Staying Alive On the Road – Still In Your Hands

 

Motorcycle Death Rates Down?

Not a pretty sight.

            

 

Motorcycle fatality rates declining is not because the motoring public is more aware of the motorcycles on the road with them. Not a chance, motorcycles are as invisible as ever before, remember, “I looked but didn’t see the motorcycle.” It is still up to you, the motorcycle rider, to be aware of your surroundings and be prepared for anything. Being prepared is wearing your Motorcycle Armor Leather Jacket for max protection.

Motorcycle fatality accident stats from 2008 to 2017 are at 48,727, roughly 4,800 per year, according to the (NHTSA) National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. The death rates vary year by year; one year, the death toll may be considered low, and the next year the death toll rises somewhat. Motorcycle riders account for around 14% of highway traffic fatalities. The point is motorcycle riders are dying at the rate of about 4,800 to 5,000 per year, that is unacceptable.

Who Is At Fault?

Was this rider seen by the driver of the car? Maybe not.

 

Drugs and alcohol do not mix when riding a bike or driving a motor vehicle, perception and reaction times are affected. Thirty percent of motorcyclists who died in motorcycle/car accidents had a BAC of .08 or higher. Single motorcycle accidents with no other vehicle involved, 43% of those who died had a BAC of .08 or higher. Operating a motor vehicle or motorcycle while impaired or intoxicated is a personal choice and often a fatal one at that. Your best choice is being decked out in great looking pair of Men Leather Motorcycle Pants. Here are some disturbing causes of accidents that we, as humans, have control over.

Causes That Can Be Corrected 

• Playing with a cell phone has been attributed to 25% of all car accidents. Your brain cannot function when trying to do two things at the same time.
• Driving in a state of fatigue, falling asleep at the wheel, accounts for about 3% of all fatal crashes.
• Speeding, which is often associated with alcohol consumption, intoxicated driving, accounts for one-half of all fatal crashes.
• Left turns in front of motorcycles are responsible for 25% of all fatal motorcycle accidents.

In many left-turn related accidents, the car driver did not see the motorcycle, "I looked but didn't see the motorcycle." That is an abbreviated version of the dangers that motorcycle riders face every time they hit the road. When hitting the road, remember to show off your stylish Leather Motorcycle Vest.

It Is On Your Shoulders

Technology has given us motorcycle riders, new innovations that help keep us safe. The anti-locking brake system (ABS) has come a long way to make motorcycle riding safer, it is not the total answer. The real answer is you, the motorcycle rider, doing everything you can to improve your riding skills. Take the endorsement training to get your MC license, continuously take refresher courses to keep you riding senses honed in.

Refresh your memory from a past blog post.

Ride as though the driver of every car on the road with you does not see you. Smart choices to make are not drinking before or during your ride, operate your motorcycle at the posted speed. Take corners safely as you want to get home riding your bike, not in a body bag.

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Content is originally posted at https://wickedstock.com/staying-alive-on-the-road-still-in-your-hands/

Want To Buy A Vintage Bike?

You want to get a second bike; you have been toying with the idea of getting an older used one, maybe vintage or antique. Antique bikes are ones that are at least 35 years or older and actually defined as such by The Antique Motorcycle Club of America. Vintage is defined as pre-1975 in some cases, pre-1980, and is a loose definition at best. You know that you will stand out when you wear your Men Leather Motorcycle Pants when you ride your new vintage motorcycle.

Do Your Research

 

This article is going to focus on buying the vintage bike of your dreams from a private seller. To get an idea of what vintage motorcycles should sell for check Kelley Blue Book and NADA Guides. These two publications show what a used bike should sell for based on mileage, model year, and overall condition.

Checking Want Ads and Craig’s List

 

When reading the want ads or Craig's List read the ad carefully, is the description clear, are there good photos of the bike, does the price look reasonable? Check out the seller, did he/she include all the necessary information about the bike, mileage, maintenance manual, clean title, and the bike's condition? Did the seller provide a good contact phone number that when called you reach the seller? Many sellers prefer not to list where they live for apparent reasons, respect that.

Check the Bike out Yourself

 

You have contacted the seller, have made an appointment to see the bike, and asked him/her not to start the bike. The reason you want to be there when the bike is started so you can hear how the bike starts, does it start clean or not. Before you even leave the house to meet the seller, have your checklist prepared in advance.

Look for Crash Damage

 

• Minor damage is inevitable as things happen.
• If you see what looks like a significant amount of damage, that might become a severe problem later.

Leaking Fluids

 

• There should be no oil or coolant leaks.
• Check areas of the engine where oil might leak and trail down to the ground.
• Check all hose connections (if fluid-cooled) for leaks.
• Check all fluids for proper consistency, filled to the appropriate level, and are they the right fluids for the job?

Check Frame, Tires, and Suspension 

 

• Make sure the frame has no twists that might affect alignment.
• Do the tire treads have good treads, or are they worn?
• Are the shocks firm and in good condition?

Chain, Sprockets, Cables, and Wiring

 

• Is the chain well greased, free of cracked links, and at the proper tension?
• Sprockets should mesh with the chain and have sharp teeth with no cracks.
• Cables should not be frayed, broken, or unraveling and operate smoothly.
• Wiring should have no signs of fraying, be of the proper color coding, and have no signs of being repaired.

