You should use a tire gauge to check the tire pressure before every ride. An under-inflated tire may still look okay, so a visual check is not enough.

Maintaining a cushion of space on all sides of your motorcycle helps to ensure that you have time and space to react if another road user makes a mistake.

To ride safely on a slippery surface, you should reduce your speed and avoid making sudden moves. Use both brakes if you must slow down or stop.

When riding, you should wear sturdy footwear that is high enough to cover and support your ankles. Short-heeled footwear is best because taller heels may catch on rough surfaces. Laces should be tucked in so that they can't be caught on anything.

Riding with a sidecar increases the weight of a motorcycle and increases the braking force needed to stop the motorcycle. Slowing and stopping take longer when riding a vehicle downhill than when riding on a flat surface.

When riding, it is safest for a motorcyclist to wear a helmet, eye protection, a jacket, long pants, sturdy boots, and gloves.

Riders in a group should overtake another vehicle one at a time. Each rider should complete their pass and resume their position in the group formation before the next rider begins to pass.

Even if your passenger is also a motorcyclist, you should give them complete safety instructions before leaving on a trip. Ask them to get on the motorcycle only after you have started the engine. They should sit as far forward as possible without crowding you and firmly hold onto your waist, hips, or belt. They should keep both feet on the footrests at all times, even when the bike is stopped.

If someone is following you too closely, it is a good idea to flash your brake light before slowing down. A tailgater may be concentrating on you and not see upcoming hazards that require traffic to slow down.

A rider should always use both brakes every time they slow or stop.

An expanded cushion of space is needed if your motorcycle will take longer than normal to stop. If the pavement is slippery, if you cannot see through the vehicle ahead of you, or if traffic is heavy and another driver may try to squeeze in front of you, open up to a larger following distance.

Before setting off on any ride, you should do a thorough check of your motorcycle. Inspect the tires, oil and fluid levels, headlight, tail light, turn signals, brake light, clutch and throttle, mirrors, brakes, and horn.

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. Choose a lane position that maximizes your space cushion.

Your horn can be a useful tool if you need to get someone's attention quickly. However, because a motorcycle's horn is not as loud as a car's, other drivers may not notice that you are sounding your horn. You should never rely only on your horn to deal with a hazard.

When preparing to pass another vehicle on its left, ride in the left portion of your lane to increase your line of sight and to make yourself more visible to any drivers in the passing lane. Use your mirrors and turn your head to check for traffic before changing lanes.

In traffic, a motorcycle needs as much distance to stop as a car does.

A number of surfaces can provide poor traction for tires. Wet pavement; roads covered in loose gravel or sand; muddy, snowy, or icy areas; painted lane markings; oily areas; and metal covers and plates in the road can be more hazardous for a motorcyclist than dry pavement.

There is no lane position that is always best and no lane position that should always be avoided. Select a lane position that is appropriate for riding conditions.

To be sure you are familiar with the specific type of motorcycle that you are planning to ride, read the owner's manual before riding it for the first time. This is particularly important if you are riding a borrowed motorcycle.

When traveling faster than a walking pace, your motorcycle will need to lean to turn. Pressing the grip in the direction you want to turn will cause you to lean in the appropriate direction

While a staggered formation is usually best under normal riding conditions, a group of riders should switch to a single-file formation when taking curves, turning, or entering or exiting a highway.

Drivers merging onto a highway and into your lane may not notice your motorcycle. Give them plenty of space to safely merge by moving into a different lane, if you can.

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.

The front brake lever is generally located on the right handgrip. Make sure that you are aware of the locations of all your motorcycle's controls before beginning to ride.

You should wear reflective materials when riding at night to make yourself more visible to other road users.