Tips for Nighttime Motorcycle Riding

Riding your motorcycle at night can be a risky endeavor if you aren't extremely careful. In order to prevent an accident, you should follow safe riding practices. Whether you are a new or a veteran motorcycle driver, there are always things you can do to improve your level of safety while on your bike. The following tips from our team at Cycles of Jacksonville will keep you and those on the road with you safe and free from injury, especially when you are riding motorcycle after dark. For more information, visit our location in Jacksonville, serving Orlando and St. Augustine.

Testing Your Lights

You are putting yourself and other drivers in danger your bike can’t be seen on the road. Test your lights once the sun has gone down to make sure they’re bright enough, and replace any bulbs that are too dim or burnt out. They should be bright enough to light up the road without interfering with other drivers' vision.

Another way to improve lighting is to add auxiliary headlamps to your bike. You just need to ensure that those extra headlights don't light up the street too much. At the right wattage, having regular and auxiliary headlamps will help keep you safer.

Upgrading Your Motorcycle's Battery

It is also important that your motorcycle battery doesn’t become drained faster than normal. Have your battery strength tested to make sure that you won’t be stranded somewhere and unable to start the motorcycle due to a dead battery. You may also want to consider upgrading the battery in your motorcycle so that the wiring is safer and so that the power lasts longer.

Making Your Bike Visible

Adding visibility to your motorcycle, beyond just using lights, will also help you avoid accidents. One way to increase your visibility is by adding reflective tape to your motorcycle. The tape should be placed on both the rear and front fenders, as well as on your visor and front headlamp. You can also add some reflective tape to the sides of the rims on your wheels. In addition, it can't hurt to put some on your motorcycle helmet or on the fronts and backs of your shoes. This way, other drivers on the road will see both you and your bike.

Wearing Reflective Clothes

Reflective tape should also be added to your clothes when you are riding a motorcycle at night. Consider placing some on your riding pants and jacket as well as on your gloves. The more chances you give other drivers to see you, the safer everyone will be.

If you're ready to improve the safety of riding your motorcycle, come to Cycles of Jacksonville. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, we serve motorcycle owners throughout St. Augustine and Orlando, and we'll serve you, too.