Motorcycle Journal

February, soon it’ll be Spring. With this marvelous season comes warm weather, nice flowers, shorter skirts and comforting sun. For myself however, it also means a new motorcycle season. Motorcycles bring a sense of freedom, of peace. Whenever I’m on my motorcycle, my mind is solely on the current moment, the “here and now”, for two main reasons–to appreciate the moment in itself but also as a means of protection. No one can deny the fact that a motorcyclist is less protected on his motorbike than the automobile driver behind the wheel of his car, surrounded by a metal cage (for motorcyclists, drivers are often referred to ‘cagers’ for that reason). The motorcyclist thus has to be more conscious of what is happening around him, and not just in front of him. (more…)

It’s March 1994, and I’ve decided that I’m going to buy a motorcycle. The thought has been brewing in my adolescent head for several years, but funding shortfalls and parental units had previously placed restrictions on such things. There’s no stopping me now, though. The classic mystique and excitement of two-wheeled motivation is in me for good. (more…)

The single most important piece of protective gear you can wear is a helmet certified to meet DOT standards. This was emphasized in the University of Southern California (USC) researcher Harry Hurt’s federally funded study, “Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures,” often called the Hurt Report, after its researcher Harry Hurt. This and other research has established that helmets save lives by reducing head injuries. The research also disproves helmet myths such as “helmets break necks, block vision, impair hearing, cause overheating, etc.” Informed riders wear helmets by deliberate choice every time they ride. (more…)

The motorcycle industry has seen huge growth in the last couple of years thanks to television bike building shows, the price of fuel and the aging demographic. But is this growth, primarily in the Cruiser market, a product of hype or functionality? I, personally, fell in to “the trap” and bought my first motorcycle in the summer of 2004. Because the shows on television and “the Harley allure”, I, too, chose a cruiser, a Suzuki Marauder 800. Did I make the right choice? I’m not sure. Do I regret it? Not on your life! (more…)

I’ve had several heated on-line debates on the issue of helmet laws in certain states throughout the US. The most common argument against the law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets are they should be free to choose. Most, also go on to say that they choose to wear a helmet but don’t want the government telling them they have to. I say that the freedom of choice argument is fine, but the choice one makes needs to come from a list of alternatives, and when it comes to motor vehicles, there is the issue of public safety and collateral damage that needs to be addressed. (more…)