By Gary Piper of Wodonga

Other "Tips" have talked about water as a lubricant, and water lifting oil onto a road surface. And these are very salutary lessons to learn, but do we know how much difference water makes?

It's not just that water lubricates the road, but the change in harmonics from a dry to a wet road affects tyre grip too. All those little holes fill to an extent with water, and the vibrations set up in the tyre change.

Wet roads can drop your tyre's grip by in excess of half its dry "stickability".

siishshshsh, zzzzzz, bang - it's a sound no motorcyclist ever needs to hear. Safe riding all.

By Robert Camilleri of Pascoe Vale South

I have driven motor cars for more than ten years and recently got my motorcycle licence. The experience of driving a car has over this short time of riding a bike has saved my life on many occasions. Specifically because I can anticipate car driver error from my own car driving habits, and have an understanding of blind spots I’m able to think like a car driver.

One such example is that when driving down quiet streets, I have a habit of slowing down at crossroads to give myself extra braking distance for other drivers who fail to stop at stop signs. I have brought this habit to riding a bike as well. The advantage on a bike is that you can see the crossroads and down side streets from your bike position better than car drivers.

I have seen many cars before they have seen me on my bike, and because of my slowing down habit on approach, have avoided collisions when vehicles have failed to stop or stop completely at the side street stop sign to give way to traffic...me! Think like a driver and anticipate their errors.

By Taner Riffat of Vermont

Watch out for tar seals over road cracks in the wet. These tar seals look like shiny black snakes and some roads are littered with them.

In the wet these tar seals are extremely slippery, and even on a straight road can cause your bike to slide all over the place.

The only solution is to slow down and try and miss as many as possible by gently weaving between them - they are so slippery in the wet.

By Neville Luke of Doveton

I was stopped at traffic lights and saw a car and trailer travelling to my left which happened to be the way I was going, I noticed the trailer had large mesh sides and also had furniture in it not really well roped down. Eventually the traffic moved off and just around the bend there was tyre smoke ahead, yep, a cupboard in the trailer had lifted itself out of the trailer and onto the car behind.

Luckily no one hurt but always watch trailers and their loads.
Happy riding, Neville.

By David Brittain of Werribee

This I believe is something that novice riders should be made aware of: painted lines on the roads. The main ones to be aware of are the arrow directions. These are quite wide and large. These should be taken with extreme caution, not only on the dry but paramount in the wet or very cold condition. These lines have the same affect as ice in wet conditions and should, if possible, be avoided.

As we are only a fraction the size of cars, we have the ability to place ourselves in certain parts of the lane. When coming to a corner that has a direction arrow, just place yourself slightly to the left or right. If this is impossible, reduce speed to a minimum and adjust you body weight so the lean angle is reduced, decreasing the likelihood of the rear wheel loosing traction. Like any corner, avoid braking. The white lines (arrows) are very large and visible so your line and speed into the corner should already have been adjusted to suit. Direction arrows on corners are rare (most are placed before the corner) but like all riding, scan ahead, think of the conditions you are in and adjust riding to suit.

By Lancer Nichols of East Geelong

Car drivers are relatively limited in their ability to alter their position within the lane, since they normally occupy about 50 - 70% of it.  Hence, most car drivers focus on keeping their vehicle centrally within the lane.  Motorcycles on the other hand occupy a very small %age of the lane and can use this to great advantage.  You can alter your road position to:

Improving your chances of being seen
It is important to remember that as a motorcyclist you have a relatively small profile.  Some motorists don't notice motorcycles, so you should do everything you can to increase your road profile.  Generally, you should ride in a prominent position giving you a good view of the road ahead and the flexibility to react to the unexpected.  Provided you are not on a multi-lane road, this is normally near the centre of the road.  Be aware that other vehicles may interpret this as an indication to turn, so keep a good look out for traffic coming up behind you.  In this position, you are more likely to be seen by oncoming traffic and will also stay out of the blind spots of traffic ahead of you.

