One of the most crucial aspects to motorcycling is safety – motor-biking accidents often lead to serious injury, widespread damage to the vehicles involved, and huge insurance and repair bills. Of course the best option is to avoid accidents altogether, and to be as prepared as possible should an incident arise.
First and foremost it’s important to remember that motorcycling puts you out into the surrounding environment – you’re not insulated as you would be in a car, and you don’t have the protection of seat belts, air bags and safe-t-cells. There is nothing to absorb the impact of a fall from a motorbike and nothing to prevent you being crushed or knocked – this is why it’s absolutely crucial that you have the right protective motorcycle clothing and that you wear it at all times. You should consider investing in the best helmet you can afford and keep it properly maintained at all times – if your helmet is dropped it may no longer function; if the webbing or strapping brakes or frays you may also find that it may fail in an accident. Scratches to the visor are also dangerous as they lower visibility. Other protective motorcycle gear that you should wear at all times includes motorbike gloves (preferably made from Kevlar or another incredibly strong fabric), boots (motorcycling boots are preferable), and a protective motorcycle jacket and pair of trousers. If you invest in protective gear from a motorcycle shop or dealer, the clothing should come with reinforced double or triple stitching and should have hard shells in areas of particular focus (shoulders, elbows, knees and so forth). Look for the Œ symbol and check that your clothing is tested to the EN 13595 and EN 1621-1 standards.
One of the best ways to ensure you have maintained a high standard of safety is to visit the Bikesafe website or National Bikesafe Motorcycle Show – both keep up to date information on all levels of motorbiking safety.
First and foremost it’s important to remember that motorcycling puts you out into the surrounding environment – you’re not insulated as you would be in a car, and you don’t have the protection of seat belts, air bags and safe-t-cells. There is nothing to absorb the impact of a fall from a motorbike and nothing to prevent you being crushed or knocked – this is why it’s absolutely crucial that you have the right protective motorcycle clothing and that you wear it at all times. You should consider investing in the best helmet you can afford and keep it properly maintained at all times – if your helmet is dropped it may no longer function; if the webbing or strapping brakes or frays you may also find that it may fail in an accident. Scratches to the visor are also dangerous as they lower visibility. Other protective motorcycle gear that you should wear at all times includes motorbike gloves (preferably made from Kevlar or another incredibly strong fabric), boots (motorcycling boots are preferable), and a protective motorcycle jacket and pair of trousers. If you invest in protective gear from a motorcycle shop or dealer, the clothing should come with reinforced double or triple stitching and should have hard shells in areas of particular focus (shoulders, elbows, knees and so forth). Look for the Œ symbol and check that your clothing is tested to the EN 13595 and EN 1621-1 standards.
One of the best ways to ensure you have maintained a high standard of safety is to visit the Bikesafe website or National Bikesafe Motorcycle Show – both keep up to date information on all levels of motorbiking safety.