From GPS to SOS: Increase Motorcycle Rider Awareness with These Safety Tips and Garmin Products

If you love to ride your motorbike, you already truly understand the thrill of cruising your favourite scenic backroad on a breezy, sunny day. But when riding a motorcycle, we know safety is likely a top priority for you and your family.

And if it’s not a top priority, let this post serve as a reminder to brush up on motorbike rider awareness and safety. First, let’s examine some general motorcycle safety tips — courtesy of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation® — to keep in mind before your next ride:

Motorcycle Safety Tips to Consider

Dress for safety: Wear a high-quality helmet and protective clothing, and don’t forget to protect your feet with boots or shoes that have ankle support.

Be visible: Ensure your motorcycle headlight is always on, use reflective gear and decals to increase visibility, and avoid riding in blind spots of other vehicles.

Know your bike: Regularly perform preride checks and familiarise yourself with your bike’s handling in various conditions.

Manoeuvring strategies: Continuously scan the road for potential hazards; use the search, see, execute strategy to anticipate and respond to threats; and ride as if you’re invisible.

How Garmin GPS Devices for Motorcyclists Can Help Encourage a Safer Ride

At Garmin we create innovative products that enhance your riding experience while encouraging increased rider awareness.

With our motorcycle products and the built-in rider awareness features, we can help support safer practices when you ride. From our zūmo® all-terrain motorcycle GPS navigators to inReach® satellite communication SOS devices and the Garmin Tread® smartphone app, we’re proud to provide customers with helpful features available at their fingertips. On the go, wherever they go.

Garmin zūmo® XT2: Your Reliable Riding Companion

Designed to endure and enhance any ride, the Garmin zūmo XT2 motorbike sat nav features a 6” glove-friendly display for easy-to-use riding. It comes preloaded with maps for both on and off-road adventures, including TOPO maps and popular trails, providing you with comprehensive route options so you know exactly where you’re going. Additionally, the zūmo XT2 offers free high-resolution satellite imagery for an overhead view of your routes and surrounding terrain.

zūmo XT2 keeps you informed of a variety of potential hazards along your route, including alerts for upcoming sharp curves, speed changes, railroad crossings and more. Another way zūmo XT2 has you covered is through the incident notifications feature. In the event of an incident, this feature automatically notifies your predetermined contact1 with your location coordinates, so your exact incident location details are seamlessly shared with your contact. Peace of mind —unlocked.

We went this far without even mentioning the durability of this motorbike GPS sat nav. Learn more about why riders shouldn’t use their phone to help navigate their motorcycle adventures and the benefits of riding with a GPS sat nav.

Supporting Adventure with the Tread App

The Garmin Tread app is another essential tool for motorcyclists with features such as great rides, group ride mobile and more. Within the Tread app, you can access a heat map of popular motorcycle paths, track your routes and share them with friends, as well as receive real-time weather updates.

Stay Connected with Garmin inReach®

For the moto adventures that take you off the grid, our inReach® satellite communication and SOS devices are indispensable. With an active satellite subscription2 plan, the compact inReach Mini 2 device helps ensure you stay connected even in areas without mobile network coverage. In an emergency, you can trigger an interactive SOS message to Garmin ResponseSM, our 24/7 staffed global emergency response coordination centre.

Ride with Confidence and Peace of Mind

Garmin is committed to rider awareness and supporting motorbike safety practices. With advanced features such as rider alerts and incident detection on the zūmo XT2, plus the unparalleled satellite connectivity of the inReach Mini 2, you can ride with confidence.

Discover how Garmin zūmo motorcycle GPS sat nav and inReach satellite communicators can enhance your rides. So why wait? Equip yourself with the zūmo XT2 and inReach Mini 2, and ride with the assurance that Garmin has your back every mile of the way.

1Requires zūmo to be paired with your smartphone with BLUETOOTH® and GPS technology and running the Tread app 2Active satellite subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communications devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used. Satellite Imagery © 2024 Maxar Technologies (date of satellite imagery may vary). The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Garmin is under license.