The first step on your journey to getting your own motorbike is getting yourself a license. This isn’t as difficult as it may seem. You’ll need to pass the theory and then get enough experience on a bike to ensure you know what you’re doing before taking, and hopefully passing, your test.
There are time limits but nothing that should cause you stress or pressure.
Then you get the excitement of looking at bike sales and choosing your own one. You can visit here to see some bikes and equipment for them. But, this is when you’ll find you have lots of questions. Such as those are frame sliders.
The Frame Slider
In a perfect world, your bike keeps its wheels on the tarmac and there is nothing else on the road. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. The sad fact is that car drivers often don’t see motorcyclists.
Combine this with the fact that you can simply be riding too fast and lose control, and you’ll find out why there were 248 motorcyclist fatalities in 2016.
Whether you get knocked off your bike at a very low speed or doing twice the speed limit, the reality is that it is going to end up on its side, and that’s when expensive damage occurs.
The frame slider is usually situated below the fuel tank, approximately halfway up the bike. It sticks out approximately 2-3” and becomes the first point of contact if your bike falls, or is knocked over. The idea is that the frame slider will protect the more delicate body parts, such as the fairing. This will reduce damage to your ride and potentially provide you with more protection. Damaged fairings and other pieces can injure you as much as the road surface in an accident.
In many ways, the frame slider looks like a set of footpegs that have been put in the wrong position and can’t be folded.
While they may not be particularly effective in a high-speed crash, they will be a bodywork saver at low speeds, or if you simply drop the bike by accident.
The great thing about frame sliders is that they don’t have to be black. You can have them in practically any style or color you choose, helping your bike to look good as your ride around town.
Other protection Measures
The frame slider is not the only thing protecting your ride. There can be a crash bar that will protect the engine and body panels, it protrudes like a backward C from below the fuel tank to near the ground. The theory is that these won’t just protect your ride, they can reduce upper-body injuries.
However, there are also theories that suggest crash bars could contribute to lower-body injuries, that’s why they are often replaced with frame sliders.
You may not want to think about anything happening to your beloved bike, but, just as you wear protective gear, you should add some frame sliders as a protective gear. If you ever drop your bike you’ll be grateful they were there.
