Last Updated on February 19, 2020
There are plenty of motorcycle accessories to choose from. There are plenty for your bike and there are also accessories for your gear that can help with overall safety.
In this post I want to go over the different types of accessories that you could get to make your more visible and safe while you ride.
Frame Sliders
This first accessory helps with the situations of dropping your beautiful bike.
They’re designed to help the bike to slide on the asphalt instead of the side fairings.
Fairings and plastics in general can be very expensive to replace and although frame sliders aren’t a 100% guarantee that you’ll save the sides of your bike from total destruction, it doesn’t hurt to have them on.
They only increases the chances of protecting your motorcycle so in the event of a crash, it’ll be wroth every penny of having them on your bike.
If you’re interested in finding frame sliders that work with your specific motorcycle then head over to Revzilla, make an account and add in your motorcycle to your garage on the website.
This will make the process of finding the right frame sliders super fast and you’ll be able to pick and choose from there which ones you’d want on your bike.
There are plenty of different types and brands when it comes to frame sliders, you’ve got plenty to choose from.
Reflective Gear
You can either find jackets that already have reflective gear on them your you can simply buy some reflective tape and add some reflection yourself. You can also put the reflective tape on your helmet or even on your rims.
If you’ve taken a motorcycle safety course or if you’ve done your fair share of motorcycle safety research with Google and Youtube then you know that you should ride as if you’re completely invisible to others while on the road.
But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to be easily seen… Reflective tape helps with that.
Especially for those of you that enjoy night rides (like myself) – it’ll literally be a night and day difference.
The more you’re noticed the safer you’re going to be. You should try and buy gear that has high visibility such as a bright colored jacket or buying a motorcycle that isn’t black.
But if you just absolutely need certain pieces of gear and they happen to be all black then you should make sure to add some tape to make sure you can be seen.
Communicators
SENA headsets are the most known and most popular communication headsets for riders.
They’re also the most expensive.
They’re extremely high quality and they are very good for what they’re made for – communicating back and forth with other riders without interruptions.
Not everyone has the cash to shell out on a SENA headset. Most of them cost over $100/piece. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives where you make a phone call instead of being on the same channel to talk while riding.
Being able to communicate while riding could mean getting a heads up about something ahead, if someone gets lost and someone else knows directions then they can know straight away and if something goes wrong you can also know right away.
Communicators are awesome.
You’re able to talk or listen to music while you read without the sound blaring into your ears where you can’t hear anything else going on around you.
Helmet Accessories
Mohawks, pigtails, sticker bombing, reflective tape and multiple visors – helmet accessories also help with overall safety.
No, mohawks and pigtails aren’t going to help in the event of a crash. But having your helmet more visible in any way shape or form is going to help with general safety because other people around you will notice you more.
Multiple visors are good because you absolutely should never wear any tinted visor during the night so having a clear option is essential.
Luckily, most helmets will come with both a clear and a tinted visor but you may also want to get a different color of tint which can also help with visibility.
Sicker bombing your helmet can also increase visibility, especially if you’re using very bright stickers that stand out.
Most helmet accessories are for making a statement and for showing who you are but when you really think about it, they can also help you be more visible and stay more safe on the road.
LED Lights
Replacing your headlights with LED lights or adding LED lights to your motorcycle increases your visibility and allows you to see better at night.
LEDs last longer, they are brighter and they aren’t hard to find. Plenty of local shops or online retailers will carry the LEDs that are compatible with your bike.
Note that when you switch over to LED on your blinkers that there’s a chance that you’ll experience your blinkers flashing faster than normal.
This is because of the light header being used to have an incandescent lightbulb instead of a LED light.
It doesn’t hurt anything to add LED headlights and if you do, you’ll absolutely thank yourself later.
If you’re thinking about adding LED lights for underglow and/or simply on the tank or anywhere else on the bike then make sure that whatever colors you’re using are legal for your area and also check if you’re able to even add the lights legally. Some places will not allow colored LEDs on a motorcycle.
Ear Plugs
You hardly ever see someone wearing ear plugs or hearing others recommend wearing them but they can prolong your hearing abilities when you’ve got a loud, roaring exhaust going on.
I personally don’t wear ear plugs but I would consider wearing them on long distance rides. That exhaust blaring for hours at a time will do damage to your ear holes if you aren’t protecting them.
Besides, if your exhaust is that loud then you’re probably not hearing a whole lot going on around you anyway. Might as well protect your ears in the meantime.
I see this as a controversial topic and again, I personally don’t wear ear plugs but they’d be a good idea for those worried about their hearing.
Stay Safe Out There
There are motorcycle accessories out there to help you stay as safe as possible while you’re out there riding.
Whether it’s adding in those frame sliders, putting some reflective tape on your helmet or adding a sick mohawk to it – it’ll all increase visibility and safety.
Are you currently using any of these accessories?
What else do you think you could use to increase your safety?
Let us know in the comments below!
What’s up! I’m Colton, the main guy behind Moto Gear Knowledge. Gear has always been my #1 priority when it comes to riding.
I share my experiences regarding gear and anything else moto related with you here. 👍