who want's to read this book. If you purchase via my Amazon link, I may earn a small commission. Motorcycle roadcraft: the police rider's handbook : amzn.to/4bvTREt

Hi Gudge, I can relate to all you have mentioned, probably more so now the driving on our roads has become so more dangerous as you rightly mention & through no fault of our own. There's more cars & commercial traffic on the road & more bikes for that matter who too arn't necessarily safe riders. I had one nearly hit me the other day on the wrong side of the road! I had my GoPro on so thought id send it to the traffic cops. The rider had to do a rider safety course. There's also the fact more housing is being built with no roads to facilitate the extra vehicles in those areas. And yep there are potentially more drivers mistakingly driving on the wrong side 😱. So I guess you like me now when its our right of way at a cross roads, I always brake ready to emergency stop to avoid the driver that pulls out on his phone, eating his lunch or anything else besides paying attention!!! Ride safe & for long my friend...Daz.

@@DazmatronMotorcycleTrips Thanks for your comments Daz. I’m hoping to get back into motorcycling after a long lay off, hopefully by next year. I’m looking forward to it. I’d like to do some on and off road training programs and also learn how to properly maintain a bike- I’m pretty green when it comes to mechanics but I’d like to learn because I want to do some long distance journeys. If you happen to know of any courses or training opportunities please let me know. My real name is Ian. Thanks and watch out for those idiots on the road 😁

Very interesting isn't it especially how the brain processes information. There is also perception of two individual people sering the same sequence of events then recalling 2 entirely different accounts! I hope the video helps bikers understand more that other road users particularly in cars won't see bikers because of saccadic masking.

I always find that flashing cycle lights to be very effective, when driving I always notice them, even from afar.

👍

Be interesting to know? Great 👍🏻 Look forward to hearing from you & whether my fellow Dutch riders can get on such a course. Daz.

@@DazmatronMotorcycleTrips Don't think the police does in NL, but the KNMV (Dutch Motorcycle "union") offers similar days (both on tracks and road, at different levels).

@@arjankroonen4319 thanks for that Arjan, we have 3 or 4 other motorcycle advanced skilled riding groups here in the UK that run courses, I think some of them are ex police riders. But yes if you're local police force doesn't provide a course there will always be alternatives in the commercial sector.

@@DazmatronMotorcycleTrips The KNMV is not a commercial organisation, but the "union" / lobby club for bikers. A lot of the trainers there are actually ex-police, or even trainers for the police bikers as well. A full day training would cost 250-ish euro's.

@@arjankroonen4319 arh OK I see, thanks for the clarification. That seems a lot of money for one days training. The Bike Safe was I think £60 for the day. Does the KNMV not get any investment from the government to help subsidise the training then? Or even a commercial sponsor to contribute an amount to make it more accessible for people?

I'm sorry to hear that, sad truth I totally agree in some cases it won't help. I like to think on a positive note though that any extra training, skills courses like this Bike Safe course will have prevented or have already prevented a lot more bikers from having any mishaps. I'm pleased you were able to get back riding 👍.

Tell us about your crash. Hope you are ok.

Thanks for that Harlin, definitely agree. Years ago daytime running lights on cars we're non existent but its the default now. The same for bikes, I seen a study in America about the more frontal lights on a bike the more likely you are to be seen in daylight. I believe also naming the front fog lights on the GS1250 'Auxiliary Lights' gets past the unlawful use of fog lights in the daytime (and without fog).

I have a 22.05 only had it a couple of years. I'll definitely get it replaced eventually then. I guess its the combination of all the elements, better safety equipment as you mention & rider skills & awareness. Plus bikes are continually being built with better safety factors built in. Thanks for letting me know about the helmets 👍

Thanks for the feedback Alex, I'll double check the sound bar next time 👍

Spot on advice there Nick & some other aspects of negative driving I hadn't covered. This was a few years ago but figures stated 1 in 10 didn't have insurance, some may not have insurance as they don't have or passed a driving test. All very worrying so as you rightly say we need to bear all this in my whilst still enjoying riding, ride safe. Thank you for you're comment 👍

Totally agree Marc, a narrow bike will silhouette just nicely behind a dangley item on their rear view mirror !!

I think the place you are riding makes a big difference with 'lifesaver' checks. Where there's more traffic I think it's essential as it's checking the blind spot potentially for anyone coming up from behind if you are lane changing. The new blind spot detector & radar technology on the newer bikes is helping with situational awareness for bikers which is a great advancement on road safety for us on 2 wheels.

Fully disagree.Maybe you misunderstood the tip. You are not swivelling your neck "chin on shoulder" to look behind you. There's a difference between a "side check" and looking behind you. ALWAYS do a quick side check when changing lanes. All it takes is a 30-40 degree turn of your head, and your eyeballs will be able to spot anything that might be right over your shoulder. If you are not turning your head at all and are just staring ahead and peeking in your mirrors you are not aware of your full surroundings.

Life saver checks involve just slightly turning your head to the side to catch anything in your mirror blind spot, with your peripheral vision. It is NOT a full look behind the bike …that’s what the mirrors are for. I think you may have misunderstood the brief. However, I hope that one day bikes will incorporate blind spot indicators on the mirrors, as on some cars. Ride safe.

@@user-io2et5bv2s The technology is making its way onto some bikes as we speak like on the Kawasaki H2 and some of the newer BMW models.

I recall Mark telling me surprisingly sometimes he get's the odd person on the course who's standard of riding fell very short so as an instructor he'd try to make them aware of their certain bad habits. But if people don't listen & don't try to implement the feedback because they already consider their way of riding is perfect then I guess that's where the attitude grading would come in.

I found the course very useful.