1. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don’t “recognize” a motorcycle; they ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.

2. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

3. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc). Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you’re changing lanes or turning at intersections.

4. Because of its small size a motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Don’t assume all motorcyclists are speed demons.

5. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say 3 or 4 seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.

6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle’s signal is for real.

7. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.

8. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle’s better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don’t expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.

9. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can’t always stop “on a dime.”

10. When a motorcycle is in motion, don’t think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

Rameshrajan’s famous work involves his research in Honda Motorcycle History. Rameshrajan is an avid motorcycle rider and owns several motorcycles.

On the whole, motorcycle owners put more love and care into their machines
than do owners of cars or trucks. That “love and care” directly translates into
hundreds of dollars spent on customizations and maintenance. Sadly, between
30,000 to 50,000 bikes are stolen each year in the United States alone (based on
theft rates from 2000 through 2005). And to think, many of these thefts could have
been prevented with a little common sense and security.

Common Sense This should go without saying, but don’t leave the keys in
the ignition or the motor running when you’re not on the bike! Never leave your
bike in a dimly lit, hard to see location. Put the bike in your locked garage when you
are at home.

Locks and Chains One item every bike owner should purchase is a thick
U-lock or chain that can be easily spotted by anyone, day or night. This is a must-
have, unless its so big that it’s impossible to tote around with you. Simply wrapping
your chain through a wheel and your bike frame is not enough — you have to
mount the bike to a sturdy pole or clamp mounted in concrete. If the bike isn’t
mounted to a stationary object, a thief could just pack up your bike in a truck and
drive away.

Electronic Alarms Most modern bikes (larger than a scooter) have some
form of factory immobilization that prevents casual theft, but such immobilizers
alone won’t stop a determined thief. It’s therefore best to consider an electronic
security system, often called an “alarm.” A good alarm system does more than just
make noise, it has circuitry that prevents false triggers, adds secondary points of
immobilization, and sounds a loud siren only when a threat against your bike is real.
Some have digital tilt sensors, shock sensors and other sensors that trip the system
into action. One excellent electronic alarm from Japan is the CYCLONE 866F:
www.kiramek.com. The Japanese manufacturer of Cyclone also offers a 1-way
paging system that instantly alerts you when a threat occurs. The system is also
claimed to be very low-power, eliminating worry of your battery being drained.

Two-way Paging Alarms Over the last 3 years, some electronic alarms
have begun to include 2-way pagers. These systems allow you to both control the
alarm and receive notification of threats. Unfortunately, battery life for many of
these two-way pagers is limited to about 1 month, and the pagers
themselves can be easily broken by a simple fall from your pants pocket. Two-way
systems also may drain a bike’s battery quickly unless you ride it daily. Even so, for
some people the convenience aspect may outweigh the negatives for some bike
owners.

Tracking Systems As of 2005, some companies have come out with GPS
tracking systems for bikes that allow a stolen bike to be traced. While tracking
systems do have merits over other types of security, there are three important
downsides that must be considered: (1) battery drain on the bike, (2) service area
(tracking) coverage, and (3) monthly cost.

Most tracking systems require you to pay not only for the product itself but also
each and every month to keep the “service contract” alive. The long term cost of
tracking systems may leave a bad taste in the mouth of the average bike owner.
Think about how much you already pay per month (phone bill, mobile phone,
internet, etc.) and you can see why tacking on another subscription is cost
prohibitive.

LoJack is one tracking system manufacturer who does not charge any monthly fees,
but their least expensive bike system runs $595 and traceability is limited to the
coverage area of wireless towers installed by LoJack and some police stations. Once
your LoJack “protected” vehicle exits the coverage area, its off the map and not
traceable. Of course, LoJack will refund the price of the product, but that refund
doesn’t replace your bike. Nor does that refund cover any special installation fees
you might have paid or any insurance deductible you might have.

Conclusion Use a layered approach to security. Common sense dictates
that you put your bike in a location that is not an obvious target for thieves. You’ll
then need a chain or U-lock to prevent casual theft. And lastly, even if your bike
has a factory immobilizer, the addition of an electronic alarm or tracking system will
act as a significant deterrent to theft.

SECURITY RESOURCES:

CYCLONE Motorcycle Security

VISION 2-Way Paging Alarms

WORCH Tire Locks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR. James Wages has a BSEE from CSU Fresno and has worked
in the automotive security aftermarket since 1994.

Looking for some new excitement in your life? Want to find it cheap? Imagine the adrenalin rush you’re going to experience behind the handlebars of an electric scooter. Electric scooters are exhilarating. Get your heart pumping with an electric motor scooter. Take a joy ride and find out first hand how much fun electric scooters can be.

