The snow is immediately melted that spontaneously, not to say viscerally, many motorcycle enthusiasts begin to dream of freedom and the warm breath of the summer season… Many of them are waiting for D-Day (March 16 in Quebec) to get their machine out and start the season they hope will be the longest possible. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Very early on, I understood that the bike was not for me.
Posted at 11:45 a.m.
And yet, I have always loved motorcycles and motorcycle racing on the track. But in 1985, I realized that the bike and I didn’t make a healthy combination on the road. That day, my best friend had offered me to try his bike. An FJ 1100. A bomb. However, my first instinct was to probe its top speed. Without thinking. The emotion at one. Lucky you say? I say. And wise to have understood that the bike was not made for me at that time.
A few years later, I realized it all the more. I was then doing a comparative match with colleagues. Me driving a T-Rex, a fellow American driver in a Porsche Carrera and Miguel Duhamel on a CBR 900 motorcycle. Miguel Duhamel and his record of victories! That day, however, it was another facet that impressed me about him.
I watched him move on the track. Gently, he studied his playground. He took the time to understand what was possible to do with his motorcycle, and what was not. In total control of his emotions. Respect for the machine, respect for the track. Humility of a great champion.
D-Day is approaching for motorcyclists and it is Miguel Duhamel who comes to mind. This is the model that I wish for all those who will take up their handlebars again this season.
The enlightened model
In a motorcycle as in a racing car, there are many similarities, starting with the necessary vigilance. In terms of attention, it’s multitasking. Observe your environment, anticipate the road users you encounter, study the quality of the road surface, coordinate braking and trajectories when cornering. It’s all about attention and concentration.
In this regard, I like to meet the smart model. On the side of motorcyclists, we recognize him by the fact that he wears a well-fitting helmet with visor, if not protective glasses, which is an obligation, by the way, and this, in any zone where the speed limit is higher at 50 km/h.
The intelligent model wears adequate protective clothing and accessories, adapted to the climatic conditions, resistant enough to protect themselves and, ideally, set in light or fluorescent colors to be seen well. He also knows that the higher the speed, the more his field of vision is reduced.
But still, he knows the road and its pitfalls. He knows how to spot potholes and cracks. He learned that floor markings become very slippery when damp or wet, and oil slicks are downright dangerous, especially in early rain or very hot weather.
He knows that sand and gravel can cause a bike to skid, especially on curves, uphills and downhills. Watch out especially in the spring, when the roadway is not completely cleared of winter debris. He also pays attention to two other risk factors to avoid at the end of the summer, I named dead leaves and autumn frost!
The experienced driver is aware of the fact that wind, rain, fog and wet road surfaces can influence his driving. He knows that in the rain, the braking distance is longer, that the grip of the tires is less great, that in windy weather, you have to hold the handlebars firmly and reduce your speed; that it will be important to make a slight counter-steering to combat the thrust of side winds and that, in high winds, you have to go straight for shelter.
Obviously, the smart model does not consume. He knows very well what alcohol can do to his reflexes, his concentration and his field of vision, just like fatigue, which should never be underestimated.
No more prejudices
I admit, like many, I have often put motorcyclists in the same group, influenced by a profile in particular, the one who uses the road to impress the gallery. I was wrong. This spring, watch the motorcyclists from your car and you will see that the vast majority of them use their machine conscientiously and cautiously.
And as long as you watch them, take the opportunity to increase your distance from them. Because the smart model, it also exists among motorists… On this note, good season and good road to all!