Your Safety Guide to Riding a Motorcycle at Night
Motorcycle night riding adventures are exciting, but they come with certain risks. Being familiar with potential threats allows you to take proper precautions to remain safe and enjoy your outing. If you plan to embark on your first motorcycle night riding trip, you have arrived at the right place. As your local motorsports vehicles dealer, we at S&N MotorSports want you and your bike safe. Our experts have gathered a few tips to help you ride your motorcycle safely at night. Read on to learn more, and for more information, contact our dealership in Port Charlotte, Florida. We are happy to welcome our friends from Fort Myers, so reach out today.
1. Upgrade Your Motorcycle's Lighting System
The first thing to make your night riding experience safer and more enjoyable is to enhance your motorcycle’s lighting system. You can consider adding single bulbs or strips of bulbs to your bike to make it more visible.
It’s good to replace the standard halogen lights on your model with LED lights. They are brighter, last longer, and use less energy. You might also want to get a brake light flasher. This accessory flashes multiple times before becoming a steady light, drawing the attention of distracted motorists around you.
2. Make Yourself Noticeable
You will also want to avoid wearing dark-colored clothes, especially black clothes when riding your motorcycle at night. Dark colors look great but make it harder to notice at night. You will want to wear clothes visible in the dark, such as a neon or fluorescent-colored riding suit. You can also throw on an orange-colored safety vest at night.
Reflectors also help when riding your motorcycle in low-light conditions. Add retro-reflective tape on your helmet and saddlebags to make you more visible.
3. Proper Night Riding Techniques
In addition to the points above, you will want to apply proper night riding techniques for a safer and more enjoyable motorcycle riding experience. Here are a few things to do:
- Adopt defensive riding strategies.
- Maintain appropriate distance between yourself and other motorists.
- Never drink and drive and beware of any drunk motorists.
- Give yourself more time to brake or change lanes.
- Signal your maneuvers in advance and avoid changing lanes too often.
- Beware of pedestrians and nocturnal animals suddenly darting in your path.
- Look at the far-right line at the edge of your road to avoid getting blinded by car headlight beams.
We hope you find these tips handy when riding your motorcycle at night. If you need more advice or want to upgrade your bike before your next trip, visit S&N MotorSports. We have a fine selection of motorcycles for sale, and our friendly team can help you select a model that suits your budget and riding style. Visit our dealership in Port Charlotte, Florida, to peruse our latest inventory. We proudly serve those from Fort Myers, so reach out today.