Motorcycles

Novelty Helmet

BMW Motorrad is the brand used by the German company known as BMW for its motorcycles, manufacturing the bikes  and motorcycle gear since 1923. The history of the BMW motorcycle originally began in 1921 though. 1923 was when the first motorcycle was released but during World War I the company manufactured aircraft engines as its first product. The R32, the first motorcycle introduced by BMW Motorrad, featured the flat twin boxer engine, which is most associated with the company’s motorcycles during its history.

The plant for producing BMW Motorrad motorcycles is located in Berlin, Germany. China, Austria, and Taiwan are other locations where BMW Motorrad engines are manufactured outside of Berlin, Germany. The most popular model in the year 2008 for BMW was the R1200GS, which was just one of the over 100,000 motorcycles sold by BMW in 2008. BMW Motorrad was launched into serious motorcycle competition with the introduction of the G450X model. Aside from motorcycles, BMW Motorrad also manufactures motorcycle gear such as carbon fiber helmets and motorcross helmet.

There are four main series currently in production by BMW Motorrad. The F series, the G series, the R series, and the K series are the four main series manufactured by BMW Motorrad. The F series features parallel twin engines, the G series features single cylinder engines, the R series features twin cylinder boxer engines and the K series four cylinder engines. BMW Motorrad is the first non-British manufacturer to win the Isle of Man TT race, which they won in 1939. The 2009 Superbike World Championship features Team Alpha BMW for the first time in the history of the company. Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser are the drivers for the factory team for BMW Motorrad. Enthusiasts of BMX and Motocross can also purchase BMX helmets and motocross helmets from BMW Motorrad. Side car motorcycles were manufactured by BMW Motorrad in the past as well. World War I and World War II featured side car motorcycles because they could carry more than one person at a time. The pre-war motorcycles manufactured by BMW Motorrad are the most coveted of the company. An auction is held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada for historic BMW Motorrad motorcycles.

It has been found that the incidence of accidents involving motorcycles is more with motorcycles than other vehicles. The major causes of these accidents involve other vehicles when they come in the way, obstacles in the path and driver error. Violent head injury could cause concussions and brain damage. This is the major risk involved in motorcycle accidents. Chin injuries too are common. These injuries can be prevented or minimized with the rider and the pillion rider wearing head protection gear which is to the approved standards. The other common injuries are breakage of joints in shoulders, knees, elbows, spine, wrists and hips, fingers and neck. It is common to find pelvis and shoulder injuries. However, it is possible to minimize these injuries and even prevent them. This can be done with extra padding of vulnerable joint regions in the jackets as well as pants. Dual density foam or foam padding can be used for this extra padding.

Soft tissue damage to the muscle and skin almost always occur. This happens when the body scrapes over the surface of the ground. Wearing protective apparel can prevent these types of injuries to a large extent. The protective apparel could be in the form of jackets made of such materials as cordura, leather, Kevlar, ballistic nylon and other synthetics. Reinforced pants could also be useful. There are many ways to minimize motorcycle accidents. One way is to make the motorcycle conspicuous so that other oncoming vehicles can easily see it. The visibility can be improved with the use of retro-reflective strips and head lamps. Highly visible jackets can also be worn by the rider. Yellow, orange or bright red are remarkably visible from a distance. Enhancing the visibility of the vehicle and the rider is an effective way to warn other of the movement of the motorcycle. Nevertheless, it is important that the riders will have to have a good understanding of the variety of causes of accidents and take the necessary precautions.

Scooters are also categorized under motorcycles. There are varieties of scooters including motorized scooters, kick scooters, gas scooters, electric scooters and mobility scooters. Kick scooters or Push scooters are designed for kids and are very popular amongst them. They do not have engines and so are free from pollution. Its movement is by the push and glide motion where the pushing is done by the leg of the rider. Electric kick scooters are also introduced in the market. The kick scooters can be conveniently transported and cheap, and come in a variety of attractive designs. These are increasingly popular amongst kids. Razor, for example, markets kick scooters such as Razor A & AW kick Scooter and Razor Scooters, miniature electric motorcycle as Razor Pocket Rocket, electric scooters such as Razor E100 Series Scooters and Razor E200S/E225S Scooter, electric wagons and miniature electric scooters.

Cars and heavy vehicles dominate the roadways and highways. The system of road transportation is biased is biased against two wheelers. Motor vehicle drivers too show an intolerant attitude to the motorcycles often encroaching and dominating the space on the road.