Upgrade Your Ride: Best High-Tech Motorcycle Gadgets

Upgrade Your Ride: Best High-Tech Motorcycle Gadgets

If the use of the word“gadget” brings to mind something contrived and pieced together in someone’s garage or workshop using spare parts, then let’s start by telling you that motorcycle gadgets are different. We’re talking about high-tech devices that make bikes safer and more enjoyable to ride. 

Take a look around you, and you’ll see riders wearing heated jackets and gloves with cameras mounted on their helmets using the latest navigation gadgets to guide them to their destination. Motorcycle gadgets improve safety and comfort while also contributing to making rides more fun for you and your passengers. 

As you continue reading, you’ll learn more about the different categories of gadgets currently available to add to your motorcycle, including gadgets for safety, navigation, entertainment, and comfort. Along the way you’ll learn about specific gadgets in each category along with recommendations to help you choose the right ones to add to your bike.

Safety Gadgets 

The category of motorcycle safety gadgets includes devices that allow you to see, be seen, and be heard, while riding. Helmet communication systems, LED lights, and rearview cameras provide solutions for three common safety concerns of motorcycle riders: Communicating with other riders, seeing and being seen in low-light or foggy conditions, and seeing other vehicles to avoid rear-end collisions.

Helmet Communication Systems

Riding with friends adds to the motorcycling experience, but communicating with each other can be difficult. Hand signals may be good enough when all you need is to let fellow riders know that a turn is coming up, but anything more complicated than that usually means shouting over the noise of the wind and engines or pulling over. 

The solution is to add a Bluetooth headset to your motorcycle helmet for instant, hands free communication capabilities. Use it to talk to other riders, take a call on your cell phone, or listen to music all while cruising along on your motorcycle.

Here are a couple of popular helmet communication systems that you should look at when shopping:

LED Lights

Something as simple as switching from a standard incandescent headlight to an LED light increases brightness to make your motorcycle more visible during the daytime hours while also improving your ability to see at night on dark roads or trails. LED underglow lighting not only improves your motorcycle’s appearance, but it also makes it more visible to other drivers to keep you safe at night.

Here are twoo LED options for you to consider when you decide to upgrade lighting on your motorcycle:

Rearview cameras

Rearview mirrors only go so far to let you see what’s happening behind you, but nothing beats rearview cameras. A camera not only lets you see traffic approaching from the rear, but some cameras made for use on motorcycles automatically record or take pictures when they detect a collision. 

A couple of options to consider when shopping for rearview camera motorcycle safety gadgets include:

Navigation Gadgets

Motorcycle navigation gadgets do more than give you turn-by-turn directions to your destination, and they prevent accidents by alerting you to upcoming turns that might otherwise come as a surprise. Surprises, at least when riding a motorcycle rarely turn out to be good things. 

GPS Units

You could use a navigation app on your smartphone, but a dedicated GPS unit that can be mounted on a motorcycle may be a better option. A GPS unit you should consider buying is the Garmin Zumo XT, All-Terrain Motorcycle GPS Navigation. Features include:

• Maps for on- and off-road routes.
• Offers the option of preloaded topographic maps or global satellite imagery.
• High-definition display that doubles as a music player.

Phone mounts

There’s nothing wrong with using the navigation app that’s on your smartphone, but holding it in your hand or keeping it in a pocket while riding is not a good option. A much better one is a phone mount that gives you access to your phone as you ride. 

Phone mounts for motorcycles have built-in vibration dampeners to overcome the vibration inherent in riding a motorcycle. An excellent phone mount that also includes a secure lock is the BRCOVAN Aluminum Alloy Motorcycle Phone Mount with Vibration Dampener & High-Speed Secure Lock with features that include:

• One-handed locking and release of your cellphone into the handlebar-mounted holder.
• Vibration dampening and a holder design that protects your cellphone’s camera from being damaged.
• Adjustable to accommodate mounting on the handlebars or on a rearview mirror bracket.

Either of these motorcycle navigation gadgets makes an excellent gift for the motorcycle rider in your life.

Motorcycle Entertainment Gadgets

If you’re looking for motorcycle gadgets to keep you entertained during your trip or something to record the journey for sharing with friends, speakers and cameras should do the trick.

Bluetooth Speakers

You could play music through your helmet’s communication system, but Bluetooth speakers mounted on your handlebar also allow you to listen to music when your motorcycle is parked. There are many speakers on the market, but take a look at the LEXIN LX-Q3 Motorcycle Speakers Bluetooth Waterproof with Stereo/Bass Sound when you start shopping because of features that include:

• Only 3 inches with a bullet-shaped design with handlebar mounting brackets.
• A powerful 150 watt Bluetooth speaker that can easily be heard as you ride.
• Water resistant housing.
• Built-in atmospheric lighting that can double as a turn signal or flasher.

Action Cameras

An action camera lets you save your journey with video footage you can share with friends or go back to later to relieve fond memories of motorcycle trips. The AKASO Brave 4 4K 20MP WiFi Action Camera Ultra HD with EIS 30m Underwater Waterproof Camera is an ideal choice to consider because of the following features:

• Outstanding video and photo resolution.
• Built in gyroscope for stability.
• WiFi and HDMI for photo and video sharing.
• Waterproof.
• Mounting options include a helmet mounting kit.

Comfort Gadgets

If you ride throughout the year, staying warm can be a challenge. Comfortable air temperatures drop when you’re seated on a motorcycle traveling at highway speeds. Some motorcycle comfort gadgets protect riders from the cold while others protect against the wind.

Heated Gear

Motorcycle comfort gadgets actually serve two purposes: They keep you warm and comfortable, and they help prevent accidents caused by the effects of the cold on your body. When you ride, the speed of your motorcycle actually creates a wind-child effect that lowers the air temperature, so the 50-degree temperature you experience while standing still can quickly plummet to 39 degrees when you reach 60 mph. Heated gear prevents discomfort and shivering caused by the cold by providing heat to areas of your body. Heated gloves, jackets and pants prevent the effects of hypothermia that will affect your ability to safely control your motorcycle. 

When you shop for heated gear, here are two items to put at the top of your shopping list:

• Hotwired 12v Bluetooth Heated Jacket Liner: Maintaining core body temperature is essential to prevent hypothermia, and this heated jacket liner accomplishes it with heating elements that warm your chest, back, arms and neck.Bluetooth technology allows for either manual or automatic temperature control.  Includes everything needed to connect to your motorcycle’s battery.
• Hotwired 12v Bluetooth Heated Pant Liner: Heating elements with manual or automatic temperature controls make this the perfect garment to pair with the Hotwired heated jacket liner to keep your entire body warm.

Windshields 

Windshields or windscreens are more than merely an accessory to give a motorcycle a different look. Windshields protect riders from the elements by deflecting wind, rain, and snow. A windscreen also protects you from rocks and road debris kicked up by other vehicles that could cause injuries were they to hit you. Here are two windscreens you should look at first:

• Puig Touring Naked New Generation Windscreen: Made from 3mm thick acrylic that is designed to absorb vibration and withstand high speeds, this windscreen forces wind away from your body for a more comfortable and enjoyable riding experience.
• Givi Windscreens: Featuring a distinctive design to give your motorcycle a look that will stand out when you’re on the road while also protecting you by deflecting the wind, rain and other elements away from you.

Conclusion

Any doubts you had about the importance of motorcycle gadgets to rider safety, comfort and convenience should now be gone. The only question remaining is which of the navigation, safety, entertainment, and comfort gadgets highlighted in this article will be the first one you buy. Get things started by clicking on each of the products, make your decision about what to buy, and get ready for a more enjoyable riding experience.