Pre-ride checklist

No one can predict what will happen on the road, but you can put the odds in your favour if you make sure you and your motorcycle are in top condition before you set out.

Are you roadworthy?

Riding a motorcycle safely is no easy task. In fact, it's more mentally and physically demanding than driving a car. Use this simple checklist to make sure you're up to it.

An image of a car in a rear vision mirror

Don't ride if:

you're tired
your blood alcohol level is above the legal limit
you are under the influence of illegal drugs or any medication that may affect your riding ability.

Think very carefully about riding if you:

are not in the right frame of mind to be alert and careful
haven't slept well
are stressed
feel unwell or emotionally upset
don't feel confident in wet weather, at night or on winding roads.

Is your motorcycle a health hazard?

If you love your motorcycle, you'll probably be a real expert at looking after it - but it doesn't hurt to be reminded that it needs to be inspected and serviced regularly to reduce your crash risk.

Here's a few questions to ask yourself each time you set out:

Is your tyre pressure right? If it's too low, your motorcycle will be hard to handle.
How's the tread on your tyres? For good control, it needs to be at least 1.5 millimetres deep.
Are there any cuts or nails in the tread or cracks? The last thing you want is a blow out!
Are the front and rear brakes working?
Are the headlights, indicators and brake lights working, and clean?
Are the clutch and throttle operating smoothly?
Have you checked the petrol, oil and water?
Is the drive chain fitted correctly and oiled properly? Remember to check the sprockets for worn teeth.
Does the motorcycle sound OK?
Are your mirrors clean and adjusted? You should be able to see about half of the lane behind you and as much as possible of the lane next to you.
Do the horn and muffler work and do they meet noise level regulations?

Before you take off, make sure:

you and any passengers are wearing a helmet which meets the required Australian Safety Standards

If you're riding someone else's motorcycle:

make sure it's registered and your licence allows you to ride it
do the same checks as for your own motorcycle
familiarise yourself with the location of the turn signals, horn, headlight switch, fuel tap, gear pattern (which direction changes the gears up or down) and engine cut-off switch.
try working the controls before you start your ride
ride slowly at first until you get used to how the motorcycle handles road conditions.