Paying attention on the road

    How many times have the teacher yelled at the students busy chattering and not minding the lectures at the blackboard. Coincidentally, the same students flunk the periodical test when it happens. In riding your motorcycle the road requires attention, the moment you lose it means you risk yourself to accidents. If your mind is busy at something else and all of a sudden you don’t see the car in front applying the brakes, then it is your fault for not paying attention to the road.

Here are some things that will make you lose your attention:

Not feeling well or sick.

  

     If you’re not feeling well or you are sick, then it’s time to give up on riding a motorcycle for the day and give your body that much needed rest. If you do force the issue then you put yourself and others at risk as your body will be slow to react on the things you might encounter along the road.

A problem at home or at work.

    One of the reasons some riders are caught by surprise in a road accident is because there mind was not on the road but on the problems they are currently facing. When riding, always empty the mind and focus on the road, problems will have to wait until you get home or at the office if you don’t want to add another problem of being in an accident.

Women

   

    Let’s face it women are beautiful to look at. I have seen riders tailing other vehicles relentlessly just to take a peek at them or throw a whistle with some girl on the sidewalk. The next thing you know they hit something hard like a road sign or another vehicle. Funny as it sounds these things do happen so always keep your eyes on the road!

Alcohol and drugs

Let’s face it it’s impossible to focus when your drunk or on high with drugs. How many times have we often heard the news about a drunk driver speeding and ending up with a crash, drugs are no exception either. These harmful substances need to be avoided when riding your motorcycle as they hamper your judgment on the road. Don’t drink and drive, if you do drink then don’t drive it’s that simple now repeat these lines 100 times.

Here is a funny video clip I got from youtube in the movie "the sweetest thing" If I was the rider in the clip, I'll try so hard to ignore them. . ^^,

Riding for the first time

Before riding on any motorcycle please wear your best crash gear first. A list of proper riding gear can be found here. If you want to learn how to ride a motorcycle the best place for you to learn would be to enroll yourself in a motorcycle riding school. If there is none near at your place then practice at a controlled environment such as an empty parking lot with someone who knows and rides a motorcycle.

Welcome new rider

Have someone to teach you the basics such as twisting the throttle, changing gears, applying the brakes, how to turn and use the turn signals, using the side mirror, reading road signs and traffic rules of the road. Riding a motorcycle can be quite a challenge as it is often stereotype as “dangerous” and a lot of times you’d be ask to just get a car because they believe its safer but in my opinion it’s the same thing, if your not careful and patient in riding either vehicle then your sure to find yourself in trouble.

Wear bright reflective vest for added safety

If its your first time on a motorcycle a lot of people would probably ask “have you ridden a bike before?”. Basically a bike and a motorcycle have some things in common but they are also worlds apart from each other.  On a bike you learn how to balance and you maintain that balance by peddling on the bike and giving it some speed. On a motorcycle it’s the same thing but instead of using your legs we use the clutch and the throttle. The clutch is a mechanism used to change the gear on the motorcycle and the throttle gives it gas. On automatic motorcycles, usually scooters; they don’t have the clutch lever on the left handle bar and the gears automatically slip in place. The same thing with the bicycle, a motorcycle have brakes for the rear wheel and the front wheel, be sure to locate it before actually twisting that throttle.

Rider wearing reflective taping for added visibility

 In a week or two practice on throttle control and braking in place, observe how other motorist use the road, you can also learn a lot by doing this. By this time you should have your driver’s license already but if you still don’t have it then avoid going on the public roads. If you feel you are ready to hit the road then do so at your own pace, I suggest you wear a bright reflective vest or reflective taping in addition to your crash gear for added safety on the road. I wish you the best of luck in your first step to becoming a responsible rider. Do not be pressured to go fast by other riders but instead try to observe how you ride your motorcycle and find ways to better improve yourself. Ride safe and always practice defensive driving.

Rain Gear

     Picture this, you’re happily riding along and suddenly a burst of rain falls down from the skies. Without warning other motorcyclists in panic try to search for shade in a hurry, while others hide under the bridges. But what if you’re in the middle of nowhere then there is no choice but to get wet and put yourself under the danger of hypothermia.

