Motorcycle Tour, Motorcycle Tours

Biker luggage brands are a dime a dozen these days. There are tons of brands to choose from, and all seemingly offering the exact same product, right? Well yes to a certain extent that’s true, but there is one brand I found that is the real deal. That brand is Willie & Max! They have single handedly taken what was once cheap and boring luggage selection, and designed their own saddlebags, that to this day are still regarded as the best in the industry. Let’s take a look at how two best friends changed the motorcycle luggage and seats industry forever!

The Company

Willie & Max wasn’t always the top dog of the luggage world. They started out as a small operations consisting of two best friends, aptly nicknames Willie and Max. They had big plans of taking a short trip around Lake Michigan, but before they could go, they needed to luggage to carry all their stuff. Unfortunately back in the 70′s, there were a whole lot of options to choose from, and the only bags available were built for Harley Davidsons. So as a last ditch attempt, they resorted to tying old duffel bags to their bikes, in hopes that they would at least last the trip, which they didn’t.

Experts say that the best ideas come from the worst problems, and that’s exactly what happened for the boys. Soon after their trip, Willie began sketching out designs for a line of luggage built for all bikers. Max then began to create a prototype out of a new synthetic leather material called “naugahyde”. With Max’s new biker bag, the boys decided to test them out on another trip. Everywhere they stopped bikers would ask them about the bags, and how they could get a set. By the time of boys returned, they had 10 orders for bags, and thus began a revolution.

Now fast forward 28 years later, and you’ll find the Willie And Max brand name everywhere you look. Biker everywhere sport their luggage and seats, and why shouldn’t they. They produce amazing products; in fact their corporate motto is “Designed by Riders for Riders.”

Products

So now that you’ve got a look at how the company started, let’s take a look at their product line:

Willie And Max Luggage:

Their bags is what made them famous, so what better product to start with. All of their bags are made from the same naugahyde material that the original prototypes were created with. They use this instead of leather for many reasons;

* It comes in traditional shapes, which means you can cut more shapes out of one sheet than you can with leather.

* Waterproof

* UV coated to protect against cracking, peeling, and fading

* It’s much less expensive then leather

Now Willie And Max luggage comes in a variety of styles, including, but not limited to:

* Fork Bags

*Handlebar Bags

*Saddlebags

*Sissy Bar Bags

*Tool Pouches

*Touring Trunks

*Windshield Bags

Willie And Max Seats:

Now there are a ton of motorcycle seat brands out there, and a lot of them give W&M a run for their money. However, the boys do have one advantage over the completion. The same amazing synthetic leather they use in their bags, can be found on all Willie And Max seats as well. They build their seats for all of the popular cruiser brands such as Harley Davidson, Victory, and many more.

Motorcycling is really a pursuit ideally appreciated by your butt. It’s probably the greatest justification to sit down for a few hours, but what you put under your butt can also determine the condition and length of the bike run. Yet several of us sink into a cushy bike seat in the showroom and instantaneously become enamored of its plushness. We will hastily purchase the luxurious seat and then, 50 miles down the road, ponder why our ass is numb, our back is in knots and our legs have lost all feeling. What’s up with that?

The assumption that softer is greater is really a major mistake. Although the cheaper foam may feel plush to begin with, it will eventually flatten out and kick the bucket. At that point you are going to uncover yourself virtually sitting on metal — the saddle pan underneath the foam.

All About The Cushion

A saddle is a component of your bike’s suspension system (you are suspended on it), and its size and shape effects your ride greatly; foam density and quality are an significant portion of the picture. There are various qualities of foam. Ideally, your bike seat will need to have high-density foam in the middle and bottom sections along with a thinner layer of soft foam closest to your butt. Good-quality foam is thicker and has more spring. It still bounces back again when compacted, although the less costly material will compress underneath the pressure. Top-shelf, closed-cell foam provides superior support for the street, but be ready to dish our the dough for it.

Measure Twice, Buy Once

An old tractor seat ideally describes the typical cruiser seat shape. On a motorcycle, the interior foam is sandwiched by a seat pan at the bottom along with a top cover designed of vinyl or, occasionally, leather. A typical seat has a base plate, and high-end touring models contain internal supports. Some manufacturers utilize rubber bumpers to decrease vibration. The rider’s part of a seat will need to be fairly wide and curved, and quite a few motorcycle seat makers strongly encourage the lowest part of the saddle be as far back as possible for a nice comfy ride. Cruiser styles normally employ a bucket within the middle and several frames are formed like a U. When saddle buying, contemplate your physical stature. Many riders between 5-foot-8 and 6 feet tall and 150 to 200 pounds could choose so-called “off-the-shelf” replacement saddles with solid outcomes. But think about your inseam and posture too. If you’re a major slouch, your tailbone will get additional pressure and filter pain up your lower back. Should you sit bolt upright, you could be susceptible to upper spine pains. Contemplate the space between the seat well as well as the rise at the back on the bucket wherever your back will be supported. Is it at a good angle? If not, it will encourage bad posture and far more discomfort. And don’t forget your passenger. A lot of cruising motorcycles ride two-up, and if your passenger slides around during braking, your nice trip can go haywire in a hurry.

