Motorcycle Tours South Africa- November Motorcycle News

Medical bills are more expensive than biking gear
Hospital bills are far more expensive than buying protective gear. Your once in a lifetime trip could be cut short by not wearing the correct protective gear.

Don't think It wont happen to you!
Most injuries can be prevented! You may think “Oh it wont happen to me” but most accidents are what they are- just that- ACCIDENTS! They usually happen in a split second, and most of them may not even be your fault. It may be an “Idiot Taxi driver” doing a U-turn in front of you or a oil spill in the road or a long patch of thick sand- the list is endless.

Keep on Riding
But don’t let these incidents deter you from riding, in most cases if you drop your bike at low speed and you are wearing the correct riding gear, you can just dust yourself off and carry on riding!

No Matter what gear you choose to wear,
your gear should have the following essentials:

Types of helmets
You get a number of different helmets; there are full face helmets and open face helmets. We recommend that you have a full face helmet to protect your jaw and your face itself as well as your jaw and face itself. Take a look at this picture- if you have an open face helmet, those road scratches could be your face!

Uses of Helmets
Apart from the obvious skull and face protection factors, helmets also have other good uses:

My biker Jacket was sooo UNCOOL!
I remember growing up, I was always so angry with my dad, because wherever I went on my motorcycle, he would make sure that I wore my motorcycle jacket. For a 16 year old girl, my motorcycle jacket was not exactly the “hottest” fashion item in my closet.

My Wake Up Call
I got a wake up call one day, when my brother came home with tar in his arms and along his stomach. I watched his face as the nurse had to scrape the tar out of his wounds. He had just driven down the road to the corner café when he had lost control in a bit of sand on the road. He had no broken bones or other “serious” injuries, so if he had just worn his jacket, the only pain he would have felt would have been a bruised ego!
From that day on I wore my jacket without fail- my dad didn't even have to ask!

Essential's when choosing a jacket:

The jacket must be well fitted. You don’t want it to slide up if you fall off your bike. Some jackets are fitted with wait belts and wrist bands- make sure these are tightened when you drive.
Made out of Leather or a strong, artificial fabric that can beat road rash
The Jacket must have “Soft body armour” on the shoulders, elbows and back- at least!
Bright Colours are Best. It is good to choose a jacket that is a bright color or one that has reflective strips. Remember that according to the famous “Hurt Study” most accidents happen because cars don’t see bikes. It is important to be VISIBLE!
Your jacket must be appropriate for the season you are riding in. If you are riding on hot summer days, choose a jacket with good ventilation. At Sama Tours we ride with Lookwell Aerodynamic jackets. They are made strong artificial fabric known as Poly 3d Mesh, that allows wind to flow easily through. (if you look closely at the fabric you will see that there are actually small holes in the mesh layer), keeping us cool on hot days. The only downside to these jackets is that they are not waterproof- so we carry rain gear in our top boxes. The rain gear is quite big- so it fits over our normal bike gear and consists of rain pants and a top coat.

In winter we drive with the Lookwell , all season, wind and waterproof jackets. They have removable inner's that can be worn to give extra heat on those cold winter days. As you can see this design has a waist belt that can be tightened to ensure that it does not ride up!

Wind and Waterproof jacket for riding on cold days-
not the wait band for tightening purposes

Biking pants are usually chosen according to personal preference, but just a word of Caution: Denim jeans do not provide protection against tarmac. In fact they will just make your road rash all the worse, as the heat caused by sliding along the tarmac causes the jeans to melt into your legs *OUCH*

Boots are a tough one- because the more they protect your feet and ankles, the more uncomfortable they are to walk in! That said- Only use proper : “Made for Biking” motorcycling boots. Plain leather or hiking boots, may look like they will do the job- but they won’t protect you the same way a proper motorcycle boot will!
Your boots must have the following essentials:

At Sama Tours we ride with BMW’s Pro touring/Santiago boots. They have built in ankle and shin protection and are mad out of durable, strong “GORTEX” materials that are breathable and waterproof. The Santiago models- are probably the best bet as they have “Kevlar” inserts and toe guards.