Rain Gear by Komine

     When I go for the ride I usually carry my rain gear in my back pack. The good old rain coat usually works well. If your buying a rain coat then buy one that is one size bigger or try it out first with your riding gear on so yo can see if your comfortable or not. You can also buy rain shoes so your shoes don’t get wet( if you don't have water proof ones), as for your gloves you can buy those plastic wet gloves from the gardening section. Pick the one that is one size larger than your glove say your glove is medium then pick the large size or better yet try them on first if it fits with your gloves. Believe me you don’t want to get you leather gloves wet and not to mention your socks, both of them will smell pretty much the same like rotten cheese.

Rain! Rain! Go away! These two ninjas want to play!

     I've also seen people just put on garbage bags on themselves to protect them from rain, I guess looking like trash is better than ending up wet and soggy. If your going this route then just get yourself the old trash bag and store it in your pocket, when rain comes you can just punch holes in the bag and wear them. They're not too shabby but definitely out of style well who cares if it keeps you dry anyways.

Riding boots

     Not only do they look cool but they also protect your feet and shin area. They are designed for casual, touring, motocross, naked bike and sports riding.  They are usually made of leather, rubber and hard plastics. Depending on the design others have reflective taping for added visibility at night, a steel toe slider and some are water proof to name a few.

Waterproof boots by Teknic

Shin Guards and Arm Guards

     Ok now this might remind you of the days you went for a bicycle ride with all these things in your hands and shins but believe it or not they offer indispensable protection during crashes. Out of all my crashes these small piece of plastic with some cotton padding actually save me from broken bones and abrasions.

Knee Guards by Knox

     This is the minimum protection that riders should have if you don’t go for the Robocop body armor. If you don’t like others looking at these guards when you ride or go to a store, just wear them under your jacket or pants. Well the knee area might have some bulge on it but it is better than having a fracture or abrasion on that knee area.

An Arm Guard can protect you from this awful road rash

Rider Gloves

     When I started out wearing gloves it felt awkward at first but when I faced my first accident it saved my hands from injury. Now I can’t ride without them, I feel that something is a miss without it. During accidents it is usually out of reflex that we would use our hands for support and thus injury cannot be avoided. 

Leather Gloves by Cortech

     Rider gloves are usually made of leather, cowhide, elastic spandex, nylon or a combination of these. They have knuckle and palm protectors made usually of hard plastics or carbon fiber and for added visibility at night some have reflective taping. Different Gloves are available which are designed for touring, motocross, naked bike and sports riding so pick the one that’s best for your ride.

Body Armor

     Ok by now you’ve probably gotten yourself a riding jacket and pants, then the next thing for you to want with that cool jacket and riding pants is body armor. Well first off having body armor won’t protect you from bullets or be like superman but it does help you stay protected during times of accidents. Body armor protects you from having fatal injuries during crashes and is a must for all riders to have. They protect the upper part of the body which usually where your vital organs are located. Some jackets and pants come with their own armor attached to vital impact areas. Choose a body armor that is CE approved. A CE marked product means that a manufacturer has been able to prove that the product has passed the appropriate quality assurance tests.

Body Armor by Knox

     There are lots of body armor to choose from and they can be integrated on your riding jackets and some even offer spine protection. It is up to you to choose whatever design you like but for me I prefer those designs which are aerodynamic and light as it tends to be quite hot in our location here in the tropics. You should try the body armor on when shopping and see to it that it doesn’t restrict any of your movements. Remember your no superman with that body armor so do ride safely.

Riding Jacket and Pants

     Riding jackets and pants are basically your first line of defense from abrasion or road rash. Some are made from heavy duty polyester, leather, denim or a combination of these materials. Some come with body armor, shin and arm guards. Others also have reflective taping for more added visibility at night and also a wind proof liner for longer season use.  

Leather Jacket by Speed and Strength

     I would probably advice you to choose leather but hard polyester is also good, denim is basically better than nothing. There are some specifically design for aerodynamics, others for hot weather and some are waterproof. Depending on your location and weather location I think it would be advisable to choose judging from that reason or go with your riding style like touring, motocross, casual or are you a sports bike racer look.

