Would you feel safe flying on a plane if you heard this conversation between the pilot and copilot?

Let’s skimp on the checklists today. The plane looks safe enough.

Tires?

They didn’t look flat so the pressure is probably OK.

Lights?

The ones I can see from here work.

Oil?

It was fine last week.

Brakes?

We have two; I’m sure at least one works.

Windshield?

It’s not all that dirty.

I only slept four hours last night so let’s not waste any more time here. Let’s fly this baby!

You might think twice about going on the trip at all if your pilots weren’t interested enough in safety to do a proper checklist.

Is piloting a bike that’s carrying your spouse any less important? You know the answer.

Tires need the correct pressure to prevent overheating or excessive wear. Not looking flat isn’t enough. The only way to know the tire pressure is as it should be is to use a tire gauge. Check the tires while they are cold. Write down the correct pressure for your tires and keep it in the bike.

Lights are something we don’t think about until one goes out in a spot we can see from the rider’s seat. Yet the taillight is what lets the car behind you see you before he runs over you. The co-rider can easily check the brake lights, taillights and turn signals while you sit on the bike and push a few buttons.

Always using both brakes to stop or slow is the proper way to use bakes, but the wrong way to check them. If one of three brakes starts getting weak, the other two will hide this fact. Try using only the brake lever to check the one front brake that the lever operates. Then you will have an idea how that brake is working. Using only the brake pedal with an integrated braking system uses two brakes one front and the rear. Testing the brake pedal this way makes it easier to know whether one of these two brakes is not up to par. Of course the best way to check out all three brakes is during the bike’s regular service.

Perhaps the windshield is the easiest of all to check. You can look at it as you are walking up to the bike. Are those bug spots you see? It takes only a minute or so to clean them off. They may be only an annoyance in the daytime, but you need all the visibility you can get at night. Another time a dirty windshield really shows up is when you head directly into the sun. That’s when you’ll really wish you’d taken an extra minute or two to clean your windshield. When you have your cleaner out to clean your windshield, you might also clean your face shield and your glasses. The whole world will look brighter.