Motorcycle Races

There is a huge range of motorcycle races, varying on surface type, on road or off road, engine type, vehicle age, rider ability and so on. The four main categories are road racing, motocross, enduro and track racing. Other types of motorcycle races include sprints, hill climb, landspeed racing and vintage motorcycle racing. In vintage racing, riders compete on rare and classic motorcycles that are no longer competitive with the most recently produced bikes.

The races for vintage motorcycles are organised by production period and engine displacement, in a whole range of races from road racing to motocross. Most vintage races are for bikes produced pre-1980 (i.e. bikes at least 25 years old). The sanctioning body for US vintage racing is the American Motorcyclist Association.

Landspeed racing is where the rider is trying to beat the record of the fastest speed ever achieved by that style of motorcycle and type of engine for a timed mile. Hill climb races can either be won by achieving the fastest climb or going the furthest up the hill before ceasing forward motion.

Motorcycle Gear

Harley-Davidson Motorclothes sells Buell motorcycle apparel and riding gear, including the Buell Turbulent Jacket, Buell Adventure Jacket and Pants. The Turbulent Jacket is a perforated leather and poly/mesh jacket with body armour pockets at shoulders, elbows and back. It also features a power stretch action back, and can zip to the Adventure Pant to create a protective head-to-toe full suit. The Buell Adventure Pant comes with switchback technology allowing for outer textile panels to zip off to create added airflow.

The Adventure Jacket also comes with switchback technology for added for comfort, as well as zippered vents on chest, arms and back. It feaures a nylon shell with molded rubber at the shoulders and elbows. It also has a removable vest liner, body armour in elbows, shoulders and back, two zippered hand-warmer pockets, adjustable cuffs and waist tabs, as well as reflective stripes.
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Harley-Davidson Logo

The Harley-Davidson ‘bar and shield’ logo was first used in 1910 and trademarked in the US one year later. It consists of a shield bearing the inscription “Motor / Cycles” with “Harley-Davidson” overlaid across the centre in a rectangle. While not much is known about the origin or design of the logo, it is one of the most recognisable symbols in the world today.

Not a single Harley-Davidson motorcycle rolls out of the factory without the classic logo. But not only is it displayed on every one of their motorbikes, but also on a massive range of accessories, clothing, gifts and collectibles. From leather jackets, to shirts, belt buckles, helmets, face masks, and pants, or accessories including photo frames, beer and wine glasses, and piggy banks.

Apart from the classic ‘Bar and Shield’ logo, Harley-Davidson also uses classic symbols of the skull, flames and eagle. The idea is to convey an image of power, strength and ruggedness. The licensing of the Harley-Davidson logo accounts for almost 5% of the company’s net revenue.

Sound Trademark

In 1994 the Harley-Davidson company filed an application for a sound trademark. The design of the classic Harley-Davidson is a two-cylinder, V-twin engines with pistons mounted at a 45 angle to form a V shape, connected through a single pin through connecting rods. It was designed to create a large, high-torque engine, which caused the pistons to fire at uneven intervals. The resulting sound has been called the “Harley Sound”, and the design has been maintained because of the strong connection between the sound and the Harley-Davidson brand.

Harley-Davidson claimed the distinctive sound should be allowed to be trademarked, describing it as the exhaust sound of the motorcycle produced by V-twin, common crankpin engines. However, following litigation by competitors the company dropped the application.

Early Development of Helmets

Helmets have developed since ancient times as a form of protection for the face, head and neck during battle. In early days, they had to protect from the blows of swords, spears, arrows, maces, axes and so on. The Assyrians and Persians made helmets of leather and iron, while the Greeks introduced bronze helmets, and the Romans developed several types of helmets (legionary, gladiator, etc). Early European helmets were conical caps made of leather reinforced with bronze or iron straps. Some medieval developments included a flat-topped cylinder that would deflect blows because of its contours, then pieces added to protect the neck, a movable visor to protect the face, and hinges that allowed a snug fit by 1500AD.

Motorcycle Helmet Standards

The standards that helmets need to meet in order to be certified depend on what the purpose of the helmet is and the ‘area of protection’ it is designed to cover. For example a softball helmet will require very different standards and specifications to a construction helmet, police helmet, firefighter helmet or motorbike helmet. The ‘area of protection’ is the area of the head that is considered most likely to be injured in the activity being undertaken. For example, a motorcycle helmet needs to be able to protect a larger area than a bicyle helmet due to the differences in speed and resulting potential impact.

The body responsible for certifying helmets in Australia (one of the most rigorous standards and testing places in the world) is Standards Australia. They bring together different experts, including neurosurgeons, police, paramedics and helmet manufacturers, to define the standards that need to be met.

Generally the tests performed on most helmets include the range of peripheral vision (including vision in different environments from hot, cold, ambient and wet), strength retention (whether the straps are strong enough to retain the helmet), impact energy attenuation (how much impact is absorbed by the helmet), and resistance to penetration.