Motorbike Riding At Night
Posted by Howard Trott on Monday, April 1, 2019 Under: Motorbike Riding Tips
Riding a motorcycle is a challenging experience, we all understand that. Add in the darkness of night and you've got an even more difficult task to take on. Here are some tips that will help you safely ride your motorcycle in the dark of night.
Proper Lighting
One obvious tip is that you should always make sure the lights on your motorcycle are working properly and that you have enough lighting to make you visible to others. Having a dim headlight will make it more difficult for you to see and can increase the amount of danger that you face while riding during this time. One difference that you will notice between a dimly lit light and a bright light is that you can't see as far or as clearly when your lights aren't as bright as they could be.
Before you ride your motorcycle in the dark at night, perform a pre-ride inspection to ensure that the headlight, signal lights, running lights, and brake lights are all functional. Replace any lights that are no longer working.
Give Yourself Extra Room
When you ride your motorcycle at night you do not have as much visibility as you normally would during the day. You simply cannot see as far and you have less time to respond to any hazards that might present themselves. This is why it is important that you give yourself extra time to react by spacing yourself further away from other vehicles.
Position yourself a little farther away from the center dividing lines so that you avoid any danger from oncoming traffic. During the day when it is bright out you can spot any potential risks much further down the road, but at night you simply cannot because of the glaring light from oncoming traffic and the mystery of the darkness.
Reduce Your Speed
High speed and dangerous driving conditions is never a good combination and should be avoided at all costs, even if it means arriving at your destination a few minutes later than you had planned. You might arrive late, but at least you'll arrive safe.
When you travel at night, you have less reaction time because of decreased visibility due to the darkness of night. Your reaction time is reduced even further when you travel at high speed. Reducing your speed will give more time to identify potentially hazardous situations that might present themselves, and you'll be able to safely avoid them.