Motorcycle Safety - Gear To Help Protect You |
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Westly Lager
October 22, 2009
Westly Lager
http://westlylager.net
Owning and riding a motorcycle is one of the most thrilling things in life. You are out and open to the feel of the wind rushing at you. But unlike a driving a car and getting in an accident and your car may get a little banged up, a motorcycle is way different. Once you go down on a motorcycle, even at a slow speed, you better have some protective gear on.
The required piece of safety gear by law is of course a motorcycle helmet but the are many other ways you can be injured in the event of an accident. Road rash is the most common and can cause severe injury and pain. This can be reduced or avoided by simple wearing protective gear. Some of the gear that will help you are gloves, jacket, chaps or other protective pants, and even gear you wear over your back to help protect your spine.
The first piece of gear you already have if you ride a motorcycle but may want to reconsider is your helmet. Many people get to concerned with looks and choose the wrong type of helmet. It is always fun to have your own unique style but not at the cost of your safety. It does however depend on the style of riding you do. If you do a lot of aggressive sport riding then it is probably not the best to have a half face or German helmet, because there is more likelihood you will go down and they won't provide they type of protection you need.
If you ride during the winter or on cold days then you most likely already have gloves to keep your hands warm but these are a vital part of your gear and if they don't keep your hands as warm as possible and your fingers start to get stiff then it could disastrous if you can't respond in time. It may seem over the top but having cold fingers can effect how well you grip and your ability to squeeze your brakes and clutch. If you haven't been able to find a pair of gloves that keep your hands warm then consider getting heated gloves or heated hand grips. You also want to have gloves that have some sort of protection on the knuckles as that is a part of your hands that could get road rash easily. Most gloves will have a hard material or plastic guarding the areas that could be damaged.
There are many other types of motorcycle riding gear available but one of the last I will discuss and also very important is a good quality, protective motorcycle jacket. Any leather jacket won't always protect you if you go down. If you visit any motorcycle shops or apparel retailers you will see they have many options to choose from and the material that the motorcycle jackets are made of is a lot more durable and sturdy. They often have thicker material or plastic inserts on the shoulder and elbow region since those are the most likely areas of your body that will hit the ground.
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For additional information on motorcycle gear be sure to check out http://mymotorcycleraingear.org . There you will find information and the best types of products to keep yourself dry while riding in the rain.