How To Carry Motorcycle Luggage

A motorcycle is a great way to get around; there is no question about that. It isn't expensive like a car, it is easier to park and for a single guy or gal, it is extremely convenient. There is one slight problem with bikes though; you can't carry a lot of things with you. This is what most people believe but you will be surprised to learn that it isn't true at all. Apparently motorcycles have no storage but that doesn't mean you can't add storage to it. Motorcycle luggage can be carried in multiple ways; there is an entire range of bags available that will help you carry your things when you are out for either a short or long trip.

Before getting in to the details of what types of storage bags are available, you should know how they are attached to your bike. These bags are mounted either to the front or the back of your bike by using brackets or straps that come with the bags. Motorcycle luggage bags are: tool bags, windshield bags, tank bags, sissy bar bags, saddlebags and tail bags.

Tool bags and windshield bags are small in size. The tool bag is reserved for keeping small tools that you might need to give your bike a quick tune up or perhaps a flashlight for repairs in dim light. The windshield bag is also small and is meant to keep smaller items like glasses or perhaps a map. It is purely for storage purpose of items that you might need at hand and that is the only convenience it offers.

The tank bag rests on your bike's fuel tank. It is larger than windshield and tool bags but can vary in sizes, being both small and large as a backpack. The size will depend on how much space you have on your bike. It is attached to the bike using either straps or magnets. The best thing about it is that it has external pockets that allow you to place maps or phones at your convenience.

Sissy bar bags and saddlebags are the largest that can be mounted to the rear of your bike. They are big enough to take camping equipment with you and are either mounted using straps or brackets. Saddlebags are either hard or soft. Hard bags offer less flexibility in the sense that you cannot take them with you but are otherwise just as good as soft bags.

Tail bags can be strapped to the rear end of your bike. They can be large or small. Which size you chose to buy will depend on how many bags you have already mounted at the rear of your bike. Since a tail bag can be very large, you will have to take in to account if there is enough space on your bike to mount them.

Bags are available in leather and nylon. Leather dominates motorcycle luggage bags. You can find complete sets of luggage from brands like Yamaha or Suzuki. You can also buy non branded ones online or from local stores. Branded bags are preferred because they offer a custom fit for various bike models.

Motorcycle Headlight Modulators - Be Seen!

Besides maintaining control of your motorcycle, being seen is the most important safety factor while riding. There is no question that being seen by other drivers on the road is very important for motorcycle riders and their safety. Drivers of other vehicles are less likely to see a motorcycle than another car simply because of the size of the vehicle. Riders sometime wear bright or reflective clothing to help other driver's see them but this is fairly limited in its effect. A few years ago, motorcycles were the only vehicles on the road with their headlights on during the day but now that daytime running lights are required for cars, motorcycle headlights have lost their ability to stand out during the day. The best way to catch the eye of other motorists during the day is to install a Kisan PathbBazer headlight modulator into your motorcycle.

Kisan PathBlazers use stock bulbs and have plug & play (no wire cutting and patching) model specific modulators for most bikes. The PathBlazer unit varies the voltage between 15 -100% and thanks to their compact micro circuit is one of the smallest headlight modulators available. Because the bulb is not turned all the way off and the variation is smooth, bulb life is not sacrificed. Motorcycle headlight modulators are legal in all 50 states and Canada but regulations require that they ONLY modulate during the day time. To be sure of this, Kisan PathBlazers all incorporate a daylight sensor which can be adjusted to different sensitivity thresholds.

But do they work? YES! You are more than twice as likely to catch another driver's eye with a flashing motorcycle headlight than with a stock one. I have even heard other motorcycle riders complain about how they don't like to ride in front of someone with a motorcycle headlight modulator because they keep looking at it in their mirror. In a group ride, you might be asked to ride in front of the pack if you have a headlight modulator to prevent you from being a distraction in the other rider's mirrors. That is how good they are at catching eyes. For around $100 and a little bit of your time you can add a Kisan Pathblazer motorcycle headlight modulator to your bike and greatly increase your visibility on the motorcycle and decrease your chances of having a vehicle pull out in front of you. So get a Pathblazer and BE SEEN!

