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It will naturally take time for first-time motorbike riders to build up their riding confidence as many more components must be considered which can take a bit of getting used to when you are a newbie rider.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that motorbike riders are turning to TikTok to find the latest viral hacks to help them improve their riding and gain information on the correct ways to ride. For example, videos on TikTok with the hashtag #MotorcycleHacks have gained over 16 million views in the past year, suggesting motorbike riders are increasingly searching for hacks to help them improve their riding [1].
But how effective are they? Specialist motorbike insurance broker Devitt has explored some of the most recent viral motorbike ‘hacks’ to find out.
1. Sticking tape on your helmet visor – avoid
A TikTok creator, amassed over 39.7k views in a video where he showed bikers a hack to avoid sun glare when wearing their helmet, by sticking electrical tape at the top of the helmet visor. While this hack may help sun reflection, it is not advised as it could impair visibility. Instead, invest in a helmet with a tinted visor or wear a pair of sunglasses under your visor to protect your eyes from the sun.
@senorstache MOTORCYCLE HELMET HACKS 🤯
It is important to note however that glasses or a visor must meet a British Standard and have a BSI Kitemark and have a tint of up to 50% to comply with the Road Traffic Act 1988 .
2. Rubbing the inside of your helmet with dishwashing soap – avoid
One video advises motorbike owners to rub the inside of their helmet visor with washing up liquid to stop it from fogging up. However, this technique is not advised. If your helmet is to get wet, it could result in the soapy water entering your eye and leaving your vision poor. Instead, insert a Pinlock on the inside of the visor. The Pinlock prevents misting on the inside of the helmet and absorbs moisture .
@e.t.matrix Easy hack to keep your motorcycle helmet visor from fogging up #helmet #helmethack #visor #clearvisor #howto #motorcyclehacks #motorcycle #motorcycletips #etmatrix
3. Braking correctly – safe
Each month in the UK there are 1,760 Google searches for ‘how to brake on a motorcycle’ [1]. When first riding a motorbike, a common mistake people make is the overuse of one brake which can lead to skidding. Instead, this video explains how to correctly use both brakes simultaneously to come to a smooth stop. As well as potentially causing danger to you or passers by, braking incorrectly causes unnecessary wear of brakes and tyres, suspension stress and brake fluid overheating. Additionally, as of 2016, it is now mandatory for all motorbikes to be fitted with an Anti-lock Braking system (ABS) which is designed to detect when the wheel is about to lock and adjust the brake pressure to help prevent skidding [4].
@ninjanick400 How To Brake On A Motorcycle #ninja400 #motorcycle #sportbike #bike #booktok #biketok #beginner #fyp
4. Wear the correct protective gear – safe
Google searches for ‘do you have to wear leathers on a motorbike’ are up 50% year-on-year [1]. While it is not a legal requirement in the UK to wear full protective gear on a motorbike, the Highway Code advises that you wear leathers or other synthetically made protective clothing. A video, which has gained 27k views shows in detail all the protective gear she has invested in, including base layers, motorbike trousers and jacket with built in protection, boots, helmet and motorbike gloves. While it may be tempting to wear short sleeves during warmer weather, the risk of injury is heightened.
@motobengali what i’m wearing as a new rider since buying all the gear all at once is so expensive. can’t wait to upgrade!! 🫶🏽 #beginnerrider #motorcyclebeginner #girlswhoride #biketok @Alpinestars MX @511Tactical
5. Check your tyre pressure – safe
A creator warns their 802k followers in this video of the importance of checking your motorbike’s tyre pressure. Newbie motorbike riders may not be in a habit of checking tyre pressure as this is not a task that needs to be checked frequently in cars. However, if you do not check your motorbike tyres regularly and they become under-inflated, this can cause causes excessive heat build-up and will cause damage to the internal structure of the tyre. Therefore, it is advised that bikers check their tyre pressure every week to ensure that they are not too low or too high.
@adobomoto This is what happens when you don’t check your motorcycle tire pressure! #motorcycletires #sportbiketips #motorcycletips
Tom Warsop, Marketing Director at specialist motorbike insurance broker Devitt comments: “As so many of us are influenced by the content we consume on social channels such as TikTok, it is easy to fall into the trap of trusting every video you see instead of seeking expert advice and information about your motorbike and how to ride it.
While lots of these videos are accurate, we could encourage all motorbike riders, new and experienced, to approach the advice given in these videos with caution and do additional research before practising yourself and where needed seek professional guidance. After all, the cost of taking advice from one of these videos could result in costly damage to your motorbike or protective gear.”
