Riding a Harley is a lot of fun, but only if you take your fun seriously. Otherwise, you may be in for a nasty accident. There are a few things you can do to avoid accidents and set yourself up to walk away just in case you get in one. Read on to learn the top three ways to make riding a Harley safer.
Don’t Ride Tired
Harley riding takes focus, and you can’t focus properly on five hours of sleep. Having a clear head when you take your bike for a spin is essential. Avoid alcohol if you’re planning to ride, and do your best to refrain from driving when tired.
Ride Defensively
It’s no secret that riding a Harley can be incredibly dangerous. Too many accidents happen because people driving cars failed to notice motorcyclists on the road. While this isn’t the fault of motorcyclists, you should take precautions against becoming another victim of drivers who think you’re invisible.
Never assume that a driver sees you and is letting you in to merge—don’t stop scanning and being alert until your bike is parked. Approach every situation cautiously, and you should have a good defense against thoughtless drivers.
Upgrade Your Headlights
While your best bet is to drive defensively, there is one way to make yourself much more noticeable on the road: upgrade your headlights. Stock headlights may get the job done, but they’re hardly the best and brightest. Switch to LED headlights and you’ll enjoy two major benefits.
First, you’ll be more visible on the road. Brighter lights are harder to miss—there’s no two ways about it. Second, you’ll be able to see better. Incandescent bulbs can’t hope to pump out the lumens that LEDs can, and lumens are huge factors to consider when buying new headlights. That’s because brightness equals safety when riding at night. The more you see, the quicker you can react to avoid bad situations.
Now that you know these top three ways to make riding a Harley safer, change your style so you can keep riding without incident.
