How to Avoid Skidding on Your Motorcycle

Nobody likes to skid, but it’s bound to happen to every rider occasionally, regardless of experience. While skidding feels out of control, you still do have some control over your bike, and a skilled rider can definitely recover from a skid without going down. 

So how do you prevent skidding from occurring, and how do you regain control? Here are some answers from Indian Motorcycle® of Orange County in Westminster. Please visit our dealership, serving Los Angeles and Orange County. 

What Causes Skidding?

Skidding results from a number of situations, such as:

• Wet or slippery roads due to rain, snow, or ice .
• Braking too quickly.
• Accelerating too fast.
• Leaning too deep while cornering .
• Changing direction suddenly.

How to Prevent Skidding?

Many of these scenarios can be avoided by being a responsible, proactive rider who is aware of their surroundings. 

Here are some ways to avoid skidding:

• Weather: Check the forecast, and avoid riding in slippery conditions whenever possible. Ride slowly and with extreme caution if you must go out. Avoid visible puddles and black ice. Remember that the first rain after a dry spell can cause very slippery roads by wetting old accumulated oil on the blacktop. 
• Braking: Brake early, gradually, and gently. If you feel the wheels begin to lock up, release the brakes and attempt again, gently and carefully.
• Accelerating: Accelerate gradually, not suddenly, to retain traction.
• Cornering: Take corners at a wider angle and a lower speed. Make sure you look ahead instead of down at the wheels.
• Direction: Try to avoid changing direction suddenly. 

Dealing With Skids As They Happen

Even the best rider will probably deal with skidding at some point. When it happens, you want to keep your motorcycle balanced, prevent it from sliding out entirely, and regain control of it. We recommend:

• Remain calm and present. Try not to panic. It feels like a split second, but you do have time to think. 
• Focus your attention on where you want your motorcycle to go.
• Steer your motorcycle in the direction of the skid to try to regain traction, just like you should with a car. 
• Shift your body weight to put greater weight on your rear wheel.
• Clutchless downshifting allows your engine to slow the bike instead of the brake (also called engine braking). This skill is worth practicing. It works best on sport bikes and dirt bikes because they run at a higher RPM.

Rider safety is one of our top priorities, and we certainly hope it’s one of yours, too. 

Please feel free to stop by our dealership in Westminster, where we serve all of Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Our staff can talk about motorcycle riding all day long! Indian Motorcycle® of Orange County has an amazing selection of awesome motorcycles, and we also can help you with financing.