Tag Archives: Misc

Springtime Is Around The Corner: What You Need To Ride Safely

As many cities in North America head out of winter and into the spring season, it’s an exciting time as motorcyclists gear up for the riding months ahead.

If you’re getting ready to de-winterize your motorcycle and take advantage of the warmer weather, there are a few springtime safety tips and steps that you should consider to make sure you have a fun and safe riding season!

Check Your Bike

Your bike has been in storage (on a trickle charger, hopefully!) for a while so you’ll want to go through your regular maintenance checklist and do the following:

  • Change the engine oil if you didn’t do so before winter storage. It’s best practice to do this before storing your bike away as the used oil from the riding season has collected a variety of contaminants. If you neglected to do this, definitely change it before you go for the first ride of the season.
  • Check your tires as they may have lost pressure over the winter months. Underinflated tires will kill your mileage and any damage or cracking in the compounds may lead to failure. Don’t take the bike on the road if you find any defects and get them replaced.
  • Your brakes are an integral part of safety, obviously. During winter, brake lines can take on air so be sure to check your brakes (and pads!) to see if they need to be rebled.
  • Do a light check to ensure that your turn signals, high beam, and brake indicators are in functioning condition.
  • Inspect other moving parts such as your chain, kickstand, and throttle shifter as these parts may have gotten a tad rusty over winter storage. Lubricate them as needed to keep your bike in tip-top shape.

Common Spring Hazards

construction workers outside

Credit: Black Ridge Research

Spring can be a dangerous time for riders and without the proper precautions it can lead to a higher risk of motorcycle injuries. Here are some common hazards that riders should be aware of:

  • Potholes can be more prevalent during spring as the cold weather will have wreaked havoc on the asphalt over the winter months.
  • City road maintenance over winter means that there is plenty of leftover gravel on the roads. This debris can pose a risk to riders at every turn so be sure to slow down and take a clear path where available.
  • Spring is also a time when roads are wetter due to melting snow or rain leading to slippery road conditions. Remember to dress for the ride.
  • Construction tends to ramp up in spring as crews are out on the road repairing damage from the winter months. Construction sites tend to have more debris in the area so slow down and stay safe.

Ride Defensively / Make Yourself Visible

Credit: RevZilla

Motorists drive year-round and will have to get used to sharing the road with motorcyclists again. It may have been a few months since they’ve seen a motorcycle and drivers may not be on the lookout for bikes on the road.

Therefore, it’s important to rider safety that we make our presence known either through hi-viz motorcycle gear and remain vigilant when riding, especially in the early days of spring.

Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just starting out, ride defensively and give yourself plenty of space when coming up on intersections and other vehicles. Some states allow lane splitting which is yet another consideration when you’re out and about.

As the adage goes, “look twice, save a life.”

Got Your Insurance?

people signing insurance papers

Credit: Pexels / Mikhail Nilov

With long winter months, it is common to cancel insurance to save on premiums.

One of the more common items that riders forget is to review and ensure that insurance documentation is up-to-date and current.

Listen, we get it. It’s warming up and you’ve been thinking about ripping down the roads on your CBR1000R, but it’s prudent on your part to make sure that you’re properly covered in the event of an accident, or at least if you get pulled over by law enforcement.

If you’ve replaced your bike over the winter or even made some modifications to it, it’s an opportune time to update your insurance.

Replace Old Gear As Needed

full face motorcycle helmets

Motorcycle gear goes through the same wear and tear as the bikes do. When your equipment gets long in the tooth, spring can be the perfect time to pick up a new motorcycle helmet or jacket.

Gear manufacturers can announce new gear during the fall and winter months, or you might simply want to pick up a pair of waterproof pants in anticipation of the wetter riding season.

If through unfortunate circumstances you found yourself in a crash, don’t reuse the helmet. Read our guide to learn more about when and if you need to replace your motorcycle lid. If you’re not sure about what kind of helmet to purchase, a full face helmet is always a safe bet.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

How eBikes (& PEVs in General) Are Changing Personal Transportation

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a monumental transformation in the personal transportation space. Automobile and powersport manufacturers have made significant strides in making electric vehicles their top priority, with some even announcing that they will cease producing internal combustion engines soon. Certain European countries have also decided to stop the sales of non-zero emission vehicles by 2030.

