Have you recently bought a new bike for yourself? Or planning on getting one? Or maybe it has been your childhood dream to become a bike rider; in any of these scenarios, there are some things you should always consider while getting those wheels on the road!
First of all, any kind of vehicle comes with a set of legal formalities and responsibilities that you have to fulfill before starting to drive. According to Indian driving laws, you need to be at least 16 years old to get your two wheeler driving license. To do this, you first have to complete an examination to get your temporary driving license. After 6 months of getting your temporary driving license, you will have to give a driving test and get your permanent two wheeler driving license. You need to get all your vehicles insured with a trusted insurance company. Similarly, you need to get your wheely friend insured too.
Except for these legal formalities, you have to get acquainted with your bike first. We don’t just mean the parts of the motorbike, but also the experience of learning and riding a bike. Here is all that you need to know when it comes to understanding a bike.
Riding Lessons
To succeed at anything, you have to be patient and get to know your new friend first. Similarly, to get a bonkers experience while riding, you will have to be very invested and careful while learning how to ride. So do your homework, and shortlist some good courses on learning how to ride a motorbike. If you have an experienced friend, you could maybe ask them to help you out too, but it’s important to practice and learn how to ride properly before you start hitting the open roads often.
Do Your Research
Do your research on the best, or most suitable motorbikes for your riding purposes. There are a number of motorbikes available in the market and they are all created to serve different purposes. You can find off-road bikes, mopeds, scooters, sports-bikes and many more. Once you have decided what kind of bike you want, you can either purchase a brand new one if you’ve practiced enough or purchase a second hand one, to get more hands-on experience with it before you buy a brand new one. Of course, your budget would also play a part in determining the kind of 2-wheeler you end up getting.
Protect Yourself
Riding a bike is awesome, but motorbike accidents are not. Even though you are completely confident in your riding skills, you always have to invest in good quality protective gear before hitting the road. Not only your safety depends on it, you are even legally required to wear a helmet on the road. Here is a list of equipment that you will need while you ride:
- A Good Helmet
- Riding Shoes
- Grip Gloves
- Riding Pants
- Riding Jacket
- Goggles
- A good backpack
- A well prepared first aid kit
These equipment aren’t only important to keep you protected from speed but also weather changes which ultimately adds up to your riding experience! It’s not like you would be using each of these everytime you ride, but it’s good to have it all available in your bike.
Alertness Is The Key
Most of all road accidents happen because someone loses focus or someone becomes too careless while riding. Always be alert and keep your eyes on the road and your mind in place. Don’t let your thoughts wander off to some other place while you’re riding. Keep a good grip on your handle and handle the situation wisely whenever you find yourself in a jam.
Go Slow and go solo
When you first start riding, it’s natural for the adrenaline rush to get to you. But you have to remember that your life is not just a chance, it’s a responsibility, and the life of another, is even a bigger responsibility. So instead of rushing into riding together with your pals, go slow and go solo when you’re still learning.
Stay away from the highways
Practice your art in private, until performing it in front of the whole world. Similarly, practice your riding on empty streets until you’re ready to take it to the highways.
Also read: Essential Things to do after Buying a Bike
Parts Of The Motorbike You Need To Understand
When it comes to riding, it’s all about having a good grip on your vehicle. So to do that, you need to get acquainted with some parts of your motorbike really well.
- Tyres: Tyres are perhaps the most important part of any bike. If your tyres are not good enough to let you get a good grip on the road, you must change them. There are many ways of knowing if your tyres have aged or become a potential hazard to your rides.
- The simplest way is to observe the pattern on your tyres, the pattern on any tire is the dead giveaway of how sound the grip of the tyre is.
- The centre wear of the tyre is another great way of telling if the tyre is becoming smooth or losing texture.
- The shoulder wear is often ignored while looking at a tyre. This is where you go wrong. The shoulder wear of a tyre is what saves your bike from slipping on turns and when you tilt your bike on a turn. So keep it in check.
2. Check For Air Pressure: To be safe from punctures and any other mishaps on the road, you need to keep your tyre air pressure in check every time before hopping on your bike.
3. Leaks: Check for any kind of fuel, air, or coolant leaks before you start to ride. Leaks are hazardous, there is always a danger of a potential slip on the road if your tyres are covered in fuel or if they’re punctured. So keep a close eye on these leaks.
4. Brakes: It is important to know when to stop. So keep a close eye on the health of your brakes. It is both dangerous if your brakes are too loose or too tight. If the brakes are too loose, there is a chance of a mishap if you can’t control your bike speed and fail to stop when you need to. If your brakes are too tight, there is a danger of a sudden slip on the road.
5. Cables: Similar to the brakes, the cables of your motorbike are like veins of your body. To keep a motorbike well functioning, always keep the cables of your motorbike in check. Keep an eye on any broken or loosened cables. Most importantly, loosened or broken brake or clutch cables.
6. Lights: Headlights, tail-lights and indicator lights are a crucial part of riding healthy. Whether you’re riding through dark, or riding through thick fog or smog; the lights on your bike are the only way for you to be recognized by other vehicles and people on the road and for you to see up ahead.
7. Engine Oil: Engine oil doesn’t only keep your engine well lubricated, it also collects the by-product from combustion to keep it functioning smoothly.
8. Fuel Level: It’s a no brainer that fuel levels of your motorbike are important.
9. Chain: A well functioning chain is the sign of a well functioning bike. If the chain of your bike gets stuck or snaps off between the ride, it is potentially a hazard to your life.
10. Clutch: The clutch is another important part of your bike. You can not change your gears without a clutch. So make sure the clutch of your bike is always functioning smoothly and effortlessly.
11. Handle Grips: Handle grips are very important because they give your hands the stability you need to hold on tightly as you ride.
12. Nuts And Bolts: Nuts and bolts on a bike keep the protective parts of a bike such as the mud guard or other fiber protective wear of any bike intact. So keep an eye on any loose or missing nuts and bolts.
Lastly, be careful while you ride. There is no higher price than the price of a life. So protect yourself at any costs.
Also read: Things to Know Before Riding a Superbike
