While the amounts vary depending on the bike, the rider, and the situation, experts believe that riding a motorcycle on the street is 90% mental and 10% physical. Beginning riders probably focus as much on the physical side as the mental side, maybe 50/50, while experienced riders probably focus almost entirely on the mental side: maybe 95/5!
Important articles of clothing:
Helmet-
to protect the head and brain, provide comfort and protect against hearing loss. Designed to spread the force of impact throughout the helmet so that less impact energy reaches the head and brain.
Bodysuit-
use a jacket made of leather or other man-made abrasion resistant material. The jacket should fit snugly and contain extra padding to give protection. Longer sleeves with full shoulders provide full comfort while in a sitting position with your hands on the handle bars.
Pants-
should also be made of leather or other abrasion resistant material and be made to cover the ankles while sitting. Some are made to wear over your regular clothes.
Footwear-
over-the-ankle-boots made specifically for motorcycle riding protect the feet and legs from stones that fly up from the road, burns from exhaust pipes as well as provide good grip on the footrests while riding and on the pavement while stopped. Good boots also provide valuable foot and ankle protection in a crash.
Gloves-
full-fingered gloves protect from the wind, sun, heat and cold. Using reinforced stitching, gloves also protect hands and wrists in case of a crash.
Tips for motorcyclists:
| Visibility | ||
 | make yourself as conspicuous as possible | |
| wear protective clothing that is brightly coloured | |
| use reflective tape or stickers on your motorbike or helmet | |
| Intersections | ||
| consider combining hand and light turning signals when you want to make a turn | |
| flash your brake lights a few times before actually stopping | |
| Following distance | ||
| never assume that you can be seen; always drive where you are most visible to other motorists | |
| always maintain a 2 second space between you and the next vehicle; at night or in poor conditions such as rain, increase this to 4-5 seconds | |
| Passing | ||
| slow down or maintain your speed when being passed by another vehicle | |
| Road hazards | ||
| be constantly alert for road hazards; Look far ahead (4 to 12 seconds) to allow extra time and space to react. Your best defense against any sort of hazard is to be nowhere near it. This includes changing position, changing lanes, or even changing your route | |
| Weather hazards | ||
| reduce your speed when driving in undesirable conditions such as rain and fog. Signal your intentions early, brake and accelerate gradually because you could be almost invisible to others | |
| Lane use | ||
| it is never advisable to ride side-by-side as this may limit your escape route in case of emergency. When traveling with other motorcyclists, it is best to ride in a staggered formation, using both sides of the lane. When riding in a large group, leave gaps in the formation to allow other vehicles to pass or exit the freeway | |
Tips for motorists:
| Watch aggressively for motorcycles. | ||
| Search the traffic around you constantly and expect to see motorcycles | |
| Check your blind spots before changing lanes or merging, especially in heavy traffic | |
| Double-check traffic at intersections before you turn or pull out | |
| Motorcycles can easily be hidden in traffic. Look for a helmet above, tires below, or a shadow alongside a vehicle that you can't see around | |
| Anticipate hazards that may confront the motorcyclist and predict how the motorcyclist may react to the situation. | ||
| Poor road conditions, bad weather, flying debris, oil slicks, and heavy traffic pose high risks for motorcyclists | |
| Allow a minimum two-second "space cushion" when following a motorcycle. | ||
| Pick out a fixed object ahead of you. When the motorcycle passes the object, count off, "one thousand one, one thousand two." If you haven't passed the same object after two seconds, your following distance meets the two-second minimum | |
| In poor driving conditions, at higher speeds and at night, use a four or five-second following distance to give the motorcyclist more space | |
| Watch out when turning left. | ||
| Most crashes between cars and motorcycles involve turning left at an intersection. If you are preparing to cross traffic or turn left, take a second look for motorcycles | |
| Because motorcycles are smaller than cars, it is harder to see them and more difficult to judge their approach speed in traffic | |
| Share the road. | ||
| Do not drive your car in the same lane as a motorcycle as this is unsafe and illegal | |
| Treat motorcyclists with the same respect and courtesy you afford to other motorists | |
| Observe and obey all traffic laws, signs, and signals. | ||
| Failure to obey and yield the right-of-way can result in the death or serious injury of a motorcyclist | |
| Stay focused on the driving task. Inattentive driving is a major cause of car-motorcycle crashes | |
| Use turn signals to indicate your next move. This allows the motorcyclist anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position | |
| Remove all possible distractions that can interfere with the driver's attention, and remove any objects that may block the driver's view | |
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