Worried about the high price you’re paying for gasoline? Eliminate your money worries by traveling around town on a fun electric or gas motor scooter. Go weeks without adding gas to your tank. Or better yet, get an electric motor scooter and never add gas at all. In addition, most scooters are compact enough to be stored in a small place such as in a closet or in a public transportation compartment.

Electric powered scooters range in size from mini to full-size and boast an assortment of speed options. Travel at a safe 15 mph or find fast gas or electric power scooters that will get your heart pumping with excitement. Electric motor scooters also come in an assortment of fun colors and optional features. Stand up or sit down, it’s your choice. Plus, choose between the more popular 2 wheel electric powered scooter or locate a 3 wheel model.

When looking for a vehicle to get around town in there are certain considerations that you have to keep in mind. How expensive is the transportation? What kind of gas mileage does it get? Is it easy to find a spot to park it? And most of all, is it fun to drive?

When it comes to gas motor scooters or electric power scooters the answers are positive to all of the above. The initial expense is minimal, even less than $100 for many models. Gas motor scooters will go 50 miles on a gallon of gas or more and an electric power scooter will never need a fill-up ever.

Plus, it’s easy to find a parking spot because they are so compact. You can even take it into your office with you and park it in a closet or under a desk. It’s just that simple because many models are foldable. That’s right, they are made for folding.

But of course the best part is that they are fun to drive. And that’s the truth. If you’ve never been behind the handlebars of one of the many gas or electric scooters available you’ve missed out on some real excitement.

Scooters are made for everyone, kids to adults, for fast fun or for the handicapped. If you are elderly or have a handicap you’ll need to find a popular motorized mobility scooter that will get you around safely. They can make life fun again, allowing you to go practically anywhere you want.

Motorized scooters, whether gas or electric, are fun, reliable, cheap and easy to store. What more could anyone want from a vehicle?

Larry Johnson writes articles about many topics, including electric scooters. For more information with regard to electric motor scooters you can visit his site about electric scooters.

These sliders have been designed to offer unsurpassed protection to your 2005
Kawasaki ZX6R 636 Ninja in the unfortunate event of a lowside or tip over.
Motovation frame sliders are designed and manufactured by a company that only
makes frame sliders. Each and every model is tested for drop and slide protection.
They are tough but not brittle and can also absorb a huge impact. Sportsriders
around the world who have tested various models of our products on the track have
all given their thumbs up after experiencing first hand, the benefits of Motovation
Frame Sliders.

Please read all instructions before beginning work! These frame sliders are designed
to fit specific engine mounts of your 2005 Kawasaki ZX6R 636 Ninja. This kit
has separate left and right pieces (left and right while sitting on the bike). It is
highly recommended that you refer to your service manual before performing this
installation. Some fairing modification is required on the left side.

Included in this frame slider kit:

(1) 10mmX90mm 1.25 pitch bolt (left)

(1) 10mmX130mm 1.25 pitch bolt (right)

(2) Aluminum bushings (pressed into slider)

(2) Plastic Frame Sliders (left -longer, right-shorter)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Left Hand Side ( Sitting On Bike )

Remove left side fairing.

Remove( See picture ) correct engine bolt and save the nut.

Replace with the provided left frame slider ( Longer Aluminum Spacer) and 100mm
bolt
and re-use the stock nut.

Tighten the frame slider to the manufacturer’s recommended torque settings.

Replace the fairing and mark the edge of the fairing that needs modification. Tape
fairing over with masking tape and dremel the fairing till it just clears the frame
slider.
Reinstall fairing.

Right Hand Side ( Sitting On Bike )

Remove ( See picture ) correct engine bolt and save the nut.

Install the provided right frame slider ( Shorter Aluminum spacer ) and 130mm bolt
and
re-use nut.

Tighten the frame slider to the manufacturer’s recommended torque settings.

DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN.

Motovation Accessories is the distributor of quality Kawasaki frame sliders and
accessories. http://www.motovationusa.com
Go to: http://www.motovationusa.com/ZX6R_05.html for more pictures.

One of the best tools available when doing a performance upgrade is a Dyno run. It is usually best to do a run before a modification. This will allow you to actually gauge the effect on your machine when the modification is done. When you get a run done you will be given a sheet that shows 3 items:

Torque curve

Horse power curve
Air fuel ratio.

Most people look at only 2 things when the get a dyno sheet. The numbers at the top of the readout tell the peak HP, and the peak torque. Unfortunately that is only a little piece of the story. I will be using a sheet from my bike that shows 2 runs, and also exhibits a couple of minor problems.

First the most often ignored, yet most important indicator of how you bike is performing is the Air fuel ratio. In a perfect world the A|F line would be dead straight, and right at 14.7/1. Unfortunately that is rarely the case. Anything above 14.7 is considered to be lean, and below is rich. On a Vic however if you can keep that line straight between 13.5,and 14.5 you are doing pretty good.

