Motorcycle crashes are bound to happen. It doesn’t really matter if you are a rookie rider or a professional at least once in a while you will bite the dust because crashes are unavoidable sometimes.
But there are certain tips and tricks that you can practice, or at least keep in mind that will trim down your chances of a crash while riding a bike.
1. Use Turn Indicators
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You can get yourself knocked out (from behind) if you don’t turning with a signal.
The most common way you can get yourself knocked out from behind is by turning without a signal. If you don’t signal the direction you are about to take, then there are good chances that the vehicle coming from behind will not be alerted about your sudden lane/direction change and hence may not brake in time.
So the first rule of safe riding is to use direction indicators which are not just for your safety, but for the safety of others too.
2. Use both the brakes
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Braking is one of the most important skills to learn as it can save your life.
Braking is one of the most important skills to learn as it can save your life. The right way to brake is to use braking force on both the ends or in simple words use both brakes whenever you need to stop. This distributes the braking forces and neither end washes out or skids.
Another important point to note here is that use the front-brake very cautiously, if your motorcycle doesn’t have ABS (Anti-brake Lock System) then there are good chances that the front-end might get locked when the lever is pressed harder than required. So always maintain a safe braking distance from the vehicle ahead, and brake in time and cautiously.
Also, make sure that your brakes are properly serviced and the disc pads have enough life left. If your brakes aren’t in the best state then you are only inviting trouble for yourself.
3. Use Rear View Mirrors
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There is a reason why rearview mirrors are called life savers.
There is a reason why rearview mirrors are called life savers. They provide a good view of the vehicle oncoming from the back. Hence always make sure that you look behind whenever you need to change lanes, or overtake. Also, at the same time, do not forget to use the turn indicators to alert the other vehicle for the direction changes.
4. Avoid Night Riding
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Riding a motorcycle at night comes with its own share of risks.
Riding a motorcycle at night comes with its own share of risks. Visibility drops at night and it becomes harder to see the obstacles, and then there are some fools who drive on the high-beam. All these factors combine to make the night riding far riskier compared to the day riding. Even experienced riders who have a fair share of experience under their belt will recommend the same.
Even if you decide to ride at night, make sure you wear enough reflective clothing and have extra lights installed on your bike for the best visibility. And if possible, always ride out with some friends/companions at night.
5. Do not ride faster than your guardian angel!
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The faster you ride the more risk you invite.
The faster you ride the more risk you invite. Make sure that you have enough patience, and respect for your motorcycle and your life. Never try to test the limits of your bike on the public roads, and most importantly avoid road-racing at all costs.
“Going fast on a motorcycle is okay, but never hurry”
Motorcycle maintenance is no rocket science, and cleaning a motorcycle chain comes in as one of the easiest things you can learn if you need to take care of your bike well and of course save some cash at the same time.
Chain cleaning and adjustment comes in as an integral part of bike maintenance which needs to be done periodically after every 600 kilometers to 700 kilometers of usage depending up on the terrain and riding conditions.
Why chain cleaning is important?
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Periodic chain maintenance extends life of the chain set.
Periodic chain maintenance extends life of the chain set. The motorcycle chain tends to stick dirt and slush and efficiency is thus decreased. With time all the unwanted particles sticking on the chain also cuts down the rings that hold the chain together. Also, the most common problem faced by people who doesn’t clean and lubricate their bike chains very often is ‘chain rusting’. A rusted chain will never be as efficient as a well maintained chain and thus power loss at the rear wheel comes naturally.
Leaving the power losses aside, a well maintained chain’s life is much longer compared to the one which is never taken care of.
How to clean lubricate chain easily?
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Include a chain cleaner spray, a chain cleaning brush, a cloth and a chain lubricant spray.
There are some very basic necessities for this process which include a chain cleaner spray, a chain cleaning brush, a cloth and a chain lubricant spray. Also if your motorbike doesn’t feature a centre stand you will definitely require an external support for the rear wheel which may be provided by a Paddock Stand or a G-Roller.
The Process:
Park the motorcycle on the centre stand/paddock stand and engage the gear box in neutral to make sure the rear wheel is free to move.
Rotate the rear wheel clock wise and gently apply the chain cleaning spray. At the same time make sure you cover the ground with thick sheets of paper to prevent any spillage of the cleaning liquid on the floor.
Now use the cleaning brush throughout on all the chain walls to make sure no surface remains undone.
After the chain is thoroughly cleaned, use the cloth to soak up all cleaning liquid dripping from the chain set.
