5 Dumbest Ways to Get Hurt on a Motorcycle

Motorcycling has become more than just a hobby; it is a style statement, a passion, a fashion, and a ticket to freedom. Apparently, riding a motorbike seems riskier than driving a car. You can tell this by looking at a motorcycle. A motorbike is open with no enclosed structure like cars, and above all, it feels quicker due to being lightweight than cars.

The feeling you get when you ride a motorcycle is something that hits you very differently. You don’t get the same adrenaline rush and level of excitement when you drive a car.

The debate over whether a motorcycle is dangerous or not is ongoing. Motorbikes are not inherently riskier. However, to some riders, such as the motorcycle squids, motorcycles are quite dangerous. It is not the motorcycle that provokes them to get hurt in the worst way possible. It is their actions and stupid decisions that cause road crashes.

You can ensure motorcycle riding safety if you are a responsible, law-abiding person. Above all, don’t act dumb and make stupid decisions if you want to ride safely on your bike. This article sheds light on the same dumb approach and stupid actions that lead to bike crashes. Continue reading this article to learn about the 5 dumbest ways to get hurt on a motorcycle.

The worst way to get yourself hurt on a motorcycle is to get involved in reckless riding. This is the major problem with all the bike riders who are making riding very unsafe, not only for themselves but also for others. If you ride your bike recklessly, you are a threat. You are creating a highly unsafe road environment.

Reckless riding is quite a broad term. There are many things that even the most sensible riders do that come under the umbrella of reckless riding. Let’s talk about what comes under reckless riding and how you can brutally get hurt if you are involved in riding your bike recklessly:

There is enough evidence that speeding causes the most motorcycle crashes and deaths in road accidents. Twisting the throttle to the fullest has become a craze. It has become a way to tell other road users that we are the most experienced and professional bike racers out there.

Speeding can definitely kill you when it is done in unsafe conditions. You will have to pay the price if you don’t follow the speed limits.

• There are areas, especially while riding within the city, that remain crowded throughout the day, where you just can’t go above a certain speed limit.

• Most road accidents involving bikes occur at intersections. It is usually because bikers don’t slow down while turning at intersections.

• Most riders also don’t follow a safe speed limit while turning corners and at blind spots, resulting in crashes.

• Bikers must follow a certain speed limit if they are riding on an unfamiliar road.

If you are responsible and smart, you must have felt the instinct that comes to you when you ride your bike fast. Bikers can sense the risks and dangers before they happen. There is something that will stop you when you ride your motorbike above a certain speed. It is wise to listen to the voice and reach your destination safely.

Another very dumb way to get hurt on a motorcycle is to follow the vehicle in front too closely. Riding a motorbike while leaving a very small distance from the vehicle in front can be life-threatening. You have no time to react to a sudden emergency. Due to this reduced reaction time, you are likely to hit the vehicle, which can put your life in danger.

Most riders understand that following the vehicle in front too closely is not safe. An accident can happen at any time if you leave no distance between yourself and the vehicle in front. However, they still chose to keep accelerating.

In the worst-case scenario, you are likely to get sandwiched between two vehicles if you follow the vehicle in front too closely while riding the bike.

At the very same moment when a rider dangerously overtakes and changes lanes, he knows that he has made a big mistake. It is very dangerous, especially for those riders who aren’t familiar with how the traffic works on main and busy roads.

Overtaking isn’t a dangerous act or maneuver. However, some riders get used to beating every vehicle that comes their way. They chose to overtake in situations where they shouldn’t have. This is what causes the safety issues.

Lane splitting is not just dangerous; it is illegal in most U.S. states. When you change your lane to overtake a slow-moving vehicle, you are likely to get in the way of a fast-moving vehicle. You may not see the vehicle or judge it at first, but it was right there.

Most of the time, side mirrors aren’t set properly to let you know if there is a fast-moving vehicle approaching you in the next lane. It suddenly appears as you choose to change lanes for overtaking.

It may be sometimes annoying to ride behind a slow-moving vehicle, but it can be life-saving. So, learn to be patient and ride defensively.

Everybody wants to look, and so are bikers. It is a general human trait. However, when you are on the road riding a motorbike, the risk of getting hurt is multiplied. Do you want to look cool on a motorcycle? Yes! However, it doesn’t mean you should perform risky maneuvers and stunts and play with your life.

The motorcycle stunts that you have been watching and getting inspired on the internet are performed by highly trained professionals. Also, they are performed under a specialized secured environment. There are several security measures in place before the stunts.

If you talk about motorcycle movies, actors usually don’t perform those nerve-wracking, high-speed stunts. They are performed by the trained stunt doubles. Also, the computer-aided imagery and graphics are in place that can make made-up scenes and actions look real. Another important aspect is whether actors or stunt doubles are being highly paid to perform stunts in the movies.

On the other hand, all that you will get while performing stunts on your motorcycle are injuries, medical bills, and broken bones. If you think you look cool as you perform risky maneuvers and stunts on the roads, maybe you are the only one thinking about it. Other road users and even people from the motorcycle community consider you a motorcycle squid who is doing stupid things to impress others.