As this transition occurs, another supporting aspect of personal transportation has also seen tremendous growth — last-mile transportation. These include electric bikes, scooters, and mopeds, that plug the voids that a larger electric vehicle can’t fill. 

What Is Micromobility?

Micromobility is commonly referred to as using small PEVs (personal electric vehicles) such as eBikes, electric scooters, or electric skateboards — to commute in an urban environment. While size is more of a deciding factor in whether a particular mode of transport falls into the ‘micromobility’ category, it’s generally agreed upon that these vehicles have a top speed under 15-20 mph.

An image of multiple electric bikes and electric scooters parked side by side.
Source: DrivingChange.org

Using a compact eBike or scooter instead of an electric motorcycle or car is a much quicker mode of getting around a congested city. A report published by McKinsey & Company in 2019 revealed that stakeholders had invested over $5.7 billion dollars in micromobility start-ups since 2015, with 85% of that targeting China. This isn’t surprising considering that the people of the world’s most densely populated country rely heavily on micromobility to commute daily. A report by the World Economic Forum revealed that a substantial 73% of China’s population uses micromobility in their daily commute.

Are PEVs Getting More Popular?

There’s no question that Personal Electrical Vehicles (PEVs) are becoming increasingly popular. In July 2021, the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility conducted a study that found that 70% of its participants were open to using micromobility vehicles for commuting. The pandemic was a key factor contributing to this rise in interest in micromobility. When the initial restrictions were lifted, people were still quite apprehensive about using public transport, and the only workaround was to invest in a mode of personal transportation. 

A man and a woman on electric scooters share the bike lane with a woman on a normal bicycle.
Source: Digi.com

A car or motorcycle makes more sense if you’re traveling long distances. Still, an electric bike will be significantly easier to use for a shorter commute. Bike-sharing companies that allow you to lease a PEV for short durations saw a sharp rise in usage post the easing of the pandmeic restrictions.

A PEV is also quieter, less cumbersome, and emits zero emissions, so it’s not surprising that the environmentally conscious are enthusiastically adopting it. 

What Changes Are PEVs Bringing to Transportation Trends?

PEVs and other forms of transportation that can be considered micromobility are changing the way we think about car or motorcycle ownership. The McKinsey & Company study from 2019 also found that all passenger trips of less than 5 miles account for 50-60% of total passenger miles traveled in China, Europe, and the United States. Think about it, and you’ll probably find that most of your travel falls under this category, too; your commute to work or your weekly grocery run likely comprises just a few miles, for which a PEV would be perfect. 

A woman rides a CitiBike in New York city while several other eBikes are parked in the background.
Source: GreenBiz.com

A Stanford study predicts that private car ownership will drop by a whopping 80% by 2030 in the United States. As a result, the number of passenger vehicles on American roads is expected to drop from 247 million in 2020 to 44 million in 2030. However, people will still have to get around, and that’s where PEVs and micromobility come in. Ride-sharing apps will make it easier and much more affordable to commute when compared to owning a car. 

Are PEVs the Future of Personal Transportation?

It’s hard to say if PEVs will be the future of personal transportation, as they can’t completely replace the long-distance connectivity that more conventional modes of transportation currently provide. A solution to counteract this would be to find a balance between the two. For example, using a PEV to commute a short distance to somewhere, you can use a mode of public transportation, like a bus stop.

Micromobility is no longer a “buzzword,” and micromobility trends suggest the continued adoption of PEVs as a replacement for “last mile” transportation options. As cities get more populated, it will fall upon PEVs to reduce traffic congestion and keep things in order. A projected two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050, so reducing transportation’s impact on the environment will be crucial. 

Electric scooters from a ride-sharing company are parked in a spot that's designated for micromobility vehicles.
Source: Stan Parkford / Twitter

That said, there is still a lot of work that has to be done before micromobility is a more sustainable mode of transportation. For instance, ride-sharing aggregators will need the space to park their eBikes or eScooters, with the ability to charge them or their batteries. Plus, countries across the globe will have to accommodate PEVs with dedicated bike lanes and secure parking solutions. 

