6 Tips You Should Follow When Driving Your Bike in the Winters

Winter has a severe impact on metals. As the temperature dips, the metals contract. As bikes are primarily made of metallic parts and components, winters will uniquely affect the bike’s performance. Other bike components also get impacted by the temperature change, apart from the metal parts. Foggy mornings and cold winds make it quite difficult for bike owners to drive their vehicles easily on the road. If you’re planning to go on a bike trip during winter, you must ensure your bike is protected. Among the best ways to keep your bike safe is getting a bike insurance plan.

Bike insurance plans are policies designed to provide you with financial coverage if your bike is stolen or damaged. You get financial coverage for the damage repair costs with a comprehensive bike insurance plan. Most insurers like Tata AIG allow customers to buy bike insurance online. An online two-wheeler policy helps you purchase the policy from the comfort of your home. Along with this, you can also compare the different plans available to make an informed decision.

Apart from the bike insurance policy, you can follow a few tips for driving your bike during the winter.

Tips for Driving Your Bikes in the Winters

Given below are some tips you must consider while driving your bike in the winter:

1. Maintain a speed: By lowering your speed to normal, you can reduce the chances of accidents on the roads. Certain bikes offer fast performance, and many bike owners are tempted to use them. However, driving at high speeds during winters can lead to accidents easily and can cause you to lose your balance. By maintaining a low speed, you can avoid damages and injuries to yourself and third parties.
2. Wear protective riding equipment: Riding equipment is necessary to keep your body and hands warm during extreme cold. These gears include bike gloves for winter, jackets, caps, etc. Along with this, you must make sure you protect your neck, ankles and other exposed parts during the wind. Getting a bike face mask for winter can help you. You can also opt for the neck warmer for winters as they are suitable for winters.
3. Maintain distance from other riders: You must ensure you keep a safe distance from the other riders on the vehicle. During winters, the visibility goes down heavily and maintaining a safe distance from other automobiles on the road will help you immensely. In addition, when you maintain a safe distance, you lower the possibility of being involved in accidents. Along with this, when you keep a distance, you get enough time to pull the brakes quickly and protect yourself.
4. Check before you start the bike: You must check your two-wheeler way ahead in time before taking the vehicle on the road, especially in the winter. Before starting your bike, you must kick start it, so the engine gets warmed up a bit before taking it on the road. You must also check the air pressure, oil, brakes, etc. To maintain your bike’s fuel efficiency, you must check your bike’s functionality at regular intervals.
5. Towing services: Towing services help you move your bike if it has been damaged in an accident. You must ensure you learn about all the towing services in your area, as they will help you during tough situations.
6. Check your bike tires: When your bike holds the correct pressure, you will get the proper support while driving the vehicle. Along with this, you will also improve your bike’s mileage. A dip in the temperature can cause your bike’s air pressure to drop, which can lead to the PSI going down in your tires. If you find the air pressure is not at the required level, you must get it to the correct level as soon as possible.

Cold weather can sometimes also create black ice on the road, formed by the melting and freezing of water. This ice is generally quite difficult to find on the road. Therefore, if you’re driving in a state where the temperature drops severely low, it will be better to check for ice on the road. If you find slippery roads, you must keep a slow speed while driving the vehicle. If you’re travelling in a considerably cold area, you must keep a few things with you at all times.

Things to Keep With Yourself While Driving in Extreme Winter Conditions

1. Thick jackets: You must keep other jackets and protective gear with you if the temperature dips even more. It is better to stay protected.
2. Food and water: It would help if you kept certain snacks and water with you at all times. Keeping these essentials with you will prevent dehydration and get your energy back up.
3. Power banks and chargers: Holding power banks with you will help you recharge your mobile phone. In addition, having a backup for your phone’s battery life can help you during unprecedented dangers.

Conclusion

Driving your bikes in the winter can be quite fun. However, it is always important to ensure you get insurance for your bike and drive your vehicle carefully as the road conditions can be bad during winters. Along with this, your bike may also face certain issues during the cold season. Therefore, you must follow a few simple tips while driving your vehicle during the winter.