Riders will climb the highest mountain, ride across the top of a stadium, make bone-jarring jumps over impossibly long gaps, rip across the desert with nary a soul within a hundred miles of them and take their sport bikes out on the public roads at blinding speeds.

It takes guts and skill and the intestinal fortitude to try something that’s right on the edge of your capabilities. You have to know your machine, and to know your machine is to know your self.

Taking outrageous risks on the back of a two-wheeled machine just seems to be part of the pact you sign when you buy your first bike, and it stays with you until the time you come to the end your last ride. It’s surely about adrenaline and the feeling you get when you’re fully aware that this life we live is finite. There are precious few times you feel that more comprehensively than those you spend on the back of a motorcycle.

From the quest to conquer the Dakar Rally to the rush of track day on the back of your FZR, the need for speed knows no bounds, and with the advent of small digital video cameras, we all share the thrills with anyone willing to take a couple of minutes to watch as the drama unfolds.

So why am I going on about all this? Well, today, it’s because I took the time to watch this awesome little GoPro gem of a rider tearing along a snowy hogsback at the top of what can only be described as a mountain ridge.

Buying Your First Bike? The Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

You’re going to take it to the limit when you head out to ride. Across deserts, up the sides of mountains and down the highway to feel the thrill of the open road as it stretches out in front of you. When you do, you need to make sure that both you and your machine are covered by the right insurance protection.
We’re here to help you that correct motorcycle insurance package, whatever, and however, you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.
• Towing / Pickup

Related posts:

1. Ridiculous Motorcycle Mountain Stunt Riding – Video
2. Knowledge Is Power – It Will Get Increasingly More Dangerous to Ride Your Bike So Know the Score
3. The Trailer Queen Question – Ride It, Or Tow It And Then Ride It

Tom Smith, 32, was riding at the Mepal Motopark in Block Fen, Mepal, when the crash which took his life occurred on Sunday.

Emergency personnel were on hand at the time, including a helicopter ambulance, but Smith was pronounced dead at the scene of his injuries.

British Rider Tom Smith and his Facebook tribute.

Andrew Villis, the owner of the racetrack, said some 180 riders were competing at the time as part of an event. Nearly 3,000 fellow riders and friends have joined a group on Facebook set up in memory of Smith. Family, friends and fellow motocross riders from around the world have been paying tribute to the fallen rider.

“Motocrossers around the world are in shock at this news, ” said Smith’s friend, Paul Crossland. “God bless all Tom’s family and friends. We’re thinking of you.”

Buying Your First Bike? The Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. MotoGP Rider Marco Simoncelli Killed in Accident at Sepang Malaysia
2. The Fake Celebrity Motorcycle Death Rumor Business Is Booming – Sizzla Kalonji Lives On to Continue Sizzling
3. Warehouse? There, House…Indoor Motorcycle Racing

I’m not an electrical engineer so I have no idea why OEM horns on older bikes tend to fail with an alarming (pardon the pun) regularity – they just do.

This guy, however, is an electrical engineer and he says he’s got a solution to the problem.

His name is Peter Olt and he’s been riding bikes for 30 years. He sent me a link to his proposal for a new motorcycle safety system, and it really got me thinking about what would make a motorcycle safer.

The whole “loud pipes save lives” thing is a complete misnomer. By the time someone hears you coming – due to a little piece of physics called the Doppler Effect – loud pipes or not, you’re already toast when a cager pulls out in front of you.

I ride a lot out on country roads in the boondocks of Michigan, and this would sure be nice for those times when I see a whole gang of vicious deer intent on causing mayhem massing by the side of the rural route.

I leave it to you to decide if you need one of these, but I must admit to liking the idea…

Here’s a video The Banshee Horn in Action:

If you like the idea, why not kick in a few bucks to his Kickstarter project and see where the adventure leads you?

If you do the full pledge, Olt says he’ll send you the complete package, which includes:

• The patented control unit which will come with all wiring and connections – ready to install.
• A 135 decibel (12 volt) compact air horn in either black or chrome – your choice.
• A universal mounting bracket for the air horn.
• Easy to follow instructions including links to online videos.

For the smaller pledge he’ll supply:

• The patented control unit which will come with all wiring and connections – ready to install.
• Easy to follow instructions including links to online videos.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Related posts:

1. The Fake Celebrity Motorcycle Death Rumor Business Is Booming – Sizzla Kalonji Lives On to Continue Sizzling
2. The Motorcycle Insurance Primer – Ways to Save Cash Money on Your Motorcycle Insurance
3. What Do You Actually Save Riding Your Motorcycle? Lots of Dough and Your Sanity

There are a lot of facts associated with motorcycling, and you should know all the straight skinny before you head out on the road.

