Motorcycle Safety Tips

When spring and summer finally arrive, the number of motorcycles on the road drastically increases. It’s more ecological, it’s more fun, and it’s more efficient than riding a car. However, staying safe on two wheels is a big concern. We cannot always be 100% safe, no matter how careful we are. This is because our safety depends on other drivers’ actions as well. What we can do is decrease our chances of getting into trouble by following several safety rules.

Here are our motorcycle safety tips that you should definitely incorporate into your riding.

Never Ride Without a Helmet

Putting a helmet on before riding your bike should be a reflex motion. Wearing a helmet is the best thing that you can do to protect yourself from more serious injuries in case of a fall. Statistics show that you are five times more likely to sustain a critical head injury if you are not wearing a helmet.

Preferably, you should choose a helmet that has eyewear as well. If not, put on a pair of good-quality eyeglasses with a strong UV protection. It will protect your eyes from harmful sun rays and protect you from bugs and other tiny foreign objects.

Wear Motorcycling-Specific Gear

Wearing a proper motorcycling jacket and pants will offer you a lot of protection when you hit the ground. These usually come with elbow, shoulder, and knee guards which will save these critical joints in case of a fall. The jacket and the pants are made from durable material usually laced with Kevlar which protects your skin from abrasion injuries.

A good pair of gloves is also absolutely crucial as your hands are usually the first thing that meets the ground if you sustain a fall.

Follow Traffic Rules

It is tempting to break the traffic rules when you are riding a motorcycle because it seems that doing so for some of them is quite innocent. However, you should always make sure to strictly obey them, especially the speed limits. The contact surface your bike makes with the ground is much smaller than that of a car. Therefore, it will take you longer to brake than you would need riding a car. The faster you go, the longer you will need to stop.

Ride Defensively and Educate Yourself

You should never assume that a driver has seen you until you establish eye contact with them. Always be prepared to brake or perform a maneuver to protect your integrity on the road since most motorcycling accidents are caused by car drivers violating the right of way of riders.

Even when you think that your riding skills are good enough, never stop learning and educating yourself. Go to an empty parking lot and practice basic safety maneuvers so that you are always ready to perform them when necessary.

Prepare Before You Ride

Both your bike and you should be in the best possible condition for riding before you put your helmet on and ride away. For you, this means that you have slept well and that you are not tired. Moreover, never ride if you are not sober, no matter how confident you feel.

Before riding, make sure that your bike is functioning properly. Check tire pressure, oil levels, gas, lights and signals, and so on. If everything seems right, only then you start your ride.

The Most Iconic Women in Motorsports

Motorsports have long been considered to be male sports and they were dominated by men in every aspect. Aside from men being more involved in the driving itself, it’s the majority of men as well who take advantage of Golden Nugget Sportsbook welcome bonus offers and sports betting in general. However, during all of the history of motorsports, there were examples of women who proved that they had their place in these adrenaline and gasoline-fueled sports as well.

Today, things are quickly changing. Women are becoming an integral part of the sport, as they are proving to be a decent competition for men. Women today take roles both as drivers, engineers, and mechanics, and can be seen in races such as Formula One or Rally Raid.

Let’s see who the most important women in motorsports are today.

Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick has been dominating the IndyCar and the NASCAR championships for over a decade now. She was born in Wisconsin and has left a mark in motorsports that cannot be erased. She has some amazing results on the track to boast about but she was not idle off the track either. She appeared in Hip Hop videos and did FHM photoshoots.

She is still competing in NASCAR today and since 2005, she has had some big results. In 2005 she took fourth place in her first Indianapolis 500, as well as a podium finish at the same race in 2009. Then, in 2014, she claimed the pole at the Daytona 500.

Keiko Ihara

Ever since the 1950s, Japan has been a pioneering car and motor-related technologies. Some of its most notable accomplishments in motor racing are powering McLaren in the 1980s and dominating the Formula One races in the 1990s. Today, Japan has Keiko Ihara to bring back the old glory to the country.

She started racing in 1999 but encountered a lot of prejudice in her home country. Eventually, she found her place in the Ferrari Challenge Championship and the European Formula Renault.

In 2014, Keiko Ihara became the first Asian woman to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. She finished 13th overall.

Pat Moss

Pat Moss is an iconic woman in motorsports still today, even though she raced back in the late 1950s. She was the younger sister of the world-famous Stirling Moss, who won the Grand Prix 16 times. Pat Moss first started racing horses but soon fell in love with horsepower.

She ended up winning three international rallies, racing in cars such as Fords, Lancias, Saabs, and Minis. In 1958, she took the fourth place in the RAC Rally and also finished fourth at the Liege-Rome-Liege Rally. This made her the first woman to finish in the top ten of this prestigious racing event.

Michèle Mouton

Michèle Mouton had many talents when she was young. At first, she was great at ballet, skiing, academia, and much more. However, when she tried racing for the first time – that was it, she was instantly in love!

She got the place as one of the Audi Works drivers and won the World Rally Championship four times, ended up on the podium nine times, and won 160 stages.

The Most Important Racing Equipment and Accessories

If you are planning to start racing on a motorcycle, of course, the most important thing to own is a motorcycle. However, a motorcycle might not end up as the most expensive piece of racing equipment that you need to buy. All of the necessary racing accessories and other pieces of equipment that you have to buy might end up even more expensive.

However, they are indispensable and important for your safety, so read on carefully to find out what they are!

Summer and Winter Jacket

A racing jacket is definitely one of the most important things that you can buy for your safety and comfort. If you plan to race in all weathers and during all seasons, it is a good idea to buy both a summer and a winter jacket.

First of all, a summer jacket will feel hot when you stop at a traffic light, that cannot be escaped. However, summer jackets have a mesh that allows air to flow around your body, so it will keep you safe and cool while riding.

