Riding Your Harley Safely

When riding a motorcycle, one of the biggest disadvantages you’ll find is that they are far less visible than cars because of their size. The color black has been considered fashionable for most motorcycle riders, but at night it is very difficult to see. If you don’t like bright colored clothing, then at least consider placing a few pieces of reflective tape on your gear or bike.

Another safety tip is to remember to maintain the proper place in a lane. Make sure you have adequate space on all sides in case you have to make a quick or emergency stop. Also, maintain equal balance on your cycle. Do not overload either side of the cycle. Doing so will throw your cycle off balance and can cause it to tip over while driving, stopping or sitting in a resting position. Other safety tips are that you scan the area all around you when driving to check for any possible hazards. Once you do that, you need to identify potential dangers. If you are aware of what can harm you, it will be much easier to avoid.

Remember, there are a lot of situations you can avoid if you are aware and looking for them. Always be sure that you test and check all your lights (including your turn signals) and remember to use them. But don’t always rely on them; you can easily utilize hand signals when riding a motorcycle. You need to do a pre-ride check of all systems of your cycle before you ride it. This will help prevent a part from breaking, thereby causing a wreck. Don’t forget that each state has its own laws regarding the wearing of motorcycle helmets. Some states only require that you wear eye protection. It is always safer, no matter what the law, to protect your head from injury by wearing a helmet every time you ride your motorcycle. Some argue that they can’t see as well with a helmet on. It’s been proven that normal peripheral vision is between 200 and 220 degrees. Federal safety standards require that all helmets must provide at least 210 degrees of peripheral vision. It’s been proven that over 90% of accidents occur within the 160 degree of peripheral vision. Almost all other accidents are caused by rear-end collisions.

Always try to avoid being in a car’s blind spot. Try to align your cycle up with the driver in the car. If you can’t do that, then try to be sure there is not a car directly beside you. You never know when a car is going to swerve in front of you.