Instructors talk about observation more than anything else, and for good reason. Many collisions involving motorcycles happen because someone didn't see someone else. Good observation means you see hazards early and you're seen by others.
Mirrors first
Use your mirrors before you signal, change speed or change direction. Check them often, not just before a manoeuvre, so you always know what's behind you.
What is the lifesaver?
Mirrors don't show everything. There's a blind spot just behind your shoulder where a car, cyclist or another bike can sit unseen. The lifesaver is a quick look over your shoulder into that blind spot, as the final check before you change direction.
Use it:
- before moving off
- before turning into a side road
- before changing lanes
- before pulling into the side of the road
- whenever something could be coming up beside you
Keep it quick. You only need a glance, and then your eyes go back to the road ahead.
Observation, signal, manoeuvre
The standard routine is mirrors, signal, position, speed, look. Check what's around you, tell others what you're going to do, get in the right position at the right speed, then look properly before you go. Your instructor will practise this with you on every junction.
Look further ahead
New riders tend to look just in front of the wheel. Lift your eyes. Looking well ahead gives you time to react to brake lights, pedestrians and cars waiting to pull out. It also makes the bike more stable, because it goes where you look.
Assume you haven't been seen
At junctions, watch the wheels of waiting cars, not just the driver. If the wheels start to turn, be ready to stop. Cover your brakes and be seen, using your road position and dipped headlight.
Observation is one of the main things examiners look for in module 1 and module 2, and one of the main things your CBT instructor will look for on the road.