Surviving The Ride – It’s Up to You

Speeding

Speed, Motorcycles, and cars don’t mix well

Remember the old saying, “Speed Kills.”

Speed is a prime factor in many fatal vehicle crashes. Speed limits are in place for a reason; it has to do with the amount of time required to get stopped. At 60 mph, you and your bike are traveling at 88.2 feet-per-second. Many motorcycle riders think that they can stop much quicker than other vehicles on the road. That way of thinking is not accurate as cars have a slight mechanical advantage in stopping over motorcycles. The stopping capability of both a car and a motorcycle is about 1G. The difference rests with the experience of the car driver or the motorcycle rider.

Motorcycle riders fresh out of training classes not quite that familiar with his/her own MC has a stopping capacity of .5Gs. An experienced rider who knows his/her own MC has a stopping capability of about .7Gs. The expert rider who is totally familiar with his/her own MC has a stopping capacity of 1G. Testing has verified the distance disparity between the “new rider” and the expert rider when stopping.

The new rider stopped in .5Gs or 15 feet at 15 mph the expert stopped in 1G or 8 feet at 15 mph, a difference of 7 feet. At 45 mph, the new rider stopped at 135 feet at .5G while the expert stopped at 67 feet at 1G, a difference of 68 feet. The safety tip here is the more experienced a motorcycle rider is, the more efficient he/she is at stopping in an emergency. If things don’t go well for you, make sure you are wearing your Leather Motorcycle Pants for Men, stay safe.

Please read ‘Leather racing jackets – Safety first, things to keep in mind’ before you buy one!

Being Visible

Headlights on – Reflective vests – White helmets

These famous last words, “I looked, I didn’t see the motorcycle” usually uttered by the driver of the car that just hit you and your bike. Motorcycles are hard enough to be seen by the other driver. Added to the distractions available to drivers these days, texting, grooming, tuning the radio, a receipt for disaster – yours. Being seen is paramount to your safety since cars are always pulling out onto the road in front of you. Being more visible is up to you the rider of the motorcycle, so the four-wheelers will see you. That means wearing light-colored protective gear such as a white helmet or a very bright colored helmet. You are wearing your Men Leather Motorcycle Jacket throw a reflective vest over the jacket or line it with reflective tape.

Run with your headlights on; if necessary, use high beams; it will get you noticed. Avoid like the plague, blind spots where the driver can’t see you at all; they don’t even know you are beside them. Commit to good driving behaviors use turn signals when being followed tap the brakes, use the bike’s horn, whatever it takes. Give yourself an out when in traffic, visually scout ahead to find a safe exit from heavy traffic when necessary. Never assume the other driver sees you, he/she may not.

Assume = ass of you and me.

Adhere to this rule every time you ride, All the Attire All the Time, no exceptions. Hop online, log onto Wicked Stock, check out all the great deals on accessories, gear, and Textile Motorcycle Jackets.

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