FULLY AGREED....
Speed Thrills, but it kills many..
So, in a nut shell,
1) ABS, anticipate braking situations; I really do love the recommendations for and suggestions on how to practice braking, but you all realise that the motivation to develop those skills are lost on the "just grab a hand full" ABS generation riders yes? One can practice threshold braking coming to any stop almost any time. No need to make a special trip to a parking lot, not that that's not a great idea.
2) Set-up for corners, i.e. speed/gearing/braking, before steering. Seems easy to do but considering the SVA percentages, it seems it can present challenges. "In too hot" is probably the main culprit for running wide in even familiar corner let alone a new, blind one, but I find if one is distracted for even a milisecond the line is lost and sometimes can't be recovered, like for instance getting into the sand and grit etc on the outside of a corner. Distractions should be kept to a minimum IMO, no GPS, no tunes etc. There's enough stimuli on the road to deal with already.
3) Ride defensively. Ride like you anticipate every driver out there is an idiot, or distracted and can't see you or doesn't know the rules of right of way. Right of way is given not taken. Don't ride in blind spots. At stops, check you 6 constantly..flash your brake lights.
4) Make yourself visible. Sure, you look cool in your Darth Vader monochromatic black bike, leathers and helmet but you're also even less visible in traffic. Brighten up.
5) Pick your spots. "Have fun" in the right paces, at the right time.