Freedom Motorcycle

Archive for May, 2011

A convertible can come close but nothing beats the freedom and adventure promised by a motorcycle — not to mention its flexibility and adaptability.  Of course, the fact that motorcycles are generally cheaper to run and maintain doesn’t hurt.  Ready to buy your first motorcycle or at least another one?  Here are some tips you can use:

Consider what you really need

Most first-time owners of motorcycles over-purchase — they buy more than they need or even handle.  Do not make this mistake.  If you do, you either spend more or buy a motorcycle you will be too scared to use.  When buying a motorcycle, consider factors such as your age, weight and lifestyle.

Try to determine how the motorcycle will be used.  Will it be your main vehicle?  How many times a week do you expect to use it?  How far do you think you will travel with it?  Do you expect to be driving long distances with the motorcycle or will it be used for short trips?  Will you be carrying extra weight with it regularly (extra passenger, baggage, etc.)?

Next, determine the general road conditions you will be using the bike on.  Will it be primarily asphalt or concrete or will you be using the motorcycle on dirt or rough roads?

Consider ergonomics

When buying a motorcycle, consider how it will fit your body.  This is especially important if you will be using the motorcycle on long trips.  There are numerous motorcycle designs, sizes and models to choose from and each one is a fit for a person of a specific height, weight and general build.  

Before purchasing a unit, try driving it first.  Just like cars, motorcycles are gauged by would-be owners based on their performance on the road.  Try to observe how the motor performs and responds.  Depending on your needs, you will need a bike that will fit your driving style, not just for more efficiency but also for your safety.

Consider your current motoring skills

If you’ve never driven a motorcycle before or if your driving experience with two-wheel vehicles is limited, you might want to buy a motorcycle that won’t intimidate you.  Stay away from large engines over 600cc.  Larger engines tend to be more powerful and drive faster.  Unless you have sufficient motoring skills, these may not be good choices for you.

Decide on how much you can afford

Brand, make and model generally determine the price of a motorcycle.  Try to set a budget prior to purchase.  Remember that you will not only be spending for the initial purchase, you will also be spending for repairs and maintenance later.  To help you decide, you might want to look at available models online or in showrooms.  That should give you enough information to choose the perfect bike for you.

New or used?

Another important consideration when buying motorcycles is whether to purchase brand new or secondhand.  There are pros and cons to either choice, depending on your needs and budget.  Brand new motorcycles are more expensve but you are assured of general reliability.  Used motorcycles, on the other hand, could offer you good value provided you choose carefully.  Just keep safety issues in mind, though.

When a lot of motorcyclists get out on the open road, the last thing they want to worry about is having to wear a helmet because it may take away from the freedom that the enjoy while riding.  Most bikers feel that the look of the motorcycle helmet takes away from the coolness or toughness of the rider on his or her big bad motorcycle.  Although it may not be preferred look, it sure beats the look that would result if you were to get into a major accident, which could include a whole lot of scratching and scarring.

Many statistics point to the fact that major motorcycle accidents have resulted in serious head injuries if the biker was not wearing a helmet.  It would seem that the case was that the riders involved in crashes were not wearing a helmet if close to 92% of those crashes resulted in injuries to the head and/or neck.

The are a number of states that require the use of helmets by law and there are also some that do not.  The reason that many states had adopted the helmet law was because of the increasing amount of deaths that resulted from motorcycle accidents where the biker was not wearing a helmet.  In states where the helmet law is not in affect, or where it has been removed, there has been an increasing number of head and neck injuries, as well as fatalities.

With so much risk involved when riding a motorcycle and the potential dangers that riders face, it’s a wonder why many still refuse to wear one.  If you’ve decided that you should be wearing a motorcycle helmet and are looking to purchase one, there are a few pointers listed below that will help in the process of finding the perfect helmet for you.

