Why You Should not Buy a Used Motorcycle Helmet
A motorcycle helmet is one of those essentials that will help save your life should you have an accident while riding your bike.
This will protect your head from a damaging and even potentially fatal head injury. Motorcycle helmets are so important that state lawmakers have even included a directive in the state laws that orders all people riding the motorcycle to wear helmets.
Some people though do not understand the importance of this accessory. In fact, some people do not even like wearing it because it is too heavy and too suffocating. Others find it a killjoy to not be able to feel the wind on their faces when riding a motorbike.
Motorcycle Helmets are not really that expensive but they are also not cheap. Some who are not that well-informed will probably save all their money for the motorcycle leaving a really small budget for safety gears like the helmet. Some even buy used helmets instead of new ones. This, however, is one practice that should not be encouraged.
Using used helmets is extremely dangerous and impractical. Used helmets are actually worthless and what is more you cannot really tell whether they are damaged or not. You won’t even be able to tell if they are relatively new ones or not. This is because the helmet is made from a hard outer shell that envelops a layer of expanded polystyrene. You will never be able to tell if the expanded polystyrene is already compressed or not unless you cut the outer shell. An already compressed polystyrene layer will not protect you from an accident.
Another thing that you should consider is the fact that polystyrene becomes brittle as it ages. This is the reason why old helmets should be exchanged for new ones in a couple of years as it may not be able to absorb much of the impact when an accident does happen. The polystyrene layer is also easily damaged by the sun and by chemicals such as gas vapors.
Motor bikers who always place their helmet near the gas tank will also unknowingly damage the lining of the helmet. It is also not a good idea to always let the helmet sit under the heat of the sun. If you can, try to park your motorbike in areas that are shaded. Pointed objects may also compromise the lifespan of the helmet by piercing through the polystyrene layer inside.
mark
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Motorcycle safety clothing and why this is important
Motorcycle safety clothing and why this is important
To improve motorcycle safety many countries order the wearing of protective clothing by motorcyclists, especially a helmet. Other protective equipment may include certain types of jackets, gloves, boots, and pants. Jackets meant for motorcyclists are typically made of nylon, leather, or Kevlar. These jackets usually include heavy padding on the elbow, spine, and shoulder regions. Gloves are generally made of leather or Kevlar and some include carbon fiber knuckle protection. Boots, especially those for sport riding, include reinforcement and plastic caps on the ankle and toe areas. A well-protected motorcyclist will wear boots with heels that fit on motorcycle foot rests (pegs) and provide good ankle support. Pants are usually leather, nylon, or Kevlar. Except for helmets, none of these items are required by law in any state in the U.S. but are recommended by many of those who ride.
Types of clothing
Leather Clothing:
Leathers are 1-piece suits, or 2-piece jackets and trousers worn by motorcyclists mainly for protection in a crash. The leather used is not fashion leather but protective leather which is stronger, rather flexible and much tougher. Both leathers and joins (seams and zips) should be officially tested for ergonomics and impact scrape, cut, tear and burst resistance. They do not have to be too heavy and there is no such thing as rivalry leather - just safe and unsafe leather and joins.
Typically, an accident at a race track will result in the racers sliding, rolling and tumbling for reasonably long distances and long times compared to an accident on the public road. This is because of the large safety run-off areas found on most race tracks; hence racers have a much lower probability of hitting hard vertical solid objects during a crash. Some racing leathers have additional protection properties to increase sliding and decrease bouncing and rotation. To decrease or prevent such injuries, most modern racing suits have an area that helps sliding at the knees, shoulders and elbows – often made of titanium or high-density plastic, so the rider slides more along the track environment and so decreases the bouncing and rotation through the air, which may cause inferior injuries from angular accelerations and rotational forces
Currently there are two major styles of motorcycle leathers: the tight fitting and sometimes colorful one or two piece suits based on motorcycle racing leathers; and the somewhat looser fitting leather trousers and jackets, usually black and often decorated with metal studs and tassels.
Textile Clothing:
Increasingly, motorcyclists are choosing protective equipment make up of man-made textiles rather than leather due to their improved weather protection from heat, cold, and water, and the increased value these garments tend to provide in terms of pockets and vents. Common materials include high density (600–1000 Denier) ballistic nylon (e.g., Cordura) and Kevlar (or blends of Kevlar, Cordura, and Lycra) and often include waterproof liners made from materials such as Goretex.
Motorcycling Boots:
Boots are worn by motorcycle riders and passengers to prevent or diminish harm to their feet and ankles while riding and in the incident of a crash. Tough, strong, moderately flexible boots with rigid soles provide the rider protection from a number of risks. Boots with oil-resistant, rubber-based merged soles give a grip on the concrete and help keep the rider’s feet on the foot rests. If the boots have heels, they should be low and wide to provide a firm base when standing with the bike. In a crash, boots may avoid or reduce foot and ankle injuries.
Helmets:
A Motorcycle Helmet is protective head covering used by motorcycle riders. The primary target of a motorcycle helmet is to protect the rider’s head during impact, although many helmets provide additional protection such as a face shield. In some countries the wearing of motorcycle helmets is compulsory.
Helmets are made in 2 main layers: hard and energy-absorbing. The hard shell spreads an impact over a larger area, while the liner (often polystyrene foam) absorbs energy so less is transferred to the skull & brain
Gloves:
Motorcycling racing glove
Motorcycling gloves are typically gloves made of leather. They may have gauntlets to protect the rider’s wrists from injury, and help shrink drafts while riding in colder climates. Motorcycling gloves typically have reinforced palms anticipated to protect the rider from scratch injuries in case of an accident.
Optional characteristics include additional protection or weatherproofing. For touring gloves, such additional features may include advanced insulating materials and waterproof/breathable fabric, although touring gloves may still lack advanced armouring features used in motorcycle racing gloves.
Gloves intended for motorcycle racing typically feature precurved finger sections and the best available protection, obtained through additional armour incorporated within the glove. Although maximum tacility is an noticeable starting point for racing gloves, additional protection should not be discarded. Additional protection may involve titanium or carbon panels for knuckles and the joints of the fingers. Furthermore, racing gloves may and often do add in additional wrist and other protection panels to protect the heel of the hand, back of the hand and other easily injured parts of the hand.
faport
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