A winter jacket is much thicker, with a warmer lining. You can choose either leather or a synthetic material if you want to be kind to the animals. Whatever you choose, get a bike-specific option as it will give you the most protection.

Gloves

Gloves are also an important piece of equipment as they will protect your hands which are often the first to make contact with the ground during a fall. Moreover, they give you a better grip, so you will feel more confident while racing.

Elbow and Shoulder Armor

Most jackets that you buy will come with elbow and shoulder armor. However, they are often not high-quality armor pads, so you should consider replacing them. Make sure that the ones you buy meet Europe’s CE safety ratings. These are used in the US as well since they do not have their own.

Pants

We just cannot emphasize enough how important a good-quality pair of motorcycle pants is. Hollywood movies might tell you that riding in a pair of jeans or a pair of commercial leather pants is cool or enough to protect you. However, the reality is different. Make sure you buy pants that were specially made for motorcycle racing. The best option is to choose a model that is lined with Kevlar or go for Cordura textile pants.

Knee Armor

When you’re buying a pair of pants, make sure that they let you insert knee armor pads. High-end motorcycle pants will have specially designed pockets created especially for this purpose. They are designed from special EVO X material which molds around your body as it gets heated for added comfort and safety.

Helmet

Last but not least, never ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet! This is definitely the most important piece of safety equipment, which is why we have left it for the end. It will protect your head in a fall but it will also protect your eyes and your face from flies, bugs, or foreign objects that might come in your direction while riding.

Make sure that the helmet you buy meets the official safety standards, which get an update once in five years. Also, replace your helmet after five years in use, as it starts losing its protective properties after that period of time.

Car Racing Games Online

Car racing games have existed for a long time, and today you can enjoy a myriad of them online. While browser car racing games are largely inferior to the big brand names like Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, or Dirt; there are still some online games of this kind worth checking out. In addition, horse racing games are becoming very popular which is why lots of horse racing offers are available for the racing enthusiasts. In any case, online games also have the advantage of being free to play without any need to download them. So here are some of our picks.

Madalin Stunt Cars

As the name states, this game is full of ramps, obstacles, and platforms from which you can perform unlimited number of stunts. There are several maps you can choose from and you can also select to play in a multiplayer mode where you can enjoy the game with some of your friends or join different free-for-all servers and play with other players from across the world.

Death Chase

Death Chase is something between a stunt game and a racing game. You can choose between several different kinds of vehicles that include cars, trucks, buses, and more. The goal is to finish the race at first place while trying to complete obstacles and stop your opponents. It’s a game with endless possibilities and some crazy physics. Based on your score and the number of coins you collect at each track, you will be able to progress through the levels and upgrade your vehicles by buying new engines, wheels, nitro packs, etc.

Burnout Drift

If you like to drift more than to race, then Burnout Drift is the game for you. Your goal here will be to complete a course full of sharp turns and get the best drift score possible. If you’re good enough, you will get a chance to get some special upgrades and customize your car. Burnout Drift is full of achievements you can unlock and there’s even an online leaderboard where you can submit your score and compare it to other online players.

Truck Driver Crazy Road

For all you truck enthusiasts out there, Truck Driver Crazy Road is a perfect truck simulator you can try online for free. The goal of the game is to bring the load from point A to point B, going over obstacles and being careful so nothing drops out of your trailer. There are different loads that you need to transport and the versatility of the tracks is great since there is a campaign mode which will take some time to complete. Different seasons bring out different terrains and weather conditions which can make things more difficult.

Cyber Rider Turbo

Cover the longest distance possible in your floating cyber car while avoiding some tricky movable obstacles. You can also collect a few powerups along the way to help you reach the goal more easier. The graphics are pretty amazing considering this is an online game and the funky music in the background is fairly enjoyable to listen to while playing.

What Is Motorcycle Yoga

Motorcycles date back to the late 19th century, and over the years some people have perfected riding these vehicles to the point where they can do it in all different kinds of ways. But we are not here to talk about Evel Knievel and his performances of jumping over long distances. Instead, we will be focusing motorcycle yoga and how it can help you become a better driver.

General Benefits of Yoga For Bikers

You can drive your motorcycle even if you’re not that fit. You just need to know how to ride it and to be good at keeping balance. However, if you are planning to spend a lot of time on your bike, you will need plenty of strength and flexibility. This is where yoga comes in. It can help you benefit by doing some regular exercises and making your body stronger. Yoga can also reduce muscle tightness and prevent potential injuries to the body. To put it simply, yoga can help your body be more resistant to the uncomfortable posture of motorcycle riding.

Balance, Strength, and Flexibility

There are many classic yoga exercises that can help you become a more relaxed bike driver. By generally practicing yoga you will learn to balance your body, and balance is one of the most important things for motorcycle riders. Long hours on your bike can have a negative effect on your spine and back, and yoga is great for strengthening your core stability. Warrior and Chair are just some of the yoga poses that can help you with this. Another important aspect of bike riding is flexibility. Classic yoga exercises can help you open your muscles, making your body stretchier.

Focus

Every time you sit on your bike you are putting your life at a certain risk. Riding bikes is always dangerous, no matter how skillful you think you are. Your mind can wander off for a minute, and you can crash before knowing it’s happening. The way to keep your risks of crashing to a minimum, you will need to have a sharp focus at all times. Yoga exercises benefit the body just as much as they do the mind. While your body is getting stronger, through various breathing techniques you can get your mind to work better and thus become calmer and focused.

Yoga On A Motorcycle

Some riders have perfected doing yoga while on their bikes. These daredevils have literally mixed the two skills together which makes for some dangerous, but nevertheless interesting and unique stunts you can see all across the internet these days. However, we do not advise you to try any of this stuff on your own.