Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather

Rs Law Offices/Our blog/Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather

Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather

02/01/2023

Driving any vehicle in cold weather and especially snow is going to make for a much more difficult time than driving in dry, comfortable weather. With enough preparation and all of the right gear, it is possible to mitigate many of these problems, but without them, you run the risk of a deadly accident. Before you head out in the snow or in cold weather, always get your bike checked by a trusted mechanic to make sure the machine itself is ready for cold weather riding. Here are some general tips for safe motorcycle driving in the winter.


Preparing Your Bike for Winter

Your bike is likely going to take longer to start in the colder weather, as most motorcycles are equipped with batteries and fluids suited for riding the other three seasons of the year.

  • Equip your bike with a cold weather battery,
    especially if yours struggles to start in the cold
  • Make sure your oil is also suited to cold
    weather – if not, your mechanic may recommend a thinner oil
  • Your mechanic will also be able to recommend any
    other cold weather fluids your bike might need

Preparing Your Gear for Winter

If the bike is ready for cold weather, you need to be ready. Helmets, pads, jackets, boots and gloves are all important, year-round, but you should suit up with temperature-appropriate gear, too.

  • Whatever you have, get the warmer version of it
    – this goes for the jacket, boots, gloves – everything
    • The wind makes the air feel colder, especially once
      you’re up to road speed – make sue everything is insulted
    • You run the risk of frostbite or hypothermia in
      windy, cold, exposed conditions
  • Consider heated gear, if possible, to better
    protect from the cold
  • A standard-issue visor may fog up in the cold, so
    consider a full-face helmet for the cold, preferably with an anti-fog visor or electric
    defrost built in

Winter Motorcycle Riding Tips

You know that driving on ice and snow it degrees harder than riding on a dry street, but there are some basics you should keep in mind if you are stuck out there:

  • Don’t ride in the snow – you can usually wait it
    out, or simply wait to ride when there’s no snow, even if its cold out
  • Drive slower – you can’t risk skidding out or
    being unable to brake fast enough, causing an
    accident
  • Keep more distance between yourself and other
    vehicles
  • Wear high-visibility gear and lights to avoid
    being hit

Check in With Yourself

You should keep an eye on how your body is reacting as you ride, too. If you’re cold, there’s a chance you won’t have the best control of your bike. Your sensitivity can be dulled and your reaction times can be slower.

  • Don’t ride if you aren’t feeling up to it – the
    cold could be the difference between a safe ride and a dangerous one
  • Check in with other riders on group rides to
    make sure everyone is okay to continue
  • Take breaks if anyone is uneasy or tired during
    the ride

blogs

You might like

Statute of Limitations and Personal Injury

For many of us, when a personal injury occurs there can be a lot of mixed feelings. Some people may feel guilty that they got injured, even when the blame lies with someone else. The first concerns you will obviously have will be about your health and safety. You may not even be considering what […]

17/09/2021
Read more

Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

The pedestrian fatality rate in Arizona is more than double that of the national average, at 1.61 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. Most of these are male pedestrians, killed at a rate of almost three times as much as female pedestrians. Keeping pedestrians safe is everyone’s job, but as a pedestrian, you should understand the […]

26/09/2022
Read more

Dealing with Dog Bites

Dog bites, dog attacks and maulings by dogs are a problem the world over. Sometimes these injuries can be fatal. They tend to affect children most (most children have been bitten by a dog they know by age 11), but can happen to anyone. It can be helpful to understand some techniques for avoiding dog […]

11/04/2022
Read more

Understanding California’s Lemon Law

Under California’s Lemon Law, you are protected as a consumer when a vehicle you have purchased is deemed defective and cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of repair attempts. This helps keeps dangerous vehicles off the road, leads you with legal recourse if you are sold a faulty vehicle, and helps get you back […]

25/04/2022
Read more

Five Apps for Increased Road Safety

Staying safe on the road is more important as more and more cities become increasingly dependent on automobile transportation. Increasedroad safety is about diligence and attentive driving, but there are also ways to “gamify” or in other ways incentivize safe driving, through smartphone apps. Here are five apps designed to keep you less distracted and […]

12/09/2022
Read more

Do Lemon Laws Apply in Auto Dealer Frauds

You’ve recently bought your dream car but can’t shake off the feeling that you just got swindled. Despite the dealer marketing it as a brand new vehicle, it has been exhibiting major defects you hardly expected. Many buyers fall prey to auto dealer frauds which can be costly especially if you’re financing a loan to […]

30/11/2020
Read more

Holiday Travel Safety

As we get into the holiday season, it’s a good time to think of some relaxing times spent at home with loved ones. Having a nice meal, meeting new spouses and grandchildren, or just coming together finally after a long time apart- it is a period of joy and togetherness. For these reasons and more, […]

13/12/2021
Read more

How Dangerous are Ride Shares?

Everyone with a smartphone now has access to the next generation of personalized, private transportation. It used to be a matter of calling and reserving a cab or, in some places, hailing one from the side of the road. Since ridesharing is a new phenomenon, however, all of the kinks are still being worked out, […]

02/11/2022
Read more

Looking Out for Motorcycles

In 2019, the number of deaths caused by motorcycles was found to be 29 times that of deaths caused by cars. Motorcycles can go very fast, they have no sides to protect the rider, they are more difficult to see on the road and they do not perform well in bad weather. While it is […]

11/10/2021
Read more

Five Products for Truck Driver Safety

Truck drivers are the backbone of the economy, and their safety is of the utmost importance. Not only are they at special risk of trafficaccidents, but truck driving comes with a host of other dangers. The easiest way to stay safe while driving any vehicle is being aware of your surroundings and making sure your […]

14/10/2022
Read more

contact form

Get in touch

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from RS Law Offices. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. View our Privacy Policy.