Hey look, while there are no guarantees in life, you can do many things to be safer on your bike:
Below are our top 7:
- Always wear a helmet: Picking the Best Motorcycle Helmet – A Buying Guide To Helmets
- Practice your safe riding skills: Take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation riding course. They are typically affordable and could save your life. Even experienced riders typically learn something new in these classes.
- DO NOT buy more bike than you can handle: Different strokes for different folks. People come in all shapes and sizes so find one that fits YOU. Your feet should rest easily on the ground without being on your tiptoes. Also, you should be able to easily reach the handlebars.
- Avoid bad weather conditions: If you must ride in bad conditions, slow down. Rain makes visibility difficult and reduces your tire’s grip on the road. Wind can push you from side to side so anticipate and plan for it.
- Buy the right gear with maximum protection: Even in the summer, you need to wear leather or reinforced jacket, gloves, full pants, and over-the-ankle footwear. There is nothing like hitting a grasshopper at highway speeds without gloves. Be smart and practical about gear.
- Buy a windshield: A windshield will protect you from dangerous debris or that oversized bug which could change your path. While not foolproof, they are well worth the price.
- Invest in antilock brakes: Antilock brakes are a proven lifesaver. Motorcycles equipped with antilock brakes are 37 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than bikes without them.
DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE. You cannot ride defensively enough. Be over alert, anticipate bad driving by cars, cars suddenly changing lanes, and people texting and driving. So, play defense much more than offense.
Road hazards: A small pothole may cause a much different reaction to a bike versus a car. As such, we MUST watch for gravel, sand, wet leaves, bumps, potholes, the occasional mattress in the roadway, and other hazards. Again, ride as your life depends on it.
