California Motorcycle Handbook - Antevia

Another choice is to move to thecenter of your lane beforeentering a curve and stay thereuntil you exit. This allows you tosee approaching traffic as soonas possible. You can also adjustfor traffic “crowding” the centerline or debris blocking part ofyour lane.HANDLING DANGEROUSSURFACESYour chance of falling or beinginvolved in a crash increaseswhenever you ride across:• Uneven surfaces or obstacles.• Slippery surfaces.• Railroad tracks or pavementseams.• Grooves and gratings.Uneven Surfaces andObstaclesWatch for uneven surfaces suchas bumps, broken pavement,potholes, or small pieces ofhighway trash.Avoid obstacles by slowing orgoing around them. However, ifyou must go over the obstacle,first determine if it’s possible.Approach it at as close to a 90°angle as possible. Look whereyou want to go to control yourpath of travel. If you have to rideover the obstacle, you should:• Slow down as much as possiblebefore contact.• Make sure the motorcycle isstraight.• Rise slightly off the seat withyour weight on the footpegs toabsorb the shock with yourknees and elbows and avoidbeing thrown off themotorcycle.• Just before contact, roll on thethrottle slightly to lighten thefront end.If you ride over an object, pulloff the road and check your tiresand rims for damage before ridingany farther.Slippery SurfacesMotorcycles handle better onsurfaces with good traction.Surfaces with poor tractioninclude:• Wet pavement, particularly justafter it starts to rain and beforesurface oil washes to the sideof the road.• Gravel roads or where sand andgravel collect.• Mud, snow, and ice.• Lane markings, steel plates,and manhole covers especiallywhen wet.To ride safely on slipperysurfaces:• Reduce Speed. Slow downbefore you get to a slipperysurface to reduce your chancesof skidding. When slippery,your motorcycle needs moredistance to stop. It is especiallyimportant to reduce speedbefore entering wet curves.• Avoid Sudden Moves. Any26