How To Enjoy Your Motorcycle This Summer
Summer might seem like an age away yet, but it will be here before you know it, and the warm weather and the bright blue skies are going to tempt you out on your motorcycle once more. Yet, as anyone who has driven any kind of vehicle knows, driving in the summer is a completely different thing from driving in the winter, and if your bike " and yourself " is currently set up for winter riding, you'll need to take some important considerations into account before you head out on the road. Read on to find out just how to get prepared so you can enjoy your motorcycle this summer.
Photo by lucas Favre on Unsplash
Have A Hydration Pack
Although hydration is important all year round, and it's never a good idea to forego water for any length of time, in the summer it's even more important to remember to keep hydrated. Remember, no matter how hot the day might be, you'll still need to be wearing long sleeves and trousers (rather than shorts), plus you'll have a heavy helmet on, and your clothing won't be thin either. In other words, you're going to get hot and sweaty, and you'll need to replenish your fluids more often than you would in the winter.
Hydration packs are specially designed for bike riders as they hold plenty of water but they're hands-free so you can keep riding safely and you won't have to keep stopping to take a drink.
Look Out For Road Hazards
Motorcycle riders always need to be vigilant when it comes to the road ahead of them, but coming out of winter and heading towards summer is a time to be especially careful. There could be all kinds of road hazards that have developed over the winter and that you aren't aware of such as potholes.
Potholes are of particular danger to motorcyclists, and whereas a car could drive into one and, usually, come out with no more than a flat tyre at the very worst, if a motorcycle did the same, the results could be very dangerous, and even fatal. If you do have an accident involving a pothole then you could very possibly need assistance from successful motorcycle accident attorneys.
Use A Vented Helmet
You can't ride your bike without a helmet; it's just not safe, and apart from that, it's against the law. But, as we've mentioned, you're going to get very hot inside your helmet, making your idyllic summer motorcycle ride something much more uncomfortable than you might have thought it would be.
In place of a standard helmet, you can use a vented helmet instead, and this will help you keep cool and safe at the same time. As the name suggests, a vented helmet allows air drafts to swirl around your head, reducing the heat and the sweat that can get in your eyes.
Plan Your Route
The idea of just riding off into the sunset might be a romantic one, but it's not a safe one, even if sunset is later than usual because summer has arrived. The safe option, and the one that we recommend, is to plan your route out in advance. You don't have to add in every single stop " after all, you might see something interesting along the way that you hadn't known was there and want to take a look " but noting down at least a rough idea of where you intend to go and how long it will take is useful and will prevent you from getting too lost.
Make sure that someone you trust has a copy of this route, just in case you are longer than you said or no one can get in touch with you. They will be able to get help if you need it, and that could be the difference between life and death.
