Bungee's are Dangerous

Most of us have at least one set (usually far more) of bungee cords and/or stretch nets to help us secure items to our bikes when we travel. Even with large luggage compartments on some bikes, the bungee cord/stretch net need exists as these are used to secure items that will not fit into those compartments (tents, folding chairs, Christmas presents ...)You should realize that one of the most frequent forms of injury to motorcyclists is damage or loss of an eye - from a bungee cord or net that breaks or slips from your hand while trying to attach or detach it from the bike.Eye protection is NECESSARY when handling bungee cords and stretch nets but may be essentially useless against the impact of one of the metal ends of a bungy cord that snaps directly into your eye.When you remove whatever you have secured to your bike with those cords, REMOVE the cord(s) right then and there! (At least reattach it so that it cannot come loose even without that item.) It is oh so easy to fail to notice a dangling cord when you start your next ride. A dangling bungee cord wants nothing more than to find a way to wrap itself around your rear axle and the odds are good that you and the bike will not find that a pleasant experience if it's successful in its quest.

Wear a helmet...be smart

Motorcycle Helmet Tips - Street Survival
Hard-Headed - November 2006


This spring, when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger collided with a car that turned left in front of him, breaking his face and causing a concussion, it triggered a media uproar about the need for helmet laws. Few remarked on the irony or hypocrisy of the situation, the fact that the soapboxes came out when a sports star merely sustained recoverable injuries, but not when dozens of other riders in the same state died because they weren't wearing helmets. The life and death of Joe Rider apparently doesn't much interest editors and readers of general-interest publications, but the chance that a star quarterback might not be fit for football season is a big deal, one that should be prevented with helmet laws or even banning all players from riding motorcycles, as some teams do.The press devoted much less attention to the revelation that Roethlisberger, who had previously said he didn't believe he needed a helmet because he rode carefully, didn't even have a license. Riding without a license isn't smart. In fact, unlicensed riders are more likely to crash than those who get properly licensed. In Pennsylvania, you have to be licensed before you can ride without a helmet. So not only is riding without a license not smart, it's also breaking the law. One witness to the accident reportedly said the quarterback seemed to be looking somewhere other than at the car that was preparing to turn left, which also doesn't sound very wise.No one paid much attention to the guy who said that even if there had been a helmet law and Roethlisberger had been wearing a helmet as a result, it might not have made a lot of difference....(go to http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/0612_crup_motorcycle_safety/viewall.html to finish reading about Ben Roethlisberger.)




And there have been a few days when that decision has kept me from being wiped out for good.Riding a motorcycle isn't dangerous,but crashing is. Sooner or later, most riders crash. Once that event begins, the only decision that matters on a life-changing level is whether or not you chose to wear a good helmet. 

No matter what we ride, where our final destination, or the path we choose to get there, every motorcyclist shares the same common thread when throwing a leg over their machine. It’s the exhilarating search for adventure that draws us to the road, and SHOEI’s all-new QWEST embodies what every rider seeks to experience along the way. Revolutionary noise-reduction technology, unsurpassed long-distance comfort, advanced ventilation performance, a light-weight, balanced fit and feel, and over 50 years of helmet-building experience have combined to deliver the finest touring helmet known to man. The all-new, groundbreaking QWEST—It’s your journey… Enjoy every mile of it.

Be Noticed, Be Seen, Be Safe Folks...

INTRODUCTION

Whether you're novice or experienced – about operating a motorcycle safely.

Your enjoyment, and your safety, depends on mastering not only the art of motorcycling but also the realities of the traffic around you.