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My experience as a neurological ICU nurse taught me that if you break your arm we can probably fix it, but if you break your head we probably can't. I have always said that they should take every person about to get their driver's license and smack them in the forehead with a piece of windshield. Then explain that hitting a windshield or the pavement is much much worse. There is absolutely NO RATIONAL EXCUSE for not wearing a good motorcycle helmet.

Bet this guy knows what he's talking about. “Anytime you see anybody riding a motorcycle without a helmet on, you’re looking at a goddamned fool.” -- Evel Knievel

"Not wearing a helmet, while riding, reduces neck injuries." That is the same as saying "not wearing a parachute, while skydiving, reduces shoulder strain."

This reminds me of back when car seat belts were first introduced. Some people actually believed they were safer without seat belts because it was better to be "thrown clear" of a crashing vehicle.

Thanks for another great informative video. A few people all said I should get a "piss pot" helmet if I'm going to ride a cruiser. I did my homework and actually don't care what people think of how I look on a cruiser. I use a full face helmet and enjoy my ride. I'm not riding in a fashion show, I'm riding for pleasure and the freedom it gives me.

Well ofc he found people with helmets had more neck injuries... Because they survived a crash that probably would have killed them without the helmet. Generally when you survive... You have injuries instead of death. That reminds me of WW1, when they started issuing helmets to soldiers, they saw a huuge increase of patients into medical and they couldn't figure out why on earth so many soldiers were having injuries now. Then they realized oh its because the helmets were saving people who would have died from debris and sharpnel. Instead of dying they survived with injuries instead. Neither study adjusted for survival rate.

What a great service you are providing! I was telling my parents about some of the rides I'm planning for this season and they asked where I was going first. The parking lot to shake off the dust and practice, was my response... without even thinking about it. That is a direct effect of what you do! Have a great season, sir. 👍

First of all, I really find you video helpful Kevin. Iv just started riding about a month ago and had a crash two days ago, exactly what you talked about this video. I should of realised the traffic lights i was approaching were going to change (first mistake), they change and I locked up the back brake (second). The conditions or the road were bad,, and quite slimy after it had been raining. Any I skied, lost control and crashed at 25/30mph. Onlookers came to help me up, and told me that my head cracked off the pavement. Im fine and have no injuries (fill gear all the time), but if i didnt have my helmet on i probably would not be talking to you now. Iv learnt a lesson,and just want to say I owe everything to my helmet and gear! Cheers Gareth Belfast ,Northern Ireland

I vacationed in Hawaii last month, and apparently they don’t have a helmet law because almost nobody was wearing one. Most riders were also sporting flip-flops, tank tops, and shorts. I get that it’s warm and humid, but it made me cringe every time I saw someone dressed like that. It can get blistering hot in my area during the summer, but I don’t forego the full kit. I sweat for a few minutes, but then once I’m up to speed I’m fine. Water is a lot easier to replenish than blood.

Thanks again for your great work Kevin. A quick note to put in a word for Hi-Vis helmets...having been a rider since the 70's, I have evolved into an advocate of Hi-Vis "anything" when it comes to riding my bike.... The importance of being seen cannot be overstated. I love it when my neighbors tell me "I SAW YOU" riding with that tacky, glow in the dark tacky helmet and jacket.....mission accomplished !

Kevin, thanks again for the VERY important topic. Four years ago I had a high-side @ about 70 mph. Back then I just started riding (~8 months) and as you've mentioned before became "comfortable". I also was arrogant and stupid rider who pushed my limits on a California canyon roads doing a MotoGP style. So, one morning I entered a very well known turn on the road I commuted for ~10 years @ 80 mph. Unfortunately, right on the epic of my turn it was a fleshly spread coyote guts across my path... I stood up the bike and while braking went on the opposite side of the road and shoulder having a rock in front of me. On the shoulder I released the brakes and did a dirt bike riding for ~50 yards and saw that the shoulder is ending with a rock. So, it was a time to get back on a road at about 70 mph. My front wheel grabbed the asphalt while the rear kept skidding for a split second, which was enough to high-side me as soon as it hit the road. I remember flying moment and lending/rolling as well. ONLY due to my BELL Star helmet I didn't even have a concussion. But if I wouldn't have a full face helmet, by inspecting the marks I definitely would not have a jaw and my brain would most likely be near coyote on the asphalt. And of course, ONLY because I was completely geared up (full leather zipped suit with racing shoes and gauntlet gloves) I just walked away from this with a BIG lesson: --- FULL GEAR ALL THE TIME! --- NO MotoGP riding on public roads!!!!!!! Have fun/thrill on a track day! And enjoy your day-to-day riding. My suggestion to all riders: if you cannot afford a full good gear -- DO NOT RIDE, PERIOD!!! And it doesn't matter how hot it is. In California we get over 110 F easily.

