Jackets

Proposition:

Well designed  jackets for motorcycle riding enhances your riding by:

• preventing/reducing some types of injury in a crash
• making you safer and more alert by reducing discomfort, fatigue and dehydration
• improving conspicuity – bright colors and contrasts will make you more visible

Unfortunately we see many preventable injuries. Even minor road rash injuries can be very painful.

I wanted to show some video on road rash but could not find one without obscenities being wailed. Search “road rash” on youtube and you’ll see what I mean.

Motorcycle Jackets

Not everything made of leather (or textile, for that matter)  instantly qualifies as a “protective” garment.

So how can you tell what will provide protection?

The best way to ensure your garment is “protective” is to choose products tested against recognized standards.

Unfortunately, there are no existing U.S. standards for motorcycle clothing. However, there are European standards worth looking at.

For example, under the EU Standards, material used in motorcycle protective clothing must have abrasion resistance of between 4 and 7 seconds for use over the high impact areas of the body.

A single layer of 1.4 mm cow hide will last 5.8 seconds, while 200 gsm denim (or your standard jeans), will last just over half (0.6) of a second.

Look for a CE label indicating that the item complies with the relevant European Standard for Motorcycle Protective clothing.

The European Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive, 1989 requires that any clothing or personal equipment sold as providing protection from injury must comply with the relevant European Standard.

Proof of compliance requires the gear to be independently tested and certified. The manufacturer is then issued with a CE (Conformite Europeen) label which indicates that the item conforms with the relevant European standard.

The item must carry a permanently attached CE label with the number of the Standard. Jackets, pants and suits must be labeled CE EN 13595 and impact protectors are CE EN 1621.

Protection from the weather

Have you ever thought of protection from the weather as a safety issue?

Since stress can result from cold, heat or discomfort, you can become tired, distracted and less alert.

Cold

Being cold or uncomfortable causes stress and tiredness, which places you at risk of crashing because you are less alert and your reaction time will diminish.

Low core temperate may affect decision making and emotional responses.

Insulation and wind proofing are the keys to avoiding cold stress.

It is best to make an investment in two jackets. One for summer riding and the other for everything else. You will be hard pressed to find an all-in-one for a diverse temperature range.

Wet

Wet clothing draws heat away from your body. Water conducts heat much faster than air, which means you will get cold, much quicker if you are also wet.

Some textile suits do have water proof or water resistant properties, whereas leathers are not so good at keeping you dry because leather absorbs water.

The key to keeping comfortably dry is to have waterproof breathable clothing.

• Is the garment made of waterproof or just water resistant fabric?
• Is the liner fully breathable, semi-breathable or non-breathable?

Check the design and construction of the garment.

• How are the pockets, zips and cuffs covered?
• Does it have waterproof seams?
• Will water find its way in?
• Does it allow ventilation in hot weather?

Heat

Uncovered skin absorbs heat directly from the sun causing dehydration and sunburn. Dehyrdation causes fatigue. Fatigue causes mistakes.

Ventilated heat cover is the key to avoiding heat stress. This allows wind to flow through the clothing over the skin to evaporate sweat.

Light colors will reflect, wheras dark colors absorb heat.

Discomfort

Clothing should not affect your ability to ride safely. Gear should fit without constriction. If clothing leaves marks on your skin when you remove it, then it may be too tight.

It is also important to note that your garment should not produce wind flutter and drag. Both of which can become sources of discomfort over time.

Getting noticed

Arguably, one of the most overlooked aspects to your safety is getting noticed.

Do whatever you can to draw other drivers attention.

What you wear can make a difference. Understand that you need to be within the other driver’s line of vision and your clothing must stand out against the background.

In one recent New Zealand study, riders wearing any reflective or fluorescent clothing had a 37% lower risk than other riders. Riders wearing white helmets had a 24% lower risk than those wearing black helmets.

Examples:

Brighter colors:

Or contrast:

Or contrast and reflectorized like this:

With so many offerings in the jacket market, why not narrow your selection to something that has been tested, has impact protectors, offers contrast, bright color or reflectorization and has a good ventilation system.

Injury Risk Areas Covered by Jackets

We are only briefly mentioning injury areas typically covered by jacketsfor this post.

