motorbikeleathers

Many people hold the belief that people who have Harley Davidson motorcycles are tough, tattoo laden, testosterone-fuelled men who guzzle tough alcohol and wind up huge bar fights. Even though this profile works well in the movies, a fantastic majority of Harley Davidson owners are laid-back, sociable people who give back to society.

Harley-davidson has gone to fantastic lengths to set up a community of solidarity among individuals who own Harleys. The hugely successful Harley Owners Group (HOG) has over 1 million members around the world. With local divisions around the world, members unite in sharing their obsession for the Harley-Davidson lifestyle.

Harley Davidson riders include males and females ranging in age from eighteen to eighty eight. Some harley riders have been riding Harley-davidson bikes for more than fifty years. A lot of of the soldiers who fought in World War Two became passionate lovers of the motorcycle, as they were regularly used for transportation during wartime. A certain number of these soldiers still currently ride.

The female segment of HD owners has significantly increased over the final two decades. Possibly the most well-known female Harley riders are Avis and Effie Hotchkiss. In 1915, the mother-daughter duo traveled from New York to California on a three-speed V-Twin with a sidecar.

An additional female innovator was Linda Dugeau, co-founder of the Motor Maids, Inc. Linda started riding a Harley Davidson bike in the 1930s. She traveled around America and accounts of her journeys were printed in Motorcyclist magazine. In 1938, Dugeau started building a network of female Harley riders, which formally became The Motor Maids. The group was chartered with the American Motorcyclist Organization in 1941, meaning that it is the oldest bike organization for women in North America.

Females of all ages and backgrounds are showing an interest in motorbikes and the way of life they offer. Not only are more females owning street bikes, they are also taking part in bike racing. Female celebrities, such as pop musician, Pink and sexy model, Niki Taylor, are getting into the driver’s seat of Harleys and suggesting other women to ride.

Motorbike riding is quickly fitting a favorite family pastime. There is safety equipment available to keep kids safe while riding, including tether straps, helmets, jackets, chaps, and gloves. Touring bikes and cruisers make it relatively simple to take the children on a weekend camping or road trip.

Many members of the military are enthusiastic Harley riders. They delight in the feeling they have when they hit the road and hook up with fellow Harley devotees at sponsored events or charity rides. Harley Davidson promotes various rides for U.S. troops and Veterans.

A common trait of individuals who ride Harley-davidson motorcycles is that of a giving nature. Harley owners frequently embark on charity rides to support charitable groups or to supply for the needs of someone in their resident community.

Harley riders have raised millions of dollars in their fundraising activities and have donated to cancer research, Alzheimer’s research, Autism and many other admirable causes.

There is a wonderful amount of solidarity and friendship amongst Harley owners. They are a group of zealous people who like the thrill of adventure. One thing is for certain… there’s no other activity that brings together such a varied assortment of people from all backgrounds and age brackets.

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.

 

My longtime passion for riding a motorcycle took a twenty year hiatus until taking up residency in Oaxaca.  I ignored the foreshadowing and warnings. While my tale pales compared to the epic journey of Ché Guevara popularized in the film Motorcycle Diaries, there is a tale to be told, with observations and advice for those with such suicidal ideations.

 

For Oaxacans, it’s part economic necessity and part climactic permissiveness, with street logjams and a parking crisis factored in, as well as, dare I opine, a somewhat different attitude towards life and living amongst those at and below a certain socio-economic level…fatalistic.   What’s striking is the paucity of helmeted riders, and prevalence of entire families (the record number of family members seen on one bike is currently five) who take to negotiating the jammed streets on a single motorbike  often mechanically unfit, each member including young children bare-headed and unsafely dressed (no gloves, leathers, jeans, etc.).  Enforcing the helmet law and mandatory education might help.  Educators must remember to teach that the helmet is to be worn on the head, not simply slung over an arm.   Additionally, owners of deliver services such as and by example, Chuchos Tortas y Mas, should watch their couriers leaving the premises to ensure helmets are worn and not carried. 

 

For my part, I’ve been accused of having yet another mid-life crisis at 55, having recently bought a 150 cc.  Honda “Bros”, off road moto for use on the streets, complementing our car and pick-up.  Perhaps each above-well-known reason applies to me, despite main a middle course existence.

 

I sold my Suzuki 550 in the mid 1980s when my wife became pregnant.  But now, in quasi-retirement, family grown, life insurance policies kept current, I was only minimally fazed when Canadian Consul Frances May warned that she’s lost three friends to motorcycle accidents.  And compadre Pancho was in three accidents within approximately 2 years.  He once took me on a trip with some of his motorcycle buddies through the mountains to the town of Sola de Vega.  It was the first time in 15 years that I’d been on a bike.  I forgot a cardinal rule:  never brake while negotiating a turn on gravel.    I recall regaining consciousness, covered in blood, with severe knee pain, in the back room of some pharmacy, to teary-eyed Pancho, shaking me with hands on my shoulders while screaming “¡compadre, compadre!”

