Boston Motorcycle Injury Lawyer Blog

There’s a saying that goes ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness.” This certainly applies to motorcycles. A clean, shiny muscle cruiser, Harley, or sport bike is a sight to behold on the road. What’s the point of going to a local bike night or motorcycle event if your bike is not looking its best?

Cleaning a motorcycle is not rocket science. Basically it takes some water, soap, and a little elbow grease. Soaking, washing, rinsing, and drying a motorcycle will basically keep a bike looking nice. Ace It Polish is a great product for a quick detail.

To make your bike look great all the time, you’ll need a little bit more. Hawg Wash Cycle Care has a full range of products to help a bike go from clean to gleaming.

Hawg Wash Cycle Care produces paint polish products, wheel cleaners, micro fiber products, plastic care products and other items. Regardless of the type of bike, Hawg Wash has a product for you.

There are special cleaning products that are especially great for keeping your chrome shining like mirrors. Mothers Chrome Polish is one of the products recognized by bikers as the best for chrome. Not only are Mothers products great for traditional chrome but safe for black and colored chrome products.

While cleaning a bike is a great way to keep it looking it’s best, it is equally important to dry your bike thoroughly each time you wash it. Moisture and soap that is not removed from the bike can cause film to accumulate. Rust can also form on chrome or alloy metal parts.

A blower is often the best choice to completely drying a bike after washing. High speed air can knock off water and soap in tight areas that a towel cannot reach. This can make all the difference. Also, air drying minimizes streaks.

In most cases, a standard leaf blower can get the job done. Blowers can range from under $50 to several hundred dollars.  The cheaper options are just as effective as the more expensive ones.

It’s not enough to have an expensive customer cruiser or Harley Davidson with tons of accessories. Make sure that your bike not only has the best motorcycle accessories but shines line it just came off the production line.

There is nothing worse than seeing a great looking Harley Davidson or custom chopper rolling down the road with a rider who does not have the clothing to match. There should be a law against those who don’t take as much pride in their appearance as they do in the appearance of their bike

Bikers should appear to be cool and casual but there are limits. Even in hot weather climates like Texas and Florida, shorts look terrible while riding a v-twin cruiser. Not only is in unsafe but it just doesn’t look good at all. Once again, there should be a law against not wearing cool motorcycle apparel.

But the worst is bad footwear. There is no excuse for riding a $20,000 Custom Harley or muscle cruiser while wearing a pair of tennis shoes. It would make more sense to wear a t-shirt that says “hello, I’m not a real biker.”

Motorcycle footwear comes in great variety of styles to fit anyone’s taste, appearance, color preference, and price range. Even bikers who want a more casual look can opt for race bike boots that look much better than basketball shoes.

There are also lots of options for great looking, feminine footwear for lady riders. There’s no need for women to wear a big pair of men’s boots in order to ride safely. Just make sure that when wearing boots with heels that they are not too high and have a wide sole for traction. There is nothing cute about wearing great boots if it causes you to drop your bike at a stop light.

Remember the lessons from your motorcycle rider safety course which included always wearing above the ankle boots. It’s a great safety tip and it is also great for style too. Make sure the boots have a thick sole and a good tread pattern.

After that, go wild. Find a style that works for you.

Remember to stick with shoes that have a rubber sole so that you ride safely. Boots and shoes with leather soles can be slippery in wet conditions and cause you to lose control of your bike while stopping or maneuvering slowly in a parking lot. Nothing is more embarrassing than dropping a beautiful chopper because the rider chose to ride in a pair of leather loafers.

To most bikers, the ‘coolness factor’ of riding a motorcycle is as important as anything. Why else would someone pay thousands of dollars to buy a motorcycle and accessorize the heck out of it?

Most bikers also spend a fair amount of money on their apparel too. Biker leathers, boots, jackets, and other motorcycle accessories are all part of biker image.

But there is a lot more.

Adding a few pieces of biker jewelry can add to that cool biker look that motorcycle riders love. There are items for men that are cool and very masculine. As well, there are items that are cool and sexy for lady bikers. Items like rings, bracelets, belt buckles, earrings, and necklaces can be great additions to a bikers’ wardrobe.

Why limit your biker image to the times you ride your Harley? Biker jewelry can be a cool and subtle way to stay true to your biker image.

One of the downsides of having a motorcycle is they do not have much space to haul gear. Throwing on a backpack is sometimes a good option but even a decent size motorcycle backpack has limitations and can add to rider fatigue. Sometimes, you need more storage space to make sure all of your gear can come with you.

Saddle bags come in a huge array of sizes, colors, and forms. Some Harleys come with hard case saddle bags but most bikers buy saddle bags as a motorcycle accessory.

The great thing about saddle bags, regardless of whether they are hard or soft, is that they are removable. For short rides around town, you might opt to go without them. For longer rides or the daily commute to work, you’ll definitely want them on the bike.

