MOTORCYCLES

Roaring up on a motorcycle has a strong draw for all of us who have adopted the biker lifestyle. This draw often hits our children too. I know that for me my kids love to ride and probably want to do it as much as I do. I love taking them for rides and sharing the experience with them. But there are some additional considerations that have to be taken into account when loading them on the back of your motorcycle.

Protective Clothing
Just like for us, kids have to have protective clothing on. It’s really great that several of the leathers companies have started producing good quality leathers for kids. I always make sure that they are properly dressed. This means that they have long pants (denim or chaps), long sleeves (denim and leather jackets work best), full finger gloves, good sturdy shoes, and a properly fitted D.O.T. helmet. All of these items can be obtained through a multitude of sources on the internet, local bike and leather shops, and at swap meets.

One other piece of protective clothing is a good pair of sunglasses. Recent studies have shown that the earlier children start wearing eye protection while outdoors the better their chances of avoiding major eye health problems later in life.

Damage to the eyes is cumulative, increasing from year to year. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be very harmful to unprotected eyes and almost half of a person’s total lifetime UV radiation exposure occurs before age 18.
Young eyes let more UV rays inside and normally get more exposure because they spend more time outdoors, usually without eye protection. Exposure to sunlight at an early age appears to be a critical factor in the development of eye cancer.
The good news is that high quality children’s sunglasses (kids aged 3-12) are easier to find than ever. Modeled after adult versions, they feature high impact-resistant lenses with sturdy, durable frames and lots of great colors.

Look for polycarbonate plastic lenses since this is the most shatter-resistant. Always make sure to buy sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB.

Passenger Comfort
Often the passenger pegs or floorboards are set for a normal height passenger. They are definitely not set for riding around kids. Make sure that you have a good solid support for them to put their feet on. My son uses the highway bars on the back as his foot rests, since they fit just about right. My daughter has now started using the regular floorboards since she’s gotten tall enough to reach them. I’ve talked to people who have gone as far as rigging up adjustable floorboards on their bike to adjust to the height needed by their passenger.

Passenger Rules
Make sure that your kids understand the rules about being a passenger. Make sure they know where they need to be holding on to. Make sure that they understand not to make any sudden movements. Make sure that they know to keep their bottom flat on the seat at all times. These really are the same rules that would apply anytime you carry a passenger, but with kids you have to make sure that you explain them in a way they would understand.

Rider Responsibilities
When you have a kid on the back of your motorcycle you have to be more aware of what they are doing. They may have a tendancy to move more than an adult passenger. They may play games by sticking their hands out in the wind (like we don’t ever do that do we?). I find with my kids that they generally want to talk more than an adult passenger and they get more excited over things they see from the back of the motorcycle.

Be aware that the steady rumble of your motor can have a tendancy to lull passengers to sleep. There’s been more than once that I’ve had passengers fall asleep when riding with me (must be my stellar personality). With adults this usually doesn’t present much of a problem since it’d be harder for them to fall off. With children it’s a completely different situation. Since there is generally more room for them between the rider and the sissy bar, if they do fall asleep, there is a greater chance for them to flop over to one side or another. When they do this they increase their chances of falling of to the side. When you have a kid as a passenger stay alert of this and be prepared to hold them up and stop, if this situation occurs.

Riding with kids can be a very enjoyable experience. But please be aware that with that comes some additional responsibilities.

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Be Safe … Enjoy the Ride

Tools

Jeff Sinason aka “Tools” is a long time motorcycle enthusiats. Being a motorcycle nut, he has run into all kinds of conditions and ridden through them unscathed. He is the owner of http://www.bikerwares.com which is a site dedicated to Enjoying the Ride.

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Have you ever thought of looking at repo motorcycles to buy as an alternative to the normal new or used option? If you haven’t, then take my advice and check out the idea. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised with what you will find.

Not only are there repo motorcycles but also boats, cars, trucks, campers and more that can be found at auction houses around the country. These bikes and autos have usually been repossessed because people have not been able to repay their loans for what ever reason. Because of this the finance companies repossess the vehicles and then use auction houses to sell them to the highest bidder.

Often you will find these repo motorcycles, boats, cars and so on still in excellent condition when being sold at these auctions. This in itself gives you the perfect opportunity to purchase not only something at a cheaper cost but also something in good order as well.

The down side of this is that because they are sold at auction you wont have the opportunity to test drive these machines or take them to get checked out. But my suggestion is to have somebody with you who is knowledgable enough to go over it there and then to at least give it a quick check over.

You should always do your homework first before bidding on any thing so you know what is worth what. Other wise how do you know if you are getting a true bargain. Once you have done that and you are sure that you want what ever item it is being auctioned then all you have to do is bid. On most occassions you will end up with a fantastic bargain. Remember these finance companies just want their money back and are not there to make a killing.

Susan Dean is the webmaster and publisher of
http://www.bank-repo.ez-online-shop.com Visit her site to find repo vehicles of all types at huge discounts.

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Buying tires for street motorcycles is only the beginning of the process of owning a pair of tires. It should always be remembered to buy good tires for street motorcycles, and to keep them properly inflated. This is because, however well constructed a tire may be, it may fail in its use as a result of punctures, improper inflation or overloading. New tires should never be subjected to maximum power or hard cornering, as this lessens the life of the tire.

When buying tires for street motorcycles, never mix radials with non-radials. Nor should a tube be fitted in a radial motorcycle tire, nor a radial tire be fitted on a rim requiring a tube. To maintain tire safety and mileage, always maintain the motorcycle’s recommended air pressure in both tires. Riding on tires with too little air pressure is dangerous, builds excessive heat and also increases fuel consumption. Similarly, riding on tires with too much air is dangerous, as the tires may break or puncture on sudden impact. Overloading a street motorcycle causes excessive heat to the tires, which may inflict serious personal injury.

All street motorcycle tires have the tire size specified by the manufacturer. The letters S, H, V and Z found after the size marking on tires are the speed ratings. It is very important to correctly match front and rear tires, as riding motorcycles with improper mix of radial construction tires is dangerous. Even fitting a new front tire with a worn rear tire may cause instability. All tire manufacturers recommend their tires not be used in excess of legal speed limits. This is because riding at high speed is dangerous, and can cause motorcycle accidents. Some tires for street motorcycles have letters bearing ’speed rating’ designations that indicate the tires’ design speed capability. This is to allow comparison of the different speed capabilities of tires, to replace speed-rated tires with another tire of the same speed rating.

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