Knowledge Base

Most motorcyclists in the UK are unlikely to ever go out for a ride without wearing their protective jacket, trousers, gloves and boots. As the saying goes, most “dress for the slide, not the ride”. But when it comes to hearing protection, not all riders hold ear plugs in the same high regard as the rest of their essential kit. But they should. Hearing damage is irreversible, but preventable. The British Tinnitus Association state that in the UK, one in eight people suffer from persistent tinnitus (a constant ringing sound in your ears), and motorcyclists are more likely to suffer than those...

What is EQRS or Emergency Quick Release System? EQRS is a system designed to help remove a motorcycle helmet without damaging a rider’s neck and spine. When a rider has an accident, at some stage it’s going to be necessary to remove their crash helmet. Whether that’s at the scene to assess head injuries or at A&E to get the rider comfortable and do further investigation into any injuries – they’re going to have to get that helmet off. As we all know, that’s sometimes easier said than done; even when we’re fully fit and doing it ourselves there can...

Your visor is your window to what lies ahead so it is important to protect it and keep it clean for your own safety. It also advisable to look after your visors because they can be expensive to replace.   Protecting your visor   You can lengthen the life of your visor if you take good care of it. When riding, don’t follow other riders or motorists too closely as that will put you in the firing range for stones and other detritus. In dusty conditions, don’t ride with the visor up as it will get dust on the inside...

  There’s a lot of talk these days about laminated, motorcycle clothing. There seems to be a perception out there that laminated products are universally superior, and that drop-liner garments are not really up to the job. Now it’s probably true that we have been at the forefront of the charge towards lamination, but there’s still a lot of confusion out there, and actually we still take the view that, for many motorcyclists, a good drop-liner combination is often still the better option. So, in this article, we’re going to go into a bit more detail about the two different...

  Motorcycle helmet safety standards have been rightfully given a boost recently with the introduction of ECE 22.06 and a greater focus on rotational injuries. Now armour specialists D3O want to take rider safety to another level by adding a thin layer of their soft flexible protection within a helmet’s comfort liner, to help absorb low-level impacts. Known as Amp, the D3O system is designed to help riders involved accidents such as a tumble at the traffic lights or getting struck by a branch whilst off-roading; the sort of thing which is unlikely to compress the EPS lining (the polystyrene) within the...

What is ECE 22.06 and when’s it coming? ECE 22.06 is the new European motorcycle helmet testing regulations, brought in to replace ECE 22.05. Each helmet put on sale in Europe has to pass a series of rigorous tests before it can be sold. Every so often, the United Nations reviews motorbike helmet safety and decides whether its regulations can be improved to make motorcycle helmets more protective. In June 2020, their working party published their latest regulations – the first in around 20 years – and they’ve been brought in to replace the old ECE 22.05 regs that we all...

What label should I look for? All new motorcycle clothing should carry a label with the above pictogram, showing that it’s been certified to EN 17092. You might see it as prEN 17092, or even FprEN 17092, but that’s fine. If you want to know the full background to this new CE standard, click here. What’s the safest jacket or trousers? EN 17092 is divided into four classifications that as a motorcyclist you need to know about: B, A, AA and AAA. B: This is deemed suitable for urban riding but without impact protectors A: Also for urban riding but including impact protectors...

Outlast “phase change” material is relatively new to the world of motorcycling. But, our sport provides an ideal environment to evaluate the benefits that this product has to offer. Motorcycle riders need protection from the extreme temperatures which can be experienced during a riding season or even a single ride. I don’t profess to understand the technology behind phase change materials. But like Tang and Teflon, it’s my understanding that the technology was first developed for NASA to keep astronauts comfortable in the temperature extremes found in outer space.   In general, phase change materials can either absorb, store and...

What does CE rating mean? CE stands for “Conformité Européene” which is French for “European Conformity”. It’s a rating that is being used on all European official documents, so you’ll also find this in European motorcycle safety standards. North America has (unofficially) adopted these standards. The biggest difference between Europe and North America is the fact that it is mandatory to have a CE rated helmet in Europe, whiles this is not a requirement in North America. In North America, you can use a DOT-approved helmet. CE rates require even more safety measures than the North American standard, so you...

There can’t be many motorcyclists who go out for a ride expecting to crash, but that’s exactly what pro skiers and competition cyclists do; they try to avoid it, of course, but they know there’s a very good chance they’ll fall. They were the early adopters of MIPS…   What does MIPS stand for? MIPS, or Multi-directional Impact Protection System, is basically a thin insert between a helmet’s skull cap and expanded polystyrene shell. Hans von Holst, a Swedish neurosurgeon, and Peter Halldin, a researcher at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology developed the technology to reduce the risk of...

  So, when wearing a motorcycle helmet, one of the main things that you must be aware of is safety. There are numerous motorcycle helmets that market themselves as being safe; from half face to full face, to modular helmets. But, how can you know that you aren’t being misled by the manufacturers when it comes to motorcycle helmet safety? Well, if you’ve heard of dual homologated motorcycle helmets or not; these are the modular helmets that you should look out for! They are your safest bet that you will get high-quality motorcycle helmets, and that you aren’t being scammed!...

Riding with a fogged up helmet visor can be really annoying and dangerous, as it disrupts the rider’s vision and focus on the road. The fog build-up in a visor can get even thicker and blurrier during cold and rainy weather conditions, making it even more difficult for the rider to see what’s ahead.   TECHNOLOGY To solve this issue, the Pinlock visor insert was created. The Pinlock visor insert is made out of a material that contains moisture absorbing properties, which reacts like a sponge and absorbs moisture effectively.   The inner part of the Pinlock is lined with...