* Identification: Keep on your person in the event of an accident. Have an emergency contact card with phone numbers face up in your wallet with ID and medical insurance card. Also recommend blood type, list of any medications you are on and medications you are allergic to, include any special medical conditions you have too (abbreviated). This will go a long way to help first responders and medical staff should you get in an accident and become unconscious.
* Home Base: Tell your family, friends, etc. of your route - send them a map of your route with Google Maps or Yermo-Maps[tm]. When I go riding solo or even in a group now, I e-mail my wife a copy of the planned route and gross estimated time frame of the ride and add 1 or 2 hours before she should start texting/calling me.
* Cell - GPS Tracking: Maybe more for the new riders like myself, but maybe useful for those on long trips too through long stretches of areas with no civilization or little traffic. For iPhones Apple has their "Find Friends" app., just send an invite to/from the parties to track and test it out first. I would bet Android has similar options as well. The Catch: only works where you have cell signal, but having your route known by someone helps with this.
Now, on to the article! Additional tips welcome too.
Touring Tip: Know Your Riding Risk Factors - RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine
There are some similarities between the causes of plane crashes and the reasons for motorcycle accidents: it s often a combination of factors, or risks, that cause incidents in both cases. And in both, the fundamental cause can usually be traced back to human error. Just as in doing a preflight check before flying your own airplane, a motorcyclist should take stock of his or her risk factors before their ride. Unlike the airline industry, which has many rules, regulations, and certifications in place to help prevent accidents, the motorcycle rider is pretty much on their own.