Motorcycle safety can be boring to some riders but it is all about more riding enjoyment. You may, or may not, define that enjoyment as freedom, relaxation, exhilaration, or perhaps simply as “undefinable.” But what about the risks of motorcycle riding? The fact is, you can get hurt or killed Read more
GOOD AIR FILTERS SUCK THE MOST. You don’t need to be a mechanic to respect the necessity for a clean air filter to remove dirt before it gets into your motorcycle engine’s cylinders. If small airborne particles, including dirt, dust, bugs and your significant other’s frayed denim can find its Read more
INCREASE YOUR LUGGAGE CAPACITY AND HEAD OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. Motorcycle saddlebags represent the easiest way to increase your bike’s storage capacity. Tankbags (that sit on your gas tank) are even easier to add and remove, but most do not have the storage capacity of saddle bags. (However, there are Read more
DO YOU WEAR PURPLE MOTORCYCLE CHAPS? In the biker community, particularly among cruisers, not everyone can pull off this color with grace and dignity, especially if they should be desiring to reflect the most traditional of motorcycle fashions. As a side note, it could be argued that even though women Read more
DO WE NEED MOTORCYCLE FASHION SHOWS? I’ve been going to the annual Long Beach Motorcycle Expo for many years. The weekend event draws tens of thousands of visitors from from all over Southern California to see the latest bikes and gear. Of particular note for this stop of the U.S. Read more
LOSING A MOTORCYCLE TO THEFT DOES NOT MAKE A PLEASANT MEMORY. I’ve had one bike stolen. It was about 1985 and it was locked to a street-light pole with a heavy chain outside my apartment in Boston. In fact, it was secured with a really heavy chain and a big Read more
WANT TO STAY IN THE SADDLE LONGER AND MORE COMFORTABLY? Add a kidney belt to your road-riding apparel. My first kidney belt supported my guts and lower back in the 70’s during a tremendous amount of dirt bike riding. Man, do those things make offroad moto-life more enjoyable. At some Read more
GOOD GIFTS. BAD GIFTS. OFFBEAT GIFTS. MOTORCYCLE GIFTS. Motorcycle apparel, parts and accessories for men, women and children. Heck, there’s motorbike gifts for adventure riders, cruisers, dirtbike riders, dual-purpose riders, luxury-touring riders, sportbike enthusiasts, sport-touring riders, vintage motorcyclists and anyone else who is interested in two-wheeled, motorized vehicles. Check out Read more
BIKERS MAY BE ACCUSED OF MANY THINGS, some true and some not, but for a number of riders, there is no escaping the accusation of being addicted to motorbikes. Can that get out of control? Although it’s hard to imagine “riding too much” becoming problematic, how about a malady that Read more
THE BEST BOOTS FOR MOTORCYCLE FEET. No one needs to tell you that motorcycle boots protect your feet. And even if you don’t ever plan on crashing, your feet are in regular contact with the ground, including every time you stop. In the process, your feet can become acquainted with Read more
GOOD AND BAD NEWS ABOUT MAINTAINING YOUR MOTORCYCLE BATTERY. Maintaining your motorcycle’s battery is not likely as inspiring as getting out and riding. But you can squeeze a lot more life out of that battery if you give it some minimal attention. The good news is that as long as Read more
THREE POINTS OF PROPER MOTORCYCLE BATTERY MAINTENANCE. I love riding motorcycles. I cannot say I “love” motorcycle maintenance. Although I have done quite a lot of bike maintenance in the past, including the basics, like changing tires, changing oil, replacing spark plugs, and air filters. I’ve also done electrical work Read more
THE BEST PART ABOUT RIDING IN THE RAIN: Having ridden through every imaginable type of rain condition all over North America, I consider the best part about rain riding to be that period for about an hour after the rain stops, when everything is wet and clean. Sort of like Mother Nature getting out of the shower, reinvigorated to take on life.
Of course, that perspective can be influenced by other factors, including the temperature, and how windy it might be, but there is something uniquely refreshing about riding through rain and continuing to ride after the rain stops….
Motorcycle riding in the rain isn’t for everyone. Some riders are so concerned about avoiding rain, that they may avoid riding if there exists even a remote possibility of rain in the forecast.
And of course, they would also miss many fine riding opportunities, regardless of whether it rained or not.
Others ride every day, in good or bad weather. (Heck, some riders even brave the snow! Which is another subject altogether).
If you are a rider who ventures out of town for overnight excursions or longer, you need to be prepared for rain.
And if you are a rider who commutes to work, regardless of rain, you will absolutely encounter wet weather – and at times, LOTS of it.
In brief, whether you are on a cross-country tour, or heading to work on Monday morning – if it’s raining – the main things that you need to accomplish are staying warm and dry while riding with a higher level of safety awareness.
Let’s take a look at our options for staying dry during wet-weather motorcycle riding, from head to toe…. (more…)
WHACKY ADVICE ON GIFTS “NOT” TO GET. Think you’ve seen a large selection of motorcycle related gifts and stuff for every imaginable biker?? Prepare yourself for a HUGE selection of biker gloves, helmets, boots, tires and jackets, as well as every kind of motorcycle apparel and even unique, specialty items Read more
Do you have more riding gloves than might make sense to a casual observer? If you are a season rider, you’ve probably got a few pairs to select from, when you crank over your bike’s motor. Some gloves are easy to justify: Motorcycle gloves for hot weather. Riding gloves for Read more