Solo Riding Safety Tips For Bikers
Traveling by yourself gives you plenty of freedom to choose your own itinerary, change your plans on the fly, make extra stops if you want more rest or a chance to explore and not worry about the needs of others. When traveling alone, you must be more vigilant about your own personal safety as you won’t have anyone to rely on if something happens. You could get in an accident, suffer a bike breakdown, fall sick, or become trapped by inclement weather conditions.
With some careful planning and by taking the right precautions, you can ensure your safety while riding by yourself. This list of solo motorcycle riding safety tips by Sky Powersports Lakeland is meant to help you do just that! If you want to look at motorcycles for sale near Tampa or Orlando, get in touch with us to see our vast inventory!
Plan Your Route & Stick To It
Having taken the time to look up weather and traffic conditions, as well as the best routes to your destinations, you’ll want to stick with this plan. Main roads are much safer than a gravel road, especially when you don’t know where it goes and can’t find it on a map. While you can certainly investigate tourist attractions and short byways along the way, you don’t want to stray too far from a reliable highway.
Give Someone Your Itinerary
Riding solo doesn’t mean abandoning society entirely! A good reason to stick with your plans is that you can give a friend or family member back home your itinerary for your safety. If you become lost and you don’t check in, this person can let rescue crews know where to start looking for you. Give them a copy of your route, tell them where you plan to stop each night and check in with them every day or two to let them know you’re okay.
Be Vigilant & Smart
Riding smart means staying sober, resting when you need to, staying hydrated and not taking risks. Don’t speed or try any flashy maneuvers on your bike when you could become injured or suffer an accident and have no one to help you. Also, stay aware of your surroundings, whether they involve dangerous road conditions or suspicious people at rest stops. Always look for safe and well-lit rest stops with plenty of people around, rather than a lonely gas station out in the middle of nowhere.
Don’t Ride At Night
Your body needs rest to be ready for the next day’s riding. Pick your hotel or AirBnB in advance, or make sure you have the right camping supplies and a safe place to camp around other people. Make sure that you have a safe place to stay each night and stop riding as soon as the sun begins to go down. Do not try to ride at night while you’re alone. Even with bright lights on your motorcycle, you’re much more likely to be hit by tired drivers who can’t see well in the dark.
Lost & Found
If your bike breaks down or you become injured in a remote area, you’ll want to maximize the likelihood that rescue crews can find you. Try to contact them via cell phone or radio first. However, if your devices have broken down or signals are weak, you may have to wait for someone to stop and help you. Make sure you’re easy to see from the road, but don’t stay so close that you’re in danger of getting hit by passing traffic.
While waiting for rescue, keep yourself warm, fed and hydrated, and continue to try to get a signal on a device if you can. Stay in one place instead of trying to hike elsewhere, unless you know there’s a town within a mile or two that you’re able to reach easily during daylight hours.
We hope these tips help you have safer and more fun solo trips! Flying solo can be a whole lot of fun as long as you prioritize your safety. For more help or if you’re looking for worthy motorcycles for sale in Lakeland, FL, get in touch with the sales department at Sky Powersports Lakeland for further assistance! We’re also proud to be the leading motorcycle dealer for Tampa and Orlando!