Must have safety gears for bikes and bikers

Riding a motorcycle or a scooter to the most has been like a daily activity for the Nepalese people. As not everyone in the country can afford a four wheeler with all the tax hike nearly every fiscal year. And even the motorcycles are getting expensive but getting lower capacity motorcycles just for going to a fro from one place to another is substantial. And as with using any vehicle or any machinery at all, there is the thing about safety of the user or in this case “The Rider“.

As Nepal is a country with a lot of twisty roads which is especially prominent in the highway getting proper safety gears is a must. Even if you do not travel the Highways or go to tour faraway on your motorcycle getting a few handy gears to protect you and your motorcycle is not going to hurt. There’s a belief that in a quick faraway trip you are very less likely to encounter any accidents or problems. But it is near your home or regularly commuting area that you have a higher risk of encountering many accidents and other problems. And the recent statistics and news show that the belief is rather true. There have been nearly a hundred deaths within the Kathmandu valley due to poor bike conditions, over-speeding and improper bike skills and most of all lack of any protective gear on the rider and the pillion rider. So, not only is keeping your bike in a great condition important but getting a few protective gear is also very necessary. Even though a few months ago the law of having the pillion rider also wear a helmet was passed, the number of people following the very rule is very minimal. So, with all these in mind, below are a few protective gears you should be getting as a rider and also for your pillion rider and for you motorcycle as well. Be notified that this is just an overview of what you should get and the full descriptive article will be published in the blog later with recommendations and more information about rider and pillion rider safety.

For the Rider and the Pillion rider

Helmet:

Helmets are the most required safety gear for any rider or the passenger as the head is the main part any human has to protect from getting damaged. Every country has made wearing a helmet a compulsory while riding any form of two wheeler and sometimes even four wheeler as well. There are three different types of helmets being a full helmet, 3/4 Helmet and a Half helmet. A full helmet is the most preferred one as it protects both your eyes , face and overall the head area from getting any damage. The 3/4 is also a fine helmet as it does cover the most of your head area. though it does leave a few places uncovered that can get bruises and other damage upon crashing or any other injury during crashes. A half helmet is not advised as it does not protect your head as properly the ones mentioned before this. The half helmet seems to only be for fashion and is not advised by any authorized dealers of motorcycles.

Gloves:

Gloves protect your hands whenever you crash or fall down from your bike. This makes sure that your wrists and palms are not damaged when sustaining a motorcycle crash. Gloves even help you have a better grip of the handles of the bike making it easier to stir in the road. Gloves also make sure your hands are warm during winter and during summer gloves do not allow the sweat from the palm to be touching the handle which makes the handle dry and makes sure the handling is smooth.

Jacket:

A jacket is a must as well. As we all know while riding the wind hits our chest significantly making the ride unbearable and cold as well. Jackets make sure that your body temperature does not drop significantly. This makes the rider feel warm even in cold conditions and making the ride easier on them. Also Jackets are known to repel wind and they are also called wind proof jacket. A wind proof jacket makes the ride significantly easier when riding in colder seasons or windy conditions.

Knee Pad/Knee Guards:

A knee pad covers your knee area. There are times when you take a turn or when you crash that you end up bruising your knee and the damage to your knee can take months to even years to recover depending on the amount of damage you have taken. So, getting a knee pad together with boots is a good choice as it protects your entire lower part of the legs from sustaining heavy damage when you get into any accident.

Boots:

Boots are one of the most needed equipment for any rider. Boots protect your lower legs from getting any injuries when crashing or being hit by other vehicles. Boots coupled with knee pads will protect your legs from most of major effects on your legs as long as you are not getting hit by a bigger vehicle directly. In those case even proper body equipment will prove useless in protecting you from getting damaged.

Back Protector:

Back protectors are like knee pads but they are bigger in size and cover your spine area. For a rider when they crash the worst case scenario is getting their back injured. Any injury to the spine can cause you to be completely or partially paralyzed. So getting a back protector is a must while riding in the busy roads or the highways as spending a bit of money on your safety is better than being unable to move for your entire life.

Pants:

When talking about pants, the pants worn for riding motorcycles are not your typical cotton pants or jeans pants. The pants are made of a different material that is resistant to heat, and does not corrode easily. And most of all it does not get damaged easily either. The pants are also a must as it adds to more protection for your lower body with the addition of knee pad and boots it becomes a full protection for your lower body.

For the bike:

Clutch Lever protectors:

Clutch lever protectors are made of metal most of the time and are knotted on the sides of the handle bar to cover the clutch and the brake lever from getting scratched or damaged due to coming in contact with any hard surface while crashing or being hit by other incoming traffic. A good clutch lever protector can absorb the shock and make the handle bar take the most minimal of damage. This makes sure that when crashing your handle does not bend as much as it would have without the clutch lever protector.

Frame Sliders and Leg guards:

In the current naked and sports bikes leg guards are nearly non-existent and the companies do not make leg guards as much as before either. So, a replacement for the leg guards are Frame sliders. The frame sliders attach to the place where the leg guards would have been and act as a crash protector when having any crash. The function of the frame sliders is similar to the leg guard even though the size is comparatively rather small. The frame sliders have a rubber tip that absorbs the crash shock. If getting a leg guard is possible for your bike model then get a leg guard instead as leg guards provide the most safety upon crashing.

Handle Guards:

Handle guards are similar to clutch lever protectors but handle guards are made of hard plastic material and cover the entire levers. The brake and the clutch lever. Handle Guards are manufactured according to the type of bike you own as well. The other name for handle guards is Handguard. The handle guards even have signal lights as well which can be programmed to act similar to your signal lights. Handle guards protect the hands of the rider from sustaining damage as well. So, getting one for your motorcycle would be a great choice.