2Wheeltips

Take a look around any motorcycle dealer, store or event and you will see tons of clothing for men but very few items for women. Even worse, the stuff you do see looks like warmed over men's clothing with pink or purple designs and a few plastic beads. No woman with any fashion sense would be caught dead in some of the stuff that is labeled "women's motorcycle clothing."

There are a few brands out there for women but the makers assume the women are passengers and not riders! In many cases the clothing is not sturdy and begins to fall apart after a few wearings. Women who ride their own bikes had to make a choice: wear men's clothing or wear the passenger quality stuff that will fall apart before the riding season ends.

Fortunately, some manufacturers are paying attention to the growing number of female riders and started making fashionable riding gear for women. One company that comes to mind is Scooter Girls. They make very fashionable motorcycle gear with all of the safety features, such as reflective panels and impact pads, that you would find in a men's jacket. Their stuff looks so good it could double as a regular coat! If you are into leather and don't want an ugly men's styled jacket, there is DeHall Designs. This company makes tons of women's jackets, some of which can be customized. Last I checked they were using fine Italian leather to make their gear.

So the next time you need some motorcycle gear, check out what these two companies have to offer before you buy men's styled clothing. You many be pleasantly surprised at what's out there for women.

One of the things I hear new riders talk about all the time is how much faster it seems they are moving on a bike, when in many cases, they are riding below the speed limit and cars are passing them.

One of the things I tell them is riding in a car is much different than riding a motorcycle. In a car you are isolated and can not accurately judge your speed. On a motorcycle, you are out in the open and the ground is rushing by a few inches beneath your feet. For a newbie, getting an accurate "feel" for how fast 55mph is can be scary and troubling.  If you are going to become a decent rider, it is something you will have to get used to.

So, how do you get comfortable with riding at highway speeds? Well....practice makes perfect. The more you ride, the faster you will you get used to it. We are not saying you should go out on a major freeway and hit the gas, but once you get comfortable riding around the neighborhood streets you need to spend some time on some major roads. Another thing that can help you is to keep your head up and look down the road where you want to go and not down at your feet or in front of the bike. We have a video on this so you can see the difference keeping your head up makes. http://www.2wheeltips.com/videos/view/keep-your-head-up_156.html?m=9

And finally, never rider faster than your skills allow. Now is the time to learn and build your motorcycle skills. Once you've mastered the basics, you will have plenty of time to ride fast if that's what you want to do. If you try to burn up the road before you are ready, you may end up a motorcycle statistic.

I was at a motorcycle class recently and one of the sponsors asked me to blog about a topic that he felt does not get enough attention; knowing when to hang up the helmet when you do not have the physical skills to manage a bike.

Why did this come up? Well... during the class, one of the students kept dropping his bike. During every exercise, we kept hearing a loud crash followed by cursing and a racing engine. This happened more than once. Of course the student blamed it on the bike. He complained there was something wrong with the throttle and that's why he could not maintain the speed needed to complete the exercises.

To see if the throttle was the problem, one of the class sponsors checked it out. He didn't find any problems. He was able to maintain a constant engine speed at various rpms.  He then asked the student to do it and he could not. Why? He seemed to have some nerve disorder that caused his hands to move back and forth! Because of this, he could not control the throttle.

For obvious reasons, he wasn't able to finish the class and left early. What was not obvious to him was he should not be on a bike. He is not only a danger to himself but to others as well. We all know the day is coming when we will have to hang up the helmet and move on to other hobbies. For me, it will be one of the saddest days of my life. Hopefully I will have enough sense when that day comes to think of the dangers I pose to others and myself by riding around unable to operate the controls.

Share your thoughts.....

Here are some pics I got from one of my friends on facebook and is a perfect example of what can happen to you if you are not careful at intersections. This is a classic case of a car turning in front of a motorcyclists and the rider not being able to stop. I don't know if anyone survived, but I seriously doubt it.

1 out of every 4 motorcycle accidents happen just like the one in these pictures. Always pay attention and reduce your speed when there are cars or blind spots at any intersection you cross.

