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The Sixth Sense - why is it that bikers have an uncanny ability to know something is about to happen? And if you don't have it, how can you get it? Bob Pickett talks to bikers to get the truth

Photo used by kind permission of The BMF

You never want this to happen to you... You know that way you pick up on signs telling you something is going to happen, almost without realising? Well it happened to me.

The East India Dock Road in London allows bike access (legally) to the bus lane. It has a left turn a little way down, so vehicles have to enter the bus lane momentarily. So I entered the bus lane... and noticed the car slightly ahead in the 'normal' lane is sitting a bit over to the left. So instinctively, I positioned myself a lot closer to the kerb than I usually would.

Just as well - stupid that I’ve just observed comes up to the back of the line of traffic, swings the wheel and goes into the lane without checking. I still had to brake - and HARD, but my "just in case" positioning had saved it from being an even harder task to avoid the fool.

‘Tony B’ had a similar experience a while back "On the way back from a rugby game, I had taken my mate Roy on the back of my RZ250. We were filtering along, when Roy's helmet smacked into mine and he started climbing up my back. Then I saw a car that was pulling out through the traffic right in front of us, so I went to hit the anchors BUT THEY WERE ALREADY ON! Thats why Roy was climbing up my back - I was already braking hard. My only explanation is that it was a reflex reaction, the subconscious brain reacted before the conscious brain had even had time to register the car."

Two incidents, both of which were avoided almost without the rider knowing they were taking action. Which got me thinking; why is it that bikers seem to have a ‘sixth sense’ all of their own, that often makes them react to situations almost before they happen? So I started speaking to other bikers to get their thoughts on the subject.

Former ACU instructor Martin Gelder put it down to experience "The whole 'sixth sense' thing is very real, and is one of the reasons that experienced riders have fewer close shaves than novices, despite riding on the same roads in the same conditions."

"It's also very hard to teach, because it's something that's done unconsciously; you can't list all the things to look out for because it's combinations of several observations that give you the clue as to what a driver is about to do, or when a situation is going to get dodgy."

‘XTC’ attributes it to the ‘fear factor’ "I don’t know about a sixth sense.... I think it just comes down to expecting the worst to happen and being prepared for it. You have to expect the car in that side street to pull out. You can't just ride around expecting to have the right of way just because you have the green light as some one coming through the red opposite can take your right (and life) away just like that. So expect these things to happen and be prepared."

So why are we so much more alert than car drivers? Martin Gelder again "Car drivers don't learn such keen observation and anticipation because they don't need to. When I was learning to drive (the second time, with 16 years riding experience) I used to freak my instructor out because I'd react to things before he'd seen them developing; he'd start to criticise me for being too cautious, and then spot the hazard himself."

‘Wolf’ supported this point of view "Quite often I know what other vehicles are going to do before they do it based on where they start to position themselves before the manoeuvre. As bikers - less protected and therefore more mindful of what's happening around us - we tend to read the subtle cues better than cagers."

So experience is key in building up your sixth sense. So what can new riders do to help themselves until they’ve built up experience? Lou Giradin had the following tips for new riders "It's a life saver that the new riders need to learn - and fast."

"Watch out for little things like a car moving left or right slightly as the driver checks the exterior mirror for a lane change. Watching for the front wheels start to pivot on a car waiting to turn as you approach. Or on twisties when you see a momentary flash through the trees as the sun reflects off an oncoming car. Checking for shadows moving in front of parked trucks etc is also gives really good early warning clues."

‘Ixion’ added a couple more tips "I watch for the reverse flash on a car that pulls up. If a car pulls up and I don't see the flash, or see seatbelts being taken off (if I'm close enough) , I assume they're going to do a U turn in front of me. Heaps of false alarms, but it's saved my neck a few times."

"I find you can make quite good guesses about what they will do just from their style of driving. Watching in the mirror and see a cage cutting in and out of the traffic , coming up behind you. Guarantee he'll move in on your space (if you let him) . Traffic coming toward you with a short straight bit ahead. Cage behind the leading cage starts closing up the distance between him and the cage in front. Bet he's going to try to pass, even though you're in the way . If you let him!"

Even the most experienced of riders also work with a combination of instinct and observation. Paul Deane is a very experienced offroader, mechanic and spends his life around bikes and biking.

For me, Paul’s comments make for a fantastic summary "I've always done the 6th sense thing. I don't question it's existence - I know! Often on back roads I will find my pace may drop off enough for me to notice - hmm? I'll think, why am I going so slow? oh well, I'll just carry on at this pace for awhile. Sure enough I'll find out why I subconsciously backed off not far ahead."

"Riding the sealed and gravel backroads that I do it's important to build a complete picture of your surroundings. Everything to do with where you are, the time of day. You really have to be super alert, especially if you have a bit of pace on. Obvious stuff like dust and powerlines help, as does how fresh is the poo, tyre marks, what sort of vehicle made them - milk tanker or stock trailer? Big difference to how big they are and how fast they’re going. Which way is it (the tyre track) pointing? Because somewhere out there is the rest of the rig."

"I love it...it's zen."

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