Archive for January, 2011
Motorcycle Buying Tips
If you are anything like me and for your sake I hope you are notwhen you want something you dont always take the time to think things through and get the best possible product. For some reason this seems especially true when dealing with items that are very costly which makes that instant gratification habit doubly worse. Today I want to discuss some steps to take when purchasing a motorcycle.
Sure it would be cool to buy the biggest baddest bike on the block but you will be much better off if you can display a little patience which in the long run could save you some trouble and lots of money.
Research
First you need to decide which bike is the best for you. Figure out what you are going to use your motorcycle forcruising on the road taking on trails going super fast etc. Talk to someone knowledgeable and do some research online. Really try to narrow down your choices of the type of bike you want. One of the most important starting points iswhat can you afford to pay? Its vital to remember that insuring a motorcycle can be costly particularly if you are young.
More Research
Getting the idea? Knowledge is power and in this case its the power to make a better decision. There is nothing worse than running out to get a motorcycle only to find that its too much for you to handle has too much upkeep you cant afford it etc. Look at the market. What benefits are offered by each brand and more importantly which benefits work for you the best. Find out all you can about the models you are interested in visit online forums read reviews and by all means dont be afraid to ask the dealer questions. Make sure you get what you wantif the bike you want isnt available go somewhere else to find it or wait until it becomes available. Take it for a test ride see how you feel while riding is it easy for you to handle? Does it fit you?
Go with Your Gut
Finally after going through the data gathering stages narrowing down your choices and taking the bike for a test ride if you feel a little odd about the bike if something doesnt feel quite right allow yourself some time to think about it before you make the commitment to buy. Another bike will always come around so you should never feel like you are being forced into anything.
The bottom line is make sure you get something that you want and are happy with . . . it will make the riding experience that much better.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Jim Buchanan is an Internet Marketing Specialist for Mindscape at HanonMcKendry. His hobbies include reading writing going to concerts sports and riding motorcycles.This article was written by Jim Buchanan. For your Honda motorcycle parts and accessories needs visit http://www.powershondaparts.com.
The Harley Iron 883 Sportster
Trends can be interesting things to watch especially in the world of motorcycling. With the explosion of everything custom chopper in the middle and late 2000s and the proliferation of high end custom bike builders it looked as though the main stream media driven segment of the biker world was leaning towards flash and show over guts and go. Throw in the whirlwind of bike building based television shows such as Jesse James Billy Lane the guys at Orange County Choppers and more and many riders began to worry that the world of motorcycling was being flipped on its ear. Even with the immense popularity of the HarleyDavidson Motor Company over the years they of course have their detractors.
Those riders who feel that their bike is unique because of the work they have done to it got a bit irked with Harley. With the introduction of such bikes as the Crossbones the VRod the Custom Vehicle Operations CVO division and others many felt that the Motor Company was caving to the current trends and not sticking with it roots. Just give me a solid well running bike and leave the rest to me! was a common sentiment. Love it or hate it the Sportster line up of Harley bikes has been wildly popular and long lived.
First introduced in 1957 this model line has enjoyed over 50 years of continuous production and many many revisions and upgrades. Interestingly as the trend for bigger faster flashier chopper style machines seemed to be hitting its peak Harley introduced the most basic looking version of the Sportster the Iron 883. The look of this bike screams back to basics and in a good way. Its simple understated and ready for anything a rider may want to do to it.
With a price tag of under 8000 its cheap and comes with everything you need right off the showroom floor. The 3.3 gallon tank drag bars and midmounted foot pegs come standard. The true stand apart feature on this model is that pretty much everything on this machine is blacked out. About the only chrome youll find on this are the pipes and the forks. When choosing the Black Denim paint option the other is Brilliant Sliver youve got a blacked out machine with great looks. If you’re looking for an affordable ride without all the chrome and flash of the current trend take a look at the Iron 883. You might just find something you like a lot.
About the writer: Bill has recently posted a Harley Sportster on his website. To see pictures of different Sportsters click HERE. Bill is a big fan of anything with wheels and a motor…especially Harley Bikes.Thanks!
How To Repair A Rear Fender On A Motorcycle
HOW TO PLASTIC WELD A MOTORCYCLE REAR FENDER
Using a miniweld model 6 airless plastic welder
Cost to replace fender75.14 S/H 8.94= 84.09
Cost of repair fiberflex= 4.00 Steel mesh .50 cents
TOTAL COST OF REPAIR 4.50
So with using a plastic welder. I was able to save 79.59
1 Work Area
- Have a clean and organized work area.
- Well ventilated area.
- Remember the plastic welder is HOT. Can burn you and start a fire. Just use common sense and you’ll be fine.
- Set up plastic welder. Set welder to preheat how your doing the next step
2 Parts that need welded
- Check the parts to be welded. Identify what kind of plastic your working with. In this case it is fiberflex plastic welding rod. I used fiber flex because it is easier to use. I had to cover a large area.Get out the welding rods you’ll be using. Plus if you’re going to use wire mesh for added strength get that out also. We will be using wire mesh for this project.
- Make sure that the part is clean. soap and water should work
- Set up part to be welded on work bench. Know how your going to weld it.
- Now set the plastic welder to heat setting your going to use to weld the plastic fender.
3 Plastic weld part
- Lay out part to be welded.
- I made a Vgroove in the crack and filled it with FiberFlex rod.
- Then for added support. I welded the wire mesh in.
- Now for the big hole. I welded the wire mesh in. I put aluminum tape on the back to help hold the mesh in place.
- Using the FiberFlex rod begin to fill in the large void. This is time consuming. So take your time.
- If plastic gets too hot to work with cool it off withwater not too much because your still welding.
- Do the same thing to the other large hole. And for added support do the same thing to the other side of fender.
- Now we are done with the welding.
4 To finish the part
- let plastic cool down. You can help it cool down with water. Use a spray bottle and lightly spray the welded plastic down to cool.
- Begin to sand the weld down. I use 60 grit sand paper then go to 180 grit sand paper.
- If painting part use paint made for plastic.
- If you would like to see pictures of this operation. Please go to kandjwarehouse.com
THANK YOU
KANDJWAREHOUSE
About the writer: We want to be your 1 stop shopping for plastic repair. We offer everything for plastic repair from epoxies to plastic welder and supplies.