 

But by adopting and adhering to a number of simple riding guidelines, some of which are admittedly hard to follow, I’ll hopefully stay out of the hospital and my 20-year-ancient daughter will never “benefit” from my being over-insured. My less-impetuous and more level-headed wife surprisingly enough enjoys riding with me despite serious reservations.

 

For those unattached and in their 20s and 30s, I’ll indicate which of the following rules I’ve set for myself you’ll likely want to break and how to play down the adverse implications of so doing:

 

1)      Don’t ride at night unless absolutely essential.  Alcohol-related and other driving deaths increase when road conditions are less than perfect.  Lighting and highway markings are often absent.

2)      Whether you know that it’s likely the weather will become inclement (i.e. during the rainy season) consider another means of transportation, or at minimum dress appropriately and check your tires.

3)      Try to follow the rules of the road to the extent you can discern them, and when in doubt fall back on the highway traffic laws with which you grew up.

4)      Try to resist the temptation to weave, as hard as it will be.  Once you’re in your fifties you’ve likely lost much of your neck range-of-motion, so whether you must weave, rely on your peripheral vision and mirrors.

5)      Always use full-face helmets, appropriate footwear and leathers, gloves and jacket at minimum.  It’s better to be hot and uncomfortable than require jaw surgery and extensive skin grafting.  Leather provides that first layer of defence and it gives…cotton, wool and polyester each will simply rip, along with your skin.

6)      Never permit an unhelmeted passenger to ride with you.

7)      Whether you’re a tourist and have an opportunity to rent a motorcycle, unless it’ll be used strictly for cross-country, or you have a fantastic deal of experience driving in third world congested cities and are certain of the condition of the bike, resist the temptation.  As my father often said, “don’t be an idiot.”  It’s not worth the risk.

8)      When buying, make it a new cycle, and keep it in top condition.

9)      Don’t buy a small scooter or anything under 125 – 150 cc.  You may need power to extricate yourself from danger caused by other drivers.  The most well loved bike in Oaxaca is the Honda 125, used by a plethora of businesses.  Whether you can afford a Japanese make, or better, go for it.  Many Oaxacan friends have cautioned against, for example, the Chinese models. My off-road Honda 150 was carefully selected, even though it’s smaller than those that I’d been accustomed to riding in my former life.  It’s an off-road model given the many topes and state of disrepair of the streets.  Motor size is 150 because it’s the smallest engine I feel comfortable gets my wife and I up the steep hill to our domestic, is light and has sufficient power for defensive maneuvers.  It’s small enough so that it helps me resist the temptation to do highway touring. 

10)  Reckon twice before opting for a larger bike that you may use on the carreteras.  There’s nothing like open highway touring, but the danger increases exponentially the higher the speed of vehicles.  By contrast, while living in Toronto I always felt safer riding on the highways than in cities…more control, drivers more vigilant and experienced, and simpler to avoid potential dangers.  By contrast, in Oaxaca the highways aren’t as excellent, many motorists drive under the influence, and vehicle mechanical condition is generally questionable, main to less control by drivers. Whether you are set on touring, make it at least a 550 cc. model, the minimum power with which I felt comfortable and safe on the open roads with a passenger.   

 

Apart from organized cycling groups that meet periodically for generally weekend off-road challenges, there is at least one traditional motorcycle club in Oaxaca, Los Caballeros Templarios.  These riders are the exception to most of what I’ve indicated.  The individuals, at least when touring external of the city, follow virtually all of the rules I’ve set out.  The group is comprised of mainly shopkeepers, tradesmen, restauranteurs, and professionals such as doctors and accountants, average age being 40 something.  Their bikes are kept in brilliant condition, they dress appropriately, total with leathers embossed with club and rider name and logo, and they host and attend national conferences as well as delight in frequent local get-togethers and regional excursions of one to several days.  The camaraderie is strong, warm and welcoming.  And thus with my small Honda 150, I continue to resist invitations to fulfill the initiation requirement and join…until the buy of a larger bike, and with that a divorce.

The introduction of the motorized scooter by the Italian company Vespa in the 1960s gave birth to a scooter sub culture that reached across Europe, the UK and on to the States. Scooters could be seen taking over the streets and were particularly prevalent in the hip, artsy communities within Paris and London, and as far reaching as San Francisco.

The genisis of the scooter culture was best exemplified in Quadrophenia by the Who, released in 1979. The rock opera tells the tale of the mod revolution in the UK, the gang wars that erupted in the 1960s between the Rockers and the Mods, and the emergence of the scooter culture with all the lifestyle and fashion statements that came with it.

