Seriously... When Does STUPID Start?

Everyone has the right to make choices for themselves.  I consider myself a Conservative.  A Constitutionalist.

If that offends you, oh well.  I won't be apologizing.

I'm not perfect, but I would like to think that I have a good grasp on commonsense.  99% of the time I bite my tongue when I see something that sets off my "Warning STUPID CLOSE" alarm.  Today was no different, up until this CHALLENGE rider cut me off in traffic.  I would have simply bit down harder, if it wasn't for the "show" he put on through my front windshield.  Weaving in and out of traffic.  Stopping short, splitting traffic...  ENOUGH..!

No Helmet?  

If you think it's "safer" to ride without a helmet (any DOT helmet), you're an idiot.  Have most of us road without a helmet, @ some point?  Yes.  We're human, so moments of stupidity are sewn into our genes.  The difference is, MOST of the time we understand what we're doing is dangerous.  We supplement our lack of good judgement with over cautious riding behavior.  This rider was apparently numb in this area of the brain...

No Jacket? 

Here's a question for you.  If you fall off your bike going 25mph, are you going to tumble?  Are your arms going to impact the road?  How about your back?  Chest?  Shoulders?  Elbows?  For those of you that think the above "helmet section" was stupid, the answer is YES, to all of the above.  Every one of these body parts are going to hit the concrete.  Without protection you will...

1. Grind the skin off your elbows
2. Imbed gravel to your shoulders
3. Damage your back

Scroll back up and take another look at the picture of this guy, and tell me I'm wrong?  Oh, for those that think 25MPH is to slow to cause injury.  You know what, you might be right...  To prove me wrong, bounce up into your buddies pick up truck, and jump out @ 25mph.  Shoot me an email with your conclusions...

For those that still think the "Helmet Section" doesn't make sense, I WAS JOKING ABOUT JUMPING OUT OF THE TRUCK...

No Pants?

I CHOOSE to wear actual riding pants 95% of the time.  Today there are a wide range of styles.  I prefer the pants that look like jeans.  Again, look at this rider above and ask yourself if his legs will look the same after a 50 foot slide...

No Boots?

Just the thought of my ankle, caught under a sliding bike, going 40mph, makes me sick to my stomach.  Reach down and touch your ankle.  Does it appear to you that there's a ton of FLESH between your ankle bones and the rough, hard concrete...  Once again, for those that disagree with the "Helmet Section" above, the answer is NO.  Just thin skin.

Why is it that many riders simply can't understand that if they crash on their motorcycle, the deck is stacked against them?  Even with protective gear.  Take the protective gear away, and your life will NEVER be the same, even if you survive.

I'm sorry, but if you think you're bullet proof, you're not.  If you think you'll never go down, you're fooling yourself.  They're called "accidents" not "on purposes".  It doesn't need to be the most expensive gear on the market.  Something is better than nothing.

There's just not enough room on the road for guys like this.  Period.

Noisy Helmet? I can help...

If there's one thing I can count on, is that I'm going to get calls from customers about wind noise inside their helmet.  Models like the Arai Corsair-V, RX-Q and the Signet-Q have a bad rap for being loud.  I myself lecture that ANY high flow helmet is going to be noisy.  If you invite that much air inside a helmet, expect a little wind noise.

Several factors come into play when I hear customers having issues with noisy helmets.

1. First, SIZE.  If your helmet is to big, it'll be noisy.  The seal around your ears will not be snug, and sound sneaks in.
2. Age.  If you've had your helmet for a while, through general use, the foam will flatten, making the helmet noisier.  Again, the seal isn't snug enough to keep the ear isolated.
3. The VISOR.  When a helmet is being built, the visor is attached in a "neutral" position.  It may not be sealing against the gasket.

If you have a helmet with a removable liner, you might be able to fix #1 and #2.  Replace it.  #3 will take a bit of experimenting to get it just right.  For this reason, Ill be focusing on this one point.

Remove the visor from the helmet, loosen the screws holding the baseplate to the helmet, and move them slightly to the rear.  Tighten the screws.  The key here is to move them, "slightly" to the rear.  Since you'll be doing the same procedure to the both sides, it doesn't take much to make a HUGE impact.  You'll be walking a fine line between being able to close the visor, and not enough pressure.

Take your TIME.  Nothing about this process is fast.  You will make it worse, before it gets better.  Once you have it perfect, you'll know.  You should "hear" a noticeable improvement.