Riding Your Motorcycle in the City

Motorcycles are often seen on city streets these days, as they’re a compact and practical way to get around, especially in crowded downtown areas where parking is at a premium. However, the small size of a motorcycle means that it’s harder for other motorists to spot, especially if traffic is heavy, so as the rider, you have to be more careful and proactive about your riding to keep yourself safe. Here are some things you should keep in mind when riding your motorcycle in urban areas.

1. Stay Visible

Always make sure that you’re as visible as possible so that other motorists don’t overlook you. They may, of course, still not be paying attention, but you can wear reflective riding gear and apply reflective tape to your bike and use your lights to keep you and your bike as visible as possible.

2. Look Ahead

Keep scanning the road ahead at all times so that you can be ready to react to stopped cars, sudden traffic snarls, closed lanes, bicyclists, or buses. You don’t want to be unprepared to deal with a change in traffic patterns, so look at what’s coming and be prepared.

3. Find Escape Routes

On narrower city streets, it’s harder to find ways to escape if a car swerves into your lane or an accident happens, so you have to watch for places you can pull into so you can escape a bad situation. Grass medians, side streets, and parking lots can all provide you a safe space to get out of the way and bring your bike to a stop.

4. Don’t Be Aggressive

While careless drivers may make you angry with their sudden maneuvers or inattention, being aggressive yourself isn’t really going to help matters. Try to remain calm as you ride and don’t perform passive-aggressive maneuvers like swerving into lanes, failing to signal lane changes, speeding, or riding on the shoulder. Try to use hand signals to communicate your maneuvers and be ready to react at all times.

5. Be Mindful of Road Conditions

The conditions of city roads can change quite quickly, particularly if there are areas of road construction or if inclement weather rolls in. Bear in mind that wet roads offer you less traction, and you’ll have to be very careful when riding over steel plates or metal light-rail tracks. You should also watch for potholes, since these are more likely to do you harm than they are a car driver.

Stop by our location in McAllen, TX, to check out our current inventory of new and used motorcycles for sale. Talk to our staff if you need help with financing or trade-ins. Desperado Harley-Davidson® serves our Texas customers in Edinburg.