What to Do if Your Motorcycle Breaks Down During a Ride
A leisurely motorcycle ride can go bad in no time flat. Would you know what to do in the event of an unexpected motorcycle issue on the road? Riding a motorcycle already comes with its own unique set of risk exposures, and these are compounded by possible breakdowns when traveling at high speeds and surrounded by much larger cars.
While it’s understandable to worry about the potential financial ramifications of your bike breaking down, your worldwide motorcycle insurance will help you with that. Your top priority should be your safety.
Get to a Safe Location
Traffic can be an extremely dangerous thing, especially if you’re riding on a highway or interstate. A horrible pileup can happen in seconds. If the cars around you are riding a road where it’s normal to average 65 to 67 MPH, your motorcycle breaking down in that situation is a very dangerous one. If you can feel your bike struggling and slowing, no matter the reason, get off the road immediately.
If you do feel the bike giving up beneath you and struggling, do everything possible to make it to the far right of the road or the shoulder. Get ahold of the clutch so that you can keep your bike going and signal as much as you can to the drivers around you that you’re trying to move over. If they see that you’re struggling, they’ll want to stay away from you. This not only helps protect you from oncoming traffic it will be easier to get help. Once you’re there, take a look at your bike and assess the potential problem.
Exit the Freeway
Depending on where and what time of day you’re driving, traffic might be too overwhelming to get to the right side of the road. Even though emotions are likely to be in overdrive, you’ll have to determine if it’s safe for you to try to make it over to the right. If you don’t think you can do so without putting yourself or others in harm’s way, find the nearest exit. If the road you’re on does have an exit on the left slide, it is safer to slowly take that direction and pull into a store or gas station parking lot.
Use Turn Signals
If you find yourself with a broken-down motorcycle, turn signals are certainly something that you want to use. Put on your hazard lights or the turn signal aligned with the side you’ll be turning. This is especially true when it’s dark out because drivers will have a more difficult time seeing you
In this kind of situation, you want to give those around you every possible warning as to what’s going on so that they get more time to adjust their driving.
Get Back Up & Running
Each rider will have different resources available, along with knowledge of what could be going on. Regardless if you have limited knowledge on how to fix a bike, it doesn’t hurt to try and hunt for the cause or problem. If you can fix it yourself and have the resources to do it right then and there, it still smart to call someone to get another opinion.
If you’d prefer not to touch it and wait for help, your first goal should be to call a friend that has a truck that you can easily load, as you might be able to save money that way.
Depending on how scary of an experience it was, it might be best to call a friend or family member regardless. As a final step, contact your worldwide motorcycle insurance provider to assist you in your time of need, particularly if there was any damage or injury during this event.
About Moody Insurance Worldwide
Moody Insurance Worldwide, a division of Moody & Associates that was founded in 1914, is a leading provider of risk management programs and insurance coverage to individuals and businesses across the East Coast. We write all sizes of businesses, with technical expertise in many key industry areas, and provide personal insurance programs for estates and high net worth individuals. Our licensed, experienced commercial account managers can work with you to determine the coverage that you need at a competitive rate. Contact us today at (855) 868-0170 to learn more about what we can do for you.