Who knows? All this knowledge might come in handy. As well all well know, knowledge is power…

The National Insurance Crime Bureau said that motorcycle thefts fell 24 percent in 2010 from a year earlier, based on data from the National Crime Information Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Motorcycle thefts have declined each year from 2006 to 2010 with the largest decrease occurring between 2008 and 2009. The top five makes stolen and the top five states in thefts for 2010 are shown below:

Top Five Makes Stolen, 2010    Top Five States in Motorcycle Thefts, 2010

1. Honda 12,260                               1. California 5,662

2. Yamaha 9,853                              2. Texas 4,394

3. Suzuki 8,969                                 3. Florida 4,148

4. Kawasaki 5,470                          4. North Carolina 2,649

5. Unknown make 3,420             5. Indiana 1,925

FATALITIES AND INJURIES

Overall: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov), tthe following new terms are used to define motorcycle occupants: a motorcycle rider is the operator only; a passenger is any person seated on the motorcycle but not in control of the motorcycle; and any combined reference to the motorcycle rider (operator) as well as the passenger will be referred to as motorcyclists.

NHTSA says that in 2009, 4,462 motorcyclists died in crashes, down 16.0 percent from 5,312 in 2008, ending an 11- year increase in motorcycle deaths. Motorcycle fatalities in 2008 were at the highest level since NHTSA began collecting data in 1975. In 2009, 90,000 motorcyclists were injured in accidents, down 6.3 percent from 2008. In 2009 motorcyclists accounted for 13 percent of all traffic fatalities, 16 percent of all occupant fatalities and 4 percent of all occupants injured.

By Age: Older motorcyclists account for half of all motorcyclist fatalities. NHTSA data show that in 2008, 51 percent of motorcyclists killed in crashes were age 40 or over, compared with 33 percent 10 years earlier. In contrast, fatalities among young motorcyclists have declined in the past 10 years, relative to other age groups. In 2008 fatalities in the under 30-year-old group dropped to 31 percent of total motorcyclists killed in crashes from 40 percent in 1998. Fatalities among motorcyclists in the 30-to 39-year-old group fell to 19 percent in 2008 from 27 percent ten years earlier.

By Driver Behavior: Alcohol use: NHTSA says that in 2009, 29 percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over 0.08 percent (the national definition of drunk driving), compared with 23 percent of drivers of passenger cars, 23 percent of light truck drivers and 2 percent of large truck drivers in fatal crashes.

In 2008, 30 percent of all fatally injured motorcycle riders had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher. Another 7 percent had lower alcohol levels (0.01 to 0.07 percent BAC.). Fatally injured motorcycle riders between the ages of 40 to 49 had the highest percentage of BACs 0.08 percent and above (41 percent), compared with 36 percent for those ages 35 to 39. Forty-three percent of the 2,291 fatally injured motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2008 (for example, those in which the motorcycle crashed into a stationary object) had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher. On weekend nights, the proportion was higher: 64 percent of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher.

In 2008, motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes at night were nearly 4 times more likely to have BAC levels at or over 0.08 percent (48 percent) than those killed during the day (13 percent).

The reported helmet use rate for motorcycle riders with BACs at or over 0.08 percent who were killed in traffic crashes was 46 percent in 2008, compared with 66 percent for those who did not have any measurable blood alcohol.

Speeding: In 2008, 35 percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with 23 percent for drivers of passenger cars, 19 percent for light truck drivers and 8 percent for large truck drivers, according to NHTSA.

Licensing: One out of four motorcycle riders (25 percent) who were involved in fatal crashes were riding without a valid license in 2008, compared with 12 percent of passenger vehicle drivers. NHTSA says that motorcycle operators were also 1.4 times more likely than passenger vehicle drivers to have a prior license suspension or revocation (18 percent compared with 13 percent).

By Type of Motorcycle: According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), riders of “supersports” motorcycles have driver death rates per 10,000 registered vehicles nearly four times higher than for drivers of other types of motorcycles. Supersports have more horsepower than conventional motorcycles and can reach speeds of up to 190 mph. They are built on racing platforms and are modified for street use. The bikes are popular with riders under the age of 30. The bikes are light-weight and aerodynamically styled. In 2005, these bikes registered 22.5 driver deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles compared with 10.7 deaths for other sport models (related to supersports but do not have the acceleration, stability and handling of supersports). Standards and cruisers and touring bikes, with upright handlebars, have rates of 5.7 and 6.5 per 10,000 vehicles. In 2005, supersports accounted for 9 percent of registrations, and standards and cruisers made up 51 percent of registrations. Among fatally injured drivers, the IIHS says that drivers of supersports were the youngest—with an average age of 27. Touring motorcycle drivers were the oldest, 51 years old. Fatally injured drivers of other sports models were 34, on average; standard and cruiser drivers were 44 years old. Speeding and driver error were bigger factors in supersport and sport fatal crashes. Speed was cited in 57 percent of supersport riders’ fatal crashes in 2005 and in 46 percent for sport model riders. Speed was a factor in 27 of fatal crashes of riders of cruisers and standards, and for 22 percent of riders of touring models.

