Motorcycle hand signals are important for all riders to know and understand but especially when riding in a group. (When riding in a group the signals should be relayed back through the group.)
RIDE HARD >>> RIDE SAFE
Grease n Gasoline
Motorcycle hand signals are important for all riders to know and understand but especially when riding in a group. (When riding in a group the signals should be relayed back through the group.)
RIDE HARD >>> RIDE SAFE
Grease n Gasoline
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Hövding Airbag Collar |
Hövding Airbag Collar |
According to Treehugger, Folksam tested 12 CE-approved helmets and found that the Hövding recorded impacts of 65 Gs at this speed, whereas none of the competition achieved under 200 Gs of force, suggesting that when it comes to direct impact forces, the collar performs almost three times better than conventional helmets.However, Folksam was unable to apply its method of testing oblique impacts to the Hövding, and suggests that an alternative method will need to be devised. For this reason it appears that Hövding does not appear in Folksam’s top-performing helmets which takes findings from both tests.
Hövding Airbag Collar |
Inflation of the Hövding airbag takes only one tenth of a second and is triggered by built in accelerometers and gyros.
Sources
Press Contacts
Hövding
Anna Haupt
anna@hovding.com
Terese Alstin
terese@hovding.com
+46 (0)40 23 68 68
Your instant personality results may surprise you. You may find the analysis insightful, entertaining, or amusing. On the other hand, some might possibly be insulted. Hey, there are all kinds of riders in the world!
Do you dare find out how you stack up as a motorcyclist?
Take the test, get your results
Cool one enjoy it
TEST CREATED BY Motorcycle-Intelligence
Inflation of the Safety Sphere is triggered electrically. “In a collision situation, the passengers are thrown from the motorcycle,” Neron told Motorcycle News. “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.”
Motorcycle News reports that this triggers an explosive canister of nitrocellulose to fire, inflating the suit in 0.05 seconds.
At this stage all we have to go on is the CG video, and though it’s definitely worth watching (see below), there’s no indication of how far advanced the project is in reality.
RiderScan offers motorcycle/scooter riders total blind spot visibility for the first time.
Unique design with three vertical planes that gives a fantastic view, including the rider.
Continuous horizontal curve gives the rider a fantastic 180 degrees horizontal view into the blind spot areas.
Ultra lightweight and easy to fit to 99% of motorcycle/scooter screens.
Handlebar mounting brackets are available for 7/8“ and 1“ handlebars also headlamp bracket mountings.
RiderScan is available to order online. Contact us if you have any questions.
£36 is an introductory price.
HOW RIDERSCAN WORKS
RiderScan is a parabolic mirror that is mounted to the centre front of a motorcycle/scooter within the riders forward line of view.
RiderScan because of its fitting location within the riders forward line of view and just above or below the clocks this makes it much more obvious to the rider when something enters the blind spot areas verses side mounted wide angle mirrors.
RiderScan’s continues horizontal curve gives the rider 180 degrees horizontal coverage and the three designed vertical curves give a fantastic view keeping the road, the traffic and the rider in the picture even when the bike is leaning into a bend. Because you see yourself in the whole picture means we can truly say “RiderScan truly adds another dimension to the riding experience“.
HOW TO USE RIDERSCAN
RiderScan is a scanning mirror, when mounted correctly under normal circumstances the rider at one glance will see into all the blindspot areas.
RiderScan is a scanning mirror and not to be used without a final shoulder check. When a potential hazard is noticed in the RiderScan the rider should look to the hazard to get the true perspective. One quick glance into your RiderScan will let you know what is around you on both sides.
Whilst riding do not stare at yourself in your RiderScan no matter how good looking you are 😉 RiderScan has guide marks on the top to indicate the direction of the reflected image, use this until you know your RiderScan Always remember your arms, your jacket thickness and poor positioning of your RiderScan can affect its use as a blind spot mirror and its ability to warn you of potential hazards.
T. E. Lawrence (known as Lawrence of Arabia) had a crash on a Brough Superior SS100 on a narrow road near his cottage near Wareham. The accident occurred because a dip in the road obstructed his view of two boys on bicycles. Swerving to avoid them, Lawrence lost control and was thrown over the handlebars.He was not wearing a helmet, and suffered serious head injuries which left him in a coma; he died after six days in hospital. One of the doctors attending him was Hugh Cairns, a neurosurgeon, who after Lawrence’s death began a long study of what he saw as the unnecessary loss of life by motorcycle despatch riders through head injuries. Cairns’ research led to the use of crash helmets by both military and civilian motorcyclists.
