If you’re ready to hit the open road on a motorcycle, make sure you wear a properly fitted helmet and jacket and give your bike a thorough pre-ride inspection for maximum safety. Before you decide to buy a used motorcycle, ask some key questions to get reliable information and ride home with the right bike for you.

A motorcycle helmet is a sign of a true motorcyclist. Even if you don’t want to wear one, you need one. It’s the single most important piece of safety equipment you can have. A helmet has to fit well to offer the most protection and comfort, so use these tips to get a great fit: Is the helmet the right size? Measure your head in centimeters at about eyebrow level and find a helmet in that size.

To ensure a safe ride, you should examine your motorcycle every time you decide to hit the road. Doing an inspection only takes a few minutes and can point out little problems that can turn into some major ones through neglect. Get into the routine of looking for the following things during a bike inspection: Do the lights and turn signals operate properly?

A motorcycling jacket is an important piece of safety equipment for a rider or a motorcycle passenger. To provide the best protection when riding, a jacket should be properly fitted. When you’re looking for a good motorcycle jacket, answer these questions: Does it protect from abrasions? A tag on the jacket should say that it’s abrasion resistant.

When you’re looking for a used motorcycle, do some research and have a few bikes in mind that you’re interested in buying. So you don’t get stuck with a lemon, go through this short checklist and ask the owner questions when checking out the bike: Does the bike have a title? Also make sure the Vehicle Identification Number on the bike matches the VIN on the title.