MOTORCYCLES

As motorcycle street performance bike riders get more proficient they find them selves searching out more and more challenging highways to ride on. In fact eventually they find two or three and really like to let it all hang out and test their skills. As a young man living close to the Malibu Hills in California, I found myself bonsai’ing thru the canyons about three times a week. Eventually I met others doing the same. Being self-employed like a number of the high-performance riders, sometimes I would ride mid-week, evenings too, when there were little or no other cars on the road.

Indeed I would ride with full racing gear and literally become one with the road. Was what I was doing illegal? Well, I doubt that the speeds I was riding at would be considered anything less than a Two-Point Reckless Driving Ticket, although as I got better and more proficient, I certainly was not reckless driving, more like precision performance riding. Later, I took in on the track, grew up a little bit and raced against even better riders.

In doing all this, which I cannot say I condone it in hindsight and today there are more cars on the road and the bikes are even faster and more maneuverable, which is good and bad; in that you can have more control for safety, but are tempted to go much faster. Nevertheless more than once I had come around the corner and had my pulse and adrenaline catapult into hyperspace when there was debris on the highway, no where to go, no time to slow down and well you get the point.

My advice to younger riders is learn the fundamentals and although you should not play at this level too often, I know the reality of testosterone youth. Here is the deal; if you set up the turn and are doing everything right, you can still have things go wrong and make it thru.

So learn to do it right, take some SuperBike professional classes and take every turn seriously. This way if you end up hitting a rock you may hurt the bike, but you should be able to stay on it without crashing or taking a free fall on the cliff side, where no one will ever know you took a flying leap on a drop off and are resting on the other side of the canyon wall, ten feet from the bottom of the creek. The Helicopter Evacs do not need your business, nor do you want to spend the rest of your life in a wheel chair. Consider this in 2006.

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Tired of your old helmet? Fancy a spanking new cheap motorcycle helmet? Thought about buying one online but not sure what you’ll get? Fear not! Biker Mike to the rescue, that Champion of cheap motorcycle helmets, the doyen of shiny lids, the man who put the “Brain” in Brain Buckets, is here to help!

Well I may be getting a little carried away, but permit me to offer a few simple guidelines that will help make your online search for a cheap motorcycle helmet a whole lot easier

Tip number one

Don’t buy online. Well not if it’s your first helmet anyway. It’s just too risky. The first motorcycle helmet you buy should definitely be purchased from a store or at least from some place you can try it on and (pay attention, this is the important bit) wear it for at least ten minutes. OK, I can already hear you guys who picked up the first helmet they saw, put it on, and fits you like a glove, blah, blah, blah. I guarantee for every man or woman like that there are probably half a dozen who bought a cheap motorcycle helmet without even taking it out of the box before they got home, and were out buying another motorcycle helmet that actually fitted them properly the following weekend! Let me repeat, if you are buying your first helmet, go to a reputable store, I promise you they will let you try the lids on before you buy. If they don’t, go to the next store. Find one that is comfortable, and stick with it, at least for a while. However once you’ve found one you are comfortable with take a look at

Tip number two

You’ve found a motorcycle helmet that fits you that you are comfortable with. Now take a look online. You will probably find the exact same helmet, somewhere on the net, probably 20-30% cheaper. I don’t care what anyone says, thats a cheap motorcycle helmet! And just the job for a spare! Well you’ve got more that one pair of shoes haven’t you? And, particularly if you are a commuter, having a spare helmet makes sense doesn’t it? And you start to get a feel of what you can confidently buy online. Great! Now move on to

Tip number three

Spend a weekend trying on as many different helmets as you can. Make a note of the styles and sizes. Remember the helmet sizing charts differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Go with a friend; take some digital photos of the helmets. Get as much information as you can. You are now prepared to really take advantage of the cheap motorcycle helmets available online with

Tip number four

Check out the closeout deals available on motorcycle helmets. This is where you will find some unbelievable deals. Your favourite rider has moved teams? That’s a shame, but not if you want a fantastic helmet at a giveaway price. It is amazing how cheap motorcycle helmets can become just because they are painted in last seasons colours!

I could go on and on about the deals to be had, but I won’t. Just make sure you do your homework, and that top of the range helmet could be yours at a cheap motorcycle helmet price!

Michael Holmes is a enthusiast for all thing motorcycle. His website, Motorcycle Parts, Accessories and More, is a great resource of articles aimed at motorcyclists of all levels, and includes a page specifically about the cheap motorcycle helmets available online.

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You’ve spent a great deal of money on all those accessories including your helmet. But now you need to keep it safe while you are away from it. You can accomplish that with a motorcycle helmet lock or gear lock. Here are just a few to check out.

Using the factory helmet lock is tough enough but if you have two helmets then it’s impossible. There are several systems available on the market that will accommodate two helmets and secure your helmets much better than the factory systems.

1. Kewl Metal Chrome Helmet Lock

This fits the Kuryakyn ISO grips and it only takes a couple of minutes to bolt on. Works with the throttle boss too. It’s also reasonably priced which makes it a great pick.

2. OnGuard Beast Pad Lock With Chain

This is one of the strongest on the market with the dual lock deadbolt that has the best holding power on the market. The M cylinder means it can’t be picked and it can’t be drilled. Each lock comes with 4 laser keys. This lock won’t let you down and for what you get it’s priced very reasonable.

3. Aeromach Saddlebag Locks

These locks have recently been modified to make them even more secure than they’ve been in the past. They are made from carved billet aluminum and they are easy to install. A simple solution to a problem.

4. Kuryakyn Universal Helmet Lock

The chrome lock mounts to 7/8″ to 1

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