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.

How often have we heard that? Zealous four-wheelers are bent on saving us from our own stupidity. Of course our bulbs are dim. Anyone bright wouldn’t go near one of those two-wheeled death machines. “It’s too risky,” they intone piously.

In a small part, they are right. There is risk involved in operating a motorcycle. There’s also risk involved in driving on a freeway, even in a tank. And it’s purely insane to sleep on a waterbed if we have cats. The trick is to manage the risks and to not take dumb risks.

One of the main keys to managing risks is to take a motorcycle rider course, and to keep the mental and physical skills we learn sharp. Many skills are lost in six months if they aren’t practiced. Knowing good cornering and curve-riding techniques doesn’t do us any good if we don’t practice them.

Knowing our limits, the limits of our machines, and the limits of our environment and riding within those limits is also critical. We must remember that those limits change constantly and adapt our riding style to conform to them.

Superior riders never get themselves into situations requiring superior skills. Taking dumb risks is asking for trouble. If we keep pushing our limits, we will eventually exceed them, and the consequences can be devastating or even fatal. Riding faster and faster though a familiar curve can spell disaster when we’ve pushed our traction to the limits and there’s something unexpected in the road halfway through the curve. Riding fast in the rain just because we’re in a hurry makes no sense when we know we can’t stop quickly. Slowing down and putting distances between us and a hazard is sensible risk management. Replacing worn tires helps keep us safely stuck to the road.

Part of the challenge of motorcycling is risk management, and the sport wouldn’t be very enjoyable if we wrapped ourselves in cotton and surrounded ourselves with a cocoon of safety devices. However, the sport is more fun if we don’t have to worry about dangers we create for ourselves.

TRAVEL LIGHLTY

It’s tempting to throw as much as possible into your panniers, but remember, every ounce you pack onto your bike reduces handling qualities. Add to this a pillion and the needle on the pleasure-ometer begins to swing to the low side. Of course, there are some things that you can’t do without, but the keyword here is need. Take what you need and nothing more. If you are going on an organized guided tour, the company should (if it’s worth its salt) have a back-up vehicle that will carry your luggage.

PACK SENSIBLY

To optimize the handling of your bike, place heavy items at the bottom of your panniers.

BEFORE YOU GO

In the weeks leading up to your planned tour, begin making a list of what you might need to take with you. At this stage, it doesn’t matter if the list is too long; you can always cross things off as the time draws nearer. By using this method, you will ensure that the things you take with you are what you really need. You will also reduce the risk of leaving behind an essential item.

MOTORCYCLE LUGGAGE

Unless you like riding for hours with a rucksack strapped to your back, it’s invariably better to have panniers and back box. Detachable panniers are great; they can be unhooked as carried like a suitcase. Belt bags are also popular for carrying things like money, credit cards and mobile phone.

TO ROLL OR NOT TO ROLL

You’ll have to decide this for yourselves, but personally speaking I prefer to roll my clothes before placing them in a bag inside the panniers. Other riders like to lay things flat, but it doesn’t work for me. Some bikers like to use zippable plastic bags that are sat upon to squeeze out the air before they are sealed. They claim that the vacuum keeps their clothes crease-free, but of course, I’m just not heavy enough (hee-hee).

TANK BAGS

Tank bags are fine and some of expandable ones can hold quite a lot of luggage, but it does take the fun out of it a little bit for me. If you’re going on a tour with a back-up vehicle, you only have to put up with the tank bag until you reach your starting point, then someone else carries it for you; great.

PLASTIC SEALABLE BAG

It’s always good to keep your smelly socks away from your good clothes. How many times have you gone into your luggage and found that you can’t decide whether you’ve worn those socks once before or not?

SMALL ITEMS

Very often small items are forgotten, such as; mobile phone charger, camera, camera batteries, first-aid kit, toiletries etc. This is when list-making comes into its own. If you’re going to a hot country, don’t forget your insect bite/sting cream. Something I always carry is a pack of tissues; I know it’s just a small item, but it comes under ‘Essentials’ for me.

REALLY ESSENTIAL

If you get as excited as I do prior to a motorcycle tour, please pay extra attention to making sure that you are carrying your bike documents and driving license. If you are going overseas, don’t forget your passport, or you’ll be turning around and going home. .

DON’T FORGET

Unless you are heading for some remote region, there will always be a chance to buy things that you forget, but you aren’t really going on a shopping trip so try to remember as much as you can. No doubt, there will be something you need, and it can be fun finding these things in a foreign town, but if the list is long, it can become tiresome.

Well, you’ve packed and you’re on your way. Have a great time and ride safely. May the roads be long and winding, and the sky blue.

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!