Your safety is a top priority, whether you are a seasoned rider or a beginner. Motorcycles are, after all, a lot of fun and can be fuel-efficient in ways you can only imagine.
For seasoned riders, that comes as no surprise, but for someone new to the sport of motorcycle riding, it may send some adrenaline rushing through their bodies.
But there is one thing in common between these two categories of people, and that is the dangers associated with riding a motorcycle.
The unfortunate truth is that motorcyclists—experienced or inexperienced—are 30 times more likely than drivers of cars to suffer fatal injuries or perhaps pass away in an accident.
While you’re still thinking about that, you should be aware that single-vehicle accidents account for approximately half of all fatalities arising from motorbike accidents.
Even among elder riders, the rate of fatal motorcycle crashes is concerning.
So, how do you ride your motorcycle safely? As a general rule, for a safe and secure motorcycle ride, you need to be both physically and mentally prepared to react to possible threats in your surroundings. Wear protective gear all the time and make sure that your motorcycle is 100 % in good condition, especially the brakes and tires.
You shouldn’t let any of these startling numbers or others deter you from engaging in your favorite activities. Evidently, a lot of motorcycle fanatics continue to ride today without getting hurt.
This new development is a result of elderly riders’ slower reflexes, more fragile bones, poorer eyesight, and numerous other drawbacks. In actuality, older motorcyclists are almost three times more likely than younger ones to end up in the hospital following an accident.
Without having to worry about being involved in tragic collisions, you can join a group of such skilled motorbike riders. But in a world where motorcycle crashes are the norm, there is a trick to pulling off that nigh-impossible accomplishment.
Having stated that, being well prepared and minimizing risks are the keys to reaching your goal.
Remember that among other things, overspeeding and riding while intoxicated is to blame for the majority of motorcycle accidents.
You can utilize the extensive list of advice provided below to make riding your motorcycle both safer and more pleasant.
Table of Contents
How to Safely Ride a Motorcycle?
These are the lifesaving tips that will make you much safer while, at the same time, you may experience the joy of riding a motorcycle. I beg you to follow these tips because I am also a fellow rider and I know how it feels for someone waiting for you to come home safe and in one piece, especially your family. Follow these tips and be safe, my friends.
1. Be Visible
Make sure you are visible to everyone on the road when you are riding a bike for safety. You must ride with your high beam on at all times, even during the day, to accomplish this feat.
However, always be considerate enough to switch it off when you see someone following you, especially at a stoplight. Furthermore, make it a practice to wear eye-catching safety gear like a jacket and helmet.
Tip: The Hi-Vis yellow jackets and suits, which have recently become not only noticeable but also a trendy trend among motorcycle riders, are a good illustration of this safety equipment.
2. Proper Motorcycle Gear
If you actually care about your safety, you should stay away from wearing T-shirts, tight pants, and sandals. When riding a motorcycle, these kinds of outfits are a formula for painstaking disaster.
Finding the appropriate clothing that is primarily made for motorcycle riders is a good idea if you want to prevent fatal injuries in the event of a crash. This equipment can shield you not just from harm but also from flying items, dust, and wind chills.
Tip: You should go for a leather or strengthened biker jacket, thick jeans, protective gloves, or bots for the best protection. All of these outfits can be useful for both winter and summer.
For safety and cooling, while riding your bike in any weather, there are specifically designed jackets that have breathable mesh fabrics and tough padding.
Tip: Additionally, you need good eye protection to keep your eyes safe while improving your visibility. Use protective goggles or a helmet visor instead of your bike’s windscreen or your glasses in this situation. Most importantly, select brighter gear so that other drivers can see you clearly in low-light conditions.
3. Get Anti-Lock Brakes
Numerous motorcycle riders’ lives have been demonstrated to be saved by anti-lock brakes. You may get these accessories in your neighborhood stores and they come in a variety of models.
Note: Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that motorbikes with anti-lock brakes (ABS brakes) are 37% less likely than motorcyclists without them to be involved in fatal accidents.
No matter how experienced you are as a rider, anti-lock brakes may be able to brake more quickly than you. What causes this?
In a panic, locking your brakes can take away all steering control, leaving you defenseless and in danger of crashing your motorcycle. Serious injuries may result from such incidents, which can easily trigger a skid and an accident.
If you have the proper anti-lock brakes, such as ABS, you can easily keep steering control during an emergency stop. Additionally, this can be useful, particularly if you’re riding in slick circumstances.
Fortunately, most of the high-end motorbike models available on the marketplace today now come standard with this essential function.
The more affordable motorbikes only require a small price increase to be functional. In terms of your safety, this is essentially a worthwhile investment.
4. “Always Play Defense”
According to recent research by the University of South Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research, drivers of cars are often 60 percent to 80 percent at blame in crashes with motorcycles.
