Know Before You Ride: Motorcycle Safety Tips

The wind in your hair, the feeling of freedom on the open road - who doesn't want that?

If you've been thinking about buying a motorcycle for a long time - why not make that time now? There's no time like the present.

But with great freedom and fun, comes great responsibility. You'll have to learn these motorcycle safety tips by heart if you want to keep riding down the open road.

1. The Only Person Looking Out for You Is You

First and foremost, we have to let you know that most drivers won't look twice when they make a turn or a quick lane change. It's unfair and makes them an unsafe driver - but you have to be vigilant when you're riding your bike.

In fact, they don't even teach that you should look for bicyclists or motorcycles in most driving education classes. They may say that out loud - but does anyone ever practice it?

If you have a car as well as a bike, get a "Look twice, save a life" sticker. It'll at least remind people who see it double check, temporarily.

Your driving mentality around other cars should be to always pay attention and assume the person can't see you. If you ride by those rules, you'll be a lot safer in the long run.

We call this riding defensively. It's one thing they'll teach you when you take the class to get your motorcycle license. Unless you're out alone on private property - you need to be vigilant while you ride.

2. Yes, Helmets Make a Difference

Motorcycle helmets are the difference between life and death in almost half of the crashes, and that's not an exaggeration. That's what data from the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety tells us.

And it's worth getting a high-quality one too. Not just because of the life-saving thing (which is pretty big) but for general comfort.

If you get a lower-quality helmet, you'll notice that your breath fogs up the face mask while you ride. Or that you can't ride with headphones in because the model you got is too tight.

Getting the right size helmet that has everything you need is well worth your money. If you're not sure about how helmets fit and their general features, come into the store.

Our employees are all powersport enthusiasts, if not riders themselves, and they can walk you through your options.

Make sure your helmet has some sort of face/eye protection. It's becoming mandatory in more and more states. At the very least you'll need a pair of sunglasses or clear protective glasses while you ride.

3. Don't Weave

Weaving in and out of cars to go faster is fun. We said it - but that doesn't mean you should do it. Weaving in and out of cars isn't only dangerous, but it's one thing that gives bikers a bad rep for being too risky.

It's also illegal, in most places, so you're risking a ticket and your safety.

You'll get where you're going when you get there - and that's good enough.

4. Wear Enough Clothes

There's a reason we call leather jackets "biker jackets" because the classic, smart, road-savvy bikers all wear them. They don't only protect against windburn and cold, but they keep your skin safe.

If you crash and get enough road burn on your skin, they could have to do a skin graph. That's where they take skin cells from another part of your body and transport them to the injury site.

So essentially they create another injury, to heal injury #1. It's not pleasant and neither patch of skin ever look quite the same.

If you're wearing leather or specialized riding fabrics, you may still get hurt - but you'll keep a lot more skin on your body (you know, where it belongs).

5. Do a Daily Check

Every time or at least every day that you go to ride your bike, you should check for any maintenance issues. That means looking at your tire pressure, making sure there are no puddles that would suggest leaks, and that all your lights are working.

Once you've done that little walk around the bike, you still need to check some things once you're on. You'll want to check the clutch and throttle - the throttle should snap back into place when you release it.

Then you'll adjust the mirrors and make sure you can see everything you need to see.

Then try your brakes, both front and back, then finally - give your horn a little toot.

It seems like a lot, but it takes less than three minutes to do all that - which could save your life.

Finally, make sure you check your fluid levels once a week, like your hydraulic and coolant fluids.

6. Always Get Insurance

Yes, getting a motorcycle means adding it on to your insurance. It costs more per month, but it's absolutely worth it. Not only are you covered for repairs, but you never know if someone's going to do the right thing if you're in an accident.

Your insurance policy is another reason you should drive safely. If you wreck your bike, your rates will go up - just like if you had an accident with your car.

If you're a safe driver and have a good history, adding your bike on to your coverage really shouldn't cost that much.

7. Always Have a Guest Helmet

Finally, getting a new bike is so fun, you'll want to share it with people you love. Make sure you get a helmet for them, which you can store in or on the back of your bike.

There are even specialized attached helmet boxes you can get, depending on your bike model.

Put These Motorcycle Safety Tips to Use

If you follow these motorcycle safety tips and you pay attention to your riding school class, you're on your way to becoming a seasoned biker. It'll take more than a few weeks to really get the hang of it, so don't get frustrated with yourself.

Start off slow and make sure you only do what you're 100% able you can do.

Finally - make sure you always get service done on time. You can see our service options here.