Being still a new and inexperienced rider, I often wonder what other riders think when they ride behind me. If I go to slow round a corner, not change gear smoothly, break at the wrong time or take a wrong line etc, do they think, "Jeez, What a nobhead!”

So I was wondering and would like to ask what is it about other riders you see that would make think to yourself, "now that's a good rider"

To be honest mate...i dont think anyone would critisies ..cos their prob thinkin the same thing...its the ones that think that their riding gods/godesses that are more apt to fook up....and if anyone worth their salt saw you do something wrong then they would point it out to you and tell/show you how to correct it...so dont worry about what anyone else is thinking mate....just enjoy your own ride...concentrate on doing it safe and relaxed



and what makes a good rider when you see one...you can generaly tell by the lines they take/how they sit or how they handle their bikes..tells you more than anything else.....cos some people can talk a good game

just my HO though mate

It really depends on the perspective of whom you talk to; obviously most would point in the direction of 'advanced' riders. Primarily of you can keep it safe for yourself & others, but still enjoy biking and get a buzz from it then you can't be too bad. Given that human error is the biggest cause of all accidents then we are all liable to make mistakes from time to time, depends on how severe the mistake is and whether we survive and/or learn from it

Same as with good drummers - Everything just seems to flow so very smoothly and with the minimum of effort.

I think a good motorcyclist is one that enjoys what they themselves enjoy about riding, not what others do or try and peddle as this or that. And one that dont kill/maim/hurt themselves or anyone else in their enjoyment, or wreck their bike, and is allways in one piece and OK for another days riding!

What bluebrakes said. Safe and sound but with a little of what you fancy.

A good motorcyclist will have excellent observational skills, deft use of the controls, smooth riding and above all else safe riding techniques. a good motorcyclist knows when its appropriate to ride fast and when its appropriate to ride slow. A good motorcyclist can take criticism of their riding however harsh and a good motorcyclist knows when to give up and go home if things arent going right.

A good motorcyclist knows how vulnerable they are and how much damage they can cause if they feck up.

a good motorcyclist is never afraid to admit their feck ups.

pass your test then comment eh?

A good motorcyclsit may not even hold a full licence but can still fullfill all of what i said. A good motorcyclist can be a learner after all, arent we all learners ?

Without a CBT too?

dont recall keith code doing a cbt. he seems to carry some sway. so what is it? a person CAN comment but only with a full bike licence and ONLY if they agree with everyone else? or they CAN comment if they hold a full licence but MUST NOT disagree? IF the said person has not a cbt or whatever they have no comment? is that right? have i understood the rules? So a person must pas their test before they can opine as to what a ''good motorcyclist '' is?

I like the thinking. it makes sense to me. so a line must be drawn on every thread then. only persons with ''insert years' of experinece can reply or post opinion? is that right? it must be right. Awaiting the gold dust with bated breath. You've had your licence for how long faze?

3 years Zombie, not 25. And the problem is?

he can still spot a good rider
Shuts up..... doesn't want to get involved with a handbags at dawn situation

Someone who is enjoying themselves, handling their bike well given whatever limitations it may have, but without causing danger to others or giving us all a bad name?

But mainly, someone who respects other bikers irrespective of their wheels? Cue the old 'nodding' thread again ....

I am probably more critical of other riders when I am a passenger in a car than when I am riding, MP knows that when she is driving i'll quite often say things like "stop dragging your bloody foot!" etc when we see a bike. Unless a bike does something that I consider seriously stupid (eg me and the queue of cars I was in got passed by about 4-5 bikes on solid whites with blind bends, the bikes even in some cases squeezed through the middle with oncoming traffiic!) then for the most part I am far more concerned wih my own riding than theirs.

Also dont agree that you need any formal training whatsoever (and btw I think woody has done CBT) to be able to form an opinion on others riding. For instance MP is well into strictly come dancing atm so I am forced to watch it every sat night; I cant dance to save my life and the intricacicies of when they are supposed to twist or twirl or whatever is lost on me but even I can tell when someone looks forced or wooden while they dance or when it just looks natural, flowing and effortless. Exactly the same goes with riding or any other very skilled physical activity.

I got to agree with that, theres loads of bike riders that race and dont hold a license for the road...and hell yeah, everyday's a learnin day



unlike finn..i dont watch "strictly come dancing" ...that sort of thing does nothing for our image

well,, I see a smooth , courteous Rider as an Good Rider...

The fact he is going fast or slow as long as it is "safe" is not that important..... One is not always in a mood to speed up,, and might just want to enjoy the scene..


Still he is aware of what is around him.................

On a similar slant to the 'we're all learner' is that I know a few 'experienced' riders who are quite reckless and should know better and a few teenagers who don't ride anything like the stereotype teen rider

I think for me a good cyclist is one that enjoys it, fast slow or riding with attitude. Its all about having fun

Leather pants thats what with the metal studs on the inside! cos were ard alright

Plenty of chickens waiting to have their heads bitten off, and not a daughter in sight as they are all under lock and key..

Oh and to follow the Green Cross Code ,and have BO, and lots of hairy bits and and oh a Bike maybe.

