In motorcycling, the topic “loud pipes save lives” never seems to die. Chances are you’ve seen the biker stickers and patches with this phrase. But is it myth or truth? The phrase is related to two extremes of an argument. Some argue that loud motorcycle pipes prevent accidents and so save lives; others argue that the loud noise is merely a nuisance.

Many cities and communities in the United States have banned motorcycles because of residents complaining about the noise from motorcycles. And before I became immersed in motorcycle culture, I would have probably supported a city ordinance banning motorcycles if the noise bothered me.

So, loud pipes make motorcyclists more visible to others on the road, and this increases safety. Now how much this contributes to saving lives is difficult to measure, but you might say that increased safety reduces the chances of serious accidents. There’s your answer: “loud pipes save lives” is truth.

A question then comes to mind:

Does this mean that the rest of humanity has to cope with the noise?

You think Zzyzx is amusing? Check out this Austrian village’s name featured on its four famous road signs (picture below). According to the village officials, stealing the famous road signs as souvenirs is the only crime in the area. To prevent theft from English-speaking tourists, the locals installed theft-resistant signs.

Send us your biker girl photo, get the most likes from our facebook fans, and win 2 motorcycle helmets shipped free. You can choose any 2 helmets from our Outlaw and Hawk brands. Second place winner gets 1 Hawk helmet of their choice. Competition starts today and ends Monday March 8, 2010 at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time.)

Here are some rules and guidelines:

• It must be an original photograph taken by you
• You must successfully upload the photograph as a WALL POST to Leatherup.com’s Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/LeatherUp
• You must name the wall post (the post with your picture) Biker Girl Competition Photo Contest
• You can submit one photo per post (no albums)
• You give us permission to publish your photo on our websites
• The Submission must not be defamatory, offensive or obscene or violate or infringe on the trademark, copyright, publicity, privacy or other rights of any third party

Look through your achieves, or get out and start shooting some biker girl photos. Post your photo to our wall at http://www.facebook.com/LeatherUp and don’t miss our deadline, Monday March 8, 2010 at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time.)

So what are you waiting for?  Send us your biker girl photos.

Lenses

Polarized motorcycle sunglasses are highly recommended because they cut glare, do not shutter easily, reduce eyestrain, and give you a clean view of the road. You can find both clear and dark polarized motorcycle glasses. Darker polarized lenses provide more protection from glare and the sun. Polarized lenses do not have coating—they are made of polycarbonate, a material that naturally blocks harmful UV rays.

Some motorcycle glasses have transition (photochromic) lenses. Transition lenses are good for both day and night riding. How do transition lenses work? Darkness and lightness of lenses depend on the amount of sunlight they are exposed to—darker by day or on cloudy days and lighter at night. Transition lenses, however, do not get as dark as fully polarized lenses and so are less comfortable for people who are more sensitive to sunlight. Transition lenses are also made of weaker material than the polarized.

Mirrored motorcycle sunglasses have mirrored lenses. Protective coating (mirrored coating) covers the outside of mirrored lenses, making the lenses look like mirrors. These lenses are more breakable than the polarized polycarbonate lenses and thus offer less eye protection.

When buying your motorcycle glasses, you should also consider lens color and scratch resistance. Did you know that in low light conditions, like dusk and rain, yellow lenses improve vision? It’s best, for obvious reasons, that your lenses are also scratch resistant.

Frames

Motorcycle goggles and wraparounds offer the most protection to your eyes: they keep the wind, plus they protect the area surrounding your eyes. As for other frames, make sure that the sides are wide enough. Fogging is the downside of motorcycle goggles. When buying new motorcycle glasses, especially goggles or wraparounds, check if they have ventilation.

We also created matching flying-skull vests to keep the same look when removing a layer of your clothing.

Our new Outlaw half-face motorcycle helmets are made of a lightweight polycarbonate shell.  Polycarbonate helmets have a sleek look while offering a higher degree of impact absorption than normal half helmets. They are DOT approved and often exceed DOT standards.