Tips for Riding Your Motorcycle at Night
Nighttime motorcycle rides are fun and thrilling. However, they come with unique safety risks, which you’ll need to be aware of to ensure your safety on the road. Some of the hazards of riding your bike at night include tired and distracted drivers, low visibility, and animals suddenly darting into your path.
We at Sky Powersports Lakeland care for your safety. That’s why our experts have created this guide to help you avoid a few common threats and enjoy an improved riding experience. If you have any questions, our team will be happy to address them. We’re in Lakeland, FL, where we welcome our customers from Tampa and Orlando, so stop by today.
Improve Your Motorcycle’s Lights
One of the foremost issues related to nighttime driving is reduced visibility. While your bike’s default lights can compensate a bit, they might not be enough to keep you safe. That’s why many motorists who frequently travel at night upgrade their bike’s lights to brighter and more affordable LED lights. These provide you with much better visibility, and since these are more durable than the standard halogen lights, you don’t have to worry about replacing them often.
You can also consider adding more lights to your bike to make it more visible to others on the road. Alternatively, you can also try installing a brake light flasher, which flashes multiple times before changing itself over to a steady beam of light. Each lighting design can help make you more noticeable to motorists around you and reduce your chances of getting into an accident.
Make Yourself Visible
Other than making your bike easily noticeable to others, you’ll want to improve your visibility, too. Encountering weary and distracted drivers on the road is common during nighttime rides. That’s why you’ll want to take all possible measures to make sure you are visible.
You can try high-visibility clothing, such as neon or fluorescent clothing, or add reflective tape to your helmet to make yourself seen. Avoid wearing an all-black outfit, and if you must, throw on a safety vest over it.
Change Your Riding Style
When riding your motorcycle, you’ll always want to practice defensive techniques, more so when riding at night. As a responsible rider, you’ll want to:
Leave more room for yourself when maneuvering or changing lanes.
Be vigilant of the road condition and continually scan for obstacles and hazards.
Avoid riding in areas where there is a possibility of animals suddenly coming out on the road.
We hope these tips help you ride your motorcycle safely at night. For more advice or help upgrading your bike to the latest model, visit Sky Powersports Lakeland. Our friendly team can address your concerns and help you choose a model that suits your riding style. To look at our inventory of motorcycles for sale, come down to our dealership in Lakeland, FL, where we proudly welcome our friends from Tampa and Orlando.