Buying motorcycle safety equipment - part 1

A major expense after purchasing one's first bike is safety equipment.  In Brazil only a helmet is legally required; however, considering the sad state of Brazilian infrastructure and the dangerous and aggressive driving style of Brazilian motorists (especially taxi and bus drivers), I figure you've got to be nuts to use only the helmet.  As such, I needed, at the very least, a helmet, gloves, and a decent armored jacket.

Getting the helmet was easy, of course - seeing as they're required, there's no shortage.  Of course, the prices are low enough to be doubtful - I've seen helmets for sale for R$40 (that's about US$20).  They're all certified as safe by the relevant government standard - or at least they all have labels claiming that they are.  How would you tell if the label is fake too?  Cynic that I am, I reckon the more expensive helmets are equally likely to be counterfeit goods with lousy quality.  The cheapest helmets could be cheap because of cheaper materials, or just mass Chinese production, or because the seller "found them" after they "fell off a truck".  All the helmets, as far as I know, are Chinese - it's entirely possible that the R$250 helmets are made in the same factory, using the same materials, as the R$40 ones.  I picked up my helmet in Mangueira, a favela near my house.  I paid R$85, and got a nice black helmet with a perfect fit, reflective strips, and three vents.  I hope it's the "fell off a truck" price and not the "you'd be better off with a watermelon jammed on your head" price, and hope like hell I never find out.

Gloves were another necessity - I had a small loss of balance one of my first days getting on the bike and cut up my hand a bit (bike's fine).  A bike shop down the street gave me a decent price on some gloves that look acceptable - nylon with rubber armor on all the knuckles and the back of the hand.  Leather would be too hot - the only vented leather they had was unarmored, which I figured was a poor trade-off for gloves.  I don't mind R$65 gloves being good for one fall only.

I know I should get real riding trousers and motorcycle boots, but there it gets tricky.  The only dedicated MC trousers available in Brazil are nylon/cordura, and they suck.  I don't trust nylon to last past one fall, but they're expensive - R$300-400 for the ones I saw - and extremely hot and non-ventilated, albeit armored.  So I'm going with my Levis, and next time I'm in Europe I'll get some armored denim or a kevlar/denim blend.  (I have an unusual ass for a guy, and finding pants that fit is hell - buying online is not an option).  Boots - for a small fortune you can get racing boots, otherwise you're out of luck.  I'm using my hiking boots, but the metal on them scratched my bike tank when getting on one day (dammit!).  I've been looking everywhere for safety boots with elastic or velcro closing, but can't find them in normal stores - boots aren't usual apparel here.  With a little luck I can get them issued from work. (safety boots are required for some personnel at my job; I'd be happy to pay the company for a pair for personal use out of the mass purchase they're making anyway)  Otherwise, that's another thing I have to get next time in Europe.  For the interim I've also bought some cheap leather zip-closed boots - no armored toecap, but it also won't scratch my bike like the hiking boots.

The final, most difficult, and to me 2nd most important issue was getting a decent jacket.  Again, I don't like nylon jackets - here the prices start at R$290 (for which you could get leather in Europe or the US) but are more typically around R$400; often not vented (cripes!  Summers here regularly pass 40 degrees C); and the armour never fit on me.  I've yet to see a mesh jacket for sale - mesh is also only good for one fall, but at least they're the best for hot weather.  I definitely wanted a leather jacket.  Specifically, a leather jacket with air vents, and preferably armour - even just extra padding on the shoulders and elbows would be acceptable.  Would you believe that such an item apparently doesn't exist on the Brazilian market?

After much searching, I found my best bet for a leather jacket online was an online store based in the south of Brazil which I shan't bother naming.  They sell knockoffs of MC jackets from movies - Dr. House's black leathers from "House MD", the Brad Pitt "Fight Club" jacket, and ripoffs of the Perfecto jackets from Marlon Brando's "The Wild One".  I think I saw a Wolverine (from "X-Men") jacket too. The jackets don't appear to be armored OR vented, prices start at R$350, and the shop doesn't answer emails.  The Harley-Davidson shop in Recreio and the Honda shop in Barra don't answer email or the phone either, nor did the organisers of the Harley Days where a bunch of vendors would be represented.  So what can a man do?

