Motorcycle Rider Groups

Updated with project complete photos:

So I snapped a quick photo of the Ninja the other day and took it in to Photoshop. I am thinking about doing some rattle can painting on the engine and the lower fairing.

Here is a before and after…What do you think?

Before:

Original paint

After (Photoshop Mock Up): Read the rest of this entry →

A few weeks ago I posted a review on the evaporative cooling vest I have been wearing on my motorcycle in the Texas summer heat.

Today it was 105 degrees in North Texas for my 45 minute commute home.  Did I get hot?  I did get a little warm when I was stuck in traffic at red lights, but if I was moving I was as cool as a cucumber.  Partly due to the new trick I have up my sleeve to beat the summer heat.

So what kept me cool in 105 temps in Texas?  This past weekend I purchased a Taichi Helmet Cool Cap.  I purchased it at Moto Liberty. They have a great store in Dallas, TX.  They have very knowledgeable staff and are always a pleasure to do business with.

The Cool Cap is a very thin helmet liner that is worn under the helmet.  It does not ad any bulk and you barely know it is there once your helmet is in place.  Before I left work I got the Cool Cap damp while I was soaking my evaporative vest.  The combination of the vest and cap made a HUGE difference.  It was a bit of a strange sensation to feel like I had a heater blowing in my face and yet the top of my head had a slight chill to it. Read the rest of this entry →

Here is another good video that talks about motorcycle braking in the corner.

If you can get past the background music in this video he offers some good advice for braking. Applying the brakes correctly and at the right time can really help balance the bike out for corners.

This video is talking about braking on the track, but the tips that make track riders faster can make you safer on the road when properly applied.

I started using some of the motorcycle cornering tips discussed in this video a little over a year ago. I do not ride on the track but I have been using body position on the motorcycle to make me safer when cornering on the street. I am able to maintain my speed in and out of the corners much better than before.

These tips are not only for sport bike riders but for cruisers also. Watch the video, give it a try the next time you are out for a ride and see for yourself how much quicker you can take a corner on a motorcycle with these simple tips.

I thought this was an interesting story and was wondering what your thoughts on this are?

The rider was speeding, riding recklessly, and deserved a ticket.

But what about the rest of this story?  I ride with a camera frequently.  Is it or should it be illegal to continue to record if you are pulled over?

I follow the blog on AtlasRider.com, he has some great tips and videos for motorcycle riders.  Atlas recently made a big announcement and I thought it was really interesting.  He is going to be taking a solo ride through South America.  Here is his video announcement and some details on the ride.

Read the rest of this entry →

If you have researched purchasing a camera to record your motorcycle rides, then you have most likely heard of the GoPro HD video camera.  It is the standard bearer for mountable, HD, waterproof, point of view cameras; and for good reason.  It is easy to mount and provides great wide angle HD footage in a compact package.

Since my primary use for a POV (point of view) camera is to mount the camera on my motorcycle in order to log some of my road trips, I will be approaching this review from that perspective.  However, these cameras are also used by surfers, mountain climbers, sky divers, etc.  They are great for anyone who wants a unique video perspective on their favorite sporting activity.

Mounting Options:

In order to compare these cameras I mounted them to my motorcycle and went for a spin around the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Read the rest of this entry →

If you are an iPhone owner and like to read about motorcycles (from sites other than RiderGroups.com ) You need to check out the Cycle World iPhone App.

I am a subscriber to Cycle World but I don’t always have my magazine with me.  I may read something in Cycle World magazine  and later want to refer to it, I can do so on my iPhone.  They do not have all the articles that are in print but there is a good selection of product reviews and bike reviews.  As of this writing, as I scan through the Cycle World App, there are 25 articles from the current edition of Cycle World magazine ready for you to read.

I would love to see them start offering some in App video reviews as well.  I would also gladly pay for the App if they would include all of their content on the iPhone.  I much prefer reading on the iPhone than carrying around a magazine.

The best part is…the App is FREE…so click the link below to download.

Download or read more about the Cycle World iPhone App here.

One man’s bust is another man’s boon. In this particular case the bust could be perceived as BMW’s withdrawal from Formula 1 auto racing, while the resulting boon would undoubtedly belong to BMW Motorrad, the Munich-based company’s motorcycle division.

BMW Motorrad is the beneficiary of the super high-tech F-1 racing team’s former engineering facility, which will become the new home for all things two-wheeled at BMW. How apropos that the first motorcycle to touch tires to the floor of the ultra trick facility would be the all-new 6-cylinder powered K1600GT and K1600GTL; the company’s sport- and luxury-touring offerings for 2011.

Last week, we were one of the lucky few “outsiders” to have ever been allowed inside the secret plant for a personal glimpse of the highly anticipated 6-cylinder-powered machines that broke cover in autumn of 2009 as the Concept 6.

It was a logical course for BMW, given its seven-plus decades refining the inline 6-cylinder configuration for its automobiles and its track record as innovators, always moving to the beat of their own drum. BMW, a company that prides itself on uniqueness, is certainly aiming to create another iconic engineering stamp in the vein of its stalwart Boxer powerplant. Read the rest of this entry →

After a first teaser image unveiled at the end of June, Kawasaki unveiled today the first official image of the 2011 Ninja ZX-10R race bike. The motorcycle is preparing for a 2-day test at the Suzuka race track in Japan where the bike will prepare for the 2011 World Superbike Championship. A road-going version based on this model will also be unveiled at a later date. It is rumored to come with a more aggressive look, a completely restyled fairing and exhaust, new chassis and new engine that will deliver more than 200 HP. Road going model will feature the usual green ninja paint scheme as with all the previous Ninja models. Read the rest of this entry →