2Wheeltips

It is a choice that I have made,
to be sure that others are paid;
I see the gear and I hear the rap,
It makes my head hurt and I want to take a nap;
How much is it going to cost me today,
to ride with the big boys and play it safe;
Helmet on my head,
Chaps around my leg;
Glasses covering my eyes,
Armor covering my thighs;
Jacket wrapped around upper body,
and gloves covering my hand,
 And I am riding around looking
like the wrapped up mummy man.
My colors are black and drawing in the heat,
But the gear is so safe, it is a must to keep;
Boots on my feet feeling real tight,
squeezing my toes with all its might;
Down the road, I must go
Dressed like a mummy ready for a show;
I see my friends checking me out,
Scratching their heads with a sign of doubt;
They are wondering what's wrong with me,
That I am riding around looking like a biker's mummy.

Here I am again, writing about something that I'm sure I've covered many, many times. There has to be a video, audio or pictures on this topic somewhere on 2wheeltips.com, but just not under this heading. So here goes......

Now that you have finished your motorcycle class and have a bike, it's now time to hit the road. Before you do, you need to understand how important it is to put on the right clothing.

Now, some of you are probably thinking, "I'm not going to dress up like a crossing guard. Part of riding a bike is looking good and there is no freaking way I can look good dressed up like Capt. Safety." I agree......some stuff that passes as motorcycle gear looks like it belongs at a construction site and not on a biker. But that doesn't mean you should ignore the need to protect yourself from the dangers you will encounter when on the road.  

Take a step back and think of the many everyday activities that are considered dangerous and how those who participate in them handle the danger:

• Construction site? Hard hats, safety lines, steel toe boots
• Baseball? Batters helmet to protect you from a 100mph fast ball to the head
• Football? Helmets & pads to prevent concussions and broken bones after a tackle
• Soccer? Shinguards to protect your legs from cleats
• NASCAR? Helmets & harness to keep you from snapping your neck in a crash
• Airline luggage handler? Earplugs to keep you from going deaf
• Road worker? Gloves to protect your hands from cuts and abrasions

            .......
            .......

• Motorcycling??? Hmmmmmmm.......
  

Motorcycling is just as hazardous as any of the above. If you fall off your bike at 55mph without the proper gear, guarenteed you will get hurt worse (perhaps death) than anything you could get from the above activities.  But guess what? Many people will go out riding dressed like this:

Instead of this:

Do you think the hot exhaust pipe can melt her flip-flops? Or how about a piece of metal hitting her at 55mph? Do you think it will split her arm open? What if they crash? Will that tight t-shirt and shorts protect her skin from road rash? We all know the answer to each of those questions.

I'm not deceiving myself here. I know that some people will never wear anything but jeans, t-shirts and novelty helmets. That image goes with a certain biker lifestyle and it will never change. However, you do need to understand, just like a football helmet or a safety line, how the right gear can prevent serious injury.

In the upcoming articles, I'll discuss why you need to wear:

• A helmet (a real one)
• Jacket & Pants
• Gloves
• Belt
• Boots

Stay tuned.......

We recently came across a company called Gears Canada that makes really nice stuff for sport bike riders. Many in the industry do not think people "tour" or go on overnight trips on sport bikes. Nothing could be further from the truth.....and this company makes great stuff just for those who do.

Three products they sell come to mind. For those taking multi-day trips they have a roomy piece of luggage called the Navigator Tail Bag. For overnight trips they have what's called the Navigator Tour bag. They have other nice stuff for sport bikers such as heated vests and heated chaps! We will be doing product review videos on their products soon and will keep you posted.

One word of advice if you are considering getting a used motorcycle helmet:  DON'T!   When it comes to helmets, you need to follow this simple rule:  one and it's done... one impact to that helmet, either from an accident or fall, or simply from being dropped several feet onto the floor, and that helmet's ability to protect your head is reduced...and the damage on a helmet is not always visible.  As the operator or passenger on a bike, always buy a new DOT or SNELL certified helmet from a reputable dealer.  And keep in mind that if that used bike you are buying comes with a helmet from the previous owner, keep the bike....but don't use the helmet!

Riding on days when it's cold in the morning and cool during the days can be a little uncomfortable if you are not properly dressed.

Most riders park their bikes when the temperature dips below 58 but you can continue to ride without  spending hundreds of dollars for a bulky winter riding suit.

An easy and inexpensive way to keep warm is  to buy silk liners. You can get silk socks, pants, shirts, gloves and caps that you can wear under your regular clothing. They are super thin and will trap enough heat to keep you warm on those chilly afternoon rides.

For colder days you may want to go with thermal liners. They do tend to be a bit more bulky but are much cheaper than a full blown riding suit.

