Sunday, March 23, 2008
Buying Honda Activa Scooters
Thursday, February 14, 2008
BUYING BIKES
If you are thinking of buying a road bike, there are many things you need to mull over. If you have already decided that buying a road bike, rather than a mountain bike, is the right choice for you, then here are some other things you need to keep in mind while evaluating your options. The most important consideration when buying a road bike is a correct fit. Choosing the right size bike means you will ride more comfortably and waste less energy when cycling. It also means you will avoid back pain and make riding easier on your body. When buying a road bike, try several angles. Look for the right size, the right bike for your fitness level and riding experience, and the right model for your age. Do your research before heading to the store, and then ask a lot of questions once you are there.
If price is not an objection, consider buying a road bike that is on the top end of your buying limit. Cheaper bikes tend to be heavier, which can put an extra burden on your body, especially if you are not in the best shape. You can get a cheap road bike for under $150 US Dollars (USD), but you need to shop around and try several on for size. Once you break the $500 USD barrier, you are bound to get a higher quality road bike, though you could easily spend up to $3,000 or $4,000 USD. Finally, keep material in mind when buying a road bike. Steel is affordable, hardwearing, and easy to repair, but it can also rust if not treated appropriately. Titanium is expensive, but you cannot find any better material for a road bike frame. Titanium gives bikes a special bouncy feeling which many cyclists swear by when it comes to comfort and easiness of riding. Carbon fiber is a new material that only recently has become popular. Carbon fiber makes a road bike extremely light, rustfree, and shockresistant. Not all road bike brands manufacture models using carbon fiber, but this is an option you should at least consider.
There are three basic categories of street motorcycles: full dress or touring bikes, cruisers and sport bikes. Though some bike designs tend to bridge the gaps between these categories, most motorcycles fall easily into one of the three groups.
Full dress motorcycles are sonamed because of their extra equipment to make long rides or touring more convenient. They have hardshell trunks on either side of the back fender, full fairings, windshields and a dashboard. They also typically come with indash audio equipment, often including GPS. The passenger seat on a touring bike has a high rounded back with armrests. These heavy bikes have advanced suspension and rubber motor mounts that smooth out the road and make long hauls a pleasure. The Road King by Harley Davidson and Honda's Gold Wing are two examples of full dress motorcycles.
Though touring bikes are beautiful, the motorcycles most closely associated with the legendary biker image are cruisers, which include customized choppers. A chopper has a "chopped" frame with the front fork extended and raked beyond the standard stock cruiser. Ridden into infamy by Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in 1969's Easy Rider, chopper motorcycles are designed primarily for hedonistic pleasure rather than longdistance traveling. The posture assumed on these motorcycles, with their laid back seats and forward foot controls, lends itself to kicking back and taking your time, with plenty of attitude riding out ahead. Choppers are hot once again, even enjoying the success of a television show, Orange Country Choppers, featuring new custom motorcycles built every week from the frame up.
Cruisers and choppers are synonymous with cool and virtually all Japanese manufacturers have invested in the legend started by Harley Davidson with cruisers of their own. Honda's Shadow Aero, Kawasaki's Vulcan and Suzuki's Volusia are a few examples.
Cruisers and choppers — particularly Harleys are also the motorcycles most often customized. Many owners can easily invest over US$30,000 for everything from eyeblinding chrome to custom engines and airbrush paint jobs. Harley Davidson Softails, Springers, Wide Glides, Shoveleads, Panheads and Knuckleheads are all classic cruisers.
If cruising isn't your style but racing is you'll be interested in sport bikes, also called café racers. These bikes have a sitting posture that puts the rider's feet beneath him or her, rather than out front. The rider leans forward over the gas tank with head and shoulders to grasp small, straight handlebars designed for quick, exacting turns. This posture is perfect for taking curves at high speeds, leaning the bike and maintaining tight control. Sports bikes are perfect for playing in the mountains, flying down lonesome, winding country roads, or even zipping around town. However, they are not designed for comfort on long, steady treks, where the frontleaning posture puts strain on the lower back. Sports bikes come in a wide range of models and prices. The Honda Interceptor and Ducati Supersport are two examples of sports bikes.
Off road motorcycles include dirt bikes designed with tall frames and high tailpipes that won't bottom out. These motorcycles have knobby tires and lack street gear or license plates. Instead they are issued yearly green stickers by the Department of Motor Vehicles, allowing owners to ride in offroad parks. They have either two stroke or four stroke engines and are illegal to ride in the street.
A hybrid dirt bike, known as an enduro, has a headlight and license plate and is street legal. Stock tires are called combination tires and look like dull knobby tires. Unfortunately, these tires don't have much traction in the street or in the dirt. Enduros are not as popular as dirt bikes or street motorcycles, but can be useful for those who live in rural areas or farmland surrounded by dirt roads.
