By Ben Labs

Hi, for my last Blog of the semester I am going to talk about the best pieces of Motorcycle tech to make your rides smother and your life in general on two wheels easier.

Up first and probably one of the best pieces of technology to make your rides a lot more exciting and easier is a communication device. Communication devices make your long rides a lot more bearable by allowing you to talk to as many people as you want while you ride and also allow you to listen to music or take important calls. Using these communication devices may seem like a distraction but actually feels non noticeable. There is nothing like staying connected to your friends while you ride and the added benefit of droning out all the loud extra noises you hear from the street while you ride. These Communicators fit in any helmet and can range anywhere from 100 to 500$, obviously adding more features like built in camera, longer battery, or increased distance you can talk to each other between. I personal use a device called the Sena smh10s which I highly recommend it has up to 12hours of talk time and 10 days of standby time. It also allows you talk up to a distance apart of 980 yards. Most of Sena’s products are sold in packs of two or you can buy just one but it will be more expensive, So the best option would be to find someone else to split it with.

The Second piece of Tech is a Cell Phone mount just like with any product their are a lot of brands out there. There are a lot of affordable options on Amazon, but I would recommend not going to cheap on this one. Think about how much you paid for your phone and how much it would cost to get it replaced. I would recommend RAM mounts, I personally use one, but Ram mounts are a well known and reliable brand in the industry. The one I use is the RAM-B and on Amazon costs around 50$. The reviews are really solid and is made of metal so its durable. You should not use the mount to texts, watch videos or any of the following, but it is extremely useful for Maps and making sure your phone does not fall out of your pocket, but also providing you with peace of mind.

Speaking of peace of mind the next Technology, not absolutely needed but very useful is a GoPro. GoPro is a mounted camera you can put on your helmet so for all those road encounters you face. There are many motorcycle cases were its important to have it recorded to show your not in the wrong. It can save you a lot of money and completely negates the my word versus your words. GoPro’s are really good for when learning new skills to go back and review the tapes. As of right now there are four different models to choose from starting at 200$. I personally use the GoPro 4 black edition which I bought for about 180$, but you also need to invest in a SD card and mounting system for your helmet. You can also mount the GoPro on the bike so it acts as dash cam and if you have a regular 12 volt outlet you can have it running forever.

The last piece of technology can be considered essential is an Anti theft device. A great site for locks and all Motorcycle gear is Revzilla.com . On their website they offers locks from 30$- 300$ and I personally feel they make the best Lock devices. Your motorcycle is not like a car it is exposed, its like locking your car with all the windows down. The item I personally use is called the Granite detecto alarm disk lock. It does cost a hefty price of 180$ but compared to your motorcycle its worth it. This lock is a brick nobody is cutting through it and has an alarm so loud it will wake your neighbors. You also have to take in consideration that this lock will last the rest of your life, so you can do the math. Also if someone wants your bike there gonna take it so you should have ample insurance on it. I have heard a lot of stories on bikes being stolen and people skipping out on the extra 15$ a month to cover for theft and now there out of a bike and luck. Most insurance company’s too will pay you for having a anti theft device.

** I don’t own the rights to this pictures

By Ben Labs

Its not hard to say that the motorcycle industry is mostly dominated by Men, but why is that?

In 1998, 8% of all rider were females, that has jumped to 19% showing it has at least doubled in the last 20 years. The Motorcycle style women usually choose is a cruiser with 34% of female riders owing one. Cruisers are usually chosen because of their low seat height and a friendlier nature then a high powered sport bike. Followed by scooters at 33% and only 10% choosing sport bikes.

So now lets go more into the demographic characteristics with the mean age of a women owning a motorcycle is 39 years old versus 48 for men. Some more demographics I saw was that Half those women perform their own maintenance on the bikes and half are married. 47% have a college or high school degree and Women are usually safer then men with 60% taken a motorcycle training course vs 42% for men. You can look at different rations like 60-40 or 70-30, but right now a 81-19 ratio is highly skewed.

Why aren’t women riding more? There is different views to this but, my view is because of Societal pressure. Where a lot of people see motorcycling as a Men’s hobbie and the judgement and pressure from their peers can have a big impact.

Another thing male riders seem to take for granted is their choice in gear. manufactures know this is a male dominated industry so they don’t invest time or the energy in women specific gear. Guys are the only ones designing gear so for women most colors come in just black and pink.