Leather Pants by Spidi

   

Motorcycle Helmets

     A helmet during the world war protected soldiers from being shot to the head. It was usually made of steel and thus very heavy. Modern motorcycle helmets are now constructed from hard plastic materials. High priced helmets are made with fiberglass reinforced with Kevlar (one used for bullet proof armor) or carbon fiber. They generally have fabric and foam interiors for both comfort and protection. Motorcycle helmets now have evolved and are much lighter. It is a common misconception that a fracture or a broken skull is the one that helmets are used commonly but it is actually not. The helmets are design rather to protect you from traumatic brain injury while skull and face injuries are also taken into consideration. Brain damage is the very cause of why riders die during head injury, the skull or face usually heals but brain damage results in a change of personality or permanent disability. 

     When looking for a helmet, you need to try it on and make sure it doesn’t move up or down. It should be a snug and comfort fit, not too tight but not too lose either. You should try looking to your left and right, it should move with you. It should feel natural too you and should not have any pressure points commonly on the forehead or your ears.  Do not buy a helmet just because you like the design, comfort and proper fitting should first come to mind. They come in a variety of sizes usually extra small, small, medium, large and extra-large. Helmets also have standards and you usually see this either at the back of the helmet or printed on its tag.

Here are the standards for helmets.

• ACU (Auto-Cycle Union) Gold or Silver badge
• AS/NZS 1698:2006 (Australia and New Zealand)
• BSI (British Standards Institute) 6658
• DOT FMVSS 218 (USA)
• NBR 7471 (Brazil)
• IS 4151 (India)
• JIS T 8133:2000 (Japan)
• Snell M 2005 "2005 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling"
• SNI (Indonesia)
• SHARP (UK) - Star Rating
• ECE 22.05 (Europe)

     Now some helmets have one standard approved and others on premium ones might have two or more tagged or printed at the back, my rule of the thumb the more the better and probably more expensive. If you see any helmet that has a reputable name and brand but do not have any standards printed or marked into it I personally would not buy it. It might be fakes or it might be that the helmet has not gone the standard test.

Full Face Helmet by Scorpion

    A helmet’s weight should also be taken into consideration. The more heavy the weight of your helmet during impact, the more you risk having neck injury. Your neck usually absorbs the impact from the crash so if possible buy the lightest one you can afford.

    Wind noise is also another consideration in buying a helmet. When you’re cruising at 60km/h you might not notice any wind noise but if you’re a long distance rider and travel speeds above 80km/h then you’ll know what I’m talking about. Sometimes the wind noise is just barely tolerable on some cheap helmets that there’s no way to minimize them than to lower the speed. Some helmet manufacturers will give you free ear plugs with the helmet you buy from them. If possible, ask the shop if this helmet is a bit “noisy” or you can read some online reviews of the helmet before buying it.

Helmet Styles

     They come in different styles namely the full face, half face, modular, off road motocross and half helmet. Out of all the styles the full face helmet has the most protection second would be the half face, modular and the off road motocross helmets.

 

Half Face Helmets by Zeus

     The modular helmet is something of a combination of a full face and a half face. The chin bar can be flip up so you can have a breath of fresh air or drink your favorite soda as you take a break while riding.

Riders wearing a modular helmet

     The motocross helmet is usually worn with goggles due to its lack of a visor unlike the full face or half face helmets. The chin bar is also noticeably extended a bit.

a motocross style helmet is worn with goggles

      I would not advise that you get the half helmet  or novelty helmets are now a thing of the past. In some countries the use of half helmets are not anymore accepted.

Helmets not for riding
  
     Some helmets are not for riding but you still see them being worn by motorcyclist from time to time. They are usually for those motorcyclist who only try to trick others of compliance with mandatory helmet laws. Such items are often smaller and lighter than helmets made to DOT standards, and are useless during a real crash because they lack the energy-absorbing foam that protects your brain by allowing it to come to a gradual stop during an impact and obviously will not protect the face from being erased. Some of this so called helmets even fly off since they don't have straps. Some examples would be a hardhat, a baseball cap or a bikers helmet. Well if you know them people wearing such helmets advise them to get a full face or something that is actually useful during a crash, they might fool the law but in the end they only fool themselves with those pale like helmets.