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle Dash Cams: Do You Use Them?

A motorcycle dash cam may be an unfamiliar concept to many motorcyclists, but it’s one that you should know about if you spend considerable time on one.

Dash cams are relatively recent, although they are not new. Riders have been able to buy a decent one online since at least 2010. Among the many benefits of dash cams, perhaps the most important one is the additional evidence and insurance it provides in a collision or dispute.

As the famous saying goes, “There are two types of riders; those who have crashed and those who will.” In the unfortunate scenario that you do end up in an accident, having dash cam footage of the incident will make it easier to claim insurance or settle a dispute in court. At the moment, there are multiple ways you can use a dash cam on your motorcycle, and this article aims to inform you about just that.

What Is a Dash Cam?

Dash cams get their name from the automotive world, where they are typically mounted on the dashboard of a car to continuously record what’s happening outside the vehicle. While most owners attach one just to the front of their vehicle, having one at the rear is a good idea.

A dash cam can come with various features depending on how much you spend on it. For instance, some will also record metrics like g-force, speed, and location.

A helmet mounted camera shot of a rider riding on a unpaved road with trees on either side.
Source: RevZilla

How Can a Dash Cam Protect You and Your Bike?

We’re well aware of the fact that motorcycling can be a dangerous hobby. With the many thrills it returns, there’s an undeniable element of risk that accompanies it. A study in 2020 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that motorcyclists were nearly 28 times more likely to die and 4 times more likely to be injured in an accident than someone in a passenger vehicle.

Unfortunately, these accidents can be from no fault of your own. And without solid evidence, you could find yourself in a lengthy legal battle over whose fault it was, costing you time, money, and other resources. This is where a dash cam comes in.

An image of two crashed motorcycles laying on tarmac, surrounded by debris.

Most modern-day dash cams are capable of continuously recording hours of footage. If the onboard memory does fill up, it will proceed to rewrite footage, ensuring that the latest activities are always captured. This way, in the event of an accident that may not be your fault, you can turn in the recorded footage as video evidence and legally protect yourself.

Recording footage of your ride may come in handy in less severe instances as well, such as avoiding a parking violation or a speeding ticket — given that you didn’t, in fact, break the rules.

What Are the Different Types of Dash Cams?

Generally speaking, there are two ways in which you can record footage of your rides. You can either mount the camera onto your helmet, so your footage is from your POV, or you can mount it somewhere on the motorcycle. Both these choices have advantages and disadvantages, so if you have to choose between them, it’ll come down to what you’re willing to compromise.

Helmet-Mounted Dash Cam

A helmet-mounted dash cam is the more popular choice among riders. One of the advantages of having a helmet-mounted setup is that you can record exactly what you’re looking at. So, if an incident occurs on your side, you can change the frame of recording by simply looking in that direction. This isn’t possible with a motorcycle-mounted dash cam that is usually set up to point in just one direction.

Helmet-mounted cameras, like GoPros, also benefit from being battery-powered and are easier to set up. You simply have to mount the camera onto the helmet and hit record.

The downside to using a helmet camera is that very few options are capable of recording both the front and rear. Plus, a camera like that will have to be mounted on top of your helmet, and this can cause wind resistance and be quite bothersome when you start picking up speed.

Remember that while there are no legal restrictions against mounting a camera to your helmet, it isn’t always the most advisable method. Adding a protruding object to your helmet may cause injury in an accident. In fact, certain countries outside the United States are cracking down on helmet cameras and making them illegal.

Innovv K5 mounted underneath motorcycle headlights
Source: Canyon Chasers

Motorcycle-Mounted Dash Cam

If you want to avoid the risk of injury, you should consider mounting your camera on the motorcycle. With a wide-angle unit at either end, you should be able to record as much as your surroundings at all times. Still, this will leave some blind spots, especially if something happens right next to you.

