Keep the Motorcycle Riding Basics in Mind

I've been riding or three years now, first on a Kawasaki ER6N and now on a Yamaha FZ1.

Being fresh out of the big big riding course, I was very safety conscious, I didn't speed excessively but still I enjoyed my Sundays up country immensely.

Then slowly, but gradually, my speed picked up. All the inherent dangers of being on two wheels weren't as fixed in my mind. I was focused now on getting faster through corners and getting on the throttle sooner out of them.

Then came the Yamaha FZ1, which I have had for three months now. A week ago I lost the front. While turning at a T-junction I saw gravel in the turn. I did the big no-no and grabbed the front brake. I was slapped into the tarmac in a flash. So, I have spent the last week enable to cough, sneeze, laugh or do anything really without my severely bruised ribs causing my terrible pain.

I was fully geared up and my race boots saved me from a broken right foot.

My ego took over enough for me to forget a basic braking rule. My motorcycle has near 100,000 THB damage but it'll be fixed soon, as I had all the gear and all the tricks bits itemized in my insurance policy.

No matter how good you are, keep the basics in mind.

If sharing this story with you stops just one other rider from experiencing the pain and embarrassment I have endured, then it was worth sharing.