Jonathan Clark is owner of Spoiled Biker, a motorcycle intercom and accessories shop in New Bern North Carolina that carries Kisan Safety Electronics as well as PIAA light bulbs and other motorcycle lighting products.

Riding the Ride

In some ways, starting out is as easy as turning left where you normally turn right. Up the hill instead of down. Away instead of toward. It's really all about doing it. Go away, come back and think through the ways that it could have been better and change at least one thing. Across town, across the state, across the country, are all essentially the same. Different levels of planning and preparation, but the execution is the same.

Visualize where you are going, and go. If you are heading to the next town for a cheeseburger, knowing where you are going and, maybe, finding a different way to get there is what the RIDE is about. It won't take long, and you will find out what your mileage limit is. Maybe it's only 25 miles at a sit, maybe it is 200. Practice and repetition will make that number go up.

Stopping is part of going, but it is the length and frequency of the stops that will determine how far you go in a day. When I am on an extended tour, I plan to average 50 mph for every hour I am riding. Includes gas and meal and smoke stops. This means I don't fool around much at a service station, but I have plenty of time to have a drink and a smoke and a bathroom break at every gas stop. When I am in a photo rich environment, or on a very twisty road, the 50 mile hour goes away.

When I am on 'extended riding', I usually have intermediate goals to cover. I'll need to be at a place on a day, and what I do between is up to me. Generally, I will dawdle on back roads until I need to make time, then find a freeway or main route and go 'hammer down'. I can continue this schedule for days and days. Typically, when I am going 'point to point' I want a minimum of 500 miles. 50 mph x 10 hours of riding time per day. I often make more than that if I am under time constraints. Often, I will make the day longer because I just love to ride, and I will sometimes just add to the pleasure.

There are many ways to pick a route, from pouring over maps for hours and days to plugging an address into a GPS and letting the computer make your choices. I love maps, and I have an extensive collection. Most of my trips start with 'I wonder about....' and a map. Then some thought and more maps.

On the road I usually take a back road until the day before I have to be someplace. Then I plug that place into the GPS and let it take me the fastest way. I get to see and experience the back roads, and still maintain my schedule.

There are a lot of people that like group rides, where the routing and stopping are orchestrated by the group leader. Often a good way to see new country, these necessarily need to be geared to the slowest and least experienced rider. If I ride in a group it is very rarely larger than 3.

I ride thousands of miles alone each year, but I also have a riding buddy that is on much the same schedule I am. We often go a few thousand miles each year, and the experience is terrific. The secret is a buddy that likes the same sort of pace that I do. I have been fortunate enough to have two good riding partners in my life. Ray, who really taught me a lot about the practicality of riding, and led me into lots of grand adventures. Since Ray is gone, there is Bob, who may be even better for me to ride with. The best was when the three of us got to ride together. Alas, not enough, but certainly a treat and part of my life to remember. Friends when the bikes are stopped and trusted riders and companions when moving.

Choosing a Touring Motorcycle

All motorcycles are the same, just as all motorcycles are different. The bike is the single most important part of touring, you want to make sure you get what you want and need.

Does it GRAB you? I really like having a motorcycle that I look back at. I mean, I park it, walk away and look back. Just to look at it again.

All motorcycles have some things in common. Two wheels, a frame, a motor, handlebars and controls. How these are done and mesh with each other is what makes the bike your own.

All the touring motorcycles have some major things in common.

Windscreen and wind protection, for the most part. Basically, the bigger the tourer, the bigger the protection. Why is that important? When it's 40º and raining it can be really critical to your ride.

Lights. Lights on a motorcycle not only help you see, they help you be seen. Which is very important when you are dealing with people in cars and trucks.

Luggage. Never enough and often too much. It's one of the balances you have to strike in the choice of motorcycles.

Seat. Not all seats are created equal. It's really nice to have one you can sit on all day, then get back on the next day.