I was reading through a few posts and messages I get each day and one of them was on first aid kits. Most people I know carry something for headaches, allergies and the occasional scrape you will get from riding. But this message spoke about the need to check your first aid kit to see if any of the medicines have expired. Something I haven't done in a while (sort of like TCLOCS....how many really do it every time they jump on their bikes?).

The message mentioned the need for sissors for cutting clothing and latex gloves if you need to help a friend.  Something I never thought about. Some of the examples I think are somewhat extreme (a stryofoam cup to contain a displaced eye).

It was a great article and had excellent information. The main point I got from it was a first aid kit should be considered part of your riding gear. Here is the link to the article.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670733698#!/notes/eric-shah/first-aid-kits-does-yours-need-a-check-up/120787724630466

We know it has been a while, but we have completed the curriculum for the "after the BRC/BRT" set of videos.  They are grouped into 3 sets:

Introduction and reality check
These videos go over the basics to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. You last chance to bail out before it's too late!!

Parking Lot Practice
In your motorcycle class, you practiced on a bike so small and weak that no self respecting biker would be caught dead on one. Now that you have a license, you need to go out and practice what you learned again on a real bike.....your bike. These videos will show you what you need to practice and why.

Road Practice
Now that you can ride around a parking lot without loosing control of your bike, it's now time to hit the road. But the road is a very dangerous place for a newbie. These videos give you tips on how to handle situations that can help you avoid imortality in a youtube motorcycle crash video or worse.

We have  list of 50 or so videos so it is an ambitious undertaking to say the least. Let us know what you think and give us suggestions on videos you would like to see. If you have film or videos you would like us to use, let us know and we will let you know how to get them to us.

Now that summer is here, we thought we would offer a few words of advice to those who check in out our site. None of this is really "new", be we all need refreshers to keep us sharp on our toes.

If it is too hot for gear, it's too hot to ride
We know the mercury is rising and it can get stuffy inside your helmet and jacket. But resist the urge to join the t-shirt and short crowd. Ride with protective gear at all times.

Stay hydrated
Nothing good can happen if you ride thirsty, dizzy, hot and weak. On a hot day, plan to stop more often than usual to take a break to cool down and to take a drink.

Blinding Sun
Now that dusk is longer, be mindful of riding when the sun is directly behind you. This will make approaching traffic harder to see you and can make intersections even more dangerous.

Feel free to add more tips to this blog so others can learn.

We forgot to update this, but the "Before the BRC/BRT" videos have been up for a while. Here is the link.

http://www.2wheeltips.com/test_page::before_the_brc.html

I'm finally getting some time to write about my trip to Lake George, NY from central NJ for the Americade rally. It isn't a big ride, about 250 miles, and it's something that can be done in less than 5 hours. I rode up with a group of local friends.
The weather was clear but a little cool and breezy for a summer morning and scattered showers were in the forecast. With that in mind, I decided to pack my waterproof summer gloves, my rainsuit, my windbreaker jacket and a long sleeve compression shirt just it case the temperature dropped.

We started with 4 riders, road up the Garden State Parkway to a rest stop just south of Union, NJ and picked up 8 more riders. By then, it was chilly, so I put on the windbreaker. I got a few cross looks about having on too much clothing, but I always get that. After all, I'm "mr. safety" in these parts of the woods.

After hanging out there for an hour we got on the road. About an hour later we arrived at the first rest stop on the New York thruway. Along the way, the temperature dropped quite a bit. Those who didn't change at the previous stop were now cold and didn't look too happy. The clouds were rolling in and I put on my compression shirt and my raingear. Some did not bring warm shirts, rain gear or waterproof gloves, thinking they would make it to Americade before the rain.

We soon got back on the road and agreed to stop for lunch at a rest area just south of Albany, NY. Along the way, the temperature dropped again and it rained on and off some more. We all made it there in one piece but those who took a chance were now even colder and a little wet.  After a group lunch, we got back on the road for the final 90 minute ride to Lake George and that's when the fun began.

