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Motorcycle Safety

Motorcycle safety revolves around the driver’s ability to safely control the vehicle, and requires the observance of proper self-defense driving, appropriate attire and body gear to minimize bodily injury during accidents.

897 Questions

Why should motorcyclists wear helmets and protective clothing?

Importance of protective clothingWithout the right clothing you can get very cold and wet when riding a motorcycle. Special motorcycling clothing is available which:
  • protects you from the weather
  • helps to protect you from some types of injury
  • helps other road users to see you

By law you must wear a safety helmet when riding a motorcycle on the road. You should also consider using the following items of clothing when riding a motorcycle:

  • visors or goggles
  • gloves and gauntlets
  • protective clothing
  • boots
  • visibility aids
Safety helmetsBy law you must wear a safety helmet when riding a motorcycle on the road. All helmets sold in the UK must either:
  • comply with British Standard BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI kitemark
  • comply with UNECE Regulation 22.05
  • comply with any standard accepted by a member of the European Economic Area which offers a level of safety and protection equivalent to BS 6658:1985 and carry a mark equivalent to the BSI kitemark.

In the USA the testing standards are DOT (Department of Transportation) or Snell. We also accept the 22.05 standard but good luck finding a cop that knows that.

Do dirt bikes have to be registered in Maryland?

Not unless Maryland Change the law in the past couple years. All you need is a drivers license for a car.

Does the state of Montana require you to wear a motorcycle helmet?

An operator and passenger under 18 years of age of a motorcycle or quadricycle operated upon the streets or highways of Montana must wear protective headgear upon the head.

For more information, see the related link.

If a state does not require turn signals on a motorcycle does the rider have to install them in order to tour around the country legally?

Any motorcycle in any state must be equipped with turn signals to be considered road worthy. Dirt bikes and other bikes without turn signals are considered illegal on main roads. Thank you for your answer to my question but I'm afraid you are mistaken. Currently only 20 states require turn signals. An additional 4 states require them based on the year of manufacture. (Data provided by Harley Owners Group) To rephrase the question; If I live in Indiana and my 1967 Harley is not required to have turn signals can I ride it to all of the lower 48 states without being illegal?

Do you have to wear a motorcycle helmet in Australia?

Well yes, I you're riding a motorcycle. You even need a bike helmet when riding a bike. Seatbelts in cars, etc.

How often do you check tire pressure for a Harley Davidson?

Weekly in general use. Before and after carrying a pillion passenger. Before use on a long run AND before the return journey.

Why must you wear a helmet whenever you ride a bicycle or a motorcycle?

Because motorcycle and bicycle riders are more prone to serious head injuries than car drivers and pedestrians. This is because motorcycles often travel at great speed and their drivers are very directly exposed to the environment.

What is maximum braking for a motorcycle?

I think the test you are studying for requires a specific answer. My answer will give you the background and knowlege to develop the skills to acheve maximum braking on a consistant basis.

Maximum braking involves the skilled use of both front and rear brakes together to the maximum potential available.

A drill that should be practiced regularly is learning to lock the front brake so the tire skids, release the brake without loosing control of the motor cycle.

YOU MUST Practice this to begin with at low speed on a light weight machine so when you muck it up you are not injured!

Once you have developed the required skill your every day run around machine is next.

Once you have the skill and feel to operate the front brake "At The Limit" you need to add rear brake to the drill.

I am an experianced rider, and I practice this at least monthly a few times and spend an hour on this drill alone when I get my bike out in the spring.

Is a motorcycle safer than a scooter?

yes, in a technical analysis, a motorcycle is theoretically safer. smaller motorcycles have much, MUCH larger wheels then the biggest scooter, and so thus are not effected by tiny cracks in the roadway, small debris, or small potholes, all of which could be catastrophic to encounter in a scooter. scooters also have less power, and it's true if you hear "it's good to have more power to get out of trouble, at least twice as much as what it takes to get into trouble." when you top out at 25-30 mph, you're most likely already about to be run into when going 25-30 mph. however, when you max out at roughly 130 mph, you're still probably going about 25-30 mph in the event of a potential collision. this means you have enough juice to exit the danger, while still maintaining control of your vehicle- you end up still on two wheels with the bike in a non-threatening position. motorcycles aren't as unstable due to their wheels being farther apart length-wise, and the driver's position being with his weight distributed farther apart width-wise. when tipping at low speeds, a motorcycle can be propped up, as one leg is supporting the motorcycle while the other acts as a kick-stand. if the scooter is the step-into type, then it'll fall over because there's nothing to support it with one leg-you'll have to jump out quick and grab it. at high speeds (20 mph+), you'll go flying out of the scooter if it falls, whereas you'll be thrown into the pavement on a motorcycle. depending on the motorcycle, you might have enough clearance to protect the leg nearest the pavement. you might land on your feet coming out of the scooter, however. but- you won't take a scooter onto the highway, where all the motorcyclists who die get killed by inexperience, inconsiderate drivers, and/or poorly-designed cars. so in that respect, scooters are safer- they're kept out of inherently more dangerous situations. in both, helmets and protective armor jackets should be worn. both are equally dangerous in that both are small commuter vehicles collaborating with larger, heavier vehicles with poor visibility.

Is there a weight limit for a passenger on a motorcycle?

