Motorbike Insurance Basics

Motorbike Insurance Basics
Motorbike insurance is probably the best gamble of all the insurance policies available today. Accident rates are not necessarily that much higher for motorbikes, but injuries are much more likely. Having insurance is a great way to save yourself and your family a lot of heartaches in the case of an emergency. There are many different ways to find the motorbike insurance that will fit your needs. You could pull a name from the phone book and sign up then and there. You could search the internet for the company that fits your needs and wants. The best way to find the right insurance for you is to talk with friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers in the supermarket to see who they trust with something this important. Finding the motorbike insurance company is just the start. It is also important that you meet the agents at the company. Research online about how they have acted with other people s claims (there is a blog for everything on the internet these days). Call the office with some questions and see how quickly they respond. It will be valuable information if the need to contact them ever arises in the future. When you do sit down to sign a policy for motorbike insurance, ask a few more questions. How long does the claim process take on average (my last claim took less than 48 hours ” I know my agent well!)? What is the exact coverage that I am getting (have them walk you through each section now because you will never figure out that little booklet they will send you home with)? Are there any more discounts you can give me today or that I can earn in the future (we have all our policies through the same company and that gives us a large discount.)? Take your time looking for motorbike insurance. It could be the difference between financial ruin and financial salvation one day.

Kathryn Lang is a freelance writer covering the finance industry. She has written various articles on <a href="http://www.fairinvestment.co.uk/motorbike_insurance.aspx">motorbike insurance</a> and writes for <a href="http://www.insurance-daily.co.uk/">insurance daily</a>.

When it comes to motorcycling, sisters have always been doin it for themselves
In recent years, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has reported that almost half of the students in most new rider training classes are women. But history shows that there have always been avid, expert female motorcyclists. Here are five famous female riders who are truly old school.

1.) Linda Dugeau ” The original Motor Maid
In the 30s, there was an association of female aviators called the Ninety-nine Club . This inspired Linda to form a similar association of female motorcyclists. She teamed up with Dot Robinson, a well-known competition rider, to form a club called the Motor Maids.
It took Linda and Dot several years to find the 50 members they needed to earn an AMA charter, but the Motor Maids were soon known for their smart uniforms, complete with white gloves. The club still exists, with branches across the U.S. and in Eastern Canada. (www.motormaids.org)

2.) Dot Robinson ” Sidecar champion
Dot s father, James Goulding, was the designer of a popular line of motorcycle sidecars. When Dot s mother went into labor with her, Goulding took her to the hospital in a sidecar. As an adult, Dot and her husband were Harley-Davidson dealers in Detroit.
When she won a Jack Pine enduro in the sidecar class, she became the first woman ever to win an AMA national competition. She rode until she was well into her 80s, often in a pink riding suit that she adopted in the 1950s, when the customary black leather outfits became associated with outlaw gangs.

3.) Linda Wallach and Florence Blenkiron ” Taking the Rugged Road
Linda grew up in the 1930s, in the English midlands near the factories where BSAs and Triumphs were manufactured. Despite her early fascination with bikes and her obvious skill as a rider, she was never encouraged to pursue such an unladylike sport.
Undeterred, she studied engineering and later took her friend Florence on an epic sidecar journey across the Sahara and south all the way to Cape Town, South Africa. The women had to argue their way past French Foreign Legion outposts and face man-eating lions (luckily they weren t woman-eaters). They rebuilt their engine in mid-journey and once pushed their rig 25 miles. They told the whole story in a popular book titled, The Rugged Road.
Linda later became the first woman to earn a coveted Gold Star for lapping the Brooklands race oval at over 100 miles an hour. In WWII she became the first woman ever to serve as a British military dispatch rider.
After the war, she moved to the U.S. where she worked as a motorcycle mechanic, eventually owning her own dealership. She wrote a popular motorcycle training manual, then moved to Phoenix where she operated a riding school. She helped found WIMA, the Women s International Motorcycle Association. She never owned a car and rode until her eyesight failed at the age of 88. She died less than two years after giving up her beloved sport.