A motorcycle helmet
is a type of protective headgear used by motorcycle riders. The primary goal of a motorcycle helmet is motorcycle safety – to protect the rider’s head during impact, thus preventing or reducing head injury or saving the rider’s life. Some helmets provide additional conveniences, such as ventilation, face shields, ear protection, intercom etc.
Motorcyclists are at high risk in traffic crashes. A 2008 systematic review examined studies on motorcycle riders who had crashed and looked at helmet use as an intervention. The review concluded that helmets reduce the risk of head injury by around 69% and death by around 42%. Some studies have suggested that helmets may protect against facial injury but they have no effect on neck injury, more research is required for a conclusive answer.
TYPES & FUNCTIONALITY OF HELMET
Basic types
There are five basic types of helmets intended for motorcycling, and others not intended for motorcycling but which are used by some riders. All of these types of helmets are secured by a chin strap, and their protective benefits are greatly reduced, if not eliminated, if the chin strap is not securely fastened so as to maintain a snug fit.
From most to least protective, as generally accepted by riders and manufacturers, the helmet types are:
Full face helmet.
Full face
A full face helmet covers the entire head, with a rear that covers the base of the skull, and a protective section over the front of the chin. Such helmets have an open cutout in a band across the eyes and nose, and often include a clear or tinted transparent plastic face shield, known as a visor, that generally swivels up and down to allow access to the face. Many full face helmets include vents to increase the airflow to the rider. The significant attraction of these helmets is their protectiveness. Some wearers dislike the increased heat, sense of isolation, lack of wind, and reduced hearing of such helmets. Full face helmets intended for off-road use sometimes omit the face shield, but extend the visor and chin portions to increase ventilation, since riding off-road is a very strenuous activity. Studies have shown that full face helmets offer the most protection to motorcycle riders because 35% of all crashes showed major impact on the chin-bar area. Wearing a helmet with less coverage eliminates that protection — the less coverage the helmet offers, the less protection for the rider.
Off-Road/Motocross
A motocross helmet showing the elongated sun visor and chin bar
The motocross and off-road helmet has clearly elongated chin and visor portions, a chin bar, and partially open face to give the rider extra protection while wearing goggles and to allow the unhindered flow of air during the physical exertion of this type of riding. The visor is to allow the rider to dip his head and provide further protection from flying debris during off road riding. It will also keep the sun out of the eyes of the rider during jumps.
Originally, off-road helmets did not include a chin bar, with riders using helmets very similar to modern open face street helmets, and using a face mask to fend off dirt and debris from the nose and mouth. Modern off-road helmets include a (typically angular, rather than round) chin bar to provide some facial impact protection in addition to protection from flying dirt and debris. When properly combined with goggles, the result provides most of the same protective features of full face street helmets.
Modular or “Flip-up”
Modular (flip-up) helmet, closed and open
A hybrid between full face and open face helmets for street use is the modular or “flip-up” helmet, also sometimes termed “convertible” or “flip-face”. When fully assembled and closed, they resemble full face helmets by bearing a chin bar for absorbing face impacts. Its chin bar may be pivoted upwards (or, in some cases, may be removed) by a special lever to allow access to most of the face, as in an open face helmet. The rider may thus eat, drink or have a conversation without unfastening the chinstrap and removing the helmet, making them popular among motor officers.
Many modular helmets are designed to be worn only in the closed position for riding, as the movable chin bar is designed as a convenience feature, useful while not actively riding. The curved shape of an open chin bar and face shield section can cause increased wind drag during riding, as air will not flow around an open modular helmet in the same way as a three-quarters helmet. Since the chin bar section also protrudes further from the forehead than a three-quarters visor, riding with the helmet in the open position may pose increased risk of neck injury in a crash. Some modular helmets are dual certified as full face and open face helmet. The chin bar of those helmets offer real protection and they can be used in the “open” position while riding. An example of such an helmet would be the Shark Evoline.
As of 2008, there have not been wide scientific studies of modular helmets to assess how protective the pivoting or removable chin bars are. Observation and unofficial testing suggest that significantly greater protection exists beyond that for an open face helmet, and may be enough to pass full-face helmet standardized tests,but the extent of protection is not fully established by all standards bodies.
