| Although motorcycle safety isn't a walk in the | | | | your bike to avoid an accident, there's nothing |
| park, it isn't all that hard, either. Mostly, | | | | between you and the road but a skimpy set of |
| motorcycle safety depends on: | | | | cloth clothes. In this situation, there's a lot to be |
| - Commonsense | | | | said for the old "biker's uniform" of leather pants, |
| - Proper Training and licensure | | | | heavy engineer's boots, heavy leather biker's |
| - Proper Clothing | | | | jacket, gauntlets and helmet (a good Bell or similar |
| - Proper maintenance and operation | | | | helmet is the key to keeping your head on your |
| Looking at each item, you can see the | | | | shoulders without too much bell ringing if you go |
| common-sense part of the picture. Think of it this | | | | down). It's much better to have a layer of tough |
| way, all that separates you - the bike driver - | | | | cowhide between you and the road, if you have |
| from the roadway or other cars and trucks is | | | | to lay down your bike to avoid an accident as the |
| either the clothing you are wearing or, if you use | | | | hide will take one big beating before it will expose |
| your head, the leathers you are wearing. That's it. | | | | you to any danger. |
| You just can't get into an argument with a car or | | | | Finally, proper maintenance and operation are |
| truck because you will inevitably lose, no matter | | | | keys to motorcycle safety. Imagine using an older |
| how swiftly you think your bike reacts. (Physics | | | | chain-drive-style bike and forgetting to do proper |
| still rules here and it still takes X amount of time | | | | maintenance on the chain, and then having the |
| before power hits the rear wheel, if you have a | | | | links that you should have fixed snap. Not only |
| problem. As far as is known, there are no | | | | can this foul your rear wheel badly - to the point |
| instant-on bikes.) | | | | of actually halting it and sending you sideways - |
| Most states - and nations, for that matter - | | | | but it can also cause make engine or transmission |
| require some sort of licensing to use any type of | | | | damage, again not exactly safety motorcycling |
| motored vehicle and a bike certainly falls in that | | | | habits. Be sure, too, your brakes are operating |
| category. In general, the items that are mandated | | | | correctly as is the electrical system. There's |
| are the minimum age at which you can apply for | | | | nothing worse than hitting your brakes and having |
| permission to drive a bike; the minimum number | | | | the front freeze up, planting the bike by the front |
| of training hours required before you can take | | | | wheel and launching you over it. Proper operation |
| your test (usually classroom and theory and | | | | goes along with this in that it pays to observe |
| actual over-the-road training), and finally some | | | | proper vehicle etiquette - don't go zooming from |
| sort of test. This, and any follow-on training, is of | | | | lane to lane because of your bike's incredibly |
| key importance because it can mean the | | | | nimbly power-to-weight ratio as this will cause |
| difference between you staying clear of an | | | | huge amount of rage in drivers who may be |
| accident, rather than becoming the hood | | | | stuck around you - and never travel in between |
| ornament of a semi. | | | | lanes during a traffic jam because all it takes is a |
| Proper clothing is another key here. Through the | | | | driver to suddenly open a door in front of you |
| years, we've seen bikers who think of roaring | | | | and you become an unidentified flying object. |
| down various interstates dressed in shorts, | | | | If you follow these tips, you'll have a much safer |
| sneakers, shirt and helmet. That's pretty thin stuff | | | | time behind the handle bars of your bike. |
| when you think that if you have to lay down | | | | |