About one in five riders crashing have shoulder injuries. This type of injury is likely to  involve soft tissue and fracture. Soft tissue being slightly more prevalent.

Make sure your jacket has impact protectors. They should be marked EN 1621-1.

You are more likely to damage skin and tissue than to fracture your upper arm. Make sure you are covered with abrasion resistant material.

Chipped elbows can be the source of long time problems. Again, make sure your jackets have impact protectors for elbow (EN 1621-1).

Forearms are more likely to have soft tissue damage and again one in five will receive this type of injury. Make sure it’s covered.

Neck injury will affect about one and ten,with low percentage (3%) resulting in fracture.

Chest and abdomen injuries are rare proportionate to other injuries.

Conclusion

Motorcycle jackets are essential gear for better riding. Depending on the temperature range, you may want to invest in two jackets, one for really hot temps.

You should wear a jacket every time you ride.

Next installment we will talk about leg injuries and protective gear.

Protective Clothing and Equipment

Okay, so you have mastered basic riding skills and you appreciate the inherent operating characteristics of your motorcycle.

You know your limitations and your bikes.

You have a plan for defensive riding techniques and can brake and corner with the best of them.

You obey speed limits (well for the most part…right?) or shall we say you ride at a safe speed for the conditions (yeah that’s better).

So you have covered the full spectrum of safety?

Protective Clothing

If my neck of the woods is anything like the rest of the country, many riders are not thinking about impact, puncture or abrasions.

To put it simply, riders are either extremely overly confident or just willfully ignorant about what lurks in the way of injury. Or worse, apathetic.

In the event you go down on a motorcycle, the next best protection is to minimize injury.

I can’t tell you how often we see riders and passengers in t-shirts, shorts, sandals and no head-gear (including eye protection).

Whether you were right or wrong won’t matter when it comes to pain and suffering.

The next series of post will highlight different aspects of protective clothing and gear for your consideration.

Hopefully, we can convince you to invest in the best protection you can tolerate.

Angled Vehicles Entering Road

So you say you are a safe driver? Driving safely is more than just obeying the traffic laws. It involves knowing your vehicle and its limitations and yes, blind spot awareness.

Blind Spot Awareness

During our crash investigation many drivers will say they did not see the vehicle. This is a true statement because many drivers are not aware of vehicle blind spots or are aware but have become complacent.

Drivers and riders must recognize the angled vehicle as a hazard. In this particular case the vehicles passenger side “B” pillar, seatback and “C” pillar created a view obstruction that the driver did not compensate for. 

Similarly, with motorcycles, if you are angled while waiting to enter the road you have to turn your head much more dramatically to see clearly for the appropriate distance.

Drivers and riders should always try to position their vehicles as close to perpendicular to the roadway as possible to allow for the best possible view. Even on roadways that are angled at the intersection you can position yourself closer to perpendicular.

As a result of the above situation the driver pulled out and violated the motorcyclist’s right-of-way. Fortunately, the motorcyclist was observant and correctly identified the problem and quickly planned an exit strategy.

The motorcyclist was utilizing the near side position (close to edge of roadway) to minimize the time and distance to turn off; reduced his speed and counter- steered to go right to avoid the collision in the travel lanes, turning onto the shoulder of the road.

The other driver considered himself to be a safe driver. Not today. Instead, he got a lecture and a ticket.

Be more than aware of blind spots, make the effort to reposition your vehicle if you cannot see the entire portion of the road where approaching traffic might be.

Drivers and riders, if you can’t see the eyes of the other driver because any part of the vehicle is obstructing your view, then they cannot see you either. Make the adjustments and stay safe.

For Police or Trainers: What do you think?

 

FHWA Launches New Study

On October 5, 2009 the FHWA announced they will conduct a new study to better understand and prevent motorcycle crashes. It is the first major study in nearly 30 years and was made possible by SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users) mandates.

Researchers will evaluate hundreds of motorcycle accidents to to identify common factors. The purpose, similar to the 1981 Hurt Study, will be to look for countermeasures that will prevent accidents and reduce injuries. (click here for summary of Hurt Study)

Under a federal grant, the Oklahoma State University (OSU), one of the ten National University Transportation Centers, will be leading the study.

