Health Benefits of Motorcycle Riding

Motorcycle enthusiasts will tell you, the thrill and adrenaline rush you get when riding a motor bike down the road is amazing. The exhilarating feeling will get you out of any low points in your life, as least momentarily. Whether you just have time to go for a quick run, or actually plan a road trip with your buddies, there's no comparison. Some people love the sound and feel of a powerful engine's vibration as they ride down the road. Driving a car just doesn't give the same thrill it seems. With this said, even though there is great risk involved in riding a motorcycle, can it actually improve your health and general well being? Read on to find out!

Some people will swear that motorcycle riding promotes healthy brain development. Furthermore, some people in their 50's and 60's credit their love for bike riding and other activities with their bike for helping them keep their brains functioning at a peak level. Riding a motorcycle pushes you to stay alert at all times and to multi-task. This helps people develop their cognitive skills at peak performance. For example, since motorcycle riders must watch out for many other dangers and to avoid potential hazards around them, they must process information quickly and respond accordingly.

In a research environment, motorcycle riders scored higher on the tests than the non-riding participants. Also it was shown that people who had their motorcycle licenses for longer periods of time, at least ten years, also performed the best in terms of cognitive ability. The health benefit of motorcycle riding doesn't end there though. It's no surprise that riding a bike takes a lot of effort and energy in comparison to driving a four passenger car. Controlling the bike takes almost every muscle in your body to balance, steer, and avoid obstacles in the road. Muscle tone and definition is something that frequent riders will tell you - motorcycle riding allows them to get their daily dose of exercise. You can even cut down on so many trips to the gym.

People value companionship these days, and sometimes you can't really do that in a four passenger car. Whether you ride a Harley or a Yamaha, almost all bikers will wave to each other when passing, and you can join many groups of people and organizations who get together to ride like a family. This creates a tight network of long lasting friendships, if you let it. Most other bikers are friendly and want to join you along the way if you are traveling in the same direction as they are. Companionship can raise your morale and mental wellbeing, which definitely plays a large part in your health.

Along that same note, riding improves your mood. Without a doubt, any motorcycle junkie and owner will tell you that they feel happier when riding. Happiness takes down our stress levels and prolongs our life span. It even helps us counter anxiety, depression, and general illnesses. If something lifts your mood, your health will definitely improve. So a joy ride with your bike could actually give you a healthier lifestyle.

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Polarized Motorcycle Sunglasses: The Pros and Cons

Polarized glasses have been around for decades, contrary to what many consumers believe. The first polarized glasses were sold in the 1930's, developed especially for pilots.

The technology changed the market, and today polarized lenses are used by all kinds of people. They're especially popular with outdoors enthusiasts and athletes. They are also growing increasingly trendy in motorcycle sunglasses.

The History of Polarized Glasses

Polarized glasses were first developed and invented for use in the military, specifically by pilots. Sunglasses themselves had only been on the market for a few years, but were well-received by consumers. Military pilots found them beneficial when flying in bright sunlight, with the exception of one problem: reflective glare.

When light from the sun travels through the atmosphere, it is dispersed evenly (polarized) when the light wave hits the retina. Reflected light, however, does not disperse (polarize) evenly.

Rather, it becomes horizontally polarized as it reaches the human eye. The result is a glare that is uncomfortable at best, and temporarily blinding at worst.

This temporary blindness can be fatal when piloting an aircraft. The Poloraid Corporation saw this problem as an opportunity to make money. They began working on polarization technology to solve the glare problem when flying.

The world's first polarized aviator shades were born in 1936 and distributed to military pilots. They became available for public sale the following year.

How Polarized Glasses Work

The lenses of polarized glasses of today are like ordinary lenses, with one extra component. A very thin film is placed inside each individual lens. This film is polarized so that when reflected light hits the lenses, it becomes dispersed more like regular light waves. This reduces glare from reflected light.

Naturally, this reduction in glare makes activities like flying an airplane or driving a car or motorcycle safer. It only takes a split second of temporary blindness to result in a fatal error or accident.

Polarized glasses revolutionized first the military and then the airline industry. Today it makes life easier and safer for all kinds of sports and outdoor lovers as well as drivers and cyclists.

What to Beware of When Wearing Polarized Motorcycle Sunglasses

As with any product, even a revolutionary one, polarized glasses have a few drawbacks. These must be considered carefully if you're thinking about purchasing motorcycle sunglasses with polarization film in the lenses.

When airplane instrument panels began to become digitized, pilots began noticing problems with their high-tech aviator shades. Their polarized glasses made it difficult to read their LCD displays. The same thing can happen to motorcycle drivers if they happen to have LCD displays on their bikes.

Another problem, though minor, is that of contrast between snow and shadows. Polarized glasses can sometimes make snow and shadows blend together. A motorcycle driver that mistakes snow on the road for a shadow could end up in a skid.