I was in an accident on my bike where I was rear ended. I feel that the extra weight of the helmet did increase the speed that my head snapped back and I did end up with a severe case of whiplash. I also ended up hitting my head (helmet) on the concrete when I went down and suffered a mild concussion. In spite of the whiplash, I will never ride my bike without my helmet even though it is not required in my state. Even though it took almost a year, I can recover from whiplash but I might never recover from a head injury.

I have no ABS on my '95 Road King - at 67 years old, it's the last bike I'll ever own - I've honed my braking and swerving skills, through countless training courses, dozens and dozens of books and hundred of hours of parking lot and real street practice to the point where I am confident enough to handle my bike no matter what happens, pretty much ... your video's are great - keep up the good work!

Helmets are mandatory here in Canada as well and luckily for me that's good. One day I pulled into a bike dealership on my Honda VFR and decided to park it under a tree where it was shadier. I put the kickstand down and while still sitting on my bike I decided to unstrap my helmet and take it off before I dismounted. While I had my hands on the helmet and about to pull it off my head I found myself falling over to the left and the bike was falling from under me. Apparently I had not gotten the kickstand down all the way and it gave up. Unluckily, right beside the asphalt was grass under the tree bordered by large rocks the size of bowling balls. By the time I realized the bike was falling and I looked down to see this was the case there was no way I could save it from going completely over. So the bike basically fell on my left leg trapping me under and as I went down my head in my helmet hit straight on one of those large rocks. I saw Stars and Blackness for a moment as the shock went through my head. And subsequently had quite a serious headache from the impact. However, not having had my full face helmet on that day I would not be here to tell you the story as my brains would have been spewed all over that rock. I'm a helmet believer

One additional consideration on helmets: not wearing protective gear, a helmet in particular, is a greedy act. It may be one's right not to, but what about those who have to take care of you due to a brain or other injury which could have been avoided simply by wearing the gear? Like many others, I can attest to the efficacy of protective gear first hand. I had over 50 years riding experience when the inevitable crash occurred. I had two broken ribs due to the hard landing on my back, but otherwise not a scratch after going down a steep embankment on a mountainous road. Further, the deep scratches to the back of the helmet strongly suggest I wouldn't be here to write this had I not been wearing a helmet. To my way of thinking, we riders have a responsibility to mitigate the risk as much as possible not only for ourselves, but for family and friends as well.

Regarding helmets, I just can't see why you wouldn't do everything possible to mitigate the risk of personal injury: you've only got one body and you've got to live with it for your whole life. Personally, I wear full riding gear, including hi-vis and back and chest protectors every single ride. To be honest, I'd feel totally naked and unprotected without them.

Great video. Whenever I hear someone say "I had to lay it down" I immediately put them on my list of riders to watch or avoid riding with.

I don't need a study or stats to know I will wear a helmet. I wear full clothing, sturdy gloves and ankle boots if my bike leaves my yard. Again, I don't need a study by box tickers at a desk wasting my time. I just know. I also know the Zen of bikes. Have good skills and stay alert so you don't have to block a punch that you can simply avoid.

Kevin - Another great video. - "Dual Sport" rider here. Another great reason for a FULL FACE helmet: While riding down the road - car beside me kicked up a good size rock - Nailed the VISOR just below my right eye. If I had been wearing goggles it would not have helped. Rock hit me too low. "Gang" a full face helmet protects not only your head, but your WHOLE face as well.... Cheers

2 years ago I purchased a BMW k1200lt. I never had ABS before but found out how nice it works. I was cruising on a country road going about 60mph. A deer darted out in front of me and I nailed the brakes. ABS clicked and buzzed... went from 60mph to 10mph in about 30 feet. (maybe less!) Bumped the deer, he spun around and I heard a strange clicking sound next to me. It was the deer hooves on the pavement. He was running along next to me. No damage to the bike or the deer. My old 1200 Goldwing NEVER stopped that well. I always had to listen and feather brakes to maintain control. ABS eliminated the guesswork. I will always prefer to ride with ABS over non abs if I given the choice.

I am a BRC - MTC (MSF/TCT) certified instructor. I have had students ask why we don't teach how to safely lay the bike down. My first response is that there is no "safe" way to do that. My next response is if putting the bike on the ground is your only option, you did every up that point completely wrong.

