April Fools on a Motorcycle

It’s the season of the motorcycle, and for every graceful, experienced veteran motorcyclist on the road, there are at least a half-dozen fools out there. Don’t be an April Fool on your motorcycle this riding season by avoiding these riding tactics:

Lane Splitting

Lane splitting is for the impatient and the inexperienced. Many experienced riders know that lane splitting is too dangerous to be worth the risk. That’s because they have either seen a crash caused by lane-splitting, or have survived one themselves.

Riding Faster Than You Can See

This riding example comes from a snaky, back-road highway where there’s more danger than you would expect. However, big trucks and trailers making slow turns is common on back roads, and riders should always be wary of the road ahead no matter how isolated it seems.

Riding With Passengers

First of all, most motorcycles are NOT three-seaters. Secondly, new riders should avoid traveling with passengers until they have gained enough experience.

Riding Without ATGATT

ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) should be your mantra every time you go on a ride. All the gear means helmet, gloves, boots, riding jacket and pants every time you ride!

 Target Fixation

This classic case of target fixation illustrates how focusing on the side of the road just could land you there:

Turning Like a Squid

There are so many ways to take a turn the wrong way. Travelling too fast, panicking, braking at the wrong time, and overcompensating could all result in an embarrassing, if not fatal crash.

That’s six mistakes you can make this April Fools Day, and we’re just getting started. Stay tuned this beautiful spring season for more tips on how to avoid making rookie riding mistakes.

Happy April Fools Day!