Wet Night Ride Across Tram Tracks
At 22:30 you are riding a 150 cc motorcycle home in light rain. The road is a four-lane one-way street with a 50 km/h speed limit, and tram tracks run along the left lane. Your visor is misting, the taxi 15 m ahead has bright brake lights, and a red minibus is travelling alongside in the lane to your right. You need to turn left into a side street about 60 m ahead, which means crossing the tram rails at a shallow angle. The taxi suddenly brakes for a passenger. The surface is glossy, a metal drain cover sits just before the turn, and your front tyre is at 24 psi instead of the recommended 28 psi. You have worked a 10-hour shift and are tired.
1. What are the three highest-priority hazards in the next 60 m, and how should you adjust your speed and road position before the turn?
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The priority hazards are the braking taxi, the minibus alongside, and the rail/drain-cover combination; tiredness and the misted visor make all three worse. The taxi can stop abruptly or a passenger can open a door, so do not follow closely. The minibus may drift left or change lanes, so avoid riding in its blind spot. The rails and drain cover offer very little grip when wet.
Ease off the throttle early and brake gently while upright, before reaching the metal. Do not brake or accelerate hard while crossing the rails. Reduce speed to about 20-25 km/h, stay toward the right side of your lane until the turn to widen the angle across the rails, then make one smooth arc. Look through the turn rather than at the taxi, and keep a gap of at least three seconds. The low front tyre pressure makes steering heavier, so allow extra room and do not add lean angle on the wet metal.
2. How should you deal with the misted visor and the wet, glossy surface without losing control?
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Crack the visor open one notch at low speed to improve airflow, and use an anti-fog treatment or pinlock insert if fitted. Do not take a hand off the bars to wipe the visor while moving in traffic; if you must wipe it, do so only when stopped. A misted visor cuts your view of the taxi's wheels and the rail edges, which are exactly the clues you need.
For the wet surface, increase the following distance to about four seconds, use both brakes progressively while upright, and avoid the painted markings and drain cover if possible. The front tyre at 24 psi has a smaller, less stable contact patch and is more prone to damage, so inflate it to 28 psi before the next ride. Keep the bike more upright through the turn, use a steady throttle, and avoid any sudden steering input on the rails.
3. A car behind is tailgating. What should you do?
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Do not speed up to create a gap; that simply brings you closer to the taxi and the wet rails. Instead, increase the gap ahead so that you can slow gradually rather than braking sharply. Signal your left turn early and clearly, and keep a predictable line. If the car remains close, and it is safe, wave it past or pull over briefly to let it go. Never brake-check a tailgater, especially on a wet road where your own braking distance is longer.
At the junction, avoid stopping suddenly on the metal. If you have to wait, stop before the drain cover where possible, keep the bike upright, and watch your mirrors until the car has stopped behind you. Your priority is to protect your own space, not to teach the driver a lesson.