4.) Bessie Stringfield ” The Motorcycle Queen of Miami
The American Motorcycle Association s Bessie Stringfield Award is given to women who distinguish themselves in the sport of motorcycling.
As an African-American woman in the 30s and 40s, Bessie made several well-publicized cross-country rides, fearlessly taking on both racists and sexists. She was frequently denied accommodation and there are pictures of her sleeping right on her motorcycle. Once, she was run off the road. Those experiences didn t dim her patriotism however ” during WWII she served as the U.S. military s first female dispatch rider.
Bessie was truly a larger-than-life character. She once disguised herself as a man to win a dirt track race. She said she d owned 27 Harley-Davidsons and one Indian. She owned up to no less than six husbands, too.

5.) Marjorie Cottle ” Rode in motorcycling s real Great Escape
Marjorie Cottle was one of the first female competitors in the International Six Day Trial, which is often called the Olympics of motorcycling.
In 1939, the ISDT was held in Nazi-controlled Austria in the last few days before England declared war on Germany. That year, Britain sent both a civilian and a military team to compete. After four days, when it seemed that war could break out at any minute, British officials told the civilian team to return to England immediately. Cottle refused to leave and competed on the fifth day alongside the British Army team. When they too were ordered to abandon competition, Cottle and the Army team rode their motorcycles to neutral territory in Switzerland.

Next week, we ll post the stories of five contemporary riders who lend a whole new meaning to the phrase fast woman!

Mark Gardiner is an internationally acclaimed motorcycle journalist, the subject of a documentary film, One Man s Island and the author of Riding Man , an account of his struggle to qualify for and survive the world s most dangerous motorcycle race. www.ridingman.com

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Touring Northern Utah on a Motorcycle.

I love to get on my motorcycle and ride. If I have a week or just a couple of hours I can’t seem to get enough of the wind, the sun, the sound’s, the smells, and the bugs. Utah offers many different opportunities from the steep windy mountain roads, to the flat open desert highways, to the scenic beauty of our many national parks. The terrain is vast and varied, and the highways plentiful.

The Mountains of northern Utah are some of my favorite places to ride. The Wasatch mountain range runs north to south covering almost all of the northern and eastern sections of Utah. From Salt Lake city there are many small canyon roads that lead out of the city and into the mountains. These allow you to climb from the valley floor of 4500 feet above sea level to 9,000 feet above sea level in as few as 30 miles. The roads wind up and out of the valley floor and through the mountains in almost all directions.

Here I will describe a few of my favorite places to get away from Salt Lake City for a day ride. Most of these rides are short enough for a good day trip. The 2 ride that pass through Bear Lake are longer stretching past the 300 miles in a day rule I like to follow.

East Canyon
East Canyon Highway 65, and 66 is a nice little ride. To get to highway 65 take the Mountain Dell exit off I-80 about 10 miles east of Salt Lake City, the road then winds north and east about 50 miles up and over the top of the mountain range and drops back down toward Morgan Utah. Highway 65 climbs up and over the mountain range following the ridge for a while then dropping down past East canyon state park and past the reservoir. Here you can take either Highway 66, or 65 to I-84. Highway 66 leads to Morgan, Utah. From Morgan you can loop back to Salt lake going east and back west down Parleys canyon on I-80 or you can go west down the canyon on I-84 into Ogden Utah and follow I-15 south to Salt Lake city.

Monte Cristoe Road.
This a yet another very nice ride. This ride is longer and can be combined with two or three other rides to make a full day of touring. Monte Cristoe Road is Highway 39 and starts at the east end of the Huntsville Utah valley. To get there you have three options, from the south take Highway 167 over trappers loop, which is very close to the top of east canyon as described in the previous section, take highway 39 up Ogden canyon, or take highway 162 up over north Ogden canyon. As a side note Highway, 162, 39, and 167 can also be combined for a nice shorter day ride to get out of the valleys and make a few turns. Once you get to the Highway 39 an head east on the Monte Cristoe road you are ion for a treat. This is a long slow windy climb that lasts for miles and miles. The road eventually ends in Woodruff UT. Which is a tiny little one gas station town near the border of Utah and Wyoming. From here you can go south on Highway 16, to Evanston, WY and then south and west on I-80 towards Salt Lake City. The longer and more scenic ride is to go North on Highway 16 to Highway 30 and then West into the Bear Lake valley. Once you get to Garden city a raspberry milkshake and a big burger are a mandatory part of the trip. From Garden city go west on Highway 89, through Logan canyon. Once again this is a nice windy canyon full of flowers, tree, wildlife and is worth taking the extra time to just tour along. Return to Salt Lake by either 1-15 or if you want to try highway 89 it’s a bit more relaxed north of Ogden.

