After about 6 months of riding with the Tour Master Cruiser II Slant Saddlebags I found the right side bag dangling from the safety straps. The zipper on the yoke had broken (which was odd because the bag was empty). I called Tonker.com the company that I bought the bags from and they provided me a direct contact at Tour Master. A quick call to Tour Master and a replacement yoke was sent out. All of this was very hassle-free. Based on this customer service I continue to recommend Tour Master ... Read Full Story
I recently made a post asking if anyone was aware of evidence supporting the claim "loud pipes save lives". Nothing conclusive came back but I did find this article from the San Francisco Chronicle on the 93 decibel pipes the Oakland PD is installing on their Harleys. According to the article, "It seems the cops just didn't feel safe on toned-down bikes." The article refers to an inconclusive study the city did on the subject. Maybe the Oakland motorcycle cops just lik... Read Full Story
Harleys are not known for being technically advanced compared to their German and Japanese competitors. Is this an accurate assessment, a bias that goes back to the earlier times or are Harleys just a throwback to a bygone time? My Sporster has a fuel injected, electronically controlled 1200 cc engine. Some of the bigger bikes have air suspension and other trick bits. So what's the deal, retro modern or dinosaur? Read Full Story
Loud pipes are common on Harleys and most Harley riders are quick to say "loud pipes save lives" but is there any quantative proof to this claim? Police bikes are typically very quiet, you'd think with all the investment in training a motorcycle cop they'd put loud pipes on the bikes, if it made a difference. Are there any statistics to support this claim or is it just an excuse to make some noise?Reddit It | Digg This | Add to del.icio.us Read Full Story
There are a lot of great places to ride in San Diego County from the Coastal roads to the desert out East with the mountains in between. I found a great map of roads that includes some helpful ratings on the BMW Owners Club of San Diego web site. Click the image on the bottome of the page to get the big picture. If you live in San Diego or are just coming out for a visit, print this out and cover as much road as possible.Reddit It | Digg This | Add to del.icio.us Read Full Story
Alert from the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), if you live and ride in California you need to take action on this Bill now!Senate Bill 435 (Motorcycle Smog Testing Bill) Scheduled for Hearing on May 28th in Appropriations Committee!!This bill, which would require all model year 2000 and newer motorcycles over 280 cc's to be smog tested every 2 years, has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Finance committee on May 28th.You can find the AMA’s “click to send” message in opposi... Read Full Story
A big part of buying a Harley-Davidson is the heritage. The Motor Company goes way back and the Sportster line started in 1957. The heritage shows up in design and the classic V-Twin engines. Harley-Davidson has never been about cutting-edge, delivering on a fairly consistent motorcycling experience. This is not to say technologies have not changed and that the mechanics have not improved over time but the pace has been slow and steady. This slow pace of change, or commitment to the past, is ... Read Full Story
If you just have to be on four wheels than this is the car for you. The Ariel Atom is about as mimalist as it gets for a car, no roof, no doors, no windshield. Just a two-liter Honda i-VTEC engine putting out 245 BHP! Check out the Top Gear clip on YouTube that compares the Atom to a Yamaha R6. In this ride you don't need a helmet but you'd be mad not to wear one!Reddit It | Digg This | Add to del.icio.us Read Full Story