Lets take a look at my two runs.
The Dyno runs can be viewed at: http://www.kingpincruisers.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/pmrt%20dyno%20run-1.jpg

First the red line

Notice that at first it is about perfect, but as the RPMs go up the bike gets leaner. In fact it is dangerously lean as it crosses 4K. At about 4.5K it starts to go rich. That falling to rich is reflected in the power curves. If you look you can see that both curves mirror the A/F ratio. I believe that I was running out of air because of the stock air box at that point. The red line was done with a stage1 one right out of the box. I had set it a tad lean in the hopes of increasing my MPG. Had I set it up normally my numbers would have been slightly higher.

Now the blue line[what a mess]

Again I start out OK, but from there things go horribly rich. I used a stage 1 map, and just loaded in a bunch of fuel using the TPS. I am sure that if I had not been so heavy handed that it would have been better. At about 3K you will note that it crosses to rich. This set up a cycle that continues throughout the run. Since it stars getting to rich for proper combustion. Extra fuel is left in the cylinder. This keeps on happening getting worse as the run progresses. Until finally I reach a low of 12/1. Again if you look at the power curves you will see that it is mirrored in them. First the HP curve dips below the original until about 4700,and the torque quits going up at about the same time as it goes rich. This run would have looked MUCH better if I had not forgotten the basic rule of little changes, and no wholesale adjustment

This is the link to my dyno sheet readout: http://www.kingpincruisers.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/pmrt%20dyno%20run-1.jpg

Now that we have seen the link between AF ratio, and power curves lets look at the curves them selves.

First torque

A good torque curve ramps up almost immediately. The more that is available right from the start the better the launch from a stoplight. After that the best result is one that solely reaches a peak, and holds a straightest line. One thing to note here is that the number 5252 is part of the mathematical formula. Your Torque, and HP curves should intersect here. If not there is something wrong with the dyno set up. If you look at the two curves on my dyno sheet. You will see that the blue line continues in an almost straight line to the red line. This means that I pull all the way to the limiter. When I get my mixtures cleaned up. It will have more torque, but the line should look about the same.

Now HP

Unlike torque Hp builds across the revs generally peaking, and then falling off fairly rapidly. This is a generality. RPMs=HP. If you look at a diesel you will see that though it produces massive torque the slow spinning nature means that you will see numbers like 175HP600FtLb. on the other end of the spectrum is the sport bike. Its rev happy nature, and light reciprocating mass give you numbers like 160HP65FtLb. This is why the V twin is the engine of choice for cruisers. The HP, and torque are fairly balanced. When looking at HP it should describe a reasonably smooth arc. Jagged sections can mean detonation, and sudden jumps, or drops could mean wheel spin. I believe that pretty much covers it.

Contributing author to Cycle Solutions
http://www.cyclesolutions.net

Research performed on the Victory Kingpin technical site:
http://www.kingpincruisers.net

So you want to be a custom bike builder? Well friend, before you rush out and buy that motorcycle kit, the one that will set you on the road to riches and fame, stop and think about the level of expertise and artistry the top builders have attained. More importantly think about how long it has taken them to attain it! Let’s look at a few key issues…

Education

You’d be surprised how well educated a lot of today’s top bike builders are. Several of them have degrees (some more than one!) ranging from mechanical engineering to business and marketing management. Billy Lane, the founder of Chopper Inc, has several patents relating to motorcycle technology in his name for example. What about someone a little more “old school” like Dave Perewitz? Dave has accumulated close to forty years of mechanical, metalworking and painting experience. Not theoretical, but genuine hands on, early morning late night kind of experience. Could you put that kind of time in? Matt Hotch is still only young, but has gained an incredible amount of practical experience customizing first bicycles, then VW’s before moving on to custom bike building.

Facilities

These guys are building choppers and custom bikes that are state of the art. They don’t get thrown together in the yard; the motorcycle shops have all the tools and equipment required to produce almost anything out of metal, not just bikes. Just as important are the other services these builders use; the local chrome platers, machinists, painters and so on. These guys have just as important a part to play in the construction of these one off bikes as the designer builders themselves.

Desire

All the top custom bike builders live for one thing; building the best bikes they can. They literally live eat even dream about custom bikes (and looking at some of the more way out creations you can totally believe this from the designs they produce!) They are constantly striving to build bikes better. Its not about money for the top guys, I am convinced of that.

So where does that leave Average Joes like you and me? Actually, I don’t think we are too badly off; in fact if you want to build a custom bike, it has probably never been easier. Here’s my take on it….

