02.2 - Are You Ready to Ride?

Before you ride, you must be absolutely sure that you and your motorcycle are ready to ride. To help you get prepared, this section of the manual will discuss how to evaluate your riding readiness and how to perform our recommended ore-ride inspection of your motorcycle. If you are a parent, please be sure you have read the section “Important Safety Information for Parents” on page 9.
 

Are You Ready to Ride?

Before you ride your motorcycle for the first time, we strongly recommend the following:

1. Completely read this manual.
2. Be sure you have read and understand all the safety messages and labels.
3. You know how to operate all, of the motorcycle’s controls. 

Before each ride, we strongly recommend that you:

1. Are in good physical and mental condition.
2. Are free of alcohol and other drugs.
3. Are wearing an approved motorcycle helmet with a tight chin strap, eye protection and other protective clothing.

PROTECTIVE GEAR & APPAREL

For your safety, we strongly recommend that you always wear an approved helmet, eye protection, boots, gloves, long pants and a long sleeved, jersey shirt or jacket whenever you ride. Although complete protection is not possible, wearing the proper gear can reduce the chance of and severity of injuries when you ride.

Helmets & Eye Protection

Your helmet is your most important piece of riding gear because it offers the best protection against head injuries. A good helmet will be approved by a testing organization independent of the helmet manufacturer and will have a chin strap that can be tightened securely. Open-face helmets offer some protection, but a full-face helmet offers the most protection. When purchasing a helmet, regardless of style, look for DOT (Department of Transportation) sticker (USA only). If the helmet has been tested by an independent organization such as the Snell Institute, you will usually find their logo on a tag inside the padding of the helmet. 

Additional Riding Gear 

In addition to your helmet and eye protection, we also recommend:

1. Sturdy off-road motorcycle boots to help protect your feet, ankles and lower legs.
2. Off-Road motorcycle gloves to protect your hands.
3. Riding pants with knee and hip pads, a riding jersey with elbow pads and a chest/shoulder protector.