For the true motorcycle enthusiast, nothing is more important than your gear. And when it comes to motorcycle gear , the key factors are style, safety and comfort. From your helmet to your boots, it is important to invest in quality items that you can wear comfortably while riding or even when off your bike.

Helmets
From a safety perspective, the most important items to consider are Motorcycle Helmets. They protect the head from severe injury in the case of an accident, and definitely save lives. When it comes to helmets, there are a couple of options to consider, depending on your style and preference. A full face helmet covers the complete head and has an extra section that covers the chin and an extension on the rear that covers the base of the skull, which provides more safety when riding. An open face or ¾ helmet covers the ears, cheeks and back of the head but does not cover the lower chin as a full face helmet does. A modular or flip-up helmet as they are sometimes referred to, is a hybrid between full face and open face helmet. Basically, a flip-up helmet resembles a full face helmet that has a hinged front section that flips open to be an open face helmet. Choosing a helmet almost always depends on personal preference, safety, comfort and the type of motorcycle riding. There are many popular brands on the market today that vary in prices and of course style.

Apparel and Accessories
Motorcycle apparel and accessories are a great investment when it comes to style, comfort and safety. Such apparel comes in many forms such as Motorcycle Jackets, pants, gloves and Motorcycle Boots. Depending on your style and budget, there are many top motorcycle apparel brands that are known for quality and comfort. Some name brands include; Joe Rocket, Tourmaster, Alpinestars, Firstgear and many more. There are many motorcycle accessories on the market today with the motorcycle enthusiasts in mind. Some motorcycle accessories such as saddlebags, tail bags and communication devices can make motorcycle riding easier and less stressful. Other motorcycle accessories such as covers, tool kits, locks/alarms and chemical cleaning supplies are a great way to maintain your bikes riding condition all year long.

In the olden times, life used to be less complicated. People did not commute, they simply walked. Long distances could be reached through riding horses. In traversing mountains or rivers, one simply needed the help of carabaos, mules, or other similar animals.

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. Read the rest of this entry »

There are few things more pleasurable to the motorcycle enthusiast than riding their bike down an open road. But care should be taken to engage in this favorite pastime safely. No amount of momentary fun is worth months in the hospital, after all.

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. Read the rest of this entry »

“You have to be completely crazy to ride a motorcycle. Those things are dangerous!”

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. Read the rest of this entry »

During World War II, the lifestyle that fighter pilots became accustomed to was both daring and exhilarating. They were beset by dangerous situations on a regular basis because they spent a good share of their time at traveling at high speeds and defying the laws of gravity. They weren’t necessarily engaged in thrill seeking, it was just the nature of the work they did as fighter pilots. In addition, their whole way of life was bolstered by the tight sense of camaraderie and teamwork among the pilots.

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. Read the rest of this entry »