When you ride your motorcycle under the open sky and moonlight and when the cool breeze hits your body, the feeling will take you to another world. You can enjoy your ride when you safely navigate your motorcycle by following the right technique and rules. Here are some important and must-follow things that I follow whenever I ride in a dark street.
1. Be visible
When it comes to visibility, the first thing that comes to mind is being visible by the motorcycle light. Before each ride, check well that your motorcycle headlight, tail light, indicators, and horn are working and lighting properly. When needed, use lights properly on time in the right way. When you are out on the road in a crowd of large vehicles, you have to make sure that you are visible enough to the other drivers on the road to avoid major accidents. Always keep your motorcycle headlight clean. If there are any problems with the lights, replace them. If the light dims check the battery thoroughly and replace the battery if needed.
2. Wear the right gear
It is necessary to wear the right motorcycle gear no matter when you ride. But you need special care when you are riding your motorcycle at night. Select a gear that is easily visible at night. Wear reflective gear so that you can be easily visible to other drivers on the road. As the motorcycle is relatively small compared to the other vehicles on the road it is a bit less likely to be seen by other drivers at all times. I use radiant-colored gear with straps or a gear that is easily visible to the other drivers on the road and I think you should too.
3. Set your speed boundary
One thing I always say is to be controlled on your motorcycle instead of the motorcycle controlling you. Always drive at a certain and moderate speed that allows you to easily control your motorcycle. The disadvantage of riding a motorcycle at night is that there are many blind spots on the road. Do not speed at night otherwise, you won’t be able to see other vehicles properly and even other drivers will be able to see you from a safe distance. When you are at high speed and all of a sudden a vehicle comes in front of you it becomes nearly impossible for both you and the driver to control the vehicle or motorcycle such a very short distance. So be aware of your speed.
4. Be active
It is always the most important part of safe driving, especially at night. While riding, always keep yourself active and charged. Whether motorcyclists or any other vehicle driver says so, night-time drivers indeed tend to drowse or fall asleep while driving. What I do is, when I feel sleepy I park the motorcycle in a safe zone or coffee shop and drink coffee or other snacks, water, or drinks available in the shop to refresh myself then I start riding again and I also frequently shift my motorcycle headlight high beam to low beam several of time when I see large trucks or freight vehicles and high-speed vehicles approaching. You can apply my method, trust me it works.
5. Be aware of animals on the road
It’s not like driving on the highway at night all the time. Sometimes it is necessary to drive on wild roads surrounded by trees or deserted roads. At different times different wild animals suddenly came in front of the motorcycle which led to an accident. In such situations, keeping yourself calm and driving at a safe speed can prevent major accidents most of the time. Be sure about your motorcycle that it does not have any tendency to turn off the headlight or the motorcycle engine all of a sudden when it is running. Fix immediately if you ever face any problem like this. It happened to one of my uncles. He was riding at high speed and suddenly his motorcycle stalled. He went out of the way and crashed into trees where he broke a leg and suffered a severe head injury. Another uncle of mine had an accident with a fox due to speeding. He was driving fast and unfortunately, a fox tried to cross the road and he hit the fox.
6. Maintain a safe distance
Not only at night driving maintain a safe distance all the time from other vehicles on the road. Do not drive too close to other vehicles because they brake suddenly or overtake another vehicle on the road when you are behind them or alongside you don’t even know if there is another vehicle in front. Accidents are often seen due to such problems. One of my father’s friends died in this overtaking drama though he was not riding the motorcycle. Who was driving was alive but my father’s friend hit the bridge railing hard and fell down and after a few hours he died.
7. Improve your vision
Last but not the list, You can improve your night vision in foggy weather by wearing night goggles and making sure your helmet visor is properly clean. On the other hand, You can add a fog light to your motorcycle headlight. The light helps to cut out the fog and helps you to see far. By following that you can navigate through fog more safely.
Always be very very careful when you are riding a motorcycle in the dark. Always be focused on your riding. Improve your nighttime riding skills. Don’t get distracted while riding and be fully concentrated on the road to avoid path holes, potential hazards, and animals. Follow the tips mentioned above and you can confidently navigate night rides.