Motorcycle Safety Tips (Part Three)
Posted by Howard Trott on Thursday, March 23, 2017 Under: Motorcycle Safety
Educate Your Passengers
Part of the fun of having a motorbike is having someone on the back. Having a passenger with their arms around you as you cruise the open road can be quite romantic. But your passenger has a part to play in keeping both of you safe.
Make sure anyone you carry on your motorbike has the right gear. Like you, they should wear sturdy shoes and protective clothes. You should also practice having a passenger, especially if they're bigger than you, in a safe place, like a car park. That will get you used to having the extra weight on the bike and the passenger used to how the bike feels, and how they need to move with you in various maneuvers. Make sure your passenger knows not to distract you, and what things like stopping and turning on a motorbike feel like, so they won't panic.
Watch The Weather
Because they aren't as stable as cars, riding a motorbike in the rain is much riskier than driving a car. With only two wheels, you have half the traction of a car. Plus, without windshield wipers, your visibility is compromised. Finally, riding through the driving rain can hurt.
When you're preparing to go for a ride, check the weather. If heavy rain, snow or ice is predicted, leave the motorbike at home. If you absolutely must ride in the rain, don't ride right after the storm starts. When rain first hits the road, it brings up oil and other residue, making the road extremely slippery. If you wait a while, the rain will wash away the oil and slick stuff it brought up. Give the rain time to clear the road for you. Then, when you're on your way, be extra cautious. Go slowly, leave plenty of space for stopping, and if the weather gets worse, stop and wait it out.
Leave Enough Space
One of the biggest mistakes drivers and motorcycle riders make is not leaving enough stopping distance for motorbikes. While it's true that since motorbikes are smaller and lighter than cars, they need less space to stop and maneuver, they still need more than you might think.
Anti-lock brakes are still relatively new on many motorbikes, and older models don't have them. That means that bikers can't just slam on the brakes like a driver could. Their wheels would lock up, they'd lose control, the motorbike would drop and they'd go for an asphalt slide. Practice stops on your bike in a safe environment and know how much space you need. Then, make sure you give yourself that much space in traffic. Leave a generous following distance between your bike and the vehicle in front of you, and try to keep an escape route open to the side (onto the hard shoulder, for example) if you can't stop in time.
Part of the fun of having a motorbike is having someone on the back. Having a passenger with their arms around you as you cruise the open road can be quite romantic. But your passenger has a part to play in keeping both of you safe.
Make sure anyone you carry on your motorbike has the right gear. Like you, they should wear sturdy shoes and protective clothes. You should also practice having a passenger, especially if they're bigger than you, in a safe place, like a car park. That will get you used to having the extra weight on the bike and the passenger used to how the bike feels, and how they need to move with you in various maneuvers. Make sure your passenger knows not to distract you, and what things like stopping and turning on a motorbike feel like, so they won't panic.
Watch The Weather
Because they aren't as stable as cars, riding a motorbike in the rain is much riskier than driving a car. With only two wheels, you have half the traction of a car. Plus, without windshield wipers, your visibility is compromised. Finally, riding through the driving rain can hurt.
When you're preparing to go for a ride, check the weather. If heavy rain, snow or ice is predicted, leave the motorbike at home. If you absolutely must ride in the rain, don't ride right after the storm starts. When rain first hits the road, it brings up oil and other residue, making the road extremely slippery. If you wait a while, the rain will wash away the oil and slick stuff it brought up. Give the rain time to clear the road for you. Then, when you're on your way, be extra cautious. Go slowly, leave plenty of space for stopping, and if the weather gets worse, stop and wait it out.
Leave Enough Space
One of the biggest mistakes drivers and motorcycle riders make is not leaving enough stopping distance for motorbikes. While it's true that since motorbikes are smaller and lighter than cars, they need less space to stop and maneuver, they still need more than you might think.
Anti-lock brakes are still relatively new on many motorbikes, and older models don't have them. That means that bikers can't just slam on the brakes like a driver could. Their wheels would lock up, they'd lose control, the motorbike would drop and they'd go for an asphalt slide. Practice stops on your bike in a safe environment and know how much space you need. Then, make sure you give yourself that much space in traffic. Leave a generous following distance between your bike and the vehicle in front of you, and try to keep an escape route open to the side (onto the hard shoulder, for example) if you can't stop in time.
In : Motorcycle Safety
Tags: motorcycle safety motorbike safety motorcycles