Motorcycling is more than just being skilled at riding. Here are three factors that can help a rider stay safe on the road.
1. Psychology matters
In general, a healthy psychology is needed to stay safe while riding. On the other hand, riding a motorcycle can improve the psychology of a rider. But, to be fully effective on the road with 100% focus and attention, a person should have a positive psyche before twisting that throttle.
In this section, I am referring to the psychological state of a rider. Every person has different temperament, different personality and different ways of dealing with negative emotions. What's important is to not let these qualities affect a ride. Just the way we tune a motorcycle to be efficient and safe on the road, one must tune the state of mind before a ride; the mind must be emptied of all negative thoughts and emotional baggage. Whether you had a fight with your partner, parents, friends, neighbors, birds or dogs, it doesn't matter, leave everything behind and start each ride with a fresh and empty mind. Even during the ride, if your fellow rider or a stranger says or does something and ticks you off, quickly let it pass or take a break until you can get it off your mind.
The lesson to learn here: Flush all your negative emotions down the toilet before you start riding. Your full focus should be on the road thinking actively how to navigate dangers of the outside world. Your state of psychology on every ride can become a deciding factor between life and death.
2. Rider and motorcycle fitness
The fitness of a rider and the motorcycle is vital in preventing accidents. A rider needs to be physically fit to effectively operate a motorcycle. But, despite a rider being physically fit, if the motorcycle is compromised due to failure of a function or component because of poor upkeep or maintenance, then chances of accidents still remain high. Besides keeping oneself mentally and physically fit, a rider must ensure that the motorcycle is in optimum condition for every ride, be it short or long.
I have seen motorcycles fail due to the usage of cheap or fake critical parts, accessories or improper installation. I have personally experienced this on a friend's bike. I was asked to test a motorcycle braking and it failed right when I was testing it.
Most people do not even observe their motorcycle and perform timely maintenance, forget getting them serviced on time. Nothing lasts forever, everything is designed to last for a limited period, to be used within certain limits, requiring periodic maintenance. But, most people behave like once they have paid for a machine, they can use it however they want, and forever without having to think about its maintenance even once.
I often draw parallels of such behaviors to how one would treat his or her spouse, friends, family, and even pets. If the mindset is to just use everything and everyone without having to take responsibility or care for them, then such behavior is perfectly justified.
In terms of physical fitness, a rider is expected to have some fitness level or at least a strong mind. There could be a few exceptional cases where a rider has lost a limb or two, but still continues to ride either by adapting to or modifying the motorcycle. But in most cases, if a person is totally out of shape, or the body and mind responds too slowly then motorcycling could turn out to be a dangerous choice.
Always remember, every motorcycle is designed to be ridden within certain conditions and by riders within a certain height and weight range. The automobile engineer didn't design the motorcycle keeping a 8-feet giant in mind. Let's say, if a motorcycle is designed for a rider who is between 5 and 6 feet tall weighing between 50 and 100 kilos, then the motorcycle will perform the best when ridden by a person in that specified range. If a person is too short and light or too tall and heavy then the bike may not respond the best to rider input and what it is capable of.
The rider height and weight can affect how a motorcycle accelerates, turns and brakes. After all, we use our body weight (to some extent) and strength of the arm and thighs to control the bike at different speeds and during panic situations. Sure, a short and light rider with some strength and good riding techniques can still ride any bike with finesse, but a 300-pound rider will have a significant impact on the bike's frame, tires, suspensions and overall dynamics. More heft also means more distance needed to stop during an emergency braking.
I remember an ex-acquaintance who used to call himself a biker and auto-journalist, who apparently had to take a friend along on his first bike purchase because he hadn't learned to ride a bike properly yet, but somehow he was a two-wheeler auto-journalist. He was fat, heavy and short. According to him, every motorcycle he rode either had a bad chassis or brakes. Not for once he thought that the problem could be him being super heavy and super slow to react on panic braking. The famous wrestler Yokozuna was better suited inside a wrestling ring, not on a tiny motorcycle bullying and calling it names. Coming back to the so-called auto-journalist, his reflexes and reaction time were pathetically slow. More importantly, his self-awareness was non-existent.
Please do not think for once that I am mocking people who are overweight and fat. In fact, some of the kindest people I know are overweight including myself :))). I am just mocking this one specific specimen for his arrogance, stupidity and total blindness to the fact that the issue is with him, not motorcycles.
The lesson to learn here: Motorcycling can only get as safe as the rider skill, self-awareness, rider and motorcycle fitness can get. A rider need not have 6-pack abs to be a better rider but overall good health, sharp mind, agility and a robust body does help. Equally important is to keep the motorcycle at optimum health for it to perform—reliably without mechanical failures—during a ride.
3. Weather matters
The outside weather affects both performance and safety of motorcycle and rider. On cold and foggy winter mornings, both visibility and tyre grip on the road greatly reduces. You cannot accelerate, turn or brake as you would do on warmer days. On hot and humid days, especially in traffic, a rider would sweat so much that it gets difficult to focus and the mind constantly fights thirst and fatigue from dehydration. The motorcycle engine also runs hot.
Rainy days create havoc with respect to road grip and visibility. Even if a motorcycle has the best riding aids and modes to offer for such situations, a rider could barely see or be seen in heavy rain or ride with confidence.
The lesson to learn here: Before you start riding, always account for weather conditions on that day and adjust your riding accordingly. It will be foolish to speed in rain, in fog or when you have lost all your body salt from excessive sweating and your brain can barely function.
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