A motorcycle-mounted system will also require wiring that must be attached to the battery and tucked away under the seat. While this is usually a straightforward process, it isn’t as plug-and-play as a helmet-mounted camera. On the plus side, this continuous supply of power from the motorcycle means you won’t have to worry about changing batteries.

An image of the INNOVV K5 mounted in between the headlights of the Triumph Speed Triple.

What Should You Consider While Buying a Dash Cam?

Video quality is one of the most important factors to consider when getting a dash cam. There are several low-cost options out there, but most of them record substandard videos. Think about it — there’s no point in the footage if it’s so grainy you can’t identify another vehicle’s license plate. Ultimately, you’ll have to spend a little money if you want a dash cam that does what it’s supposed to. But keep in mind that this is an investment worth making and could potentially save you thousands of dollars in the future.

If you decide to go down the helmet-mounted route, cameras like the insta360 ONE X2 feature two 180-degree lenses on opposing sides of the same body, recording everything that happens around you.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a dedicated motorcycle camera, the INNOVV K3 is an excellent option explicitly designed for powersport applications. The unit has two cameras that can record a 120-degree field of view in full HD. It’s fully waterproof, features an external mic, and automatically starts and stops recording along with the motorcycle’s ignition. This way, you can focus on what matters most — riding.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

The Paint Shop or Your Garage: What Paint Repairs Can You Do at Home?

Touching up the paint on your motorbike is occasionally vital if you want to keep it looking its best—but many bike owners make the mistake of thinking this always needs to be a professional job. Don’t get me wrong; some things are better left to experienced professionals, and we don’t blame you if you’re too scared of maiming your motorcycle to try painting it yourself. But there are actually plenty of small paint repairs you can learn to do on your own that aren’t too difficult.

Below, we’ll cover the main types of paintwork motorcycles need most often, along with advice on which ones you can try yourself (and which ones you definitely shouldn’t attempt without help or significant experience). We’ll also give you a quick list of what you’ll need if you’re planning to paint your bike in any way, so that you can properly prepare beforehand.

Ready? Then it’s time to bring the paint.

Common Types of Motorcycle Paintwork

There are a few different situations that might warrant a touch-up of your bike’s paint job. Here are some of the most common:

Dings & Scratches

Your bike is pretty much guaranteed to pick up a few scratches and scrapes over time. It doesn’t matter how carefully you ride—pebbles and other debris are going to get kicked up by the tires while you’re on the road, and some of them will inevitably leave marks in your bike’s paint.

Can you fix it? Yes, you can! Make sure you buy paint that matches the colour of your bike, then test it in a small area that most people won’t see easily. Then clean the area, apply a degreaser, smooth out the scratch with sandpaper and apply the new paint (according to the manufacturer’s instructions). Use a sanding block wrapped in 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper to smooth the area out, and finish up with some polish. Done!

Closeup of honda motorcycle fuel tank

Courtesy: CBR250.net.

Chipped Paint

Paint chips typically happen when the painted surfaces of your bike come into contact with larger debris—stones, etc.—or when you (gasp) drop your bike. Repairing chipped paint quickly is vital if you want to restore your motorcycle’s appearance and prevent the affected area from rusting.

Can you fix it? Yes, you can! This is trickier than repairing a simple scratch, but the process isn’t that different. Some riders take the “easy” route and cover the chipped area up with a shade of nail polish that approximately matches the surrounding paint—but that’s cutting corners, and it’s pretty obvious when anyone looks closely. Instead, mask up the rest of the tank and follow the same steps you’d take to repair a scratch.

The difference is that you’ll need to use a primer on any metal that’s been exposed by the chipping. Make sure you’re only putting primer on the exposed metal, then cover a slightly wider area with the base coat and an even larger one with the clear coat. If you’re not feeling confident about this one, take it to a pro.

Cracking Paint

A motorcycle that’s been painted properly probably won’t experience cracking paint. Cracking typically occurs as the result of a lousy paint job—low quality paints, painting in hot or humid conditions, mixing the paint badly, or failing to prepare the bike’s surface beforehand can all lead to this undesirable effect. Your paint might also crack if you put on too much of it, or put it on too quickly.

fuel tank with cracked paint

Courtesy: Jockey Journal

Can you fix it? Hard to say. If the paint on your bike is cracking, it’s likely because you didn’t paint it properly the first time—which means you might not have the skills to do any better the second time around. A better route is to prevent your paint from cracking in the first place by using high-quality paints designed for motorcycles and following the manufacturer’s instructions properly whenever you’re giving your bike a custom paint job.

