Build up gradually

Someone who’s never ridden before, jumping on a superbike is likely to kill them. Before even entertaining the idea of owning such a bike, you’ll need to hone your riding skills on lesser beasts first. Get plenty of experience on bikes with smaller engine capacities or a more forgiving ride. Riding any motorbike takes confidence, skill and focus but you can double this for riding a superbike.

Easy Rider

You need to think smooth, easy like Sunday morning when dealing with the power and sensitivity of a superbike. You need to be gentle on the throttle and the brakes, caressing your machine though gear shifts, like a living, breathing steed who could buck at any moment. A smooth approach will allow weight to shift predictably and avoid the potential for skidding and bucking.  

The Best Riding Gear

If only the best bike will do, then apply the same philosophy to your riding gear. You must have top-grade protection, no matter what you’re riding. Riding at faster superbike speeds can also see grit and dirt flicking up from road surfaces, so be sure you have good eye protection.

Aerodynamics

If you want to sit upright, buy a tourer. A superbike is designed for speed and aerodynamics with a low centre of gravity and a bent-over riding position. Windshields are low to prevent drag, but this does mean you’ll be bent over to avoid the buffeting effect.

Regular Servicing

If you want optimum performance, visual beauty and ultimate safety, you’ll be sensible and have regular servicing carried out. The main parts, such as chains, tyres and brakes should all be checked to identify potential problems early on. This could save you costly repairs further down the line or even save your life. Also get into the habit of carrying out quick pre-ride checks before heading out, your life could depend on it. Always take your bike to a specialist local motorcycle repairs.

Understand your limits

Human nature can hardly resist pushing machines to their limits to see what they’re fully capable of. Having a superbike is taking this temptation, tying it with a bow and saying Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas all at once. Be sure that a superbike will always outperform its rider so always stay within your comfort zone. Always ride for yourself, within your limits and never be tempted to play catch up with mates or the pressure and lack of focus could have tragic consequences.

Vents

Don’t forget your vents. Many helmets and other gear come with air vents that it’s easy to forget about and leave closed. You’ll want to make your air vents are open to their maximum setting of airflow. If you’ve got zips on your jacket that provide ventilation openings, don’t forget to unzip them.

Water

When the weather gets uncomfortably hot, your core body temperature will have been elevated for a long time. Take regular breaks, remove your helmet and douse yourself in a bottle of water. Unfortunately, the relief will wear off pretty quickly, but you’ll greatly enjoy the cooling effect to take the edge of your hot discomfort temporarily. Soaking your t-shirt or carrying a towel with you and dousing that with cool water will feel great on your neck.

Quality Gear

Never be tempted to give up protection in favour of comfort. Some discomfort and sweaty clothing is always preferable to the damage that can be caused to your body through a lack of adequate protective wear. Invest in high-quality ventilated and armoured riding gear, to combine ultimate protection with increased comfort.  Leather is always the best choice, as lesser textiles will come apart more easily on impact. It’s all about striking the right balance for you between putting up with the heat and maintaining your safety.

Hydrate

You might be surprised at how much sweating can dehydrate your body. As the sweat evaporates, your body loses electrolytes much quicker than you realise. Dehydration can cause dizziness, which is the last thing you want when riding. Ensure you drink plenty of fluids, normally more than you think you need. Take regular breaks and you’ll be sharper, with faster reflexes further down the road.

Bike Settings

Achieving the maximum airflow available is better for staying cooler, and some bikes are better at this than others. There are things you can do before you set off to maximise keeping your bike as cool as possible. During hot weather, make sure your fairing vents are open which will help to keep air moving around you. If you have a bike with a removable windscreen, you might consider removing it during the summer. If you’re unsure about ways to adjust your bike, visit a motorbike service and repair specialist.

Do some research into possible ways of redirecting engine heat. Whilst you can’t really install air conditioning like a car, you’ll be surprised at the number of options available for helping a bike that often runs hot.

There are gadgets available that can clip onto the sleeves of your leather jacket, creating an opening to increase the airflow going up your sleeve. The aim is to achieve a cooling wind effect that reaches up your arms and around your torso.

• Losing control on a left-hand bend on an A road
• Losing control on a right-hand bend on an A road
• Junction collision
• Overtaking collision
• Loss of control on any road type

Country roads offer a unique challenge for motorcycle safety, one that we don’t often face during our initial motorbike training. They require a different application of our knowledge, skills and reaction times. Some bends are easy to navigate, opening up as you enter them, whilst others tighten significantly, leaving us at risk of entering them too fast.

It’s crucial to learn and observe the clues that a bend is approaching. You’ll notice signs such as the tree line changing, the route of the telegraph poles, the line of road-side hedges. Speed is an essential factor in safety, as you need the time to react to things that appear suddenly and dramatically that we might not have been anticipating. Always keep your bike in top condition to stay safer on the roads. For regular servicing, think where do I find a motorcycle garage near me?

Another common accident spot is at junctions. This could be a result of a driver not giving way or stopping. T junctions present a special challenge with drivers so keen to join the flow of traffic that they might not see you, even if you think you are perfectly visible. No matter who is to blame, in a collision between a car and bike, the bike rider will always fare worse. Always remain on super high alert at junctions as research has shown that car drivers struggle to estimate the speed of approaching bikes.

Overtaking is an action that requires not only judgement of distance and speed but also knowledge of how your bike accelerates. When riding a new bike or someone else’s, take some time to learn how it responds in terms of acceleration and braking in different gears before you jump in and overtake.

You should never overtake on approaching bends, pedestrian crossings, double white lines, hills or dips and junctions. Safe overtaking needs a clear, unobstructed view of everything around you. Without that, you should never chance it as there could be a high-speed vehicle approaching that’s is currently blocked from your line of vision.

Always use your mirror’s but remember to not rely them completely. Even when in the proper position, they don’t always reveal the whole picture. Trust your mirror, but glance over your shoulder as well. This helps to quickly gather further information as well, such as rear-view and blind spot areas.

This is where the ability to scan comes into play. Scanning should become a subconscious element of your riding style. Continually scanning your entire surroundings, from your instruments and mirrors to the road ahead and your blind spot. Regular scanning enables you to remain alert and aware of your situation, possibly being the difference between having time to react or riding into an accident.  Those who spend too long only focusing on one or two areas are asking for trouble. An all-encompassing awareness will make you a far better and safer rider.