The DOT standard does not require chin bar testing. The Snell Memorial Foundation recently certified a flip-up helmet for the first time. ECE 22.05 allows certification of modular helmets with or without chin bar tests, distinguished by -P (protective lower face cover) and -NP (non-protective) suffixes to the certification number, and additional warning text for non-certified chin bars.
Open face or 3/4 helmet
Open face helmet with attached face shield
The open face, or “three-quarters”, helmet covers the ears, cheeks, and back of the head, but lacks the lower chin bar of the full face helmet. Many offer snap-on visors that may be used by the rider to reduce sunlight glare. An open face helmet provides the same rear protection as a full face helmet, but little protection to the face, even from non-crash events.
Bugs, dust, or even wind to the face and eyes can cause rider discomfort or injury. As a result, it is not uncommon (and in some U.S. states, is required by law) for riders to wear wrap-around sunglasses or goggles to supplement eye protection with these helmets. Alternatively, many open face helmets include, or can be fitted with, a face shield, which is more effective in stopping flying insects from entering the helmet.
Half helmet
A Half helmet or “Pudding Basin Helmet” from the 1960s
The half helmet, also referred to as a “Shorty” in the USA and “Pudding Basin” or TT helmet in the UK and popular with Rockers and road racers of the 1960s in the British Isles. It has essentially the same front design as an open face helmet but without a lowered rear in the shape of a bowl. The half helmet provides the minimum coverage generally allowed by law in the USA, and British Standards 2001:1956.
As with the open face, it is not uncommon to augment this helmet’s eye protection through other means such as goggles. Because of their inferiority compared to other helmet styles, some Motorcycle Safety Foundations prohibit the use of half helmets now. Notable UK manufacturers included Everoak, Chas Owens and, currently, Davida.
Headwear not intended for motorcycling
There are other types of headwear – often called “beanies,” “brain buckets”, or “novelty helmets”, a term which arose since they cannot legally be called motorcycle helmets. These helmets are not certified and are generally only used to provide the illusion of compliance with mandatory helmet laws. Such items are often smaller and lighter than helmets made to DOT standards, and are unsuitable for crash protection because they lack the energy-absorbing foam that protects the brain by allowing it to come to a gradual stop during an impact. A “novelty helmet” can protect the scalp against sunburn while riding and – if it stays on during a crash – might protect the scalp against abrasion, but it has no capability to protect the skull or brain from an impact.
Conflicting findings on color visibility
Although black helmets are popular among motorcyclists, one study determined they offer the least visibility to motorists. Riders wearing a plain white helmet rather than a black one were associated with a 24% lower risk of suffering a motorcycle accident injury or death. This study also notes “Riders wearing high visibility clothing and white helmets are likely to be more safety conscious than other riders.”
However, the MAIDS report did not back up the claims that helmet color makes any difference in accident frequency, and that in fact motorcycles painted white were actually over-represented in the accident sample compared to the exposure data.While recognizing how much riders need to be seen, the MAIDS report documented that riders’ clothing usually fails to do so, saying that “in 65.3% of all cases, the clothing made no contribution to the conspicuity of the rider or the PTW [powered two-wheeler, i.e. motorcycle]. There were very few cases found in which the bright clothing of the PTW rider enhanced the PTW’s overall conspicuity (46 cases). There were more cases in which the use of dark clothing decreased the conspicuity of the rider and the PTW (120 cases).” The MAIDS report was unable to recommend specific items of clothing or colors to make riders better seen.Construction
Modern helmets are constructed from plastics. Premium price helmets are made with fiberglass reinforced with Kevlar or carbon fiber. They generally have fabric and foam interiors for both comfort and protection. Motorcycle helmets are generally designed to distort in a crash (thus expending the energy otherwise destined for the wearer’s skull), so they provide little protection at the site of their first impact, but continued protection over the remainder of the helmet.
Helmets are constructed from an inner EPS “Expanded Polystyrene foam” and an outer shell to protect the EPS. The density and the thickness of the EPS is designed to cushion or crush on impact to help prevent head injuries. Some manufacturers even offer different densities to offer better protection. The outer shell can be made of plastics or fiber materials. Some of the plastics offer very good protection from penetration as in lexan (bulletproof glass) but will not crush on impact, so the outer shell will look undamaged but the inner EPS will be crushed. Fiberglass is less expensive than lexan but is heavy and very labor intensive. Fiberglass or fiber shells will crush on impact offering better protection. Some manufacturers will use Kevlar or carbon fiber to help reduce the amount of fiberglass but in the process it will make the helmet lighter and offer more protection from penetration but still crushing on impact. But this can be very expensive.
