Safe Biking for Motorcyclists - What are you Wearing?

With the summer fast approaching and the biking season about to get into full flow what will you be wearing on your bike this year?

We have all seen it, some motorcyclist passing us travelling at speeds well above the displayed limit but not only that he is wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Granted in the summer the heat in a set of leathers can become a little uncomfortable but with the range of protective clothing on the market today there is no excuse for compromising on safety. The human body and tarmac were never meant to meet up close and personal but accidents happen. So what should we be wearing to help reduce our injuries if we are unlucky enough to be involved in an accident?

Helmet - There are numerous makes of helmets available for the consumer ranging from very cheap to very expensive. There are only two main criteria for a helmet the first is comfort, choose a helmet that fits well and feels comfortable. The second criteria is safety, choose a helmet with that has a O mark on it, this mark indicates that the helmet meets the current safety legislation.

Jacket - Jackets now come in a variety of materials and can greatly reduce injury in the event of an accident. The two main materials that are the most highly regarded with reference to safety are leather and Kevlar. Leather is the most popular and is proven to reduce abrasive injury in the event of you and your bike suddenly parting company. Kevlar is an extremely strong material, which can be cooler than leather and acts in the same way during accident but can be very costly. Try and buy a jacket with O approved body armour, this armour is placed inside the lining of the jacket in places such as the shoulders and the elbows to reduce impact to these parts of the body in the event of a crash.

Back protector - Back protectors help to reduce the severity of back injuries related to a motorbike crash. Be sure to make sure that your protector has the European O mark.

Trousers - Trousers are available, much the same as jackets, in many different materials. Kevlar and Leather being the main two, trousers should be fitted with O approved body armour in the shin, knee and hip to minimise injury.

Boots - The correct footwear when riding not only makes you more comfortable but can help to stop nasty breaks when you come off your bike. Feet can often get caught under the bike and combined with the weight of your machine can be very damaging. There is a large range of boots but ones with O armour especially around the ankle offer the best protection to the rider.

Gloves - Gloves could be one of the best ways to reduce injury in the event of an accident. When you come off your bike your first reaction will be to put your hands down. Think about putting your hands onto tarmac whilst sliding at 50mph, after a few seconds you will be sliding on bone. Gloves come in many materials the best being the same for jackets and trousers, these gloves are reinforced to take excessive abrasion. Again O approved armour on the knuckles can help to reduce a biker's injury.

We all pay for bike insurance each year but some of us still ride our bikes with the minimum requirement for safety gear, a helmet. By protecting our bikes with the relevant motorbike insurance hopefully we can be up and riding again in no time if we drop our machines. By skimping on safety gear we are running the risk of severe or fatal injury so why insure your bike in the event of an accident if the lack of protective clothing means you may never be able to ride a bike again.

Safety gear can be very costly so why not insure your gear in case of accident damage, contact bike site on 08707 776 161 for all your bike insurance and equipment insurance needs.