INSURANCE LOSSES

Collision Losses by Type: The IIHS says that supersports have the overall highest insurance losses under collision coverage among the motorcycle classes, almost four times higher than for touring models and more than six times higher than for cruisers. Nine of the ten motorcycles with the highest losses were supersports. Claim frequency is driving the high losses for supersports, meaning that they are involved in more collisions than other types of motorcycles—there were 9 claims per 100 insured vehicle years for supersports models, compared with 2.3 for all models. The models surveyed were all 2002-2006 models. Touring motorcycles had the most expensive claims because they are the most expensive to purchase. Supersport models are the most popular with thieves—with average loss payments for theft losses per insured vehicle years of $246 for 2002-2006 models, seven times higher than the average for all motorcycles. Supersport models had the highest frequency of thefts—31.8 per insured vehicle year, compared with cruisers and touring models which had the lowest at 1.1 claims per insured vehicle year. However, touring models had the highest average loss payments—$15,696, reflecting their high purchase price and upgrades.

SAFETY ISSUES

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF, http://www.msf-usa.org), sponsored by motorcycle manufacturers and distributors, works with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), state governments and other organizations to improve motorcycle safety through education, training and licensing. Since 1973 about 3.2 million motorcyclists have taken MSF training courses. The organization also works with the states to integrate rider safety and skills in licensing tests. It also promotes safety by recommending motorcycle operators wear protective gear, especially helmets, ride sober and ride within their skill limits.

Antilock Brakes: Stopping a motorcycle is more complex than stopping a car. Motorcycles have separate brakes for the front and rear wheels, and braking hard can lock the wheels and cause the bike to overturn. Not braking hard enough can put the rider into harm’s way. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) said in March 2010 that motorcycles with antilocks versus those without are 37 percent less likely to be in fatal crashes. In addition, the IIHS’s affiliate, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), found that bikes with antilocks have 22 percent fewer claims for damage per insured vehicle year than the same model bikes without antilocks. HLDI also studied medical claims and found that under medical payment coverage, bikes with antilocks had 30 percent lower claim frequencies than bikes that did not have antilocks. (Claims frequencies represent the number of claims.) Claim frequencies were 33 percent lower under bodily injury liability coverage.

Airbags:Honda Motorcycle Company is the first company to offer the option of an airbag, which is available on one of the most expensive models. The option became available in 2006. A handful of companies have recently developed wearable airbags, which are worn either inside a jacket or strapped on outside. No data on the effectiveness of these new items has been published. 

Motorcycle Helmets: In 2009 motorcycle helmets saved 1,483 lives. NHTSA says that if all motorcyclists had worn helmets, 732 more lives would have been saved. Helmets are estimated to be 37 percent effective in preventing fatal injuries for motorcycle riders (operators) and 41 percent effective for motorcycle passengers.

Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws: According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 20 states and the District of Columbia had laws on the books requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets as of June 2011 (See chart below). In another 27 states only people under a specific age (mostly between 17 and 20 years of age) were required to wear helmets. Three states (Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire) had no helmet use laws. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study covering 10 states found that when universal helmet laws, which pertain to all riders, were repealed, helmet use rates dropped from 99 percent to 50 percent. In states where the universal law was reinstated, helmet use rates rose to above 95 percent.

According to NHTSA’s National Occupant Protection Use Survey, motorcycle helmet use plummeted to 54 percent in June 2010 from 67 percent in June 2009. Helmet use reached a high of 71 percent in October 2000. Usage rates are higher in states that have universal laws that require all riders to use helmets. In June 2010, 76 percent of motorcyclists in universal law states wore them, 10 percentage points less than in 2009. In states without universal laws, usage was down 15 percentage points, dropping from 55 percent in 2009 to 40 percent in 2010. Motorcycle helmet use in 2010 was highest in the West, at 75 percent, down from 83 percent in the previous year, and lowest in the Midwest, at 43 percent, down from 67 percent in 2009. Helmet use was 54 percent in both the Northeast and the South, down by 7 percentage points and 11 percentage points, respectively from 2009. The survey only counts helmets that comply with Department of Transportation standards.

View Archived Tables:
MOTORCYCLE HELMET USE, 1994-2009 (1)

View Archived Tables:
MOTORCYCLIST FATALITIES AND FATALITY RATES, 1998-2008

View Archived Tables:
OCCUPANT FATALITY RATES BY VEHICLE TYPE, 1997 AND 2007

View Archived Tables:
MOTORCYCLE RIDERS KILLED OR INJURED BY TIME OF DAY AND DAY OF WEEK, 2008

View Archived Tables:
VEHICLES INVOLVED IN CRASHES BY VEHICLE TYPE AND CRASH SEVERITY, 2008

View Archived Tables:
PERSONS KILLED IN TOTAL AND ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED CRASHES BY PERSON TYPE, 2008

View Archived Tables:
DRIVERS IN FATAL CRASHES BY BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BAC) AND VEHICLE TYPE, 1998-2008 (1)

Related posts:

1. The Comprehensive And Utterly Huge Guide to Motorcycle Helmet Laws
2. Motorcycle Helmet Law Debate Rages On – How Would You Fix The Issue?
3. Older and Wiser Bikers? Maybe Not So Much

This Iron Man motorcycle helmet features a retractable tinted shield, but comes with a bit of a safety disclaimer as well, so maybe “motorcycle helmet” isn’t exactly an accurate description of what this thing actually does:

Safety disclaimer: Please be aware that these helmets do not meet DOT (Department of Transportation) specifications. They are not intended for use on any motorized vehicles. They are not designed to be a safety helmet and will not protect your head on impact. If you are injured, permanently disabled, or receive a ticket while wearing this helmet, tigerpause444 is not liable.

