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May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, so we thought we'd get share some advice on safe riding.

Motorcyclists know how much skill is required in riding. You have to be aware of your bike, the road, the traffic around you, and most importantly, yourself, when you get behind the handlebars.

But even the safest, most experienced riders can still make mistakes. That’s why we’re presenting a series of articles on motorcycle safety, because you can never be too safe.

Rider Education, Injuries and Fatalities
Time for a reality check

Whether you have decades of experience or are a newbie, it pays to realistically size up this activity called "riding a motorcycle," and to look at yourself as a lifelong learner.

Insurance Basics
How much coverage do you need?

Are you and your motorcycle insured well enough to satisfy your state's legal guidelines, as well as your own risk tolerance? You owe it to yourself and those who care about you to be sure you are up to date.

The Truth about Drinking and Riding
Some sobering statistics on a dangerous problem

While no one will publicly declare alcohol consumption and motorcycling are OK, there remain definite problems in a culture offering mixed messages.

More: Rider Safety articles on Motorcycle.com

Rhinopolis

I took the msf course last weekend and passed my texas motorcyce license test last week. I'm a new rider with 1200 miles on my new bike, and did exactly what this article recommended. I took my bike out to a remote area and practiced cornering and hard braking before I even started riding out in traffic. I'm a very defensive driver and am suspicious of every car I encounter out on the road. I enjoy riding alot and am not so cautious that I can't have fun, but I do not want to become relaxed to the point of being careless.

mdg

You have to be suspicious of everyone. I had a dodge neon backup into me, push me downhill 20ft, and my little ninja 250 took all of the damage. This kid was up all night drinking.

pmr1010

Taking the MSF course was the best thing I had done. I have been riding for about 18 years but found that I had developed so many bad habits that were pretty unsafe. Covering the brakes was one of them. I read a post from someone on this forum recently about the danger of that when they hit a bump while covering the rear brake and almost went down.
Also, never bad to be cautious as long as it doesn't become all you think about.