Second hand helmets

     There are some riders offering second hand helmets usually on online buy and sell sites such as eBay. Now is this a good deal? Well you can save actually a lot of money but it is not advisable to do so. First reason is that helmets are only design on first impact, after that there is no guarantee that it will do its job of protecting you. That is why it is advisable to replace helmets after a crash or once every 3 years if you haven’t been to a crash. Another reason is that you can’t be sure the helmet has no damage, the outer designs might be intact but the protective foam might have been already crushed by previous accidents unknown to you. So don’t buy second hand helmets and don’t sell your used ones either.

Helmet do’s and don’t

• Always store your helmet in a safe location and be sure it won’t get dropped on the floor.

• Avoid hanging them on the walls of your room or any area that risk them to dropping.

•  Clean the helmet with mild soap and water do not use heavy solvents for cleaning.

•  Don’t paint or add stickers to them.

• Take care of your helmet and it will take care of you at the best of its abilities when that critical time comes in your riding. Ride Safe Always!

Why I quit using open pipes on my motorcycle

It is now 10:30pm of the evening and I can still hear loud open pipes buzzing around just outside my house. I live near the road but it’s supposedly quiet the way I remember it way back then year 2009 here in the town of General Santos City. But things have change now, open pipes are now installed in every motorcycle. Well that's where the problem starts; no one gets to sleep at night with these annoying motorcyclists who think they own the road happily twisting the throttle with these noisy pipes late in the evening. What's an open pipe? Well basically a muffler (or silencer in British English) is a device for reducing the amount of noise emitted by a vehicle. On internal combustion engines, the engine exhaust blows out through the muffler. Now open pipes have these silencers remove so basically it generates a lot of noise!

open pipes

I am also a motorcycle rider and out of curiosity and word of mouth have also tried what its like to have these open pipes! I have mine installed on my Honda wave 100 yes it’s a scooter but it does answer all my needs when it comes to city riding. The pipe design was like of the cbr 150, a sports bike looking pipe and has really bad ass sound to add. Pretty soon I was one with the sleep breakers happily twisting the throttle enjoying that "vroom! vroom!" sound of the engine. It’s almost like riding a sports bike and pretty soon when you reach the highway, other underbones and scooters alike with open pipes join the fray. It’s like a motorcycle race track out there! As you wait for the red light on traffic, plenty of other motorcyclists would rev it up, seemed like provoking you to race with them, and when the light turns green, the engines started to roar! Wheels turn and a cloud of dust for the ones left behind. Hey no wonder the number of accidents has doubled within a short amount of time!

After that I went for a short trip with the Xp Riders team, other motorcycles was also equipped with open pipes and we rode roaring town after town. The good thing about these pipes is that some stray animals such as dogs in the street tend to steer away from you but others would still jump in the middle of the road out of panic. It’s probably afraid of the loud sound produced by the pipe and after the ride ended I was so stressed out since I also had to endure the loud pipe's roaring sound along the way. At one point I couldn't hear anything but there was no room to complain now as everyone was happily revving it up.

After 8 months of using the open pipe I gave it up as it was too stressful during riding. Does it increase the speed of the motorcycle when you have these pipes? I'll answer yes but not that huge on my motorcycle it had a 5% increase in speed but it also burns out your ears, makes the neighbors hate you when you pass by at night( unless you really slow it down so it doesn't generate that much noise). Other dangers this open pipes produce unknowingly is a situation that you'll be a victim of road rage as other drivers in particular cagers get annoyed at you passing them with these pipes. Some of the motorcyclist favors these pipes because in their opinion "loud pipes save lives" but the way I see it a horn usually still works best when calling attention from other drivers. So as to those motorcyclist who still enjoys there loud open pipes, I'm not saying you lose it but I'm saying that please be responsible in using it and have a small consideration when passing by homes at night so we can all have a good sleep. Ride safe always!