Legendary USA Blog

There are many biker accessories that you can include on your motorcycle to make it run faster, better, and more efficiently. There are also some accessories that simply make your bike look cool. They serve the purpose of adding customization to your bike. The best accessories, however, are those that do both. They both enhance the look of your bike and the performance at the same time.

One area that you can work on to add both to the look and performance of your bike is the tires. By getting new tires on your bike, you change up the look as well as increase speed and ability. Different types of motorcycles require different kinds of tires. There are off-road tires, street tires, and many other types. Whatever you intend on doing the most on your motorcycle, you need to choose the right tires to accommodate your riding needs. You can also change up the wheels to make them different colors, which gives your bike a customized look. By changing the tire and wheel, you get better performance and an enhanced look.

It is also important that you find the proper biker accessories for the time of day it is. During the day when it is light out, you will not need things like lights, reflective tape, and bright clothing  because people will be able to see you easily. At night, however, you need these accessories to keep yourself in view so an accident does not happen when a driver doesn’t see you. These types of items are highly necessary when riding in the dark.

No matter which accessories you choose for your bike, just be sure that they are worth it. You can easily add something to make your motorcycle look better, but you want it to make it run better as well. Accessories that work for both aspects are the best ones there are.

When you are wearing motorcycle sunglasses, or even if you have regular glasses, you should be careful when putting on your helmet. Do not leave the glasses on while you are putting on and taking the helmet off, remove them first. Once the helmet is on and in position, you may then slip the glasses on your face. This will ensure that your helmet is not getting caught on your glasses and tugging on them, which could cause them to break. For a video explanation of how to put on a helmet if you wear glasses or have a piercing, see Tony’s description on YouTube.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78XVBnZQPmM

There are many biker accessories that one can wear to make a night ride much more safe. Everything from bright clothing, to brake lights, and even reflective tape can make your ride safer. You want to make sure that you are visible to anyone else on the road. Accidents happen when other drivers can’t see a motorcycle turning around a corner, and with these accessories, they will now be able to. This will prevent accidents from happening. WikiHow explains more about how to safely ride a motorcycle at night.

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Safely-Ride-a-Motorcycle-at-Night

Motorcycle accessories are a great way to enhance the look of your motorcycle and even the performance. There are certain must-have accessories that all bikers should be sure to include. Tires are one major thing that you should think about for your motorcycle. Different tires work better on different terrain types. Suspension is also important to increase the speed of the bike. Maricon Williams of Yahoo! Voices further explains how buying motorcycle accessories enhances a rider’s experience.

Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/buying-motorcycle-accessories-enhance-riders-experience-4287.html?cat=27

The type of riding you typically do will determine which type of tires you are most likely going to need. There are many motorcycle tire accessories that you can use to increase the power of your tires, as well as the look. Different bikes will need different tires such as off-road, street, or track. You can make your tires look cool by changing up the wheels – making them chrome, black, or whatever else you may want. Garth Sundem explains all about motorcycle tires and accessories on the How Stuff Works website.

Source: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/motorcycle-parts-accessories/10-motorcycle-tires-and-tire-accessories.htm

In one of Gosling’s latest movies, “The Place Beyond the Pines,” he was constantly seen wearing a red biker jacket. Once production on the movie was finished, the jacket was auctioned off for charity. It sold for $4,100. The children’s charity of Southern California called Variety was given the proceeds. Jeremy Rosen, a film producer, was the one who purchased the jacket. He says that Gosling is the actor of our generation and the film he wore the jacket in was brilliant. Amy Kaufman has more on this story in The Los Angeles Times.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-ryan-gosling-jacket-place-beyond-pines-20130407,0,3496417.story

Their image has become an icon of the American highway. They are both loved and hated. They are characters of both movies and literature. They are associated with rock music, late night parties, and beautiful women. But who are they, really? Where do the bikers of the USA come from? What is their point of origin and how did they ride through history up to this moment?

Motorcycles- On A Highway To… Success

Believe it or not, the first motorcycles appeared as early as the 19th century. As a matter of fact, in 1867, the first steam-powered bicycle (the great grandfather of today’s motorcycles) was produced by Michaux-Perreaux. Who would have thought a French invention would become, one hundred years later, an iconic image of the U.S?

As humanity was getting closer to the beginning of the 20th century, Michaux-Perreaux’s invention was going through drastic changes. Thus, in 1885, the German Reitwagen was to become the first light gasoline- powered bike in the world. Triumph began producing motorcycles in 1898 and in 1901 the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company came up with the first motorbikes produced in the USA. One year later, the famous Harley-Davidson bike was to be born.