Logan Canyon.
As I mentioned above Highway 89 from Logan to Bear Lake is a very nice ride. One of my absolute favorites, I have probably driven this road a 1000 or more times, each one brings back a flood of memories, or I happen to notice some new or a subtle change to the landscape or road. To make a loop out of this ride, when you get to Garden City, and after you have had the mandatory raspberry shake and burger, head north a to Ovid Idaho and then go left on Highway 36. This road will wind west and south back over the mountain pass and down into Preston, Idaho. From here follow highway 91 south back into Logan and you have successfully enjoyed two canyon passes and a nice lunch to top it all off.

Park Valley
Park Valley is in the top north western section of Utah. A longer ride we took one day was to leave Salt Lake City on a friday night as the sun was setting, we went west on I-80 to the border of Utah and Nevada to Wendover. We spent the night at the casinos and having a good time, trying to win gas money for the ride home. We must not have won much because I don’t remember us winning. From Wendover the morning we headed west on I-80 for about 30 miles to Oasis, which is an old ghost town. turn north on Highway 233. and head into the Park Valley Valley. this is some seriously wide open country. There doesn seem like there is an life or trees for miles and miles. The wide open valley contains large farm and by large I mean 1000’s of acres. with a few fram houses spread around. A set of Train tracks crosses the valley in a wide sweeping track. At one place the train tracks cross, the road I was lucky enough to see a train and was forced to stop and wait. This was totally amazing I was miles from any life and saw no other traffic, yet we still topeed for the train. If you take this same route we did be absolutely sure to stop and get gas at the one and only place along the way, the tiny little gas station store in Montello. this stop was about 120 miles from Wendover and knowing the range on my Harley Davidson Fatbot is only about 130-150 miles per tank, I would not make to the next gas station. The northern park of this valley turn a lot greener and the popularion increases a bit, but the area is still wide open country. Past the city of Park Valley the the road turns east and joins I-84. We returned to Salt Lake via I-84 and made it home as the sun was starting to set. This journey was over 400 miles.

Ian Parish is an avid motorcyclists and jeeper and has been for the past 20 years. He jumped into building a custom chopper full force and is assembling the parts and the plan, on his web site MyChopperBlog.com. Check out the web site to learn about building a chopper or to lend a hand. He needs all the help he can get. He is the owner of <a href="http://www.RedJeepClub.com">www.RedJeepClub.com </a>and <a href="http://www.mychopperblog.com">www.MyChopperBlog.com</a>

Touring Central Utah on a Motorcycle.

By Ian Parish

I love to get on my motorcycle and ride I am fortunate enough to live in Utah, which offers many different opportunities from the steep windy mountain roads, to the flat open desert highways, to the scenic beauty of our many national parks. The terrain is vast and varied, and the highways plentiful. If I have a week or just a couple of hours I can’t seem to get enough of the wind, the sun, the sound’s, the smells, and the bugs.

The mountains of central and northern Utah are some of my favorite places to ride. The Wasatch mountain range runs north to south covering almost all of the central, northern and eastern sections of Utah. From Salt Lake City there are many small canyon roads that lead out of the city and into the mountains. These allow you to climb from the valley floor of 4500 feet above sea level to 9,000 feet above sea level in as few as 30 miles. The roads wind up and out of the valley and into the mountains in almost all directions.

I will describe a few of my favorite places to get away from Salt Lake City for a day ride. Most of these rides are short enough for a good day trip. The 2 rides that go to the Uinta mountains and the Nebo mountain loop are longer and will make for a full day adventure.

The Salt Lake Valley Canyons, are all close to the city and basically head east out of the valley, from north to south they are: Emigration Canyon road, I-80, Mill Creek Canyon road, Big Cottonwood Canyon road, and Little Cottonwood Canyon road. These are all fun short and in some cases very steep canyon adventures. You can make a loop out of Emigration Canyon road, and East Canyon, and or I-80 if you would like. Big Cottonwood Canyon does loop over the top of the mountain into Park City but you get to travel on 2-3 miles of dirt road right at the top of the canyon. Traveling on dirt roads on a big touring motorcycle is an option, but not one I would really recommend if it can be avoided. Mill Creek Canyon road and Little Cottonwood Canyon are dead ends so once you head up the canyon you can expect to return to the same place after the ride.

