Who needs to consider dirt bike safety?

Dirt bike safety is something that absolutely every rider and possible rider must consider before getting on a bike every time. The massive rise in popularity of dirt bikes, ATVs and motocross bikes has meant that is now possible to do courses in dirt bike safety, and if you are a new rider considering taking up the sport or you are looking into it for your children then you should seriously consider taking part in one of these courses. Dirt biking can be a very dangerous sport for the ill-prepared and those who have no regard for safety. It’s not only your own safety that you’re messing with but the safety of everyone else on or near you when riding.

The danger associated with dirt biking is hardly surprising. Dirt bikes are powerful machines and when you consider jumping ten feet into the air, if you’re not wearing the proper helmet and your bike kicks out you have very little or no protection for your head.

What are the important aspects of dirt bike safety?

The most important thing to consider is getting the right equipment. Only the most haphazard of tracks will let you ride without the proper safe equipment; this equipment consists of a helmet to protect your head, a jersey to protect your torso, trousers for your legs and boots for your feet and ankles. If these clothes don’t have the proper padding or are made on inferior quality material you are running a very high risk of seriously injuring yourself.

You must also make sure that the clothes fit properly, not only for comfort but to ensure that loose clothing doesn’t flap around and get caught in wheels, engine parts or pull at your handle bars. A snug fitting helmet that isn’t too tight and isn’t too loose will offer the best protection and be the most comfortable.

What else apart from clothing?

You should regularly check your bike to make sure that it’s in good working order and that none of the parts are likely to break. While in some cases a broken part may lead to loss of power, in other much more serious cases it can lead to a loss of braking or a loss of steering and this can have dire consequences if you’re travelling at massive speed.

The obvious parts to check are the brakes, the steering and the suspension (a ten foot drop with no suspension is going to cause you to crumple on impact.) and many race organizers will want your bike thoroughly checked and even tested before you are allowed to compete.