the Automotive Hall

Motorcycle Protective Apparel

Protective apparel for motorcyclists is an important though somewhat disregarded part of overall safety. Many riders choose their riding clothes on the basis of how cool they look rather than how it will hold up and protect them if they get into an accident; or wipe out and are skidding across the road. The motorcycle apparel business has been booming and there are all kinds of great looking clothing out there but you may have to look a little harder to find items with enough protection. Its easier to find good protective clothing in Europe because they have developed a series of standards that the apparel must meet to be sold as safety clothing. They are put through tests for tearing impact and abrasions. In the US there are no regulations like this so the safest clothing is a bit harder to find. The following are some things you should look for.

Most motorcycle injuries occur to the legs and feet so its important to wear a good pair of high boots and protective pants with extra reinforcement around the knees and hips. For added protection you pants should have the ability to attach to your jacket through a zipper. You should look for boots made of thick leather with a hard sole.

The traditional motorcycle clothing is made of leather but there are other materials that also work pretty well. Thick nylon offers protection as well as Kevlar reinforced apparel. In the European abrasion tests regular denim blue jeans last 0.6 seconds while a decent pair of leather motorcycle pants or chaps will last 5 seconds.

Jackets work the same way as pantsmake sure if they are made of leather that the leather is thick and not the fashion leather you see in fancy leather stores. Like the knees and hips there should be extra reinforcement around the impact points of your shoulders and elbows. It is also recommended that you have padding or impact protection in these areas.

A good pair of riding gloves is also very important safetywise. Kevlar gloves or reinforced leather are solid options for protecting your hands. Its especially important that the palms of your hands have extra padding or patcheswhen falling our instinct is to put our hands out with palms down so they will be taking the brunt of the impact and sliding.

If you have questions or doubts about protective clothing its usually better to look for apparel that has the degree of impact protection included. After all you dont want to be hoping that your clothing will provide some protection in the event of an accidentits always better to be sure.

Finally and most importantly find a good helmet. I know there is a lot of debate on this subject and different laws depending on where you live but if you are all interested in safety never ride without a helmet. I mentioned earlier that most motorcycle injuries occur to the legs and feet however the most serious injuries occur above the neck. Dont buy a used helmet unless you are absolutely positive that it has never been in an accident or otherwise damaged. I always recommend a helmet with a full facemask for the maximum protection.

Enjoy your rides and remember when shopping for cool new motorcycle apparel to take into account how safe the clothing is.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Jim Buchanan is an Internet Marketing Specialist for Mindscape at HanonMcKendry. His hobbies include reading writing going to concerts sports and riding motorcycles.He is a writer for Honda Parts House. For more information please visit http://www.hondapartshouse.com.

Motorcycle Buying Guide – Dealer Negotiation Tips

You’ve made the big decision: it’s time to buy a motorcycle. You’ve done your research and you basically know what style and maybe even what particular model you want. Now it’s time to head to the showroom and make a deal! Before stepping foot into your local motorcycle dealer keep this in mind: prices are often nonnegotiable… particularly on popular models.

Motorcycle dealers do not work with the same high profit markets as car dealers and are much less capable of making a better deal than what’s listed on the price tag. But slowselling models those usually on sale sometimes have a bit of negotiation room. And of course you’re always free to try and get a few accessories helmets gloves maintenance thrown in to seal the deal.

The good news is that motorcycle dealerships are not nearly as stressful to deal with as their automobile counterparts. The salesmen at these dealerships usually aren’t very pushy so it may be up to you to ask a lot of questions.

Many dealerships don’t allow test drives but they should at least permit you to sit on the bike you’re considering and start the engine.

When checking over a bike consider these important factors:

Whether or not the seat is comfortable.
If the handlebars are comfortable.
If your knees rest neatly on either side of the gas tank.

Next it’s time to check the engine. Rev it up! Take notice to see if it features a nice smooth feel at high RPM’s or if it feels buzzy instead.

Also consider the weight. Does it seem like it will be easy to control? Can you easily pick it up off of the ground?

Now take note of this important tip: don’t buy any bike on your first visit! Even if you’ve fallen in love with it! Always check out bikes form a few different manufacture’s before making this allimportant decision.

Once you’ve made your final decision return to the dealership of your choice and choose from their current inventory.

While price haggling usually isn’t an option for bike buyers trying to get a few free bies thrown is isn’t out of the question especially if you are a cash buyer. Of course most dealers now offer their own financing options so if you don’t have the cash upfront you can still purchase the bike of your dreams.

As you can see buying a motorcycle is a bit different from buying a car but it can also be a lot easier quicker and much less of a hassle! Now get out there and find yourself the bike of dreams.

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