| Choosing An Aftermarket Motorcycle Exhaust System – Loud Pipes Safe |
30 Aug |
Choosing An Aftermarket Motorcycle Exhaust System – Loud Pipes Safe Lifes!
One of the first things most riders do when they first purchase a bike is change out the stock exhaust system with an aftermarket motorcycle exhaust. If you have a sport bike you may just opt for some slip-ons. A cruiser will usually require a full exhaust system. The benefits of aftermarket systems is an increase in power as well as that it will improve the sound of the bike. When you get your bike from the factory the baffles usually restrict the sound of your bike so much that it can be barely herd as well as restrictions in exhaust flow are in place which restrict the horse power. The other most significant factor especially on sport bikes is the weight reduction a full race exhaust system can offer.
If you are the proud owner of a Cruiser you are most likely to replace the stock exhaust system with an aftermarket system. Their are many manufacturers available for cruisers. Cobra, Vance and Hines and Samson are just a few. Most of these will reduce the weight of the stock exhaust system by about 15 pounds, increase the performance of the bike and will make it louder. A new system will run somewhere between 300 to over 1000 dollars depending on the system you choose. Cobra makes some nice exhaust systems at a very affordable price. If you have a V-Twin whether its a American or metric bike a new motorcycle exhaust will make the bike sounds ten times better then any stock exhaust. If you do decide to drop the OEM pipes and go with an aftermarket system you will need to adjust your carburetor or have someone remap your fuel injection system in order to accommodate the new pipes. If you do not you will find that the bike will not perform properly or it may even cause engine damage. If you have a fuel injected bike you will likely need to buy a power commander to make the adjustments needed to accommodate the new exhaust. When figuring out the cost of getting a system make sure you figure this in to the equation. I recommend that you have the system installed and the bike tuned by a reputable motorcycle shop.
OEM Exhaust Systems on Sport Bikes have become fairly decent, however many restrictions are still put in to the OEM systems due to laws that have been passed. For a sport bike you will tend to have a choice of just replacing the Cans or replacing the whole exhaust system. This is really a matter of how deep you want to get in to it. Re tuning is going to be needed either way, the only real question is if you want to spend a few hundred bucks or a thousand or so. Usually their is significant weight reduction by going with a full system replacement versus just the slip-ons. The Slip-ons are the cheaper way to go and still get the most bang for your buck. You will definitely need to get a power commander to remap the fuel injection. A lot of the newer liter bikes that are coming out already have a full titanium exhaust system on them so all you need is to replace the cans to take out the restrictions. Their are lots of manufacturers to choose from when picking a aftermarket exhaust for a sport bike. Here are a few: Cobra, Vance and Hines, Two Brothers, Yoshimura, Jardine to name a few. Choosing one is just a matter of taste.
Remember not matter what system you decide to go with it is important that you get the bike tuned to it to get the best performance form your bike. It is recommended that you have the exhaust system installed and the bike tuned by a reputable shop.
Tags: Aftermarket Motorcycle Exhaust, Carburetor, Cruisers, Exhaust Flow, Exhaust Pipes, Exhaust Systems, Fuel Injection, Fuel Injection System, Horse Power, Loud Pipes, Motorcycle Exhaust System, Motorcycle Pipes, Power Commander, Proud Owner, Sport Bike, Sport Bikes, Stock Exhaust, V Twin, Vance And Hines, Weight ReductionRelated posts
read comments (0)| Various Motorcycle Grips For Different Types Of Bikes |
31 May |
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 GSXR line. 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. Arlen Ness makes several really beautiful grips for bikes. 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.
Tags: Arlen Ness, Bike Grips, Billet Aluminum, Bling, Cold Weather, Custom Choppers, Functional Side, Gixxer, Good Grips, Grip Styles, Hand Grips, Motorcycle Grips, Power Sports, Progrip, Quality Product, Rubber Grips, Sport Bike, Sport Bikes, Suzuki Gsxr, Twenty BucksRelated posts
| Motorcycle Saddlebags Or Tank Bags Which To Get? |
22 Feb |
Riding a motorcycle these days is not only fun but with today’s gas prices it is also quite economical. The only problem with riding a bike is that their is a serious lack of storage unless you happen to have a Goldwing or maybe a Harley Dresser youre going to need some saddlebags or some sort of tank bag to carry your stuff in. Their are ups and downs to both choices and some of it also depends on your motorcycle. If you have a cruiser your ideal choice is probably some sort of saddlebags or luggage type bags. For Sport Bikes the easy answer is likely to be a tank bag.
If you have a cruiser choosing a saddlebag for your ride is really a matter of taste. Their are so many too choose from its not even funny. Motorcycle saddlebags come in a variety of styles. Most are made of some type of leather or a synthetic material. Modern Saddlebags generally have a hard case liner in side which keeps the shape of the bag. When choosing a saddle bag it is best to choose something that will look good on your motorcycle. If you get something you don’t like you are not as likely to use it. Bags come with studs and fringes and even locks if you want. You can choose from either permanently mounted saddle bags or ones that can easily come off the bike. I recommend you get some that can be removed easily so they can be carried in with you if you are planning to ride your bike to work or some other place where you will be away from the bike for a while. Most motorcycle saddle bags can be removed easily and put back on just as quickly. If you decide on some that mount permanently make sure they lock. Some of your more popular saddlebag makers are Saddlemen, Saddle Stow, Willie and Max, Ace, and ZR. Their are more brands than these but these are the major manufacturers for motorcycle saddlebags. Most of these are easily mounted and come with all the necessary hardware. Also T-Bags makes some really nice Sissy Bar Bags that have a decent amount of storage space. T-Bags also makes motorcycle luggage to fit most cruisers as well as sport bikes.
