Riding a motorcycle is a challenging task altogether. Most of us instead choose a bike over a car because of the sense of thrill and excitement riding bikes bring. If you already have a few years of experience, you will understand how rusty your bike riding skills can get if you leave riding for an extended period. Therefore, it's best to keep essential motorcycle riding skills honed to keep yourself safe on the go.
Listed below are five crucial bike-riding skills that you increase your riding confidence. Practice these thoroughly to ride safely on the streets.
1. High-Speed Braking / Quick Stop
Pressing the brake at high speed or taking an emergency stop seems simple. However, it needs the expertise to pull it over without any accident happening. Stopping your bike when you are riding it at high speed is a challenging yet essential task. Quick stops help you avoid a collision in an emergency or whenever you need to stop abruptly.
2. Riding around Corners
Nothing less than an art-- safely riding around corners needs a lot of practice. If you are a beginner, it will become your worst nightmare while riding a motorcycle. Here's a simple way to do it- while getting close to a corner, slow down, change the gear and look out as far as possible into the corner. Now, let go of the brakes and gradually accelerate around the curve.
3. Obstacle Avoidance and Swerving
No matter where you ride, there's a high chance of getting potholes and gravel on Indian roads. Slow down your bike's speed, shift to a lower gear, and tackle it slowly. Keep a good rev and don't make sharp turns, that will bring you down and hard. Be patient and extra cautious on such roads, and don't let anything distract you. It is essential to practice weaving and swerving around obstacles to improve your riding skills.
4. Riding on Wet Roads
You should avoid taking your bike out in the rain, but if it's critical, the first thing to do is slow down. Riding on wet roads is unsafe. Also, speeding vehicles and wet roads don't get along very well. Most people lose their traction and crash around the corners or while stopping the bike. Therefore, if you need to stop, slow down the bike, don't lean too much, and use the brakes gently. Remember these golden rules to ride safely in rainy conditions.
5. Riding with a Pillion
It is challenging to ride with a pillion than riding alone. If you are new to riding a motorcycle, do not take anyone behind you as it can make you feel uncomfortable. However, if you still want to try, instruct the pillion not to shift his weight while riding, as it will misbalance the bike. Also, ensure that the pillion is wearing a helmet and protective gear as well.
It is essential to be well informed about your surroundings while riding. Regularly pay attention to pedestrians, parked vehicles, traffic lights, roadblocks, kids, stray animals, intersections, etc. Also, be a law-abiding citizen and insure your motorcycle with a bike insurance policy. You can easily buy a two wheeler insurance policy online without any paperwork. Just a few details and you are good to go.