If you commute daily on your back or like to hit the open road often, make sure to pick up saddle bags that fit your cruiser or race bike. That way, you’ll be able to easily haul your motorcycle rain gear, tire repair kit, extra eye protection, additional tools, a change of clothing, and even your laptop.

Most Harley or cruiser riders understand the golden rule about motorcycles. When in doubt, add more chrome.

What’s why many Harley Davidson motorcycles and customer cruisers have crash bars installed. They are a great way to add chrome to a bike and add another layer of protection.

But does it really add protection? No one seems to know.

Here’s where crash bars really shine. Most cruisers are very heavy and can weigh in excess of 800 lbs. Most “accidents” occur when bikers are parking, maneuvering slowly, or making a quick stop. When those accidents occur, the biker tends to tip over on the side.

Crash bars are great for minimizing damage to a bike when it falls on the side. The bars which stick out a few inches wider than the bike hit the ground and prevent the side and engine area from contacting the ground. This protection can potentially save the bike from thousands of dollars in repairs.

Unfortunately, there is very little hard data on the effectiveness of crash bars in other types of accidents. Unlike DOT helmets, there are no regulations or requirements for crash bars. As a result, there are almost no studies to prove their effectiveness.

Detractors of crash bars as a motorcycle safety accessory state that crash bars are only effective in certain type of crashes and only when the rider is still on the bike. Crash bars are useless if the rider is ejected from the bike. Also, a rider could actually get pinned under the bike if they fall under the crash bar

Although there is no data to support this claim, crash bars are generally thought to minimize ankle and foot injuries in crash situations. In terms of rider protection, wearing protective motorcycle gear and a full DOT approved helmet is still the gold standard of rider protection.

Motorcycles, especially Harley Davidson, are major investments so any opportunity to make them look nice while providing protection is a good thing. While crash bars may not protect the rider in a crash, they can surely help protect the biker in the event of a slow speed crash or if the bike is tipped over. That makes crash bars a sensible and stylish accessory.

Long trips on a motorcycle are part of the fabric of the American motorcycle lifestyle. Hitting the road on a fully loaded Harley or custom cruiser is both great fun and challenge. Distance riding requires strong motorcycle riding skills and endurance. While motorcycle riding skill is developed over time by riding in varied conditions, riding endurance develops differently. In order to have the endurance needed for long trips, riders must develop a plan to travel safely.

Rest: Before heading out on a long trip, make sure to get as much rest as possible. Starting a trip without proper sleep can make a long motorcycle trip even longer.

Travel Planning: Before heading out on the trip, make sure to plan the route and as much as possible, plan each stop for fuel and lodging. Motorcycles need to refuel every 1.5 to 3 hours and these stops are vital to staying awake and aware. When stopping for fuel, make sure to walk around to keep the blood flowing.

Attire/Gear: Depending on the climate, proper gear is essential to building endurance. Gear that keeps you warm, dry, or properly ventilated will help a biker stay awake. Also, consider changing your motorcycle seat for one offering more support and comfort.

Fluids: It’s important to stay properly hydrated while on long road trips. Make sure to drink water at every stop for fuel to make sure dehydration does not sap your energy while on the bike. In warm climates, sun, wind, and the heat from the bike can drastically increase fatigue. Stay away from soda and other sugary and caffeine filled drinks. Soda and energy drinks are great for initial energy but can lead to a major energy crash.

Food: Food is important to endurance and making the right food choices makes a big difference. Avoid heavy meals or foods with large amounts of carbohydrates. Heavy meals can cause fatigue and heavy carbohydrate meals can cause an energy crash. It’s best to eat small meals frequently.

Long trips are great fun and once you have a plan to keep your riding endurance at the highest possible level, the ride will go quickly and safely. With some planning, your endurance will increase allowing you to trips from several hours to several days.

Have you been injured in a motorcycle accident in Massachuestts due to a driver’s negligence? If so, contact Tom Kiley. His team of attorneys and legal professionals can help you get the compensation you deserve.

There is nothing worse for a biker than to see their sport bike or cruiser fallen on its side. Whether it was dropped by the owner or bumped by a careless driver, the heartbreak runs very deep. After a few angry expletives, the next thing the biker wants to do is pick up the bike to assess the damage. Picking up a bike seems like it should be an easy task but in many cases, it is not. Mid sized Harleys and other cruisers can weight over 700 lbs. Proper technique is required to get the bike off the ground and back on the road.

No biker wants to see their bike on its side but sustaining an injury from rushing to pick the bike up will only make matters worse. Make sure to use proper technique when picking up a fallen bike, ask for help whenever possible, and assess the damage to make sure the bike is still safe for the road. Also, make sure to avoid getting burned from hot motorcycle exhaust pipes.

Children love motorcycles. They may even love motorcycles more than the parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling who owns it. It is only natural that children want to be a passenger on a motorcycle and it will only be a matter of time before all their asking (nagging) pays off. Before putting that child on the back of a Harley or the sport bike and tearing down the highway, there are several major considerations to review.