Helmets have come on a long way since the 80’s & don’t weight half as much as they used to. I took a few years off from riding & when I came back to it I bought all new gear including a helmet & I couldn’t believe the weight difference in just a few years. Another great video kevin👍👍👍

In reference to the saying “I had to lay it down” My dad also told me “Don’t crash to avoid a crash.....that’s stupid”

This guy makes so much sense . I have been riding ( in the U.K. ) since i was old enough to obtain a licence . Am now 76 years old , and survived several accidents . We're NEVER too old to stop learning .

You're 'spot on' MCrider! Many years ago I had a crash while riding my racing bicycle. The hard foam helmet shattered....my head didn't. My doctor (another racer) said I would most likely would have died. Now at 77 years of age and riding motorcycles, I don't even get on the bike without a full face helmet.

Great tips, I'm back on 2 wheels after 20 years...been studying and learning from you...thank you!

Great video, Kevin! May I add that wearing a helmet is of no great use if it isn't fastened correctly? Some riders wear a helmet but don't fasten it. If they are in a crash the helmet will come off and will stop protecting their heads...

I hardly notice my ABS and always felt like a failure whenever it kicked in on my Ninja 1000 or Indian Springfield. I strive to never have them kick in but love them looking over my shoulder ready to saving my bacon. The riders I knew who had to "Lay it down" were inexperienced riders trying to save face. And 25 + yrs ago I survived a high-speed high-side (don't ask what I was doing) and was saved by my helmet. After coming to I got up and brushed myself off. The helmet was destroyed, the leather jacket was scuffed, and I had a pounding headache that took weeks to go away. I never hope to have to test one again. Thanks, Kevin for being the light in the dark of ignorance.

Helmets protect the brain... if your not smart enough to wear one, you probably don't need one... Excellent video as always Kevin!

I am an instructor in Toronto Canada and I love your videos. Great job.

I'm glad you addressed "I had to lay her down" right at the start. That saying has always bothered me. You refuted it very effectively.

If a person doesn’t want to wear a helmet, that is certainly their right, in some states. But at least be honest, that you are not interested in the facts that say you should. On a personal note, in a low side accident, that slow-motion thing occurred, where I experienced the accident very slowly. As my side hit the road, and my arm trailed behind, but over my head, my head twisted downward toward the road rushing by. My helmet hit on the side and my face twisted down toward the road. All things being the same, without my helmet AND face shield, if I were alive at all, I would not have my right ear or the right half of my face. Go without a helmet, if you choose. Not me.

All three good points. I live in a state where, you can get a ticket for not wearing your seat belt in a car, but your not required to wear a helmet on your bike. Not wearing a helmet costs everyone, when someone gets crippled or brain damaged from a head injury. Who pays for that persons dependency on everyone to stay alive? Not to mention they are no longer an asset to society. We all do. Great video, thanks.

When we were teenagers we all had motorbikes and usually wore helmets when riding, however one time one of my friends was showing off to a two girls who were walking past our yard by popping wheel stands. He hurriedly got onto his bike without his helmet and during the stunt flipped the bike, knocked himself out and after the ambulance arrived he was taken straight to hospital. Had an acquired brain injury from the accident and undertook months of rehab.... The one time he didn't put on his helmet. Great video as always Kev!

GREAT POINTS! I had a guy watch my riding and the first thing he pointed out was that I didn't know how to use my front brake. He had me practice stopping the bike from 45 mph over and over using just the front brake until I knew how hard I could hit the brakes without locking the front wheel. Cooked a tire and set of pads that day, but by the end, I was bringing the rear wheel off the ground without locking the front. That "confidence" in my brakes and tires would later help in avoiding potential accidents, and it's a lesson I teach others to do if they are a new rider...practice emergency braking using just the front brake (instinctively, we use the front but don't always remember to use the rear AND in an emergency stop, most of the braking power will be centered on the front wheel). Learn how effectively (or not) your front brakes perform under controlled conditions so you instinctively know how much you can trust them in an emergency. Likewise, along with the last point, ABS is a great tool, but whether you have ABS or not, learning how to brake with maximum efficiency is very important. For cars and bikes, people are not taught about incipient spin and incipient skid...thresholds where your tires break traction with the road. Knowing how to sense these things when they happen will tell you via feedback what's going on. You correct a spinout/skid by simply easing off the gas/brake until the tires regain traction and maintaining control.