Iron Man motorcycle helmet

If you had the earth-friendly constitution, refinement and pocketbook to buy a Brammo electric bike, your insurance needs can get complicated. We’re here to help you find the right insurance for your brand new electric or hydrogen-powered motorcyle…

Related posts:

1. Member of Iron Coffins Motorcycle Club Becomes First Casualty of 2012 In Battle Creek Party Dustup
2. Hoosier State To Host American Iron Event
3. What Kind of Motorcycle Helmet Should I Wear?

Rejean Neron’s Safety Sphere is a rider-wearable protective suit made to inflate to a gigantic sphere around the rider in the event of a crash.

According to Neron, the Saftety Sphere inflates in five hundredths of a second to cushion a rider from impact and the whole shebang is contained in a loose fitting coverall made from two layers of fabric.

“The outer layer is made up of a highly resistant parachute type material. The inner layer is made up of a thin, moderately elastic synthetic material. In a collision situation, the passengers are thrown from the motorcycle, the cord connecting them to the motorcycle seat disconnects, the electrical voltage plummets, and the electronic circuit processor inside the belt buckle housing of each occupant connects the 9 volt battery to an electric igniter in the back housing of their respective suits,” Neron says of his creation. “This triggers the firing of an explosive canister of propellant called nitrocellulose.”

Neron’s been working on the Safety Sphere for lots of years through what he says are “countless” versions, and he now says he’s on the cusp of bringing the suit into production.

All he’ll need to make it a big seller is to have a designer cover the outside with skulls and flames, and he should be off to the races with his marketing effort.

Buying Your First Bike? The Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Motorcyclist 380+ Feet In the Air – This Would Tighten Your Pucker String
2. Knowledge Is Power – It Will Get Increasingly More Dangerous to Ride Your Bike So Know the Score
3. Will Michigan Change the Rules in the Middle of the Game? No Fault Insurance Laws Under Fire For Motorcyclists

It was always madness. The idea that a man on a motorcycle could bring to heel a man in a car was entirely dependent on the acceptance of the very idea of the rule of law, and the very idea of the rule of law has always been a tenuous conception at best.

Naperville, Illnois’ four-rider motorcycle division will be scrapped if some council members have their way, and their action likely signals the end of an era.

Napierville City Councilman Grant Wehrli said the motorcycles are no longer neede for a variety of reasons, principal among them the nearly $2,000 it costs to uniform each officer and train them at a motorcycle-policing class taught by Northwestern University. The reasons are pretty obvious. Workers’ compensation claims, the costs of maintaining and equipping a bikes the department uses only six to eight months a year and politico speak which generally sounds like blah, blah, blah…

“It seems that we have five officers trained on the motorcycle and four of them have been hurt while on the motorcycle. They seem to be of limited use seasonably, and they are a cost-negative influence on our budget because of the workman’s comp claims.” the estimable Mr. Wehrli said.

Napierville Mayor George Pradel, a former Naperville police officer, said he never rode a motorcycle as part of his policing duties – but he wanted to – and he added that bikes are not only an effective police tool,  but  attract positive attention to the force.

“I absolutely believe motorcycles have a place on the Naperville Police Department. When I was on the traffic division, I wanted us to have them so bad. Not only can they be useful for catching speeders but they can get into so many places squads cant, like rushing to an accident on a packed Route 59 in the summer,” he said.

Councilman Robert Fieseler said Wehrli is dead wrong, but Wehrli had his retort as well.

“It’s gotcha enforcement,” Wehrli said. “I’m all for enforcing the laws, but when we’re hiding behind trees it gives the perception that we’re a ‘gotcha’ department.”

Custom Motorcycle Insurance

Custom motorcycles require the correct insurance coverage package to protect what is, after all, a significant investment on your part .

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance for your custom bike…

Tips for buying motorcycle insurance for your custom:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.
• Additional coverage to replace or repair accessories specific to your bike.

Related posts:

1. The S&S Bailout Keeps A Half Century of Motorcycle Manufacturing Tradition Alive
2. Hoosier State To Host American Iron Event
3. On the Ragged Edge – Jody Perewitz First Woman to Break 200 MPH Speed Barrier On an American V Twin

Sabater took home the prestigious award for her estimable contributions to repealing a Nanny State ban on sales of youth powersports vehicles, and for that, she should well have been commended.

