Animals used to be the primary tool for transportation. There was no gasoline requirement, you just had to take care of them properly. Communication may have been more difficult in those times. However, things were simpler.

Going back to basics promotes good exercise for people. Walking an extra mile just to see someone from the other side of the mountain was a hearty activity to be enjoyed on weekends. Young people going to barn dances on Saturday nights. Church on a Sunday morning. Laughing out loud together, even on dark nights with only lamps enough to lighten up the faces of your friends. No electricity, no vehicles, and water wells used for potable drinking.

Until the emergence of technology, that is. People have come to realize how to efficiently use it, especially in making life effortless, less time consuming and less demanding. The invention of vehicles gave us all the ability to cross miles without difficulty, effortlessly attending to the personal, business and official matters in our every day lives.

Among the most common, most accessible and most affordable mode of transportation for this purpose is the motorcycle. It is multi-purpose. It can travel to distant places with a minimum of gasoline consumption. It can travel fast also, depending on the driver’s preference of speed. It can even carry an additional passenger.

And of course, the most fun benefit of all, even though it sometimes annoys other drivers – in times when there is a traffic problem, motorcyclists can easily get out of the way of it, weaving effortlessly through larger, more cumbersome vehicles. All this together with their low maintenance requirement, and fewer resources used for parts and repairs, and it’s obvious why they’re so popular.

A prudent motorcyclist must be able to observe correct safety measures when using a motorcycle. This includes proper attire such as a helmet; long sleeves as protection for the skin; sunglasses with tinted lenses to shield the eyes from dust and ultraviolet rays that might cause irritation and swelling; and sometimes even knee pads to protect delicate joints.

Secondly, one should know how to use hand signals at all times. Hand signals are important in communicating with fellow drivers and bikers. Failure to read what the other person is conveying may cause an accident for both.

One must also see to it that their driver’s license and motorcycle registration is up to date. In compliance with the government requirement as well as to avoid hassles in the future, it is better not to procrastinate and to renew your registration as often as required.

Also remember to always bring your driver’s license and registration at all times to prepare for situations when there are check points. Normally, in situations like this, the police officers will always confirm one’s paperwork. You can keep the registration certificate in the trunk, together with machine tools.

Having tools with you is the last thing that the safe biker must do. In cases of emergency, tools are very helpful, especially when traveling to secluded places. You never know when a sudden need for repair might arise.

There are many different types of motorcycle to consider based on your interests. Do you want a motorcycle that is known for speed? If you will be taking long road trips on your motorcycle then you definitely want one built for travel and comfort. You may also want one that offers compartments to hold your necessities while you travel. Other motorcycles are designed for riding on dirt or for competition. There are also scooters that are fun for in town.

If you are new to the feat of motorcycle riding, it is recommended that you start with a moderately priced motorcycle or even with a used one. This is because a new motorcycle can cost you $20,000. Do you want to risk scratching it up or having costly repairs from dropping the bike over? Trust me, if you are new to riding that is going to be a part of the experience! You can always purchase a newer motorcycle once you have become a seasoned rider.

Even if you have a particular style of motorcycle in mind, it has to fit your body perfectly. This may be disappointing at first, but keep in mind that if the bike doesn’t fit you there is a risk of an accident. It is also very likely that you won’t be comfortable while riding it, so what fun will that be? Of course you can always have a customized motorcycle made later on of the style you want that fits you perfectly.

The best way determine if a motorcycle is a good fit for you is to sit on the bike with the kickstand on the ground. Can you touch the ground with both feet? If not, then you need to look for a motorcycle that isn’t as tall. If you can reach the ground with both feet, can you reach the handle bars comfortably? How about the brakes and the turn signals?

Of course a very important aspect you need to consider when looking for the right motorcycle is the price. You need something that is going to fit into your budget. Do you want to purchase a used motorcycle for the amount of money you can afford? Are you willing to take out a loan to pay for a higher priced motorcycle on monthly payments? You should decide this before you even begin looking at potential motorcycles.

A motorcycle can provide you with a fun mode of transportation for fun or for commuting. Motorcycles are very inexpensive to operate and allow you to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. You will find your motorcycle to be more comfortable if you take your time and select one based on how it feels with your body shape than how the body of the bike looks. Choosing a bike that doesn’t fit well will leave you disappointed as well as raise the risk of accidents and injuries taking place.

Safe driving can be attained through following a few simple, common sense techniques. Things that most everyone is aware of, but many fail to practice from time to time. Motorcyclists should be especially aware of all of these things, as they are vulnerable to injury, more so than anyone in a car or certainly a truck.

It should be drilled into all of our heads by now that a main cause of accidents is inebriated drivers who believe that they can still manage to drive but are really incapable. Instances of the effects of drinking can be seen at pretty much any gathering or party when out of nowhere, someone forgets how much they’ve had and makes a stumbling spectacle of them.

