Archive for the ‘bikes’ Category
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 |
Motorcycle Grips can be customized to suit your kind of bike whether its a Harley or a sport bike their are all sorts of grip styles out there. One is bound to fit your bike and your style. Motorcycle grips can be just plain old rubber grips like what you see standard on sport bikes and cruisers or they can be extremely fancy like the stuff you see on custom choppers that cost 40k. Prices on grips can vary from a few bucks to a few hundred depending on the style and the material that they are made from. Some cycles also offer the ability for you to have heated motorcycle grips for those of you that ride in cold weather this is a huge plus. Grips are generally made from things like rubber on the cheap side, billet aluminum which can get pretty expensive or Anodized steel.
Sport Bike Grips tend to lean more toward the functional side where cruiser grips are fancier and more ornate. Sport bike grips are usually made from rubber or a combination of rubber and gel to make riding easier on your hands. Most Superbike grips are really inexpensive. Expect to pay no more then twenty bucks for a good set. Some of the companies that make good grips for sport bikes are Parts Unlimited, Progrip, and Grab ON Grips. All of them make a quality product which is perfect for fitting on to your sport bike. Also Diamond Power Sports makes some really nice billet aluminum grips for the Suzuki bike. These are pretty pricey at around $149 for a set, however if you want a bling then they are the way to go for your Gixxer.
Now Cruiser Grips come in many variations however most of them are quite decorative. You can show your attitude depending on the grips you slap on your cruiser. You can get some with a spike on the end or a skull just to give you some examples. Cruiser hand grips tend to be made from billet aluminum or a combination of aluminum, rubber or foam. Unlike sport bike grips the cruiser counterparts are available from fairly cheap to a few hundred bucks for a set of really nice ones. However a nice grip will put the finishing touches on a bike. To make your bike even more unique you can also find end caps that will further differentiate your bike from everyone else. End caps usually go on the end of a grip and usually are in the form of a spike or a skull or such. Heated grips are also available for most cruisers, if you commute on your bike this can be a very vital item to keep you comfortable in cold weather. For cruisers you can find a quality hand grip set by makes like Kuryakyn, Showchrome, Arlen Ness, Drag Specialties, Galindo Designs, Jardine or Pro1. Kuryakyn and Arlen Ness make some of the nicer motorcycle hand grips in my opinion.
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Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 |
Buying a new Motorcycle like Honda bikes,Yamaha bikes, Suzuki bikes etc is a long term investment. It is usually the second only to a home as the most expensive thing ever bought. The person has to shell out a vast sum of money later on not only for gas but its proper maintenance as well. To some who can’t afford to buy a new Motorcycle, these people have to do the next best thing and settle for a second hand Motorcycle.
According to consumer reports, a new Motorcycle depreciates in value once it leaves the lot. This goes as high as 20% annually, which makes it easy for someone to buy a fairly new Motorcycle at almost half the price of a new one. In addition, it can enable you to even buy a higher end model that has better performance, safety and other features than a new model. This saves you money, which can be used for other things.
Before buying a Motorcycle, it is best to think about the kind of Motorcycle you is willing to spend for and the options that come with it. By doing some research and checking out various dealers, you will be able to pick the right Motorcycle and get the best deal.
You can buy a Used Motorcycle for sale either from a dealer or from a private person. Before spending money on a Used Motorcycle, these are a few tips you must be aware of.
• You should check if the dealer or the individual who wants to sell the Motorcycle has a good reputation.
• Just looking at the Motorcycle will not give information if the Motorcycle is in good condition. It should be test driven in various road conditions such as the highway or in traffic.
• Most Motorcycles have a maintenance record. The buyer must ask if it from the motorcycle dealer or the individual and if it not available, then you should contact the dealership or repair shop where most of the work was done.
• Since most people are not that knowledgeable about Motorcycles, it is advisable to bring the Motorcycle to a reliable mechanic for proper inspection.
• There are many dealers available. You should also visit other dealers and check if the dealer or the individual who sells the Used Motorcycle has a good reputation. If the Motorcycle of choice is not available, then you should inform the dealer about it and inform how much you are willing to pay. The dealer may either find that Motorcycle or offer another model that is very similar to the vehicle you desire.
