Each May, as the calendar turns to Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the motorcycle community finds itself in the spotlight. Government agencies, nonprofits, gear brands, and media all rally around the same important message: ride safe. But the truth is that motorcycle safety doesn’t start and stop with a single month. It’s not a trend. It’s a daily commitment.
Stevan Popovich, President and Chief Retail Officer at Cycle Gear, shared insights into how riders and the safety landscape have evolved in recent years.
At Cycle Gear, safety is embedded in everything the company does, every day of the year. It’s in the protective equipment they sell, the riding education they support, and the conversations they have with riders in their stores across the country. And as the largest powersports aftermarket retailer in the U.S., they’re uniquely positioned to see the trends, concerns, and questions from riders of every age and experience level.
Yet there is increasing concern that the broader conversation about safety is being shaped by outdated and incomplete data. Much of what gets cited in headlines, social media, and policy discussions relies on years-old stats that don’t account for advancements in gear technology, riding education, or even the rising popularity of alternative two-wheeled options like electric motorcycles and e-bikes. The result? An outdated narrative that frames all motorcycle riding as inherently reckless or unsafe, when in fact, the landscape has evolved.
Modern riders are smarter, better equipped, and more informed than ever before. Safety technologies like ABS, traction control, wearable airbags, and MIPS-integrated helmets are widely available and embraced. The community is proactively seeking training courses and safety workshops, and younger riders entering on e-bikes or lightweight motorcycles are starting off with better tools than their predecessors had access to.
One of the most promising advancements in recent years is the growing adoption of wearable airbags. Once limited to professional racers or seen as out of reach for everyday riders, this technology is now more accessible, more intuitive, and more effective than ever. These systems offer critical protection for the chest, back, and even neck areas, which are particularly vulnerable in a crash. What’s most exciting is that they’re being embraced not because of fear, but because riders are recognizing them as tools of empowerment. Just as helmets became second nature, so too can wearable airbags become a new normal in the collective approach to protection.
But there is also a responsibility to push for better, more current data that reflects not only accidents, but how and why they happen. Data that shows how modern gear mitigates injury. Data that breaks down the real impact of distracted drivers on motorcyclists. Data that evolves as machines and habits evolve.
It’s also time to normalize safety, not as a scare tactic, but as part of the joy of riding. Getting fitted for a helmet shouldn’t be a boring requirement — it should be part of the thrill, part of the ritual. Riders don’t gear up because they’re afraid. They gear up because it allows them to ride farther, push harder, and do it again tomorrow.
Safety doesn’t end in May. And neither should the commitment to protecting this lifestyle that so many love. It’s important to keep the conversation going, keep the data current, and keep riders safe — not just in the spring, but every mile, every month, and every year.
Ride smart. Ride protected. Ride tomorrow.
