As we are in the best time of the year to be riding I hope all of us do the normal things.  Check the tire pressure, tread, check the oil and make sure all the lights work.  A preflight check before every ride.  We have to start out our travels with safety in mind.

Let’s not forget that the sun goes down earlier every night and we should have a few items with us in case we are out later than we planned.   A pair of night glasses, a light jacket or sweatshirt, a pair of gloves, something to put on to keep us warm if the temperature drops down.  We don’t need the distraction of being cold while driving a motorcycle in the early evening with all the other obstacles out there for us to be looking for.

The other thing that we need to remember is that as the temperature drops, animals start moving more in the evening and early night hours.  It looks to me as if there are a lot more dead nocturnal animals on the road ways this year.  We also seem to have an abundance of squirrels with which, if you are not paying attention, could surprise you and could cause a bad choice of maneuvering on the bike to try to avoid them.   Small animals can be just as deadly as a deer or a cow.

Remember, we are responsible for our own safety.  That animals do not know any better and, although the guy in the car or truck knows better, they are often not looking out for us.  We have to look out for them.  We know that there are lots of dummies out there texting while driving, trying to read and drive totally distracted and not looking for a motorcycle. Like I said before, we are the ones responsible for our own safety.