Motorcycle Safety Tips

Few things provide as much pleasure as riding a motorcycle on a lightly traveled winding country road. Unfortunately, to get to these roads a motorcyclist usually needs to navigate heavily traveled city streets and interstate highways. While this is a lot less dangerous than many people think there is no doubt a motorcyclist is in more danger than people in cars. Here are a few tips to keep you as safe as possible while still enjoying the open air.

Wear a Helmet

This one is so obvious it scarcely needs mentioning. If you don’t want to wear one for yourself, at least wear one for those that love you.

Safety Check Regularly

When you were taught to ride, they told you to do this every time you went out, and maybe for a while, you did. Eventually, you got comfortable and quit doing it. If you aren’t going to do it every time, make sure that several times in a riding season you check your air pressure in the tires, and your lights to make sure they work. Give a visual inspection of your brake pads for excessive wear, tire tread, and cable connections, too. Click here to read more about pre-ride prep and click here to learn what to do with your motorcycle during the winter.

Don’t Get Offended

When riding, don’t get offended by the rudeness of other drivers. If you have ridden anytime at all you know that often car drivers don’t extend the courtesy to you that they do to other drivers. They know you will do all you can to avoid a collision so they won’t yield the right of way to you. Rather than get angry, just smile and keep control of yourself. You’re having a lot more fun than they are anyway, so why should you get upset? Road rage can be dangerous.

Ride Defensively

• Be scanning the road ahead and assume that the car approaching the next intersection from the side isn’t going to stop and the car coming at you is going to turn left in front of you. Take the approach that anything that happens is your fault.
• When you are behind another car while stopped at a red light, leave extra space between it and yourself. That way, if you are hit in the rear there is less chance you will get squashed between two cars.
• If you are riding in a group, don’t let them dictate how you ride. If they are riding too aggressively or beyond your skill level ask them to let you set the pace, and if they refuse, drop out. There is nothing wrong with admitting you aren’t as skilled as someone else.
• Don’t override your lights at night. You need to be able to stop within the distance you can see. Hitting a deer is an inconvenience if you hit it in a car. It can be fatal if you are hit one on a bike.

If you would like more safety tips or a quote for your motorcycle, contact us at hereforyou@capitolins.com or (317) 253-1155.