Buying a motorcycle is not that different from buying a car. Prospective buyers need to first check the models that are available in the market and then select the one that is most appropriate to their needs and of course to their budget. But focusing too much on the features can actually make one forget to buy one thing that is really essential when purchasing a motorcycle— the helmet.

Motorcycle helmets are so important and vital to one’s safety that state laws have actually required people to wear them while riding the bike. There are many types to choose from. But whatever the designs or the materials, the person should check the helmet for safety and comfort before buying it and cruising down the highway on the motorbike.

People will notice that most of the headgears sold come in bright colors such as white, red, yellow and orange. The reason for this is to warn other drivers, who are yards away. Bright colors are more visible especially at night.

Some people, however, feel that bright colors are not enough for the safety of the biker. The number of accidents has actually gone up by 12 percent compared to last year’s in a report given by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. The only way to prevent the numbers from further going up is to provide added protection, perhaps in terms of blinking lights, spray paints and even glittering stickers.

Most people put reflective stickers on the side and back of the helmet. Others spray paint this with a certain design. Since the cost for both is almost the same, the person can try having both after choosing the right graphics.

Lightning bolt, reflective eagle, checker flag and halo are just some of the hundreds of graphics that can be placed on the helmet. These are usually one or three inches long going from one side of the headgear to the next. The individual will not have a hard time looking for an auto detailing shop that offer these services. Some can be found around the neighborhood while others over the Internet.

The individual should however look at the catalog before making any decision. The price for the graphics may go from $4 to $8 a piece. This will depend on how complex the design is especially if it is custom-made. It is advisable then to compare the prices offered because it is possible that one dealer will give this at a more affordable rate with an added freebie.

When a graphic design is chosen, the person will have to leave the helmet with the manufacturer. Some even ship it back. The helmets will then be returned in a few days.

People will notice the difference between a plain and colored helmet and one that has graphics on it. For as long as people ride motorcycles, there will always be a market for those who want something different on their helmet.

Honda has come up with the most amazing 4-wheel-drive system, not for off-roaders but to improve the handling and stability of fast cars. It is being used first in the new Acura RL (Honda Legend).

Why is it so advanced? This SH-AWD system has the potential to increase cornering power and cornering safety by leaps and bounds. It will be ideal for supercars as well as luxury coupes.(More information about supercars at http://www.fast-autos.com/supercars.html )

First, it allows the amount of power sent to the wheels to be varied from 30% front and 70% rear to 70% front and 30% rear. True, some other systems get near that, but this allows the system to adjust itself to completely different conditions. On top of that, it can alter the torque from zero to 100% to the left or right rear wheel.

In other words, all the power can one to the right wheel one minute, and if necessary can be reversed so that all the power goes to the other wheel in an instant. This might be needed in slushy or snowy conditions, where there was a patch of bare road for a bit on one side offering good grip, but a bit later on a bare patch on the other side.

In addition to those features, the outer rear wheel can be speeded up so that it goes faster than the inside wheel! All done continuously depending on conditions. A few years ago this would have considered desirable, but science fiction.

More power to the rear wheel for acceleration

Confused? Well, let’s start with the front-to-rear power. When you accelerate, the weight of the car is thrown on to the back wheels by the force of acceleration, so you want more power to go to the back wheels - if it all goes to the front you get wheelspin. When cornering, you generally want as much or more power to the rear wheels. SH-AWD does that.

On the other hand, when you are cruising along, you want more power to the front wheels as this increases stability. SH-AWD also does that.

More power to outer rear wheel for better cornering

The side-to-side variation in power is used to improve cornering power and stability. For example, when you accelerate through a corner, extra power through the outer rear wheel counteracts understeer, letting the car corner on rails. In fact, stability control systems used on many cars now do this by reducing the amount of torque sent to the inner wheel - this means that you actually corner slower than you could do. SH-AWD lets you corner faster.

On the over-run, you don’t need that, and less power is sent through the outer wheel for optimum stability. But that isn’t enough because when a car corners, the outer wheels have to travel further than the inner ones - by 5-10% on very tight corners, so the outer wheel normally goes slower.

Honda overcomes this with some gears in the back axle gear set which actually drive the outer wheel faster when cornering! This improves maneuverability and cornering at low speeds.

Electro-magnetic multi-plate clutches

All this is accomplished by multi-plate clutches operated electro-magnetically - a world first - and the gear/clutch set used for acceleration. In fact, these gears also serve as the rear differential.

An advantage of the electro-magnetic clutches is that the electronic controller does not need to control a hydraulic actuation system as used normally but an electric actuator - this reduces cost and weight.

Is this the best thing since sliced bread? For the person who wants to have stability and control, and doesn’t want to know what is happening to the car -yes. Such a system is bound to reduce the input the driver gets from the road.

He will be less aware of whether the surface is slippery, or whether the car is understeering more than usual because the SH-AWD system is correcting things all the time.

Motorcycle helmets may not seem all that important when you think about it. It is heavy, hot and even suffocating. The material may even cause break-outs on the skin and even allergies. Motorcycle helmets also keep you from enjoying the wind on your face as you ride. So why the hell should people wear them? The answer is actually fairly simple. It can keep you from having a permanent disability or even keep you from dying.