Function
Accident damaged helmet shows how the chinbar and face shield protected the user
The conventional motorcycle helmet has two principal protective components: a thin, hard, outer shell typically made from polycarbonateplastic, fiberglass, or Kevlar and a soft, thick, inner liner usually made of expanded polystyrene or polypropylene “EPS” foam. The purpose of the hard outer shell is:
to prevent penetration of the helmet by a pointed object that might otherwise puncture the skull, and
to provide structure to the inner liner so it does not disintegrate upon abrasive contact with pavement. This is important because the foams used have very little resistance to penetration and abrasion.
The purpose of the foam liner is to crush during an impact, thereby increasing the distance and period of time over which the head stops and reducing its deceleration.
To understand the action of a helmet, it is first necessary to understand the mechanism of head injury. The common perception that a helmet’s purpose is to save the rider’s head from splitting open is misleading. Skull fractures are usually not life threatening unless the fracture is depressed and impinges on the brain beneath and bone fractures usually heal over a relatively short period. Brain injuries are much more serious. They frequently result in death, permanent disability or personality change and, unlike bone, neurological tissue has very limited ability to recover after an injury. Therefore, the primary purpose of a helmet is to prevent traumatic brain injury while skull and face injuries are a significant secondary concern.
The most common type of head injury in motorcycle accidents is closed head injury, meaning injury in which the skull is not broken as distinct from an open head injury like a bullet wound. Closed head injury results from violent acceleration of the head which causes the brain to move around inside the skull. During an impact to the front of the head, the brain lurches forwards inside the skull, squeezing the tissue near the impact site and stretching the tissue on the opposite side of the head. Then the brain rebounds in the opposite direction, stretching the tissue near the impact site and squeezing the tissue on the other side of the head. Blood vessels linking the brain to the inside of the skull may also break during this process, causing dangerous bleeding.
A Shoei helmet which has been involved in an accident
Another hazard, susceptibility of the brain to shearing forces, plays a role primarily in injuries which involve rapid and forceful movements of the head, such as in motor vehicle accidents. In these situations rotational forces such as might occur in whiplash-type injuries are particularly important. These forces, associated with the rapid acceleration and deceleration of the head, are smallest at the point of rotation of the brain near the lower end of the brain stem and successively increase at increasing distances from this point. The resulting shearing forces cause different levels in the brain to move relative to one another. This movement produces stretching and tearing of axons (diffuse axonal injury) and the insulating myelin sheath, injuries which are the major cause of loss of consciousness in a head trauma. Small blood vessels are also damaged causing bleeding (petechial hemorrhages) deep within the brain.
It is important that the liner in a motorcycle helmet is soft and thick so the head decelerates at a gentle rate as it sinks into it. Unfortunately, there is a limit to how thick the helmet can be for the simple reason that the helmet quickly becomes impractical if the liner is more than 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) thick. This implies a limit to how soft the liner can be. If the liner is too soft, the head will crush it completely upon impact without coming to a stop. Outside the liner is a hard plastic shell and beyond that is whatever the helmet is hitting, which is usually an unyielding surface, like concrete pavement. Consequently, the head cannot move any further, so after crushing the liner it comes suddenly to an abrupt stop, causing high accelerations that injure the brain.
Therefore, an ideal helmet liner is stiff enough to decelerate the impacting head to an abrupt stop in a smooth uniform manner just before it completely crushes the liner and no stiffer. The required stiffness depends on the impact speed of the head, which is unknown at the time of manufacture of the helmet. The result is that the manufacturer must choose a likely speed of impact and optimize the helmet for that impact speed. If the helmet is in a real impact that is slower than the one for which it was designed, it will still help but the head will be decelerated a little more violently than was actually necessary given the available space between the inside and outside of the helmet, although that deceleration will still be much less than what it would have been in the absence of the helmet. If the impact is faster than the one the helmet was designed for, the head will completely crush the liner and slow down but not stop in the process. When the crush space of the liner runs out, the head will stop suddenly which is not ideal. However, in the absence of the helmet, the head would have been brought to a sudden stop from a higher speed causing more injury. Still, a helmet with a stiffer foam that stopped the head before the liner crush space ran out would have done a better job. So helmets help most in impacts at the speeds they were designed for, and continue to help but not as much in impacts that are at different speeds. In practice, motorcycle helmet manufacturers choose the impact speed they will design for based on the speed used in standard helmet tests. Most standard helmet tests use speeds between 4 and 7 m/s (8.9 and 16 mph; 14 and 25 km/h).
