Saw this chartreuse, glow in the dark, colored hoodie at Skip Fordyce Harley-Davidson in Riverside, CA this evening.



The highly bright color is probably a good idea for night riding.

Labels: Harley Davidson Logoed Products, Safety Gear

Those jackets and vests with the built-in CO2 cartridges that inflates like an airbag, actually saved a biker's life last month.

This according to WBAL TV 11 in Baltimore, MD...

Joseph McPhatter, of Randallstown, was injured in a crash on Interstate 83 after being cut off by another motorist in September. According to police, McPhatter was ejected 100 feet, hitting the ground at an impact rate of 140 mph.

Police said that McPhatter might have been severely injured had it not been for the Impact Jacket he was wearing -- a jacket that inflates like an air bag when a motorcyclist is in an wreck.

Labels: Safety Gear

I've noticed a few articles online about the issue of motorcyclists suffering neck injuries in accidents, and that helmets are not designed to support the neck and spine.

KTM recently introduced a neck brace to its line of dealerships. Here's a photograph...

You can also read a forum discussion of this product here...

http://www.harleychatgroup.com/....viewtopic&t=32060

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an article just the other day about some folks at St. Louis University developing a helmet that encompasses the head, neck and upper torso as a way to protect against spinal injuries. Check out the video too...

http://www.stltoday.com/....400104D5A?OpenDocument

It sounds like spinal injuries are the next domain of motorcycle safety talk, and of the anti-motorcycle crowd. It's great that technology is looking at ways to provide professional motorcycle racers with more protection. I just can't help seeing a sign of things to come for the rest of us.

Labels: Safety Gear, Spinal Injuries

If you've got a woman who's too afraid of getting hurt on a motorcycle, then get her the "Babe Cage".

Now she can have the benefits of "caging" in a car, but being right there behind you to nag you about your riding skills.

It's the ultimate in "freeway bars".

Hard to say if this is a real product you can buy, or just a hoax. You'll have to contact the manufacturer to find out.

Click here to visit Babe Cage online:
http://www.babecage.com

Labels: Freeway Bars, New Products, Safety Gear

Airetronics is a company that makes an inflatable riding vest. It works similar to an air bag, except it's worn on your body.

The vest has a CO2 cartridge embedded inside. The cartridge is connected to a rip cord, and the rip cord is attacted to the motorcycle's gas tank. So, when you fly off the bike, the rip cord opens up the cartridge, and the vest inflates.

It inflates in a split second, just like an air bag, and inflates the vest completely. If you were to hit the ground, your body just might bounce like a beach ball. Hopefully, you're wearing a helmet.

Note: This is not a new product, it's been selling here in the USA since 2004, and apparently, selling fairly well. At least that's according to a sales guy I chatted with last Summer.

The reason why I bring this up, is because the folks at Clutch & Chrome recently published a news piece about a "new invention" coming out of Japan, about the same exact concept. However, C&C reported that this product cannot be marketed in the USA for liability reasons. That's why I wanted to point out Airetronics, and that they've been selling it here in the USA.

But going back to last Summer, it was actually Stumpy and myself that talked to this vendor at the Heart Ride in San Marcos, CA. Stumpy put on one of the vests to see how it felt. The first vest he put on was one size too small.

But before he had a chance to try a larger size, the sales guy proceeded to demonstrate the inflation process. He pulled the rip cord, and Stumpy quickly learned what it felt like to get hugged by a grizzly bear!

We asked the Airetronics sales guy if users frequently pulled the rip cord by accident, and he acknowledged that this happens a lot, particularly at gas stations. For that reason, they give you a few spare cartridges while you get used to wearing the vest.

An Airetronics vest will cost you between $300 to $500.

Labels: Safety Gear, Vests

The folks at StreetGlo have announced they're now selling a new product called, "Invisible Reflective Black Tape".

It's black tape you affix to a black motorcycle frame, which blends into the frame and becomes invisible. Yet at night, when a light shines on it, it turns to a glowing white light.

You can get one roll, containing 112 inches, for $8.95.

Labels: New Products, Safety Gear

What's a biker without stickers on their helmet anyways?

A company called "Streetglo" sells a bunch of reflective stickers to go on your skid-lid so that other folks can see you better at night. Streetglo says that "they're outrageously reflective at night".

Prices aren't too bad, starting from $3.95 on up, depending on how big they are. Hey, if you're gonna stick a bunch of stuff on yer brain-bucket, may as well make 'em glo in the dark!

Labels: Reflective Products, Safety Gear, Stickers