“Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.”― Roy T. Bennett.
It might seem that you have come across a pandemic but the fact is that you are still in between. People have somewhat adapted to the changes. On the same lines, to experience life though not to challenge it, some bikers and nature lovers are back on the road to relive their motorcycle trips. Last year, lockdown brought traveling to a halt, not an end! Transportation mediums were shut initially and even when things revived, strict guidelines were imposed.
Now that the country and economy are running in a full swing, motorcycle trips can be taken up. For those who will make the trip for the first time after the lockdown, here is what you need to take care of:
I. Bike Check-up.
Do you leave home without wearing clean and comfortable clothes? Do you plan a vacation when you are not well? No, because you know that facilities on the way may not be of the standards you expect. The same is the case with your bike. Make sure the day you chalk the final plan, you get your bike serviced from head to tail.
The covid-19 situation is not completely normal. Under such circumstances, you might not get many repair garages plus most of them might run out of stock because of affected logistics. Keep your tool kit ready and learn some basics to fix the bike. You never know it might help.
II. Get a COVID -ve certificate for smooth accommodations.
Before you leave for your road trip, make sure that you are not Covid positive. It increases the risk of spreading the infection to other people you might interact with. This makes getting a Covid negative certificate important both for your as well as others’ safety.
You need a Covid -ve certificate as apart from the risk of spread, some lodges or hotels might allow you to stay only after verifying the test result and the date of the test.
III. Cross check the validity of important documents. Traveling across the boundaries or within the state limits, you need to carry some documents. These may include a valid driving license, registration certificate of the vehicle, and a pollution certificate.
Check whether the documents are in effect or not. If not then arrange for the issuance of the new documents.
IV. Two-Wheeler Insurance Policy. Another not-to-miss vital document is a two-wheeler insurance policy. The moment you own your vehicle, then you know that no one is allowed to drive without a third-party liability insurance policy. It has been made mandatory by law. A third-party policy for your motorcycle will save you from legal liabilities you might incur after injuring or damaging someone else’s property. It will be fine but what if you or your bike gets injured after an accident?
Will you be able to manage the repair expenses all on your own? If you do not want this to happen, make sure you buy a comprehensive bike insurance policy.
A comprehensive or a package policy is a wider cover you can get. A package policy will pay you for your damage, third-party liability, and personal accident. The policy comes into play when there arises a loss due to fire, theft, accident, and natural disaster.
At times, you might suffer losses beyond the scope of the policy. It might include a breakdown of your bike when you are on a road trip, engine seizure, or theft. The insurance company does not pay for these types of repairs. Hence, you will have to keep in mind the extension of the package policy with some add-ons. You can think of these additional covers to buy:
- Breakdown Assistance: With breakdown assistance cover, the insurance company will pay you when your bike stops working anywhere while driving. The premium is nominal but the scope of cover is worth it.
- Return-to-Invoice Cover: Life is unpredictable and so are circumstances. Imagine someone steals your bike and you have no clue who took that. Under a normal policy, the insurance company will pay you for the value of IDV mentioned in the policy for the current year. But if you take this add-on cover, you can get the complete value at which you purchased the vehicle.
- Zero Depreciation: Accidents are unexpected. They leave you with shock as well as bills to get everything fixed. The story doesn’t end here, for insurance claims the cost of repairs are given a treatment of depreciation, especially on the plastic and rubber parts. If you do not want to lose this money of depreciation, you can take a Zero Dep Cover and get the complete value of the part that is repaired.
- Engine and Gear-box protection cover: Any damage to your engine and gearbox is covered in the motor insurance policy but only if the loss is a consequence of the accident. Any other issue with the engine due to leakage of oil will not be covered. On your journey, things like this may turn-up. Why not prepare a fool-proof protection plan for the heart of the bike, that is, the engine. Take this add-on at a very low charge but take benefits beyond comprehension.
- Consumable Cover: Buy this additional shield for your motorcycle to get costs of nitty-gritty like oils, nuts and bolts, grease, etc. covered in case of an accident. These may not cost much but when the total loss compounds, it sums up to a big amount. Recovering these small repair charges helps you a lot.
Read more: Tips to Ensure Fair Compensation After a Motorcycle Accident
V. Plan the route and stops. Plan the route and places you would take a halt. The journey becomes easy when you know the way. It keeps you mentally prepared for most of the things that might come up your way.
In the present scenario, post-Covid, it is relevant to find out about which areas are affected. The information will help you avoid stopping at random places that have a high percentage of patients. Avoid Covid affected areas as much as possible.
VI. Hygiene on the top. Avoid public restrooms and stock your toilet-seat sanitizers. You must use the surface disinfectants for a risk-free stay and journey ahead. Store a lot of sanitizers and use them whenever you kick-start your bike again after a stop. You may carry a UV sterilizer to disinfect your gadgets.
May what happens, you must not miss sanitizing your hands before eating or hitting the road again.
VII. Eat at less crowded places. Do not eat at an overly crowded place because there is a long way you have to cover. And, you do not want to take a chance with your health.
Make sure you eat healthy food and at a hygienic place. Avoid stopping by food facilities near to any hospital, because that will only add risk to your trip.
You may also like: Tips To Avoid Eating Troubles When You Travel
VIII. Check requirements while crossing state borders. You are still living in the era of a pandemic that humans have not been able to deal with completely. Safety comes first in such scenarios.
Before you leave your state border and enter another, check what are the requirements. Do not leave a scope of an error where you lose time to comply with the formalities.
IX. Pack smart. The journey is more important than the destination. You may travel from any state or city, to have an accomplished experience, you would still need to pack smart.
You need to have enough water and snacks for some instant food to deal with hunger. Carry your emergency medicines and clothes.
Pro-tip: Be mentally prepared for a lockdown anytime.
The spread of Covid is rapid and uncertain, it can transmit to a large population in a few days. In response, any State/ Central Government can impose a lockdown to put a brake on the rapidly rising numbers. If you are away from your home state and sudden lockdown is imposed in your current state then you can not do anything much. You have to be where you are until the next Government orders. So, being mentally prepared for such a situation will help you cope up if the worst happens ever. All the best! Keep exploring and stay safe!