The Post-World War II Bikes

The world simply stopped looking the same after the atrocities that the Second World War brought to humanity. The Holocaust, the Communist crimes, the Cold War, the Baby Boom- they all influenced the way people looked at life itself. And when it comes to motorcycles, things were no different.

The late 40s and the early 50s were the years when the iconic figure of the bikers started to take shape out of the small groups of veterans who got together to hit the road on their bikes. It is also the age when Europe started to think of bikes as practical means of transportation, while the USA was beginning to see it as a real lifestyle, whose adepts were a distinct category of the society: the biker “outlaws”. Sure, the cinema helped spread the “word” and soon actors such as Marlon Brando and James Dean were to become the new popular faces of the American biker.

Motorcycle Gangs- Outlaws Vs Non-Outlaws

In between legend and reality, they have made themselves so famous that it’s almost impossible to be a bike enthusiast and not have heard about them. Although they have been associated with various criminal activities, they claim that the only thing that makes them come together is their love for motorcycle riding. And, for the most part, we all know that nobody can blame an entire group for the acts of a couple of its members. While there are a lot of “outlaw” motorcycle gangs out there (of which Hell’s Angels, the Pagans, the Outlaws and the Bandidos are the most important ones), there are also “non-outlaw” ones such as Harley’s Owners Group.

Outlaws or not, the bikers have created such a strong portrait for themselves that, nowadays, everybody knows about them and the mystery surrounding their lives has inspired artists around the world, from fashion creators to writers. No wonder that in an age that looks back with both nostalgia and fear at its past, we are constantly mesmerized by such symbols of the American pop-culture and we try to bring at least a little of it into our own lives.

Whether you are looking for ways to shrink your leather jacket, clean your motorcycle pants, or just find the right things to wear on your ride, we have tips for it all:

• Anyone can easily shrink their leather apparel using water and a hair dryer. For tips on how, see the Thrifty Fun website for instructions from other users.
• The passenger on a bike should still wear the same gear as the driver does, but they don’t need to worry as much about things flying in their face, since they have someone in front of them. Chuck Hawks has some tips for motorcycle passengers.
• Your motorcycle has leather accessories that need to be properly maintained. wikiHow explains how to clean your bike seat and other leather on your bike.
• Before you wash your motorcycle pants, be sure the protective pads are removed. You need to clean your pants carefully to make sure they retain their look and usefulness.
• Women typically find boots that are not only safe, but stylish as well. There are many styles and types of boots for women to choose from.
• Have you ever wondered what motorcycle apparel the passenger should wear? Really, they should be wearing all the same things the driver does, but they can make a few exceptions.

Both the driver of the motorcycle and the passenger alike should be wearing motorcycle apparel that protects them in case of an accident. Bikers wear leather clothing that is durable so they will be well protected if a crash occurs. Just because passengers may be in a bit better position than the driver doesn’t mean they should be careless with what they wear.

The passenger does not need to worry as much about debris or anything flying in their eyes, since their face will most likely be hidden by the driver anyways. They can still wear goggles or a full face helmet if they wish, though. Otherwise, a regular helmet would do.

Since the wind will be mainly blowing on the driver and passengers are behind them, they don’t have to worry quite as much as the drivers have to about that. However, it will still be cold, so they should be sure to have a motorcycle jacket on. It will also help protect arms in case of a crash.

Gloves are another thing that passengers need to worry less about than the driver. A driver’s main use for the gloves is to get a better grip on the handlebars, as well as to keep their hands from hurting if they’re riding too long. Passengers aren’t the ones driving, so they don’t need to think about that. However, gloves are also good for keeping hands warm if it is cold, even protecting hands if they happen to fall. Therefore, passengers may still want to take a pair with them, just in case.

Everything else that a driver has to worry about, the passenger really should, too. Wear boots to protect the feet. Wear motorcycle pants to protect the legs. Anything that they would wear as a driver, they should wear as a passenger as well. They are out in the open just like the driver, so they still need to be sure that they are as safe as possible. Perhaps they are better off while riding, but if they happen to crash, they would be hurt just as badly. Chuck Hawks describes other tips for motorcycle passengers that they should be sure to follow.

Ladies motorcycle clothing is basically the same thing as men’s, except they tend to come in smaller sizes with more decals and interesting colors. Boots are no exception. Women’s boots tend to be longer than men’s, going further up the leg. It looks more stylish, but it also protects a larger area. Women can get regular black motorcycle boots, or they can get boots in different colors to match the outfit they have on. There’s no reason you can’t look good while riding, as long as you’re doing it safely. The Motorcycle Lifetips website has more information on women’s boots.

Source: http://motorcycle.lifetips.com/tip/144145/motorcycle-footwear/motorcycle-footwear/leather-and-women-s-boots.html