Motorcycle helmets are made up of a couple different pieces, both having their own unique and important functions.  One piece is the liner or inner shell.  This piece is typically made of foam which is designed to help reduce the impact of a crash.  The second major piece of the helmet is the outer shell which is usually made with some sort of tough durable polycarbonate that will help take the brunt of the impact and help protect your head.

A good motorcycle helmet should be one that meets the requirements of the DOT.  These requirements are set in order to provide guidelines that helmets should meet in order to be safe and most effective in the event of a crash.  The helmets that have been tested and do indeed meet these rigorous requirements can be identified by the DOT sticker found on the back of the helmet.  The SNELL certification is another set of standards that are recognized world wide in the process of determining whether or not a helmet is safe.

The fit of the helmet when you try it on is perhaps one of the more important factors that you should consider when making a purchase.  It must be snug, but not so tight that it becomes uncomfortable after a half hour of riding.  This can become a distraction to the rider.   One way to tell if your helmet is too tight is you’ll have red marks or impressions on your forehead, or cheeks.  If the helmet is too loose, chances are it may come off if there is any amount of wind that is blowing on it while you’re riding.  This fit would do you no good if you were in an accident because it would come flying off.

There has been a big debate about cyclists safety and helmets. Perhaps one of the biggest discussion was when coming up with reasons not to wear a motorcycle helmet. Most people argue that helmets are only good for a speed of up to 15-18 miles per hour. If one goes faster that this and gets an accident, the helmet will not save his/her life. It is a choice for each person to wear a helmet or not. A study reported in the American journal of Public Health reveals that the abolishment of motorcycle helmet requirement for adults has been linked with a rise in motorcycle fatalities. Although the researchers argument is based on the universal helmet laws, the impact of these helmets is modest.

Some anti-helmet law activists dispute that helmets that are on balance, reduce motorcycle safety. This is because they make riders reckless, make their heads heavy or impair their vision, sensitivity to pressure and hearing abilities change. However, there is no much evidence to support this claim. It does not seem to have a very big effect but in principle, the fatality rate should not matter. The right to ride with no a helmet should not center on around how huge the risk is. In addition to questioning how effective helmets are, motorcycle activists have suggested that helmets contribute to causing accidents because they impair hearing, increase fatigue and impair peripheral vision. When an accident occurs, the additional weight increases the risk of spine and neck injury. Most motorcycle riders have attested that helmets are an unsafe obstruction to vision.

The argument as to why motorcycle riders should wear helmets is not firm because of the Peltzman effect. Cyclists wearing helmets take the advantage of an increase in safety and in return take more risks. Some of these risks include cycling at high speeds and running red lights. In this view, helmets give cyclists the benefit to reach their destinations faster and this makes them less safe. It is not true that the use of helmets is only justified in cycling because it is more dangerous than driving or walking. The risks of cycling are almost the same as those of pedestrians.

Wearing a helmet decreases the chances of getting brain injury, but increases the impact of the incidence on the thoracic and cervical spine fractures, which are sustained in motorcycle crashes. Helmets have been said to increase the risk of spinal fractures. When coming up with reasons not to wear a motorcycle helmet, comfort was a big topic of discussion. While buckling up a seat belt is painless for many people, wearing a motorcycle helmet is not. This is because the helmet is heavy and it covers most of the rider’s head. This can be sweaty and tiring especially when it is hot. When sitting on a spotlight under 100% humidity with the sun heating up so hard and heat coming off the road, one may even pass out. There have been reported cases of motorcycle riders passing out on the spotlights with their helmets on.

Motorcycle helmets are viewed as stifling and confining meshes and forcing motorcycle riders to wear them ruins their freedom experience. Helmets are believed to increase the chances of attaining severe injuries on the neck and offset the chance to have a brain injury. Most people argue that wearing motorcycle helmet and seat belts are a personal decision and should not be a state law made by government. People have still not come up with satisfactory reasons on whether to wear or not to wear a motorcycle helmet.