Each model has a different load carrying specification and it should be listed in the owners manual. If the manual is lost, Google 'spec' and the model name and peruse a specification review.

Why do you get Motorcycle speed wobbles?

High speed wobbleSpeed wobbles can occur whenever something starts a vibration that matches a resonant frequency of the wheels. A resonant frequency is one at which your motorcycle will vibrate very easily; a particular motorcycle may have multiple resonant frequencies. The starting point may be a bump in the road, a rough patch in the road, or some combination of these factors. Other potential contributing factors include the small torques resulting from wheel rotation and the tiny lateral oscillations that spinning wheels make if they're not aligned with absolute perfection.

Your motorcycle will go through various "zones" of oscillatory stability and instability as it accelerates up to its highest speed. you might even compare this to musical notes or octaves of relative vibrational resonance.

Steering dampners are made to help with this problem as the main dampner ( you ) cannot always handle the correction of the vibrations.

The best advise is to slow down, as this can be a fatal but also unavoidable occurrence and even though the problem may go away with more speed the best way to take the bike out of that particular resonance range is to back off.

The tread of your tires could also be a contributing factor, particularly the front one. different treads have different resonant properties.

In addition to above, get both wheels statically and dynamically balanced. It reduces wobble, increases road holding and reduces tire wear and rider fatigue. Check forks and swing arm for correct operation. A lack of fork oil and too much side play in the swing arm are sources of vibration. Check panier box lids are fitting properly and are locked. Lid 'chatter' in the wind can be one of those resonances mentioned above that sets wobble off.

If your motorcycle is pulling a sidecar or has a handlebar-mounted fairing, this will increase the likelihood of a steering wobble under certain conditions. The wind wash from driving near a semi truck can also cause a steering wobble.

Although many things can contribute to starting a wobble, they generally won't happen if your steering head bearings are properly maintained. Test your steering head bearings by accelerating to 50 mph or so on a straight, smooth road on a calm day with no oncoming traffic. Close the throttle and remove your hands from the handlebars. If your bike's steering seems to pick a direction and stick there, your steering head bearings are too tight. If there is any wobble at all, your steering head bearings are too loose.

How do you downshift a motorcycle?

To downshift motorcycle is squeeze the clutch and shift to the next lowest gear, release the clutch.

What are the advantages or disadvantages of riding a motorcycle?

Well some of the advantages would be,

Fuel-You can travel a lot farther on a motorcycle for less fuel wise... to drive 4 hours on my motorcycle cost less than $10 the same distance in my truck cost me $40

Insurance-My motorcycle is about $400/year where as my truck is $400/month

Maneuverability-You can turn a bike around or take tighter turns alot easier than a car

Disadvantages

Safety-There are no seat belts, roll cages, or airbags on a motorcycle to keep you safe in the event of a crash, but an experienced rider is less likely to have an accident... Riders are usually more alert than a person in a car

Weather-You can't ride a bike during the winter and during the rain it's fairly unsafe as the roads become slick and visibility is worse

all in all if you have experience as a motorcyclist, there are many more pro's than there are con's... lets not forget the thrill of the open road with the wind on our face.... it's just like riding a bike as a kid... only bigger, faster, and louder

get wet when it rains. get dead when you crash.

There are a bunch of advantages to having a motorcycle, rather than a car. But there are also disadvantages of having a motorcycle. One of the advantages of having one, is free airconditioning, easier to park, better MPG, (sometimes) easier to maintain, and most of the motorcycles out there, are cheaper than a car, but not some motorcycles.

good gas milage, and fun.

the best thing about them is in todays world is gas milage also being able to take long rides and meet new ppl that are interested in them but the down side there not a family car so you cant take the whole family places and their not the best thing to ride in the winter care and maintenance are really important choseing a brand of motorcycle is hard some ppl like harley Davidson ut others like Japanese motor cycles like Honda Yamaha kawasaki suzuki and some ride BMW's so try out alot of motorcycles and chose the one you are most comfortable with wich is important in the way you ride after you get were you are at es with the bike than you shuold try acceriories like forward controls and bigger handle bars like ape hangers

Do you have to include motorcycle accidents and claims in car insuring?

Yes. You need to let them know everything because it will show up on your driving record and clue reports.

People get back cramps on motorcycles how do you get rid of them?

We'll all you have to do is put a cream on it...which i can't remember what it was called but also rubbing it will work fine.... also Tylenol would work too. (the pill)

Is there a stock motorcycle that goes faster than 200mph?

No. It is generally accepted in terms of "available" and "affordable" superbikes that the Suzuki Hayabusa has the fastest top speed of any production motorcycle at 188 mph, however the MV Agusta F4 (312) claims a top speed of 194 mph, which was verified by the Italian magazine Motociclismo in 2007.

Can a 400 pound man ride a motorcycle?

Yes, but you might want to insure the bike's frame is stout enough and the motor strong enough to support the weight and move along and come to speed safely. Check the owner's manuals for proper weight limits and especially to insure the tires are appropriately inflated. Most manufacturers have weight limits and two sets of tire inflation recommendations; one is generally for under 200 pounds and the other for over 200 pounds to the weight limit of the motorcycle. A 400 pound man would likely be limited by what gear he could carry along, and might not safely be able to transport a passenger. Hope this helps.