I went to Jafrum.com - they answered emails quickly, had functional live chat with Indians who tried their best to be helpful but had no more access to information than users viewing the site (hey, at least it's better than no answer at all, and more than I'm unfortunately accustomed to).  I got a vented leather jacket for me, which was also supposed to be armoured, and a vented and armoured denim jacket for my wife, for US$148.99 plus US$85.90 shipping and handling - less than the cost of two of the cheapest motorcycle jackets of any type evidently available for sale in Brazil.  Then the package got caught in customs and I had to pay an extra 60% import tax (60% of stated value of goods and shipping combined) - a ripoff, basically, but it's the law.

OK, when I opened the package it turns out that the leather jacket for me wasn't armoured as their original listing and chat support claimed.  So I sent off a polite email, also explaining that I couldn't really do a return because it would cost more than a new jacket in shipping and taxes.  Unbelievably, after some back&forth, Jafrum offered to simply send me any other jacket I'd like, as long as I paid for any price difference compared with the first, and I could keep the original as well!  Amazing service.  My second jacket - brown vented and armored leather - is on its way.  So well done Jafrum for excellent customer service.

Incidentally, the first jacket is actually very good, it's just not what I thought I was ordering.  It's thick buffalo leather and seems VERY sturdy.  I'll definitely use it on runs within town, and use the armored jacket more for longer-distance/higher-speed runs.

Stay tuned for my next post - on how these experiences illustrate systemic economic problems in Brazil!

I passed!

Quick update:  I passed the driving test this morning! Aced it, not a single deduction.  Passed it honestly, too.  In 5 business days the license should be ready.  Then I'll be out burning rubber and other hydrocarbons!  Hope to see you there!

Getting a driver's license

My driving lessons for getting the motorcycle driving license were actually almost the first time I ever sat on a motorcycle – the only other times were on motorcycle taxis in China and in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul state of Brazil.  I knew virtually nothing about how motorcycles worked; ahead of the lessons I got a very basic introduction from Henrique and read up on motorcycles online.  Actually getting on board, it wasn’t so hard.  I’ve driven cars for years, and the absolute basics – engine operation, clutch, gears, acceleration, brakes etc. are all almost the same, the only major difference being that things done with your hand in a car (e.g. selecting gear) are done with your foot on a bike, and vice versa (e.g. throttle).  Balance wasn’t a problem, I learned to ride a bicycle before starting primary school - Denmark is so flat that bicycles are one of the primary methods of transportation.

Motorcycle maintenance is also different from car maintenance, I find.  Most people haven’t a clue about how to maintain a car; it seems that a bit more independence is expected of bikers.  I hope to learn a little, at least.  If I have time in the future I'd love to take a motorcycle mechanics' course at SENAI or something.

All vehicles are different, of course.  French cars have irritating clutches, Japanese cars don’t break down, Volvos are comfy smooth rides, and so on.  Individual cars can differ among each other as well, of course, especially with a lot of mileage.  Naturally, it’s the same with motorcycles.  In the course of training, I had occasion to ride 6 different motorcycles; mine, Henrique’s Suzuki Intruder 125, three 125cc Yamahas of the same model (Factors, I think) but very different mileages, and a Honda (a loaner when the driving school's bike had a flat tire).

My biggest problem with learning to ride to pass the driving test was this: in a car, the differences between any two cars don’t jeopardise one’s driving, as long as they’re fully road-worthy.  If the engine dies on a car in decent nick, it’s because you’ve made a serious error, not because of a mechanical fault.  In my opinion, however, motorcycles are much more sensitive, especially under the circumstances of the driving test.  Example: throttle.  On my bike and one of the driving school Yamahas, at second gear, you can leave the throttle at the minimum and let go and you’ll keep moving, slowly but surely enough to complete the whole track.  On the other Yamahas (of the same make and model!) and the Honda, you couldn’t; leave the throttle at minimum for any length of time and the engine dies and you fail.  Consequence: you have to learn excellent low-speed throttle control or you fail.

