Have you been almost hit by a car driven by someone that was on a cell phone?  I know I have!  If you think that cell phones to be the most dangerous distraction while driving you are in agreement with about 48% of all Americans.

There is a new technology on the market created by Aegis Mobility that will essentially turn off all incoming and outgoing calls while you are in motion but it will keep track of all voice and text messages allowing you to respond once you are done driving.  Nationwide Insurance and Aegis are teaming up to bring this technology to the market in early 2009.

Driving while distracted (DWD), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration causes about 80% of all acidents.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has studied the use of cell phones while driving and have determined that drivers using a cell phone are four times more likely to be involved in a crash.  California recently implemented a law that mandates that all drivers use hands-free methods of using their cell phones while driving.  However, hands-free usehas shown to be of little effect in reducing distraction while driving.  Even with this lack of evidence showing that hands-free use of cell phones while driving is a benefit five states ban handheld cell phone use.  Those states are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington.  Further restriction exist in other states for texting and seventeen states restrict use of cll phones for novice drivers.

You can legislate and mandate all you want but compliance is another matter.  What this technology does is allow people to be in compliance with the law, be safe and yet, not miss a call or text.  I urge all people to adopt this technology as soon as available.  It will help you avoid accidents and it will help decrease the numbers of DWD drivers from hitting people on motorcycles.

Although pricey what is $700 compared to the loss of your bike or immediately notifying authorities that you have crashed.  That is what the MicroTRAK GPS does for you.  Because MicroTRAK is a true GPS system it operates anywhere in the world.  It allows you to trace your motorcycle if stolen.  More importantly however is the automatic rider down notification feature.  The price of your insurance might even be reduced because the system is probably the most siphistocated anti-theft device out there for motorcycles.

Helpful Tips for Purchasing A Seat for Your Harley

Harley Davidson motorcycles are some of the most highly sought after bikes in the world. Whether it is your first bike or an additional one, whether it new or old, you want to be comfortable as you ride down the open road with the wind brushing against your face. For many people the stocks seats are very uncomfortable to sit in. This is when the search to shop and find the perfect seat for them begins. However, you do not want just any seat. It needs to be stylish, fits your personality and the most important be comfortable to rest your bottom in. Here in this article we will go over some very basic and helpful tips to consider before making a final decision on purchasing a seat for your Harley.

Tip #1:

Everyday, you see all sorts of sales that are offered in magazines geared for the motorcycle enthusiast. They offer you a selection of seats available for purchase and can be at amazing prices, but this can be a very wrong reason to purchase a seat from these magazines. Many of the pictures shown in these magazines, show the seat unmounted. This does not give you a good visualization of what the seat will look like mounted on your bike. This is important because some seats are just no designed to look well with certain types of bikes. When looking for the perfect seat, it is good practice to find one that shows you what it would look like mounted.

Tip #2

Your budget is the next thing that we want to consider. The price you pay for a seat does not always guarantee that you will receive the comfort that you desire. There are many seats that look good and promise you comfort, but these seats have as price range that is to high for your wallet. When purchasing a Harley seat for your bike, you want to purchase the one that offers the best quality that has a price that is more lenient on your budget. It is recommended that you purchase a brand name seat that has a reputation for providing excellent quality with comfortability. There are many companies that manufacture seats that fit these desired features. If you are not sure which one is the best, then the one that you find is the most commonly used seats is a good way to start.

Tip #3

It is okay to ask your friends their opinions on what is the most comfortable seat to ride in, but it is very important to not let their opinions be the persuading factor in your decision. The reason for this is the fact that everyones comfort zone is different. Some people prefer a seat that is more firm than others, while some people prefer a seat that offers more of a cushion. The rule of thumb here is to find the seat that fits your comfortability needs. It is you will be spending most of the time on your seat, so therefore the decision for which one to purchase is ultimate yours.

Tip #4

after doing some extensive research, you should now have decided on the right Harley seat to purchase. The next step is to go out and buy it. One of the easiest and quickest ways to do this is by shopping online. There are many websites where you can find the seat that you are looking for with a price that will amaze you. By doing your shopping online, yo can save up to 30-40% on your purchase. If you are not sure or just want to check how much money you are saving, try doing some comparison shopping at Ebay. This site will offer many seats just like the one that you have decided on. By comparing the prices here, you can get a good look at what price you should be paying for your Harley seat.

By following these very basic and helpful tips, you are sure to get a Harley seat that will provide comfort to you for a long time to come. This is important especially if you plan on spending a lot of time on the bike. So do not let being uncomfortable be a reason not to enjoy doing something that you enjoy doing. Fix the problem by purchasing a Harley seat that will be best for you.

If you are considering purchasing a scooter - and who isn't at $.00 per gallon - there are a few things you should know.

