Welcome to my site! I’m so happy you’ve found my little corner of the internet. If you’re here you’ve either recently come into possession of a motorcycle or plan to enter the world of biking soon.

That’s perfect! You are exactly who I’ve created this site for. I’ve been a motorcycle rider for just over fifteen years; I’ve owned six motorcycles in that time and have ridden many more. Yes, I’ve even come off them in an unplanned way a few times.

What I really wished for at that time was someone to help me through some of the basic stuff. I’ve spent way too much time riding with the wrong gear and have made too many mistakes that could have been avoided.

So this site is here to inform you and get you started on the right path to being a safe, responsible motorcyclist. You do want to be a safe, responsible biker. Right?

I’ve taken the liberty of taking a look at some of the most popular gear you can buy online and giving you my opinion on each one.

Essential Protective Gear

This is the stuff you generally do not want to be caught dead without and I recommend you compose a shopping list that includes this stuff right off the bat. Our bodies are squishy and bikes lack the crumple-zone filled metal cages that cars are equipped with. Don’t be a hero, wear some gear.

Firstly and most obviously you need a helmet. Check out my helmet reviews and my handy dandy helmet buyer’s guide. Hey, your head is at least the second most important body part you have. You might as well spend some money to keep it in one place.

Next make sure you cover your other vitals with a good bike jacket. I have reviews written up for those as well, and a buyer’s guide to help you choose. Remember, bike jackets also make you look super cool.

Your hands are pretty important too! So check out both my glove reviews and buyer’s guide. It’s very…handy.

An often-overlooked body part to protect while riding is the butt. So cover your butt with some great riding pants. Don’t do this by the seat of your pants, take it from me.

Finally, cover those feet with stylish yet safe footwear that can handle the needs of biking and if you have a hard time choosing, check out my boot buyer’s guide and get some tips. Don’t be that guy – the one that wears inappropriate footwear on his bike. Fashion faux pas, darlings.

If you need to cart more than just yourself around, a backpack is a great way to do it. So of course I reviewed some. They have all the advantages of backpacking without the walking, or crippling embarrassment.

Avert your eyes! Or, if you like, you can get some goggles instead in case your helmet doesn’t have a visor for some reason. My goggle reviews are here. It’s perfect for all those World War dogfight fantasy I know some of you have.

If you like messing around in the dirt you should also have a look at my motorcross armor reviews. I tried motocross once and almost broke a leg because of a squirrel. It’s a long story.

Bike Gear

We’d all look pretty silly dressed up in our bike duds without working bikes, so there are some things you need to get for your bike at some point that will make the whole riding thing either easier or possible.

The most important part is the humble tire, which has many jobs. I reviewed a few popular ones and I’ve also put together a quick buyer’s guide that should get you up to date with the most important things to know about tires.

Maintenance is something every biker needs to do at some point and there are a couple of things that can make it easier. Chocks, lifts, dollies and stands all make it easier to either keep your bike stationary or move it around when not riding it, transporting it, or working on it. There are few things that feel as good as pampering your own bike with good maintenance, and I really believe every rider should do at least the basics.

There’s also a must-read section on basic maintenance that every bike should know to help get you comfortable with swinging a wrench.

You’ll also want to look into getting some covers if your bike sleeps outside or needs to be in storage for long spans of time. This is especially important with older or classic bikes that don’t benefit from modern rust-resistant materials.

Security Stuff

Unfortunately, people want to steal your stuff every now and then, which means you may need to do something about it. Bikes are often so small and so light, compared to cars, that they can simply be lifted onto the back of a truck and driven away.

You can always buy a bike alarm and when your bike is parked at home a ground anchor is a great deterrent. This prevents someone from physically removing the bike and slows them down to give you time to intervene or to draw attention.

Just for Fun

If you just want to add an annoying toy to your bike, why not a set of speakers and an amp? Everyone will hate you, it’ll be awesome. If you like it loud and attention-grabbing, nothing short of police lights will turn heads like a loud stereo system.

A Crash Course in Biking

OK, maybe that heading is a bit on the nose, but I’ve written quite a few pieces that will help smooth your path into the world of being a biker. Biking is not just a form of transport. It’s an art, and like any art you have to get a good handle on the fundamentals and the right mindset.

To start off, here’s a little history lesson about our beloved bikes where you’ll get a bit of appreciation for how far we’ve come since the early days. Like they say: You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.

I’ve created a set of three pages that will get you started on riding armed with the right knowledge. There are some riding tips for beginners, some safety tips for beginners, and a discussion of the most common bike accidents and how to avoid them. Whenever you enter into something new, it’s important to do your research. When that also involves the safety of your body, this is ten times as important.

There’s also an important piece on how NOT to be a jerk on a motorcycle.As bikers we get a lot of bad press and suffer from negative stereotypes. It’s not hard to help avoid or improve this situation.

There are also lots of dangerous myths about biking and I try to address the most important ones. Usually myths are innocent, but if you buy into some of these you can really get into trouble.

Info Dumps

In case you’re curious about the more technical stuff and info around biking, I’ve written something about how dangerous biking really is.

Want to know more about safety standards for gear? I have you covered there and I also explain a bit more of the general deal with protective gear as well. It’s not essential that you read this, as retailers will usually recommend the right stuff, but if you have the time it can be very useful.

Biker Culture

Like everyone who has seen the TV series Sons of Anarchy knows, bikers can have a culture all their own. I take some time to explain what the deal is with clubs and what it takes to join one if you so choose. It’s more complicated than TV and film may make it seem.

Roll Out!

That’s it, once you’ve gone over everything I’ve put up here you should be ready for the really hard part: years of building experience. Biking is one of the most rewarding things you can do, but it’s important that you do it responsibly so that you can enjoy your motorcycle and the freedom that comes with it for many years.

If you like this site, please share it with your friends or any other riders you think may benefit from some of the information here. If you’d like to know a bit more of what this site is about, well you should swing by the about page.

Ride on brothers and sisters!

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