So I failed my first driving test.  The problem: my driving school’s main bike works fine when it’s in second gear, but has a small problem changing from first to second.  You need a certain range of RPM to change gear without the engine stalling.  (Damaged gear spokes?  Chain problem? Don't know)  Hitting that range without going too slow to stall and without going so fast that you can’t manoeuvre between the cones is a pain.  Since a month had passed between my last class and my driving test, I didn’t compensate for that problem properly, and had to be quick to grip the clutch and rev the throttle again to avoid stalling, which made me unstable enough to hit a cone.  Out I go.  Yeah, my own fault and I’m not making excuses, but it’s the sort of thing that just doesn’t happen in a car in my experience.

Another thing about getting your driving license: corruption, as usual.  In the old days, my mother-in-law tells me, the driving school instructors would say that no matter how your driving was, there was no way you’d pass the test unless you bribed the officials of the Department of Transport (Detran).  Today you can pass it honestly, but most people don’t the first time.  It’s very common for people to “buy” their license. Unfortunately it’s so common that there’s little stigma against it.  It’s low-priority to the state, so there’s little oversight or efforts to combat this corruption; there’s the occasional scandalous report in the media, but little done by police.

Bureaucracy is another problem.  To get a license, you have to do theoretical and practical classes at an accredited driving school.  You have to register your presence using biometrics (a fingerprint reader).  Problem: theoretical classes are mostly just reading, but you have to register your presence at the school every hour.  What if you work during the day and need to study after driving school hours?  In the case of practical classes, they have to use biometric registration at the place of training.  Problem: in Rio de Janeiro, they shut down the two main motorcycle training locations (Maracanã, because the stadium is being renovated; Gávea, because they were using up valuable parking space).  That leaves Jacarepaguá and Engenho da Rainha, both in the middle of nowhere and not linked to public transport.  Result: schools get around the biometrics by making copies of students’ fingerprints and/or doing the biometrics at the school instead of the practise location.  Consequence: people get accustomed to ignoring Detran regulations, because you will not find a driving school following all the regulations.  Therefore, it’s a tiny, even unimportant, step from violating the biometrics regulations to violating testing regulations.

The driving schools don’t help things.  Since none of them obey the law, they’re likely all bribing Detran to stay in business.  Since they’re all bribing Detran anyway, there’s no reason to do a good job – where else can the customers go?  So I got basically no instruction, and when the instructor was taking me through the driving test – him driving, me in the back seat – he stalled the engine and we fell over in the first 10 metres.  As mentioned, it took a month between me finishing the classes and actually doing the test – because they didn’t explain the biometrics requirements (…to be subverted) and likely because they were fishing for bribes (…which they didn’t get).  Under those conditions – and I imagine everyone else’s experience is similar – it’s easy to understand the attraction of buying your license.  After all, if you’re out of practise on the bike you’ll use and you never got much instruction anyway, and if bribing Detran is so common and easy, is it really so wrong?

 
Yes, it’s wrong.  But the whole damn system needs fixing, with less bureaucratic obstacles but more efficient oversight, as well as better instruction and appropriate testing (the motorcycle test takes place at much lower speeds than real driving.  I understand that it’s a test of manoeuvrability, balance, and throttle control, but I’m not sure those passing the test are necessarily prepared for driving under real conditions.  Ideally the test should include both the current course and a 5-minute drive in actual traffic.).  In the meantime, traffic is chaotic and dangerous because so many motorists bought their license instead of earning it.

PS:  Something I find fascinating about Detran regulations - when getting your first driver's license, or in my case, converting my foreign B license to a Brazilian one, aside from the visual/medical test and practical/theory tests as appropriate, you have to pass a psychological exam!  4 hours in a class with a shrink doing childlike drawing and word-association exercises to try to prove you're not nuts.  I wonder how many people fail.  Perhaps failure is a requirement for a taxi license.

Wayfinders MC blog is live!

Welcome, one and all, to my first personal blog!

I’m a Scandinavian living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, married to the most wonderful of Brazilians and working a decent job in online marketing at a major international company.  I’ve been in Brazil for almost 3 years, I’m a permanent resident, and there’s a fair chance I’ll stay here for good – though we never know what the future holds.  As well as my life in Rio I also spent 6 months at a diplomatic delegation in Brasília, where I was fairly “tuned-in” to Brazilian politics and politicians (even meeting an ex-president and several senators, and attending several parliamentary hearings as well as diplomatic dealings and NGO briefings).