The AMA Motorcyclist of the Year title goes every year to “the person or persons who had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling in the previous 12 months,” and Sabater was certainly that person or persons.

Sabate prevailed over a truly insane “lead law” and sealed the deal as President Barack Obama signed legislation which overturned the ban on Aug. 12. The legislation ended a three-year battle to save American youth from a life without riding motorcycles (a horrible fate) and kept this country free from cages-only ignominy for future generations.

“This was a victory on many levels.”

-Nancy Sabater

“A number of partners had a hand in our victory over this misguided law — the motorcycle industry, race promoters, parts distributors and others, but it’s Nancy and those like her — the individual enthusiasts — who truly put the rubber to the road, gave our cause a face in the crowd and brought this victory home,” AMA president and CEO Rob Dingman said. “They were the most influential motorcyclists of 2011, and AMA member and grassroots activist Nancy Sabater is the AMA Motorcyclist of the Year for her stellar work on behalf of families and kids.”

So when did the madness begin?

In 2009 shortly after Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, the law was a result of reports that cheap,  imported (generally from China) children’s toys were testing high for lead content. It’s true, lead is just plain bad for kids and presents serious health risks. But the CPSIA legislation was written in such a way that it banned the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under that contained more than a trace amount of lead. The upshot was that dirtbikes and ATVs sized for kids fell under the umbrella as they might contain trace levels of lead in parts such as brake calipers and battery terminals.

Did it matter that it’s inconceivable that parts like that were never, ever going to end up in a kid’s mouth as a teething ring? No, according to legislators, it did not.

Thousands of individual motorcyclists, with Sabater the most vocal dissenter, fuhgood fight to repeal the law.

Sabater was also involved in two initiatives which preceded the fix itself: the AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb last May 26 and cranking out a slew of videos Sabater produced of well-known racers and motocross industry personalities talking sense about the lunacy of  portions written into the lead law.

“This victory is something that demonstrates the fruits of our labors. Something really happened here. We effected change. We showed these kids that if you want something hard enough and you work hard enough, that you can get results,” Sabater said. “Who knows what battles we’ll fight next, in D.C., for the AMA, for the rights of motorcyclists? This was a victory on many levels.”

Related posts:

1. Heroes Save Utah Motorcyclist Trapped Under Burning Car
2. Quick Tips and Facts for the Motorcyclist – Our Motorcycle Safety and Gear Infographic
3. The 2011 Year End Motorcycle Chain Links – Happy New Year Bikers

Well,  the governor of Lagos has problems of his own and says motorcycles and their riders are getting under his skin.

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, said managing commercial motorcyclists is a huge headache for his administration. Fashola there’s no excuse for those who  “say that the people who ride commercial motorcycles are doing so because they have no jobs.”

He chalks up the problems the bikers are causing him to organized crime and points to empirical data shows which says motorcycles are a ready tool of organized crime. Fashola says civic improvements in Lagos should have taken care of the problem.

“We have managed open spaces better by creating green parks. Vocational centres have increased from seven in 2007 to 17 and have trained over 29,000 people and the number keeps growing,” Fashola said. “We have also revoked titles to quite a number of abandoned buildings.”

Fashola said all efforts to this point haven’t solved the problem and asked officials to “look at the entire scope of the impact of the commercial motorcycle business on security of life and property in Lagos State, look at what other states have done in managing the problem, to see whether those methods in other states, like restrictions, prohibitions worked and what you will recommend to us to do in order to continue to protect life and property.”

Nigerian government figures for October and November 2011 show that 170 out of 179 cases of accident victims treated at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital involved commercial motorcycle accident victims. Records at the Accidents and Emergency Centre on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway showed a total of 41 cases of commercial motorcycle accidents within the same period, and the 20 General Hospitals in the area recorded 1,039 cases of commercial motorcycle accidents.

It’s not just crashes that have Fashola at his wit’s end. Between January and December 2011, 346 riders were arrested on commercial motorcycles, and between October and November, 79 robbery cases were reported which were committed by commercial motorcyclists.

Fashola said the riders of 1,908 commercial motorcycles were apprehended in October, while 1,003 were arrested in November for a total of 2,911 cases in two months.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Say It Ain’t So, Babatunde, Nigerian Government Rounds Up Commercial Motorcyclists
2. Is This A Good Idea? Motorcycles Allowed to Jump Red Traffic Lights In Illinois
3. Why Have Criminals Stopped Stealing Motorcycles?

Drinking and riding is not only a serious concern for transportation safety officials, it should be one of your concerns as well.

Let’s be realistic here, drinking and riding is endemic to the motorcycle culture. Something like 46 percent of riders killed in accidents, at least according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), have at least some alcohol in their system at the time of their death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes are 2.5 times more likely to have consumed alcohol than passenger vehicle operators.

Nuff said.