Scooters
Scooters
It is not unusual to see many European and Asian streets filled with electric or gas-powered scooters, but Americans still seem to prefer automobiles by and large for running even the smallest errands. Scooters have several advantages over cars and motorcycles when it comes to efficiency and convenience, but getting the American public to embrace these advantages continues to be a challenge for scooter manufacturers.In a time when fuel costs are running high, one obvious advantage of scooters is fuel economy. Filling the gas tank of most scooters involves only a fraction of the expense of keeping a typical car's tank full. For those on a tight budget, the cost of keeping scooters in running order is negligible compared to automobiles. Since scooters such can be equipped with extra storage compartments and maintain city street speeds, many local errands can be run on one tank of gas or a full electrical charge.Even the most expensive scooters on the market today are noticeably less costly than motorcycles and economy cars. Insurance requirements for scooters are usually less restrictive than equivalent liability coverage for cars and motorcycles. Many people find motorcycles to be difficult to operate and not practical for day-to-day activities like shopping or commuting to work. Even the most economical car may require substantial monthly payments in addition to licensing fees and mandatory insurance. Scooters, on the other hand, are much easier to operate than motorcycles and rarely incur the sort of damage or liability even the smallest automobile can experience.Another advantage scooters have over larger vehicles is parking and storage. In many large cities, finding a suitable parking place for a car may involve endless loops around crowded streets or additional fees in a parking garage. The destination may still be blocks away, leaving the driver little choice but to walk. Scooters can legally be parked in city-sponsored bicycle racks or secured with chains to sturdy objects on the sidewalk. This means scooter owners can often find suitable parking almost anywhere along their planned routes. Scooters can also maintain city traffic speeds, making them less of a potential hazard than bicyclists or pedestrians.
NEW MOTOR CYCLE
NEW MOTOR CYCLE
You have made the big decision its time to buy a motorcycle You have done your research and you basically know what style and maybe even what particular model you want Now its time to head to the showroom and make a deal Before stepping foot into your local motorcycle dealer keep this in mind prices are often nonnegotiable particularly on popular models
Motorcycle dealers do not work with the same high profit markets as car dealers and are much less capable of making a better deal than whats listed on the price tag But slowselling models those usually on sale sometimes have a bit of negotiation room And of course you are always free to try and get a few accessories helmets gloves maintenance thrown in to seal the deal
The good news is that motorcycle dealerships are not nearly as stressful to deal with as their automobile counterparts The salesmen at these dealerships usually arent very pushy so it may be up to you to ask a lot of questions
Many dealerships dont allow test drives but they should at least permit you to sit on the bike you are considering and start the engine
When checking over a bike consider these important factors
Whether or not the seat is comfortable
If the handlebars are comfortable
If your knees rest neatly on either side of the gas tank
Next its time to check the engine Rev it up Take notice to see if it features a nice smooth feel at high RPMs or if it feels buzzy instead
Also consider the weight Does it seem like it will be easy to control Can you easily pick it up off of the ground
Now take note of this important tip dont buy any bike on your first visit Even if you have fallen in love with it Always check out bikes form a few different manufacturers before making this allimportant decision
Once you have made your final decision return to the dealership of your choice and choose from their current inventory
While price haggling usually isnt an option for bike buyers trying to get a few freebees thrown is isnt out of the question especially if you are a cash buyer Of course most dealers now offer their own financing options so if you dont have the cash upfront you can still purchase the bike of your dreams
As you can see buying a motorcycle is a bit different from buying a car but it can also be a lot easier quicker and much less of a hassle Now get out there and find yourself the bike of dreams
When shopping around for a good motorcycle keep in mind that like every other business out there the dealers are out to get your money It may seem like a harsh thing to say but their main goal is to get your cash but lets face facts No business is out to give away things for free Every dealership is going to be looking for ways to maximize their profits at the expense of you the buyer
To avoid getting your wallet unnecessarily drained keep in mind that when shopping for a good motorcycle you shouldnt simply look at the flatout front end price of the bike Since many dealers will have their front end prices vary some will seek to make a profit by offering a seemingly rock bottom front end price but will have other additional fees and charges that will make them a kickback
These additonal charges have to be factored into the overall price when you compare motorcycle dealer offers so that you can pick one that will offer the least strain on your budget These additional areas to look for are the following
Installment Payment while the ability to pay for the price of your bike with monthly installments seems to take a huge burden off as opposed to making a much larger 1time cash payment or credit charge look at the terms of payment involved in the installment package Usually the overall amount of money youll be spending will be subtly higher
Motorcycle Loans loan programs may seem useful too but dealerships which offer partnerships with a bank and give you a bank loan option for financing your new motorcycle will usually tack on an added amount into the interest charges of the loan The banks in these cases often give the dealers a kickback from the additional interest
