Before
You Dismount
Six
things to do
We
all have our own unique way of doing things. Some people, for
example, do exactly two things before they dismount their bikes:
they turn off their ignition switch and they put down their
sidestand. Given a little thought about it, however, I think there
are a few more details to attend to (however 'uniquely') before we
dismount our motorcycles, and if we make a habit of doing them we
can avoid some major trouble for ourselves.
Use your engine cutoff switch to shut off your engine
Some
people seem to think that switch is there for use only in an
emergency. Not true. The reason you use the engine cutoff switch
rather than the ignition switch to shut off your engine is because
you do not have to take your hand off the grip in order to do so.
Further, if you make a habit of doing so you will build 'muscle
memory' as to where it is so that you can quickly and unerringly
find it in the event of an emergency.
Turn your ignition switch off
Obviously,
unless you do this your lighting system is still on and your
battery is discharging. By the way, it is good form to get into
the habit of using your LEFT hand to turn off the switch (if
possible) so that you can keep your front brake lever activated.
Turn your fuel valve (if you have one) to the OFF position
A
stuck needle valve in one of your carbs can allow a great deal of
gasoline to leak past it. If a needle valve should happen to stick
while your motorcycle is left in your garage overnight, that
leaking gasoline can cost you your house and your life. When you
start your motorcycle you should always turn your fuel valve to
the RUN/ON position. Thus, by making it a habit of turning the
valve off at night you also eliminate the risk of having left it
in the reserve position (had it been there when you last
dismounted) and running out of gasoline on the road somewhere.
Put your sidestand down - and confirm that it is locked in
place
After
leaning the bike onto the sidestand you have insured that it is
stable from side to side before you try to dismount. (Your bike
should be in first gear and you should push the bike forward until
all the play in your gears is gone before leaning the bike onto
the sidestand.)
Turn your handlebars full-lock left
A
motorcycle is several times more resistant to movement when the
front wheel is not pointing straight ahead. Even a gentle nudge
from behind can cause a motorcycle that is on its sidestand to
roll forward unless the front wheel is not pointing straight
ahead.
Squeeze the front brake lever
This
insures that the bike is unable to move at all as you dismount.
If
you build these six steps into a habit that you always perform
before dismounting, you are serious about ALL aspects of
motorcycle safety. The ride is not over until you are safely
dismounted.
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