It appears riders like to have a snort or two and then take a ride. In 2007, the number of alcohol-impaired motorcyclists in fatal crashes increased by 10 percent while the number of alcohol-impaired drivers of passenger cars declined 6 percent. According to the NHTSA, they define “alcohol impaired” as having a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)  0.08 grams/deciliter. Their analysis of motorcycle riders and passenger vehicle drivers killed showed about 83 percent of the alcohol-impaired accident fatalities were males.

Kelley Tway, media relations manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), adds that drinking and driving among car and motorcycle operators is habitual and said that first offenders surveyed after being arrested for drunk driving admitted they had gotten away with drinking and driving many times before they were finally arrested.

So how do you make sure you’re not one of those riders dying or waking up in a drunk tank?

French insurance company MAAF  developed a hand little tool to help you out. Their application, and it works with most smartphones and the iPad, can tells you if you are legally capable of riding your motorcycle.

Check it out, and if you ever ride your motorcycle after a few drinks, get the app and save everyone a whole bunch of agony:

Click here to access the MAAF AlcooTel web site
Click here to access the iPhone Alcootel download
Click here to access the Windows Phone Alcootel download
Click here to access the Java based phones Alcootel download
Click here to access the iPad Alcootel download

Thanks to Mike Werner at motorbiker.org…

You Ride Hard and Fast

Let’s face it, you like to ride hard and fast and your insurance needs are all about the family you’re sure to leave behind. We kid…

But we are here to help you get enough inexpensive motorcycle insurance to make sure your kids can go to college and your wife will remember you fondly if it all goes wrong…

Related posts:

1. Does What Kind of Bike You Ride Determine Your Safety? The Statistics Say Yes
2. Do You Ride Without A Motorcycle Endorsement?
3. The Ultimate In Motorcycle Insurance Facts and Figures

In 2009, 130 riders were killed in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. This number represented 14 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities. Over a ten-year period the number of motorcycle registrations has increased over 76 percent. Motorcycles account for three percent of all vehicles registered. What does that add up to? It means motorcycle riders are overrepresented in the number of annual fatalities.

Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

European safety researchers published comprehensive results from investigations of hundreds of motorcycle accidents. Based on comprehensive investigations into 921 motorcycle accidents, 103 of which were fatal, the study was called the Motorcycle Accidents In Depth Study (MAIDS).

One of the key findings in the study was that motorcycles most often collide with passenger cars, and in many of these accidents, the driver of the other vehicle failed to see the motorcycle entirely.

The second most common cause of an accident is rider loss of control and crashes onto the roadway itself. Injuries to the lower body, spine and head can be sustained from hitting from curbs and road-side barriers. In September, a 27-year-old man was killed when his motorcycle veered off the road and hit a curb.

Speed does not necessarily lead to accidents and most accidents occur at fairly low speeds and while at a complete stop. In fact, over half of the accidents in the European study occurred in intersections.

Staying Safe

As a motorcyclist, don’t leave your protective gear at home. Helmets and protective clothing do an excellent  job of preventing common injuries. In Illinois wearing a helmet is not required, but safety advocates strongly recommend wearing them. More than 8 out of 10 (82 percent) of motorcycle riders killed in 2009 were not wearing a helmet, and that should tell you all you need to know about what wearing a helmet can do to protect you.

Buying motorcycle insurance is complicated, and the rules are different from state to state. The critical elements of buying a policy vary widely, so rule number on is knowing what you’re buying.

With that in mind, here’s a short list of things you need to know about motorcycle insurance, and if the worst ever happens, you’ll be glad you read this article and followed our advice.

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make When Buying Motorcycle Insurance

The biggest mistake that you can make?

Not buying enough insurance.

To imagine that you’re saving a few bucks on your policy can cost you big money and aggravation if you’re involved in an accident. The consequences of  motorcycle accidents can be devastating. You’re traveling almost entirely unprotected at a high rate of speed and an accident can result in a range of injuries from simple road rash and broken bones to something much worse like spinal injury or serious head trauma.

Any accident – even a relatively low speed accident -  can leave you faced with a long hospital stay. The average week in the hospital costs more than $50,000, and if  your insurance coverage runs out before you’re fully healed, you’ve got a problem which could cost you all your assets.

Don’t make this most critical of mistakes. We recommend that you purchase as much insurance as you can afford and ignore the minimum amounts that state laws require when you make your calculations of acceptable risk.

The Second Biggest Mistake You Can Make When Buying Motorcycle Insurance

The second biggest mistake that you can make is to purchase motorcycle insurance without a clear understanding your policy’s limitations and the laws of the state in which you live.

Here are some  insurance terms you need to understand in order to make an informed decision.

Full Tort vs. Limited Tort

Full Tort coverage refers to your ability to receive compensation from a motorist who may be legally responsible for any injuries you suffer in an accident. States like Pennsylvania don’t require you to pay extra for full tort motorcycle insurance. On the other hand, if you live in New Jersey, you’re required to select what’s called a  No Limitation on Lawsuit option if you want to have any hope of being compensated for pain and suffering you might be caused by the negligence of other motorists.