Wheels. The 'spoke' wheels look so cool, and are part of my dreaming motorcycle. But I really like the convenience of cast wheels and tubeless tires. You can plug a tubeless tire and be back on your way in minutes, rather than losing a whole day patching a tube.

Drive. Most of the 'touring' class are shaft driven, some use chains. The shaft is, without question, easier to maintain but when it fails, it's major. The chain needs some routine maintenance, but is very efficient, and easy to change/repair.

Riding Position. Upright, laid back, leaned forward. Surprisingly, the slight forward lean seems to be the position of choice for long distance riders. Upright is good for long term comfort, and laid back can be best for a bad back (with backrest).

All these factors are important when choosing a ride, often a compromise of several factors comes into play. What gives YOU the most comfort is the primary concern.

I'm going to limit my discussion to three major types of motorcycles. Super tourers, sport tourers, adventure tourers.

Generally, the super tourers are BIG. Big wind protection and windscreens, big luggage, big stuff. Typically, you sit fairly upright and really 'in' the bike rather than on it. Big seats are generally very comfortable. These are long term cruisers, and they look it. Capable of huge miles day after day.

Sport tourers tend to be lighter, faster and more agile than their big brothers. Can be as much at home on a twisty road as on the interstate. Smaller luggage, less room, less comfort. Typically have a 'forward' seating position, usually with an adjustable windscreen. Good (not great) weather protection.

Adventure tourers are built for gravel roads and less. Typically heavier frame and running gear, a lot of the 'niceties' are left off, making them smaller and more maneuverable. These are the 'around the world' class, and they give up some creature comforts. Less or no wind protection, afterthought windscreens, upright seating position. You are definitely 'on' this bike, not in it.

You have to decide what you want out of a motorcycle. Tour? Weekend jaunts? Tavern to tavern sociality? Commute? Adventure? All are possible, the choices are limitless.

It's your tour, enjoy it. It's your ride, ride it.

How to Photograph Motorcycles - Part 1

If you've ever seen Master Photographer Dean Collin's "Simple Motion Motorcycle Photo Set and Lightning" video, you know that photographing bikes can be anything but simple; if you're into that sort of thing. It can also be a whole bunch of fun.

Bikers love to show off their rides and riding brings out the crazy kid in all of us. Unlike Dean's work, taking bike pictures can be easy. All it takes is a little consideration about what type of shots you are trying to get and the desire to practice. If you want to skip this article altogether, go grab a bike and a camera, take a few hundred pictures, changing up the lighting and angles a few times and you'll inevitably get a few that rock.

This article will be broken up into three sections and delivered over three weeks.

Shooting Your Bike
Shooting From Your Bike
Shooting Bikes In Motion
Shooting Your Bike

It's not the camera, it's the photographer. While that statement is true, good camera equipment can give you more options. DSLR cameras allow you to control how you light your subject more than point and shoot cameras. Interchangeable lenses like wide angles and extreme zoom lenses can give you greater artistic expression. Interesting pictures can be created by any camera though. Even smart phones can deliver fantastic photos. Like the saying goes, "the best camera is the one you have with you."

Light
It's all about the light. Pro photographers make pro photographs because they know how to make light work for them. So what can you do? Use what you've got. The golden hours are always amazing for photographs. During sunup or sundown the sky can be used for a striking backdrop. Move fast and take lots of exposures. The light will offer a quickly changing pallet of color and become fully bright or dark within thirty minutes. These hours will give less light to illuminate your bike. Use your on camera flash to fill in and highlight. The fill flash will also cause the sky to appear darker and richer. Don't be afraid to experiment with light. Car headlights have been used to good effect during night shots. If you have to shoot in the direct, mid-day sun, try finding some dappled shade under a tree. The contrast of shade and light can often make a stunning print. The same can be done with multiple artificial light sources in urban areas. Move your bike around a bit. A foot over, here and there, can make all the difference when trying to show off the sleek lines of your machine.