It’s always good to have more riders on the road everyone’s taking the same risk hopping on two wheels. Some things we can do is introduce motorcycles early in life like dirt bikes and things like that. The earlier you expose somebody to something the higher chance they join it in the future. At the end of the day the more people ride and more bikes on the road is a good thing whether that’s more guys or more girls its more people raising awareness for your hobby, promoting it positively and showing its not limited to a small number of the population.

By Ben Labs

There could many reasons on why you would want to go to the Track. Whether you’re looking to practice your skills for a race day or you just simply enjoy riding as hard as possible without limits. For the majority of motorcycle riders, it’s just the best place to improve skills that can be translated to the road in a safer condition free from cars and road hazards. But regardless of your reasons for attending a track day , if you’re just starting out, a track day can be intimidating. So here’s some steps and information to make it easier.

Finding a Track

Track days are usually held by private organizations that rent out a racetrack for a day or weekend and then rent that time back to the riders or members of the track. There are certain tracks that own the track and will run separate events, in which case they are usually listed on their website. The first step in your journey is going to be to finding a track day organization in your area.

The simplest way to do this is search ” Motorcycle track Days near me”, but if you have some specifics in mind then you should look at the companies website. A lot of organizations will offer discounts and training for new riders. The cost of a track day varies from location to location and from track to track, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $150.00 to over $300.00 per day.

Bike Preparation

Before your all set to hit the track you need to prepare your street bike. The first step is you will need to check with your local organization on their rules and regulation. At a minimum, nearly every track organization will make you tape the lenses, by lenses they are referring to headlights, taillights, and turn signals. Next you should remove any unneeded accessories, like cell phone mounts, license plates or anything that could possibly come loose with vibration that occur at high speeds.

Transportation

Trailers or the use of a pickup truck for your bike allows you to easily pack all of your supplies and gear and it’s a guaranteed way home if you happen to crash. Nearly every car is perfectly capable of towing a motorcycle trailer regardless of its size. U-Haul rents motorcycle trailers by the day for 20 dollars and can also install a hitch for you.

Typical Schedule

A typical day at the track will usually run like this at most organizations. Riders usually start arriving between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.  If you have any bike preparations make sure you leave yourself plenty of time before inspection. Tech inspection usually opens an hour before the riders meeting and involves just your helmet and bike, but shouldn’t last more than a couple minutes. Next comes the riders meeting,this is a required meeting for all riders regardless of your experience. This is were the organization will go over all of the rules of the day like requirements for passing and how to get on and off the track. Next begins the riding sessions which usually begins around 9 a.m. You will spend 15 to 20 minutes on the track per hour. While this might not sound like a lot, the physical demands of track riding is intensive because your using your whole body as the main control of a vehicle traveling upwards of 100 mph easily. There is usually a one-hour break for lunch around noon, but you should defiantly take that time to rest, re-hydrate, and eat a healthy lunch. After lunch, you can expect to be on the track for one session an hour until the end of the day. You will most likely complete seven or eight sessions in one track day.

By Ben Labs

This week for my Blog it is gonna be a little different because I am gonna change the media platform for the blog. Over the summer I had a chance to ride in Large group in Northern Virginia where riders from Richmond, Norfolk, Northern VA, and Southern VA all meet up at the MGM in Maryland. The media platform I decided to use is YouTube. The video shows what the experience is like riding with a couple hundred people and the shenanigans that can occur.

This was a really quick edit using a trial software, but the video quality will get better.

LINK-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaAKIfMKBaQ

By Ben Labs

This week for my blog, I decided to upload a video on YouTube to give you guys a first hand look into the ride out in the DMV and what it is like to ride with so many people.

Group ride can be incredibly fun with tons of people around you who all enjoy the same hobby, but with this fun also comes the dangers of riding with so many people and not knowing predictable driving habits. Group rides with over seven people is where the risks start to really pick up, because with so many people you will have multiple people sharing lanes and a lot next to each other. Also in group rides its a lot harder to communicate any issues whether its with the road or your Motorcycle so that is why hand signs are key when in a group.

Now I will explain some important steps you can use to make your group rides go smoother. Preparation is always key when planning a ride with a lot of people.
By Preparing before you leave your starting point it will allow the group to better understand how to get to the final destination or to take any stops along the way.  the main goal of the ride is getting there safely.

The next thing you should do is assign someone as a leader, the leader of the riding group should be one of the most experienced. They will be the first person to encounter other traffic going the same direction or oncoming. They should know how to respond to other drivers on the road and be prepared to guide the other riding members safely.

Next you should decide how many people your going to ride with and what you feel comfortable with. The number of riders should stay to a max of five to seven riders for safety. Larger groups can easily bunch up on the road and become an obstacle unto themselves. Five would be a good number if the group as a whole was less experienced and seven would be better if the group was more experienced.