Between 1997 and 2008, annual fatalities increased a 150 percent. In 2008 alone, deaths due to motorcycle crashes rose by an estimated 2.2 percent while all other vehicle classes saw reductions in fatalities.

The new study will use that same methodology, now known as “OECD.” Independent investigators are dispatched to motorcycle accidents in real time, so they can collect on-scene, in-depth data. About 2,000 variables are coded for each crash, including a full reconstruction of the accident, plus vehicle inspections, witness interviews and medical records for the injured riders and passengers. That information is then analyzed — to identify what human, environmental and vehicle factors contributed to the accident — and compared with two riders of similar age, experience and motorcycle type who were not involved in an accident but who traveled the same stretch of road at the same time of day.

The estimated time to complete the study is fall of 2013.

Based on my experience and training as a crash specialist, we are not expecting huge changes in the core countermeasures already identified in the Hurt Report. It will be interesting to note the differences that 30 years make.

A Few Words about Towing Trailers

Similar to any other specializations, do your homework and be knowledgable about trailers and how they effect your motorcycle. Adjust your riding to compensate for differences. 

Prior to an actual trip, practice with an empty trailer to get the hang of it.

Some things to consider:

Only use trailers specifically designed for motorcycles. The aerodynamic design and low center of gravity is important for handling and stability.

Rule of thumb: The trailer-to-bike weight ratio should be about 60% (50% if you are more conservative). That means if your bike weighs 800 lbs. you can tow a loaded trailer weighing up to 480 lbs. 

Proper installation of the hitch is important. The hitch on the motorcycle trailer should be on the same plane as the rear axle on the motorcycle or slightly below. This will help prevent the trailer from pushing up on the rear end when braking. Also, the hitch should be as close to the rear tire as possible to provide a more solid support without interfering with the tire.

Remember to ride closer to the center of the road because of the width of your trailer. Be careful of the “oil strip” in the center of the road at intersections. Watch for uneven road surfaces and road edges which can unbalance the trailer.

Be extra attentive since some motorcycle positioning advantages will be compromised.

Allow for a minimum of 4 seconds follwing time to give you more reaction time and longer stopping distances.

BM Anniversary

We began the Better Motorcycling (BM) blog in October 2008. Since then we have written over 120 articles related to safety and the system of motorcycle control (Roadcraft).

The feedback has been very positive and our views are averaging 2,780 per month, so we want to continue our efforts for 2010 but we need your help to better tailor articles to meet  your needs.

So please comment and let us know what you would be interested in reading about and I promise we will fit it in.

Tire Checks

Periodically, especially if you have a bagger, it is a good idea to physically check your tires. You may, like I did, run tires with a puncture.

For whatever reason, I did not loose tire pressure but came very close to the belt drive. I know it is a pain, but rolling the bike and doing a quick visual can save much grief in the above situation. I was very lucky!

Contributing Factor

Take a look at this video. Besides the obvious, can you identify a major contributing factor?

I’ll give you a hint, it won’t be there when the police arrive to investigate and it is one every motorcyclist must learn to identify as a hazard!

I’ll let this go for a couple of days and share my comment on it.

Update 9/22/09

There are two distinct hazards the motorcyclist must learn to identify in this scenario.

1. Car stopped along the roadway
2. Car angled to enter into traffic

A car stopped along the road creates a hazard in several ways:

1. View obstruction for the motorcyclist
2. View obstruction for traffic on the opposite side
3. Vehicles approaching leaving their lane to overatake (often over compensating, swinging wide into the opposing lane)

Cars that are in a position to enter a roadway with their front not  perpendicular with the road edge, in other words angled in favor of the direction they wish to turn, create an ‘A’ pillar and sometimes a ‘B’ pillar blindspot.

This usually means within a split second of obscurement, the driver will decide to pull out; creating an unanticipated event, which we have discussed in previous posts can mean up to 1.6 seconds of reaction time.

In the video, notice the driver entering traffic saw the bicyclist approaching from the left and noticed the two vehicles approaching from the right but completely lost the motorcycle.

You can also see vehicles approaching the stopped vehicle on the road were swinging around the vehicle.

When you see this situation unfolding in your riding, you must make adjustments. The car will be at fault for failure to yield but what comfort does that offer you while you are laid up in the hospital.

