We all have a profound love for motorbikes. Some love it for its look and feel, others because it is relatively cheaper than cars. Nonetheless, we can all agree that motorbike rides are fatal and much more dangerous than cars. The motorbike fatality rate stood at 61.4 per 100,000 registered bikes in 2011. Still, the rate has been decreasing at an increasing rate with each year passing because of better motorbike essentials and safety precautions taken by the riders. However, the risk of fatal deaths is 28 times more likely than travelling on another transportation medium. Making it imperative and absolutely vital for riders to make themselves visible and opt for optimum gear for riding.
Why Is Quality Gear Important For Riding
With motorcyclists, accidents are far more common than in the case of any four-wheel drive and the possibility of being even more dangerous. Regardless of whether you have been riding for years or just started to do so, it becomes near impossible without protective equipment. However, with every investment you make into your riding gear, your safety and the quality of the ride also increases exponentially. Without the proper gear, it becomes incredibly hard for you to avoid fatal injuries as each gear provides an additional layer of protection against foreseeable injuries.
The CDC conducted a brief study on the importance of motorcycle gear, and the findings showed that 1800 men were saved just because they wore a helmet. Similarly, jackets, gloves and boots of great quality surely increase your chances of being safe from disasters and fatal injuries. Which equipment do riders need, though, to make a significant difference?
Essential Equipment For Biker Hobbyists
You can forget to put on your gloves or boots and still make it out alive, but without a helmet, your odds are slim to none. A motorcycle helmet is the most important gear for a motorcyclist. But for it to be effective, it should be made of premium quality so that it can withstand the impact of head-on road and not break. There are various types of helmets, such as the full face, half face, Adv dual support, etc. Before purchasing the helmet, you need to ask yourself some key questions.
Will you be riding on terrains or roads?
The kind of bike you ride.
The helmet size and preferred head shape.
If you commute on longer roads, you will need something that supports aerodynamics while keeping you comfortable with a breathable cushion on the inside. However, if you ride on terrains and off roads high, performance helmets with the ability to endure impacts should be your go-to choice. But for day-to-day inter-city commute, carbon fibre helmets are the best as it distributes the energy on impact, leaving very little of the impact for our head to bear.
The Department of Transportation has broken it down into four general principles:
How does the strapping stack against your face?
Is the interior padding good and comfortable?
Is there a linear outside of the helmet?
The Hardness and ability to bear the impact of the exterior shell.
Helmets act against the first and most optimum line of defence against injuries. It is uncool not to wear one.
Most people overlook the importance, and significance gloves bring to bike riding. Not only do they complement the style, but they also add to safety and comfort. Being an avid bike rider myself, I know multiple occasions where I have avoided road burns just because of wearing gloves. They will protect your hands from serious injury and dampen the vibrations from the road. It also offers additional grip strength to hold the handlebars and soak up the sweat of your hands which provides better stability when riding a motorcycle.
Boots or Appropriate Foot Wear
Your wear needs to be just as adequate while riding a motorbike as your helmets. As human feet are fragile, spending your money on proper footwear will help you stay in control and safe while you are on your motorbike. Wearing properly armed boots has helped the marines reduce the number of open wound injuries by 90 %. As per the same study, wearing the appropriate footwear while riding a bike can reduce foot injuries by 45%, which is a stellar percentage. A good pair of shoes for riding have a firm heel, sole and additional safety layer towards the toe and ankle region. Finding a reliable pair of shoes if you are looking from a credible store should not be hard.
Just like the above-mentioned protective pieces of equipment, jackets also act as a layer of defence in case of fatal crashes. However, it is much more important than gloves, and proper footwear as your upper body is mostly exposed in case of a crash. While good biker jackets are expensive, it is worth every penny. It also makes you stylish when you are on your desired two-wheeler. Most Bike Jackets come with padding around the shoulder and elbow region, which helps to avoid abrasions and burns in the event of a crash. They have also become a fashion staple, and many non-riders use them as a daily wear item.
Safety Against Crash Accessories
Armouring up your bike against crashes decreases the impacts of crashes on your bike and on yourself as well. Therefore, investing in motorcycle accessories and protection parts is essential. And you can find a range of items from protection bobbins to hand guards, each serving an essential role in protecting your bike, eventually helping you save thousands of dollars in repairs and acting as an additional layer of protection in accidents. They usually come with a guide and can be fairly easy to install.
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