Now that you are prepared and ready to hit the road you should next decide on your riding formation. the formation that is usually recommend is the staggered formation.

Wrapping this all up Group riding brings new adventures motorcycle riding and with safe and careful planning it can get better after each ride. Each ride as a group will be a different scenery and a change in pace with the addition or subtraction of riders joining in. Just remember to stay safe and follow the basics.

By Ben Labs

4. Motorcycles are dangerous and get you will get hurt

Instead of a myth, its the understanding idea that motorcycles are dangerous, with no air bag or seat belts, why would you ride one of these things even though the appeal for riders is there’s nothing between you and the road. Below I want to introduce you to some stats, According to the NHTSA’s national statistics and analysis in 2006, 13.10 cars crashes out of 100,000 ended in a fatal car crash, while the rate for registered motorcycles is 72.34 out of 100,000 that ended in a fatal crash. They also found that for every mile traveled motorcyclist are at risk of a fatal crash is 35x greater then an car. This sounds bad but lets break this down

A famous study Done by David L Hugh in 1981 found that 75% of accidents involved a motorcycle and passenger vehicle while the other 25% represented singular motorcycle crashes or rider error. This statistic shows that the predominate cause of accidents were drivers failure to identify a motorcycle and almost half those accidents involved alcohol. Motorcycles are dangerous but you just need to take proper precautions like always.

3. You cant ride a motorcycle in the rain

Contrary to popular belief its completely possible to ride your bike in the rain, not only that on a hot summer day a nice drizzle could help relieve some of the intense sun. Riding in the rain is not the best when it first starts because all the junk in the road starts to rise, but 30 minutes in when its calm and you just feel the patter of the raining falling down. It also trains you on all weather conditions and studies showed that 98 % of all motorcycle accidents don’t involve weather.

2. Motorcycles are cheap to own

Yes bikes are relatively cheap to own, but this hobby is defiantly considered a money pit, from tires to track gear, to more tools. After saying this you can defiantly get away with riding cheaper, but as you ride longer your addiction to this hobby will grow and start to say, oh maybe one little track day a week its only a couple hundred bucks or just one road trip on a new road, or maybe I do need that tool. Motorcycle riding can be as cheap as you want, but ends up being pretty expensive to ride. Your also getting more than 40 mpg on most bikes so you wont be spending as much there and this leads on to my last myth.

1.Motorcycles are impractical and you will want to buy a car

This one is a tough one because cars do have the inherent advantage over motorcycles here is that they can carry a bunch more stuff then you can on a bike. But there are plenty of riders out there that only own a motorcycle as a primary source of transportation. We also have to think about that motorcyclist’s in the states have an america first mentality when thinking about bikes and can skew the decisions. In the rest of the world many people own just a motorcycle it may not be by choice, but the whole world owning a car is to expensive. So saying its impractical to own a motorcycle is hard to say but its totally possible to own a bike and live your life.

By Ben Labs

Just like your Average Motorcycle, a professional stunt bike is a specialized machine that’s highly modified. Some are fitted with full, custom-built steel cages that provide protection against low-speed falls that happen a lot when learning and developing tricks. Stunt Bikes also have an added degree of steering lock for making the tightest turns possible.

Some people believe stunting is a controversial subculture of motorcycling.  Stunters perform Motorcycle stunts on motorbikes, both on public roads and in private venues. Doing these stunts on Public roads is where Stunt riding gets a bad name.

There are many different stunts involved when it comes to this, but the most common are variations of a wheelie, stoppies, and burnouts.

The Next things that differentiate a regular motorcycle to a stunt bike is the Mechanical parts on it allowing you to perform stunts easier. The first notable part is a Sprocket kit, most stunters upgrade the gearing to allow for slower wheelies. Typical gearing consists of 1 down for the front sprocket and anywhere from 55 tooth to 66 teeth for the rear sprocket.

With the changing of the gearing a bike can produce higher top speeds with less acceleration, this is done using a larger sprocket or a smaller rear sprocket. Gearing a bike down giving it more acceleration with lower top speed is done using a smaller sprocket or a larger rear sprocket.                                                                        

The Last key Piece stunters have is a Crash cage, sub cages are very similar to crash cages, but for protection of a different sort. While crash cages are protection for the frame itself, sub cages focus on protecting the sub-frame of the motorcycle.