What are some actions the cyclist could have taken:

• Decrease speed
• Downshift to an appropriate responsive gear
• Long horn blast
• Avoid selecting a path directly inline from a vehicles ‘A’ pillar blindspot

Be careful out there!

Utility Pole View Obstruction

We have mentioned before that utility poles (trees, mailboxes, light poles, etc.) along with vehicle “A” pillars present a serious hazard to motorcyclists because they present blind spots not readily recognized by most drivers.

In the following video, notice how the approaching motorcycle is obscured by a utility pole at the moment the driver looks and decides to pull out. The vehicle “A” pillar may further enhance this view obstruction.

While the video is aimed at drivers in a “Think Bike” advertisement, we train riders to become aware and develop skill in identifying this scenario appropriately as a hazard and make the adjustments necessary to avoid the collision. In most instances this will mean a reduction in speed to give yourself time to react and be able to stop within the clear distance ahead.

While I understand this video was orchestrated for demonstration purposes, what we did not see from the motorcyclist is:

• Any indication that he saw the emerging car, either
• No braking
• No change in velocity
• No change in lane position
• No headlight (I know its an older video, just making you think)

What else could the motorcyclist have done under these same circumstances?

In other words, don’t wait for the driver to “think bike” take matters into your own hands.

Funky ABS Incidents

I am riding a 2009 HD Police Electra Glide:

I have experienced ABS activation (more like a release) while braking over bumps while applying normal brake pressure, however, the ABS caused a release of hydraulic brake pressure for several bike lengths in distance without the usual pulsating you feel when you brake hard.

This has occurred frequently while riding over bumps, which in my neck of the woods are plentiful, despite normal hand pressure being applied. I have adjusted my riding for the bumps by not applying any brake pressure while actually traversing bumps.

On one particular incident, the above occurred while attempting to slow down behind a car that stopped in front,  without bumps, it released and scared the petunias out of me. I had to steer left, evasively, to avoid rear-ending the car. By the time the brakes caught (I was applying pressure all along and no the lever did not go down all the way to the grip) I was several bike lengths in front of the car I just steered around. 

I have not been able to duplicate that incident but continually experience the ABS release on bumps. When I brake hard the ABS functions normally.

My ABS light does not indicate a problem and there are no error codes noted. However, when the dealer tried to bleed the brakes electronically, they were not able to. This prompted a call to the big boys.

Harley Davidson is sending a new ABS controller without getting into much detail. Still waiting for the part… but they advised it was safe to ride???

Has anyone else experienced a similar issue?

Riding at Night

Riding at night is quite a different ball game.

Reduced Visibility

You see less which yields less information. Your normally wide field of vision is narrowed to the field illuminated by your headlight. Additionally, depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.

Perception and reaction times increase (up to 3 seconds for the unimpaired).

Properly aligned and clean headlights are important for you to maximize the illuminated distance ahead, distance is your friend.

Make sure your headlight are clean; half of the total output can be absorbed by dirt, salt, etc.

Lights

On unlit roads your headlight should be on high beam unless you have to drop it for other road users. Low beams should be used:

• in built-up areas
• heavy rain, snow, fog when the falling droplets reflect glare
• to avoid blinding oncoming drivers
• overtaking another vehicle (return to high beam when you are parallel with it)

Always ride so as to be able to stop within the area you can see to be clear; at night this is the area lit by your headlight (unless there is full street lighting).

Even under the best conditions your ability to assess the speed and position of oncoming vehicles is reduced at night, so you need to allow an extra safety margin.

You should be traveling at a speed that would allow you to stop safely within the distance covered by your headlights.

Be careful not to overdrive your headlights. Since the distance illuminated by headlights will vary, it is important you find out what that distance is for you.

Most high-beam headlights (maintained properly) shine no more than 450 feet ahead. Low beam is about 150 feet.

If you are traveling at 40 mph (about 60 fps) on low beam you have about 2.5 seconds of vision ahead.

If an emergency exists beyond your range of vision your only going to have the 2.5 seconds to react. At 60 mph, you have about 1.7 seconds to react. Since perception can take of to 3 seconds for unimpaired drivers, you start to see (pun) you simply do not have enough time to react and you are flirting with disaster.