Of course, another potential problem is that a driver may tilt his head at too sharp an angle. This causes some horizontal light to enter the eyes over, under or through the sides of the frames and lenses. The result is bright spots that may pose a driving hazard.

Overall, it seems that the benefits of polarized motorcycle sunglasses outweigh the drawbacks. It may take cyclists some time to get used to wearing them.

It's suggested that motorcyclists start out by wearing them for short periods of time on short, low-speed trips. Bikers may also want to practice on back roads when they first start wearing polarized glasses. Doing so will give the rider time to adjust to some of these potential issues and compensate for them in regular, highway-speed driving.

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Motorcycle Community

A fellow motorcycle enthusiast once told me that in a world where there is very little that we could fix, having a motorcycle to tinker with offers great comfort. This is just one of the many examples of wisdom I have picked up from the motorcycle community. I am talking about the many riders who all share a kinship brought along by their passion for motorcycles. You will not find the same kind of widespread community anywhere else.

There is great camaraderie among most motorcycle owners. Whether you are riding a simple moped or a sophisticated big motorbike, you will often get a wave or thumbs up from other people on motorcycles. The motorcycle community has its own culture. It is one of openness and sharing in order to help each other out.

The exchange of ideas and expertise among motorcycle enthusiasts has lead to improved design and riding techniques that has made motorcycling much safer over the years. The average motorcycle owner tends to know more about his machine than the average car owner. Unlike cars the motorcycle is relatively easier to disassemble and study. It is also less complicated to maintain or even modify. This has lead people to learn a lot about motorcycles.

The simple design of the motorcycle has made it easy for the community to make their own customized parts. This led to a wide variety of motorcycles on the road. There are countless motorcycles that are unique and one of kind because of the many do-it-your-self improvements that can be performed on a motorbike. Something that is not as easy with other forms of motorized transport.

Another wonderful thing about the motorcycle community is that sound advice is never hard to find. You might get conflicting opinions every now and then but it is often easy to discern the good ones from rubbish. Whatever help you need with tinkering there will never be a shortage of helpful tips and guides available for free. Whether you are unsure about a replacement or trying to decide on a mod, there is always an expert that can offer you great advice.

What other vehicle can make two complete strangers feel like the closest of friends just by riding side by side for a short time? The camaraderie among motorcycle owners is just one of the many things that make riding all the more fun. The sense brotherhood with fellow riders gives you a sense of security and support that you will not normally get with other car drivers.

Motorcycles might not be as safe as cars and buses but it sure affords you a sense of connection with other people you might not otherwise get to know. The motorcycle does not just take people from point A to B, it also brings them closer and creates connections where there is none. It has created a whole community of people sharing ideas and working to make riding as safe and fun as could be imagined.

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Tips on Defensive Motorcycle Driving

If you are someone who doesn't feel alive until you are riding your bike, there are many tips on motorcycle defensive driving which will help you stay alive while you are riding it. Motor defensive driving tips will give you some ideas about driving to protect yourself other drivers when you are out riding, and these tips are available without your being required to attend a course.

The Number One Tip

The single most important tip you will ever get, and the one most obvious even to people who will never go near a bike, is to wear a helmet. Helmets are not merely recommended as safety measures; they are legally required for those driving motorcycles and yet there are motorcyclists who still refuse to use them.

Using a helmet as a part of your motorcycled defensive driving strategy can save your life. How is that something you can ignore? You should simply get in the habit of putting on you habit before you set out, whether you are going across the country or around the block. Do nothing on your bike unless your helmet is securely fastened on your head.

Slow Down!

A second tip is to watch your speed. No matter how experienced you are, no matter how agile your bike is, speeding on your motorcycle is only slightly less stupid than riding without your helmet. And speeding not only puts you at risk, it puts any drivers with whom you share the road at risk as well.

You should follow the driving tip on speeding with extra care when you are navigating curves, because curves are notorious for causing motorcycle crashes. It's just to easy to misjudge a curve by overshooting the road or straying into oncoming traffic and being hit. Motorcycle driving is all about concentrating on the road ahead of you and the vehicles around you, so you should always be focused on upcoming curves and get your bike positioned to handle them well in advance.

You can learn far more about motorcycle defensive driving [http://www.seekdefensivedriving.com/category/fighting-your-rising-premiums-with-an-insurance-discount-defensive-driving-course] by taking the time to attend a class. Successfully completing a driving class will give you, as a motorcyclist, extra protection against all the aggression of drivers who do not like to watch you and your buddies weaving your way through the traffic jams in which they find themselves sitting for hours at a time. And that's a really good thing!.

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Motorcycle Helmets

Almost 3,000 motorcyclists are killed each year in accidents, with head injuries being a major cause of death. Safety helmets successfully reduce the chances of head injury to a great extent. They are a must for all motorcyclists.