Setting
Photography is about isolation; isolating the subject from anything that is not the subject. Whether it's your driveway or a mountain top the backdrop of your picture should be a primary consideration. One of the benefits of using a DSLR camera is the ability to control the depth of field. Depth of field allows you to blur out objects in the picture that aren't the primary focus. Point and shoot cameras sometimes allow some depth of field control by using the portrait setting on the camera(usually represented by an icon of a head). Regardless if your camera can blur out the background, pick your background based on colors and light that will set off your bike without up staging it. If that beautiful rose bush behind your bike makes your composition confusing then move in front of a brick wall or open street. Start with simple and only add things that don't distract. Get wet. Hose down the pavement before rolling out your bike. It will give the shot a really slick and glossy look.

Frame & Focus
You don't have to take a picture of the whole bike. In some cases you won't be able to get the entire bike in your picture and still be able to give the photo any kind of focal point.

Use your feet. Walk around your subject and find multiple points of view that take in to consideration all of the possibilities of composition. Look for guiding lines. If you are on a surface that has edges or cracks use those, when placing the bike, to compliment the major lines of the machine. Consider the angle of your shot. Can you shoot from above? Shoot from all angles. Get down low and shoot up. Wide angle shots from a low position will make the bike look like it is about to leap out of the picture.

Again, just shoot and keep thinking about how you can make adjustments to better the situation. A thoughtful workflow will intuitively bring about great results.

Next time we'll talk about shooting from your bike. There's a lot of new technology out there that allows you to take your camera with you and capture your ride without getting in the way of handling your machine.

Until then... ride safe and smile. Someone else just might be shooting you!

Top 10 Motorcycle Safety Tips When Learning To Ride

Top 10 Safety Tips...

1.) Assume Other Drivers Can Not See You: Ride assuming that you and your motorcycle are totally invisible to others. That means Don't Ever assume that drivers can see you. Because the odds are, they can not, so remember that yourself and always have an "out" for dangerous situations. Motorcycle Safety depends on you.

2.) Maintaining A Safe Distance: Leave a lot of room in front, in back and to the sides from all other motorists. Isolate yourself and stay away from other vehicles as much as possible. By doing this, you will have more visibility and more time to react to bad situations!

3.) Always Anticipate Trouble: Anticipating trouble situations and knowing what to do when you see them. Pay close attention to what other vehicles are doing and try to predict the outcome. Then make sure know what to do and how to do it to avoid an accident. Always be ready!

4.) Beware of Oncoming Vehicles Turning Left: Beware of oncoming travelers turning left in front of you at intersections. This is the leading cause of death with motorcycle riders. I have personally lost many friends to this accident. If you only remember one tip here, let it be this one. Approach intersections with caution, slow down and have an escape route planned. Stay visible, keeping your safe distance. Position your bike so it can be seen by the left turner. Eye contact is not enough!

5.) Ride At Your Own Pace: Don't try to keep up with your friends who may be more experienced, or like to travel at faster speeds! Know your personal limits. If you are not comfortable riding at a faster pace, then ride at a speed at which you do feel safe. Ride your own ride.

6.) Use Extreme Caution When Approaching Curves: Beware of taking curves that you can't see around. A parked truck or a patch of sand may be awaiting you.

7.) Don't Give In to Road Rage: Do not allow yourself to have road rage and try to "get even" with another rider or motorist. If you follow these tips, most likely you won't fall victim to road rage. It's better to calm down, slow down, and collect your thoughts first, pull off the road if you have to. Then continue on and enjoy the ride. That's what we are all out there for in the first place.

8.) Don Not Allow Tailgating: If someone is tailgating you, either speed up to allow for more safe distance or pull over and let them pass. Life is too short. Remember that a motorcycle can stop faster than a vehicle so you don't want a truck on your tail when you find yourself trying to slow down to avoid an accident. Also, don't tailgate the vehicle in front of you. Oncoming drivers can not see you if you are to close to the car in front of you!

9.) Don't Be Blinded By Sun Glare: Always have protective eye ware available. Beware of riding your motorcycle into sun glare. All it takes is turning a corner and finding the sun either directly in your face or passing straight through your windshield. Some helmets have shields to block the sun. Face shields help somewhat. But sometimes you just find yourself blinded by the light. Slow down, pull over, shield your eyes and look for a way to change direction.