• Age/Size: Before a child can ride on a motorcycle, they should be old enough to understand the importance of safety and large enough to ride on the seat. Children who can not comfortably hold the rider in front and rest their feet on the foot pegs should never be a motorcycle passenger.

• Positioning: The only place a child can ride on a motorcycle in behind the driver. Never ride with a child in front of the driver.

• Safety Gear: Children should wear the same safety gear as any other motorcycle rider. Protective motorcycle gear comes in a wide array of sizes for children. Most importantly, make sure they have a child sized, DOT helmet.

• Duration of the Ride: Long rides are not suitable for children as a general rule. Children can fall asleep and slide off the bike; even on a custom cruiser or a Honda Goldwing with full passenger setup.

• Back rest: Ideally, children should ride on bikes that have a bike rest or sissy bar on the rear of the seat. This added support makes it easier for the child to stay in place and minimizes fatigue.

• Test Ride: Before hitting the streets or the highway, make a couple of test runs on a deserted street or a large parking lot. A little practice can make sure the child is truly ready to be a motorcycle passenger.

Riding on a motorcycle for a child can be an exhilarating experience and can be the spark to the start of a lifelong love of motorcycling. Experienced bikers should help insure that the new generation of bikers understands safety is more important than the thrill of the ride. By helping children understand and respect the need for safety at a young age, the entire motorcycle community will benefit greatly.

Enjoying a nice, cool evening ride in the summer is a great way to enjoy a Harley Davidson, custom cruiser, or sport bike. The cool air makes riding much more comfortable and in many cases, night riding involved less traffic. For all drivers, vision is the number one tool for anticipating and preventing accidents. While night motorcycling may be fun, extra care is needed so bikers can see clearly and remain visible to other drivers.

By following a few night riding essentials, your next evening ride will be both fun and safe.

• Clean your lights: Dirty headlights, tail lights, turning signals, and running lights can greatly impair how visible they are at a distance. Make sure to clean all lights a minimum of twice per week to insure maximum visibility.

• Reflective Motorcycle Gear: Reflective gear provides extra, highly visible illumination that motorists can see at great distances. Make sure your gear has reflective material on it. There are also options to buy additional reflective material and add them to your bike or helmet.

• Helmets and Goggles: Make sure visors and lens are clean and free of scratches. Scratches can cause glare from headlights and impede clear vision. If your goggles or helmet visors have scratches, replace them immediately.

• HIDs or Standard Headlights: HID or High Intensity Discharge lights produce 300% more light than halogen headlights. While this is great for providing the best vision for the motorcyclist, HID lights can sometimes have the opposite effect on other motorists.

• Speed: Always obey all posted speed limits but make sure to use extra care at night. Since your vision will be less acute than during the day, slower speeds will help you see and anticipate potential problems better and allow for maximum reaction time.

• Eye sight: Since motorcycling requires great vision, make sure to have an annual vision check up to see if corrective lens are needed. Night vision can sometimes be more impaired than day vision so make sure to tell your doctor that night vision is important for you.

Night motorcycling is all about seeing and being seen. Make sure that as you head out for an evening ride, all the necessary precautions have been taken so you are not in the dark.

In many ways, bikers are like old football players. As time passes, the stories they tell get more exaggerated making their past accomplishments sound more significant. Like football players, bikers can have very big egos about their bikes and their riding abilities. While these stories can be very entertaining, it is important to be able to discern fact from fiction.

A common biker tale is having to lay down a bike to avoid a potentially major crash as the best avoidance maneuver. The biker goes into great detail about how he considered all options in a split second, knew the only way to survive is to dump the bike, and as a result avoided major injury. Then at some point the biker feels compelled to show the road rash from the incident.

Here’s the real deal.

Motorcycles from the last 20 years have come a long way from post World War II bikes. Now bikes are highly engineered with suspensions, brakes, and tires that give the rider extreme control even in emergency situations. Riders who properly maintain their bikes should have enough confidence in their skills and the bikes abilities to control their bike in an emergency situation. Laying a bike down essentially says that the biker has relinquished control and is willing to let luck decide the outcome.

Laying a bike down does not make it stop faster.

Well maintained brakes and tires will stop a bike on a dime. Plastic, chrome, and metal will not. If someone says they dumped their bike to avoid an accident, there is a good chance the bike was not properly maintained or their skills are not very good.

A skillful biker rides defensively and anticipates potential hazards before they happen. Of course, no one can predict every situation but laying a bike down tends to indicate panic. Panic only happens when a biker is surprised.

There is a good reason why laying a bike down is not taught at any motorcycle safety courses across the country. It is not part of safe riding and should never be done as an avoidance maneuver.  The next time you hear someone talk about how they dumped their Harley to avoid a crash, remember they probably lost control and don’t want to admit it.