Peeling Paint

Peeling paint is another indication that something’s wrong with your bike’s current paint job. It generally occurs when the surface of the bike has a blemish that prevents the dry paint on top from sticking properly to it, but it can also happen when the coat of paint on a bike is too thin. Additionally, the paint on your bike can peel if you don’t sand your undercoats properly before putting on your top coat (since the top coat will have trouble sticking to an undercoat that isn’t smooth).

Can you fix it? It depends on the size of the area that’s peeling. If the paint on your bike is only peeling in a small zone, you can strip paint from that area and touch it up the same way you would if you were repairing a scratch. But if the paint is peeling all over your bike? Fuhgeddaboutit. Take your bike to a professional as soon as possible and have them take care of the issue properly.

What Do You Need for Motorbike Paint Repairs?

automotive paint spraying kit

Courtesy: Stardust Colors UK

If you’re touching up the paint job on your bike, you’ll need to be armed with the right equipment. Here’s a quick list of the essentials:

  • Two paint guns. It might seem like overkill, but trust us. One gun’s for your primer, while the other is for your base and clear coats. This will save you a lot of time.
  • An air compressor. You’ll need to hook this up to your paint guns via an air hose to make them function. For best results, purchase a compressor with enough volume for you to do one complete coat of the largest part of your bike that you’ll be painting.
  • An air hose. Pretty straightforward. The trick here is to make sure your hose goes through an air regulator with a water trap, which will ensure a smooth delivery of air (and paint) during your work.
  • Sandpaper. You’ll need this for removing paint from any areas you’re touching up before you begin, and for sanding down any new coats to make them smooth afterward. Stock up on sandpaper with grit levels of 80, 400, 600, 1500, and 2000.
  • Polishing tools. Once your final clear coat is applied, you’ll have to buff the body of your bike out. Use a variable-speed polisher with a buffing pad for this task.

Fixing Your Paint Job Isn’t Rocket Science

Lots of people are intimidated by the prospect of touching their bike’s precious paint job, but most minor repairs aren’t that hard. While we advise against giving your bike a complete custom paint job without plenty of experience and the proper kind of paint, fixing the paint in certain spots is nothing to fear.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

NAIC Number: What It Is, Why It Is Important & How To Find It

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Let’s face facts, despite the best preparations, defensive habits on the road, and not pushing beyond one’s own skill limits, there are times when fate steps in and things just happen. They are called accidents for a reason. It can be a small patch of gravel, a car pulling out without looking, or a hundred and one other things.

The biggest part of going through insurance is filing a claim. Often, there are documents you need to fill out, police reports or DMV reports you need to gather, things to sign, calls you need to make, and the like. Often, you will need to know your insurance policy number, file number for your police report or DMV report, but one thing that is often not explained very well is that you may also need what is known as the NAIC number for your insurance.

What Is An NAIC Number?

There are a couple of ways to explain it, but the simplest is by pure definition. NAIC stands for National Association of Insurance Commissioners. This association has 150 years of history, being the de facto standard setting and regulatory commission for the insurance industry. Every major insurance company in the US is part of the NAIC, and almost 95% of the minor insurers are also members.

Each one of these insurance companies, when they become members, is issued an identification number. This number is unique, and is made up of five characters currently. There are provisions to make it six numbers if enough insurance companies come into existence that a six character identifier is needed.

The NAIC number is also used by the regulatory and competition committees of the NAIC itself to promote competition within the industry in a fair environment for both policyholders (i.e. you and me) and the policy providers. This prevents one insurance company from monopolizing a sector of a certain industry, from production insurance for a movie studio to automotive and motorcycle insurance for the common layman.

