Top 5 lessons you have learned the hard way
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1) There is absolutely no substitute for experience - You can never spend too much time in the saddle learning and re-learning how to ride. Sometimes I scare myself at how bad my riding feels after a long break from riding.
2) Always trust your instincts - If something doesn't feel quite right eg unsure about an overtake, don't do it. I've lost count of the number of times I've held back when the road appeared clear, only to find a car suddenly emerge from a hidden junction/blind crest/oncoming truck and think "thank god for that I could have been dead". A good mantra is
"Whenever there is doubt, there is no doubt" eg if not 110% sure, don't attempt it.
3) Assume nothing, expect the unexpected - Just because a vehicle is indicating doesn't mean it will make a turn (and vice-versa). I managed to turn a potential sideswipe into a bar-end versus wing mirror thanks to being on the ball and assuming nothing. I also got taken out at the same roundabout by an Audi driving moron of a woman who didn't see me alongside her. I saw her but couldn't avoid her. Lesson learnt the hard way.
4) Be VERY wary of housewives with cars full of kids when navigating a roundabout. They will ignore your right of way and pull onto the roundabout in front of you, then blank you because they realise they are in the wrong. If I had a quid for the number of times its happened I could stand a round in my local. Not had to do that the hard way but came too close more than once too often (the accident, not standing the round).
5) All elderly drivers should terrify you with instant fear. They passed their driving tests a long time ago when roads were less congested, their reactions may well have dulled over the years, as has their vision and hazard perception. Give them a respectful wide berth. A good friend has a mechanical knee joint thanks to an elderly gent who didn't see him on his Bonneville on a Sunday ride.