Let the chain dry for at least an hour and then use the chain lubricant spray and gently cover all the chain surfaces while repeating the earlier wheel motion.
Do not ride the bike until the lubricant spray settles down on to the chain which takes at least 40 to 60 minutes. Also, do not wash the vehicles right after applying the lubricant spray as it might get washed off in the process too.
Over application of spray may result in lube leaking out to the floor creating black patches which are hard to remove, so make sure you prevent over application of the lube spray.
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Chain cleaning and lubrication is a very simple process.
Please Note:
Chain cleaning and lubrication is a very simple process but can prove to be hazardous if all the steps aren’t properly followed. Make sure you turn the ignition off and never use the bike’s mechanical power to rotate the rear wheel.
If done so, you might end up losing chunks of your fingers stuck between the chain and the rear sprocket and of course you wouldn’t want that. Also make sure to cover the face with a mask or a wet cloth while applying sprays to prevent accidental inhalation.
Nobody wants anything bad to happen to their motorcycle, which is why lots of us consider bolting frame sliders to our bikes. But is a frame slider going to save your bacon, or it could have potentially caused more harm in a crash?
Let’s be honest, when bikes tip over at the gas station or in your garage, that’s a pretty common way for a motorcycle to succumb to gravity. In those scenarios, frame sliders are a great investment and are totally worth it.
1. What Do Frame Sliders Do On a Motorcycle?
Frame sliders, crash bobbins, bearing protectors, whatever you call them, they’re designed to help protect vulnerable and expensive parts when your motorcycle tilts off of its tires.
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Frame sliders, they’re designed to help protect vulnerable and expensive parts of your motorcycle.
The theory is that by positioning a sacrificial contact point on the side of the bike, that item will take the brunt of the impact. The slider will take the abrasion instead of your bodywork, your frame, or your engine cases.
This whole crash protection conversation would be simpler if these things were just called tip over protectors. Even the crappiest kits on the market are going to do something to prevent harm if your bike just falls over at a standstill.
Motorcycles are made to move, and once you add kinetic energy by ramping up the speed, things get a lot harder to predict. How well frame sliders work in a crash depends on many factors. Like, how your bike went down, was it violent like a high side, or was it more gradual like a front-end push in a sweeping corner?
The surface you crash on is also an important factor. Asphalt may be abrasive, but at least it’s flat. Soft surfaces like the grassy shoulder of a highway or the gravel trap at a racetrack are likely to cause your bike to dig in and start to cartwheel, and that’s when things get badly damaged.
High-speed crashes are unpredictable, capricious SOBs, so you have to have reasonable expectations. Now that we recognize that frame sliders aren’t a magical force field, we can talk about these accessories like reasonable people.
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Frame sliders come in two styles: you’ve got your cut kits and your no cut kits.
For starters, frame sliders come in two styles: you’ve got your cut kits and your no cut kits.
Cut kits require sawing holes in your bodywork for the frame slider to pass through, whereas no cut kits use brackets to position the slider around the fairing. If the goal is to protect your bodywork, why would you ever want to drill a hole in it? Well, as a general rule, cut kits are more structurally sound.
The frame slider’s location and its mounting system haven’t been compromised to work around the bodywork, so the slider is more likely to stay put and do its job in a crash.
Frame sliders also come in varying lengths, from little short pucks that tuck in against the bodywork to long ones.
As a general rule on the street, since you’re looking at stationary tip-overs or low-speed falls, a longer slider is better since it will keep more parts off the ground. At the same time, that longer slider is more likely to get bent or break it’s mounting hardware if it gets a lot of force applied to it in a faster crash.
That’s why guys who ride at the track or racing tend to run shorter frame sliders.
They won’t do as good a job of keeping your bodywork pretty, but they’re less likely to get wrenched off to keep the bike lower to the ground.
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If you’re serious about crashing, you also have case covers and axle sliders.
It’s less likely to tumble, and they’ll still protect the important stuff like the frame and the engine. If you’re serious about crashing, then you not only have frame sliders, you also have case covers and axle sliders, so you have lots of sacrificial points of contact.
Whether you’re riding on the track or the street, all of this protection isn’t going to do much for a motorcycle that’s cartwheeling toward the horizon. That brings us to the contentious bit of forum folklore that says frame sliders will cause your bike to flip over and tumble.
Blingy pieces made from aluminum or chrome steel aren’t going to glide across the ground smoothly and are liable to snag and send your bike into the air. For the puck to be effective, it needs to be made from a low friction material that’s durable and even a little resilient that it absorbs some impact energy.