It also binds those insurance companies in each sector to a standardized set of rules and regulations that must be adhered to. For example, in the automotive and motorcycle insurance sector, insurers are, at minimum, bound by regulations to provide liability insurance and comprehensive insurance. This ensures that any insured party will have at least the correct coverage for incidents outside of their control (“Acts of God”) as well as against property, personal, or medical damages.

Why Is An NAIC Number Important?

In many other nations around the world, insurance is bound either by a provincial standard such as in Canada, or by a base set of federalized rules. In both these cases, while there are anti-monopoly measures in place, some insurance has been mandated to be from one provider, and one provider only. This can be seen in the province of British Columbia in Canada, where the provincial government has a Crown Corporation (what we call a Federal Corporation here in America)  known as the Insurance Company of British Columbia, and there are no alternatives for automotive or motorcycle insurance.

As pointed out earlier, the NAIC, and the number assigned to each insurance company, means that this kind of state-level monopoly cannot exist in the USA. While there can be only one or two companies in a specialized sector of insurance, the NAIC Number identifies them and the policies, rules, and regulations they must adhere to. To think of it in a different way, it’s insurance against the insurance company doing what they want to.

However, the biggest reason that an NAIC Number is vital is that it is used nationwide to quickly process the start of an insurance claim. When filing for a DMV report, or filling out an insurance claim, it may be a requirement to provide your insurance company’s NAIC number. In very few, select cases, it is not needed, but 90% of the time you will be using the number to identify who you are insured through.

Signing forms at a table

This allows any legal authority involved in the claim, namely the police, the DMV, the other party’s insurance company, and the like to simply enter a number into the files for the proceedings to gather all relevant information about that insurer. In a nation with over 360 million citizens, if every claim had to be filled out in triplicate, faxed/email/snail-mailed, found out that there is a typo in the name, have it come back, refilled out, and on and on, it would slow things down to an absolute crawl.

With the NAIC number, it’s entered into the filings, all relevant names, addresses, main counsel, et al are listed, what rules and regulations they are bound by, and off to the courts you go with your claim. This isn’t to say that the insurance claims process cannot be dragged out for months or even years, but getting the whole thing going in the first place allows for at least the initial phase to be done quickly.

How To Find Your NAIC Number

As the NAIC Number is both a legal requirement for almost all insurance companies, and a vital bit of information for a policyholder, we contacted 4AutoInsuranceQuote, one of the main quote search engines in the USA, to help define the main ways to find your specific Geico NAIC number.

The most common way to find your NAIC number is to look at your policy card, or more correctly the proof of vehicular insurance card that your insurance company sends you. Where it lists your policy number, there will either be a five character code before or after it, depending on your state and insurer. Otherwise, the code is either beside the insurer’s name, or on the reverse side of the card in the “what to do if you’re in an accident” guidelines.

GEICO insurance card template
Note that in the address portion of the insurance card, the last part is the NAIC number of GEICO, in this case 35882.

If you have the full, detailed policy documents on hand, you will know that there are multiple pages in it that seem to make no sense, or have complicated codes and listings on them. However, almost all insurers will also include a Declarations of Insurance Coverage page, or simply a Declarations page. On this page, you will find the NAIC number in the section covering the name and address of the Insurer.

The third way to find the NAIC number is to quite simply Google search for it. Use the layout of “(Insurer’s name without brackets) NAIC number.” For example, if you’re with the insurance company XYZ Insurers, you’d simply Google “XYZ Insurers NAIC number.” It will always appear as a separate box above the search results.

The fourth way to find the NAIC number is, quite simply, to ask your insurer. On all the proof of coverage cards, there is a 1-800 number to call your company directly. If you have your insurance through a brokerage, you can also call the broker and they will know, or can find out for you very quickly.

The final way to find an NAIC number is to visit the NAIC webpage at NAIC.org. Enter your insurer’s name, the type of coverage you have (in this case vehicular), and press “Search.” 99% of the time, it will give you a result.

If none of the above mentioned methods work, then it is likely that either your insurer is very new to the NAIC, or has not joined the association and is therefore not bound by the policies, rules and regulations of it. This is not to say that your insurer is bad or corrupt or anything nasty, it’s just that they have decided to not join the association.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com