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Clothing and weather protection.
When riding mopeds or motorcycles it is
important that you wear the correct protective clothing to
protect you from the weather and to help other road users to see
you.
Without the right clothing you can get very cold
and wet when riding a motorcycle. Special motorcycling clothing
is available which:
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protects you from the weather.
-
helps to protect you from some types of injury.
-
helps other road users to see you.
By law you must wear a safety helmet when riding
a motorcycle on the road. However, you should also consider
using the following items of clothing when riding a motorcycle:
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visors or goggles.
-
gloves and gauntlets.
-
protective clothing.
-
boots.
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visibility aids.
Safety helmets.
By law you must wear a safety helmet when riding
a motorcycle on the road. All helmets sold in the UK must
either:
-
comply with British Standard Bs 6658:1985 and carry the BSI kitemark.
-
comply with UNECE Regulation 22.05.
-
comply with any standard accepted by a member of the European Economic Area which offers a level of safety and protection equivalent to BS 6658:1985 and carry a mark equivalent to the BSI
kitemark.
Damage to helmets.
If your helmet receives any serious impact you
should always buy a new one. Damage won't always be visible to
the naked eye. For this reason you should never buy a
second-hand helmet.
Visors and goggles.
A visor or goggles are vital to protect your
eyes from wind, rain, insects and road dirt. All visors or
goggles must comply with a British Standard and display a BSI
kitemark, or they must comply with a European standard which
offers a level of safety and protection at least equivalent to
the British Standard and carry a mark equivalent to the BSI
kitemark (ECE 22-05).
If you need glasses or contact lenses to read a
numberplate at the prescribed distance then you must wear your
glasses or contact lenses when you ride. You should not wear
tinted glasses, visors or goggles if you are riding in the dark
or conditions of poor visibility.
It is very important that you keep your visor or
goggles clean. You must have a clear view of the road ahead at
all times. To clean your goggles or visor wash them with warm
soapy water. Do not use solvents or petrol.
Protective clothing.
Motorcycle clothing is of two main types:
When you are choosing protective motorcycle
clothing make sure you look for additional protection for the
shoulders, elbows and knees.
Gloves and gauntlets.
Good gloves or gauntlets are essential when your ride a motorcycle. Never be tempted to ride without gloves. If you fall off you could seriously injure your hands.
Motorcycle boots.
It is important to wear good boots or footwear when you ride a motorcycle. If you wear sandals or trainers your feet will have little protection if you fall off.
Riding in cold weather.
When riding in very cold weather your hands and feet can become painfully cold. No matter how good your gloves or boots, the cold will eventually get through. This can cause you to lose your concentration when riding. To overcome the cold you can try wearing thin inner gloves on your hands and an extra pair of socks on your feet. If your hands or feet become too cold, stop and warm up before continuing your journey.
If you're serious about motorcycling in cold weather you should consider buying electrically heated inner gloves or electrically heated handlebar grips. However, these accessories put a large demand on your motorcycle's electrical generator so you should check that it can cope with the extra demands before you buy and fit them.
Visibility aids for motorcyclists.
Many road accidents involving motorcyclists
occur because another road user didn't see them. Using some form
of visibility aid will help others to see you. Remember you need
to be visible from the side as well as the front and back.
Wearing fluorescent orange or yellow clothing in
daylight will improve your chances of being seen.
Other methods you could use to help other road
users to see you in daylight include:
To improve visibility in the dark you need to
wear reflective material. They work by reflecting the light from
headlamps of other vehicles. This makes you much more
visible from a long distance away.
In this section...
About compulsory basic training
(CBT).
Motorcycle practical test.
Clothing and weather protection.
Information for moped riders.
Returning to motorcycling.
Motorcycles you can ride.
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