If you want a new hobby, you can get into all kinds of things. Many individuals like motorcycles, though. They might see one flying down the highway and think about how they would look operating a vintage Harley Davidson or another iconic machine.
However, getting into motorcycles sometimes comes at a high price. For instance,2020 saw 539 California motorcycle deaths, and that number doesn’t usually drop much below that.
Let’s take a few moments to talk about the dangers that come with your motorcycle hobby. We’ll also discuss ways you can stay safe if you still like motorcycles enough to buy one and start riding it.
Motorcycles Differ from Other Forms of Transportation
First, it’s crucial to understand some fundamental differences between motorcycles and other forms of personal transportation. If you own a car, van, SUV, or similar form of transport, when you get inside and close the door, you benefit from a protective shell. What amounts to a reinforced metal cage surrounds you.
When you’re inside a vehicle, you have protection from the hard surface of the road and all of the other vehicles constantly driving over it. You do not have anything like that with a motorcycle, though.
If you start riding motorcycles, you’ll quickly realize that what makes them so thrilling also makes them dangerous. You’re out there with the wind whipping past you. Nothing separates you from the ground but air and imagination.
It’s the same with the other cars around you when you’re on local roads or cruising down the highway. If one of them hits you while you’re in a car, you have that protective cage cushioning you from a blow. If a car hits you when you are on a motorcycle, it can crumple you up like a piece of paper if it hits you hard enough.
You might not necessarily think about this difference when you are pondering whether you should get into the motorcycle hobby. You need this understanding to fully sink in, though, if you buy that shiny new bike that you’ve had your eye on at a nearby showroom. You’re about to get into a hobby that carries risk with it because of how this form of conveyance exposes riders to the road and the vehicles around them.
You May Feel the Need for Speed When You’re on Your Motorcycle
There’s another reason why motorcycle riding carries an air of danger. Many motorcycle riders follow all traffic laws. They’re defensive drivers, just like other motorists around them. You have also probably witnessed some motorcycle riders who bend the rules a little, though, or disregard them entirely.
You’re likely seen these kinds of riders before, either roaring through suburban neighborhoods or out on the highway. These riders got into the hobby so they could gun their bike’s motor and get all eyes to focus on them. They crave that attention. They want to appear as part of an antiestablishment movement that has always been present with these machines.
If you have that same attitude, you’re probably speeding while out on your motorcycle. When you get out on the highway and open up the throttle, you’re likely looking to push that engine and really test its capabilities.
In short, you may feel the need for speed or to show off when you’re on your motorcycle. Not everyone acts this way, but some people do.
If you’re one of them, you risk a ticket if the police catch you. You also risk more serious consequences, though. If you make a mistake while exceeding the speed limit on your motorcycle, and you fall off, you might sustain permanent injuries. You may never walk again.
You Can Encounter a Rowdy Element When Riding Motorcycles
Also, even if you plan to obey the speed limit on your motorcycle and ride defensively, you might run into an element that feels differently. If you go to places where motorcycle enthusiasts hang out, you may find they’re all law-abiding citizens. It is also possible you’ll run into a few who see themselves as outlaws, though.
If they perceive that you’re a hobbyist who doesn’t embrace the outlaw lifestyle, they might take issue with that. Someone who’s a lifelong biker may not think much of someone who just started riding the previous week. It is an unfair form of gatekeeping, but one that some individuals who get into this hobby later in life encounter.
Hopefully, if this happens, you won’t face any serious hazing. You can always just try to walk away and extricate yourself from these situations as well.
Aside from that, you can follow a few rules to stay safe as you ease into your new hobby.
How Can You Stay as Safe as Possible While Riding?
Of the various things you can do to stay safe when you get into motorcycle riding, wearing a helmet probably tops the list. In some states, you don’t need to legally wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. You should always do it, though.
If you don’t wear a helmet, then you can easily sustain a serious brain injury if you fall off your motorcycle. You needn’t even ride very fast before hitting your head becomes deadly. You can also wear other equipment, like knee pads, elbow pads, and padded jackets. They can’t protect you like the metal cage surrounding you in a car, but it’s better than nothing.
You can avoid going out when there’s bad weather. Going for a ride in the heavy rain, snow, ice, or sleet might turn into the last mistake you ever make. Instead, plan your rides according to what it says on your phone’s weather app. When it is going to be a sunny day, that’s when to engage in your new hobby.You can also obey the speed limit and never consume alcohol before riding. If you do all this, you should enjoy riding and hopefully avoid injuries or mishaps.