The most important factor where gloves are concerned is keeping your hands warm on cold mornings, or in the rain. Remember that if your hands become numb due to cold, you will not be able to react quickly in emergency situations, your cold numb hands will be to0 sluggish to pull your emergency brakes!



	The Correct Riding gear (For off-road and On-road riding) Medical bills are more expensive than biking gear Hospital bills are far more expensive than buying protective gear. Your once in a lifetime trip could be cut short by not wearing the correct protective gear. Don't think It wont happen to you! Most injuries can be prevented! You may think “Oh it wont happen to me” but most accidents are what they are- just that- ACCIDENTS! They usually happen in a split second, and most of them may not even be your fault. It may be an “Idiot Taxi driver” doing a U-turn in front of you or a oil spill in the road or a long patch of thick sand- the list is endless. Keep on Riding But don’t let these incidents deter you from riding, in most cases if you drop your bike at low speed and you are wearing the correct riding gear, you can just dust yourself off and carry on riding! Here is a list of essential Biking gear to wear: Full Face Helmet- worn to avoid head damage and "facial roasties". Well fitted jacket with elbow and shoulder pads Protective riding pants with knees pads and reinforced hip protection Gloves with knuckle pads “MX” boots if riding off-road “Touring” Boots with good ankle and shin protection - if riding on paved roads No Matter what gear you choose to wear, your gear should have the following essentials: The must be strong enough to handle impact Choose protectors that are “CE” certified. Kevlar inserts are also very good. Your gear must be well fitted, so that it does its job. You don’t want a jacket that slides up over your stomach, knee pads that shift out of place or a helmet that is too loose to absorb impact efficiently. Loose gear can also grip onto road surface- making the rider tumble rather then slide. Your gear must have bright colors, or reflective layers, so that you are visible to other drivers Your Gear must be breathable and waterproof. If your gear is not waterproof- remember to keep a set of rain gear in your top box. A more detailed description to help you choose the correct gear. The Helmet: Types of helmets You get a number of different helmets; there are full face helmets and open face helmets. We recommend that you have a full face helmet to protect your jaw and your face itself as well as your jaw and face itself. Take a look at this picture- if you have an open face helmet, those road scratches could be your face! Make sure your helmet has face and jaw protection! Uses of Helmets Apart from the obvious skull and face protection factors, helmets also have other good uses: They prevent flying bugs crashing into your face The provide a certain amount of sun protection The prevent wind damage to your eyes They help with noise prevention How to choose the right helmet for you: Choose a helmet that fits snuggly, the helmet shouldn't’t just slide onto your face, you should have to pull the chin straps out to get it onto your face. That said the helmet shouldn't’t stop the blood flow to your head The Soft inner should “Wrap” around your face. With time it will take on the shape of your head. Leave the helmet on your head for up to 5 minutes to make sure that there are no pressure points that the helmet is pressing on. Talk to the helmet sales-man. Make sure that the helmet has a good ventilation system and that it was designed efficiently to absorb and spread the force of impact. Don’t be cheap! Rather spend more money and get a helmet that will save your life. Sama Tours recommends: Arai, Bell and Bmw helmets. Take good care of your helmet after purchase. Store it in a cool, dry place, not in direct sunlight. If you have an accident with your helmet or drop it hard, either get it checked out by a professional or buy a new one. Helmets are designed to self-destruct on impact (logic: the helmet takes the impact so that your head doesn't’t have to) therefore after the first impact, the helmet might not be so effective the next time. Back to top The Jacket “It is better to sweat than to bleed” My biker Jacket was sooo UNCOOL! I remember growing up, I was always so angry with my dad, because wherever I went on my motorcycle, he would make sure that I wore my motorcycle jacket. For a 16 year old girl, my motorcycle jacket was not exactly the “hottest” fashion item in my closet. My Wake Up Call I got a wake up call one day, when my brother came home with tar in his arms and along his stomach. I watched his face as the nurse had to scrape the tar out of his wounds. He had just driven down the road to the corner café when he had lost control in a bit of sand on the road. He had no broken bones or other “serious” injuries, so if he had just worn his jacket, the only pain he would have felt would have been a bruised ego! From that day on I wore my jacket without fail- my dad didn't even have to ask! Essential's when choosing a jacket: The jacket must be well fitted. You don’t want it to slide up if you fall off your bike. Some jackets are fitted with wait belts and wrist bands- make sure these are tightened when you drive. Made out of Leather or a strong, artificial fabric that can beat road rash The Jacket must have “Soft body armour” on the shoulders, elbows and back- at least! Bright Colours are Best. It is good to choose a jacket that is a bright color or one that has reflective strips. Remember that according to the famous “Hurt Study” most accidents happen because cars don’t see bikes. It is important to be VISIBLE! Your jacket must be appropriate for the season you are riding in. If you are riding on hot summer days, choose a jacket with good ventilation. At Sama Tours we ride with Lookwell Aerodynamic jackets. They are made strong artificial fabric known as Poly 3d Mesh, that allows wind to flow easily through. (if you look closely at the fabric you will see that there are actually small holes in the mesh layer), keeping us cool on hot days. The only downside to these jackets is that they are not waterproof- so we carry rain gear in our top boxes. The rain gear is quite big- so it fits over our normal bike gear and consists of rain pants and a top coat. Lookwell Aerodynamic mesh jackets- cool on hot summer days In winter we drive with the Lookwell , all season, wind and waterproof jackets. They have removable inner's that can be worn to give extra heat on those cold winter days. As you can see this design has a waist belt that can be tightened to ensure that it does not ride up! Wind and Waterproof jacket for riding on cold days- not the wait band for tightening purposes Back to top The Biking pants Biking pants are usually chosen according to personal preference, but just a word of Caution: Denim jeans do not provide protection against tarmac. In fact they will just make your road rash all the worse, as the heat caused by sliding along the tarmac causes the jeans to melt into your legs OUCH Choose pants: Made out of a strong fabric, either leather or a strong artificial fabric Choose Breathable Pants: Unless driving through the North Pole, rather choose pants that are not waterproof, unless you get an extremely breathable pair, as waterproof pants will make your legs sweat! Your pants should have soft body armor over the knees. And the material should be extra reinforced over the knees and hips. Back to top The Boots Boots are a tough one- because the more they protect your feet and ankles, the more uncomfortable they are to walk in! That said- Only use proper : “Made for Biking” motorcycling boots. Plain leather or hiking boots, may look like they will do the job- but they won’t protect you the same way a proper motorcycle boot will! Your boots must have the following essentials: They must be tough, strong and moderately flexible Must have a stiff sole and reinforced ankle protection Must be impact, abrasion, cut, tar and burst resistant Must have energy absorbers and Load spreaders on the shin and inside and outside of each ankle We Recommend Full on “MX” boots for riding off road. The kind that are extremely hard to walk in. They must have stiff soles, metal toe protection, shin protectors and load spreaders “Touring Boots” with good ankle protection if riding on paved roads At Sama Tours we ride with BMW’s Pro touring/Santiago boots. They have built in ankle and shin protection and are mad out of durable, strong “GORTEX” materials that are breathable and waterproof. The Santiago models- are probably the best bet as they have “Kevlar” inserts and toe guards. Bmw “Santiago” boots are good all round touring boots Back to top The Gloves The most important factor where gloves are concerned is keeping your hands warm on cold mornings, or in the rain. Remember that if your hands become numb due to cold, you will not be able to react quickly in emergency situations, your cold numb hands will be to0 sluggish to pull your emergency brakes! Choose gloves that: Have a close, snug fit, so that you can still easily use the controls on your handle bars. Gloves that are too long for your fingers can cause problems Must be made out of a strong, durable material that is waterproof, yet breathable They must have built in Knuckle protection Back To the Top Home November Newsletter Links: November News \| November Specials \| Ultimate African Trip Report \| Grand Prize Winner \| Off Road Tip of the Month	November Newsletter Links November News November Specials 10% Off Motorcycle Rentals 5% Off Best SA Trip Ultimate African Trip Report Winner of the Grand Prize More Off- Road Tips

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