One of the BEST KZfaq channels on the subject of motorcycle riding. How can anyone give this a thumbs down? I suppose logic and statistics take a back seat to ego and peer pressure.

"Study shows wearing a helmet causes more neck injuries than not wearing a helmet". Maybe because those that didn't wear a helmet either died or had a massive head injury and didn't and had no feeling neck down. That a similar study to the "seat belts cause broken ribs" ya but they lived!

Kevin, I heartily congratulate you on your video series. As a rider with more than 45 years experience, and current Goldwing owner,, I regularly learn new skills from your videos that help me to avoid accidents and injury. Keep up the good work my friend!

I do not "like" helmets. I always wear my helmet when required by law and I wear my helmet whenever in traffic or undivided highway even in places where we are free. I very much enjoy riding without a helmet on some of our lonesome divided highways such as are common in eastern Kentucky. Its a personal balance of risk VS pursuit of happiness.

I am a nurse and have a passion for community health. Where the individual right argument breaks down is when a rider not warring a helmet costs the health system millions of dollars in lengthy and intensive care. When you are spending taxpayer money for your care the tax payers are allowed to say, “please wear a helmet.” My belief.

MCrider, my brother you have some of the best videos out there about Motorcycle skills and thrills and how you should handle your bike weather it is stopping & turning skills. Man, I'm certainly impressed and always eager to watch more. Thank you so much and keep it up!

1) My butt won't stop me from sliding anywhere near as quickly as my tires and brakes will stop the forward motion of my bike. Plus, I'm opposed to leaving skin of the pavement. If I have to choose between braking and "I might have a crash, at a lower speed than before braking." and "I'm going to intentionally crash my bike at full speed." the choice is clear. Braking, you may crash, you may not. Laying it down, you are crashing. Crashing is painful. 2) ABS is great if you grab a handful of brake. It can be the difference between crash and no crash. Crashing is painful. 3) Only full face helmets for me, thank you very much. "Thank God I didn't wear my full face helmet" said nobody after a wreck. When I had my wreck, I was very thankful that the visor and chin bar sacrificed themselves to protect my jaw, face, and eyes. I can easily get a new helmet. I can't get replacement jaw, face, or eyes. Crashing is painful. Crashing without protective gear is much more painful, and for a lot longer time.

I believe that wearing a helmet is a good practice for every individual who decides to ride a motorcycle. Thank you , Mcrider for providing great information.

Kevin, I've been riding from the age of 13 (63 now). Ride both on-road & off. Just started watching your videos, and all I will say at this time is; Thanks and keep putting out the good information.

The only thing ABS gets in the way of is losing control and crashing. And on the helmet issue, I live in a state without a helmet law but I would not get on my bike without one on. Not smart for you, or fair for the loved ones that will have to change your dippers, feed you or wipe the drool off your face for the rest of your life... that is if you survive the crash... Kevin, you are always correct. Keep up the great job.

The one thing I always heard from bikers is that there are two types of riders, those that have laid it down, and those that will lay it down. My argument has always been, why don't you develope your skillset so that you don't ever have to lay it down? There's always going to be that one instance you have no control over like someone turning across you at the last instant or someone pulling out in front of you from a side street, but if you practice safety, even though you might not be able to avoid all collisions, you should be able to prevent most "accidents".

One of the best instructors I have watched, Kevin is a master craftsman, no one is perfect but this guy gets pretty close. I am an older rider returning to Motorcycling after a 15 year break. Jumped on a 1600 Roadstar for a test ride, as my last bike was a VN1500 and a GL1500 Gold Wing before that, yep I thought I could handle it easy. What a mistake that was. Found out the hard way that after 15 years with no riding at all, my perception of what I was capable of was about 10% of my reality. I quickly downsized to a Suzuki Boulevard C50 (800cc) which if I was honest hurt my pride a little, but amazingly found that even this smaller bike was much heavier than I anticipated, I have ridden it twice so far and am still nervous over the physical weight, which I find at my age (68) challenging. Live forever Kevin.

Hi Kevin, I’ve been riding 8 years and have 120k miles on my bikes total. I’ve criss crossed the country about 3 times both ways. I’ve never fallen over on my bike when I was moving, only when sitting still and I lost my footing. I have always worn a helmet, a modular full face. Only once have a hit my head and that was this summer in Portland OR where the roadway was slanted up straight ahead and up to the right. Something happened that we lost our balance and we fell over. Had I not had my helmet on, I would have been in the hospital be cause I hit my head so hard the people in the cars heard it. I was not hurt, dazed and had exactly zero injuries because I also had my armored motorcycle jacket on. I hear people here in Florida say, “It’s too hot.” Well, OK guys and you have the freedom to choose here in Florida, but when your insurance runs out and your family is out of money, don’t ask medicaid and the sate to pay your bills. Your choice means you’ve chosen grievously for your family because there is a continuum between health and death and it can be horrid. Protect yourself the best ways possible and I support your riding a motorcycle.

