When the war ended and they were no longer flying regularly, it left a huge void in their lives. They missed the adrenaline that came from flying. Many of them took an interest in riding motorcycles as a way to fill that void. Sporting their bomber jackets they joined with fellow bikers and went riding together. Soon they began to form riding clubs. Flight suits and bomber jackets transitioned into leather biking attire that enabled the riders to identify with fellow riders and club members.

Most of the biking attire consisted of black leather jackets that sported their riding club’s patches and logos. The jackets served the dual purpose of being a symbol of status and belonging as well as protection in event of a crash. However, when it was too hot to wear the jackets all the time, many riders started wearing leather vests. This way they could enjoy the comfort of riding without a heavy jacket, but still have a place to display their patches. Motorcycle vests function primarily as a uniform for the activity of biking and associating with other motorcycle enthusiasts.

Bikers commonly wear leather attire as a safety measure in case they crash, but also to enhance the biking experience. People wear certain types of apparel that are appropriate for particular events. In the same fashion, leather vests have become and integral part of the biking world.

The early designs of leather vests were trendy but not very comfortable to wear. Fortunately, motorcycle attire design has come a long way and will continue to improve and will always be part of the mainstream fashion trends. While black remains the color of choice, it is no longer the only option. There are more colors and style options that meet the needs and design tastes of both men and women of all ages.

When shopping for your motorcycle vests, give yourself the benefit of choosing a quality product. Your motorcycle accessories can last a lifetime if you invest in top-of-the-line brands and regularly clean and maintain your brown motorcycle clothing. You can find the level of quality that you need by doing some research in consumer product publications and searching online retailers of motorcycle apparel.

It’s important to make sure you have the correct documentation for you and your motorcycle when travelling abroad. You must ensure you carry the following documents when riding.

1. Passport – Non-European Union citizens may also require a Visa.

2. Driving Licence – Full UK Licence with paper counterpart if a photo licence. (An International Driving Permit is not necessary).

3. MOT Certificate – If your motorcycle is more than 3 years old.

4. Registration Document (V5) – Sometimes referred to as a Log Book.

5. Insurance Certificate for your motorcycle – In line with European Union directives your vehicle insurance will automatically cover you to the minimum requirement of third party only while in other EU countries (a green card is not necessary). If you want to maintain the same level of cover you have in the UK you will need to contact your insurance company or broker before your departure. Your insurance company will normally make a small charge to extend your existing cover to other EU countries.

Make sure all your documents are up to date and will cover you for the length of time you spend abroad. Also ensure your motorcycle has a current Road Tax, and is otherwise road legal.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Ride on the right-hand side of the road (except in Malta and Cyprus). If you don’t have a rear-view mirror on the left-hand side of your motorcycle, have one fitted to aid in riding on the right.

The wearing of a suitable crash helmet is compulsory throughout all European Union countries.

A suitable GB sticker must be displayed at the rear of your motorcycle. Since 2001, if you have a number plate displaying the blue GB euro-symbol, a conventional sticker is no longer necessary.

For many motorcycles, headlamp deflectors or readjustment is not necessary (the headlamp beam pattern is different to that of cars). If in doubt, ask your local MOT station to check.

Riding with dipped headlights is compulsory at all times in most European countries.

GOOD IDEAS

Although not a legal requirement, the following will give you peace of mind and could be essential should the worst happen.

1. European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – In order to receive health care treatment in any other EU country you will need a European Health Insurance Card. As from 1st January 2006 this card replaced the E111 and entitles the holder to state-medical treatment for injuries and illnesses. You can apply for a EHIC by picking up a form at your local post office, there’s no charge. The EHIC may not cover all the services you might expect in the UK, so it’s a good idea to take out a suitable Personal Travel Insurance.

2. Personal Travel Insurance – Make sure the policy covers motorcyclists. Some insurance companies consider motorcycling a dangerous pass time. As always, if in doubt, ask.

3. European Breakdown Insurance – None of us expect to breakdown, but a suitable insurance could save a lot of hassle and money should you have the misfortune to suffer mechanical problems.

It’s also a good idea to carry a spare set of bulbs and fuses, a basic tool kit, a puncture repair kit, chain lube (if applicable) and a spare set of keys.

Most of these choppers have been built from motorcycle chopper kits, the “bike in a box” approach. But hey, don’t knock it! Building your own chopper has never been easier. There are rolling chassis kits, complete bike kits, and frame manufacturers give you a multitude of choice when it comes to take the plunge and buy a motorcycle chopper kit.

Thirty years ago, the old school chopper builders had to start with a stock bike off-the-shelf and literally chop it to pieces. With the modern chopper kits, there is a viable alternative to taking the cutting torch to your favorite soft tail!

