Be Extra Safety-Conscious On Bad Weather Days; Practice Away From Traffic; Inspection Before Riding; Accessories And Loading - Suzuki VL800 Owner's Manual

Riding a motorcycle
requires that your mental and
physical skills are fully part of the
experience. You
attempt to operate a motor vehi-
cle, especially one with two
wheels, if you are tired or under
the influence of alcohol or other
drugs. Alcohol, illegal drugs, and
even some prescription and over-
the-counter drugs
drowsiness, loss of coordination,
loss of balance, and especially
the loss of good judgment. If you
are tired or under the influence of
alcohol or other drugs, PLEASE
DO NOT RIDE your motorcycle.
BE EXTRA SAFETY-CONSCIOUS
ON BAD WEATHER DAYS
Riding on bad weather days,
especially wet ones, requires
extra caution. Braking distances
increase on a rainy day. Stay off
the painted surface marks, man-
hole covers, and greasy appear-
ing areas, as
especially slippery. Use extra cau-
tion at railway crossings and on
metal gratings and bridges. When
it starts to rain, any oil or grease
on the road rises to the surface of
the water. Pull over and wait a few
minutes until this oil film is
washed away
Whenever in doubt about road
conditions, slow down!
safely
should not
can cause
they can be
before riding.
PRACTICE AWAY FROM
TRAFFIC
Your riding skill and your mechan-
ical knowledge form the founda-
tion for safe riding practices. We
suggest that you practice riding
your motorcycle in a nontraffic sit-
uation until you are thoroughly
familiar with your machine and its
controls. Again, consider taking
one of the MSF's Rider Courses.
Even experts will be pleased with
the caliber of the information pre-
sented in these courses. As the
MSF says: "The more you know,
the better it gets!"

INSPECTION BEFORE RIDING

Review the instructions in the
INSPECTION BEFORE RIDING
section of this manual. Perform an
entire pre-ride inspection before
you head out on the road. Spend-
ing a few minutes preparing your
machine for a ride can help pre-
vent accidents due to mechanical
failure or
breakdowns far from home.

ACCESSORIES AND LOADING

The accessories you use with
your motorcycle and the manner
in which you load your gear onto
the bike might create hazards.
Aerodynamics, handling, balance,
and cornering clearance can suf-
fer, and the suspension and tires
can be overloaded. Read the
ACCESSORY
MOTORCYCLE LOADING sec-
tion.
1-5
costly, inconvenient
USE AND