Can’t understand people not wearing helmets. Here in the UK it’s mandatory, but even before it was I wore one - value my head too much not to. My one coming-off when it mattered my helmet hit the tarmac, and if it had been my head I’d left half of it there! As it is I just got a bit of a black eye where my cheek hit the inside of my lid.

I had a crash once, at the time I was on and off with helmets, at this particular time I was wearing one and it had some rash and a crack afterwards. It happened so fast I don't even remember my head contacting the pavement, maybe because I was really feeling the rash on my shoulder and back. Anyway I always wear a helmet now

I’m a big fan of the info and techniques you share but... #2 rear wheel abs absolutely get in the way during off road riding # 3 I believe mips is a different standard for helmets that prevents rolling your head. There’s two sides to every story

Your right on. What I see in most single accidents is the lack of skills in a turn. They are forcing the bike to turn in the direction of the trunk and not the opposite. Witch in turn I will never regret of taking the motorcycle class to get my license. Where they teach on what you said. All accidents can not be avoided but in many I see that people are putting out on KZfaq is lack of training. They get a license and just go riding. Most with a to powerful bike that they have the skills to handle. Then those who have been riding a long time getting way to comfortable. That's why I really like your channel. It makes me think and work on skills that mint have forgotten about. Thank you.

I'm glad you said about the helmet(s). I had an accident a couple years back and I had a gauge in my helmet on the left side about 3 inches long and deep enough to stick your fingernail in. If I hadn't been wearing my helmet I may not have been here today and been able to have my wife and 2 boys. Thank you MC Rider for all your tips and tricks on MC riding. Keep it up .

ABS, well I riding in the twistys here in Tennessee 35mph in 30mph curve when BIG dog jumped out of a ditch in front of me, grabbed the brakes the proper way and swerved. Next pull out I pulled over to check my drawers, looked at my BMW gps mapping and it had ABS ABS ABS all over that corner!! Thank you ABS! And thank you MC Rider for great content.

Mine got laid down and it wasnt from braking or lack of. I hit diesel fuel on the road in a curve and the rear end spun around on me. It was a bad day. Totaled motorcycle, hit guardrail and it split me open. Enjoy the information and videos. Good job and thank you.

Points well said and well taken. I agree it’s important to make informed decisions about safety gear. As Fast Eddie says, “imagine tomorrow you are going to jump out of a car at 30 mph. Would you rather be wearing full, quality gear or your current gear/street clothes? I can’t imagine anyone thinking no helmet is better than wearing a helmet. Oh well, to each their own. Thank you Kevin. I love your channel!

Thank you MC Rider for making these videos and wanting to create safer more competent riders.

You hit another one out of the park Kevin! Outstanding!

Thank you Kevin for another great video. I agree that the right choice is to wear a helmet because they probably saved mine and my wifes lives when we got hit head on by a teenage driver on our previous Goldwing gl1800. I hit the windshield pretty hard before the bike hit the ground as I pulled the bike to the right on impact trying to get out of the way. My wife flew over my left side and landed in between the car and the wheels of the bike. When everything stopped her helmet was up against the rear tire of the car that hit us. She would have sustained severe head injury or been killed if she was not wearing a helmet. We both walked away from this crash with bruises and sore but had no serious injuries thank God. I do believe in the right to choose to wear a helmet but I believe that getting on a bike without one is foolish and suicidal. A bug or a piece of gravel in the head could knock you off of the bike, knock you out ,or kill you on contact. Keep up the great work that you do and maintain the responsible approach on touchy subjects like this one. Mark & CC

Huge fan of brake and avoid. Got drilled into me at the start of my riding career (45+ years ago) that your throttle will save you more times than your brakes. I have had a number of times when hard braking, a serve and a blip of the throttle have saved me. I am a big fan of full face helmets and it is not "if" we will be involved in an accident, it is "when".

