MotorcycleInsurance.com » Concept Motorcycles

Riding Ten Up On A Custom Harley To Sturgis

Todd Halterman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:56:19 +0000

Steve ‘Doc’ Hopkins on the smaller version of his Communal Rider Harley

When Steve “Doc” Hopkins takes his bike out for a spin, he can count on moving nine of his best friend with him. How? He takes his custom-made, 10-seat amalgam of Harley Davidson history. The bike is 24-feet-long and features seven different engines, a few of them which date back 100 years into the past.

“It’s like a rolling history of Harley Davidson’s engines — since 1909 to present,” said Hopkins. “In 1909, Harley Davidson came out with the first v-twin. And that’s what this bike reflects, is the first v-twin on up to through brand new twin cam.”

Creating wild Harleys is nothing new to Hopkins, he’s also built a five-seat (in the photo above), four-engine HD he rode in Harley Davidson’s 105th anniversary parade in Milwaukee.

Featuring a total of seven air-cooled Harley-Davidson Big-Twin engines manufactured from 1909 to the present, Doc’s bike seats 10 people and totals a whopping 538 cubic inches running along on two front wheels, two rear wheels and driven by an enormous 40 feet of chain.

I’m guessing that if that chain breaks, it might be hard to find one at the local dealer…

Custom Motorcycle Insurance

Custom motorcycles require the correct insurance coverage package to protect what is, after all, a significant investment on your part .

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance for your custom bike…

Tips for buying motorcycle insurance for your custom:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.
Additional coverage to replace or repair accessories specific to your bike.

What Money And Carbon Fiber Can Do The Mansory Zapico Custom Motorcycle

Todd Halterman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:04:09 +0000

A couple of things about money. If you don’t have any, you can get obsessed with the things it might buy you if you did have money. And if you have money, you can do some crazy things with it to keep yourself amused.

I think this bike fits the ‘I have money and I’m going to do something crazy with it’ paradigm rather well.

Mansory is a German outfit which turns very expensive cars like, say, an Aston Martin, into what I like to think are four-wheeled, designer handbags for the uber-wealthy.

So what happens when a concern known for applying real gold to every surface of a car takes on a motorcycle design? Well, you get the work of motorcycle customizer Thomas M. George and the Mansory touch…

The Mansory Zapico is positively dipped in carbon fiber to give it a look that says to you, clearly but not without some touch of mannered German condescension at your economic inadequacy, ‘I’m sorry, Herr Buyer, but if you have to ask how many Deutschmarks it costs, well…’

The company says all the carbon-fiber pieces and the wheels of the bike were hand built in what is certainly a well-ordered and immaculate factory in Bavaria.

What would you get for your outlay of currency? Start with a 124 c.i. V-twin from American engine builder S&S which cranks out 160 horsepower – enough juice to move you from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds.

Maestro Kourosh Mansory would like you to notice that his machine is wrought from only the finest carbon, and additionally, that all the exquisite work is accomplished at the Mansory factory in Brand well inside the borders of the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria. Mansory and his shock troops have been customizing exclusive and renowned car brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche and Rolls Royce since 1989, and the results, while they speak for themselves, are rather pricey to acquire.

Specifications:

Tires:
Front: 130/60/18″
Rear: 280/35/18″

Rims:
Front: 3.5 x 18″ carbon disc
Rear: 10 x 18″ carbon disc by Mansory

Engine:
S&S T 124 V2 (spring-loaded vibration), the only one of its kind found in this suspension worldwide
Capacity: 124 cubic inches (ca. 2,080 cubic cm)
Power: 160 hp at 5,200 revs per minute
Gears: 5-speed

Bodywork:
CFRP by MANSORY:
Design by Thomas M. George
Front mask, bug spoiler, seat module, primary shield, silencer applications, fuel tank, frame, fork, wheel rims, airbox all carbon-fibery lucious

Aluminum applied on the fuel tank, spoiler and rear fender

Leather:
By Mansory, of course

Weight:
Around 750lbs

If You Build It, They Will Ride – A Huge List of Custom Motorcycle Builders and Their Work

Todd Halterman — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:35:21 +0000

Custom motorcycles have both utility and beauty. Their creators labor long and hard over their work to make idealized visions of what a motorcycle should be into sparkling and speedy reality.

