Riding Into Chaos: What You Need to Know When Riding a Motorcycle

By: Keegan Conroy

A lot of people have the dream of riding a motorcycle, but they don’t know all of the risks and factors that you have to look out for. Not only when riding a motorcycle, but also buying one. If you buy a cheap motorcycle that you think is great and you don’t have an experienced friend or family member to check it out, you might be in trouble. Most motorcycles that get sold for cheaper prices have been ridden by multiple bikers beforehand which causes the parts to wear down, increasing the chance of crashes and wipeouts. 

Cyclist riding to the side of the lane

One of the first things you need to worry about when riding a motorcycle is making suer that you are visible to other drivers. Instead of driving in the very center of a lane, try sticking to the sides closer to the line so the driver in front of you can see you in their rearview and side mirrors. This is also beneficial when other cars are trying to turn. When you ride on either side of a lane, you have a greater chance of the driver seeing you. Whereas following in the middle could cause you to be in the driver's blind spot, making you practically invisible. It's important to stay out of other drivers' blind spots when you're on a smaller vehicle like a motorcycle.

You must also have experience with your braking system. On a motorcycle, the front break makes up around 70% of the bike's brake. When you have to emergency brake for any reason, most people tend to break without balance or practice, causing them to flip over or wreck. Doing things with no experience or practice is what causes most accidents and wrecks on bikes. This stems from most riders not receiving enough training. They think they can just hop onto the bike and have a great time without worrying about anything like it's a video game. This boost in confidence can often lead to speeding and other reckless activities that end in crashes. Taking a corner too fast or zipping in and out of lanes leads to a higher probability of the rider wrecking their bike.

It is not only riders that need to worry about paying attention to cars, but also cars that need to pay attention to riders. Distracted drivers are a rider's worst nightmare. If a driver can barely pay attention to the car or truck in front of them due to being on their phone, then it will be a lot harder for them to pay attention to a motorcycle. This problem has led to over 2,000 riders every year dying from distracted drivers. Since motorcycles are low visibility, experienced riders tend to already take precautions and predict actions of the cars and other vehicles around them. This helps them reduce the risk of crashing. Most new riders do not understand the dangers of riding in a vehicle's blind spot as they do not have the experience to prepare for such things.

There have been many online simulations made for new riders to practice the skills of sharp and fast reactions as well as safe riding distance. These simulations only work decently to a point since they aren’t too realistic and are rarely updated.

If you're looking into riding a motorcycle, hopefully this helped you decide if you're up to the challenge. Whether you want to start off fast or slow, these are the things you must look out for on a daily basis.