• You must follow the rules of the road that everyone must follow.
• You must have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license.
• Scooters get about 50 miles per gallon - depending on size.
• You can buy a new scooter for about $1,500.
• They are very easy to park and parking is usually free.
• You should wear the right gear - especially a helmet and shoes - no sandals!
• You should wave to other scooter riders - and yes even us Harley guys.
• Consider riding in groups for protection - just like Europe - safety in numbers.
• Turn your light on - it is easier to see you.

A motorcycle rider went down on SR - 201 at about 6000 West yesterday. The reason why the rider and bike went down is still under investigation but we do know there were skid marks present.

What is impressive is that a woman who happened to be passing by in her car decided to take a risk and help. She positioned her car between the downed rider and oncoming traffic. Moments later a truck slammed into the car with such force that he also hit the bike.

Ronald Bolin of Magna was the man on the motorcycle and he was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition. No one else was injured in the accident.

My hat is off to this woman. Taking the risk of sacrificing your vehicle and having the wherefore to even consider it while passing a downed motorcyclist is distress is a compliment to her controlled, clear and cool decision to help. Congratulations - whoever you are - and I hope your insurance company gives you a new car.

On Saturday June 14, 2008 hundreds of bikers participated in the "Ticket to Ride" event that raised money to build the Utah Freedom Memorial. The Memorial is being built at Fort Douglas.

Motorcyclists and motorcycle riders of all types ride on weekends and throughout the week often raising money for charities. When you see bikers in groups on the road that is probably what they are doing - honk your horn and wave becasue the motorcycle riders are probably supporting the community in which you live.

You are cruising along on a beautiful evening ride - you come upon an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light. The light is red to you. You slow down and come to a gentle stop. You expect the light to change in perhaps 30 seconds or so. You adjust a glove - put your visor and scratch an itch on your upper lip. The visor comes down and you are ready to proceed on this most beautiful ride. The light is still red and there you sit. Not for 30 seconds or even a minute - how about sitting there for hours? No way you say - you would simply go through the red light as long as the coast is clear. Now you are breaking the law and susceptible to being charged with a traffic citation.

Oftentimes street lights are controlled by magnetic sensors that control the traffic light. When the magnetic sensor is tripped by a car the light turns color and you are safe to proceed. Motorcycles, even my Harley, do not have enough metal to trip the magnetic sensor and the light never seems to change color.

Some states are changing the law to allow motorcycle riders to go through red lights. South Carolina passed such a law aas recently as last month. North Carolina passed a similar law in 2007, Wisconsin (2006), Idaho (2006), Arkansas (2005), Tennessee (2003) and Minnesota (2002). This list is in a USA Today article titled "States green-light red-light laws for motorcycles."

I agree with the passage of these laws because I have been there. First of all it is aggravating for the motorcyclist who sits and waits and waits. Secondly it is frustrating for the vehicle driver that must sit and wait behind the motorcyclist. This frustration can contribute to irrational movement like eventually darting across the intersection or the car creeping up on the back of the motorcycle forcing them to enter the intersection. It can get dangerous very quickly.

A better solution might be the Green Light Trigger. This is a simple device that straps onto the bottom of your motorcycle that emits a magnetic field and trips teh magnetic sensor buried inthe road surface and triggers teh light to turn green. The only question remaining is the health hazard of driving with a perpetual me=agnetic fiel surrounding your body ... maybe changing the laws are the best way to go!!

Batteries can be the most important part of your bike. If you cannot get it started you cannot ride it - push it maybe but not ride it. Batteries are also one of those things that we know are there, are necessary but with many maintenance free types do we need to do anything with them.

I came across this article that I thought was excellent and answers most of what everyone should know about motorcycle batteries.

The Honda Motorcycle Blogs has listed their top 100 motorcycle blogs. It is an interesting list and I have been following the posts from some of the blogs. There is something here for everyone from picture ride essays to posts about safety and bike mechanics.

Even though the name of the post is HONDA Motorcycle Blogs and I ride a HARLEY we are all bikers at heart and enjoy the company and support of all other bikers. I have never met a biker I did not like - really!

It's now even more affordable for motorcycle riders to protect their bikes. Now, all riders can get a $50 rebate from LoJack on the purchase of their LoJack for Motorcycles Stolen Vehicle Recovery System. Simply visit Progressive's Web site--www.motorcycle.progressive.com--and download the online rebate form. And, Progressive customers who have LoJack installed on their bikes will also receive a 20 percent discount on their Comprehensive Coverage.

According to LoJack's website motorcycle theft is a big problem - more than 70,000 bikes were stolen in 2005 - that's more than $430 million in losses. Between 2001 and 2005, motorcycle theft increased 135%. Are you protecting your bike? Unfortunately LoJack is not available in Utah and appears only to be available in other major metropolitan areas.