(Ed’s note: As Lance says, when on single lane roads, ride in the right wheel track of the vehicle in front of you. Multi-lane roads are different. When in the left lane, stay in the right wheel track. But if you’re riding in the right hand lane, then ride in the left wheel track of the vehicle in front of you. Try to avoid the centre lane if there are three lanes of traffic.)

By Neville Warner of Wheatsheaf

Beware of the oil and diesel left on the road by buses and trucks, especially in damp or wet conditions. These spots are usually at intersections right before corners. The oil repels the water leaving a super slick surface. Very slippery! Approach the corner with caution keeping the bike upright through the glossy patch before leaning into corner.

Also diesel can spill out of the fuel tanks of trucks around round a bouts. - it usually collects around the far left sides of round a bouts, in the wet avoid this space! Think about it, the fuel tanks are on the side, the trucks come around the corner and can drop fluid right on the edge.

By the time you’re lying on the side of the road, your bike trashed, it’s too late to change the way you ride, and there’s no-one else you can blame for your fall.

If you make a minor mistake driving a car, the vehicle may suffer a few dents and the only injury you may suffer is a bruised ego. The consequences of making the same mistake on a motorcycle are catastrophic. So why would you allow yourself to get into danger in the first place?

Having been through all the stages of motorcycle ownership, I now spend considerably more time thinking about how to stay out of trouble. All experienced riders do. We have learned that it’s what we do that determines every outcome. Even, if the law says that you have right of way and the other vehicle is at fault, the bottom line is that if you have a run in with a car, you’re going to come off second best. So why put yourself in danger in the first place?

A Good Rider knows that they can stay out of trouble on the road. They accept that it is their responsibility to understand the behavior of other road users. They know that they must equip themselves with an ability to predict the “worst case scenario” and plan to avoid danger at all times.

In my experience, when you stop being responsible for your own safety, you risk your body and your bike. It may be as simple as locking up your front wheel at slow speed (very embarrassing), failing to negotiate a corner properly or colliding with a car that was supposed to give way that results in your bike being damaged and you ending up in the emergency room. Had you just taken a little more responsibility – then that incident could and would have been avoided.

I have found myself in many of these situations. I have been fortunate to survive them. In hindsight I wish that I knew then what I know now.

I have been riding for many years, and I still come across rubbish that has fallen off cars, trucks etc that could cause you a serious injury should you hit these objects. I was riding on the M1 freeway last month when I came across a 1.4m long star post right in the middle of my lane. I did see the post in time and went around the post. If I was too close to the car in front of me I may have run over the post and lost control. It pays to keep at least 5 car lengths so you have a chance to avoid any debris on the road. The Great Ocean Road is one place great for riding but watch out for small rocks on the road that can catch you out.

Another example:  I remember when the words from the HART trainers came back to me from licence testing - leave yourself a three second gap.  It is so easy to be lost in the enjoyment of your bike, the road and waiting to get past cars in front, if your lost concentration, too close to the cars behind your really asking for it.  I once was coming down from sassafras to the basin on mountain highway, caught up to cars in front then kept too close, next thing as i approach the next corner the car in front runs over a big stick, right in the line to take the corner, being too close to the car I had a split second to make a decicion, what would you do? 

Give yourself some space - it gives you more time to react.

(p.s i kept the rubber side down and made the corner - but it was a wakeup call)

Easy way to be sure you indicate early enough to warn other road users of your intention to turn – always indicate before you start braking.

The most dangerous time during a rainstorm is the first ten minutes this allows a layer of brake fluid, oil, dust, diesel and other crud to build up on the road. When it starts to rain this mixes with the water and forms a deadly mixture just waiting for the unsuspecting biker or motorist. The good news is that after a good few minutes of hard rain this wicked cocktail ends up in the gutters leaving the road surface rather more grippy than you may imagine.