Needles Highway, Black Hills, South Dakota

Needles Highway is one of the many roads you can take to get to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  This is a spectacular ride that may be one most popular in the Black Hills. This ride is full of switchbacks and tight curves. This ride is approximately 67 miles taking about 3.5 hours. The iron mountain portion is 17 miles containing 314 cures and 14 switchbacks. Also if you’re lucky you will pass through Cluster State park and have the opportunity to see the bison roaming.

BearTooth Pass, Wyoming

The beartooth pass highway is designated as an All American road, and as a result of rapid temperature changes and snowfall the pass is typically open from late May to September.  The bear tooth pass way winds it way, way way up to the 10,947 ft. you should plan for 2.5 hours of riding for the 69 miles from Red Lodge to Cooke city. The Beertooth region is one of the most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, as part of the rocky mountains, there are 20 peaks over 12,000 feet in  elevation

Cherohala  Skyway

Between Knoxville and Chattanooga, you won’t find any other ride like this in North America. The Tellico river located close by is well known for trout fishing and you are bound to see kayaks and canoes all on the river. The Cherohola Skyway passes through two national parks, the Cherokee and Nantahala. Either way, the 51.8 miles of road in front of you are straight out of a dream.

The Three Sisters (aka The Twisted Sisters), Texas

Three Sisters starts in Medina, TX, and offers a 131-mile experience that will change your image of the state of Texas. And if you’ve a mind to do some fishing between rides, the Nueces River holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and the native guadalupe bass. This route is mainly very twisty passing over large hills and between not many gas stations. This roller coaster ride will no doubt blow you away. The Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop is mandatory stop for the food, comradely, great gift shop and amazingly relaxing atmosphere

In this article I am going to talk about the top 3 essentials you need to start Riding a Motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle is just like riding a bike you need to wear Gear. For example, all cars have a seat belt to keep you safe and when it comes to Motorcycle Gears the only thing between you and the road, its just like your seat belt. Wearing Motorcycle gear can ultimately save your life. Motorcycle gear does not have to be those Highlighter suits you see sometimes, but can look good and still be a reasonable price. Here I will shop you three Affordable Motorcycle gear.

This Helmet here is called the Bell Qualifier Helmet at a price of 109.05$. Bell is trusted Motorcycle brand that been around for many Decades, this helmet comes with many perks like a wind collar to keep wind from coming up into the mask and a vented aerodynamic design.

The next essential gear you need is a a jacket, but since you may be riding in different seasons you may want to find a two in one, where theirs a thin and heavy layer together.

This Jacket here is called the Fly Racing Jacket for 135.96$. this is a 4 season jacket meaning it has a heavy layer with waterproof material, but also allows you to open up the jacket so the mesh layer is exposed so air can pass through in the summer.

The last item I would recommend is some kind of legs protection because you will most likely slide when you fall.

These are the Dainese Wayne Pants cost 123.47 $, they are Kevlar reinforced so they are meant to take a fall.

All together this gear will cost you 368.48$ which is not the worst price when it comes to Motorcycle Gear, This gear all comes in at a reasonable price and should help you get started in the Motorcycle World.

• I do not own the Rights to these Pictures

4. Yamaha YZF- R1M

The Yamaha R1M is a Super bike designed for the track and a bike designed to overdue there competitors with the right rider. This track bike weighs in at a wet weight of 443 Lbs, with a 998 cc inline four cylinder which is capable of making 165 HP and 75 pound-feet- torque. This bike can reach 60 miles an hour in 3 seconds with a max speed of 186 mph just because of an electronic limiter. the price tag on this bike is set at an MSRP of 22,999$

3. Ducati 1199 R

Ducati released a wild super bike called the 1199 R with a big engine capable of 205 mph and 100 lbs ft of torque. This expensive machine will cost an MSRP of 34,995$ but will give you the power to hit 202 mph after your pushed back in your seat going 60 mph in 2.8 seconds.

2. BMW S1000 RR HP4

This specialty Super bike brought to you by BMW weighs in at a wet weight of 398 Lbs with Race Abs system. This Super bike is capable of extraordinary speeds with 199 Hp and 83 lbs of torque. The Horsepower on this bike is the same as some cars. At an event in the Bonneville Salt flats in September 2016 a rider was able to get the bike to 217.7 Mph. This Cost for this Bike comes in at a whooping MSRP of 78,000$.

1. Ninja H2 R

The H2R has 50% more power then the fastest street legal bike. This Bike comes with an 998 cc inline 4 supercharged engine capable of making 310 Hp. This bike weighs in at 430 lbs and a crazy price of 55,000$. This H2 R was able to hit 250 mph in 2016 and is considered the fastest bike on the planet.

**I dont own the rights to these Pictures