And what the others said too

Didn't mean to cause offense there.
But the question was what in our opinion does one look for.

However inexperienced, however uncertified (I do have a DL196 by the way), it was still my opinion. I actually base this on what I have seen of other people throughout this past year.

I have ridden pillion with very good, not bad, and very bad riders and I can tell the good ones because they don't have any disturbances about them. They don't keep speeding up or slowing down, they don't have to make seventeen-point turns, they don't have any near misses etc etc.
Their ride is smooth and consistent, they always look relaxed and the bike moves as if computer choreographed.

Like Finn said, you can look at something skillful, such as dancing or gymnastics and tell the good from the bad. I believe the same applies here.

I have a mate who once told me that he used to be a bike instuctor................no way on this planet was he ever good enough to do that...He's that bad a rider, that on a short rideout last year..he was nealy taken out 3 times at roundabouts, I havent been o a rideout with him since, and im never going to either

I've nevet taken my test and (as such) am still running about with a CBT (my second) and L-plates.
But after riding for Three years, I can see a safe and decent biker is when compared to some of the loonies on the road.

I'm far from perfect by any means- and I'll be the first person to admit it, but like Woody says... you don't need to be skilled in a specific area to appreciate people doing it properly.

UWL - you ride around on your bike - you are a motorcyclist.

we are so fragile.

Fazer, my point? I have no idea - you tell me, because it was your point.: after all you used it on elliot so it must mean something.

There's something about instructors, bike cops, and other experienced riders that just oozes class and control, confidence without arrogance. They take the right lines in bends, make safe overtakes, have awesome slow speed control with nary a wheel wobble, and you just know from looking at them that they'd spank any of the show-off wheelie-popping types in the twisties while never putting themselves at unnecessary risk. They're the kind of rider you enjoy being behind so you can watch his or her style and pick up some tips. I always feel like saluting riders like that as they're an inspiration, to me anyway, because I'm just trying to stay alive while improving my skills enough to have more fun with the bike.

So to those guys n gals

To the plastic rocket types who think they'er good just because they go stupidly fast or can pull a wheelie while overtaking a cruiser rider (happened to me on the Buxton road), a great big

Nah, a good rider is a safe rider.. end of

All the other stuff like being fast, slow, good at cornering and even smooth riding is a bonus... At the end of the day, if you get your bike from A to B safely without endangering anyone else or yourself then your a good motorcyclist in my book

cant agree with that mate...why would good cornering and smooth riding be a bonus?

I suppose its a lot about how read the word 'good' in the title matey, my definition of a good motorcyclist is the one in a line up to have the least chance of dying when riding from A to B

The point i suppose i was trying to make was that i would rather label a slow, cautious rider as a good motorcyclist, over that of a 'skilled' motorcyclist who can corner at speed, ride smooth but picked up a few bad habits...

With the priority then being on great observation and maybe a little caution, by definition the great cornering and smooth riding then take a joint second place to safety... hence they're the bonus

Hope i explained my thinking

I see your thinking gone2mars, but I disgaree.

I put safety as a "competent" motorcyclist, safe riding is what I would consider a bare minimum to be on the roads, if your not a safe rider you shouldnt be on the roads as your a bad rider.

So safe is the absolute baseline to seperate a competent rider from a bad rider, its the other aspects such as smooth cornering, skilled use of the accelerator and brake, exceptional observation and planning etc that seperate a good rider from a competent rider, if your not safe you dont even qualify as a competent rider let alone a good rider in my books!

I remember that feeling well B2BM - it's the spectre of your instructor still hanging about

nope, I'd think - perhaps a novice rider I shall give them room and try not to get in their way or put them off at all

we're all learners though I think, if you can't learn anything on a ride - even if it just be something about yourself that you didn't ken before - or something to avoid in the future you'd be very unusual


One who rides so as to make progress on the road without inconveniencing any other road user - but I try not to judge - they may just be having a very good or bad day after all

For my 2 pennyworth I'd say, a good rider is above all else safe on his bike. He knows the limits of his ability and the bikes ability and always rides within the lesser of those 2 bounds. On the road possitioning is all about safety and giving the rider at all times the maximum visibility afforded from a safe possition. Clipping the apex on the road is a sign of a bad rider, someone who has no cosideration for other road users and while a benifit on a track where there is no oncomming traffic it can and does frequently put you in harms way. A good rider is also smooth in his/her style, a smoothly ridden bike gives the ride greater confidence as the bike is less likely to jump, twitch or loose grip.

Thats my oppinion at least, and it's how I try to train riders to be.

Just judgement of situations, and reacting to your judgement, that's all it is.

interesting point of view teguvas. so a good rider is just someone who reacts to their judgement. brilliant.

Its not really an interesting point of view - i was being faciscious(sp?) - its actually a statement that means nothing at all . Its another in a long line of sh!te posts from you. I have often wondered what planet you are on and i have come to the conclusion that you reside on planet ''odd'' - i think you reside on planet ''it makes sense to me but no one else''. still its all good fun though i spose.

well,,,,,, you better have a very good and fast judgement,,,,,

otherwise by the time you come to react,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

.................too late.........



