Motorcycle Tour, Motorcycle Tours

While all motorcycles come with a seat as standard equipment, it is not uncommon for a rider to change his seat almost immediately. I am sure you are thinking to yourself that might seem odd, but actually it is not. There are several types of seats, and depending on your application, you may choose to change your seat from its original stock version. If you make the decision to change your seat, you will have a few things to consider. First you must decide what your primary application will be. Will you be traveling long distances, or will you be cruising around town? What types of material do you prefer in a seat? Lets talk about some of your choices and how they might benefit you as you explore the options of upgrading your stock motorcycle seat.

Internal material- Once you decide your primary application, you can then determine what material will best suit your needs. You can choose from foam or gel. If you have decided that you will be primarily traveling in your little circle, running around town, back and forth to work or school, then the foam seat will most likely be sufficient for you. The foam seat will provide plenty of comfort for the occasional, or even daily short trip. On the other hand, if you have decided that your application will require riding longer distances and sitting for longer periods, then you might consider the gel seat. The gel seat will conform to your body, and will provide you with the necessary support needed to ride comfortably for longer periods. The support, coupled by the soft feel, will benefit you for touring applications.

External covering- When deciding on the external material you will choose for your seat, you will once again need to address your application. Will this seat be exposed to the sunlight for prolonged periods? Will you be riding in the rain, or sitting in the saddle for long rides? You will be able to choose from leather or vinyl. If you are once again riding your motorcycle in the short closed loop scenario, a vinyl covering will probably be sufficient. If you are parking your motorcycle in a garage and it won’t be exposed to the elements as much, vinyl might be all you need. However, if you will be riding for longer periods and are exposed to the elements, leather might be the better option for you. The leather covering will breath, it will hold up to exposure to sunlight better, and by treating your leather seat you will prolong the life well beyond the life of a vinyl seat.

The bottom line is when you are choosing your next motorcycle seat, take a few minutes to fully understand how you intend to ride your motorcycle. By doing so, you will ensure that you will be able to achieve your goals as you upgrade from your stock motorcycle seat.

Using a online motorcycle loan calculator enables you to compute the monthly charges needed in make your motorcycle loan payments. To complete a calculation all you need to do is enter the amount required by the motorcycle loan calculator such as purchase sales tax, price, fees, net trade-in value cash down payment made, and interest rate. The motorcycle loan calculator will spit out the necessary computations on how much monthly payment you are required to pay. By using the motorcycle loan calculator online you can have a much more better idea of how much monthly payment will be required for your loan.

Using a motorcycle loan calculator you will typically first provide the purchase price or selling price of the new or used motorcycle before tax. Then you must calculate the net amount by substracting the trade in amount from the gross selling price. The net amount after deduction is the net selling price. You can then multiply the net price to the going sales tax rate in order to get the sales tax. Then you can add sales tax and fees to the gross purchase price to get the total price you will pay for the motorcycle. After you have the total purchase price of the new or used motorcycle, you can deduct the amount you paid for down payment.

The net trade-in amount refers to the trade-in value less the balance owed on the motorcycle loan for the motorcycle being traded in. After you deduct the down payment and net trade-in amount to the total amount of the motorcycle you will finally arrive at the motorcycle loan amount that is used in the calculator. This oveall loan amount will then be used to calculate your payment.

The term cash down payment in the motorcycle loan calculater is referring to the amount of cash paid you used as down payment. The trade allowance used in motorcycle loan calculater is the total dollar amount you assign to your motorcycle in cases of trade-in. The amount in trade owed is the total motorcycle loan balance still outstanding on the motorcycle being traded-in.

The taxable fees used in the motorcycle loan calculater is to account for any additional fee subject to sales tax. The Non-taxable fees are those standard fees not subject to the standard sales tax. These fees are often in the form of document fees and other fees due at delivery and not taxable.

The total down on the motorcycle loan calculator is the cash you will pay as a down payment. This is typically computed by getting the cash down plus you motorcycle trade-in. If you have a loan on your trade in you can then deduct the outstanding loan balance on trade-ins. The sales price in the motorcycle loan calculater refers to the total price of the motorcycle that you pay to the dealer.

Hot Tabasco! If you are not used to hot chilies they all taste the same to you – extra spicy. However, the more you get used to the spiciness, the more distinctive your taste in chilies become. The same happens with another “spicy” item – Harley Davidson motorcycles. They all seem “hot”, but try and ride a few and you will soon discover their specific “tastes”. Here is a small selection of distinctively “spicy” Harley’s to try.

1. Ultra Classic Electra Glide. The classic Harley tour bike intended to take on the open road. With that long haul feature that gives outmost rider comfort. Made for those long and winding escapades, it has a decent storage capacity for rider’s belongings and outdoor survival elements. The bike seat itself says everything about comfort; it’s just a small scale away from being a lazy boy! The look is absolutely majestic with all that leather, chrome and the rumble of a signature v-twin engine.

2. CVO Fat Bob. Considered as one of the best handling Harleys in the family, it breathes with a Granite powder-coated TC 110. Seats are higher this year for this Harley baby with an elevated 26.2 inches. As compared to its ancestor, its 9 pounds lighter with an increase in gear ratios from 2nd, 3rd and 5th. This model is still a cruiser but has been more inclined to being a sport rider than a laid back relaxed touring bike. Never the less, it is still of the CVO family with that removable extra seat extension for that extra special someone you want to ride with.

