I think we, bikers, are all aware of the dangers and risks involved in riding (well, everyone except the most ignorant youngsters who seem to care less for their own lives than a Kamikaze pilot).

Riding a properly prepared and equipped motorcycle is very important, and the factories are increasingly taking matters into their own hands on that front-line. Production motorcycles come better equipped for road safety than ever, and they aren’t shy to make use of the newest and most advanced technologies to secure a safer riding experience.

On that level you need not worry. Factories cannot afford to disregard safety, and on top of that, safety sells.

Riding a motorcycle which incorporates state-of-the-art safety technology, though, is only one half of the deal. The other half of it, is in your own hands. The equipment you wear, whenever you go out riding, is your own responsibility, something that can have an enormous impact on your chances for survival in case you get involved in a road accident.

Advances in motorcycling gear have been a bit slower than motorcycle technology itself, though they never fell too far behind. You’d be amazed to learn some of the tricks producers have employed, and the simple ingenuity that makes them work.

Take the inflatable motorcycling jacket for instance: you put on a regular-looking biker-jacket, and connect it to the bike via a toggle.

The jacket doesn’t look out of the ordinary, but in case you fall of the motorcycle, the toggle pulls a pin from a small gas canister and the jacket inflates in under 30 seconds. The inflated parts will protect the back, the neck and the hip - the most exposed body-parts in case of an impact.

Another interesting thing would be the use of intelligent materials. Such materials are a cross between solids and liquids. When not stressed, they’re liquid and thus easily shapable. They can be incorporated into clothing items and protective devices which are in direct contact with the body, and they won’t hinder movement or be uncomfortable in any way. Once they’re subjected to mechanical impact, though, they become solid thus protecting the bodypart to which they are applied.

Apparently, technology is in full swing as far as biker gear is concerned too.
Even if you won’t yet be able to afford such a marvel of modern engineering just yet, always make sure you protect yourself by using protective gear, as much as possible.

No matter how money-centric this world has become, people still cannot tag a price on life. You shouldn’t cut corners either, when safety is concerned.

For protective gear check out motorcycle accessory shops like: