Where do you look??

[motorman587]

Red light. Your stopped, no traffic stopped behind you. Keep looking head or scan your mirrors for trouble??

 

What gear?? Neutral?? First??

 

Both feet down?? Or one the brake??

[Jeepster]

With no-one stopped behind me I usually scan all around me. Looking for possible problems and escape routes.

Both feet down, but hand on front brake lever. First gear until I have the rear protection of a car or two STOPPED behind me.

Just paranoid I guess. But that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

[Paul Mihalka]

First: When I stop I do it near the left or right lane line, not center. In first gear. Both feet down - lousy old legs and bike is straight up, not leaned. Look behind and scan cross-lane lights for yellow or my light for green. Serious solid look left and right before I'm starting to cross.

[ltljohn]

With no-one stopped behind me I usually scan all around me. Looking for possible problems and escape routes.

Both feet down, but hand on front brake lever. First gear until I have the rear protection of a car or two STOPPED behind me.

Just paranoid I guess. But that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

 

+1

[Quinn]

If my right hand is hurting, I'll single foot it to flex my fingers, but I'm really more of a two footie guy so I can flex my butt. I keep an eye on the mirrors and when I see someone approaching, I release the brake and reapply it so the rear brake light starts its pulsing again. I also check the cross lanes to see if someone is stopped in all their lanes; if not I hesitate longer before starting on my green in case someone trys whizzing through an open lane on a late amber to red.

 

---

 

 

[phxpsd]

+1 on Jeepster.....I got rearended on my bike at a light...stopped.....

[moshe_levy]

I use the MSF's method: Left foot down, right on peg and brake, always in first (just in case), clutch pulled in on the left, right poised to twist. Looking mainly behind me unless there is a long line of cars completely stopped in back of me. Pause of at least 2 seconds and a look right and left before proceeding on green.

 

-MKL

[MotorinLA]

Usually I'm looking one or two blocks down the street, to see if I can catch someone making an illegal U-turn from the curb lane...

[motorman587]

With no-one stopped behind me I usually scan all around me. Looking for possible problems and escape routes.

Both feet down, but hand on front brake lever. First gear until I have the rear protection of a car or two STOPPED behind me.

Just paranoid I guess. But that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

 

I do that two. If there are a lot of cars behind and it is long light I will place in neutral too. Scanning the rearview mirrors has saved my bacon a time or two.

[moshe_levy]

John-

 

Curious - why place it in neutral? I know the theory of leaving it in first is that it saves the time to shift into gear should a quick launch be required.

 

-MKL

[4wheeldog]

With no-one stopped behind me I usually scan all around me. Looking for possible problems and escape routes.

Both feet down, but hand on front brake lever. First gear until I have the rear protection of a car or two STOPPED behind me.

Just paranoid I guess. But that doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

 

I do that two. If there are a lot of cars behind and it is long light I will place in neutral too. Scanning the rearview mirrors has saved my bacon a time or two.

 

 

Rather than put the bike in nuetral, I leave it in gear, stop the motor with the kill switch, return the switch to run and when it is time to go, I just pull in the clutch, tickle the starter, and go. That way, I don't have to hold a brake, my hands are free, and it is quicker than putting it in gear to go. But that is just me.

[tallman]

[fatboyjim]

Left foot down, rear brake on, neutral or in gear depends on the light sequence, but if it is a short stop, im in first gear.

 

Eyes everywhere my head almost on a swivel.

[upflying]

In first gear

Right foot on brake

On left wheel position

Left foot down

Scan rear view mirrors for threats

Look side to side for threats

Be ready to move when a threat approaches from behind

[russell_bynum]

John-

 

Curious - why place it in neutral? I know the theory of leaving it in first is that it saves the time to shift into gear should a quick launch be required.

 

-MKL

 

So you can rest your clutch hand.

 

Since he waits until he's got a nice buffer of cars stopped behind him, the odds of needing to make a quick getaway are pretty small.

[Francis]

Scanning the rear view mirror to see who in behind. Usually pump the hand brake to keep the rear lights bright and flashing for approaching traffic. Usually in gear if no cars behind just in case. As traffic approaches I will continue to pump brake till they stop and I can see the margin they leave between them and me. I have extra rear brake lights and use the flashing as a warning mechanism to keep approaching traffic further behind me that they would normally allow without it. Here in NYC everything is alwoays tight and close and I want to create more space theorugh this technique.

[VinnyR11]

Pretty much the same as most here. If nobody is around or if there are cars stopped behind me I have it in neutral, otherwise in first.

 

I normally have both feet down.

 

Exception is on a steep incline where I always keep it in gear no matter who is around.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

1st gear, left foot down, on the rear break on a hill, off the brake if flat. Watching traffic and mirrors. If a car approaches from the rear I flash the brake light a few times. Never in neutral unless there's a line of cars behind me and I know that it's a notoriously long wait.

