Wisconsin Motorcycle Touring Safety Guide
What Representing Injured Riders Has Taught Me About Motorcycle Touring
Editor's Note: This article was created in collaboration with Viking Bags. Viking provided input regarding motorcycle luggage and touring equipment. The riding safety recommendations and observations reflect my own experience as a motorcycle rider and attorney representing injured motorcyclists throughout Wisconsin.
Whether you're planning a weekend ride through the Driftless Area, heading north to Door County, or making the ride from Milwaukee to Green Bay, motorcycle touring remains one of the best ways to experience Wisconsin.
There's a reason riders travel from all over the country to ride Wisconsin's roads. The scenery is incredible. The roads are varied. Small towns are everywhere. And if you're willing to take the long way, you'll find some of the best riding in the Midwest.
But as a lawyer who represents injured motorcyclists and their families, I've also seen the other side of riding.
Most crashes don't happen because someone forgot a gadget or didn't buy the latest piece of gear. They happen because riders get tired, weather changes, roads become unfamiliar, or another driver makes a mistake.
If you're planning a motorcycle tour, here are a few things worth thinking about before you leave.
Start With a Motorcycle You Trust
This sounds obvious, but it's amazing how many riders spend weeks planning a route and almost no time preparing the bike.
Before any long ride, I would take a hard look at:
Tires
Brakes
Lights
Battery
Fluids
Chain or belt condition
Suspension
If something is questionable, fix it before you leave.
Mechanical problems are frustrating at home. They're a lot worse when you're 300 miles away from home during an unexpected summer storm.
The truth is that most touring problems aren't major mechanical failures. They're small issues that could have been spotted before departure.
A thorough pre-trip inspection is cheap insurance.
Plan the Ride Before You ride the Plan
One mistake I see from newer touring riders is focusing only on the destination.
The route matters.
Fuel stops matter.
Weather matters.
Construction matters.
A ride that looks simple on a map can become a much different experience when you add road work, traffic, detours, and afternoon thunderstorms.
Before leaving, think about:
Daily mileage goals
Fuel availability
Lodging
Alternate routes
Weather forecasts
Planned rest stops
Especially in more rural parts of Wisconsin, don't assume the next gas station is right around the corner.
A little planning goes a long way.
Pack Less Than you Think you Need
Every rider has done it.
You lay everything out in the garage and somehow convince yourself you'll need all of it.
Then halfway through the trip you realize you've been carrying twenty pounds of gear you never touched.
The goal isn't to fill every available compartment. The goal is to carry what you actually need while maintaining a motorcycle that handles predictably.
One thing I've learned over the years is that being organized on a motorcycle trip makes everything easier. Quality Motorcycle Luggage gives you a place for the essentials without turning your bike into a rolling garage sale. Viking Bags has earned a following among touring riders because they offer a wide range of luggage options for different motorcycles and riding styles.
Regardless of the brand, the goal is the same: keep your gear secure, keep the weight balanced, and make sure your motorcycle still handles like a motorcycle instead of a loaded wheelbarrow.
A heavily loaded bike doesn't brake the same. It doesn't corner the same. It doesn't accelerate the same. Take a few minutes to think about where the weight is going and how it affects the motorcycle.
Prepare for Wisconsin’s Changing Weather
Weather changes quickly.
A beautiful morning can become a wet afternoon and a cold evening.
That's why I always recommend carrying:
Rain gear
Extra gloves
Water
Basic tools
A tire repair kit
A phone charger
An extra layer
None of those items are exciting.
They're also the things you'll be most grateful to have when conditions change unexpectedly.
Preparation tends to feel unnecessary right up until the moment you need it.
Fatigue Is More Dangerous Than Most Riders Realize
This is one of the biggest issues I see.
People spend months planning a trip.
They book hotels.
They build ambitious routes.
They create schedules.
Then they get tired and keep riding anyway.
A lot of motorcycle crashes happen when riders are trying to squeeze out one more hour, one more county, or one more state before stopping for the night.
Unlike driving a car, riding requires constant physical and mental attention.
Long days on the road take a toll.
Reaction times slow.
Decision-making suffers.
Concentration slips.
The dangerous part is that many riders don't realize it's happening until they're already exhausted.
When you're tired, stop.
Get a room.
Find dinner.
Take a break.
The destination will still be there tomorrow.
I've never met a rider who regretted getting a good night's sleep.
Assume Drivers Do Not See You
I wish this weren't true, but after handling motorcycle cases for years, I've become convinced that one of the most valuable riding skills is accepting that other drivers aren't paying attention.
Every day I hear about riders injured on county roads, state highways, and busy city streets in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, and communities throughout Wisconsin.
The common denominator is often the same.
Another driver simply wasn't paying attention.
The left-turn driver who "never saw the motorcycle."
The distracted driver who drifts into your lane.
The driver looking at a navigation screen instead of the road.
The driver reaching for coffee, texting, or dealing with kids in the back seat.
You can't control any of them.
You can control:
Following distance
Lane position
Visibility
Speed
Awareness
Leave yourself an escape route.
Give yourself extra space.
Ride defensively.
Ride like you're invisible.
Because sometimes you are.
Watch for Wisconsin’s Most Common Road Hazards
Touring often means riding roads you've never seen before.
That creates risk.
A corner that looks clean may be covered in gravel.
A shaded section of road may still be wet.
A rural highway may suddenly have farm equipment traveling well below the speed limit.
Some hazards Wisconsin riders commonly encounter include:
Deer
Gravel in corners
Construction zones
Farm machinery
Potholes
Railroad crossings
Wet leaves
Tar snakes
Approach unfamiliar roads with a little humility.
The road doesn't care how experienced you are.
Leave yourself enough margin to handle surprises.
Group Touring Can Be Great…
Many great touring trips happen with friends.
Some of the best rides involve small groups.
But group riding presents its own challenges.
One mistake riders make is trying to keep up with the fastest rider in the group.
Don't.
Ride your own ride.
If the riders ahead disappear around a corner, let them go.
If you need a break, take one.
If a road condition makes you uncomfortable, slow down.
Any riding group worth joining will respect that.
The best groups understand that everyone gets home together.
If they don't understand that, find another group.
If Something Goes Wrong
Nobody leaves for a motorcycle trip expecting to crash.
Everybody expects to come home.
Most do.
But if you’re involved in a crash, don’t underestimate your injuries.
Adrenaline can hide a surprising amount of pain.
Get medical attention.
Report the crash.
Photograph the scene if you can do so safely.
Get witness information.
Keep your riding gear.
Document everything.
As a motorcycle accident lawyer, I've seen many riders initially think they were “fine” only to discover serious injuries days later.
When in doubt, get checked out.
It's far better to be cautious than wrong.
The Goal Is to Make It Home
One thing representing injured riders has taught me is that nobody leaves on a motorcycle trip expecting a crash.
Everybody expects to come home.
Most of the time they do.
The riders who tend to have the best trips aren't necessarily the fastest riders, the riders with the most expensive motorcycles, or the riders with the most gear.
They're usually the riders who prepare well, stay patient, adapt when conditions change, and leave themselves room for mistakes.
Have fun.
Take the long way.
Stop for the photo.
Grab lunch at the small-town diner.
Explore a road you've never ridden before.
Enjoy Wisconsin.
But make sure you get home.