Negotiating can feel like a nightmare for people who aren’t used to it, but the process can be simple for someone who is experienced. You pick a price and stick with it, regardless of what anyone says. If you’ve done your research, you know the actual value of the Motorcycle and what the markup of the dealership is, so you know how much flexibility they should have. Don’t let the dealer start talking about payments, ultimately you want to get the overall cost of the Motorcycle to the lowest value possible. Payments simply don’t matter. Decide on a price, ask for it, and stick with it. If they will not cooperate, simply leave and find a dealership that will. Leave your phone number though, because they will likely be calling you back.
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Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 |
HIGH-REVVING sport bikes tend to rattle cages. If it isn’t the high-pitched scream of their pipes, it’s the exposed skin and mohawked helmets of their riders that make drivers jump out of their bucket seats.
Powered with high-octane gas and run on seemingly higher levels of testosterone, the 600 cc class accounts for more than half of the supersport bikes sold in the U.S. It’s a highly competitive segment – one that doesn’t just put a premium on “fast” but on fast-paced, every-other-year overhauls to keep up with the market’s expectations for trickle-down-from-the-track technologies and performance.
For 2008, the fight is between the sport bike bestsellers for Suzuki and Yamaha: the GSX-R600 and the YZF-R6. The two bikes have been locked in karmic battle since 2006, when they fell into the same reinvention schedule, pitting Suzuki against Yamaha on the even model years, just as Honda has been set up against Kawasaki to swirl nunchucks on the odd.
Commuting is the No. 1 use for 600 cc sport bikes. Even so, the racetrack is where both bikes are designed to shine. The GSX-R just adds a little more user-friendliness to the mix, whereas the YZF-R6 requires a little more finesse to access its powers.
Yamaha YZF-R6
“Razor-sharp handling” was the MO for this year’s R6 update, which, again, responds to the bike’s demographics. Because R6 riders tend to be slightly older (30), more experienced (nine years riding) and more inclined toward the track than the average 600 cc sport bike buyer, that’s where Yamaha’s taken its redesign.
Yamaha’s direction for the 9-year-old R6 is the opposite of the Gixxer’s. It’s become even more tunnel-visioned on the track. Where the Gixxer focuses on the bottom to middle of its power band, the R6 sets its sights on the middle and the top – increasing the bike’s midrange pull and upper-end power with the help of new pistons that increase the engine’s compression ratio and a set of secondary fuel injectors that kick in at 6,000 rpm.
The biggest difference for me with the R6 versus the Gixxer is the throttle. It takes more skill and a real mastery of the friction zone to avoid over-revving on takeoff. Just 28% of R6 riders buy the bike as their first, but its primary use is commuting, which requires a lot of stops and starts, so newbies should beware.
Although more than 50 changes were made to the R6 engine, the most noticeable differences with the bike are in the chassis, which features a Yamaha first: The die-cast subframe is magnesium, which has a greater strength-to-weight ratio than the aluminum used on previous R6 models. The suspension is also modified to be more minutely adjustable, including the ride height.
The R6 is lightweight, responsive, flickable, yada yada – but riders will want to keep moving because the engine throws some heat. After some serious canyon carving, my left leg got so hot I was almost inclined to try stunting. I wanted to stand on the saddle.
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Friday, August 1st, 2008 |
Pocket dirt bike specifically refers to a much smaller bike model. The introduces of the pocket dirt variety are trying hard to popularize this version of dirt bike to people of all ages. These manufacturers have come up with various pocket-sized editions of bikes at negligible costs. Giovanni, Blatta, Vulkin, Panterra and the big bosses like Honda and Yamaha are busy stealing the show with this pocket edition of dirt bikes.
Pocket dirt bicycle is the fastest roadrunner of the century
Yes, they are petite but in no way powerless. Some can even reach speeds of 80 miles per hour. Pocket dirt bikes are available in all shapes and sizes. They look exactly same like their big brothers but not in scale. This particular dirt bike variety is constructed in all sizes of 44cc, 49cc, 50cc, 85cc, 90cc and 110cc. Therefore, you have lots of options to choose from when you plan to buy.
Just check the Internet and you will find several dirt bike manufacturers ready to advertise their specified models of pocket dirt bicycles. It is better that you shop on line so as to get hold of the latest pocket dirt bikes. Compare the prices well and then make the decision.
Mini dirt bikes are very similar to the pocket racers and anyone can confuse one with the other. Both the mini bikes look same and both can carry a payload of up to 300 pounds. Both the bikes are light and you can carry them easily under your arms or in the trunk of your car.
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