One of the funniest things you can do with your motorcycle is to ride it on the beach where everything is quiet without any interruptions, and I personally know a lot of people who often ride for an hour every morning on the beach.
But there are still some people who very much want to start riding on the beach and are not sure if they are allowed to do it and if it is legal.
So, can I ride my motorcycle on the beach? There is no clear answer to that because it is legal in some beaches and illegal in others. Even in the beaches where it is legal, there are hours or days where you are not allowed to ride; therefore, it is important that you check the laws and follow them.
The beach laws are enforced and the authorities take them very seriously, so you need to find out and know all the laws of the beach before going out to ride there so that you won’t accidentally violate them. In this guide, I will show you everything you need to know about riding your motorcycle on the beach, so keep reading.
Is riding my motorcycle on the beach legal?
As said earlier, it varies from country to country and beach to beach. It is legal in some beaches while it is not for some, and if you infringe on the beaches where it’s illegal for you to ride, you will receive a very large monetary fine, while there are even some beaches that only allowed riding in some areas.
There are many compelling reasons why it is illegal to ride a motorcycle on the beach, but the main reason is probably not to hurt the animals and the wild because there are beaches with loads of animals, so don’t expect to ride there because of them.
In addition, do not try to ignore the rules because there are inspectors, cameras, and lifeguards at every beach, checking every second in case someone breaks the law. While there are beaches that will give you a warning for the first time, there are more rigid beaches that will give you a straight financial penalty, whether it’s your first time or not, so don’t mess with the authorities. Instead, call and check with the local authorities and ask for the guidelines and rules needed for the particular beach you want to ride.
By the way, you can even speak to your local lifeguard and he’ll give you the information you need.
What are the rules and requirements of most beaches?
Before you can ride, you will have to meet these basic requirements as listed below, while your own beach may even require more things, so it is important for you to review and enforce the laws.
- Ride only in allowed areas – Most beaches in the world, especially large beaches, have some restrictions when it comes to the areas you are allowed to ride and the areas not allowed for riding, so you must check with the authorities which areas you are allowed to ride. Most areas disallowed for riding are usually where there are plants and animals, so take note of that.
- Don’t harm animals or plants – A rule that I personally highly encourage and think everyone must comply with from a moral standpoint is to respect animals. Do not injure or run on sea turtles or ride in the water which can kill fish or even ride on plants. Therefore, it is important for you to be very alert to your environment and I personally recommend that you ride on a beach that has a clean sandy surface without plants or animals. Even in most cases, the areas you are only allowed to ride are areas that have no animals and plants.
- Ride only during the days and months you are allowed to ride – Each beach has days and months where you are only allowed to ride, so do not ride on days disallowed for riding. This is again because of animals and even people; for example, you may not be allowed to ride in the summer because of the turtles since it also bothers people, so it is important to follow the law.
How to prepare your motorcycle for beach riding
There are a few things you need to change in your motorcycle for best performance in beach and sand riding:
- Check your tires – It’s very important to check your tires and make sure they are fit and ready to ride on the beach. I even recommend you lower the air from your tires as it will give you a lot more stability when riding while also checking the tire pressure to make sure it is in good condition if you are the type that love beach riding and do it almost every day. I would also recommend you buy specialized tires for beach riding, but very big and long ones because they work best in sand.
- Clean your air filter – It is super important to clean your air filter before and after riding because it is surely going to absorb a lot of sand and dirt. So, it is very important that you clean it because if you didn’t and put it in a dirty drop, it will be less comfortable and fun and can even hurt other components of your motorcycle.
- Clean your motorcycle – Cleaning your motorcycle at least after each ride is highly important, especially if you are the type that rides on the seashore which is less recommended because your motorcycle will absorb loads of salts that can cause rust. Therefore, you have to wash your bike after every beach ride.
- Spray to prevent rust – It is also important to buy rust-preventable and spray it on your motorcycle. You mustn’t have rust on the outside of the motorcycle, in order not to destroy its beauty significantly.