As such, being personally very invested in Brazil’s development and road to a better future, I’ve had a fairly good albeit brief first-hand look at the inner workings of the processes involved.  Brazil has enormous potential and could be a major player internationally in political and economic terms, but consistently fails to live up to this potential.  I want Brazil to be as great as it can be.

The actual driving factor behind the creation of this blog is that I finally got my first motorcycle!  Ever since I was a child, I’ve thought motorcycles were cool, especially with the classic styling of Harley-Davidsons, Indians, and vintage Triumphs.  Sport bikes never interested me much (though I make exceptions for Ducatis) – I love customs, choppers, cruisers, and a few café racers.  However, my parents always insisted on how dangerous motorcycles are – indeed, a few family acquaintances and T. E. Lawrence died or were seriously injured in motorcycle accidents – so I largely abandoned my dream of owning a classic-style motorbike as an adult and started half-heartedly daydreaming about cheapish muscle cars (like Pontiac Firebirds) instead.

Then I got my current job, where I discovered only after hiring that I would have to commute from Rocha in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro to Barra da Tijuca, an isolated suburb beyond mountains and a swamp, every day – a trip that can take over 3 hours by bus one-way.  My wife suggested it would be easier with my own vehicle, like a cheap motorcycle.  I realized it made perfect sense: the dream was revived, and I bought my first bike!

Yes, the mirrors are set at strange angles.  The previous owner swapped the left/right mirrors to decrease the bike's total width, for swerving through traffic.  I swapped them back after this photo was taken.

Small and cheap, but mine, all mine!  So far it appears to be a fantastic starter bike.

Here it is – a Kasinski Mirage 150, a Brazilian-Chinese “factory custom” bike built domestically in Manaus in the Amazon.  Puny 150cc engine (puny by Euro/US standards; standard in Brazil – most bikes, especially those used for deliveries, are 125cc or 150cc, actually) delivering up to 13.4 horsepower and 1.38 torques (kgf.m).  I bought it second-hand from a guy who bought it for his wife when she decided she wanted to be a motorcyclist like him; she only discovered afterwards that she was terrified of biking, so I got it with less than 1,700km on the clock and still within warranty but at 25% below the cost of a new one.  It won’t get stolen, because (1) it’s an uncommon model – everyone here favors Yamahas and Hondas – and (2) it has a few quirks with the ignition, so my biking friends can’t get it started, even when the engine’s warm – only I can every time.

Now I’m finishing up my purchases of all the appropriate safety equipment and some simple customizations (e.g. saddlebags and tank protector).  However, with my proud ownership of a new bike came the spark of an idea.  I’d like to gather some friends and form a group, a motorcycle riding club.  My hope is for the club/community to grow and gather more companions for riding. 

--- Wild idealistic rambling alert ---

There should be an idea, a cause, or a purpose justifying the existence of a club as opposed to just a gathering of friends and acquaintances.  I want progress towards the betterment of Brazil: the promotion of socioeconomic reform, by striving towards quality education for all, pushing for the decrease of economic inequality by pulling up the living standards of the lower and middle classes, and especially, by working towards good governance by fighting inefficiency in all its forms – principally by combating the endless bureaucracy and endemic corruption which are cancers upon the Brazilian state.  The motorcycle riding club is only a start for an idealistic hope of mine, a small starting point for, hopefully, eventually being a part of something bigger - a social reform movement or political action campaign.  Where first we’ll just be a few friends that enjoy bike riding, the subsequent networks of friends might lead to a small but perhaps noticeable social manifestation for reform.

--- /end wild idealistic rambling ---

But those are still all just crazy dreams for the future.  For the moment, it’s just me and my buddy Henrique, and my non-biking wife and our friends, with me insisting on safe driving and yelling for all drivers to obey the law and to never, ever drive while under the influence of drink or drugs.  Wayfinders MC is born.  So is this blog on motorcycling and Brazil.