Examine your body’s geometry within the motorcycle before any modification. Hand and foot changes can significantly change seat level of comfort. Recognize stress factors by sitting on the motorbike (have a buddy hold it up) feet on the pegs, and noting exactly where your rear end hits the seat. How is the fit around your inner thighs? Can you get to the handlebar easily? Write down these findings to use when you look for an upgraded option.

Swapping your motorcycle’s standard seat will increase your reach to the asphalt and generate far better geometry with floorboards and bars. A new saddle can improve back support, a bike’s styling and a passenger’s comfort too, but don’t think a change is generally in order. Before you change a saddle, take it for a lengthy ride to make sure it truly is really a ache inside bottom. And before you change|prior to altering|just before you alter a saddle to increase look, be sure aren’t carrying out anything that will help to make your motorbike literally a pain in the butt and some thing you will no longer like to ride.

Seat comfort problems are complex for the seat manufacturer too. A careful equilibrium has to be retained when crafting a cruiser seat. The conflicting desires of style and comfort must be incorporated into the design. The seat shouldn’t be too thin. If it’s too thin you have no compliance and you are going to bottom out. It has to equalize pressure and redistribute weight so there are no ‘hot spots’ that cause pain back to your booty. Better seats commonly require a break-in of the primarily stiff foam just before they mold themselves to your butt.

The material covering the motorcycle seat is also significant. Its capacity to respire while resisting wear, tear and water tend to be characteristics to search for. Leather is coveted for its appearance, feel and breathability, but it is pricey and prone to water damage if not routinely taken care of. And climbing on a drenched saddle is no way to begin a extended trip. The marine-grade vinyl used on several aftermarket saddles can mimic the best characteristics of leather while offering weather resistance and toughness at a reasonable price.

After buying you custom painting manual guide, tools, paint and equipments, the next job is to dismantle the motorcycle. Start dismantling your chopper motorcycle with utmost accuracy. While dismantling the chopper motorcycle, you should be very careful with wires attached to the motorcycle.

Dismantling chopper motorcycle is not very difficult, if you do it according to the custom painting manual guide. Remove only those parts from motorcycle, which you want to re-paint, as most of the people remove each and every part from the motorcycle and find it difficult to assemble it later. You should remember while dismantling your chopper motorcycle, that you have to assemble it. By using the basic tools kit, you can easily dismantle or assemble your chopper motorcycle. You should collect all the big or small parts of your chopper motorcycle very carefully at the time of dismantling your motorcycle.

Sanding

Sanding is done to remove the old paint from the dismantled parts of chopper motorcycle and to give smooth and silky surface to paint. The process of sanding is done by using sand papers. Generally, there are two types of sand paper used in sanding process of motorcycles, first is rough sandpaper and second is fine sandpaper. Rough sandpaper is used to remove the old paint from the motorcycle and fine sandpaper is used to give smooth surface for the new paint. If the old paint is remain on the motorcycle then it might cause problem with the new paint. Therefore, sanding is very important before you start painting your chopper motorcycle. Never try to avoid sanding because it is very important for the long lasting shine and grace of new paint.

Sanding Your Chopper Motorcycle

Sanding a motorcycle doesn’t need any specialized knowledge or skill. You must be careful while choosing the correct thickness of the sand paper (rough sandpaper and fine sandpaper). Sand papers with grit form 600 to 1000 can be used, depending upon the roughness of your chopper motorcycle. 600 grit sand papers are used for the rough surface i.e. to remove the old paint. 1000 grit sand papers are used for fine finishing of the motorcycle.

Although sanding is not a specialized job, but you have to be expert in judging the smoothness of the surface on which you are going to paint. When you are going for motorcycle sanding, you should be well prepared, as the people who perform such jobs are regularly exposed to dust (powder of old paint). Chances of getting dust in the eye and throat are very common. Therefore, your must wear the safety equipments. Swallowing these powders sometimes might leads to lung cancer.

