How to Choose the Safest Motorcycle

Motorcycles are known for being a dangerous choice of vehicle. Even the most careful driver can have a motorcycle accident.

For this reason, it is wise to make sure you choose the safest motorcycle to purchase. How can you know which fits this description?

This article will break down the basics of safe motorcycles and give you a few of the best motorcycles on the market.

1. The Right Size

When it comes to motorcycle safety, choosing a motorcycle that fits your personal body type is essential. 

You will need to sit on the bike and check the length of your legs to the ground. If the motorcycle is too high, you won’t have enough traction with your feet when you need it.

You will also want to reach forward and grab the handle bars. Are you able to hold them comfortably? Does it force you to lean forward too much? 

You don’t want a motorcycle that is so lightweight that you will easily get thrown in an accident. You also don’t want a motorcycle so heavy that you can’t effectively drive it.

To learn more about how to choose a motorcycle with the right size and height, read this article. 

2. Engine Size

Many new riders make the mistake of looking for the motorcycle with the most power. While you definitely don’t want to purchase a weak machine, you should be cautious of buying something too powerful, too quickly.

It takes experience and skill to be able to handle a motorcycle with a big engine. When starting out, you should look for a small to mid range engine until you get the hang of riding. 

According to Digitaltrends, the best size engine for a beginner rider is between 500cc to 700cc.

3. Look For Built-In Safety

There are certain motorcycles that have additional safety features as part of the construction of the bike. 

Stability control helps you by automatically adjusting the acceleration or braking of the system through turns or stops.

Anti Lock brakes, just like in a car, will stop the brakes from locking up when applied quickly. This will greatly reduce your chances of being thrown from your bike. 

Built in diagnostics checks all your systems for proper function to prevent any accidents from happening due to system malfunctions. Diagnostics will check the brakes, suspension, fuel and more. 

Having the best headlights will also improve your visibility. LED lighting is the best on the market. 

4. Keep Up with Maintenance

Once you have a motorcycle with the right size and engine with all the latest safety features, you need to take part in keeping your motorcycle safe through regular maintenance.

If you are buying a used motorcycle, you want to ensure that the previous owner was diligent with this before buying.

Check for worn tires, stiff cables, slow responsive brakes and things like this. Any of these situations can mean your life in an accident. 

When you are conducting a maintenance check on your bike, look for low tread or any bumps on your tires, check all fluids, and more. Your maintenance manual should have a complete list of necessary tasks. 

5. Dress for Safety

If you’ve done your due diligence in ensuring that your machine is the safest that it can be, you can still take one more step to protect yourself while riding.

The safest driver is dressed properly with all the correct safety measures. 

This includes a full helmet that is durable and comes with a face shield to protect your vision. 

You should also have on durable boots that are high enough to secure your ankles. 

Riding gloves help you to maintain a strong grip on your handlebars and a leather jacket and pants made with heavy fabric will protect your skin if you do find yourself thrown to the ground.

Conclusion

Before you buy your next motorcycle, make sure it meets the qualifications above to ensure that your next ride is the safest you can have.

When your life’s on the line, it is important that you are a smart consumer and double check your motorcycle and motorcycle gear for quality and durability.