Nowadays, you have a cheap and easier way to build the bike from the ground up. When you take the cost of buying a new bike and the expense of chopping it, it works out much cheaper to start from step one, and your chopper kit. Instead of tossing away the parts that you’ll never use again, you can start building your own bike with the parts that you really need. All the parts are included in the motorcycle chopper kit, along with comprehensive instructions.

One of the first questions that people ask when considering buying a kit is how will my bike stand outs from all the other chopper kits? Well think of it this way, you are going to buy a chopper kit. A pile of unassembled raw metal. No paint, no real finish, just a blank canvas. Is your taste in paint jobs likely to be the same as the next guy, who buys the very same kit? I don’t think so. What about your taste in bolt-ons, seats, exhausts? Just because you buy the kit doesn’t mean every little thing has to be just so. That is the whole point isn’t it? It’s very easy in this way to build your own custom chopper from a chopper kit.

Another big question is, “How long”? The answer to that is as long as it takes. Even on the kit bikes, which are supposed to be designed to fit together like a glove, you are going to run into some snags. It can’t be avoided!

If you want a more concrete guide, try this. An experienced kit builder (though not a professional) I spoke to reckons it took 10 full days to build his last chopper from a kit. For someone less experienced it could take a couple of days longer. Twelve 9 hour days works out at 108 hours. Over evenings and weekends, this could drag out to three or four weeks of living in a pile of motorcycle parts! So be prepared to literally live the experience if you are going to take the plunge.

What about the practical side? Well, there is no substitute for experience. The place to start building up your experience with the mechanical side of building to kit bike is with your current ride. Make sure all you can do the basic maintenance on your motorcycle, and then start to do some simple disassembling. Take off the tires, take off the exhaust, real basic stuff; all of this will help to build a new confidence in the shop side of things. You can also get some great videos on maintenance, and even on building the custom bike of your dreams. Read the books, watch the videos, and buy the t-shirt! Believe me, all the preparation you make will stand you in good stead.

If you really are hopeless at the mechanical side of things, why not pay someone else to help you build it, or even get them to build the whole thing for you? The cost of the kit plus labor could well work out cheaper than buying a chopper “off the shelf”.

And of course, when that beautiful chopper is standing on your driveway, and your friends are asking you “Was it worth it?” you can turn to the chopper, drag your hand across the flames on the tank and the polished chrome, turn back to them and say, “What do you think?”

Education

You’d be surprised how well educated a lot of today’s top bike builders are. Several of them have degrees (some more than one!) ranging from mechanical engineering to business and marketing management. Billy Lane, the founder of Chopper Inc, has several patents relating to motorcycle technology in his name for example. What about someone a little more “old school” like Dave Perewitz? Dave has accumulated close to forty years of mechanical, metalworking and painting experience. Not theoretical, but genuine hands on, early morning late night kind of experience. Could you put that kind of time in? Matt Hotch is still only young, but has gained an incredible amount of practical experience customizing first bicycles, then VW’s before moving on to custom bike building.

Facilities

These guys are building choppers and custom bikes that are state of the art. They don’t get thrown together in the yard; the motorcycle shops have all the tools and equipment required to produce almost anything out of metal, not just bikes. Just as important are the other services these builders use; the local chrome platers, machinists, painters and so on. These guys have just as important a part to play in the construction of these one off bikes as the designer builders themselves.

Desire

All the top custom bike builders live for one thing; building the best bikes they can. They literally live eat even dream about custom bikes (and looking at some of the more way out creations you can totally believe this from the designs they produce!) They are constantly striving to build bikes better. Its not about money for the top guys, I am convinced of that.

So where does that leave Average Joes like you and me? Actually, I don’t think we are too badly off; in fact if you want to build a custom bike, it has probably never been easier. Here’s my take on it….

Education

There is an unbelievable amount of information for the guys who want to start down the road to custom bike building. Videos, books websites, all of them help to flatten the learning curve for a novice. Most of the material out there relates to motorcycle kits, and for the beginner, building a motorcycle kit is definitely the best way to go if you want to get real hands on experience. After that there are motorcycle maintenance courses, which again will allow you to get up to speed as fast as possible in your quest to become the next Arlen Ness!

Facilities

To put together a shop like the ones you see on television costs thousands of dollars. But you don’t need all that stuff if you start with a motorcycle kit. Motorcycle kits can be put together with some pretty basic tools, providing they are of good quality. Two things that are an absolute must in my opinion though are a torque wrench and a basic lift. With these two tools, you can tighten the motorcycle kits fittings correctly, and not break your back while you are doing it!

Desire

Well this is one area where you can match the pros, no question. If you really want to be a custom bike builder, start doing it for fun and put your motorcycle kit together.

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!