Pre-ride motorcycle inspections are an important part of ensuring safe riding. Hydraulic fluids and coolants should be checked at least once a week.

Wet pavement is especially slippery when it first begins to rain. Deposits of oil left by cars will not yet have washed off the roadway. If it is raining, it is safest to ride in the tire tracks left by cars. The left tire track will often be your best choice, although this may vary.

When passing a row of parked cars, a motorcyclist should be prepared for a parked car to suddenly pull out of a parking space and into traffic. It is often safest for a motorcyclist to ride in the left portion of their lane when passing a row of parked cars on their right to create the most possible space between their motorcycle and any potential hazards.

You should use your low beam headlight when riding in foggy conditions. Do not use your high beams when riding near other vehicles.

Wearing a helmet while riding greatly improves your chances of avoiding serious injury to your head or neck in the case of a crash. A DOT-approved helmet will not restrict your vision to the sides.

A properly chosen lane position should provide a number of benefits, including an increased ability to see others and to be seen. It should help you avoid wind blasts, other drivers' blind spots, and surface hazards. Your lane position should discourage other drivers from trying to share your lane and provide you with an escape route, should a hazard arise.

To help keep the operator focused on riding, passengers should avoid unnecessary conversation or movement. Passengers should get on a motorcycle only after the engine has been started. They should sit as far forward as they can without crowding the operator and hold firmly onto the operator's waist, hips, or belt.

Motorcycles have blind spots just like any other vehicle. Always turn your head and look over your shoulder to check for traffic in your blind spot before changing lanes.

In a group of motorcyclists, riders with less experience should be positioned toward the front of the group, just behind the leader. This will allow more experienced riders to keep an eye on them without forcing the inexperienced rider to lead the group.

For your protection, you should wear a long-sleeved jacket, ideally made of leather, when riding. In warm weather, a leather jacket can help protect you against dehydration. Many motorcycle jackets are designed to help keep you cool even when the weather is hot.

Gloves can provide you with an improved grip on your motorcycle's handlebars. They can also protect your hands in the event of a crash.

If you over-apply your brakes, you may lose traction on one or both wheels and crash.

To be effective, eye protection and face shields must be free of scratches; be resistant to penetration; give a clear view to either side; fasten securely; permit air to pass through; and permit enough room for eyeglasses or sunglasses to be worn underneath.

When riding on a slippery surface, it is safest to decrease your speed. Making sudden moves on a slippery surface could cause your motorcycle to skid. Do not travel on the shoulder to escape a slippery road.

The surest way to avoid the risks of riding under the influence of alcohol is to not ride after you have been drinking. Any amount of alcohol can impair your abilities.

In addition to protecting your face from injury in a crash, a face shield protects you from wind, dust, dirt, rain, insects, and pebbles thrown up from surrounding vehicles.

A staggered formation is generally the best way for a group to maintain close ranks while also allowing each rider to maintain an adequate cushion of space. A single-file formation is preferable when taking curves, turning, or entering or exiting a highway.

Adjust your mirrors so you can see the lane behind you and as much as possible of the lane next to you. When properly adjusted, a mirror may show the edge of your arm or shoulder, but it’s the road behind you and to the side of you that is most important.

As little as one alcoholic drink can affect a person's ability to ride. It is both illegal and dangerous to ride a motorcycle while under the influence of alcohol.

The added weight of a passenger in a sidecar will affect the handling of your motorcycle. Expect your motorcycle to require extra space to come to a complete stop.

When riding over a rough surface, hold onto the handgrips firmly to ensure that you will maintain directional control over your motorcycle.

The gearshift lever is located in front of the left footrest and is operated with the left foot.

To lessen the chances of a crash occurring, you should make yourself visible, communicate your intentions to others, maintain adequate space cushions, search your path of travel at least 12 seconds ahead, identify and separate hazards, and be prepared to react to changing conditions.

Avoid riding down the center of a lane under wet conditions. Instead, ride in the tire tracks left by the cars ahead of you. The left tire track will often be best, but this can vary depending on traffic and other conditions.

Loads should kept low, either fastened securely or in saddlebags. Piling loads against a sissy bar or frame on the back of a seat is dangerous because it can raise the motorcycle's center of gravity and change the balance of the motorcycle. Loads should be equally distributed on both sides of the motorcycle.