Safe Riding

In my opinion the main thing that makes a good motorcyclist is split.

The first part is what is going through their head. I.E. what they pick up through their sensory inputs (not just their eyes!), how they interpret those inputs, and quickly they react to their interpretation.

Secondly, the rider realises this and rides within those bounds.

Speed doesn’t come into it. Someone who reads the road well, can work out what’s ahead, or could smell the diesel on the roundabout, and can adjust their speed, road position and body position in time and smoothly in response to this and at a faster speed than someone who processes this info at a slower rate. Two different riders could be considered equally good, one rides at an average speed 20 mph faster than the other.

This would explain why extreamly good riders come off due to a single lapse of concentration, and why when you're having a 'bad' ride the best thing to do is slow down.

To me a good biker is one who knows where to draw the line, does not think they are a riding god/goddess, has respect for other road users, does not panic, doesnt endager other peoples lives and who gets home safely after the ride.

All,

I realise I'm new here, but seeing such posts



from an admin when the forums rules clearly state

"1. Respect other members. (The most important rule of all)

If there is a debate going, don’t try to win it by shouting the other person down. Anytime a thread deteriorates into a slagging match any good points that could have been raised are lost. Just because a person disagrees with you, doesn’t mean they are wrong. "

Does kinda ring worrying bells here........

well, it's zomb!e (and BD's) site so it's up to them what and how they post

rules are there to be broken, and generally if zomb!es got something to say it's worth listening to, even if it's not always couched in the most diplomatic language


with respect, and I do mean that - you are new -- maybe stick around and see the lie of the land at bit more? things do get lively sometimes, but it's the admin's job to moderate any ill-behaviour and they do it very well from what i've seen


my 2p.

Zombie just likes to play devils advocate, he got arsy when i took over as temp admin-i think it amused him to try & test my patience.
hes a good bloke deep down, just gets bored very easy.
Zombie has a lot of good advice to give as well as posting some utter sh!te-depends on what mood he wants to be in. hes no different from the rest of us, just likes to think he is
stick around, the english humour sometimes takes a while to understand.

Awwww riding like that'd spoil All my fun what on earth shall us gods and goddesses do if we can't spread a bit of panic and mayhem eh?

Ciccio - that was a bit rough mate! I have never had a go at any one who didnt deserve it! And in any case ciccio it didnt deteriorate into a slagging match where good posts were lost. What you have done, and i realise with no malice aforethought, is stumble into a long running problem and only seen this little bit of it. My post may have seemed a bit harsh but given the background and current situation i dont think you would have drawn the same conclusion.

Dave the painter - are you mad? I wasnt grumpy at all with you as temp admin. i was glad to have a few weeks off.

Whoever follows me I will always tell them that I am not fast and I may apply my brakes a little when I should not as I am still learning as well. I ask them to give me more room than perhaps they would normally - if they don't like it then don't follow me (and yes you will find me at the back)

Just passed my test in november and i am still a novice even though it gave me a lot of confidence, thats why i haven`t put the bike away but even the most experienced of bikers learns something new every day as I am learning every time I go out.Riding slow is the hardest thing for me to do but am getting better, but still not had the bottle to go down Wetgate road in newcastle on a saturday(you know it`s the fat bloke on an old bike syndrome)

Fat bloke on a bike? are you having a pop at me!!!!!!

shouldnt that for the sake of deplomacy be british or uk humour DP?

Oi oi, fat southern softy gal 'ere had the balls to ride down Westgate Road, park up, buy a new chain and clutch lever when she rode her xj into a big hole at Heddon on the wall - or some such weird place


Didn't I Dp?

definately not bonny lad that`s an exact description of me

IMHO

A 'good' rider is not the same as a 'safe' rider. I have a .... friend.... who has never had an accident yet I will not ride with him, his style is appalling and embarrassing and although he never seems to have an accident I think dangerous. (Someone who NEVER falls off just isnt trying)

I spent 15 years as a courier in London and have seen them all, I have spent most of my life as a stuntman, I consider a good rider one who can stay ahead of me or with me without breaking the law and without endangering himself or others. Its easy to be a fast loonie, but try getting away from each other in traffic with breaking any laws. Good game.

Regards
Dan Jerrous

I think most people will disagee with you there...
I believe that first and foremost, a good rider *must* be a safe rider. They must be in control of their vehicle, and attentive to their surroundings at all times. If you regard your "friend" as dangerous, yet he has never crashed, perhaps it's just luck.

A good rider should be able to make the ride look effortless. I reckon they should be able to outrun the traffic behind them, without having to worry about it. And ideally they should be able to do it without touching the brakes. But they *must* be safe, and they must drive within their abilities. Not necessarily within their comfort zone all the time, but definitely within their abilities.

comfort zone?....abilities?....whats all that about?....surely if your riding on the edge, then your just trying your luck/tempting fate or whatever else you like to call it, and its nothing to do with being a good rider....me, in the last few years I've only had one experiance where i near came a cropper....so do all my safe miles make me either good, safe or just plain lucky?