Ride Like Mackenzie: Road Survival - Country Practice

Join the one and only Niall Mackenzie as he divulges everything he knows about faster, smoother, safer riding, on the road and track, all of it gained from the highest levels of world competition and through 24 years of road riding experience

Posted: 11 November 2010
by Niall Mackenzie

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Country Practice

Now we're on the open road, blasting a bit here and there and generally getting ready for some fun.
Golden rule when speeding things up a touch on the open road is to get your road positioning right. Just the same as in town and on the motorway you're looking to keep as much distance between you and any hazards as possible while maximising your forward vision.

So, in the case below you want to be as far away from the approaching junction on the left in case someone appears in it and pulls out - if the road was clear and there were no junctions on the other side there'd be no harm in using the other side of the road to be doubly safe. But in this case you'll want to moderate your position to account for the junction on your right and the car in it. Somewhere in the middle of the road is about right here.


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gunshot72

I agree with most of what Niall discusses but the idea of using engine braking instead of the brakes is daft. This is not what the police do in their training and certainly not what was taught to me on ERS. A smooth combination of shifting, brakes and engine speed management is the best solution. 


Posted: 22/02/2011 at 20:30


duck51
Good sound advice from Niall.
You need 3 pairs of eyes to look out for all the idiots who aren't using theirs..
Think twice before you overtake, rather hangback than end up spread across the road. Assume drivers haven't seen you.
Filter slowly and cautiously.
If you ride like everyone else is an idiot you'll be prepared for the one who is..

Posted: 05/11/2011 at 23:07

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