As per the Indian accident report 2016 two wheeler accidents have increased from 28 % to 33%. No of two wheeler accident deaths are 52,500 out of which 10,135 cases the victims did not wear the helmets which is 19%.This means 413 people lost their lives daily on the road. Alarming isn’t it? Another alarming thing is not wearing gear while driving.
E.g. Guy Martin who is super bike driver and famous for his contribution in motosports crashed during the final lap of the race when he lost his control of his Tyco BMW at one of the corner. And look what Guy says about this accident “I headbutted the ground at 210 kmph then skidded into dirt field and catapulated off a few things. The impact was massive.I was knocked out but it’s credit to that helmet that i dint suffer any damage”.So he was saved from ferocious accident in 2015.
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Law of physics states that if you ride below 35 kmph and let a thing hit,it might hurt or kill you.So falling from any bike at any speed isnt good and thats where gear comes into picture and buying effective stuff is always crucial.
- Helmet : One of the most important part of gear it is made up of outer shell,a foam layer and padding.The outer hard shell protects the head from piercing any hard object and it also helps to disperse the impact.From the inside foam layer absorbs as much impact as possible from reaching the head.Lastly padding helps the best fit for the helmet.Difference between basic and advance hamlet is about the outer shell.Then there is other component called as visor which protects eyes.Various tests have shown that even the basic helmet helps protect the head.So rather than buying highend helmet I would recommend helmet which best fits your head because when you go above 140 kmph you will get “ Wind Blast” which is strong wind current working against your body .So its wise that your helmet doenst shake at any given point in time while your entire focus is on driving .ISI mark certified helmets could be used in India as they adhere to the standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards.I wouldn’t recommend half helmets as well ,as studies show that 45% of damage to face can occur while wearing half helmet.Also full face helmet doenst weaken your peripheral vision.Typically a good helmet has life span of 5 years. Studds,Vega,Steelbird are some of the good brands for helmets in India.
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- Jackets and Pants : Losing skin across large swaths of your body, breaking bones and suffering organ damage sucks. Any quality item of motorcycle gear made by a reputable manufacturer will be able to protect you from abrasion. Heavier materials and thicker leather will be more helpful in providing protection throughout very high-speed crashes . While you get cheap jackets Alpinestars and Dianese can better provide protection.Body armor is the padding that will protect you when crashed.It is highly recommended to buy a good jacket with good body armor which will cover all your joints.Its best to buy a jacket and pant of your size rather than one size large as it will fit to your body and will protect you against wind blast.Worried about getting hot? Look for a jacket or suit with good ventilation. Vented gear will actually help keep you cool
- Gloves : The first thing when you fall down is you try to protect your body with the help of your hands so gloves are one of the most important gear after helmet.Leather used for riding gloves is very much different as compared from other wearing leather apparel.As well they have different stitching.Also if the weather is bad like cold you might loose control of your bike if by any chance you poke your hand in cold wind.So a quality pair of gloves is an absolutely necessary.
- Boots : Buying a good pair of boots as you will be driving the motorcycle with high speed is absolutely necessary.Don’t bother with boots that are claimed to be for riding, but look like a casual shoe or sneaker. By and large, most of those provide substantially less protection than those Jump Boots.They will provide good protection to your legs and cover all their joints.They will increase comfort during your long rides.This is the basic gear that i would recommend while you drive .
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