By Sergio Laurente Recently, one of my non-motorcycle riding friends asked me about the purchase cost for my Harley Davidson. He guessed that it was in the $20k range and was surprised to hear I paid less than half that. After the conversation, I realized that some folks have a preconceived notion that getting
MV Agusta F4: Sight Versus Sound
By Dennis Dumapias I keep going back and forth between leaving the OEM quad pipes on the F4, or running the aftermarket titanium dual slip-ons I found for it. Ever since finding the aftermarket slip-ons, I’ve swapped between those and the OEM pipes three times now, and I’m pretty sure I’m not done oscillating
Riding Under a Microscope
By Dennis Dumapias That’s my friend Everett. I hate him for being right. It’s not that I went too long without using a lap timer, I just flat out thought I didn’t need one. I’m just a track day guy, who despite being an avid road racing fan, just has no aspiration to race. So
Protect All Surface Cleaner Review
By Tayla Adams A few weeks ago I was in the shop getting my bike serviced, and I noticed my mechanic wiping my bike down with a spray after the work was done. I asked about the product, and he pretty much told me that he highly recommended the item for basic cleaning. I bought
Wheel Locks
Recently, a good friend of mine had his tricked out Yamaha R6 stolen from his apartment. Immediately, I wanted to know how this happened. My friend’s apartment building comes with secured, underground, gated garage. In order to enter, someone needs to have a remote to trigger the gate to open in the first place. Plus,
Hamilton Beach Water Bottle Review
If you’re anything like me you have a certain attachment to your water bottles. I couldn’t begin to give an estimation of the number of water bottles I’ve owned over the years. Unfortunately, I’ve lost nearly every bottle I’ve had in the past as well. However, I’m happy to say I have managed to keep
Nelson-Rigg Dry Bag Review
A few weeks ago I received black dry bags from Nelson-Rigg. The model number is SE-2050. We have had rain nearly every day this year in California. My shoes are dry when I get to work. My sandwich is never soggy. I have to say, “These bags work!” But that is not the whole story.
Outdoor Master Bag Review
A few weeks ago I broke my riding backpack. I’d had it for about two years, so I’d consider that a positive consumer experience. Needless to say, I was very bummed when I had to scramble to find another bag that was up to par so quickly. Funny thing is, I’d had the perfect replacement
Staying in Touch While Riding
My partner and I both ride. Now that we have a daughter, we take turns riding, and this past weekend it was my turn. As I headed out the door, my boyfriend and one-year-old daughter sent me off with a wave, and then went about their day. Were they worried about me? My little girl
California Winter Riding Gear
Hey, speaking of winter in California, I thought I'd share what kind of gear us California Motorcycle Snobs have to use to continue riding through the colder temperatures. So behold, my motorcycle winter gear: Well, technically, what's pictured are is simply my motorcycle gear, period. With the exception of one item in the picture, everything
Finding the best motorcycle chain
There are two ways to select a chain when the old one wears out. You can take the motorcycle to a shop and ask the mechanic to install a new one. Or you can do a little research and get the one you really want. Recently I returned from a 500 mile ride and noticed
The 217 mpg Honda, and the factory flat tracker Suzuki
I have just returned from a three week trip to Japan with my band, Audacity. We played in Tokyo, Aishikaga, Yokohoma, Kyoto, and Nagoya. While I was there I had the opportunity to see what kinds of bikes were popular among the local riders. First of all, motorcycles are extremely popular in Japan, and are
Sons of Anarchy by Piston Clothing Sit Down Interview
On a grey Friday afternoon just as most of the work force is getting ready for the long holiday weekend, the men at Piston Clothing are hard at work. While you might not recognize the name right away you likely know their jackets, they are the officially licensed dealer for SOA outerwear. Here in the
Product Review: Speedmetal Reversible Bar End Mirror
When I bought the NT650, it actually came with a handful of items that were upgrades from OEM components. Unfortunately, the mirrors were still the chrome-plated, oversized square mirrors that did not hide the fact the bike was made in the 80’s. They were so gaudy and unremarkable at the same time that the previous
Staying Dry Riding in the Rain: Budget Rain Jacket
Today was the first rainy day I rode in over the past couple of years. And that is a good thing. Good because we are in a draught here in California and this will help even though I know the price of water will go up anyway. Good, too, as I have been lucky for
Improving the Kawaski Versys Lighting
I’ve been riding for more than thirty years and have owned several motorcycles and ridden over 100,000 miles. Until now, I have never thought seriously about customizing a bike. It's not that I had bad feelings towards it, rather the need never arose. One guy I used to work with had a Harley-Davidson complete with
Trackside Tips: Motorcycle Tires for Track Use
Today we live in times when our motorcycle tires are the envy of our peers of yesteryears. Much like the generational leaps that today’s motorcycles have made from previous generations, motorcycle tire technology has allowed for the kind of performance that only a select few can actually outride. Today, motorcycle tires provide more grip than
What’s the Best Motorcycle for Inter-Country Travel?
I was sent a question via Quora.com, and thought it was interesting enough to share it (and my long-winded response) here. A rider in the United States is looking to do a motorcycle trek from the US all the way down to Argentina, and wanted some advice on what the best bike would be for
New Indian Motorcycles at Sturgis This Year
Looking for another reason to go to Sturgis this year? In addition to the booze, girls, and more bikes than you can count, here's another thing to look forward to. Indian Motorcycles, which was recently purchased by the American company Polaris (maker of Victory Motorcycles) will have their entire 2012 lineup on display at the
Motorcycle Accident Caused by Armor-All: Fact or Fiction?
Ahhh, the time-honored tradition of the urban motorcycle myth. Some time ago, we did the Myth Busters' routine with regard to the so-called Harley Death Wobble. Based on our research, we were not able to bust that one. This weekend, another popular "urban myth" came up in conversation: The good old "Death by Amor-All" debate.