For the final finishing of your chopper motorcycle, it is recommended to use 200 grit sanding paper. Smooth and sparkling surface of the motorcycle is the reward of proper sanding. Use 1200 grit wet and dry sand paper if you want to paint a metallic color on your chopper motorcycle.

Chemical Stripper for Sanding

If you find it difficult to remove the old paint of your motorcycle with a sand paper, then you can also use chemical stripper. Apply the paint stripper very carefully all over the motorcycle with a paint brush.

Chemical stripper can affect your skin badly. Therefore, you must wear safety equipments while applying chemical stripper on your chopper motorcycle.

How to Apply Chemical Stripper

You should cover all the parts of your motorcycle, which you want to paint, with clear plastic sheet (available from any hardware shop), so the vapors will be trapped inside and will work more rapidly on the motorcycle. After covering the motorcycle parts with the plastic sheet, than wait for the 2 to 3 hours and remove the plastic sheet.

Now you can start to scrape off the old paint from the motorcycle with a putty knife or a paint scraper. After applying stripping chemical on the motorcycle parts and keep the water away from these parts. If necessary, use the stripping chemical again. Never use the chemical stripper to remove the old paint from the motorcycle part, as it can affect the body (metal) of your chopper motorcycle. Therefore, sanding by sand paper is the best and simple way to remove old paint from motorcycle.

Wash the Parts before You Start Painting

After the sanding process, wash each and every part. Washing is necessary and important to remove the sanding powder which is left after the sanding process. There are some people who jump from sanding directly on to the base coat and might suffer later, as if you start with base coating without washing it, then after completing the first base coat, you will find small particles on it. Therefore, wash gently all the parts before you start painting.

For washing purpose, you can use any common soap or dishwashing detergents which are commonly available in the market. You can also use a scrub or a hard brush with these soap or detergent. A scrub or a hard brush will also remove the old paint left during the sanding process. You can also use cleaner to wash motorcycle, but never use any strong and chemically reacting cleaner which can damage the body (metal) of your chopper motorcycle by starting the rusting process. These types of chemical cleaners contain a chemical irritant which is known as Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether. Therefore, it is recommended to use common soap or dishwashing detergent to wash your chopper motorcycle before painting.

If you own or are considering buying a motorcycle, one of your first priorities before you take your bike out for a ride should be to ensure you have adequate insurance coverage. It would be catastrophic enough if you or your bike were harmed in an accident, or if your bike was damaged in a fire or was stolen, and without adequate insurance the catastrophic situation would only become worse.

Finding and obtaining insurance that is adequate for you and your bike is not as simple as opting for the first generic motorcycle insurance policy you come across. Motorcycles are diverse in style, power and uses, and it is a mistake to assume you have to settle for insurance that does not take this diversity into account. Consider Honda motorcycles for instance – a CBR1000RR Fireblade is in a completely different class from a CB1300F ABS. The former is a sports bike, built for speed and sharp handling, whereas a traditional bike like the CB1300F is built for style, practicality and power. Both are impressive machines, but chances are the insurance needs of a Fireblade owner are going to differ from those of a CB1300 owner. Likewise, a FJS600 ABS Silver Wing owner is going to have different insurance needs than a GL1800 Goldwing owner. The Silver Wing is a scooter, albeit a model designed for both long distance cruising and commuting in the city, while the Goldwing is a heavyweight machine built for comfort and long distance travel.

Whatever model Honda you own, be it a Cruiser, Sportsbike, Adventure, Touring, Off-Road, Classic, Traditional, Scooter or any other model, whether new or second hand, a noteworthy insurance option at your disposal is Honda motorbike insurance. Honda bike insurance is specifically tailored for Honda riders, and when obtained through a reputable specialised insurer who offers such policies, you will have the benefit of dealing with expert advisors who better understand the insurance needs of Honda owners. Additionally, in the event you need to make a claim, if you have Honda bike insurance rather than a generic bike insurance policy you will have the advantage of dealing with specialists who have a clearer understanding of your issues.

As you would expect with any typical motorcycle insurance policy, Honda motorcycle insurance comes with various coverage options to choose from, including full UK and European breakdown coverage, legal protection, personal effects cover and helmet and leather cover. In addition, having coverage that is endorsed by Honda gives you the advantage of being considered part of the Honda family. Since Honda would rather encourage than deter Honda ownership, a Honda-endorsed insurance policy is apt to be more competitive and cost-effective than a generic insurance policy.

Honda motorbike insurance is purposely designed with you and your bike’s needs in mind, and having it means you will be able to enjoy your Honda and ride it with confidence, knowing you and your prized possession are fully protected.