If you are fond of riding a motorcycle, you may have often heard that it’s hard to do so. However, being a beginner with today’s advanced bikes, it has become pretty easier. Though the danger is always there. Before you invest your precious money in buying the wrong bike, the wrong gear and more importantly the wrong riding techniques, below we have listed some important tips that you must consider. Riding a motorcycle is a risky job, so let’s practice some of these skills and techniques to become a smart and safe bike rider.
#1. Know Your Purpose
If you are looking forward to riding a motorcycle because you are genuinely interested in it, keep on reading. On the other hand, if you simply want to ride a bike because your friends do or maybe for the cool factor, you should perhaps stop yourself since it may end up badly for you. If you are curious and truly want to become a proficient rider, you may look up to a riding course and practice. Though always remember there are certain risks associated with motorbike riding that must be taken very seriously.
#2. Ride Sober
When we say sober riding, we are primarily referring to alcohol. If you have consumed alcohol or drug, stay away from your bike. It is strongly recommended not to ride after using a prescribed medication that affects your attention abilities. We also advise you not to ride while angry or if you have suffered from a major emotional incident in your life.
#3. Gear Up
There is a very famous old saying for motorbike riders i.e. if you have a ten-dollar head, wear a ten-dollar helmet. Purchasing a bike is one crucial aspect of riding while choosing the right gear is another very important consideration that you should never ignore. To be very clear on this, your motorcycle doesn’t have doors or any safety cocoon similar to cars. Remember you are a part of small and vulnerable traffic crowded with many diverted drivers and therefore you cannot trust anyone. Here an effective gear makes a difference. You should be equipped with a full-face helmet, comfortable riding pants, protected gloves, a jacket with suit armor, and riding boots. You may also want neck protection and upper body armor. Modern motorcycle gear not only looks great but perform exceptionally. Do not skimp!
#4. Fine-tune the Clutch Friction Zone to Your Preference
You can always adjust your motorcycle’s clutch friction zone according to your preference. There are a few that are regulated on the cable while others can be modified using a dial on the perch and hydraulic controls with master cylinders using a knob. You can also turn to move the lever back and forth. You can adjust the friction zone unless and until it functions properly. Keep in mind every rider’s friction zone has its unique adjustment according to personal preference.
#5. Ride to Learn
If you want to prevent any motorcycle accident injury, then all you need to do is practice. Get along with your riding buddies and schedule some weekend rides or go alone, whatever you are comfortable with. The more you ride, the better you will learn about the traffic, enhance your riding vision and how your bike functions under varying conditions. Every time you go out for a ride, it will be a learning experience for you. Every ride will teach you some lessons.
#6. Two Fingers on the Clutch
To efficiently control the clutch lever, don’t forget the significance of two fingers. Though you can use your four fingers to operate the clutch especially if your bike has a heavy clutch pull. Once rolling, your two fingers work ideally for modulating the clutch while moving around the town. This technique is very effective since it provides you the greater control over the bike and your both hands will have a solid grasp on the bars.
#7. Practice Hard Braking
You can practice this exercise in an empty parking lot or anywhere in the open back road. However, make sure you don’t do it near traffic. This exercise will help you figure out how fast your bike can stop since you never know when you may have to slam on those brakes. You need to practice stopping as quickly as possible by accelerating to various speeds and determine the distance that it takes to completely stop the bike. That way, you can squeeze moderately with increasing pressure as required.
#8. Practice Turning Left and Right in Rings
This one is very basic yet important that will definitely help you. Turning left is relatively easier compared to turning right on a motorbike. This is primarily because of two major reasons. Firstly, most people are right-handed and therefore it’s easier to drive the handlebar away using your dominant arm especially at higher speeds. Secondly, the hindmost brake lever is on the right which makes it more challenging to put your foot down if required while turning right. Therefore, in racing particularly when riders heavily bottleneck into the very first corner, the first turn is typically a left-hander so riders can efficiently brake and perfectly keep their balance at the same time.
Conclusion:
These tips and tricks discussed above have been put up by gaining insights of many proficient riders who are either taught, observed smart rides, or by simply having figured out on their own. We have shared these understandings so you can get started as an intelligent rider. These considerations and practices may seem basic, but motorcyclists that don’t take this seriously or lack fundamental skills can potentially lead to troublesome situations. Have a safe ride!