It comes down to this; the state you live in is an essential component of understanding of what you actually get when you’re buying your motorcycle insurance.

Bodily Injury Liability Coverage

Bodily Injury Liability coverage will provide you payments to cover claims against your assets if you’re  found legally responsible for being at fault in an accident.

Buy as much of this type of coverage as you can afford. You won’t be sorry if you ever need it.

Medical Expense Benefits Coverage

This may well be the most important insurance coverage decision you’ll make, and it typically pays medical, hospital, lost-income and disability expenses to you if you’re injured in an accident. Replacing your motorcycle is relatively cheap, but a hospital stay can ruin your financial future, so pay particular attention to this decision when you buy your policy.

UM/UIM Coverage – You Can’t Do Without It

Uninsured Motorist coverage protects you if you’re  injured by a driver who carries no insurance. In some metropolitan areas in the United State, nearly a third of all drivers are uninsured, and underinsured motorist coverage protects you in the event you’re injured by a driver who has inadequate insurance to pay claims you make make against them as a result of their negligence.

Keep this in mind, nearly all drivers are likely to be underinsured to some extent, so don’t forget to specify this coverage when you talk to your insurer.

Our Recommendations For How Much Coverage You Should Purchase

• Liability Coverage – We suggest that you purchase the maximum limit of 100/300.
• Medical Coverage – Don’t risk running out of coverage. Purchase as much Medical Expense Benefits Coverage as you are able to. Motorcycle accidents typically result in more than $34,000 in medical costs.
• Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist Coverage – If the “other guy”  makes this mistake, you pay the price. Carry at least 100/300.
• Bodily Injury Liability Coverage – Purchase the maximum of 100/300.
• Medical Expense Benefits Coverage -  Go big or go home here. Not carrying sufficient medical expense benefits means you risk running out of coverage, and you don’t want that.

Buying Your First Bike? The Women’s Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. How You Can Blow It When Buying Motorcycle Insurance, and How You Can Purchase The Motorcycle Insurance You Need At a Price You Can Afford
2. Why You Need More Than Just Basic Motorcycle Insurance Coverage
3. How to Save Big Money On the Cost of Your Motorcycle Insurance

Do you fall in the “I can decide for myself, thanks very much” camp? Are you firmly entrenched in the “you’ve got to wear a helmet and keep your brains off the public roads” gang?

We’re unsure of where to stand on this issue.  It’s hard to argue that personal freedoms aren’t being infringed upon where mandatory helmet laws are concerned, but it’s also a tough argument to make that motorcyclists shouldn’t be forced to bear their fair share of whatever social  and medical costs might arise from exercising the freedom to ride without a lid.

To this point, I haven’t read a single article which I believe addresses all the relevant points in a succinct way, so how about coming up with some ideas?

Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, twenty states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books which require all motorcyclists to wear helmets as of June 2011 .

In 27 states, only people under a specific age (generally those between 17 and 20 years of age) are required to wear helmets.

Three states (Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire) have no helmet use laws whatever.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study covering 10 states found that when universal helmet laws applying to all riders were repealed, helmet use rates dropped from 99 percent to 50 percent.  Those kinds of numbers clearly indicate that there are a lot of riders who only wear a lid if the government says they must.

In states where those types of blanket helmet laws were reinstated, helmet use rates rose to above 95 percent.

The NHTSA’s National Occupant Protection Use Survey says motorcycle helmet use dropped to 54 percent in June 2010 from 67 percent in June 2009. At the peak, helmet use reached a high of 71 percent back in October 2000 and helmet .usage rates are higher in states which have universal laws to require all riders to use helmets.

In June 2010, 76 percent of motorcyclists in mandatory helmet law states wore them, and that represents a 10 percentage drop when compared to 2009. In states without universal laws, usage was down 15 percentage points, dropping from 55 percent in 2009 to 40 percent in 2010. Motorcycle helmet use in 2010 was highest in the West, at 75 percent, down from 83 percent in the previous year, and lowest in the Midwest, at 43 percent, down from 67 percent in 2009. Helmet use was 54 percent in both the Northeast and the South, down by 7 percentage points and 11 percentage points, respectively from 2009. The survey only counts helmets that comply with Department of Transportation standards.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. The Comprehensive And Utterly Huge Guide to Motorcycle Helmet Laws
2. Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law Repeal Battle Still Under Way
3. Massachusetts Mulls Repeal of Helmet Law

Six consecutive world titles in World Supersport racing  since 2003 cemented the reputation of Honda’s mid-sized, low weight rocket. Featuring centralized mass and a compact chassis, the original CBR600  became the go-to choice of weapon for serious racers around the world. When a machine is capable of winning more AMA and World Supersport Championships than any other middleweight sportbike, what do you do to make it better?