That’s why brands with half a brain make their pucks from synthetic polymers. If you’re looking at a kit, so it comes with actual carbon fiber sliders, it might as well be a joke because CF has no abrasion resistance, and it’s going to shatter as soon as it touches the ground.
With frame sliders, you definitely get what you pay for, so it’s really important to buy from a reputable brand that has put some R&D into its design.
2. Types Of Frame Slider And Which Are Best
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Crash sliders originally started on race bikes.
Crash sliders originally started on race bikes. They tried to find a way to keep their frames from being ground away to nothing when their bikes hit the deck and slid down the track.
However, as things evolved, street riders saw it and either liked the style or liked the possibility of protecting other parts of their bike beside the frame.
One of the things you want to think about when you’re purchasing a set of crash lighters is the length of the slider. Generally speaking, a shorter slider will be better for high-speed scenarios, and a longer slider will be better for helping out in the driveway or perhaps parking lot situations. I’ll explain why in just a moment.
We’ve got to analyze how a crash happens. First, the bike goes down, and then the bike slides across the pavement. The reason this is important is that there are two stages to this. You’ve got that initial impact that needs to be absorbed, and then you have the bikes sliding down the street. We need to keep the bike elevated up off the pavement.
The sliders’ length matters because, in a high-speed scenario like a track crash, the bike has a natural tendency to want to flip over when it snags something. The taller slider is going to give you a little bit more leverage. That means the bike will be more prone to flipping over or barrel rolling, and that’s the stuff that makes crashes expensive.
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Frame sliders weren’t initially designed to do that, but designers realize that people look for that type of protection in today’s sliders.
For those of you who are riding on the street and who don’t typically hit the same speeds you would on a track, the longer sliders can be to your benefit. You may not wind up having all the high-speed protection in the world. However, if you just drop your bike on your driveway or you’re buddy bumps into your bike, the longer slider may help protect some of your engine covers as well as plastics.
Frame sliders weren’t initially designed to do that, but designers realize that people look for that type of protection in today’s sliders.
One of the other things you want to keep in mind is how you’re going to install them. There are two types of sliders. There’s cut kits, and then there are no cut Kits.
The names are pretty self-explanatory. You will need to cut a hole into your plastic with a cut kit to mount the slider. With a no-cut kit, there’s usually some sort of a bracket. You might think that the no-cut kit sounds easier, and you may be right. It is simpler in terms of installation.
However, because the bracket is now cantilevered a little bit, you get a reduction in the amount of impact protection you’re going to get. So when your bike initially slams down into the roadway, you may find that they can bend to the point where they’re doing a little bit of damage themselves.
You really do have to balance your installation ease with how brutal you think your crashes might be.
A motorcycle is irrespective of the engine size big or small needs timely care and service.
There are people who only prefer going to service centres to get their bikes checked, and there are people who know their motorcycles from inside out and prefer getting the service done at home. Then comes the third set of people who actually want to learn the tip and tricks of bike servicing but end up not doing so because of the anxiety related to some myths about getting the home service done. So in this article today we bust some myths related to home servicing and also point out reasons why you need to go for it.
Also, if you are a beginner, make sure to read the article until the very end as we write down the steps you need to follow in order to get the servicing done.
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A motorcycle is irrespective of the engine size big or small needs timely care and service.
Myth 1: You need a host of tools
This isn’t purely right as it only depends upon the kind of motorcycle you own. Until and unless you ride a Bimota or a Honda RC213 V, things are just fine. Just make sure you have a couple of important tools which fit on your bike. To know more, open up the service manual and you’ll find the right info on the required tools. Servicing isn’t as complex as it may look. Just stick to the manual and you won’t face any major issue and at the same time, we can promise that it doesn’t require more than 6-7 tools altogether.
Myth 2: You’ll mess things up
All you really need to do when it comes to motorcycle servicing is change a couple of filters here and there, and get your hands dirty in the engine oil and then fasten the require nuts and bolts and you are done. Servicing doesn’t get complex until and unless you have got the valves open and wiring spilt over the ground. If such is the case then you might require an extra hand that has some sort of similar experience. But all that can really go wrong is that you might fill some extra engine oil, or use the wrong type. That’s it, and such small mistakes will get ironed out in time.
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All you really need to do when it comes to motorcycle servicing is change a couple of filters here and there.
