Motorcycle Riding Safety Tips

Part of the rush of riding a motorcycle is knowing that danger is involved. The adrenaline comes with freedom and not having any barriers between you and the rest of the road. But if you’re not careful, you could end up in a dangerous situation. Staying safe on two wheels requires a little bit of preparation, wearing the right gear, and staying vigilant while you ride. These brief guide will show you how.

If you need riding gear or service for your Harley®, don’t hesitate to stop by Rommel HD® Smyrna. Located in Smyrna, Delaware, we proudly serve Dover, Middletown, and Milford, Delaware. We’ll help you find everything you need!

Plan for Weather

As anyone who’s ever tried it before knows, riding head on into a rain show isn’t the funnest experience. Not only does the rain and the spray from the road blind you to where you’re going, the water and wind find their way into any exposed skin and rapidly chill you to the bone. Cold hands make it hard to grip the throttle, and stiff feet can slip off shifter pads.

Hot weather provides its own potential hazards. Even something as simple as sweat in the eyes can make focusing on the road difficult. Not to mention the dehydration and potential for heat stroke that comes with riding during the hottest parts of the year. You can minimize these situations by checking the weather beforehand and not going out when you know bad weather is coming.

Pre-Ride Check

Many people are willing to roll out of their driveway in a less-than-well-maintained car because they know that no matter what happens they’ll almost certainly be able to coast to a stop and guide the car off the road. Not so with a bike. A tire blowout may not be controllable, and might force you to put your bike into a controlled slide, if you’re lucky enough to be in control that long. Giving your bike a pre-ride check will help you be confident in your ride and increase the chance that you catch small problems while they’re still small. Make sure to go through the major systems, checking off the tire pressure, electrical systems, and fuel levels. Look for anything out of place or any fastener that might be coming loose. Your main goal is to make sure your bike is fully functional.

Gear Set Up

What’s the best safety gear for motorcycle riding? There are no hard and fast rules on the subject, and different gear will work better for different riders. When shopping for gear, start with a helmet. Your helmet is the only thing keeping your head safe in a crash, so why not put some time and effort into finding the right one? Make sure it fits correctly and doesn’t slide around, as a loose fitting helmet can fall off in a crash, and you might not want to wear a tight helmet, which removes its ability to protect you. You’ll also want some tough riding pants and long sleeve shirts to protect you from gravel and road rash. Finally, a tough pair of gloves and boots is key to keeping your hands and feet safe under any circumstances.

Situational Awareness

Once you’re actually on the road, the most important thing you can have is situational awareness. Keeping your eyes on other motorists is key, and you should make sure to note what motorists two and three cars ahead of you are doing, too. Maintain spacing as much as possible and keep your eyes out for low-traction areas. Things like metal plates used to construction areas and even just normal traffic intersections are often extremely slick. If the weather starts to change for the worse, it’s probably time to pull off and wait it out. You might be tempted to push through to better weather, but you might just be putting yourself in a worse position in the long run.

Motorcycle safety isn’t the most complicated thing as long as you put some time in to preparation and maintain situational awareness. If you have further questions, need riding gear, parts, or services for your Harley-Davidson® motorcycle, stop by Rommel Harley-Davidson® Smyrna. We proudly serve Dover, Middletown, and Milford, and we’ll help you find everything you need.