Also, be careful about pedestrians who have no trouble seeing you and therefore believe that since they can see you, you can see them. They don’t have a clue about illuminated distance of headlights.

Headlight Design

Headlights are designed to illuminate only the front of the vehicle. They cannot illuminate around a corner which introduces an additional hazard on curves.

Down hill on sags your illuminated distance will be drastically shortened as you approach the sag and your lights are shining into the ground. You will not be able to see sufficiently for the uphill swing until you are actually going uphill. Additionally, if you are applying your front brakes going downhill the front forks will compress downward, further limiting the illuminated distance.

Dazzle

Headlights shining directly into your eyes may temporarily blind you for up to 2 seconds; at 40 mph you traversed 117 feet without seeing.

To avoid blinding, look toward the nearside edge of the road (fog line).

Following other vehicles at night

When you follow another vehicle, low beam headlight should be on and allow a sufficient gap so that your light does not blind the driver in front.

When you overtake, move out early with your headlight on low beam. When you are alongside the other vehicle return to high beam.

If you are overtaken, return to low beam when the vehicle draws alongside you and keep it low until it can be raised without blinding the driver.

Information from other vehicle’s lights

You can get useful information from the front and rear lights of other vehicles. For example, the sweep of the headlight of vehicles approaching a bend can indicate the sharpness of the bend, and the brake lights of vehicles in front can give you an early warning to reduce speed.

Night fatigue

Night riding is tiring because it puts extra strain on you eyes. If you are having difficulty keeping your eyes open, you are a danger to yourself and others; find somewhere safe to stop and rest until you are alert enough to continue safely. Allow for more stops on a long trip.

Signs of fatigue are:

• difficulty focusing
• frequent blinking
• heavy eyelids
• trouble remembering last few files driven
• missing exits or traffic signs
• repeated yawning
• rubbing your eyes
• trouble keeping your head up
• drifting from your lane
• tailgating
• riding over rumbles
• restless or irritable

Illuminated Distance Poll

If you don’t know the illuminated distance ahead then how do you decide what is a safe speed while traveling at night?

More on night riding to come…

Control Not Chance

How do you define and expert rider? Is an expert rider someone who can do amazing things on a motorcycle and possesses a high level of skill?

Here is my definition of an expert rider:

A person who consistently adopts his/her riding to match the existing conditions, highly skilled at identifying hazards, with the ability to control speed and position for adequate time/distance to react to any circumstance.

Safe riding is really all about being in control. Control of yourself (consistent with your abilities), your machine (each one is different) and the conditions around you (always changing).

What is the secret to riding safe? Answer: Leaving nothing to chance.

A rider needs to continuously assess conditions and manipulate what IS in his/her span of control to maximize favorable outcomes.

Much riding falls into the gambling category.  Gambling while riding is any condition where you abdicate control by allowing other road users opportunities to encroach your path or by riding faster than you can stop within the assured clear distance ahead.

Often, even otherwise safe riders, will surrender to the compulsion to make progress while riding by taking “acceptable” risks.

So, how do you keep control of your motorcycle in every riding situation? Answer: Have a plan.

Since the majority of crashes involve human error, we need a strategy for helping us approach and negotiate hazards.

Gambling belongs in casinos not on the road.

You need a simple and consistent method of riding which ensures an essential aspect of safe riding – time to react. Conversely, anything that robs you of time to react places you at risk.

A hazard is anything that can be dangerous. It may be obvious, such as a car coming at you on the wrong side of the road, or may be subtle, such as a curve concealing a truck backing into the road.

One of the main causes of crashes is the failure to recognize hazardous situations – if you fail to see the potential danger you cannot take actions to avoid it.

How good are you at identifying situations that are potentially dangerous?

This blog is dedicated to providing you with that system of control.

Make up your mind today that you will always ride in control of yourself, your machine and your environment.

Road Surfaces

To put it plainly, road surface affects tire grip. Tire adhesion to the road is fundamental to control because it will determine:

• steering
• banking
• acceleration
• braking

Looking far enough ahead is necessary to identify changes in road surface and adjust:

• approach speed
• strength of braking
• acceleration
• banking and steering to retain road holding.

Irregularities

Look for irregularities in the road surface. Try to alter your position to avoid them. If not, carry out rear observation and slow down. Where possible, ride over them in an upright position.

