Winter months are the happiest for bikers, but this is also the time when due to the high temperatures outside, some of us simply quit wearing protective gear, something that could show the way to the first destination in the title. So what would you prefer, being hospitalized or sweated?
It is also a fact that when losing their skin and toes (in a happy case) there are no chances for those riders to get back in the saddle (something that we don’t wish). On the other hand, a conscious person that cares about its corporal integrity will keep on riding after making a trip at the local riding gear shop.
So which is your destination this summer in case you crash?
High tech gizmos aren’t limited to the motorcycle itself. Yes, it’s great having the latest injection systems, engine management, LCD display, USB cards for telemetric data, you name the technology. But for the riders, improvements have been made as well. One of them is the use of wireless transmissions. Bluetooth is a wireless transmission standard created for the PC world. It allows peripherals to communicate with each other. Keyboard, mouse, pointing devices can all talk to each other without wires.
Using the same Bluetooth technology, helmets can communicate as well. In the old days, if you wanted to talk to your pillion passenger, either you shouted, or you carried an intercom that consisted of bits of wire, either connecting the rider with the pillion, or via a central hub mounted to the motorcycle.
You could often see a motorcycle ride up to a gas station, and the pillion dismounting and walking to the service area, forgetting that he/she was tied to the motorcycle or rider. Ouch!
Those days are over. By installing a Bluetooth helmet kit, you can now not only talk to each other, but also listen to music, GPS instructions and even talk on your Bluetooth equipped mobile phone.
The first versions of Bluetooth had more limitations. Version 1 of Bluetooth, drew more power (therefore your batteries could not last that long), the sound was in mono and the reach limited 10 meters).
Along came A2DP, a standard that allows for full stereo sound. The most used Bluetooth version is currently 1.2, but version 2 and 2.1 are more and more widely available. Version 3 is in the works, and will give less power usage and more range.
Range can play an important role, since it could allow you to talk to your riding buddy who is also equipped with Bluetooth. Typically, the range is 150 meters for those that have that capability. It will therefore function as a bike-to-bike communication system without the need of a walkie-talkie. Communication is secure, since no one can hear you, or interfere with your communication.
Fitting the Bluetooth kit on your helmet shouldn’t take too long, since most kits have stick on, or screw on mounts (not permanent). Once fitted, you need to introduce the Bluetooth gear to each other (called “pairing”). The only downside is that you need to use the same manufacturer’s gear, you can’t mix & match.
Usually, the Bluetooth gear is intelligent. If you’re talking to your pillion, and the phone rings, it will interrupts the intercom and switch to the phone. The same is applied to GPS instructions.
A wide range of equipment is now available. Helmet manufacturers are selling helmets pre-fitted with Bluetooth (BMW, Schuberth, Nolan, Vemar, NZI, Momo, Givi, Dainese, Airoh and Caberg to name a few).
If you already have a helmet, or want a communication unit that can be moved from helmet to helmet, a growing list of third party manufacturers exist. Some use the same equipment but sold under different labels (such as CellularLine Interphone, Blueant and SuperTooth), other have their own (Albrecht, Scala Cardo, IMC, JM, Motorola, Spyball and Voltronic).
There are also Bluetooth equipped units that do not function as intercom. For example the Parrot SK4000 is a wireless unit that functions as radio, mobile phone interface and MP3/iPod interface. But it can’t be used to talk to your pillion.
At the top of the range are the hub & spoke units. They consist of a central hub mounted to your motorcycle, and Bluetooth receivers fitted to your helmet. The hub interfaces with a wide range of products, including walkie-talkies. Manufactures include AKE, Baehr and Dimton.
Not all units can communicate with all sorts of devices, you need to check carefully. Motorcycle GPSs like Garmin Zumo and TomTom Rider are equipped with Bluetooth, but have in the past proven unreliable with communication links dropping. Always make sure that you have the latest firmware installed in your GPS if you want to use it with your Bluetooth communicator.