In addition, the only risk of your motorcycle when riding on the beach is rust, but as long as you spray rust-prevented on the frame and clean your motorcycle after riding and even before riding, be sure that you won’t have rust in the frame.
Tips for riding your motorcycle on the beach (on the sand)
Know how to deal with the sand
Riding on the beach requires a lot of focus and alertness and is much harder than riding on the road. It also requires dealing with the sand which makes you very unstable, so you will need to know how to stabilize. This is even a great reason why beach riding can be an amazing place for racers or beginning riders who want to practice their riding skills.
Do not be afraid to drive at high speeds
Since riding a motorcycle on the beach and sand makes you less stable, riding at low speeds is quite dangerous and will make you very uncomfortable. But riding at high speeds is much better and will help you to stay stable. Note that you have to control yourself because when I say riding at high speeds, I do not mean driving at crazy speeds but just high enough for you to stay steady.
It is also important for me to tell you that if you see a small drop hole in the sand, it is better to first bypass it, but if you are already riding straight into it, it is better to increase your speed to help you pass it more easily.
Use sunscreen
If you do not use all the protection equipment, you need sunscreen for riding on the beach. At least, you should apply your own sunscreen, especially when riding in the summer months to prevent the sun from burning your skin.
When I personally started to ride on the beach, I rode for hours on sunny days and for some reason, I didn’t protect myself which caused my skin to burn while sometimes it could be worse, so don’t forget it.
Plus, don’t forget to take a bottle of water along when you’re planning a couple of hours of riding at the beach. Bring at least 2 liters of water with you.
Buy fat and bigger tires
Like I said, if you are planning to ride every day on the beach, I would highly recommend you buy big and fat tires because the bigger and wider your tires are, the more stable you will be when riding on the sand which makes riding much more easy and fun.
Don’t ride on the seacoast
I don’t know why but there are lots of motorcyclists who like to ride right by the seashore, while some are even worst that they like to ride into the water which not only causes the illegal killing of fish and harming nature but will also destroy the motorcycle.
When riding by the seashore or even inside, the tire and the frame gets a lot of salt, which causes rust. If you don’t spray rust-preventable and do not thoroughly clean the motorcycle, it will also disrupt the motorcycle’s internal components. So, if you ride near the sea at the seaside, I will recommend you to stop just because that it will not only require you to thoroughly clean the motorcycle but will also destroy the tires.
Take a map with you
If you are going for a few hours of riding on the beach, I highly recommend that you take a map with you in case your phone turns off and has no extra battery. The map will help you to understand between the permitted and forbidden areas for riding and you can also mark the allowed areas and your route, which is very helpful.
Know how to get out when you’re stuck
It is very common for motorcyclists to stuck in the middle of nowhere in sandy sand, especially in areas where there are dunes. If you are stuck with your motorcycle in the sand, just follow these important steps.
First, stop the motorcycle. Do not continue to rotate the throttle because it will only dig the hole further, leaving you even more stuck. So, first of all, get off the motorcycle
After that, take the front wheel, then turn around the throttle and push it as hard as possible towards the front into the sand, and all the sand in the back wheel fills up, which makes it easier to get out.
Do not use the brakes
A very common mistake a lot of riders make is using the motorcycle brakes in the sand, which can create a situation where it will not only dirty your entire motorcycle but will also splash sand on your face.
Instead of braking, simply let the motorcycle continue in motion. Do not press the throttle because the sand will slow down the motorcycle while if you are really in a situation that requires you to brake, do not brake too strongly.
Better in the morning than at night
Not only does riding in the morning much more fun and preferable than riding at night but it also significantly reduces your chance of having an accident and harming animals.
Most animals are awake at night, so you are much more likely to hit them. There is no need to talk about having beach lighting, no matter how many headlights you have, it will not be enough, so try riding in the morning rather than in the evening.
Look for beaches with low waves
If you love to ride on the seacoast, I would highly recommend you ride only on beaches where the tide and waves are not large in order to prevent water from entering your motorcycle. You can also consult the surfers or the local lifeguard and ask for their recommendation.
Summary
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