10.) Avoid Riding At Night Time: Avoid riding at night, your chances of spotting an animal getting ready to run across the road are slim to none. Also avoid night trips, especially late Saturday night and early Sunday, when drunken drivers may be on the road. It goes without saying that you shouldn't drink and ride. Going bar hopping? Leave the bike at home and find a designated driver.

What Am I Trying To Say About Motorcycle Safety?

The best way to be safe is to take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course to learn the basic ways to control your motorcycle and to learn how to recognize traffic situations that you need to be ready to handle.

Always wear protective clothing and a helmet. Always have your head light on to help other motorists see you, even during day time!

Maintain your bike so it is safe too. Keep records of the intervals when you replace tires, chains, clutch cables, batteries, brakes, etc. You don't want an equipment malfunction to contribute to a motorcycle accident.

Practice riding under all kinds of traffic situations. Ride with a friend if at all possible. Avoid riding great distances alone.

Become a member of some motorcycle forums and read what other experienced riders have to say about how to ride safely.

I want you to become an aged motorcyclist because you know how to survive on a motorcycle. I don't want to read about you in the newspaper or on a motorcycle forum or mailing list as yet another motorcycle statistic. Learn how to be safe and responsible on a motorcycle.

Scooter and Motorcycle Riding - Following Distance

Following Distance

I'm going to start with one of the most fundamental safety tips - following distance.

Good motorcycle roadcraft dictates that you always ride so that you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear.

What dictates the distance you can see to be clear?

Well, the obvious one is the vehicles in front of you, but there are many other things that can affect how much of the road ahead you can see. Here are some of them:

Curves in the road.
Hills.
Weather.
Your own eyesight.
Foliage (bushes, trees, etc...)

So, how much distance do I need to leave?

This varies due to a lot of circumstances. Different scooters will have various optimum stopping distances due to variations in braking efficiencies. This will also vary according to how well you know your scooter, how efficiently you can bring your scoot to a stop, and your braking techniques.

It is important to know and practise stopping on your own scooter.

However, here is a very useful tip for monitoring your following distance: At any given speed, a good rule of thumb is to leave two second's space between the vehicle in front, and you - the Two Second Rule.

Here's how it works: As you are following other vehicles, take note of a landmark that the vehicle in front passes. This can be a tree, a traffic cone, anything that you can reliably see when that vehicle passes it.

As soon as the vehicle in front passes that marker, start saying to yourself: "Only a fool breaks the two second rule."

You should not pass that marker until you have finished saying that mantra to yourself. Don't rush. Don't see the marker coming towards you too quickly and hurriedly finish the sentence. Say it at a normal, conversational pace.

Using this simple rule of thumb, you will find that you are allowing a good distance between yourself, and the vehicle in front.

Does this change when it is raining, or the roads are wet?

Most definitely! You should allow double the following distance when the roads are wet. Simply say "Only a fool break the two second rule" twice, and you should not pass the marker until you have finished.

After a time of doing this, you will find that you will naturally start allowing a good following distance, and just an occasional check will confirm that you are.

The advantages to allowing a safe following distance are huge. The obvious one is that if the vehicle in front stops quickly, you will be able to safely stop with ease before your scooter becomes a very expensive ornament for the vehicle in front. Some of the not-so-obvious advantages include:

You will get a much better view of what is happening up ahead. An experienced, safe rider is mostly taking notice of what is happening two, three or more vehicles ahead.
You will stand more of a chance of avoiding the scourge of a scooterist's existence - the road alligator. These can be particularly nasty for a scooter rider because of the smaller wheels that a scooter often has.
If you are planning a passing manoeuvre, you will be able to glean much more information, and so be able to better plan that pass.
If you have following vehicles, you will be in a better position to control your braking so that you don't become an expensive ornament on the front of that vehicle!

So, as you are riding the next time you are out, try the two second rule. It may save your life!