Enjoying a nice, cool evening ride in the summer is a great way to enjoy a Harley Davidson, custom cruiser, or sport bike. The cool air makes riding much more comfortable and in many cases, night riding involved less traffic. For all drivers, vision is the number one tool for anticipating and preventing accidents. While night motorcycling may be fun, extra care is needed so bikers can see clearly and remain visible to other drivers.
By following a few night riding essentials, your next evening ride will be both fun and safe.
- Clean your lights: Dirty headlights, tail lights, turning signals, and running lights can greatly impair how visible they are at a distance. Make sure to clean all lights a minimum of twice per week to insure maximum visibility.
- Reflective Motorcycle Gear: Reflective gear provides extra, highly visible illumination that motorists can see at great distances. Make sure your gear has reflective material on it. There are also options to buy additional reflective material and add them to your bike or helmet.
- Speed: Always obey all posted speed limits but make sure to use extra care at night. Since your vision will be less acute than during the day, slower speeds will help you see and anticipate potential problems better and allow for maximum reaction time.
- Eye sight: Since motorcycling requires great vision, make sure to have an annual vision check up to see if corrective lens are needed. Night vision can sometimes be more impaired than day vision so make sure to tell your doctor that night vision is important for you.
Night motorcycling is all about seeing and being seen. Make sure that as you head out for an evening ride, all the necessary precautions have been taken so you are not in the dark.
One of the best things about riding a motorcycle is motoring around an arching corner at a stable speed. Whether riding a Harley Davidson or a sport bike, cornering is just plain fun. It can also be extremely dangerous. There are several factors to keep in mind when cornering that will help novice and experienced bikers avoid losing control.
Before entering the corner, consider your speed, the weather, and road conditions. Rain, morning dew, debris, or vehicle fluids can be a major hazard. Make sure you quickly assess the road conditions and adjust your speed accordingly. When entering the turn, pick a line where you can maintain your speed. Remember to give yourself some margin for error so you have room to maneuver if necessary. If you have to make an emergency stop while cornering, make sure to straighten the bike. Hard braking while the bike is leaning will result in a fall.
When cornering, significantly less of the motorcycle tires are in contact with the road. As a result, the bike has less ability to maneuver or stop. By considering a few tips, you can avoid potential pitfalls before they happen.
There is nothing like the sight and the sound of a large group of Harley Davidsons, cruisers, or sport bikes rumbling down the street or highway. For many riders, seeing a group of bikers at a young age was the catalyst for their love of motorcycles. With motorcycles in formation, there seems to be an unspoken precision about how the riders move together as a group. Surprisingly, there is generally very little coordination in most cases.
Riding in large groups is something that should not be left to chance. It is best to get the group together and discuss a few things before heading out on the road.
- The Route: Everyone in the pack should know exactly where the end destination is, the route the group is taking to get there, and where all scheduled stops for fuel and food will be.
- The Pace: Everyone in the group should know what to expect in terms of the speed of the ride. Faster riders should be in the front so passing and rear end collisions are minimized.
- Signals: Several motorcycle hand signals should be discussed and used to pass information back to the group and to the front to the leader. These signs could be for stops, slowing down, or to let the leaders know someone has fallen behind.
- Partners: Each rider should have a partner in case of emergency. That way, no single biker is left behind without help.
- Emergencies: Everyone in the group should have phone numbers of the other members. Everyone in the group should know who has supplies like first aid, motorcycle tire repair kit, tools, etc.
Before heading out on your group ride, make sure all members are sober and in good condition to ride. One mistake can cause multiple bikers to suffer injuries. If you have fears or concerns, make sure to either drop out of the group ride completely or ride in the rear. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
In South Florida, there are a few things you can count on; sunshine, hot weather, summer rain, hurricanes, and Bike Night Wednesdays at Hooters – Pembroke Pines. Every week from 7-11PM, the parking lot outside of Hooters is packed with sport bikes, cruisers, and customs of every type and variety. This event provides a cross section of South Florida bikers and one of the only events featuring a great mix of both sport bikes and cruisers.
Every week, several hundred bikers and spectators come out to enjoy great Hooters food and classic rock music. Frequently, local custom fabricators come out to show off their newest creations, motorcycle service providers advertise their services, and dozens of motorcycles for sale are displayed. As a Hooters sponsored event, you can always expect great wings, fantastic service and of course the beautiful Hooter Girls!
You can’t lose with this event. Whether you are an active or aspiring rider or if you prefer low and mean cruisers or candy coated crotch rockets, this event will have something for you. Here’s a tip, make sure you get there early because if you don’t parking may be an issue.
Proper maintenance of your road bike or sport bike is essential to having a great experience on the road. For most bikers, the thrill of a Gixxer or Harley motorcycle winding through a scenic road is a small slice of heaven. Being stuck on the side of the road is not a part of that vision so like a responsible motorcycle owner, you take care of your bike. You get regular tune ups, check your oil and coolant levels, and (most important to some riders) you keep your bike clean and shiny.
Most bikers look at their motorcycle tires but very few check their tires with the same level of inspection as they do other systems on their motorcycle. This is a huge omission as motorcycle tires could be the most important part of a bike. Acceleration, braking, cornering, and handling require tires able to meet the challenges of varying road and weather conditions. Tires can be very stylish as well and everyone can appreciate a 300 series tire on a custom cruiser. Style however must be tempered with the right levels of performance.
Before your next ride, take a few moments and do the following steps:
- View your front and rear tires completely under good lighting
- Check to make sure your tires are properly inflated with a tire pressure gauge
- Check your tires for tears, rips, bulging, dry rot, punctures, or other defects
- Check your tire treads for uneven wear and worn treads
- Do the Quarter Test
If you need to add air to your tires, make sure to inflate them within the recommended PSI levels clearly marked on the sidewalls of your tires. Tire pressure increases with heat and motion so after your ride, check your tires again to see how your tire pressure changes. If necessary, remove some air so that your tires are not overly inflated. Overly inflated tires can cause handling, comfort, and traction problems.
If you need to replace your tires, make sure to refer to your motorcycle owner manual to insure you purchase the right size tires for your bike. It is always best to talk to a professional about tire options providing the characteristics you want; like performance, comfortable, noise, wet traction, and tread life. Remember to make sure your tires have been properly balanced each time a new tire is installed on your bike.