Education

There is an unbelievable amount of information for the guys who want to start down the road to custom bike building. Videos, books websites, all of them help to flatten the learning curve for a novice. Most of the material out there relates to motorcycle kits, and for the beginner, building a motorcycle kit is definitely the best way to go if you want to get real hands on experience. After that there are motorcycle maintenance courses, which again will allow you to get up to speed as fast as possible in your quest to become the next Arlen Ness!

Facilities

To put together a shop like the ones you see on television costs thousands of dollars. But you don’t need all that stuff if you start with a motorcycle kit. Motorcycle kits can be put together with some pretty basic tools, providing they are of good quality. Two things that are an absolute must in my opinion though are a torque wrench and a basic lift. With these two tools, you can tighten the motorcycle kits fittings correctly, and not break your back while you are doing it!

Desire

Well this is one area where you can match the pros, no question. If you really want to be a custom bike builder, start doing it for fun and put your motorcycle kit together.

We can’t all be Billy Lane, Eddie Trotta or Russell Mitchell, but we can have a lot of fun trying!

Michael Holmes is a enthusiast for all thing motorcycle. His website, http://www.motorcycleparts-accessories-andmore.com, is a great resource of articles aimed at motorcyclists of all levels, including a page specifically about the motorcycle kits resources available online.

At one time you could only buy cycling equipment at your local cycle shop, if they had what you wanted or you had to hope they could order it and then you would have to wait for it to come and hope it was the right size, colour or price. Then cycling magazines started to have adverts for the bigger stores and you could post off a cheque and wait for your prized article to arrive. Now things could not be easier, your at home watching the Tour de France on television, you see you hero attack on the mountainous slopes of Alpe-d’Huez, what are those sexy carbon cranks he’s using? They look like FSA or are they Campagnolo, they could be Stella Azurra, which are they? How much will they cost? Where can I get them? Well, get on the Web, put the name of that most wanted item into your search engine and see what it comes up with. The next move can be nearly as exciting as riding your bike up the mountains, that’s making comparisons of all the equipment, something you probably wont be able to do at your local cycle shop and then ordering it online, the worst bit is waiting for it to arrive.

All the top cycle components, clothing, frames and cycle manufacturers have their own web-sites, once you’ve found what you really want for your bike, most sites can link you to a retail out let, from there, with the use of your credit card you can order the goods on-line, or check out a store near to where you live and if they stock what you are looking for. This is best for items of clothing, shorts and jersey sizes vary from one maker to another and there is nothing worse than receiving your new professional look a like kit and it is too big or small, so get down to your local cycle shop or sports store, try on your choice for size and if all is OK, you can buy it there and then or if you don’t mind waiting and it’s at a better price, order and pay for it online and wait for it to arrive in the post to your house.

How to wear comfortable cycling shoes

There are many cycling shoes on the market, and finding the right ones for you can be hard. Look them up on the web, go through the search engine or if you have a particular make in mind, find them online and if you can’t try some in a shop, this is best, because size can be a problem, one manufacturer size 9 could be a half size bigger or smaller than another company, and most of the best cycling shoes are Italian, so remember that European sizes are very different from American or English sizes, and German shoes are wider and Italian shoes are narrower and you may be looking for a size 44 or 45, so try as many different shoes you can and then make your decision. Very importantly with shoes is which pedal system you are using, Look, Shimano, Campagnolo, Time and all the other systems have different fittings on the sole of the shoe, check up which they have on the shoe manufacturers web-site and then it should then be safe to order them online.

An other good and very important item you could look for online is a cycle helmet, as with most cycling goods there are many different helmets on the market, some times the helmets you see on the heads of the professionals are difficult to find, but anything is possible on the net, just type it in and away you go, it may be that just the helmet you are looking for is available in Holland, get it ordered, it may take some time to come but if its what you want it’ll be worth it. Sizes of helmets, like shoes can vary, so if it is possible to try before you buy, then make sure it’s a comfortable fit, the big difference between cycle shoes and helmets is that helmets come with different pads to go inside so you can make the helmet fit exactly, which could help if you’ve ordered the wrong size, this is not something you can do with cycling shoes.

The net is a great way to find the frame size you want for your new bike, with the new sloping frame designs it can be tricky to know which size to order, all frame designers have their own ideas for what is best, so if you know the top tube length of your present bike then you can compare online with the design dimensions on the manufacturers web-site and then you will know what size to order either at you local bike shop or from your internet supplier. As this is probably the most important and expensive thing you’ll buy for your cycling, and so with online shopping you can make sure you make the right decision.

Alastair Hamilton is a successful writer who contributes adding technical articles on bikecycling to www.bike-cycling-reviews.com .He helps riders to find the best components and apparel for road and mountain bikes. If look for cycle clothing you may be interested to read www.bike-cycling-reviews.com/clothing/bicycle-jerseys.html