Keeping Warm on Your Motorcycle

In the cooler months of fall and winter, it is important for anyone considering riding a motorcycle to be fully prepared for the weather. Wearing a couple of layers of clothing is not enough because of the various places where body heat is lost while riding a motorcycle.

Every inch or centimeter of exposed skin when riding a motorcycle allows body heat to escape from the body. The neck, ears, face, and even the edge of the forehead where the helmet that is being worn stops all radiate heat and contribute to feeling cold. Breathing also helps to cool a body, since one exhales warm air from the lungs and ends up inhaling cold air. With each cold breath of air, the entire body is being cooled.

Another cause of cold in motorcycle riders is cold leakage in clothing. Wind generated from the moving motorcycle is able to penetrate fabrics and zippers, particularly those fabrics that are permeable at low speeds. Some pieces of clothing are advertised as being windproof; however, when a motorcycle is travelling at highway speeds, even these items can become permeable. A wind-proof barrier is essential for warmth.

Warmth is important not only for comfort but the safety of anyone on a motorcycle as well. When the body is cold, it slows down. The blood becomes thicker, meaning it circulates less, quickly causing all of the systems to slow down. When they slow down, situational awareness is lessened; thinking slows; and reflexes may be extremely slow. On top of which, being cold is uncomfortable and distracts riders from focusing on the road.

Contact an Iowa Motorcycle Accident Attorney

If you have been the victim of a motorcycle accident, contact the Iowa motorcycle accident lawyers of the Pete Leehey Law Firm at 1-877-209-9452.