MOTORCYCLES

Here are some common sense tips for what to wear while you are out tearing it up on your brand new motorbike.

First off, and I know this is old but it always bears repeating, get a helmet. Which would you rather have to do; hammer a few well earned dents out of your bike, or have the doctor hammer a few dents out of your skull? Besides, with all the technological advances in helmet engineering, you might actually look pretty cool with one on your noggin. Oh yeah, and make sure it fits snugly on your head.

Next, you will want to invest in clothing that will protect the rest of your body. With motorcycling, falling is inevitable. Get a jacket, pants, boots and gloves that will be sturdy enough to take a beating, but will still allow your body to stay cool and breathe well. It can get a little toasty under all that leather. Keep in mind also that you do not want your clothing to inhibit the operation of your machine, so make sure that the stuff you get fits well. Oh yeah, and fit is more important than style, ok?

Protective gear has come a long way, offering benefits like waterproofing, special kevlar composites and padding to protect those, um…sensitive areas. Be willing to invest in a quality set of protective gear and you won’t regret the extra money spent. Next we need to talk about boots.

Boots come in an amazingly broad variety, and they are an absolute must for riding a motorcycle. Forget about wearing anything else unless you really aren’t concerned about protecting your feet, ankles, and lower calf. Remember that comfort and fit are important, just as much as the new, fancy kevlar lining and neat zippers and buckles are. The boots should be fairly stiff, but only pro racers need boots that are completely rigid.

There are plenty of other handy tools and add ons that you can get for your bike. Be sensible and choose the ones that would be best for the kind of riding that you will be doing. Do your homework and go for quality.

After you have fitted yourself with the latest in motorcycle apparel, including a more than just decent pair of boots, the next thing to equip yourself with is a riding buddy. Never go riding alone, because even if you have the fancy global positioning instrumentation installed, with the emergency radio built into your well fitting helmet, it will be kind of hard to operate any of that stuff if your neck is broken and you can’t move or speak. Riding buddy…if you don’t have one, get one!

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On the whole, motorcycle owners put more love and care into their machines
than do owners of cars or trucks. That “love and care” directly translates into
hundreds of dollars spent on customizations and maintenance. Sadly, between
30,000 to 50,000 bikes are stolen each year in the United States alone (based on
theft rates from 2000 through 2005). And to think, many of these thefts could have
been prevented with a little common sense and security.

Common Sense This should go without saying, but don’t leave the keys in
the ignition or the motor running when you’re not on the bike! Never leave your
bike in a dimly lit, hard to see location. Put the bike in your locked garage when you
are at home.

Locks and Chains One item every bike owner should purchase is a thick
U-lock or chain that can be easily spotted by anyone, day or night. This is a must-
have, unless its so big that it’s impossible to tote around with you. Simply wrapping
your chain through a wheel and your bike frame is not enough — you have to
mount the bike to a sturdy pole or clamp mounted in concrete. If the bike isn’t
mounted to a stationary object, a thief could just pack up your bike in a truck and
drive away.

Electronic Alarms Most modern bikes (larger than a scooter) have some
form of factory immobilization that prevents casual theft, but such immobilizers
alone won’t stop a determined thief. It’s therefore best to consider an electronic
security system, often called an “alarm.” A good alarm system does more than just
make noise, it has circuitry that prevents false triggers, adds secondary points of
immobilization, and sounds a loud siren only when a threat against your bike is real.
Some have digital tilt sensors, shock sensors and other sensors that trip the system
into action. One excellent electronic alarm from Japan is the CYCLONE 866F:
www.kiramek.com. The Japanese manufacturer of Cyclone also offers a 1-way
paging system that instantly alerts you when a threat occurs. The system is also
claimed to be very low-power, eliminating worry of your battery being drained.