This information should convince you that you must always be attentive, particularly in this day and age when the usage of mobile gadgets like smartphones has reached pandemic proportions.
Tip: Keep your eyes and ears out for vehicles changing lanes and exiting from either side of the street. Additionally, you must be sure to keep a safe space between your bike and the vehicle in front of you in the event of a sudden stop.
You’ll have enough time to respond as a result to avoid hitting any obstructions or even the car in front of you. Keep in mind that when riding a motorbike, crossing items that a car may easily pass could be risky for you.
5. Check Your Mirror
Mirrors are present on your motorcycle for a reason. They are there to improve your safety while riding, not merely for aesthetic purposes or to match your motorcycle’s style.
In most situations, these straightforward gadgets can save your life, but experts caution against relying only on them. The biggest justification for not relying on your bike’s mirror is that, even when they are set up correctly, they don’t always provide you with accurate information.
Tip: It is always a good idea to double-check by casting a quick glance over your shoulder to make sure the images produced by your bike’s mirror are not fooling you.
But be careful to do it swiftly, bearing in mind that your bike is traveling more quickly and that you need to pay greater attention to what is in front of you.
By doing this, you’ll contribute to making your information-gathering chores safer by using your bike’s rear view and being aware of your blind spots.
6. Don’t Ride In Bad Weather
Roads can become impassable or slippery due to bad weather, which can affect your margin for error. An experienced rider would attest to the fact that rain tends to impair vision and the traction of your motorcycle tires.
It’s a delicate circumstance where you might not be able to navigate corners correctly without running the risk of getting into an accident.
It doesn’t mean that everyone can’t ride in the rain, but it does mean that you need to exercise caution at all times. On the other hand, riding in the wet can be risky in one way or another. And it frequently occurs right after precipitation begins.
CAUTION!!!: Water at this point raises oil residue on the road, which makes it slick. Once the road is slick, it becomes impossible to navigate, and even small adjustments in speed can be disastrous.
To avoid dangerous sliding, it is essential to reduce speed and be cautious with the accelerator, brakes, and steering.
Additionally, you will need to ride cautiously in strong winds and, if at all possible, maintain proactive awareness of any potential push from the strong winds’ sides.
Furthermore, in order to give yourself some wiggle room in your lane just in case, you will need to move your motorcycle to the edges of the lane where the winds are coming from.
7. Open Area Riding
When you are in traffic, make the most of your motorbike’s maneuverability and power by riding it in open areas. You can do this by scanning the area for a quick exit that will lead you to the following free area.
Where there are clusters of cars and other types of vehicles with spaces between them, this is quite practicable.
Find these areas, and use them as your riding space to avoid being passed by four-wheelers. Additionally, these gaps provide you with ample space to move in order to avoid harmful blind spots on the road.
Note: By riding their motorcycles with the flow, many riders frequently find themselves in perilous circumstances. This is actually risky because it might make you invisible to other drivers, especially when riding in congested traffic.
8. Practice Makes Perfect
Find a local MSF Course (or Motorcycle Safety Foundation) riding school if you can and use it to sharpen your riding abilities.
Anyone who wants to learn fundamental abilities and cutting-edge capabilities, such as how to execute evasive emergency maneuvers, must do this without a doubt. If you’re fortunate, you might be able to take a course for free or pay a small fee to learn these useful skills.
The most important thing to remember is that you can qualify for a discount on your insurance costs by taking any authorized motorcycle riding course.
Note: This course can set you apart from other riders, and you might have a chance to avoid having to take a written or road test as part of the license application process.
Above all, you will be equipped with the necessary abilities to operate a motorcycle safely.
9. Get Ready For Action
Make sure everything on your bike is in working order before you even climb on it to go for a ride. Just quickly check the horn, lights, and directional signals on your bike before you take off to make sure they are in good working order.
Continue on to examine the chain, brakes, and belt or shaft. Make sure the tires are properly inflated and perform a thorough inspection to identify any signs of wear and tear.
Note: Most motorcycle mechanics will agree that worn-out brakes and inadequately inflated tires are two of the main factors in crashes. These two components of your motorcycle could significantly affect your level of safety.
10. Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
One of the safety advice that every motorcycle rider should be aware of is to constantly scan your surroundings.
However, the scanning process should begin with the tools, mirrors, the road ahead, any potential blind spots to your right and left, as well as anything else that could endanger your safety.
Note: In order to stay aware of your current condition, scanning is essential. This enables you to react swiftly in order to prevent an accident from happening and harming you or those around you.
Staying put for an extended period of time is troublesome and not a good idea. Maintain safety and enjoy your trip by practicing the scan.
Conclusion
Without taking safety precautions into account, your reputation and your bike are nothing to you. You may have the best bike in your area or be the greatest motorbike rider of all time.
Follow the advice provided above to ensure your safety when riding a motorcycle.