The High Uinta Mountains:
The Uinta Mountains are located east of Salt Lake City about 80 miles. Getting there you have 2 basic routes, I-80, or highway 189 from Provo, Utah. Take either of these routes with Kamas as the destination. If you choose I-80 go east on I-80 and exit south onto Highway 40, follow this a few miles and exit east onto Highway 248 towards Kamas. If you choose highway 189 from Provo, follow this road into Heber, Utah and turn left onto Highway 40, follow this and exit onto Highway 248 towards Kamas Utah. Once you arrive in Kamas, you have two choices going into the Uintas mountains. The Mirror Lake Highway 150, or the Wolf Creek Pass Highway 35 south of Kamas. Both of these roads are nice long scenic byways into the Uinta mountains. The Mirror Lake Highway goes all the way over the top. If you have time you can continue on to Evanston, Wyoming. Once in Evanston you can take I-80 and loop back South into the Salt Lake Valley. This is nice ride and long enough with a lunch stop to turn your ride into an all day adventure. On the other hand if you take Wolf Creek Pass Highway 35, to make a loop out of it you will end up in either Duchesne, or you can turn south on Highway 208 and meet up with Highway 40 to loop back to Heber, Utah. I have not ever taken Highway 208 so I cannot recommend that. I have been over 35 all the way to Highway 40 in Duchesne so if you go this route I know you will be ok. This will also be a very long day. One other road worth mentioning is highway 32 from Francis back to Highway 40. This is a nice little short cut between Highway 40 and Highway 35 which is Wolf Creek Pass.

The High Mountain Mount Nebo Loop.
This mountain pass is south of Provo about 30 miles, the way I like to drive this loop is from the south end the road loops north over the top of the range and then drops back down into Utah Valley. To make this loop take I-15 south to Nephi, Utah and exit east onto highway 132 follow this east for a few mile then turn left and head north onto the Nebo Loop road. This road winds steeply up to the ridge top of the Nebo Mountains. Once on this road you can follow it for what seem like miles and miles, all the while feeling like you are on top of the world. Like other mountain passes if you have a fear of heights at a few places along the way you want to make sure you are paying attention because the mountain steeply drops off hundreds of feet on the downhill side road.

Spring is a nice time in the mountains, because all the flowers are out and the grasses and trees are bright green with new growth. Summer is a nice time to take a ride in the mountains because it allows you to escape the heat of the valley floors. Fall has a different look and feel to it the grasses are brown and dry, but the trees and leaves are a blaze with bright fall colors, as the trees change colors and the leaves fall off in preparation for the up coming winter. Winter in Utah is not a good time to take a motorcycle tour. The roads are icy, salty, covered in gravel, sand and snow. The Winter temperatures can also be very cold.

One other thing to remember about taking your Harley Davidson motorcycle in the high mountains. Be prepared, with extra warm clothes and some food. I have experienced many days where we leave the valley and it’s 100 degrees, only to be rained on and experience wind chill factors in the low 30 and 40’s at 10,000 feet. If you are not prepared with an extra set of warm clothes or leather gear in your saddle bags it can be an extremely long and possibly dangerous ride back home. One day about 100 bikers spent well over and hour at the High Uinta Forest Ranger District Information Center. They had all taken a day ride and got caught in massive rain storm, not being prepare for winter weather made for a serious and cold environment. Most of the people on the ride were forced to just wait out the rain in the tiny Rnger Station.

That sums up a few of the nice canyon touring rides around Salt Lake City. It certainly is not all the roads available, It is basically the fun roads south of I-80 in Northern Utah. For more nice day rides in Southern and Central Utah stay tuned or check my web site for more information. As always Ride-safe

Ian Parish is an avid motorcyclists and jeeper and has been for the past 20 years. He jumped into building a custom chopper full force and is assembling the parts and the plan, on his web site MyChopperBlog.com. Check out the web site to learn about building a chopper or to lend a hand. He needs all the help he can get. He is the owner of <a href="http://www.RedJeepClub.com">www.RedJeepClub.com </a>and <a href="http://www.mychopperblog.com">www.MyChopperBlog.com</a>

Arai Helmets: Expert Design Posted By : Rachel Fuller
The company that manufacturers Arai helmets was developed in 1926. Hirotake Arai, a Japanese hat maker shifted his focus to motorcycle helmets and the company has become synonymous with professional motorcycle champions and helmets built for pros. What might be the most impressive aspect of Arai helmets is the fact that each one is hand made.