Helmets are of different types, sizes, colors, and designs. They may be full-face or open-face, but have to conform to certain standards set by DOT regulations. Helmets which meet the DOT Regulations usually have a DOT approval sticker at the back of the helmet.

Manufacturers of helmets are also required under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard to label their helmets with relevant information such as manufacturer's name, model, size, year of manufacture, and construction materials, among other things. Another certification or approval for all motorcycle helmets is provided by The Snell Memorial Foundation. Unlike DOT, it is optional and not mandatory.

Apart from such regulations, there are motorcycle helmet laws, monitoring the use of helmets by motorcyclists. Today, 20 states and the District of Columbia have made helmet wearing mandatory for motorcyclists; there are four free states with no helmet laws at all.

Some brands which are particularly popular among motorcyclists include HJC Helmets, Shoei Motorcycle Helmets, Nolan Helmets, Bell Helmets, RBC Helmets, and THH Helmets. Features found in helmets may include ventilation systems, anti-fog system, comfortable interior, scratch-resistant face shield, and other things.

Companies which provide DOT-approved, good quality motorcycle helmets are Iron Horse Helmets, Helmets Etc, Inc, Ride Gear, Biker Needs, and many more. Customization options are also provided by some companies, which allow us to have special designs, cartoons, graphics, and other pictures on helmets.

Helmets are important safety gear for all motorcyclists. The causes of motorcycle accidents may be numerous, but the solution to prevent serious injuries still remains the use of motorcycle helmets and defensive driving techniques.

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Leather Jacket Advice

For motorcycle fashion leather jackets are very popular and commonly used. It is very difficult to find a good and stylish motorcycle jacket. It is hard to select because there are a nearly endless number of choices. There are some essential things to look out for when you are going to choose a leather jacket. Check the quality first. A good quality motorcycle jacket is costly, but it will be long lasting and provides you comfort.

Don't go on the price; always focus on the material used to manufacture it. It is very essential to get the best quality motorcycle leather jacket. Take it as an investment in your motorcycle riding. According to some bikers a good leather jacket is an ultimate motorcycle fashion for them. After checking the quality of it then considers the storage factor.

Storage really is an important factor to consider. You can not keep every thing in your motorcycle bags. There are some special types of things that you can only keep in your jacket such as your cell phone or any important papers.
Every motorcyclist wants to get a good quality motorcycle leather jacket, which provides them comfort. It protects your whole upper body from dirt and water.

You can also select vests (half jackets). Vests are very comfortable jackets but they can not provide you the
protection as full leather jackets. Vests are commonly used in summer season.

Your leather motorcycle clothing provides comfort and safety while you are riding, so make sure that you choose a good quality jacket. First search the leather jackets select the color. After selecting the color, discuss all the necessary things that you want to discuss with the shop owner. They will surely help you in selecting a good leather jacket. Select that color which will match to your motorcycle color scheme.

The above tips will surely help you to select a perfect motorcycle leather wear.

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Being Smart with Motorcycle Fashion

So you have finally decided to buy a motorcycle, whether it be for economical reasons or simply for the freedom of the ride, but now you are faced with the dilemma of buying quality protective riding gear that you will actually want to wear. You will want to be sure to protect yourself from accidents, as well as be comfortable (of course it wouldn't hurt to look cool at the same time either.)

So much thought goes into the gear you will be wearing while riding your bike as you want to make sure you are protected from the elements and unexpected spills. Helmets, jackets, chaps, gloves.... but did you stop to think about your feet?

So often you see motorcyclists on the roads wearing basic sneakers, sandals, and sadly, flip flops. Not a smart choice when paired up with burning hot exhaust pipes.

There are many reason why you would want to wear motorcycle boots or shoes rather than casual footwear but the main one you need to focus on is protection. Regular shoes will not protect your feet from burns that can be caused by the heat of your motorcycles exhaust pipes. Not to mention the heat of your pipes can actually melt the rubber on the soles of your favorite sandals. Plus regular boots and shoes are not designed to withstand the friction created every time your feet touch the ground, which is quite often with bike riding, due to stopping and balancing. With regular footwear, you will find your shoes wearing out much faster than you could have ever imaged.

Harley Davidson motorcycle shoes and boots are designed to be durable, practical, fashionable and actually comfortable. If you have been into any Harley Davidson shop then you know they are all about looking good and feeling good while being safe on your bike. Offering a broad range of motorcycle boots and shoes in endless colors and designs, Harley Davidson not only has you covered on your bike, but offyour bike as well with a rather wide variety of fashionable Harley Davidson sandals and heels.

What are you waiting for? Experience HD footwear for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Whether man or woman one thing is for sure, and that is you want to look good at the same time you are riding safe and with the extensive Harley Davidson motorcycle boots and shoes line, you get to do both.

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