Two-way Paging Alarms Over the last 3 years, some electronic alarms
have begun to include 2-way pagers. These systems allow you to both control the
alarm and receive notification of threats. Unfortunately, battery life for many of
these two-way pagers is limited to about 1 month, and the pagers
themselves can be easily broken by a simple fall from your pants pocket. Two-way
systems also may drain a bike’s battery quickly unless you ride it daily. Even so, for
some people the convenience aspect may outweigh the negatives for some bike
owners.

Tracking Systems As of 2005, some companies have come out with GPS
tracking systems for bikes that allow a stolen bike to be traced. While tracking
systems do have merits over other types of security, there are three important
downsides that must be considered: (1) battery drain on the bike, (2) service area
(tracking) coverage, and (3) monthly cost.

Most tracking systems require you to pay not only for the product itself but also
each and every month to keep the “service contract” alive. The long term cost of
tracking systems may leave a bad taste in the mouth of the average bike owner.
Think about how much you already pay per month (phone bill, mobile phone,
internet, etc.) and you can see why tacking on another subscription is cost
prohibitive.

LoJack is one tracking system manufacturer who does not charge any monthly fees,
but their least expensive bike system runs $595 and traceability is limited to the
coverage area of wireless towers installed by LoJack and some police stations. Once
your LoJack “protected” vehicle exits the coverage area, its off the map and not
traceable. Of course, LoJack will refund the price of the product, but that refund
doesn’t replace your bike. Nor does that refund cover any special installation fees
you might have paid or any insurance deductible you might have.

Conclusion Use a layered approach to security. Common sense dictates
that you put your bike in a location that is not an obvious target for thieves. You’ll
then need a chain or U-lock to prevent casual theft. And lastly, even if your bike
has a factory immobilizer, the addition of an electronic alarm or tracking system will
act as a significant deterrent to theft.

SECURITY RESOURCES:

CYCLONE Motorcycle Security

VISION 2-Way Paging Alarms

WORCH Tire Locks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR. James Wages has a BSEE from CSU Fresno and has worked
in the automotive security aftermarket since 1994.

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Ideally, the way to get a good deal on your motorcycle insurance is to make sure that you know what the cost of insuring a motorcycle is before you buy it. By being aware of the ongoing costs, the buyer can make informed choices about what the purchase is going to cost in real terms and how other alternative compare. I am not saying that we should all be extremely sensible and buy a 50cc scooter when what we really want is a big bore sports motorcycle, but some insurance costs can be avoided without sacrificing too much performance.

The cost for insurance varies greatly from bike to bike and often the difference in horsepower and performance is relatively small. For example, a Kawasaki ZX12 is and exceptionally fast motorcycle, the only problem is that paying the insurance cost of your new motorcycle may leave you too broke to even put gas in the thing! On the other hand motorcycle insurers are far more kind to the Honda CBR1100. Yes, this motorcycle does have a little less power, but with the insurance costs being significantly lower, then perhaps it needs to be considered. In fact buying a motorcycle without getting firm insurance quotes beforehand can lead to major problems. There are quite a lot of bikes on the market that the major insurance companies simply won’t touch! More information about what brands should be avoided is available at http://www.cover4motorbikes.com This can lead to owners being forced to use smaller insurance companies that can deliver substandard products. Another problem with using smaller companies for motorcycle insurance is that you are often unable to combine any other insurance policies that you may have, which is usually a good way of saving money.

Another thing to do is make enquiries with a range of motorcycle insurers as to what accessories or security devices may increase or lower your insurance policies. Disc locks, alarms, and satellite tracking are the kinds of things that tend to make a difference but a list is available through http://www.motorcyclesinsurer.com . You may be surprised by how much a two or three hundred dollar security device can affect your insurance costs, and it is far better to know this information before you buy your motorcycle as dealerships tend to give more bargaining power with major purchases.

So before you buy, make sure you:

-Get a range of insurance quotes for each motorcycle that you are considering

-Find out how security devices and accessories can affect you insurance cost

-Find out if you can reduce your insurance costs by locking you motorcycle in a secure area

The author is a regular contributor to http://www.motorcyclesinsurer.com and permission to reproduce this article is given only on the basis that all links remain active and intact.

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