Suzuki GSX-R600, Manual

Page: 7 / 165

1-2
THE SPORT OF
MOTORCYCLING
Your motorcycle a nd this owner’s
m a nu a l h a ve been designed by
people like you who enjoy motor-
cycling. People become motorcy-
clists for m
a ny re a sons. For
st a rters, street riding is fun a nd
invigor a ting. But no m a tter why
you bec a me a motorcyclist, or
how experienced you a re, you will
eventu a lly f a ce some ch a llenging
situ a tions.
In prep a ring for these ch a llenges,
you will be fine-tuning your coordi-
n
a tion, concentr a tion, a nd a tti-
tude. Le a rning the skills a nd
str a tegies a ssoci a ted with motor-
cycling is the b a sis for s a fely p a r-
ticip a ting in this sport. M a ny
motorcyclists find th a t a s they
become better riders, they a lso
get more enjoyment from the free-
dom unique to motorcycling.
Ple a se remember:
MO S T ACCIDENT S CAN BE
AVOIDED
The most common type of motor-
cycle
a ccident in the U. S . occurs
when a c a r tr a veling tow a rds a
motorcycle turns left in front of the
motorcycle. Is th
a t bec a use other
drivers a re out to get motorcy-
clists? No. Other drivers simply
don’t
a lw a ys notice motorcyclists.
Ride defensively. Wise motorcy-
clists use
a str a tegy of a ssuming
they a re invisible to other drivers,
even in bro a d d a ylight. P a y c a re-
ful a ttention to other motorists,
especi a lly a t intersections,
bec a use they m a y not be p a ying
a ttention to you. S elect a l a ne
position th a t gives you the best
view of others, a nd other motor-
ists the best view of you. We a r
bright, reflective clothing. Put
reflective strips on your helmet.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE A HELMET,
BUY A HELMET AND WEAR IT
EVERY TIME YOU RIDE
Most a ccidents occur within a few
miles of home, a nd a lmost h a lf
occur a t speeds of less th a n 3 0
mph. S o even if you’re just going
on a quick err a nd, be prep a red–
str a p on your helmet before you
t a ke off.