The bike I owned before the bike I have now (a 1986 Kawasaki concourse) and I put 370k plus miles on that bike. I rode that bike rain or shine. No ABS My 2005 Concourse doesn’t ABS either. So riding all the miles I have I have had just about everything happen that can. I was riding home (I live in the mountains close to Yosemite) the speed limit was 55 on this part of the two lane road and I was coming around a blind corner. As I rounded the corner the traffic was stopped. I was doing about 57 miles per. I know I wouldn’t be able to stop in time. So I garbed the front brake a hard as I could without locking it up. I also hit the back brake and it did lock up. But that was what I wanted as that kicked the back out to the side and if I couldn’t miss the stopped car in front I was going let the bike hit the car bottom first and try to stay on top of the bike so it would be between me and the car. I was able to let the bike slide to the right of the car let the brakes off and pass the car to its right stopping alongside of the car. Not putting down ABS I just didn't have it and if I buy a newer bike would be happy to have ABS. Another when I went to work 62 miles away it was sunny and very nice. But when I got off work at midnight it was raining and very hard. That night it rain 6 inches and I had to ride in it. I was paying attention to the road and the bike very closely. Two times the RPMs started to pick up as it was starting to spin the rear wheel (Hydroplaning). I didn’t panic I just eased off the throttle and the bike got traction again. Till then I didn’t know if a bike could hydroplane. I am 70 now still ride and have learned (when young) that you never know how close you are to a crash. One time riding home (about half a mile from home) I was making a left turn slight uphill not even at 10 mph and the rear tire spun on sand left over from winter. And the bike did a 180 so fast I never took my feet off the pegs and I was on the ground. It was a total shock I didn’t hit the throttle and I was almost at idle. Just a few of the things that happened while I was riding. I have been involved in auto racing most of my 70 years. Because of that I have always worn a helmet and I have been very happy I did a number of times. In my younger days you know when you know you are invincible it saved me many times so I could get to that age were you can start to use your brain.

Absolutely true about ABS. I have it on my 2013 CB500F and I have never noticed it until I went riding on a dirt road and purposely tried out the ABS in a straight flat piece of road where there were no other vehicles around. ;)

Don't dress for the ride, dress for the crash.

Dear Kevin, I've been watching your videos frequently and in my opinion, you have the best Motorcycling channel on KZfaq. Your videos have very good graphics and format, besides your style, having a balanced sense of humor and taking our passion as it is, a risky way to have fun. I'm an airline pilot and I do understand perfectly risks assessment for everything. I don't mean to pay you an appraisal, only my direct critic to your work. I belong to a high-risk group, those guys who are more than 50 years old, I had three different small CC motorcycles on my youth (No license nor knowledge) , have a stable marriage and two girls (5/12y.o.). Long before buying my a motorcycle, I was already fully concerned with safety. Today, having a motorcycle, it has doubled. Unfortunately, my availability to have a motorcycle course is near zero, I'm living in a foreign country and for the moment, I still unlicensed due to my residence status. My questions are simple but intrigue me a lot. ---First- While riding my bike around the block, to keep it usable and to me get used to it, I'm not sure if an I have to keep my foot rested on the rear brake lever, or can I relax it on the footrest? Of course, being able to jump on it if necessary. Second- To efficiently brake and to avoid panic braking, may I use only two fingers at the front brake lever while braking? It's completely possible to use maximum frontal brake effort using only two fingers at the lever. thanks if you can answer these questions and sometimes, people talk over the macro subjects and forget the micro details. Best regards

As usually a very informative topic (s). Its a mind boggle why riders dont wear helmets. I ride sometimes with my neighbor on long day trips, when its warm he doesnt wear a helmet and I always have a comment. Dude, ground hard head soft, what part of that dont you get? Amazing

Well... I had to lay her down... in my case: it was the szenario: my bike stalled and my girlfriend was on my pillow seat ... my bike stalled at a junction and the road under my bike was - well - inclined - like a hill road. So... my right foot didn't found the ground earlier than the lean angle of my bike reaches the falling-point... so... I laid her down and also kicked my girlfriend while I was jumping off the bike - try to catch the bike. But I never lay down a bike on purpose or as an emergency braking. Who did such idiotic things on purpose?! Really great video. Lovely greetings from austria, buddy.

Where I live, helmets are mandatory. However, I live near a state line (about 10 miles away) where that state allows riding without a helmet. I personally would never ride a motorcycle without one, I don’t care what state I’m in. It’s common sense that they protect the rider. Riding already is a greater risk than driving a car. There is no good reason to push the limits.

Thanks for all your videos Kevin, they''re great.