For safety reasons, you shouldn’t ever drive after drinking or even allow your friends or family members to do so. This applies even more so to operating a motorcycle. Drinking can effect the vision of the biker. It can slow reaction time, and cause reckless driving. None of which are good ideas when hurtling down the road on an open piece of metal.

Next, do not let new drivers travel long distances on motorbikes. Those who are new to the demands of riding bikes may not know what their limits are yet. Being fatigued or suddenly finding yourself strained on the road is just inviting an accident.

It is far better to take the time to prepare before embarking on a long journey. This simply means having the patience to wait until you have enough experience underneath your belt. Or even signing up for more riding lessons than you may think that you need. There’s no such thing as being over prepared.

Also, do not drive if you are angry, sleepy or tired. Driving needs to be a leisurely activity. Emotional stress can contribute to the chance of mishaps.

Be sure that you are awake. Especially if you are riding a long distance, it might be a good idea to bring something that satisfies you like an Ipod or CD player so that you can listen to your favorite songs. This always helps to enjoy the ride and combat sleepiness.

Bringing something to eat with you is another good idea. You might find that you are famished in the midst of travel. Hunger can distract you and make you less alert.

Anger can contribute to rash, overly aggressive decisions on the road. This can only attract situations that you don’t want. Either in the form of an accident, an escalation of the behavior by other motorists, or a ticket for recklessness.

Most of all, wear your helmet at all times. Wear safety gear like a leather jacket and protective gloves. Do not cross over the speed limits and risk losing control. No overloading of your passengers. It’s a motorcycle, not a truck. Do not make it a habit to overtake other vehicles especially in crowded streets and during rush hour. And don’t be in a hurry. Getting there safely is always worth being a few minutes late.

Being a safe motorcyclist is really just a matter of disciplining one’s self. The more we follow our own common sense as well as the rules of the road, the safer we will be.

I was a motorcycle hater. No one loathed bikes like I did. Then my husband bought his brother’s little Yamaha 200 cc two-stroke. My husband had never ridden and the evil thing had tossed him off the back once when his brother gave him a ride.

My husband’s first effort wasn’t pretty. Remember that I hated motorcycles and was diametrically opposed to his having it. He got about four blocks from his brother’s house, with me following in the car. He had about 35 miles to go through Houston freeway traffic once he got out of the neighborhood. He kept dumping the clutch and stalling the engine. In frustration, he revved the engine and popped the clutch. The little beast was torquey and promptly popped a wheelie across the empty intersection and up into the yard across the street, where it fell over. My husband jumped up, knowing that if the bike hadn’t killed him, I was probably going to, and the bike with him. He yelled that he wasn’t hurt, but the bike was damaged. I went racing back to his brother’s house, yelling that it was Larry’s fault his brother was almost killed. Larry came running, expecting to find scattered parts of human and machine. Instead, there was a broken lever and a bent gear shift. The bike went back to Larry’s and my husband went home.

A friend kindly took Robert out on his Suzuki 380 and taught him the fundamentals. That same afternoon, Robert managed to make it home unscathed. Talk about dumb luck!

In the following two or three months, the malevolent machine, named Critter, managed to pop a weld in the header, almost deafening him before it was fixed, foul its plugs, and toss him into the road and smashing its new windshield when he hit a patch of ice.

Critter soon had a big brother, an magnificent 1978 Yamaha XS 11, macho maroon in color. It was a big 4-stroke and I was instantly in love. Robert had never carried a passenger, but we were too dumb to realize how much experience is needed.

I inherited Critter. Robert moved the bike into the street in front of our house and I got on. At least I knew to wear a helmet and long pants. He walked beside me as I made tiny progress. Then he ran beside me. At least we weren’t dumb enough to have him on the back of the bike as some people do. I got independent and took off and left him. When I got to the end of the block, I confused the brake and the clutch and ran into the intersection. A car was coming and the woman slammed on her brakes. She had no front bumper and the huge “crashbars” got caught on the bumper mount, pulling me and the bike against the car. She said some things I richly deserved and I profusely apologized. We gave her $20 for the broken bumper mount and I walked the bike back home, limping from the huge bump and technicolor bruise that immediately formed. It was not a propitious start to riding.

I managed to get a little better in the following days and thought I was flying when I hit 20 mph. My husband finally coaxed me to venture out of the neighborhood onto a back road. He said it would be a lot easier and more fun.

There was only one small problem. There was a slight slope onto the main road. I couldn’t coordinate brake, clutch, and throttle to get started. I sat there for an hour and a half. Traffic was backed up to the back of the subdivision and horns were honking angrily. Some whipped around me. I covered the tank with tears of frustration.

The gods of motorcycling must have taken pity on me, because I finally got out onto the road. Wheee! I was roaring along at about 30 when a car passed me. It scared me to death.