Take for instance the story of Don Koening who died when his head hit a tree. He left his helmet on his front porch.

There are a lot of people who have suffered from permanent disability, some even died, just because they have forgotten one tiny detail, to wear their motorcycle helmet. What is more saddening about this is the fact that most of these people are between the ages of 16 and 24, people who still have a full life ahead of them.

Laws requiring helmet use

This is perhaps the reason why legislators have included the wearing of the motorcycle helmets in state laws. The law also states that the helmet worn must also pass the criteria that are set by the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motorcycle Vehicle Safety Standard 218. It is one of the three laws that require motorists to wear safety gears while in motor vehicles. The other two are the use of a child-passenger safety restrains and the use of seatbelts while inside the car.

Differences in some state laws

Although the same basic law is stated in all the states, there are slight differences as to the enforcement especially with the monetary fines. In California for instance, motorists must wear helmets all the time. Helmets should not only be worn but also securely strapped in. In Florida, the law is somewhat a little bit more complicated.

Although all motorists are encouraged to wear helmets when they ride, people over 21 years old and are covered by an insurance policy that provides for at least 10,000 dollars in medical assistance should an accident happen are exempted.

The helmet law also does not apply to people who are 16 and older and are operating a motorcycle that have a displacement of 50 cubic centimeters; does not have an excess of two brake horsepower or those that are not capable of operating it beyond the speed of 30 miles per hour.

A motorcycle helmet is one of those essentials that will help save your life should you have an accident while riding your bike. This will protect your head from a damaging and even potentially fatal head injury. Motorcycle helmets are so important that state lawmakers have even included a directive in the state laws that orders all people riding the motorcycle to wear helmets.

Some people though do not understand the importance of this accessory. In fact, some people do not even like wearing it because it is too heavy and too suffocating. Others find it a killjoy to not be able to feel the wind on their faces when riding a motorbike.

Motorcycle helmets are not really that expensive but they are also not cheap. Some who are not that well-informed will probably save all their money for the motorcycle leaving a really small budget for safety gears like the helmet. Some even buy used helmets instead of new ones. This, however, is one practice that should not be encouraged.

Using used helmets is extremely dangerous and impractical. Used helmets are actually worthless and what is more you cannot really tell whether they are damaged or not. You won�t even be able to tell if they are relatively new ones or not. This is because the helmet is made from a hard outer shell that envelops a layer of expanded polystyrene. You will never be able to tell if the expanded polystyrene is already compressed or not unless you cut the outer shell. An already compressed polystyrene layer will not protect you from an accident.

Another thing that you should consider is the fact that polystyrene becomes brittle as it ages. This is the reason why old helmets should be exchanged for new ones in a couple of years as it may not be able to absorb much of the impact when an accident does happen. The polystyrene layer is also easily damaged by the sun and by chemicals such as gas vapors.

Motor bikers who always place their helmet near the gas tank will also unknowingly damage the lining of the helmet. It is also not a good idea to always let the helmet sit under the heat of the sun. If you can, try to park your motorbike in areas that are shaded. Pointed objects may also compromise the lifespan of the helmet by piercing through the polystyrene layer inside.

In the most basic and familiar form, a tachometer measures rotating speed of any mechanical device. One of the best examples is the tachometer fixed in automobile dashboards.

How fast the engine of an automobile is turning is measured in revolutions per minute (RPM) by a tachometer. Most cars have got a standard shift transmission and when it is necessary to shift at the best possible RPM to get a better acceleration and to economize on gas then the indicator in the tachometer is very helpful. If the car is fitted with automatic transmission then the tachometer is not used frequently. Tachometer indicators move to the red zone when the engine is running very fast. The indicator in the red zone is an alert or an alarm to the driver, to safeguard the engine from damage. Most of the tachometers show single digit indicators with a small mark, which reads RPM X 1000. It explains that the reading in the tachometer should be multiplied by 1000 to get the correct RPM. A tachometer can also measure the rate at which the sparks to the engine is transmitted by the ignition system.

Even medical science uses tachometers. If a turbine like small device is placed in the vein or on an artery, the doctor can make use of the tachometer to measure the blood flow rate from the spinning speed of the turbine in the device. Circulatory problems such as clogged arteries can be diagnosed with this device. This device is known as a Haematachometer.

A physical contact between the instrument and the device being measured is needed in the traditional tachometer. If it is not possible to provide physical contact in applications where safety is more important then a laser tachometer can be used to take measurement over a distance. A tight beam of light from the laser tachometer is pulsed against a rotating element. Since the rotating element will have a reflective spot, the tachometer will measure the rate at which the light beam is reflected back, which in turn will help in calculating the speed of the device.

There are wide ranges of hand-held portable tachometers, which can be used to measure speeds up to 250,000 RPM.

As the name implies the infrared tachometer uses an infra red-beam which is not affected by ambient light, to measure the rotating speeds. The built in quartz crystal display ensures accuracy. It can be used to measure the rotating speed of drills, saws, hones, gears, motors, engines, fans, compressors and generators.