Great vlog, Kevin. Totally agree I've been down couple of those roads as you've mentioned braking, handling & the helmet saved me from loosing my head/right side of my face. People just need to use Good judgment when riding a motorcycle. Have an awesome weekend! 😄

Kevin- when talking about braking, the terminology used in the police academy for what you’re describing is “Threshold Braking”.

I agree on your point of full-face helmets reducing traumatic brain injuries or fatalities due to severe head injuries. I experienced my first motorcycle accident last Saturday, 10/10/2020; a vehicle decided to change lanes, left to right lane, at the last minute causing me to emergency brake, however, I still managed to drop my bike; Yet, wearing my full gear - armoured riding jacket, gloves, riding boots, and full-face helmet reduced my chances of suffering major injuries. I walked away with skinned knees and scratches on my right forearm, and no broken bones. Because of practicing emergency braking techniques for several months now, my motorcycle had very little damage and I was able to have minor repairs fixed the same day; the minor repairs were completed by some "Good Samaritans" who happened to own a motorcycle repair shop. They are really good people. Shout out to Thunder Alley Dundee of Clovis, New Mexico.

Just happened. New bike now with ABS and VERY sensitive front brakes. Distraction to the right while riding about 35 mph. looked ahead to see a car fully stopped about 15 feet away. Full ABS on both wheels saved my butt. Came to a stop with both feet down about 2 feet from car. Very glad no one was following me!!

Teenage brain (which persists to some degree into the late 20s) is not so good at making informed decisions, especially when the perception is looking "cool" vs being safe. I support helmet laws.

The problem with squids is that because of them insurance companies charge pluses to all motorcycle riders. A squid that dies on a motorcycle crash that could be prevented with training and/or proper gear, is just natural selection happening. I don't wish harm to anyone, but if you ride without the proper gear and get hurt because of it, it is your fault, it doesn't matter if the car that hit you was speeding and texting going the wrong way, you are failing at the most basic and primitive human and animal instinct, keep yourself alive!!.

I had to lay it down. I have always told my students that you may not be able to avoid all accidents but with proper emergency braking it will mean that you may/will hit an object at 10-15MPH instead of sliding into it uncontrollably at 30-50MPH. Add to it emergency swerving and you may be able to avoid the object all together. Just remember that you can't do both at the same time. Brake as long as you can, then swerve around the object (if possible). I had an incident several years ago where the other vehicle seems intent on hitting me. I braked, he stopped and when I tried to go around him he moved back in my way. Thankfully, I had adjusted my trajectory enough that I was still able to avoid him.

When I first got my current bike the ABS would kick in on straight, well surfaced roads, when I was braking hard. I replaced the OE tires with Michelin R5- not had the ABS kick in once since. From this we can deduce that the ABS was making up for the poor grip of the OE tires. Bottom line is that if the ABS is kicking in, it's kicking in for a reason and not "getting in the way".

Good common sense advice given in a low-key manner. Thank you.

Thank you very much for all you do! You help A LOT of people!

Great review. I've had a few accidents in my 35 years of riding with most occurring in the first 5 years. Now I ride defensively and always assume that motorists around me will do the wrong thing, I leave a 3 second gap with the motorist in front, I don't ride along side vehicles in multiple lane roads, and I approach corners more carefully. Unfortunately, it took a long time to learn these things.

You do a great job, I am a restarted rider from my youth. I now use a full face helmet and full gloves and shopping for some pants on revzeilla, all because of you. I have noticed that when I ride now I see everything! I might be to cautious. I start my M/C class at the end of may, 3 day class

I have only heard of one plausible case of “laying the bike down” and that was from 4 time 500cc world champion Eddie Lawson. He suffered front brake failure at high speed and just before hitting a barrier he laid the bike down as a last resort to help lessen the impact of the crash.

Glad to hear you've now read Road Craft, Kevin.

I had my accident coz of over breaking and not brackets more emergency breaking ... the helmet saved my life and without it i will not be able to write this comment.... thanks for ur advices and looking forward for ur next video

not a new rider, but always enjoy your videos. I have watched a lot of new riders who do not train to be better riders. the importance of practicing emergency actions is over looked by so many and i have suggested your videos for many people. lot of the videos i have seen were so avoidable, and lot of times over reaction by the rider who did not commit to a situation caused the accident.

Great video Kevin! I've been very fortunate in that I have had only one accident in almost 45 years of riding, but the deep gouge on my helmet was all I needed to see to convince me to always wear one. I had a guy pull in front of me and although I did fracture my collar bone, I had no other injuries and no road rash. In addition to my helmet, I had on my leather jacket, heavy denim pants, full height boots, and heavy gloves. The only way to ride! Thanks for all the great information and training.