Bar Ends, Footpegs, and Brake Controls

 

• There should be no signs of being bent or distorted as an indication of going down.

Every component of the motorcycle you are looking at should be checked for damage, excessive wear, and shady repairs. Let the seller see you are bike knowledgeable by wearing Mens Motorcycle Leather Vest to check the bike out. Go through A Beginner’s Guide to Selecting a Motorcycle Jacket to select a perfect match for you.

Other Things to Consider

 

Service record is essential as a well-kept service manual will show you how well the bike was treated or not treated. The title should be clean, that is, the seller's title can be signed without restriction, no leans, no back payments, clean. The VIN number is readable on the frame, and you can check it through Car Max for accidents or thefts. This is especially important as the seller may choose not to tell you about these events. You can also ask about the owner's manual and the factory tool kit. If the seller does not have them, you can probably order them through a dealer.

The Test Ride

 

A test ride is a tricky subject as the seller may not want to let you go for a ride. There are some liabilities to deal with, you have an accident, and you are not insured to ride that motorcycle. If the seller does allow you to go for a test ride, he/she may want a partial down payment as collateral. If you do get to take a test ride, then you can get a feel of how the bike runs. The clutch is smooth, the brakes stop the bike with ease, gears shift as expected, no rattles or shakes, and the engine purrs like a kitten. Don’t forget the wear your All Season Motorcycle Jacket for that all-important test ride.

Now It Is Time to Negotiate

 

Once you have taken the test ride and assessed the bike's overall condition, you can haggle over the price. Make a note of all the things that need repaired or replaced and let the seller know you expect those issues deducted form the price. Make your offer a specific dollar figure that you are prepared to pay but, come in a little low. Offer first, don't let the seller tell you what he/she wants for the bike.

Be open to haggling over the price; the seller may have decided what he/she will take for the bike. If you brought cash, the seller might take your first offer as he/she will end up with money in hand. Once the price is established, pay the seller, get a bill of sale, title and take the bike home.
Now that you have a new (to you) bike hoop onto Wicked Stock, check out all the gear, accessories, and custom stuff for the recent purchase.

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Content is originally posted at https://wickedstock.com/want-to-buy-a-vintage-bike/

Rider Training – Do You Still Comply?

 

 

 

Have You Digressed?

You have your motorcycle license, been riding for a couple of years; do you still adhere to your safety training? Did you know that many motorcycle accidents involve riders without training?  Ninety-two percent of riders involved in accidents were self-taught or learned from friends or family. Rider inattention is a common factor in many motorcycle accidents.

Experience on the bike involved in an accident was less than 5 months, but the rider had about 3 years riding experience. Reaction time for a rider to avoid an accident is less than 2 seconds, remembering you accident avoidance techniques is crucial. In our article, Five Things You Might Want To Know Before You Begin Riding A Motorcycle we talked about five things you needed to know before beginning to ride. Number 4 was the importance of rider safety training.

Advanced Rider Training At Its Best

Do riders who have gone through rider safety training courses forget what they were taught after riding for a year or two? The sad part here is motorcycle accident deaths are at 14% of all accident fatalities in 2017, which is 5,286 dead bikers. Are these stats a result of riders who went through safety training only to ignore what they learned? It looks as though that might be the case. Speaking of looks, wearing Men Textile Motorcycle Pants will make you stand out in a crowd, looking good.

A Study of Rider Training

Do stats tell the truth about rider training & accidents?

A study in 1989 concluded that riders with safety training had fewer accidents, and the accidents were less severe. In 2007 another study found that riders who completed rider safety training courses were 44% more likely to get into an accident. The study went on to say riders who completed a second course were 180% more likely to have an accident. The two studies contradict each other, which is right?

The study did reveal that safety trained riders are more apt to wear Men Leather Motorcycle Pants with the armor inserts in place. The NHTSA in 2010 held a panel discussion assessing the effectiveness of entry-level motorcycle training. Here is the kicker, there is not enough data to support whether or not basic MC training is practical or not. The NHTSA cites the lack of stats on the relationships between impaired driving on trained and untrained riders. The NHTSA recommends further studies be conducted on the relationships between a person’s car and truck driving records and their motorcycle driving records.

What’s The Answer?

Right now, there isn't one at least not officially. Experience has taught you that rider safety training makes you a safer rider than you would be without it. Experience also dictates that you wear 4 Season Motorcycle Jacket for protection and that great look. So, do we need government research to tell us that rider safety training helps riders avoid and even prevent accidents?

No, we do not.

A Refreshing Thought

The thought here is, do you need to take an advanced training course every couple of years or so? Yes, you should take a refresher or even an advanced rider course as we tend to forget what we learned.

By taking a refresher course, you might learn a new accident avoidance technique that you were not taught the first time through. We all get rusty by refreshing your skills you will perform like a well-oiled machine. You will need all the safety tricks available when dealing with drivers who instinctively fail to notice the motorcycle on the road with them.

Look on Wicked Stock for great deals on Textile Men Motorcycle Jacket and any other gear or accessories that are on sale.

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Content is originally posted at https://wickedstock.com/rider-training-do-you-still-comply/