Safety and your motorcycle

Drive chains are subject to wear and need frequent adjustment to maintain the correct tension. Allowing the drive chain to run dry will greatly increase the rate of wear, so it's important to keep it lubricated. If the chain becomes very worn and loose, it can jump off the sprocket and lock the rear wheel.

Whenever you use any motorcycle on the road, it must be in a roadworthy condition. Regular maintenance should identify any faults at an early stage and help prevent more serious problems.

Ride gently and cautiously while becoming familiar with new tyres. Avoid hard acceleration, abrupt braking and extreme lean angles, especially on wet roads. Follow the tyre manufacturer’s running-in instructions. The archive’s reference to losing a shiny surface is not a reliable test that full grip has been reached.

For your own safety, you need other road users to see you easily. Wearing brightly coloured or fluorescent clothing will help you to achieve this during daylight. At night, wearing clothing that includes reflective material is the best way of helping others to see you.

Always wear your protective clothing, whatever the weather. In very hot weather it’s tempting to ride in light summer clothes, but it isn't worth the risk. If you fall from your motorcycle, you’ll have no protection from the hard road surface.

Motorcycles are smaller and therefore harder to see than most other vehicles on the road. You need to make yourself as visible as possible to other road users. Fluorescent and reflective clothing will help achieve this.

Fluorescent clothing will help others to see you during the day. At night, however, you should wear clothing that reflects the light. This allows other road users to see you more easily in their headlights. Ask your local motorcycle dealer about fluorescent and reflective clothing.

Your visor protects your eyes from wind, rain, insects and road dirt. It’s important to keep it clean and in good repair. A scratched visor can obscure your view and cause dazzle from the lights of oncoming vehicles.

If your motorcycle has an engine over 50 cc, the entire original tread must be visible, with a depth of at least 1 mm in a continuous band across at least three-quarters of the breadth of the tread. However, your tyres are your only contact with the road, so it's recommended that you replace them before they get to this level.

Many incidents and collisions involving motorcyclists occur because other road users don't see them. Be aware that you're vulnerable and make yourself as visible as possible by wearing fluorescent clothing and a light or brightly coloured helmet.

If the oil-pressure warning light comes on when the engine is running, pull over as soon as you can, stop the engine and investigate the cause; if you don't, you risk serious engine damage.

Your safety and that of others depends on the condition of your tyres. Before every trip, make sure they

* are correctly inflated

* have at least the minimum legal depth of tread

* have no cuts or bulges.

Do these checks as part of a routine before every journey.

Check your drive chain regularly; adjust and lubricate it if necessary. It needs to be adjusted until the 'free play' is as it says in the vehicle handbook. If the chain is too loose, it can jump off its sprocket and lock your rear wheel while you're riding.

If a tyre bursts, close the throttle smoothly and slow gently to a stop, holding the handlebars firmly to help you keep a steady course.

A badly maintained engine will emit more exhaust fumes than one that's correctly serviced. This is damaging to the environment. The engine will also use more fuel.

It's very important to keep your visor or goggles clean. Clean them using warm soapy water. Don't use solvents or petrol.

In cold and wet weather, your visor may fog up. If this happens when you're riding, choose somewhere safe to stop, and wipe it clean with a damp cloth. Special anti-fog products are available at motorcycle dealers.

It's important to wear good boots when you ride a motorcycle. Boots protect your feet and shins from knocks, and give some protection in a crash. They also help keep you warm and dry in cold or wet weather.

Some helmet straps have a Velcro tab in addition to the main fastening, which is intended to secure the strap so that it doesn't flap in the wind. It mustn't be used on its own to fasten the helmet.

Catalytic converters reduce the toxic and polluting gases given out by the engine. Never use leaded or lead-replacement petrol in a motorcycle with a catalytic converter; even one tankful can permanently damage the system.