Biker safety tips: How to not die or break bones - Introduction

---

Important disclaimer for readers

I am not a professional rider or motorcycling guru by any means. I have no professional riding achievement. However, I have decades of experience riding a motorcycle across India pushing my limits (often, to the edge).

I started riding when I was 10. Since Covid opened remote work opportunities for me, I rode close to 50,000 km exploring different parts of India on my Kawasaki Versys 650. And then, I covered all 4 corners of India on my KTM 390 Adventure, crossing the 100,000 km milestone in less than 4 years. Perhaps, I might have few experiences to share.

This blog is for new beginner riders and experienced bikers alike who have an open mind and the ability of critical thinking-—this blog is strictly not meant for cocky and stupid riders who know-it-all. If ego is your biggest strength (as a rider) then this article is not for you.

Since motorcycle safety is often overlooked by most bikers and motorcycling enthusiasts, I tried to go to extensive length and depth to cover everything I could recollect and remember from my own rides. This one blog alone has gone over 15,000 words. So, I am going to break it into a 10-part series of blogs. Do not try to read all articles in one go. You may also just read the summary of each section to know the key highlights.

One more thing, if you spot grammatical or factual mistakes then please leave a comment below. I will correct it. Also, if you have any additional information on any of the below subjects that could be helpful to other riders then please let me know. I will add the information to the article and give credit to you. The goal of this blog is to provide every possible information from one's own experience that can help riders prevent accidents.

At the end of the blog series, I will provide a safety checklist for riders that a biker can refer to before each solo or group ride. It can act like a safety reminder before each ride.

---

Introduction - a short prologue

Let me start this article by saying that anyone who always puts safety first should not be riding a two wheeler in the first place. You are literally sitting on top of a high-revving and superheated engine block, trying to balance yourself on two wheels, while you try not to get killed by other vehicles. But then a man cannot live without his risks. There is a reason the man skydives, climbs Mount Everest and wants to start a human colony on Mars despite the dangers. There you have it, the reason why there will always be motorcycle riders and broken bones, every now and then.

A lot of us love riding motorcycles, despite the potential perils. The sense of exhilaration that comes with the twist of the throttle and fast acceleration is unmatched. The sense of freedom being exposed to nature's elements, feeling the wind across your body gives you the feel of flying. But this experience stays positive only till the time you don't get thrown off the bike, break bones or get smashed like a fly under a large vehicle.

If you think wearing gears from top-to-bottom is automatically going to keep you safe from accidents and the resulting injuries then you are mistaken. Riding gears are just added layers of protection in limited scenarios offering limited protection.

Consider a safety seatbelt. It has proven to protect a car driver in many instances. But we have never heard of a seatbelt inside an airplane protecting a passenger in case of an aircraft falling out of the sky. In such cases, you cannot trick the sheer force of nature and physics. Same applies to motorcycle accidents and riding gears. Beyond a point, riding gears cannot protect you from grievous injuries. The nature of impact resulting from an accident matters.

Safety (as a topic) is probably among the most important things for any rider, especially new bikers. Not to scare you but take the example of Indian road accident statistics. In 2022 alone, 75,000 people died from two-wheeler accidents. Yes, that number is just from one year. Now imagine the sum of all two-wheeler accidents in India in one year, including riders who died and those who survived with a few broken bones, it must be scarily very high.

So, it is really important that you know everything there is about motorcycle safety to prevent accidents. It takes a lot more than luck, riding gears and riding skillsets to prevent motorcycle crashes. In this article, I have shared all possible situations that can lead to accidents and how one can avoid them, basis my own personal experiences.

I am doing my best to cover every aspect of motorcycle safety from my own mistakes and learning. Every little information on biker safety counts and that could save a soul. New riders should be made aware of both positives and negatives of riding a bike before getting into bike riding as a hobby.

Read the Part 1 of the 10-part blog series: Biker safety tips: How to not die or break bones - Part 1