What are the most important safety features to have on a motorcycle?

I was wonder what you guys think are the most important features to have on a motorcycle to ensure a safe ride. Everyone probably has slightly different opinions, but in general I want to know the most practical and essential elements.

find something to suction it out, whatever you do, don't drive it. the power steering fluid will damage seals in the brake system

A brain and the ability to use it when the time comes. Before you start riding, weather a veteran rider or a beginner! Added- Need to agree with Mr. Smartpants on the tires on the bike, major plus even on the slowest mo-ped made. Still, the question asked 'on a motorcycle' and if a rider is not 'on' a motorcycle than tires are pointless. Added Adam- Dude, I love that you ride and all. But the question was about safety features NOT the removal of them for the pure pleasure of knowing when you needed it you removed it to bring a smile on your face.

An alert rider who is aware of where dangers may be, gravel on roads, car drivers talking on cell phones, etc. Any vehicle can be loaded with safety features from end to end, but they mean nothing if the driver doesn't look for potential dangers. If there is one actual mechanical feature, I'd say anti-lock braking systems. The problem with safety features is that they relive the rider of the responsibility of being cautious or careful. Example, with anti-lock braking, what the heck, I'll just fly into a curve way too fast on wet or slick roads, slap on the brakes and let the ABS brakes take care of me. I'll be fine. Yeah, until I overshoot a curve, end up in the opposing lane and get hit head on by a semi. There is no safety feature that will save me then.

Funny, everyone so far has talked about the rider, not the bike! I agree, the biggest factor for safety is the brain of the rider--his skill, his experience, his 'paranoia' (good word. I use it myself!) Real motorcycle riding is a series of split-second decisions. If you think about it long enough you wonder that it can even be done! But the bike itself, let's assume it's in good shape, brakes and clutch work well, all that, I'd say the most important thing was good tires. I got a motorcycle restored a few years ago, an old BMW 'airhead'. It had tires on it that were several years old and the surfaces were slightly dried and cracked. The mechanic told me the tires would still be good, just be careful. And being a cheap SOB I used them until they wore out. The bike scared me a few times by sliding sideways 2 or 3 inches in a turn. When the tires finally wore out and I replaced them, it made a HUGE difference. Brakes also make a big difference. This old bike was from the 70s and the brakes, although state of the art for that time, were really scandalously weak. I had new pads, resurfaced disk in front (drum in back), and the hydraulic system was fine, but I had to wonder 'Who would have bought this bike when it was new with brakes like this?' And the previous model had a drum brake in front too! OTOH fear of these brakes really made me a safer rider. 8^) These days, even in the car, I like to leave 3 sec. of distance behind the car in front.

you can use anything like an old sponge to get it out with as long as you haven't mashed the brake pedal, if its got in the system you,ll have to have the brakes re-bleed and get all this out,so if you mashed on the brake pedal,you might as well get ready to flush the entire brake system out on it,other wise you wont have a good reliable brake pedal,good luck.

find something to suction it out, whatever you do, don't drive it. the power steering fluid will damage seals in the brake system

A brain and the ability to use it when the time comes. Before you start riding, weather a veteran rider or a beginner! Added- Need to agree with Mr. Smartpants on the tires on the bike, major plus even on the slowest mo-ped made. Still, the question asked 'on a motorcycle' and if a rider is not 'on' a motorcycle than tires are pointless. Added Adam- Dude, I love that you ride and all. But the question was about safety features NOT the removal of them for the pure pleasure of knowing when you needed it you removed it to bring a smile on your face.

An alert rider who is aware of where dangers may be, gravel on roads, car drivers talking on cell phones, etc. Any vehicle can be loaded with safety features from end to end, but they mean nothing if the driver doesn't look for potential dangers. If there is one actual mechanical feature, I'd say anti-lock braking systems. The problem with safety features is that they relive the rider of the responsibility of being cautious or careful. Example, with anti-lock braking, what the heck, I'll just fly into a curve way too fast on wet or slick roads, slap on the brakes and let the ABS brakes take care of me. I'll be fine. Yeah, until I overshoot a curve, end up in the opposing lane and get hit head on by a semi. There is no safety feature that will save me then.

Funny, everyone so far has talked about the rider, not the bike! I agree, the biggest factor for safety is the brain of the rider--his skill, his experience, his 'paranoia' (good word. I use it myself!) Real motorcycle riding is a series of split-second decisions. If you think about it long enough you wonder that it can even be done! But the bike itself, let's assume it's in good shape, brakes and clutch work well, all that, I'd say the most important thing was good tires. I got a motorcycle restored a few years ago, an old BMW 'airhead'. It had tires on it that were several years old and the surfaces were slightly dried and cracked. The mechanic told me the tires would still be good, just be careful. And being a cheap SOB I used them until they wore out. The bike scared me a few times by sliding sideways 2 or 3 inches in a turn. When the tires finally wore out and I replaced them, it made a HUGE difference. Brakes also make a big difference. This old bike was from the 70s and the brakes, although state of the art for that time, were really scandalously weak. I had new pads, resurfaced disk in front (drum in back), and the hydraulic system was fine, but I had to wonder 'Who would have bought this bike when it was new with brakes like this?' And the previous model had a drum brake in front too! OTOH fear of these brakes really made me a safer rider. 8^) These days, even in the car, I like to leave 3 sec. of distance behind the car in front.

you can use anything like an old sponge to get it out with as long as you haven't mashed the brake pedal, if its got in the system you,ll have to have the brakes re-bleed and get all this out,so if you mashed on the brake pedal,you might as well get ready to flush the entire brake system out on it,other wise you wont have a good reliable brake pedal,good luck.