Hey Kevin...Keep doing the nice job...Today was my 2nd weekend practicing your advices on Cornering techniques...I was surprised about how disqualified I was before in ten years of my riding background and that "Turn your noise" advice must be written by gold...Thank you for being here

The helmet story ironically reminds me of a story I heard about army helmets when they were first really introduced .. apparently back around WWI or so there was a study which seemed to conclude that since the helmets were implemented.. the number of head injuries and traumas suddenly sky rocketed and thus they thought that the helmets were becoming detrimental to soldiers.. but upon further investigations they actually found that the number of fatal head injuries had dropped significantly since the helmets came in and people started realising that the reason the head injuries suddenly just jumped was because the helmets did their job by preventing fatalities and thus caused an inflation on the number of injuries rather.. causing the misconception .. Long story short.. they thought helmets weren't helping when in actual fact they had just saved lives rather than "prevent injury"

ABS is a very valuable tool that has saved me while a distracted driver ran me into gravel and grass within my first week on a street bike

“Not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle improves the gene pool.” There! Fixed it for ya, Kevin!

Let me say up front: I am a 100% advocate of ATGATT and especially of helmets when riding a motor at all times. This next opinion will be controversial, but something that is worth considering. I have learned to manage the risk of riding a motor using the 3 degrees of separation approach: 1) Riding strategy, 2) Emergency skills, and 3) Riding Gear. Having a full face helmet dulls some of your senses (e.g. Hearing, peripheral vision), that otherwise may have helped you recognize a side/rear hazard in time to take evasive action to avoid a crash. So if there is a trade off in the hierarchy of the 3 degrees of separation, avoiding the crash via riding strategy or emergency skills overrides protective gear that increases the odds of being in a crash but reduces the severity of the injury should a crash occur. So when assessing risk situationally, track riding or carving canyons on your sport bike, always wear a full face. When riding in traffic on a cruiser, maybe a high quality half helmet like motor officers wear is a better choice.

When you “lay it down”, you give up ALL control of the motorcycle. This technique is not taught in police motor school for that reason. “Laying it down” is what I call “Uncle Harry” advice. It kind of goes with the old adage, “Possession is 9 points of the law”. After 45 years of Law Enforcement, I still don’t know what that means. Great video, as always!

Facts dont lie thank you SIR for taking the time and teach us motocycle riders who dont have the time to reserch and carfully observe thank you for practicing what you preach and showing us how we can be saved or even more to reduce failer RESPECT

My neck was injured by my helmet in my last serious crash; I was somehow strangled by the strap resulting in a throat injury that required surgery. This presented a challenge to my attorney when he was trying to determine fair compensation because he couldn't find another example of this occurring. Rare, possibly unprecedented, but possible. Nothing whatsoever to do with the mass of the helmet, and I wouldn't be caught dead riding without one.

#4 - Loud pipes save lives. I rode maxi-class scooters for 15 years and a motorcycle for the past year and none of these bikes have been loud. It's more about your safety and handling skills and no matter how loud you are the sound pressure won't keep a 2 ton vehicle away from you.

Great advice Kevin, as usual, I have learned a lot from watching your videos. 👍🇬🇧

Right on Kevin. Correct, factual based information again. The section on ABS is especially correct. "Dynamic" VS " Static" friction is actually what is happening with the ABS systems, so if anyone is interested to that degree, just look it up. Keep the good safety videos coming.

I recently took up riding after a 35-year hiatus, on a 900 Vulcan Custom LT. This bike seems to be much heavier than the 1976 CB 750K I had previously...and it had a Windjammer fairing. I tried starting off trying to re-familiarize myself with U-turns in the neighborhood. I got a little too slow on one, saw I wasn't going to make the turn, and I must have hit that durn front brake. Down I went. The bottom of my left foot was caught by the falling bike and it catapulted the rest of my body to the pavement. I had the presence to turn my head, and I bounced my helmet off the pavement with enough force to spring me back to my feet...and I am not very spry at all. I got back on the bike and did a few more turns before calling it a day. The next day and for the following 6-7 days I had a really stiff neck that was more than a little distracting (pretty painful), so you could say the helmet may have caused this injury. However, it kept me from a certain visit/stay in a hospital. So...be wise when picking your battles.

Nice job Kevin. Spot on for all three (mis)beliefs.

Good information Kevin . Thanks