Like anything capable of sustaining a sense of pleasure and achievement, the fine art of road craft takes time.

Make a commitment to begin or renew that journey now. Keep your mind sharp in new situations. Learn from every experience. Sure, listen to the advice of others - then take what you want and leave the rest. How you interact with your immediate environment will do more than set you apart as a rider. It may save your life.

The five most important road craft skills are:

• Have a suspicious 'on-road' attitude. Trust no one and assume nothing.
• Scan for hazards by looking well ahead, behind and beside you.
• Maintain a safety zone free of all hazards.
• Identify an escape route in front of you at all times.
• Ride and corner at a safe speed. That means no faster than a speed at which you can stop in the clear space ahead of you.

Progress the orderly way

Getting the best from a bike entails familiarity. Knowing controls and capabilities. Discovering limitations, gradually... that way, you can avoid exceeding them.

Breaking in a new motorcycle is a wonderful way to learn all this. Regardless of whether it still has its showroom sheen, the following pointers will let you know your machine is approaching its limits:

• The steering starts to feel lighter than usual while accelerating. This means the front wheel is about to lift off the road.
• If the revs rise or the exhaust note changes noticeably while accelerating, your rear wheel is losing traction.
• When the steering starts to feel unusually light or move by itself during heavy braking, the front brake is about to lock.
• If the front brake lever feels softer than normal after repeated applications, brake fade is setting in.
• If the rear wheel starts to judder during heavy braking, the rear brake is about to lock.

Be conspicuous

Sorry mate. Didn't see you. Five words you never want to hear. Yet because bikes make up such a small percentage of on-road vehicles (and have a habit of seeming invisible to other motorists), successfully achieving this involves more than putting in earplugs while you're waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

The Golden Rule first: Always ride assuming you have not been seen.

Now make yourself (and any passenger) the centre of attention by:

• Riding with the headlight/s on day or night.
• Wearing brightly coloured and reflective clothing, ditto helmet.
• Riding with accessory running lights on as they add definition, making it easier to recognise an approaching bike.
• Riding slowly enough for other road users to see you and judge your speed.
• Owning a colourful or light-coloured motorcycle.

Positioning yourself on the road where other drivers are most likely to see you is another wise idea.

Sound a warning

There is a time and a place to use your horn. The time is whenever you believe your presence or approach may be about to go unnoticed. As standard horns on many bikes are virtually inaudible at motorway speeds, the place will mainly be urban areas.

With experience comes discretion, but in an age of road-rage be aware that using your horn may cause other motorists to:

• Become angry or confused.
• Brake when you least want them to.
• Slow down and block your path.

It can also cause animals to panic and cross your path.

In situations where a horn is unlikely to be heard, operate your headlight flasher to alert other vehicles and pedestrians to your whereabouts. This is especially useful at motorway speeds, facing oncoming vehicles or approaching intersections.