Winter Motorcycling Tips for Bad Weather
Winter Motorcycling Tips for Bad Weather
The cold winter weather is upon us so it is important for motorcyclists to stay safe on the road. Follow these tips on riding in low temperatures and on wet and windy surfaces.
The best thing to do in bad weather is avoid riding your bike completely, but if you have to take to the road or get caught in bad weather, follow some of these tips.
Keep Warm
It is important to make sure you are properly wrapped up when taking your motorbike on the road in the winter, as even though you are moving at speed your body is not generating much heat due to a lack of physical exertion.
Keeping warm will ensure that the rider is comfortable and also ensure that you are able to control the bike as a cold and tense body will respond less quickly to oncoming incidents.
When you get cold your body cuts off the blood supply to your hands and feet first - the most vital parts necessary for riding and controlling a motorbike; so keeping your vital organs warm should keep the extremities toasty too.
Slow Down
It seems obvious, but driving at high speeds on both wet and icy roads is dangerous as tyres are less able to grip the road making them more likely to skid. Ride with extreme caution in extreme cold weather to avoid ice, in particularly black ice on the road.
Skidding on iced for motorcyclists is more dangerous than it is for car drivers obviously, as a motorcyclist can topple off the bike into oncoming traffic unable to recover their original position.
Take Precautions on the Road
If you get caught in snow on your journey, slow down and allow for far longer stopping distances. Remember that visibility is always a problem in bad weather, so keep your lights on (they should be anyway) and if you have a high visibility outer wear, put that on too.
Try not to make any sudden moves or turns on the road and keep braking and gear changes as smooth as possible as this could cause your motorbike to skid off track.
Motorcycle Helmets
To ensure you have ultimate safety on your journey in bad weather, opt for a ThermaHelm helmet as its new technology gives riders the best possible chance of surviving a crash: riding without one is like driving a car without an air bag!
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