As soon as we got on the road, the sky opened up and it started raining....hard.  Those without rain gear got soaked and those with half helmets had to slow down because the rain hitting their faces was too painful. Still others had no experience riding in the rain and they too had to slow down. I hate passing other riders, but we were getting separated from other riders. At the next tool, I passed all of the ill-prepared riders and caught up with the others who were at least a half a mile ahead.

As we neared Lake George, the rain eased up some and we all made it there in one piece. I was warm, dry and in good spirits. The others were wet, cold and grouchy.

Moral of the story? Be prepared. Better to have it and not need it than to curse yourself for leaving it behind.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:          Kate Hollcraft, Allstate, (847) 402-5600
                         kate.hollcraft@allstate.com
                        Justin Nicolette, Taylor , (704) 409-7711
                        jnicolette@taylorpr.com
 
Allstate Announces Dave Perewitz
Custom Pro Street Motorcycle Giveaway
 
Participants can register to win bike at AllstateGarage.com, select motorcycle rallies and other events throughout the country
 
NORTHBROOK, Ill. (Feb. 18, 2010) – Allstate Insurance Company announced today it will be giving away a custom motorcycle designed by legendary bike builder Dave Perewitz during its “Allstate Pro Street Sweepstakes.”
 
Allstate and Perewitz will unveil the bike at the 2010 Chicago International Motorcycle Show on Feb. 20.  The Pro Street style bike – known for its stretched frame, low to the ground body and wide rear tire – will feature a custom paint job, the very element that has made Perewitz an industry icon.
 
“Lots of pride and hard work goes into every bike I create,” said Perewitz. “And thanks to the folks at Allstate, one lucky person will be able to enjoy this custom bike creation.”
 
Allstate has also invited Perewitz to join the Allstate Mobile Garage Tour at major rallies across the country. He will work with the insurer to help promote motorcycle safety awareness through the company’s “Once is Never Enough” (ONE) program.
 
“Allstate is proud of our commitment to motorcycle safety awareness, and this giveaway represents a way for us to reward a consumer and get our safety message across to everyone on the road at the same time,” said Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing for Allstate.
 
The sweepstakes will run from Feb. 19, 2010 through Feb. 28, 2011, and participants can register for the sweepstakes online at AllstateGarage.com or by visiting the Allstate Garage Tour at some of the biggest motorcycle rallies in the country, including:
 
Daytona Bike Week, Daytona Beach, Fla.:  Feb. 26-March 7
   Laughlin River Run, Laughlin, Nev.:  April 21-24
   Laconia Motorcycle Week, Laconia, N. H.:  June 12-20
   Sturgis Rally, Sturgis, S. D.: Aug. 9-15
Biketoberfest, Daytona Beach, Fla: Oct. 14-17
   Lone Star Rally, Galveston, Texas: Nov. 4-7
 
ONE was created to encourage everyone on the road to always look left, right and then left again for riders before crossing an intersection – the most common site for motorcycle-related crashes. Fatality Analysis Reporting System statistics from 2004 to 2008 showed that 44 percent of motorcycle fatalities resulted from intersection crashes.
 
For complete details about the Allstate Pro Street Sweeps or to find out more about the Mobile Garage Tour, please visit AllstateGarage.com.
 
Allstate motorcycle insurance offers one of the most competitive policies in the industry with many product features, including: first accident waiver, guest passenger coverage, custom parts coverage and towing coverage.  If eligible, motorcycle owners can save up to 40 percent off of their premiums with a variety of discounts, including a discount just for switching to Allstate.  Insurance and discount subject to qualifications and availability. To find out more, or to locate the nearest agent, visit Allstate.com or call 877-BIKE-303.
 
About Dave Perewitz
Perewitz has built an illustrious thirty-year career in riding, building and customizing motorcycles. In 2006, he was named the winner of the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-off, and his company, Perewitz Cycle Fabrications, has built choppers for numerous celebrities, including Hulk Hogan and Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford.
 
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®” slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®.