Riding a Motto in the Autumn & Winter: The Ultimate Guide

The summer is almost over, and now is the perfect time to prepare yourself and your motorcycle for the autumn & winter journeys. Although riding after the summer season is more challenging, with the proper planning and preparation it doesn’t have to be that way. It only takes a different approach, and with our tips for riding during the autumn and winter, you’ll positively be ready for any challenges that may come up to you. Whether you’re into cruisers, touring, or sports motorcycles, you want to make the most of riding in challenging circumstances. So check out our ultimate guide for riding a motto in the autumn & winter to find out more.

Plan Your Journey Ahead

There are many factors to consider when riding the motorcycle during the autumn and winter seasons, such as daylight hours, weather conditions (rain, snow, wind), and more stopping. Because of all this, you’ll most probably be forced to drive slower and lose more time. Therefore, it’s essential to plan your journey and choose the best possible route to reach your destination before the evening comes.

Stay Warm

Many inexperienced riders make a rookie mistake by not wearing adequate gears and layers of clothes. Every veteran rider knows that having layers of clothes, a neck warmer, decent pair of winter gloves, and covering any exposed skin is essential during the autumn and winter. So don’t try to be brave and stay warm at all times, if you truly want to enjoy riding.

Prepare The Bike

Now that you are prepared for the ride, you should do the same for your bike. There are plenty of things to do to ensure that your bike is ready for the new challenges, including checking out the battery and controls, maintaining the chain, changing oil, and such. Always let the engine run for a couple of minutes to warm up if you haven’t run your bike in a while and do a short pre-ride to test your bike for longer journeys.

Check The Pressure Of Tires

Normally, this should be done before every ride, but we all know that it’s often overlooked by many riders. But you should be aware that because of the temperature drop, the cold air in your tires means that your tire pressure will decrease. That’s why we strongly recommend checking your tire pressure before you begin your journey instead of checking them later at the gas station, as they will heat up after a couple of miles. In addition to that, replace your bald tires or it can cost you more money in the long run.

Pay Attention To Leaves

Those little nasty things are one of the biggest enemies of every rider. They can appear camouflaged on the road and they might be difficult to spot. When accumulated on the road, leaves are very slippery which decreases traction and can cause serious difficulties. So pay extra attention if you’re passing through the area with trees near the roads.

Beware Of Wild Animals

Autumn is the mating season for deer, moose, and many other wild animals. This means they will be more active and can become a huge danger in the traffic, especially for the motorcyclists. The best strategy to avoid close encounters with wild animals is to stay aware, particularly when riding in provincial areas, especially those with woods close to roads.

Don’t Ride When It’s Snowing

This one is obvious, but we still had to include it on our list as many riders neglect this. If it begins to snow, go home and wait for better weather conditions. Keep an eye for the weather forecast and if there is a chance of snow, keep your bike in the garage. Some bikers enjoy riding in the snow and testing their snow tires, but this is very difficult and can be considered as a form of extreme sport.

Featured Photo by Alexandr Nekrasov on Unsplash