Performing risky maneuvers and stunts on your bike, especially when you don’t have the basic skills, is the stupidest way to get hurt on a motorcycle. It is the worst way to kill yourself. So, be a better person and a responsible rider who contributes to making roads safer for motorcyclists and other road users.

The dumbest and the stupidest thing to do while riding a motorcycle is to ride with dark or tinted visors at night. It is not a rare sight to see. There are many riders out there who commit this mistake. It is not a mistake, actually. There are riders who tend to ride with dark or tinted visors intentionally.

On the other hand, there are bikers who start riding the bike during the bright daylight with tinted visors and fail to reach home before it is dark.

If you are stuck in traffic or somewhere and you are wearing a helmet with dark visors, it is better to adjust the helmet visor up so you can see clearly. If you love riding long distances for hours, you must carry a transparent helmet visor in your motorcycle backpack or saddlebag. Also, you should know how to change your motorcycle helmet’s visor.

Using earbuds to listen to music while riding a motorcycle is another very stupid act that must be avoided. Most bikers don’t even think it is wrong and consider it a safe practice. It not only causes distraction but also makes you very unsafe while riding.

First of all, you are likely to get too much indulged in the music and become inattentive. You are likely to forget what is going on around you. Most riders fail to recognize any threat or risk if they are listening to music while riding a motorcycle.

As a responsible rider, you must pay attention to the traffic and every nearby road user. You are supposed to listen to the indications that other road users are giving you regarding their next move. You will not be able to listen to the horn if you are listening to the music. Therefore, it must be avoided.

The sound of a moving vehicle or a motorcycle is one reason why we ride and drive safely. From the sound motorcycles and cars produce, we get to know about the vehicles coming from behind.

Most modern cars, motorcycles, and especially electric vehicles produce a negligible sound that may be hard to judge. This makes riding a motorcycle with the earbuds on so you can listen to music highly unsafe and dumb.

First of all, let’s start with those who don’t wear motorcycle safety riding gear at all. There is also a category of riders who ride in shorts and flip-flops to look cool and different. They must not have heard about the term ‘motorcycle squids’. This is what people used to think about them.

Riding without safety gear is no bravery. It is stupid. Motorcycle safety riding gear may not be a preventive measure, but it can be life-saving. It can save you from life-threatening injuries.

There are bikers who wear full safety riding gear but still make dumb choices when it comes to size and fit. Even the rider wearing full gear can be dumb or stupid. It is because choosing the right size gear that fits you perfectly is very important. If a gear doesn’t fit you, it can make riding risky and unsafe.

Let’s start with a wrong-size helmet. If you wear a motorcycle helmet that doesn’t fit you, it can distract you so badly. It can also cause concussions that may lead to control loss while riding a motorcycle, resulting in a crash. A wrong-size helmet that doesn’t fit you may force your head and neck back so badly.

Most riders think that covering yourself under leather is more than enough to stay bulletproof while riding a motorbike. It is good to be covered overall. You must wear a DOT-approved helmet, a leather jacket, riding pants, motorcycle riding boots, and gloves. However, is it all riders should know? No!

Wearing loose or improperly sized riding gear, such as a jacket, can hurt you even if you manage to avoid road rash. How? Let us explain.

Wearing a big and loose jacket that doesn’t fit you can cause specific injuries. You may avoid getting your skin scratched and brutally injured in a road rash as you crash. Your skin comes into contact with the road. If you are wearing a leather jacket, you can avoid it.

However, if you are wearing a big jacket that doesn’t fit you and you get involved in a road rash, the inside surface of the jacket, when it slides against your skin, will cause you the gear burn. You can also refer to it as an injury caused by the friction and heat resulting from the rubbing of the inside of the gear against your skin.

So, ensure that you don’t make any stupid decisions while buying the perfect riding gear for yourself. Always choose the gear that fits you perfectly.

Another dumb thing that most bikers do, whether they are novice or experienced, is to neglect motorcycle maintenance. This may sound simple, but it is among the top reasons why most motorcycle accidents happen. A poorly maintained motorbike is a threat to road safety. It can distract the flow of the traffic in a bad way.

A poorly maintained bike has compromised brakes, throttle, and clutch control. You may not even realize what and when can go wrong at any time while riding. Worn-out, aged tires are quite lethal to your safety.

Other than your safety, your motorcycle is likely to be on the verge of breaking down if you don’t maintain it properly. Low oil levels can cause your engine and other essential parts to stop working at any crucial moment, which can cause a fatal crash.

The dumbest and stupidest thing a motorcyclist can say is that he can’t find time to maintain their bike. These machines work really hard to get you going on the road, and, therefore, they must be oiled and properly lubricated to keep them working smoothly.

Motorcycle riding is not for the dumb. It required great skills, cognition, expertise, presence of mind, judgment, right instincts, and much more. It is true that motorcycles aren’t as safe as cars due to the lack of an enclosed structure, seat belts, and airbags.

However, they are still among the trendiest machines in the whole world. If you ride defensively and are competent and responsible, you can avoid most dangers that come your way during the ride.

Never ignore the importance of safety riding gear. However, make sure that you wear the right one that fits you. First, learn how to ride before taking the bike out for a ride. Ensure that all basic safety measures are in place before going out for a ride.

Most importantly, try to avoid these dumbest ways so you can avoid getting hurt on a motorcycle.