Ride like a motocross champ

Seven-time Rider of the Year and motocross aficionado Jovie Saulog strictly confines all his daring motorcycle stunts to the racetrack and encourages all Filipino motorcycle riders to do the same.

Preferred for its affordability, its fuel economy, and its ability to snake past traffic jams, motorcycles are now dominating roads all over the country. But not surprisingly, motorcycle accidents have begun to occur with alarming regularity.

Motocross legend Jovie Saulog, seven-time Rider of the Year, is himself more cautious when riding on Philippine streets than when he’s jumping obstacles in the racetracks of one of the world’s first extreme sports.

Here, he shares some of the dos and don’ts in riding a motorcycle—things he has learned from decades of two-wheeling:

1. Do be aware of your surroundings.

“Meron d’yan, sakay lang ng sakay [There are people who just ride the motorcycle without thinking of the dangers],” says Saulog, who has taken to motorcycles since he was nine.

He says motorcycle drivers are more vulnerable than drivers of four-wheel vehicles because there is no door, no hood, no roof that can protect them during collisions or simple falls. To minimize the risk, motorcyclists have to be more in tune to the actions or inaction of those who they share the streets with.

2. Do wear the right and complete gear when riding.

“Sandali lang ang aksidente [Accidents happen in a split second]. You don’t know what hit you,” Saulog says, noting that many Filipino motorcycle riders do not wear helmets.

Whether you’re going to ride around the neighborhood or in a race, wear your helmet, he stresses. Everyone on the motorbike, including kids riding astride with their parents, should also wear one.

3. Do not drink and drive.

Saulog, who’s a teetotaler, said driving needs your complete attention. “I don’t drink alcohol—ever,” he says. That goes for drugs and other substances that might impair your judgment on the road.

4. Do not overload your motorbike.

“I’ve seen motorcycles carrying more than three persons and some other stuff,” Saulog says. Overloading, he stresses, not only runs down your vehicle faster; it also increases the risks for the rider.

5. Remember that stunts belong on the racetrack and not on the road.

Most of the time, he says, those who get in trouble are those who like to show off. Saulog, who loves the adrenaline rush of motocross, says daredevil stunts should be kept inside racetracks, a controled environment where such stunts won’t hurt other people.

BPI Family Savings Bank, which offers motorcycle loans to its depositors and payroll accounts, wants to ensure safety for motorcycle drivers.

The loan doesn’t simply make it easier for people to own motorcycles, it wants to ensure safer riding for riders by providing free helmet (for all motorcycle brands), free jersey/T-shirt (at selected accredited dealers), free one-year Land Transportation Office registration, free one-year Third Party Liability insurance, free maintenance check-up (at selected accredited dealers) and free service/labor charge on selected services.