Myth 3: It will obliterate the warranty
While it is true that the warranty of your motorcycle might get affected if you get it serviced at home or outside the authorized service centre, but it depends upon the warranty terms and conditions. Since some firms do not consider it a factor and your warranty stay intact. So it is safe in this case, but it’s better to get your terms and conditions checked.
Myth 4: You don’t know the right technique
There is no such thing as the right technique. All you need to do is drain the used engine oil, let the chamber turn dry for at least 10 minutes, and then fasten the oil bolt and then fill-up the fresh engine oil. While you are at it, make sure you also change the oil filter as per service manual and check the condition of the air filter, and that’s it.
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There is no such thing as “the right technique”.
Still, if you feel you need detailed information on the steps you need to follow then below is the information which will come handy while you are working on your motorcycle:
Before the servicing, make sure you have your motorcycle service manual booklet handy. The reason why it is so important is that it has all the information in close details. The service book will guide you about all the tools that you may require for opening certain panels of your bike, also it has the details regarding the time of replacement of certain spare parts such as clutch plates, spark plugs, and most importantly the service intervals of your bike.
It will inform you regarding the spare parts which need urgent replacement as per your current usage or distance reading on your odometer. For example, there is no need to change spark plugs or air filters during the first 10,000 km in most of the bikes but still service centres insist that you replace the same, why? No other reason apart from sheer profit and easy money.
If your bike is under initial years of running, then the only parts that will need replacement are engine oil and oil filter. That aside, in the later years of running, parts like spark plugs, air filter, brake pads, chainset and clutch plates will need replacement.
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Before the servicing, make sure you have your motorcycle service manual booklet handy.
Once you’ve taken the assistance of the service manual booklet, you will need the spare parts which can easily be bought via online stores or you can directly contact the service centre to provide you with the same. Make sure that you buy only those parts which are designed for your bike. For example, there are a wide variety of engine oils present in the market today but only go for the specific oils which are recommended as your bike’s engine cubic capacity and design. Using non recommended engine oil may alter your bike’s performance which can, later on, affect the engine life.
Apart from the spare parts, you will also need a paddock stand on which your motorcycle will be parked while getting serviced. It is not advisable to park the bike on the side stand as it will restrict proper oil drainage from the engine and will only make the servicing procedure tricky.
Then get to work! Maintaining motorcycles at home will not always be a “bad idea” and above all, depending on what problem it is, it will always be something that you can do without much difficulty.
You’ll hear a lot of critics out there discussing what you should be wearing while riding a motorcycle. There are plenty of items a motorcyclist should be wearing to keep them safe.
But what about the things you shouldn’t wear? There are a few items of clothing and merchandise that can easily be spotted among motorcycle riders that can be deemed unsafe while operating a vehicle like that. I could list a million things to never wear on a motorcycle, but I’ll point out the most common ones that some motorcyclists think is safe when it’s actually not.
Used/Expired Helmets
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It’s somewhat common for a motorcyclist to purchase a secondhand motorcycle helmet.
It’s somewhat common for a motorcyclist to purchase a secondhand motorcycle helmet. We don’t blame them; a decent helmet can be expensive. But this is actually bad practice and should never be done.
Wearing a used helmet holds several dangers while out riding. When buying a secondhand helmet, you have no idea what that helmet has already gone through. Occurrences such as drops, heavy collisions, or expiration is one of the many things that could pertain to that helmet.
When a helmet is dropped, especially at a notable distance, it tends to lose it’s potency in helping protect your head. Expired helmets also serve less protection as well. The glue and protective gear inside tend to wear out over time because of heat, sweat, and continuous wear from someone else.
As a rule of thumb, only wear a helmet you bought yourself brand new. Also make sure it’s DOT and SNELL certified. That way you know it’s complete history and know it’ll give you the protection your head needs in the case of an accident.
Scarves
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There’s a lot of debate about whether or not wearing a scarf while riding a motorcycle.
There’s a lot of debate about whether or not wearing a scarf while riding a motorcycle is safe. A lot of this depends on the type of scarf you wear. In general, however, regular scarves should always be avoided when riding a motorcycle.
You’ll have to think about the physics when it comes to wearing such attire going at high speeds. The ends of the scarf will trail back behind you while you’re riding. If it’s long enough, it’s completely possible for it to catch on to something and yank you back.
Scarves also have a tendency to become undone while riding; the fast wind passing by you will jostle the scarf and potentially make it fall off, hit the windshield of another vehicle, and cause them distraction. In addition to that, a scarf can also flip up onto your face and obstruct your view for a few seconds.
