Handling Road Obstacles

There are a countless number of obstacles you will encounter as you put miles on your bike. Some of them you’ll see and some of them will catch you off-guard. As in life, if you stay prepared, you can get through most of the surprises safely. Here are a few tips to help navigate the road while out cruising.

5 Tips for Road Obstacles

Use common sense. When driving a car, there are some typical things you should be doing. Keep your eyes on the road and your focus ahead, but remain aware of the moving vehicles around you. Drive to suit your vehicle type, comfort, and road conditions. Remain alert and keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. On a motorcycle, using common sense and following these tips is critical. If you fail to see an object lying in the road and run it over, life-threatening injuries and big bills could result.

Practice Swerving

There is nothing that can save your bacon in a sticky situation better than a competent and quick swerve. First, practice doing it at low speeds. Then, progress to swerving at higher speeds as you gain more skill. That way, should you ever need to swerve around a road obstacle, you’ll be ready.

Take Angles

Take striations, graded bridges, and railroad tracks at an angle if you safely can. These road obstacles can pull you to the side if you take them straight on. Angle your bike so that you’re crossing the bridge, striation, or tracks at a 45-degree angle. Instead of getting pulled down into the grooves, your tire crosses them smoothly.

Don’t Lock Brakes

Don’t panic and lock up your brakes. A skid can turn a bad situation catastrophic in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, grabbing those brakes tends to be a rookie mistake. Try to train yourself from the very beginning to swerve. Some obstacles may require speeding up or slowing down, but suddenly and strongly hitting your brakes is often the wrong way to do it!

Keep an Eye Out

Make a habit of looking to the sides of the road, too. Wild animals, stray garbage bags, and merging vehicles are much easier to avoid if you see these road obstacles coming. If not, they can become a life-threatening issue within seconds.

Always Be Prepared

The best way to safely avoid road obstacles on your motorcycle is to simply be ready for them. There’s no way that you can anticipate every single thing you experience when riding, but you can prepare yourself as best as possible. If you follow these safety tips, your chances of staying vertical are much improved. Ride safe!