WEAR YOUR HELMET WHEN RIDING , PROMOTE SAFE RIDING
TO FELLOW BIKERS ,
RIDE HARD….. RIDE SAFE…..
MELWIN DANIEL
SOURCE: wikipedia.org
Related articles
Brough Superior (hydro-carbons.blogspot.com)
Motorcycle Accident Causes and Factors (hydro-carbons.blogspot.com)
How to clean Your Helmet -DO-IT-YOURSELF (hydro-carbons.blogspot.com)
But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the right kit, a little common sense, and some minor changes in your riding style, you can carry on riding safely through all but the worst of the winter weather.
Riding anytime of the year demands caution, however winter in particular can be treacherous. Almost half of Britain’s motorcyclists say that riding on icy, winter roads is one of the worst aspects of motorcycling. Below are some helpful hints together with a list of the common hazards that bikers may face during the winter months.
Wrap up against the winter
It may sound obvious, but investing in specialist winter riding gear can make a massive difference to your winter warmth and comfort. One-piece leathers are clearly the best as they offer less opportunity for the icy wind to find a way in. If you can’t afford these, make sure your layers overlap well.
If you can only invest in one piece of winter kit, then make it a quality pair of gloves. Modern technology has created a range of waterproof, thermally efficient gloves that will keep your hands warm and dry as you ride. Failing that, make sure you keep a spare pair of inner gloves in your pocket so you can change them if they get wet. The wet pair can then dry in your pocket from your body heat ready to be changed again.
Riding in the correct kit is not just a comfort issue either. If you’re wet and cold, you will tire more easily and will not respond as sharply to events around you. This is particularly true of cold fingers. Combine these slower reactions with the more hazardous roads of winter, and you’ve got more potential problems.
Respect the winter roads
From the autumn storms, when rain falls on roads which have accumulated grease and oil all summer, to the treacherous black ice of winter frosts, the riding conditions in winter demand your utmost respect.
The simple advice is to take it easy. Save your carefree open-road riding for those glorious summer mornings. In winter the conditions need as much care as you can muster. Not only will there be much less grip on wet and icy roads, you will also be challenged by the wind and the rain as you ride along. So use your lane, and give yourself space to adapt, adjust, and slow down. And if you have a long ride ahead, plan to stop and warm up along the way.
Stop, revive, and survive
It’s worth remembering that poor conditions affect everyone else around you too. Motorists, who struggle to see bikes at the best of times, are even less likely to see you when their windows are misted up. Even pedestrians become a real hazard, as they bow their heads to the rain or hunch up against the cold, leaving them prone to walk out in front of you without looking properly.
Wet Roads
Increase the breaking distance between you and other vehicles to account for wet and greasy road conditions. By increasing your distance you will get minimal spray of other vehicles and will be able to judge and anticipate other road users driving much easier. Watch out for wet leaves on the road. These can make the surface slippery and could make you lose control.
Vision
Bad weather such as fog or even low winter sun can restrict your view. Be aware of the hazards; ride to suit the road conditions.
Rider Visibility
Bikers need to be as visible as possible to other road users. By wearing reflective clothing it helps other road users to see you, especially on dark mornings and early evenings. By making contact with drivers using their mirrors, this also makes you visible to the driver.
Signal earlier
Signal earlier to give as much notice as possible to other road users of your intentions.
Lights
Check your lights regularly to make sure they are working. Also ensure your lights are visible and clear of dirt.
Tyres
Check your tyre pressure to ensure it’s suitable for winter riding.
Mirrors
In winter months, use anti-misting spray on your visor and mirrors.
Strong winds
Try to avoid riding in strong winds, however if it is absolutely necessary then be aware of hazardous objects being swept onto the roads such as carrier bags, boxes, branches of trees, cones etc.
If you do have to go out this winter on your bike, stay alert and ride well within your limit.
But For all the problems of winter riding, it still beats standing at a bus stop in the rain, or struggling to de-ice your frozen car every morning. With a little planning and a little care, you’ll be enjoying the sunshine of spring before you know it.