You don't have to go out and buy liners from an expensive motorcycle store or catalog. They are available in your local department store and online and work just as well.

Once the temperature gets close to the 40's you will need to get a winter riding suit and perhaps heated grips. Not many ride when the temperature gets down in the 30's but if you plan on doing year round riding, a heated suit is a must.

No doubt you have seen advertisements for special motorcycle socks that keep your feet dry in the summer and nice and toasty when riding in cool weather. These "special socks" also come with a "special price" of $15.00 or more per pair. Construction workers, police and athletes also need dry warm feet and they don't pay anywhere near that much for socks.

Department store socks work fine for riding. For hot weather rides, get socks made for running. They will wick the moisture away from your feet. For cooler weather, get thicker socks or buy sock liners. No ankle socks; you need them long enough to give protection from the wind and flying debris.

One way to protect your legs from road hazards and from the wind on cool days is to wear chaps. Most will buy chaps as a fashion statement. They do look good, if properly fitted. Others will buy them after getting hit on the lower leg by a rock or some other flying debris. In either case, they are a good fashionable alternative to expensive riding pants and I've yet to see a motorcycle show that didn't have a chaps vendor.

Chaps come in various styles, materials and lengths. The most common type is the full leather chap that covers the entire leg. Although they look nice, they can be very hot in the summer. An alternative to the full chap is the half chap. These fit over your riding boots and provide protection from the ankle to the knee.  We've seen some made of ballistic nylon which give full chap protection without making the wearer too hot.

If you do decide to go the chaps route, make sure you get measured for a proper fit. Few things look worse than a bad pair of chaps.

Funny how something as irrelevant as your hair can become a big problem.  Hair that is longer than crew cut length can sometimes make its way into your eyes while riding, even if you wear a full face helmet. You should consider wearing something like a riding scarf or bandanna whenever you ride, to keep your hair where it belongs.

In cool weather, wearing a scarf or cap under your helmet can keep your head warm.   So, if you are riding in cooler weather, you might want to consider having a thin, stretchy cap to wear.  There are many products available on the market that can be used to keep your hair in place; find the solution that best suits your comfort and needs.  Just keep in mind these tips:

    •    When shopping for a head scarf, etc., you need to consider that your current helmet just may no longer be as comfortable as it was without the scarf.  It is funny how something as thin as a headscarf made out of nylon, for example, can take up enough room to make you need a different size helmet.  Shop around to find one that works with your helmet.

    •    Make sure it fits right and will not shift around or slip down over your eyes.

Wondering what to wear when riding?  Do you want to look cool on your bike?  Sexy?  Great!  But “cool” and “sexy” won’t save your life if you have an accident!  The rule of thumb is this:  protection should be your primary concern.  There is plenty of great motorcycle gear available that looks good and has built-in protection.  This is what you should wear every time you go out on your bike:

A DOT/SNELL certified helmet
Anything less than this is not going to provide  protection if you have an accident.  It is your head and your brain that you are protecting!

A riding jacket
Good quality riding jackets have built in armor to absorb impact shock in the event of an accident.  There are some very good-looking riding jackets available and you don’t have to spend a fortune to get one that offers protection and good looks. They come in leather, denim or synthetic materials and come in many styles and colors.

Heavy duty jeans and/or riding pants
Heavy duty jeans are the least protection you should have from your waist to your ankles.  Better than heavy duty jeans are special riding pants that, like a riding jacket, offer built-in armor to absorb impact shock in the event of an accident.

Full finger gloves
Good riding gloves will cover your hands completely and some have padding for comfort during long rides. Gloves protect your hands from road debris and from injury in the case of an accident.

Riding boots
A good, sturdy pair of riding boots should have a low heel, slip resistant sole and cover your ankle. They also need to be comfortable enough to walk in, too.   Don’t forget a good pair of comfortable socks. Good socks can make a good boot feel even more comfortable!

Here are things to avoid when riding your bike:

• Clothing that bares any part of your body. Sure you might look sexy with your bare arms or midriff showing as you fly down the road.  But, if you ever have an accident while wearing next to nothing you will pay for it dearly.  Road burn is painful and you may ultimately need skin grafts  to surgically repair parts of your body that came in direct contact with the road (or other) surface.

• Sandals, sneakers or regular shoes. Sandals, sneakers and regular shoes provide limited protection from road debris and almost none if you are in an accident.

It can be quite warm under all of that protective gear, but once you are riding at highway speed, it is amazing how comfortable you can feel with all that gear on, even on a hot summer day. Our rule of thumb is this:  if it is too hot for you to ride with your protective gear on, then it is too hot to ride.