Common surface irregularities are:

• road paint – slippery when wet (watch putting you foot down on wet paint to hold up the bike)
• road joints – repaired roads may leave poor joints, even slight differences in height can affect stability, deflecting the bike from its intended course. Tar-banding provides less grip than the surrounding surfaces, especially when wet
• metal covers – manhole covers, drain covers, temporary metal sheeting (poor grip especially when dusty or wet)
• physical defects – potholes, projecting manhole covers, sunken gullies

Riding Through Water

Riding at speed through water can sharply deflect you from your intended course and cause loss of control.

As you approach a flooded area you should slow down. Avoid riding through water wherever possible, as water may conceal a deep hole or other hazard.

When you have to ride through it, slow down to a walking pace and ride through the shallowest part, which is usually the crown of the road.

If the road is entirely submerged, stop in a safe place and cautiously find out how deep the water is. The depth of the water that you can safely ride through depends on how high your bike stands off the ground and where the electrical components are positioned. If you decide to continue, follow these steps:

• engage first gear and keep the engine running fast by slipping the clutch. This prevents water entering the exhaust pipe. Use your rear brake to control speed
• ride through the water at a low and constant speed to avoid making a bow wave, keep upright
• when you leave the water, ride slowly and apply the brakes lightly until they grip. Repeat this after a short while until you are confident that both brakes are working normally (this also applies if you have pushed your bike through the water).

Close Call With Ape Hangers

While on patrol today I saw a bike on the shoulder that looked like this:

The rider (Kevin) and his wife (Kim) were traveling on a two lane limited access highway when the handle bars started moving back and forth. Kevin, quickly realizing a problem, pulled off the road onto the shoulder and then suddenly the handle bars snapped.

Two half inch bolts were no match for this weighty, one and half inch thick ape hanger.

Below, Kevin kindly holds up the ape hanger to show what they should look like, thanks Kevin.

Kevin holding up the ape hangers

Kevin said he wanted to test ride his friend’s bike to see if he liked the ape hangers for hiw own bike.

I suggested his friend follow up with the outfit that sold him these bad boys and that he get his friend to buy him and his wife dinner.

If it weren’t for Kevin’s quick reaction this situation could have been alot worse. Good job Kevin.

Thanks to Kevin and Kim for allowing me to share this with you.

Video – 2 Bike Crash at Intersection

This video pretty much speaks for itself.

It never hurts to look at cross traffic even if you have the green light.

Quick accelerations or dart-outs when a light turns green puts you at a disadvantage because your robbing yourself of time (remember time = distance too); quick accelerations doing a wheelie, well that is another subject.

Key to accident avoidance is TIME TO REACT; seek to make all of your maneuvers gradually and smoothly; buying time wherever possible.

Honda Gold Wing Official Airbag Demo

I have mixed feelings about this but applaud all efforts to minimize injury.

Video – Causes of Crashes

Crash Investigator talks about 4 top causes of crashes in his venue.  Basic stuff but worth a look.

Kamikaze Riders in Kiev

Hello from Ukraine,

We have embarked on a mission to adopt three children with Down syndrome from Vorzel, Ukraine.

On our way to the orphanage, our driver, not knowing what I did for a living, pointed to a speeding motorcyclist and said…”kamikaze”. In the best English he could muster, he explained many riders start their journey but never can be sure they will reach their destination.

After only a few days of observing traffic conditions here in Kiev, I can understand why. It seems anything goes. If you are stuck in bumper to bumper you can make your own lane, literally. Drivers here give filtering a new definition. I have seen cars drive the wrong way on the opposing lanes shoulder, right down the middle of the road, and run their lanes shoulder.

Our driver, attempting to overtake a long line of stopped traffic, turned into the opposing lane and rode that for a while right into a right-hand bend where there was a scooter approaching. The rider was surprised but adjusted. Good thing he was on the nearside (road edge) which gave him a little time to react.

I am not feeling that Highway Safety is top on the priority list here in the Ukraine.

I have seen of few big bikes but most are smaller, the majority are scooters. Most riders seem to favor the nearside position.

On my next post I’ll try to get some pics. I haven’t gotten fast enough with my pocket camera yet.