Month: September 2018

Why You Should Use Winter Motorcycle Tires During Winter

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Now that the winter has hit hard and cold, some riders may opt to store their motorcycles safely in their garages till the next riding season. However, there are those die-hard fans that will battle the biting cold to be atop of their bikes. Regardless of the type of bike you are using (Ural sidecar rig or a three wheeler); consider the below-mentioned factors when riding in winter:

Right helmet (that emits heat in case of an accident to avoid swelling of the head)

Safety clothes (to keep you warm)

Good lighting

Good quality engine and finally

Winter tires! Your tires should give you a combination of good feel, good grip and longevity.

What to check for when shopping for winter tires

Standard tires have good dry traction; however the same can not be said of their wet traction. Tires, whether manufactured by the same manufacturer or not, differ greatly in their tread patterns and their rubber compounds because each is made for a different riding surface. Street bike tires have different tread patterns and contact patch compared to dirt bike tires. Similarly, summer tires can not be used during winter because their wet traction is not as good as that of winter tires hence end up being very slippery.

Winter tires have wider grooves and narrow slits at the edges of the tread area to get as much water from their contact patch as possible. Another notable difference is that winter tires are made of material that remains soft and maintains a good grip well below zero degrees Celsius. The standard tires, however, are made of rubber compounds that stiffen as the temperature drops hence their grip starts to reduce below seven degrees Celsius.

What kind of tires to you use

There are a number of winter motorcycle tires available in the market from notable brands. The brand you choose for your motorcycle depends on your preference. Here are the few brands available currently:

1) Winter Shinko Motorcycle Tires – These have a considerable good grip and last long.

2) Trelleborg has two types:

i. Army Specials – They are great; the rubber stays soft even when the temperature gets really low, but do not last too long.

ii. Kenda – They have a good compromise between traction and longevity.

3) Bridgestone TW 301/302 – They tend to be slippery.

4) Metzeler Karoo – They are of standard quality.

5) Pirelli MT21s – They are of standard quality.

6) Dunlop D606 – They are of standard quality.

Michelin Tires have two types of winter tires, Alpin and Pilot Alpin, but they are designed for cars only. Snow chains may work just fine, in absence of winter motorcycle tires.

We are all aware that slippery roads require more grip therefore good tires are essential for winter riding. To optimize the road performance of your bike, it is important to buy tires that are designed specifically for winter weather to prevent your bike from slipping. It is also important to check tire pressure as under inflated tires can affect your bikes handling significantly.

The History Of Motorcycle Jackets

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Nearly as long as there have been motorcycles, there have been leather motorcycle jackets. The first motorcycle jackets evolved from the aviator jackets worn by the World War I and World War II fighter pilots. The jackets had narrow collars and were fastened down the front by buttons. At that time, all of the jackets were made of horsehide leather because there was an abundance of this material due to the number of farmers who tended horses. Eventually, the buttons on the motorcycle jacket were replaced by a zipper. Following World War II, aviators commonly took to motorcycles as a way to recapture the exhilaration they experienced as pilots. They continued to wear their same aviator jackets while riding motorcycles.

Marlon Brando epitomized the leather motorcycle jacket when he appeared in the 1953 movie The Wild One about two rival motorcycle gangs. Since then, leather jackets became synonymous with motorcycles. The leather jacket also became a status symbol for the rough crowds who defied societal conventions as depicted in many of the early movies featuring motorcycle gangs. Soon kids motorcycle jackets started showing up in schools. In fact, because of what the jacket represented, most public schools prohibited students from wearing motorcycle apparel on school campuses.

As time went on, the same look and feel of the leather jackets remained. You didnt put on the jacket to be warm; you put it on to be in style with the biking crowd. If you were into biking, you wore a motorcycle jacket. All motorcyclists who rode with clubs sported the jacket to create a sense of camaraderie and belonging. This same attitude toward motorcycle apparel still exists.

Leather jackets eventually shed their outlaw image which created an opportunity for clothing manufacturers to begin creating designs that catered to a more diverse biking population. Kids motorcycle jackets became common. Women, who once only rode on the back, began piloting their own machines. Leather was still the apparel of choice, but women started donning leather outfits that aligned more with their style and personalities.

The historical black leather jacket is still the most popular form of motorcycle apparel and is unlikely to go out of style. Still, leather jacket designs and fashions are becoming more eclectic and individualistic. Therefore, clothing and apparel designers are creating more varieties in order to keep up with current fashion trends. But the historical sentiment derived from the original aviator-jacket-turned-motorcycle jacket will linger in the hearts of bikers for generations.