The scooter jacket as a direct spin off of the scooter culture is best defined by its Euro Style collar, a strip of fabric encircling the neck and fastening shut with a snap. Jackets can be made from the traditional leather or from synthetic or natural fabrics as fashion dictates.

In 1985, Vespa abandoned the U.S. market in favor of Europe, and as gas prices continued their painful rise, the European communities and the UK adopted the scooter as a cheaper form of transportation, while Americans indulged their like of SUVs.

Re entering the U.S. market in 2000, Vespa expected to cater to a new generation of hungry college students and twenty somethings looking for a cheap mode of transportation. What they found was a much more well to do market in the nostalgic Baby Boomers, reliving their younger days of bright and shiny scooters and motor bikes in general.

With the latest gas price hike of 2008, and increasing concern over the environment, middle course Americans are selling their SUVs and looking for alternative modes of transportation, and once again the scooter is thriving. Scooters are being seen increasingly in urban environments, as people from all walks of life find a cheaper, more fun way to commute.

Following the scooter movement is the reemergence of the leather scooter jacket, as scooterists realize the need for body protection against the weather and the road.

Nowadays’s contemporary scooter jackets offer an alternative to the traditional biker look. Scooter jackets come in a variety of materials, but just as in any type of bike riding, care should be given to protection from the elements and the road.

For that reason, the scooter jacket that is made from a quality leather fabric is considered to be an integral part of scooter safety gear, recommended to be worn with a full face protective helmet.

As the scooter culture merges with the mainstream, not everybody considering a scooter for transportation is your typical Mod, Rocker, or Biker type personality. One estimate has as many as 40% of new scooter buys being made by women.

Scooterists of nowadays span generations and coexist with a multitude of lifestyles. Scooter clubs, rallies, websites and forums are popping up all over the place, even scooter racing has taken afoot.

As an alternative to the traditional biker look, the scooter jacket exudes a respectable, conservative style that has become the signature of scooter culture, and well loved with people from all walks of life.

Getting the right motorcycle riding gear to suit the conditions can add considerably to the enjoyment of each ride. With the full line of Icon Motorcycle Gear, getting it right each time with some of the best equipment around is simple. Whether it’s a winter cruise in the cold or a spring ride under sunny skies, Icon has the gear to get it right from head to toe. When gearing up, consider:

* Icon Motorcycle Helmets – Despite being a relative newcomer, Icon motorcycle helmets have established themselves among enthusiasts for offering style and quality products at honest prices. Their Airframe Helmets come in a variety of options for both and men women, feature customizable cheek pads and visors, and offer a bunch of different graphic designs.. The Airframes meet or exceed Department of Transportation helmet standards, making them suitable to meet any safety requirements.
* Icon Motorcycle Jackets – Icon has a line of motorcycle jackets for any type of riding in all kinds of weather.  Selections range from their  ICON Death or Glory Victory Jacket which features  shoulder impact protectors, elbow impact protectors, and Icon’s revolutionary dual-density molded foam back pad to the ICON Accelerant Perforated Jacket. This jacket is ideal for summer riding, featuring thousands of tiny holes that are “painstakingly stamped into the leather chassis by hand”. This gives the jacket an incredible amount of ventilation, keeping riders cool and protected regardless of the heat.
* Icon Overpants – Icon’s line of overpants is also designed to deliver performance in both heat and cold. Their Automag pant, which was designed along with the Automag jacket, is an armored leather riding pant with full length zippered legs and fully adjustable and detachable CE approved knee armor.  At the other end of the spectrum are the ICON ARC Mesh Overpants which feature Aramid reinforced hip panels, custom stretch panels, and are designed to allow cooling air to flow through the pant legs.
* Icon Motorcycle Gloves – Icon carries extensive line of motorcycle gloves designed to meet the needs of both men and women riders. The gloves, like the rest of Icon’s offerings, come in a wide variety of styles with prices that can fit into any budget. Starting with the Twenty-Niner series and ranging up to the original Icon Trimax series, the entire line offers high performance, consolation, and value at extremely honest prices.
* Motorcycle Footwear from Icon – Icon’s line of quality motorcycle footwear features quality structure and materials to stand up to any of the elements, with additional thick soles to absorb motorcycle vibrations. Icon’s line of boots is also built with an exacting combination of rigidity for support and flexibility for all day consolation.

Gearing up for riding in all kinds of weather conditions is simple with Icon Motorcycle Riding Gear. With a growing reputation for delivering style and quality at honest prices, Icon’s motorcycle jackets, gear, and motorcycle footwear are the right choice for any kind of ride at any time of year.