Mistakes to Avoid Making With Your Motorcycle

Are you a brand-new motorcycle rider? Welcome to the club! Riding motorcycles is fun, thrilling, and rewarding, but it is also something that requires you to be responsible and risk-aware. Taking risks and being irresponsible can result in a serious accident that causes you harm or damages your bike, and that’s not something you want. Here are some of the more common mistakes that careless riders might make that you should avoid at all costs.

1. Going Over Your Limits

As a new rider, you probably don’t have much experience under your belt, which means you need to know what your limits are so that you don’t exceed them. You should stick to short rides on simple roads that don’t have a lot of slopes, turns, or sharp corners until you’ve gained more experience. Don’t try to take on a passenger when you’re new to riding your motorcycle, either, as this significantly changes how your bike handles and you could put yourself and your passenger at risk if you’re not ready for it.

2. Avoiding Lessons

Taking motorcycle riding lessons is a great way to ensure that you’re doing what you need to do on the road. Lessons can help you to master basic skills while also teaching you about the unique aspects of road safety for motorcyclists. Hands-on lessons that are combined with in-class learning are the most comprehensive, but any training you can get from an experienced professional will help you.

3. Making Assumptions

Never assume that other motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists can see you on the road. Riding a motorcycle puts you at a disadvantage because you have a smaller footprint and your dark bike, combined with dark riding gear, can make you impossible to see until it’s too late.

Make sure that your bike has sufficiently bright lights to illuminate your path and make your bike visible to others sharing the road. Add reflective tape to your helmet or riding gear, or invest in a safety vest or bright-colored gear that makes you as obvious as possible.

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