AGV Helmets: The Choice of Champions Posted By : Rachel Fuller
With over sixty years of experience in design, AGV helmets are the preferred choice of those who take motorcycling racing seriously. Founded in 1947 by Amisano Gino Valenza, the company began by manufacturing leather seats and motorcycle saddles. Today, they are revered for developing motorcycle helmets that place a heavy emphasis on safety and protection.

Tricks to Purchasing the Perfect Motorcycle Helmet

Is it really possible to find the perfect motorcycle helmet, one that fits correctly, is the color you want and also made from strong sturdy material that will help protect you from serious injury? It may sound easy, but it’s darn near impossible to obtain a perfect motorcycle helmet.

You cannot choose a helmet based on its size or the material it’s made from alone. There are many things that need to be considered when purchasing motorcycle helmets. Sure, it’s probably possible to locate a helmet that is the right color or that is made from the type of material that will satisfy your safety concerns, but when it comes to "proper fit" it opens up a whole new can of worms. It is so important to consider the "safety factor." Some motorcycle helmets are just not as safe as others and you should be aware of this.

Some of the more popular motorcycle helmet manufacturers are Icon, Arai, Shoei, Suomy, Erex, Bell, HJC and Nolan. The majority of their helmets are approved by DOT or Snell. There are many other makers, but these are some of the better known companies.

When it comes to safety there are two major concerns. One, how is your visibility? How is your peripheral vision? Can you see enough of the surrounding area to be safe? If your visibility is poor your chances of being in an accident can increase dramatically. And two, if you are involved in an accident will your head be protected as well as you’d like? Will the material that the helmet is made from stand up to the test, to the punishment?

Many motorcyclists or bikers look solely at the aesthetic qualities of a helmet and disregard safety when looking to purchase a helmet. But in reality it should be viewed oppositely. Safety should always come first.

The main options you have when searching for the perfect motorcycle helmet are color, shape, visibility and liners. Color is the easiest decision to make, right? Wrong. As far as the safety factor goes you should be able to be seen well by other drivers. Bright colors stand out and are very noticeable, even at night, while dull dark colors are not seen easily. It’s very important to choose a bright color that can be seen easily by other drivers, even at night.

Another factor to consider is the shape of the helmet. Some people have tall slim oblong heads (egg shaped) while others have round or oval-shaped heads. Trying on helmets for a good fit is the only sure way to tell if it will fit your head properly and comfortably. Plus, you want the weight of the helmet to be distributed properly so that the head can support the helmet easily.

As far as safety is concerned the number one thing to consider is your peripheral vision. Some helmets simply do not allow a biker to see to their periphery well enough to be safe. With good visibility it’s a lot easier to see when an accident might happen and have time to react to the circumstances and maneuver out of harms way.

Liners are the last item on the agenda. The purpose of a liner is for comfort, but it also is there to help you with a correct fit. If the liner is not a good fit for your head you will notice specific spots on your head that are receiving more pressure than others. Avoid these liners. Possibly the most comfortable liner is the skull cap. You will usually have less pressure in specific areas when using this type of liner.

Last, but not least, it is not wise to buy motorcycle helmets online unless you have tried that specific helmet on previously in a retail store. In most cases you will be better off trying one on in a store first. Then, once you know the brand, size, color and type of liner that you prefer it’s an easy job to browse online for the best deals.

The biggest mistake most consumers make is locating a flashy cool-looking helmet online and then buy it solely because of its looks and for no other reason. Spend a little time shopping and you will likely end up with a product that you can be happy with for many years to come.

This article is brought to you by My Motorcycle Helmet, an online source for finding a <a href="http://www.my-motorcycle-helmet.net">cheap motorcycle helmet</a>. Learn how to find the perfect Nolan, Suomy, Arai, Bell or <a href="http://www.my-motorcycle-helmet.net">Shoei motorcycle helmet</a> at My Motorcycle Helmet.