I finally got the hang of it and we made jaunts of about 150 miles with the friend who taught Robert the basics.

We had an accident on the XS 11 because of inexperience and lack of knowledge. Some cosmetic damage to the bike and a broken wrist for me. Robert was on the front, and took the pockets out of his pants. We were very, very lucky that time. We both got back to riding.

Critter continued its evil ways, throwing its chain and flattening a tire. Then, in 1980, Yamaha created the Maxim, and I was in love! I got one of the first in the city. I put a color matched full fairing on it and went out to play with the big boys. It made my heart smile.

The third day I had it, I was making a right-hand turn when the truck in front of me stopped abruptly. I was already leaned to the right and the ground sloped away, so down I went. No damage to me, but there was a tiny scratch on my tank and one on the brake lever. I was crying and swearing at the same time.

Sometime in 1981, I really learned to ride, and so did Robert. We took an MSF class. I’d like to tell you what we learned, but it’s far too much to put here. We realized a lot of what we were doing was wrong, and there was a lot we just plain didn’t know. What we learned that weekend saved my life on the way home that night. A car pulled out of a crossover which is in front of a beer joint. Without what I’d learned, I would have hit him. As it was, I simply made a safe stop and let him go on his way.

Later that year, we happened to meet one of our instructors, who invited us to be helpers at the classes. We did, and in 1982, we became fully certified MSF instructors. Every time we taught a class, our skills improved, too.

Then, about 15 years ago, the class was completely changed from a task-oriented one to a technique-based one. Everything students learned translated directly to any bike they rode.

Now we had a lot of the tools that had been missing. How to stop quickly on a curve, how to avoid going off a curve, how to set up for curves, how to corner correctly, how to turn from a stop, and most of all, the amazing technique of visual control. Visual control wows even experienced riders.

The motorcycle goes where you look. Robert and I have won awards for our teaching, but the real reason we teach is because we’re making safe riders and saving lives, besides making riding buddies.

I still feel the magic of seeing someone who’s never even sat on a motorcycle go from tiptoeing up to the bike as if it’s going to bite to mounting the bike with confidence and knowing they are in control and able to do a lot more than just start the engine, operate the clutch and gear shift, and apply the brakes. They know how to avoid obstacles, how to anticipate hazards, how to stop quickly, turn sharply, and avoid the problems most shown to cause accidents. They are riders, and good ones.

I had one student, 16, who came into the class saying her 250 cc scooter was way too much for her to ride. When the class was over, she dragged her parents over to my bike, mounted it, and brought it off its sidestand (I had the key in my pocket!) and told her parents she didn’t want that scooter, she wanted a real bike like mine. The joy was I know she could handle it.

The best way to ride? Take an MSF rider course. Studies have shown that 92% of accident involved riders are either self taught or taught by friends.. Your friends are a garden of misinformation. Your instructors are a wealth of real knowledge. Which do you want to learn from?

Protection in the right places…

Not many people realize that most motorcycle injuries occur below the belt. Your legs and feet are extremely vulnerable, so make sure that you wear a decent pair of high boots and some protective pants. The pants should be reinforced at the knees and hips; ideally they should attach to your jacket by a zipper. Boots should be thick leather, with a sole that can flex with the foot but has a resistance to crushing across the foot.

Traditional material for motorcycle clothing is leather, but thick nylon and other synthetic materials work well too. Kevlar reinforced jeans are better than normal jeans .Normal jeans last 0.6 seconds in the European standard abrasion test, while protective motorcycle pants will last 5 seconds or more. You don’t really want to be ripping your skin open within less than half a second of falling of your bike do you? Thought not.

Same principles apply to jackets. Make sure they are hardwearing, if they are leather make sure it is thick leather not fashion leather like some jackets. Stitching should be uniform with no dropped stitches, and all your “sharp bits”, your elbows and shoulders should be reinforced, ideally with some impact protection included.

A decent pair of gloves is a must; your palms will be at risk in an accident; you instinctively put out your hands palm side down to stop yourself in a slide, so the palms of your gloves should be reinforced with patches. Knitted Kevlar is especially good for this kind of abrasion resistance, but reinforced leather works well too.

Impact protection can be bought separately like back protectors and so on, but remember where your most vulnerable areas are. And make sure if you buy impact protection you actually wear it! If you have any doubts it may be better to go for motorcycle clothing with a degree of impact protection included so that you know when you put on your jacket and pants, the protection is always going to be there.

Last but not least, pick out a helmet you can wear and wear it always. You may have a greater chance of getting injured below the waist in a motorcycle accident, but the consequences of being involved in an accident without a helmet just don’t bear thinking about….

So, next time you are shopping for motorcycle clothing, give a bit of thought to the level of protection it offers before you buy it. You never know it could save you a lot of unnecessary pain!