If you want to wear a scarf while riding a motorcycle, make sure you get one that has it’s ends sewn together. A motorcyclist will need a way to keep their neck warm in cold weather and there are plenty of minimalist motorcycle scarves out there that don’t require you to wrap it around your neck and tie it.
Loose Clothing
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Loose clothing can be incredibly distracting for a motorcyclist.
You may have noticed that a lot of motorcyclists wear somewhat tight of clothing such as leather or other synthetic materials. And this is for good reason; tighter clothing is much safer than loose clothing.
Before taking your motorcycle for a ride, assess your clothing and note anything that may be loose. Sometimes this can be hard to calibrate until you’re actually out on your ride.
Loose clothing can be incredibly distracting for a motorcyclist. The most distracting and dangerous item of clothing that can be worn by a motorcyclist is a loose shirt. Having it flail all over the place is very uncomfortable and pretty embarrassing.
Dark Clothing
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Always assume that all the drivers around you cannot see you.
One thing We always tell every new motorcycle rider (or any motorcycle rider for that matter) is to always assume that all the drivers around you cannot see you. Because chances are, most drivers around you aren’t aware you’re there because of how much smaller motorcycles are compared to cars.
Wearing dark clothing does not help in this situation. Whether it be during the day or during the night, having dark clothing on will decrease your chances that much more of other drivers being able to see you. This is especially true at night.
A lot of motorcycle gear does come in black or grey colors. If you are out of options and have no other choice, make sure you have a generous amount of reflectors on your clothing and helmet. You can buy reflector tape and put a desired amount on in any place you’d like.
Half Helmets
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Half helmets basically only cover the top of a rider’s head. The better if you wear a full faced helmet .
We always cringe when we see a motorcyclist wearing a half helmet while out for a ride. Half helmets are helmets that basically only cover the top of a rider’s head. The main advantage of these is to have minimal visual obstruction as well as being able to hear better since most of them don’t cover the ears.
While half helmets are better than wearing no helmet at all, they’re not really a whole lot better. Half helmets are nicknamed “shortys,” or “brain buckets” because that’s all they’re protecting. And while protecting the brain is obviously vital while riding a motorcycle, this helmet will provide zero coverage for everything else surrounding.
Statistically, the most likely place for a motorcyclist’s head to collide with something during an accident is the chin area. A half helmet will provide zero protection in an incident like this. If you’re going to ride a motorcycle, always wear a full faced helmet that will give you the best protection.
Shorts/Sandals
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Shorts and sandals will provide zero protection to your skin.
There are basic guidelines of the appropriate attire needed when you ride a motorcycle. Shorts and sandals don’t make that cut. Such clothing will provide zero protection to your skin leaving it completely exposed like that.
A lot of people will argue that wearing shorts is no different than wearing long pants that’ll rip instantly once collided with the asphalt. While long pants may rip quickly, that still gives you a few seconds less of direct impact between your skin and the road.
In addition to that, shorts and sandals will provide zero protection against your motorcycle. You have to remember that you feet and legs are right next to extremely hot exhaust pipes and an extremely hot engine. Long pants and boots will help provide some protection from these components.
Shorts and sandals should never be worn while riding a motorcycle, even if it’s just for a few minutes or a quick ride. Wear the appropriate motorcycle gear to ensure the safety of your feet and legs; they’re what get you around when you’re not on your bike.
Headphones
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It’s best to not wear headphones while riding a motorcycle.
Listening to music while riding can make the experience even better. But there’s a right way and a wrong way of doing so. It’s best to not wear headphones while riding a motorcycle and there are a few reasons why.
First, it’s actually illegal in a lot of states in the U.S. to wear headphones while riding (according to AAA). Wearing headphones could inhibit your ability to hear what’s going on with your surroundings, especially if your music is loud enough. Anything that’s stuffed into your ears will make it difficult to be aware of sounds around you.
There are plenty of ways to listen to music on a motorcycle including a speaker set or using a helmet with built in Bluetooth.
Heavy Backpack
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It’s not a good idea to wear a backpack that’s heavy.
Unless you have several bags and compartments on your motorcycle, storage space can be extremely limited. While backpacks are generally safe to wear while operating a motorcycle, it’s not a good idea to wear a backpack that’s heavy. There’s a lot of safety issues that can go along with this; depending on what you have stuffed in your backpack, getting in an accident could be even more dangerous (for example, having heavy books means there’s additional heavy objects that could hit you).
On top of that, wearing a heavy backpack while riding can be extremely uncomfortable. It can impact your posture and make your riding experience a chore rather than enjoyable.
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