But then there are a lot of rides out there who don’t want to be bothered by the pillion, a mobile phone or music. They just want to hear the wind and engine roaring.
PEDCO. LLC is a Atlanta, Georgia based company which has recently teamed up with Mugen Denko for completing a common goal: marketing Hit-Air motorcycle jackets and vests in the U.S.
The time couldn’t be better as gas prices lead to a record number of motorcyclists on our streets today and the risks grow directly proportional with those numbers.
At its base, the idea is very simple, but must function impeccably. An apparently normal motorcycle jacket integrates an airbag system (...) > More
No comment to this one guys! There are many changes this scooter girl hasn’t been riding for long, but it sure read all those articles about motorcycle safety and how important it is to wear your helmet. But what she apparently missed is the “helmet positioning lesson” as it fits the helmet completely wrong. See for yourself.
Did you ever happen to buy something and have no inner piece until you put that product to the test? That is exactly what these guys are doing with the MotoAir Motorcycle Airbag Jacket and they actually prove a point.
Notice that the tests were highly benefic as at first there was no deployment and the problem could only be solved with support from the manufacturer. But once up and going, this jacket showed its life-saving potential.
Due to the increased risks that British Troops take whilst on operations, they find it difficult adjusting to the risk thresholds of normal civilian life, particularly when on the road where they drive faster and more recklessly. In fact they are twice as likely to die on the road as civilians. Consequently, the British Army commissioned Golley Slater to create a campaign in an effort to alter the behaviour of British troops when they return home from active service.
After crashing its skull for six times, French designer Jérôme Coste took matters in its own hands. He submitted himself at creating the most interesting motorcycle helmets. Why interesting? The safety factor was a must (you wouldn’t want our designer to crash and have yet another cranial fracture) and the shape propel them back in the 1970s, when these kind of helmets used to be made.
Kind of funny as Jérôme Coste claims to have inspired by sci-fi movies, Japanese anime and a dash of Steve McQueen. So…they also seem to indicate future tendencies. One particular model lets displays the carbon fiber (clearly futuristic) while the other is worthy of the “Captain America” series back in the 1970s. Now everybody’s happy!
See how high-speed crashes can influence your creative work in a positive way? Even so, I suggest trying the helmets, not this method of creating them!
In my opinion, there were kinds of motorcyclists: the ones that consciously swing the leg over the seat and think twice before opening the throttle (these being the ones that usually live happily ever after in the seats of their bikes) and the ones that can only think about hundreds of miles per hour and picking up chicks using their bikes (the young and inexperienced fellows).
Now, I must say that my opinion has been changed by this guy named Sherman who, although very young, it has the knowledge, passion and will to change something in this dramatic situation. Just listen to him.
The number of motorcycle licenses has increased this summer, and there seems to be more inexperienced riders on the road.
High gas prices have boosted sales of motorcycles and mopeds. But the appeal of the open road and more miles per gallon is carrying a sobering statistic, KMBC’s Bev Chapman reported.
Ten percent of the people who died on Missouri highways last year were riding a motorcycle, state records show.
On Tuesday, two men on motorcycles were injured in a collision at Highways 291 and 58 in Cass County. The highway patrol said they were passing a line of cars and failed to see a truck making a left turn in front of them.
"Statistically, the highest accident rate is someone who learns from a relative, learns from a friend, or just tries to figure it out for themselves," said Claudia Mekins, who teaches motorcycle safety at Maple Woods Community College.
According to the Missouri Division of Motor Vehicles, there are about 9,000 more licensed motorcycle drivers in the state this year.
"I’ve had people say they never thought of riding a motorcycle before. They’re just doing it because of the gas," Mekins said.
But saving money means little if you are injured. Mekins said many of the people turning the keys on two-wheelers haven’t ridden since they were kids.
"When you’re 12, you bounce. When you’re 40, you don’t bounce. When you’re 12, you ride on dirt roads or in the back yard. When you’re 40, you’re on I-435. It’s serious," Mekins said.
There are several schools in the Kansas City area that offer motorcycle training classes.
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