[Ken H.]

In first gear

Right foot on brake

On left wheel position

Left foot down

Scan rear view mirrors for threats

Look side to side for threats

Be ready to move when a threat approaches from behind

+1

 

That’s generally me too. Except wheel postion depends on the situation. Whichever postion offers the best potential escape path for that moment.

 

In particular +1 on the always in first gear poised to move in an instant part. It literally saved me about three years ago when the car behind me smashed into the car in front of me at a light. The time it takes to get your left foot up, the clutch pulled, the bike in gear, throttle applied and pulled out of the way may be waaaay to long to save your arz. Fortune was that I managed to move just before she hit.

 

Emphasis on the scan word too. Not (fixed) looking anywhere, rather scanning everywhere for/at the situation unfolding around you. (Like aways in riding actually.)

 

Finally, me thinks if your left hand gets tired holding a clutch lever in, hand strengthening exercises are the in order. Not putting a motorcycle in neutral (and thus compromising your safety postion) to give your hand a rest.

 

[beemerman2k]

Man, I'm too busy futzing with the iPod or the GPS until the car behind me lays on the horn to let me know the light turned green.

 

Why do you ask?

[Mister Tee]

Yeah, as soon as I come to a stop I chug a few gulps of beer from the Starbucks thermo mug in the drink holder. Then I look around.

[beemerman2k]

[Knifemaker]

Usually both feet down, first gear, Clutch ready to go, tapping front brake to actuate rear brake flashers, scanning all areas....ready to go....I wanna ride not sit....

[David13]

I always put both feet down.

I learned to look where I'm going. More specifically to look where I want to go.

Nobody told me that in my early days of motorcycling.

I looked at a telephone pole. And that was where I went. Now I look where I am going. Down the road.

dc

[Indy Dave]

I guess I'm the odd ball here. I roll to a stop with my left foot down, bike in first gear and I'm positioned on the either right or left of the lane. If it's very windy or off camber, then I put both feet down. I tap my bake repeatedly until the vehicle behind me has come to a stop - that makes the BMW optional LED lights actually flash a few times with each brake application. I continue to survey the traffic around me and check again before I start off.

[Ken H.]

I guess I'm the odd ball here.

Not really. That's the approach a lot of us use/advocate.

[jaytee]

Since I'm in SoCal and there are ALWAYS cars behind me, beside me, crossing the road in front of me there is really no point in leaving the bike in first.

 

I'm stopped in the far right hand side of the far left hand lane, usually between the two front cars in line since I filtered my way up there. I don;t have to worry about getting rear-ended, and even if I did there is no where to go since there is always a constant stream of cars directly in front of me.

 

My left leg is down after shifting into neutral, and my right foot rests lightly on the brake to keep me from rolling. Occasionally I will put both legs down for a stretch if the road is level, which, due to crown and intersection drainage, is almost never.

 

MY eyes watch cross traffic and the opposing lights so that when the light turns yellow I can put the bike in gear and get ready to go. Since I am always at the front of the line my main concern is people running red lights and killing me, so that's what I watch.

 

Obviously SoCal is a bit different riding environment than most of you guys face, I'm guessing, so YMMV.

 

JT

[sundaeman]

1st gear.

1 or 2 feet down generally depends on weather.

Check rear view and sides for threats, more traffic more checking.

 

Generally the same in stacked traffic, but check rear view when slowing/stopping.

 

Still doesn't always work. Started another mirror scan and then...

Camera angle slightly off but you get the idea.

 

 

[Indy Dave]

I guess I'm the odd ball here.

Not really. That's the approach a lot of us use/advocate.

 

Thanks Ken. I meant about the one foot down. Good thread.

[cycleman]

I use the MSF's method: Left foot down, right on peg and brake, always in first (just in case), clutch pulled in on the left, right poised to twist. Looking mainly behind me unless there is a long line of cars completely stopped in back of me. Pause of at least 2 seconds and a look right and left before proceeding on green.

 

-MKL

 

I do this as well. The only time I'd put it in neutral is if I was at a railroad crossing, long line of cars behind me, barrier down and it was going to take awhile for the train to pass.

[PBee]

I use the MSF's method: Left foot down, right on peg and brake, always in first (just in case), clutch pulled in on the left, right poised to twist. Looking mainly behind me unless there is a long line of cars completely stopped in back of me. Pause of at least 2 seconds and a look right and left before proceeding on green.

 

-MKL

 

I do this as well. The only time I'd put it in neutral is if I was at a railroad crossing, long line of cars behind me, barrier down and it was going to take awhile for the train to pass.

Rather than RR crossings I have open bridges to contend with. I'll simply shut off the engine while in first gear, put the side stand down and relax. If there isn't a "buffer" behind me I'm always ready to "bail out". Once it appeared a car wasn't going to stop - I bailed - he swung left. Damned near bailed right into him.:-(