{"id":3860,"date":"2023-01-19T10:25:49","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T18:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/local.usagencies.com\/blog\/?p=3860"},"modified":"2023-03-22T06:21:24","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T13:21:24","slug":"7-tips-for-winter-motorcycling-in-la","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/motorcycle-insurance\/7-tips-for-winter-motorcycling-in-la\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Safety Tips for Winter Motorcycling in Louisiana\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While most of the nation slips, slides, and freezes during winters, the season is much milder in this part of the country. That\u2019s a reason for motorcyclists to celebrate, but it\u2019s still important to have smart motorcycle insurance coverage<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s not all. Here are seven tips that can make your seasonal rides safer. First, let\u2019s set the scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s What Winters Are Like in LA <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve lived here all your life, you probably have a clear idea of what to expect during our winter months. On the other hand, if you\u2019re a relative newcomer, you might picture spring-like temperatures for months on end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, Louisiana, with daily highs most of the time in the 40s and 50s, can still get freezing rain<\/a>, sleet, and even the occasional snowfall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The point is, you don\u2019t always know what to expect here, which gets us right to our first tip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Check Weather Reports <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you take in what we just wrote about snow, sleet, and freezing rain? Even your more common rain in Louisiana on a day with Fahrenheit temperatures in the 60s is no pleasure if you\u2019re on a bike. It\u2019s not only uncomfortable on a vehicle that\u2019s a virtual permanent convertible, but it\u2019s unsafe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That highlights the importance of having a weather app on your phone and checking it often. Keep in mind how far away you are from home, and give yourself plenty of time to backtrack if conditions grow unexpectedly poor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Dress for Whatever You\u2019re Up Against <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you know if you\u2019re an experienced biker, it\u2019s always colder (certainly draftier) when you\u2019re hitting 70 miles an hour exposed to the wind. That\u2019s why, even in late spring and summer, certain days and evenings can feel colder than expected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winters, of course, are worse, even in balmy Louisiana. Dress for it. That can mean an insulated and weatherproof coat, warm gloves, and thick pants. An insulated helmet with vents you can partially close will also help you retain as much body heat as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Exceed the 3-Second Rule <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This informal rule of thumb says that you should, whenever possible, put three seconds between yourself and the vehicle ahead of you traveling in the same direction. To do so, count off \u201cMississippi one, Mississippi two, Mississippi three\u201d before passing the same landmark as the vehicle in front of you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three-second rule is fine \u2026 when roads are clear and dry. If they\u2019re slick with winter rain, ice, sleet, or snow, now the rule doubles \u2026 at minimum. Try to keep a six-second gap or more for ultimate safety on surfaces where braking might be a challenge and sudden swerves could lead to dumping your bike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Gauge Your Tire Pressure <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cold weather makes tires softer, which makes your motorcycle less responsive. So make sure your tires are at the proper inflation before heading out. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"hand<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

5. Watch Out for Salty Roads <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Salt is good. Road salt, we mean. It eliminates the snow and ice threat and makes roads less of a hazard for two-wheel and multi-wheel vehicles alike. However, undissolved salt granules can also reduce traction and play havoc with the tires of a motorcycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proceed cautiously through dry clumps of salt (and even more cautiously if there\u2019s no salt at all). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Forego That Epic Long-Distance Road Trip <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you rode from New Orleans to Sturgis, South Dakota<\/a>, last year for the famous motorcycle rally. Good for you, but that was in August. Certainly no threat of freezing temperatures, icy roads, or blizzard conditions halfway there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why our advice is to keep your winter rides to a few hours at the most. Don\u2019t go epic. The road awaits you when spring<\/a>, summer, and fall<\/a> hit! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Have Dependable Motorcycle Insurance <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As is true in most U.S. states, motorcycle insurance<\/a> is mandatory in Louisiana. You must show proof of insurance to register your bike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, only liability insurance is mandated. That\u2019s also known as minimal coverage insurance. It protects other<\/em> people and their property in the event of road accidents in which you\u2019re legally found to be at fault. As for your own bike, you\u2019re out of luck. All repair or replacement costs will come from your own pocket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s also true if your bike is involved in a hit-and-run accident and the party at fault is never found or doesn\u2019t have insurance. Same deal if your motorcycle is stolen or vandalized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, liability coverage is enough insurance to keep you street legal, but not a whole lot more. It\u2019s worth having if you can\u2019t afford more adequate coverage, but you\u2019re better off with comprehensive and collision benefits if you can handle the cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comprehensive and collision will pay for your covered damages if you\u2019re at fault, plus it will protect your ride from theft and vandalism costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many ways to save money and keep your rates low, even with plans that have lots of coverage. Start by consulting with an independent motorcycle insurance agent. An independent broker has contracts with multiple insurers and can go shopping for the best coverage at the cheapest rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also increase your deductible to reduce premiums. Your deductible is the amount you agree to pay in the case of a claim. If your bike suffers $1,500 in damages, but you have a $500 deductible, you\u2019ll pay that $500, and your insurer will pay the remaining $1,000 in covered damages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you raise your deductible to $1,000 or more, your monthly premiums will go down because your insurer will be responsible for a lower dollar amount if there’s a claim. Comparing the benefits of different types of coverage is a good conversation to have with your independent motorcycle insurance agent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find the Most Affordable Motorcycle Insurance for Louisianians Today <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Call us at (800) 420-3712<\/a> or fill out our brief online form to get a quick online quote<\/a> for motorcycle insurance. You can also find a Louisiana USAgencies office location near you<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Get a Quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Call Us<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Find Your Office<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While most of the nation slips, slides, and freezes during winters, the season is much milder in this part of the country. That\u2019s a reason for motorcyclists to celebrate, but it\u2019s still important to have smart motorcycle insurance coverage.  That\u2019s not all. Here are seven tips that can make your seasonal rides safer. First, let\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":3861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motorcycle-insurance"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3860"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3860"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3860\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3902,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3860\/revisions\/3902"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}