For sport bike riders the preference tends to be a tank bag. Since saddlebags tend to lean more towards the classic look they aren’t to appealing to riders of sport bikes. Tank Bags are actually a great alternative to saddlebags, most are expandable and can carry quite a bit of stuff as wells as that most tank bags have side pockets for extra storage. Most tank bags use a magnetic mounting system in combination with a strap that ties of to the steering head of the bike. This makes it really easy to pull the tank bag of and on with out it being a big pain. This makes it easy to take off the bike and carry with you if you plan on being away from the bike for a while. Most of these bags also have a carrying handle which makes it even easier for you to carry the bag with you. Their are a lot of different tank bag sizes available so it is important to pick a size the will suit your needs. I recommend one that is expandable which will allow you to make it compact or expand it for more capacity when needed. Also when picking a tank bag you want to pick one that is water resistant in case you get caught in a down pour. Most tank bags are either made from water resistant material or come with a built in rain cover.
Tags: Ace, Fringes, Gas Prices, Goldwing, Hard Case, Harley, Luggage, Matter Of Taste, Motorcycle Bags, Motorcycle Saddle Bags, Motorcycle Saddlebags, Necessary Hardware, Saddlebag, Sport Bikes, Storage Space, Studs, Synthetic Material, Tank Bags, Ups, Ups And DownsRelated posts
| Finding Quality Motorcycle Jackets At A Reasonable Price |
13 Nov |
I can still remember the day I went and picked up my very first bike. I didn’t have a motorcycle jacket period so I used an old leather jacket that I had hanging in the closet. Little did I know that motorcycle jackets aren’t just made to look cool but that they have many life saving protective features built in to them. That is to say at least the ones that are made for sport bikes. Most of your traditional leather jackets like Fonzie used to wear don’t offer much real protection in the way of impact, however they do protect your skin from road rash if you actually buy a quality leather jacket that is made from thick leather.
Since that first day I have bought several motorcycle jackets. I bought my very first one made by Fieldsheer from an online site that sold used riding apparel. It cost me about $250. That seems like a lot but I have had that jacket for 8 years now and its still in great shape, besides that it offers re enforced panels and body armor in all the contact areas making it much safer for me if I do go down. For a quality motorcycle jacket that is made from a high grade leather and is properly stitched and re enforced $250 to $350 is a very reasonable price. You can find cheap generic no name jackets for much less, however the quality of those is really bad. I will tell you a story about buying one of those generic made in Pakistan type riding jackets in a sec. Anyhow I would go with a Quality name brand when it comes to motorcycle apparel. Icon motorcycle jackets and gear are probably the most popular these days and Icon doe make quality stuff that is always stylish to boot. The nice thing about Icon is that you will likely be able to find boots and gloves as well as a pair of riding pants to go with the jacket. Icon also makes some really nice jackets made from a Kevlar mesh that offer about the same protection as their leather counterparts but are great for riding in warm weather. If you live in a place like Houston like I do you know that most of the year its super hot so having a mesh jacket is a big plus. I have one of each myself. Ok back to the cheap jacket part. A few years back I bought a classic motorcycle jacket for one of my girlfriends. We were riding on my chopper a lot so it made sense to go that route. I went to a local place and found a jacket for about $100 and bought it. I thought I got a good deal. Well no I got a really cheap motorcycle jacket. The leather ended up tearing on the jacket within a month around the zippers. Then the zipper went south. That is the last time I bought a generic jacket.
When you start looking for a motorcycle jacket at a cheap price start looking on the web. You are much more likely to run in to a good deal then at your local dealer unless you have a friend at the dealership you are going to pay full nut there plus tax. Most online motorcycle shops will carry quality apparel by companies like, Joe Rocket, Alpinestars, Icon, AgvSport and Arlen Ness to name some of the more popular ones. Most online shops will offer the same jackets at a discount off somewhere around 10 to 15 percent off and unless they are in your state their is no tax to be paid. I know some people are still leery of buying stuff online, however rest assured that most online merchants are quite reputable. If you have any doubts some of the things to look for is that they give you a phone number to call, their is a contact us section that lets you email them, when you go thru the checkout process make sure the little lock appears at the top or at the bottom of your browser showing that the checkout section is encrypted. If you do run in to a place that is way cheaper then anyone else always ask yourself why. Most of the dealers online buy their products from the same source so if one guy is super cheap that may be an indication of something shady going on. Also on a side note if you don’t mind buying used stuff cheap you can try ebay. I have bought some really good stuff from there for next to nothing.
Tags: Body Armor, Fieldsheer, Grade Leather, Great Shape, Icon Motorcycle Jackets, Motorcycle Apparel, Motorcycle Jacket, Nice Thing, Old Leather, Protective Features, Quality Leather, Quality Motorcycle Jackets, Quality Name Brand, Riding Apparel, Riding Jackets, Road Rash, Sport Bikes, Thick Leather, Traditional Leather, Warm WeatherRelated posts