Warranties extended warranties beyond the basic necessities will usually involve extra cash Check the terms of the warranties including overall price and the duration of the warranty as well as its coverage to make sure you get the best possible comprehensive warranty
Freight Shipping and Handling Charges while seemingly innocuous quite a few dealers actually subtly hide their additional kickbacks in additional freight charges for delivering your motorcycle Find out beforehand how much damage financially speaking youll be taking from the dealer for freight
HELMET
A helmet is probably the most important piece of safety equipment that youll buy when riding a motorcycle There is a wide range of helmets available today both in terms of style and perhaps more importantly cost What style helmet you decide to buy and how much money you decide to spend is very much a personal choice however depending on how much you value your head you should aim to spend as much as you can comfortably afford As with everything these days you get what you pay for
Rule number one when buying a motorcycle helmet is never buy a second hand helmet There a few very good reasons for this Most importantly you can never be one hundred percent certain of its history It may look clean shiny and new but serious structural damage is often not visible to the eye As you wear your properly fitting helmet it gradually moulds to the shape of your head to ensure a perfect fit for you A second hand helmet will have moulded to somebody elses head
If you are tempted to buy your helmet from an auction site make sure the helmet is brand new and has never been used When you come to replace your helmet dont sell your old one on for the same reasons
If you are thinking about buying a helmet time spend on a bit of research is definitely time well spent You need to make sure you are getting the best helmet for your budget and also ensure you get the right type of helmet for your needs There are a number of different types of helmet available today the main ones being
Open Face these are most popular with scooter riders these days They offer much less protection than other types of helmets however many manufacturers are producing some very fashionable designs The designer helmet market is growing rapidly as more and more people in towns and cities are swapping for cars for more economical and environmentally friends forms of transport Open face helmets are also popular with riders of cruiser style bikes Harleys etc and with classic bike riders There are many retro styled helmets around today to compliment classic bikes Most open faced helmets do not provide any eye protection some do come with a handy flip down visor so you should consider buying a decent pair of motorcycle sunglasses to protect your eyes from the elements
Full Face This type of helmet offers the most protection of all the other types As the name suggests these helmets provide protection for your face not just your head Popular with all types of motorcyclists there are all kinds of colours and paint jobs to suit all tastes Current favourites are the moto gp replica helmets from the likes of shoei aria and agv
Flip Front These helmets are great for touring Effectively two helmets in one they offer the flexibility of being able to wear them as an open face helmet or full face Used widely by motorcycle instructors and police motorcyclists Shoei and Caberg currently have a good range of flip front helmets
Off Road Originally designed to motorcross and enduro riders more and more of these helmets are coming on to the market with the rising popularity of super moto bikes Most off road helmets provide no eye protection to you should look for a decent pair of off road goggles to go with your helmet
Another important factor to consider is safety rating and approval All helmets sold today must have safety approval
Other things to look out for to get the most out of your riding
Noise make sure the helmet provides good sound proofing Wind noise can increase tiredness and make it more difficult to concentrate on the road It could also leave you with permanent hearing damage Whatever helmet you buy the use of earplugs is always recommended to reduce potential damage to your hearing
Removable lining
Ventilation look out for big fins and bits poking out While they look cool and futuristic they often disrupt the airflow around the helmet increasing wind noise inside
If you have a motorbike or are considering buying one then a motorcycle helmet is an absolute necessity Indeed in many parts of the world it is a legal obligation to buy one
Walking into a motorcycle accessories stockist you may be confused by the range of helmets on offer Fortunately things arent quite so daunting as they first seem
Lets take a closer look at the four main different types of motorbike helmets that are available
The first is the full face helmet which is ideal for those who want to feel better protected These helmets provide full cover for your face including a hinged visor
As a result a full face helmet is perfect for providing protection from the elements It also offers greater protection that some other alternatives in case of an accident
An open face motorbike helmet by contrast offers a lower degree of protection Youll find that it doesnt have any protection for your chin
Its generally worn with goggles or a visor depending on the preference of the rider Given that it leaves the rider feeling more exposed it tends to be preferred by those looking for more freedom in their riding experience
A compromise between protection and exposure is provided by flip up helmets These will also allow you to talk to other people more easily while still wearing your helmet
Finally youll find that there are a range of off road helmets These are aimed at those wishing to take place in motocross and other such sports
If you have ever tried to ride in such an event then youll know the importance of keeping all of that mud and grit away from your face