With 11 miles and 318 curves in Blount County, Tennessee and Swain County, North Carolina, Deals Gap is a beautiful and popular American road for motorcyclists and sports car drivers. It also is one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the United States, as the June 3rd deadly crash involving two young men demonstrates. Both the rider and the driver died after the driver lost control of his bike. Police reports show that both [...]
Last fall we published a blog post with tips about How to Stay Safe on Your Motorcycle This Year. Today we are going to dive a bit deeper and focus on protective gear while you are riding your motorcycle. Part of the thrill of riding a bike is feeling that connection with the world around you as travel down the road. But to be safe on a motorcycle you need to cover your body with safety [...]
Our world is changing every day; new regulations and new technologies are emerging constantly. An example of this emerging new technology is autonomous vehicles, and this new technology now includes autonomous motorcycles. Honda recently showcased a motorcycle that can both drive and stabilize itself. Called “Moto Riding Assist,” Honda’s self-balancing motorcycle decreases the likelihood of the motorcycle flipping over while it merely sits in slow-moving or stopped traffic. When the motorcycle is moving at less [...]
Motorcycles are fun to ride, and the one of the best places to ride is the “Dragon’s Tail.” The Dragon’s Tail is a curvy road that resembles a dragon’s tail and snakes across eastern Tennessee and North Carolina through the Smoky Mountains. Nevertheless, like other riding routes, the Dragon’s Tail is extremely dangerous, especially for beginner and absent-minded motorcyclists. Therefore, motorcyclists should take steps to ensure their and everyone else’s safety before taking on the Dragon [...]
Motorcycles and motorbikes are fun to ride. They are easy to maneuver in heavy traffic. They up your “cool” status. But they also are dangerous, especially when you are out on a busy road with other drivers who may or may not be paying attention to you or to the road. Therefore, Tennessee and other states have laws requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets. The law states that both motorcycle drivers and passengers, regardless of age, [...]
Now that fall is officially here, more and more riders will be out on the road to enjoy the cooler weather. That means an increased chance for a crash involving a motorcycle for people who drive cars, and an increased chance at a serious injury for the riders themselves. Nothing caps this point more than the tragic news of two separate motorcycle accidents in Nashville which occurred mere hours from each other. According to The Tennessean, [...]
Everyone knows how much we love our bikes here at Banks and Jones. But in order to keep loving those bikes, it’s important that we, along with all the other riders and motor vehicle drivers out there, keep practicing safe riding and driving behavior when out on the roads. In an effort to remind motorcycle riders in Tennessee to stay alert and alive, the Governor's Highway Safety Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol set up an [...]
Driving a motorcycle on roads and highways can be a thrilling adventure and give the driver a sense of freedom. Even when the driver is sober, driving a motorcycle can be a dangerous activity because the bike provides no protection for the rider from other vehicles and from the road itself. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) almost 30 people die each day in the U.S. in motor vehicle crashes involving an [...]
In Murfreesboro, the area of South Church Street near Interstate 24 is a cause for concern. An exit ramp off the interstate leads to a short stretch of three-lane highway, lined with businesses serving long-haul truckers. A Pilot Flying J rest stop lies just south of the major highway, and necessitates trucks moving at highway speeds to negotiate six lanes of traffic to get to the rest stop. The most recent accident in the area, [...]
Motorcycle safety suits with airbags inside have been around for a few years, but they were primarily designed for track racers (like our own T. Scott Jones). All that’s about to change, though, as the latest invention of Alpinestars hits the market. According to Fox News, the company’s new Tech-Air street system is designed for riders of all kinds in almost all terrains. The new product boasts “a vest fitted with airbags on the chest, back [...]
