You can make yourself easier to see by wearing brightly-colored, reflective clothing. Ride with your headlight on at all times and use your turn signals and brake light appropriately.

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.

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.

To minimize your risk of a crash, ensure that you are visible to other drivers, communicating your intentions to other drivers, and maintaining a cushion of space around you. You should search for, identify, and separate hazards. Be prepared to react to anything that happens.

Most crashes happen on trips that are shorter than five miles, just a few minutes after the rider starts out.

If your motorcycle fits you properly, your feet should be able to reach the ground while you are seated. When riding your motorcycle, keep your feet firmly on the footrests.

A two-second following distance is generally appropriate. Allow a larger cushion of space when riding under conditions that will increase your stopping distance, such as when the road surface is icy or wet.

A helmet should meet U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and state standards and fit snugly all the way around to provide maximum protection. It should be free of defects such as cracks, loose padding, or frayed straps.

An integrated braking system is a variant of a linked braking system. Partial front braking is applied whenever the rear brake is activated. Check your owner's manual for a detailed explanation of the braking system on your motorcycle.

You should use both brakes every time you slow down or stop. Always apply the brakes simultaneously.

The centermost portion of a lane is where debris and oil drippings from cars often collect. Other hazards, such as utility hole covers, can also be found in the centermost portion of the lane.

A motorcycle must lean to make a turn. To make it lean in the appropriate direction, press the handgrip in the direction you want to turn.

When riding, keep your knees against the gas tank to help maintain your balance in turns. Sit so that you can use your arms to steer rather than to prop yourself up. Sit far enough forward that your arms are slightly bent when you hold the handgrips, and keep your feet firmly on the footrests.

The throttle of a motorcycle is usually located on the right handle grip. Be sure to know where all of your motorcycle's controls are located before riding.

If your rear wheel locks while braking, do not release the brake. Instead, keep it locked until you come to a full stop.

When riding, sit so that you can use your arms to control the motorcycle rather than to hold yourself up. Your arms should be slightly bent when you hold the handgrips. To help maintain your balance, keep your knees against the gas tank and your feet firmly on the footrests.

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.

To prevent any dangerous situations caused by technical issues, you should perform a thorough inspection of your motorcycle before every ride. Compared to a car, small technical problems can have more serious consequences on a motorcycle.

Shifting to a lower gear causes an effect similar to using the brakes. For this reason, downshifting is also known as engine braking.

More than half of all motorcycle crashes involve riders with less than six months of experience on the motorcycle being used.

To brake, squeeze the front brake lever and press down on the rear brake pedal. Always use both brakes when slowing or stopping.

When preparing to pass on the left, you should ride in the left portion of your lane. This lane position will increase your line of sight and make your more visible to oncoming traffic.

Leather garments can provide the greatest level of protection to motorcyclists. It is important to wear clothing that covers your legs and arms entirely when riding a motorcycle.

Before beginning a ride, you should ask your passenger to mount the motorcycle only after the engine has been started. They should sit as far forward as they can without crowding you and hold onto the motorcycle's passenger handholds or onto your waist, hips, or belt. They should keep their legs away from the muffler, chains, and other moving parts.

Generally, you should maintain a minimum following distance of two seconds. Increase your following distance to at least three seconds whenever you are riding under conditions that are less than ideal.