3. XL883L Police Bike. Now why would anyone want to ride a police motorcycle? Unless you have a thing for them, you really would not be boarding one. You would just be riding the same model and make. Come to think of it, it would be quite interesting because you’d experience the power and maneuverability that makes this Harley Davidson one of the best police vehicles out today.

4. Heritage Soft Tail Classic. This bike speaks of the birth of Harley Davidson. It is the image of which Harleys are known for, studded leather saddle bags, full front fender and king sized windshield on top of that potato engine rumble. Dress the part of a Harley hot rodder with leather chaps, a do-rag and boots.

5. V-Rod Muscle. The youngest and by far most contemporary of the Harley. With a liquid cooled v-twin engine and added unyielding of overturned forks, it is everything that a modern biker would want in a legendary bike.

6. Classic Trice. Who says that three wheels isn’t cool enough? Not with the HD logo on. You still have the same qualities of a Harley Davidson and of course some significant and obvious differences. You still have that HD clutch, brake, throttle and shifter. What sets it apart from the 2 wheeled Harleys is the handling and maneuver style. Trikes do not lean when you are maneuvering a turn. They handle turns similar to how a car does, by steering. Transitioning from a two wheel to a trike is quite challenging as you may have to be wary that the rear end is wider than your front, you may have to set a wider perspective of driving to consider this characteristic of trikes. When touring, trikes are so relaxed to drive as you need not put your feet on the ground when stationary.

Over the years, Harley Davidson has released hundreds after hundred of motorcycles all over the world, each one appealing to a certain individual who has found a fondness for the brand. A Harley and it’s owner share a special kind of bond that is quite unexplainable, but one thing is a fact, a Harley will and always be a Harley and there is nothing faster and sleeker that can replace a legacy.

Nothing can mess up a good ride and your well being more than having your motorcycle stolen!

Motorcycle riders hit the highways, racetracks and rallies for good times, but the down side is that all these places are prime targets for motorcycle theft.

Bob Feinen, motorcycle theft and fraud specialist, has a few common sense tips for preventing motorcycle theft for new and veteran riders. Feinen, an expert in motorcycle theft investigation and fraud, has worked in the motorcycle insurance field for more than 20 years. Throughout his career, he has identified more than 300 stolen motorcycles and assisted in the recovery of more than $4 million worth of stolen motorcycle parts and accessories. He is a member of the Sturgis Police Department Motorcycle Theft Unit for the annual Sturgis Bike Rally and a member of the annual Daytona Bike Week Motorcycle Theft Unit. He is an expert in this field and offers these tips to keep your bike safe.

1. Lock your ignition: Most motorcycle theft occurs when the ignition is shut off, but not locked. Lock the forks or disk brakes with large, brightly colored tags. The bright color will remind you to unlock your bike and tell would-be motorcycle thieves that your motorcycle is protected.

If traveling with other riders, lock motorcycles together when not in use. If you are riding alone, lock your motorcycle to a secure, stationary object that can’t be easily dismantled, such as a light pole.

When traveling and spending the night at a motel, locate outdoor security cameras and park your motorcycle in the cameras’ view. If this is not possible, park your motorcycle close to your room. This allows you to hear if a thief messes with and attempts to steal your motorcycle.

2. Keep an eye on your bike: When parking at a public event, check your motorcycle periodically, especially immediately after leaving your bike, to make sure there are no suspicious individuals hanging around. Thieves need less than two minutes to steal your motorcycle. Don’t give them the opportunity.

3. Don’t store the title to your bike in the tank bag or saddlebag. The safest place for your title is at home. Keep your motorcycle registration and insurance identification card on you when you ride. Should a motorcycle theft occur, this quickly establishes you as the motorcycle owner and allows law enforcement to file a report immediately.

4. If you use a trailer to transport your bike, many of the same precautions apply. Park the trailer in a well-lit location near security cameras or in an area easily seen by restaurant, hotel or event staff. Lock the trailer doors and hitch. Secure doors by backing up to a wall, so there’s not enough room for doors to be opened. Know your trailer identification number and license plate registration.

5. Guard against theft when selling your bike: Don’t turn over the title until you can verify the check or money order is valid and clears the bank. Using fake identities has become common in motorcycle thefts. Ask the buyer for his or her name, address, date of birth and driver’s license number. Then ask to see the driver’s license and check that the information given matches the license.

Remember, it isn’t necessary that a buyer receives the title right away. A written document signed by the seller and buyer indicating price and method of payment also indicates proof of purchase. The title can be forwarded to the buyer once the check has cleared the bank. If you decide to sell your bike on consignment, do not provide a signed copy of the title to the dealership until you have received your money in full. Make sure the dealership is a reputable business before you trust them as an agent. Some dealerships with very little history have been selling motorcycles on consignment and keeping the money. When the dealership closes and files for bankruptcy, you are out a motorcycle and your money.

What’s listed here is common sense and will help some but there is constant news about motorcycle owners using all these precautions and still getting their motorcycle stolen! If motorcycle thieves want to steal your bike, they’ll get it and chances are you’ve seen the last of it unless you’re using a high performance motorcycle security system that will give you the opportunity to get it back.