Apparently, you don’t change a thing…

The engineers responsible for the CBR600 RR didn’t really bother to change much this time around since a major revision way back in 2009, and during that year, about the only thing they brought out was the Combined ABS braking system. Yeah, back in 2009 the iconic sportbike did get an engine upgrade to improve torque in the upper range of the RPM band and  redesigned fairings, but in keeping with the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” philosophy surrounding this bike, almost nothing changed for 2010 and 2011.

The 2012 Honda CBR 600 RR is a nearly perfect piece of engineering, and improving it is a daunting task.

The last major innovation was, however, a real tour de force; the C-ABS, a true “brake-by-wire” design where braking is entirely electronically controlled, puts the hammer to conventional motorcycle ABS systems and avoids the soft lever feel you get from systems operating on hydraulic pressure.

2012 Honda 600 CBRR Tech Data

2012 Honda CBR 600 RR Prices:

• Red / $11,540
• Black $11,540
• Black C-ABS (C-ABS only available in Black) $12,540

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Related posts:

1. Who Wants A New Honda Integra Motorsomething? Bueller? Anyone? Bueller?
2. Honda Recalling 126,000 Gold Wings For Defective Brakes
3. Bike Find of the Day – The Lito Sora Electric Superbike

In Massachusetts, current law requires all riders and passengers to wear protective head gear and provides an exception to riders taking part in parades.

One proposed change would remove the helmet requirement for riders and passengers over the age of 21, and yet another proposed change would exempt riders whose motorcycles are registered in a state without a helmet law.

Other bills in the same vein would prohibit children under the age of 5 from riding on a motorcycle traveling more than 30 miles an hour, ban the sale of exhaust pipes designed to make motorcycles louder and prohibit cars from passing through groups of two or more riding motorcycles.

The bills are were the subject of a public hearing this week by the Massachusetts Transportation Committee at the Statehouse.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law Repeal Battle Still Under Way
2. Proposed Michigan Helmet Law Repeal A Big Step Down a Slipperly Slope to a Motorcycle Nanny State
3. Motorcycle Helmet Law Debate Rages On – How Would You Fix The Issue?

After 35 years of riding, I got pulled over last summer and hit with a ticket for riding without an endorsement, and while it was annoying and cost me a little cash, it got me thinking about what the additional consequences of riding without the official imprimatur of the The Man might be.

An investigation of motorcycle crashes in Washington State found out how many un-endorsed motorcycle riders are being killed in crashes, and the facts are shocking to say the least.

According to Washington State Patrol records, during the five years from 2005 to 2009, crashes accounted for the deaths of 364 motorcyclists in Washington State, and those records also show that during the same period, nearly 40 percent (141 riders) did not have a legal motorcycle endorsement.

Those 141 un-endorsed riders may have held a permit, but since they never completed a motorcycle skills test to ensure that they had the minimal skills to operate a motorcycle on Washington roads, they were riding without the official government Seal of Approval.

A motorcycle permit is pretty easy to obtain in most states. To get one in the state of Washington, you only have to visit a Department of Licensing office, pay a $5 application fee, pass a basic knowledge test and upon passing the test pay $15 for an instructional permit. The permit is valid for 90 days and can be renewed as many times as you’d like.

The bad news is that almost  40-percent of riders killed in crashes only make it through the initial permitting process and fail to complete the full licensing process. While some riders find it sufficient to renew a permit than to finish out the process by passing an approved motorcycle safety course or riding test at a DOL office and many riders opt out of passing a very basic riding skills test and instead ride on the street unlicensed, at least statistically speaking, those riders are quite possibly on the road to ruin.

Riders who opt for this path might not have long to stay their course. The ability to infinitely renew a temporary motorcycle permit may be changing for Washington State riders.

Senator Phil Rockefeller (D-Kitsap County), introduced Senate Bill 5141 limiting the number of times a motorcycle instructional permit can be obtained without completing the full licensing process. The bill limits riders to two permit renewals – period. A third renewal would be allowed, but only if the rider presents a proof of enrollment in a motorcycle safety course.

That bill passed 44 to 2 in the Washington State Senate in February, 2011 and was referred to the House Transportation Committee the next day.

DOL records show that more than 127,000 new motorcyclists received endorsements from 2005 to 2009.  Of all newly endorsed riders, 64-percent took a motorcycle safety course. These riders took a single weekend out of their busy schedules to learn motorcycle skills. These skills are very basic, but they are the building blocks to enjoy a lifetime of motorcycling.

Motorcycling can, and we all know it,  be a high-risk activity. Of all the ways you can reduce the risks involved, the best way is to actually complete the process and pass a simple motorcycle riding skills test.

The Washington State Patrol says that riding without a motorcycle learner’s permit or violating the provisions of a permit could result in a $124 ticket (in Michigan, my ticket resulted in me shelling out $75 bucks), and it might also mean something far, far worse…

Related posts:

1. How to Get a Motorcycle Permit
2. Does What Kind of Bike You Ride Determine Your Safety? The Statistics Say Yes
3. Too Drunk To Ride? Find Out With This iPhone App