Passions sometimes lead to extremes. Sometimes for simple pleasure, other times out of necessity.
Using the motorcycle as a daily commute vehicle in addition to leisure trips, means that I would drive it in any weather situation, as I had to travel to my workplace.
Fortunately, as my profession involved wearing a uniform, when I arrived in the morning, I took off my motorcycle gear and put it back on in the afternoon. In winter, this allowed the comfort of being able to dry the equipment during the day.
Even in the most adverse conditions, there was always a difficult-to-explain pleasure in driving during journeys. Even if sometimes water accumulated on the road reached the engine protection…
In these circumstances, the fact of knowing every meter of the route in detail made all the difference in approaching the most dangerous places, whether due to the condition of the floor, or the dangers presented by metal joints, paint on horizontal signs or curves where there was normally fuel.
But the most mind-boggling daily trips were undoubtedly those made during the eight months that I lived in Sines and had to travel to Lisbon every day, for a total of around 330 km per day.
The section of the route on the IP8/A26, which connects Sines to the A2 in the surroundings of Grândola, was, and still is, an endless “train” of trucks moving in both directions to, and from the industrial area of Sines. It was thus the “laboratory” par excellence to put into practice all the safety tips and techniques that I knew and others that I acquired over time.
Perhaps the most important was the use of “scouts”.
The explanation is simple. As this is an area where, in addition to the traffic being very intense, fog is also very common in winter, which makes visibility sometimes almost zero. The trick then consisted of finding a car that, while maintaining the necessary safety distance, would guide me with its rear lights.
He was then my scout.
With his route he showed me that the road was free of obstacles, with his lights he redoubled the signage for those coming in front and was thus an unusual travel companion. There were even situations in which they noticed my maneuver, collaborated, and when conditions improved or we separated on the journey, we greeted each other, and I thanked them for their support.
One in the car and the other on the motorbike! BRUTAL!
Extreme situations lead to extreme behaviors, but not only that. The learning is equally unique!
Enjoy your ride and ride safe.