This gallery includes some of the finest examples of the breed, and if you’re a well-heeled sort who can afford the upwards of $35,000 to $100,000 it costs to buy one, we’ve thoughtfully provided links to some of the best custom motorcycle builders in the business next to each photo.

From Jesse Rook to Jim Nasi and many, many others, you’re going to see some of the most magnificent motorcycle art to be found right here, so take your time and examine all the incredible craftsmanship on display by these monsters of the art of motorcycle building…

And though you didn’t ask, I’m sort of partial to the look that Russell Mitchell at Exile puts together. Beefy, brawny and packed with American horsepower with a British sensibility. What’s not to like with that, pard?

Aardvark Cycle

Allen, TX

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After Hours Bikes

Cooper City, FL

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All American Cycle

Portland, OR

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Amen Chassis Works

Rogarsville, TN

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American Motorcycle Service

Framingham, MA

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Boondock Customs

Crystal Lake, IL

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Broadway Choppers

Schenectady, NY

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Caribbean Custom Cycles

San Juan, PR

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Central Coast Cycles

Santa Cruz, CA

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Chica Custom Cycles

Huntington Beach, CA

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Chopper City Customs

Jacksonville, FL

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Choppers Inc

Melbourne, FL

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Chopper Works

Derry, NH

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Cochise County Choppers

Naco, AZ

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Covingtons Cycle City

Woodward, OK

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County Line Choppers

Phoenix ,NY

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County Line Cycles

Simi Valley, CA

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Count’s Kustoms

Las Vegas, NV

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Coyote Customs

Oklahoma City, OK

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Creative Cycles Inc

Wall , NJ

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Cyril Huze

Boca Raton, FL

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Donnie Smith Custom Cycles

Blaine, MN

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Exile Cycles

Valley Glen, CA

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Fred Kodlin Motorcycles

Borken, Germany

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Flyrite Choppers

Austin, TX

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Gangster Choppers

Midlothian, VA

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Greg’s Custom Cycles

Clearwater, FL

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Gypsy Choppers

Clearwater, FL

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Heavy Duty Cycles Limites

Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

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Hotshoe Customs

Elizabeth, NJ

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Insight Customs

Hebron, IN

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Iron Hawg Custom Cycles

Hazleton, PA

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Jesse Rooke Customs

Phoenix, AZ

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Jim Nasi Customs

Scottsdale, AZ

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Klock Werks Kustom Cycles

Mitchell, SD

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Kotic Kustoms

Woodstock, GA

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L.A. County Choprods

Marina Del Ray, CA

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Martin Bros Bikes

Duncanville, TX

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MGS Custom Bikes

Lancaster,CA

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Orange County Choppers

Newburgh, NY

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Paul Cox Industries

New York, NY

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Paul Yaffe Originals

Phoenix, AZ

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Poole’s Pro Built

Brea, CA

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RB Customs

Houston, TX

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Riff Rat Customs

Livermore, Ca

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Ron Simms Custom Cycles

Hayward, CA

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Santiago Chopper

Gibsonton, FL

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Scooter Shooterz

Cedar Lake, IN

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Smoky Mountain Customs

Asheville, NC

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Speed City Cycle

Indianapolis, IN

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Suicide Cycles

Manchester, MD

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Thunderbike

Germany

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Thunder Cycle Designs

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

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Toxic Choppers

Colorado Springs, CO

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Twisted Choppers

Sioux Falls, SD

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Unique Custom Cycles

Sweden

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Von Dutch Kustom Cycles

Ranco Cucamonga, Ca

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West Coast Choppers

Long Beach,CA

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Wicked Custom Cycles

Hialeah,FL

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Young Choppers

Marietta,GA

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Custom Motorcycle Insurance

Custom motorcycles require the correct insurance coverage package to protect what is, after all, a significant investment on your part .

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance for your custom bike…

Tips for buying motorcycle insurance for your custom:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.
Additional coverage to replace or repair accessories specific to your bike.

The History of More Things That Were, And Now Are, Sort of Motorcycles

Todd Halterman — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:28:26 +0000

For years, designers have dreamed of creating a vehicle with the driving appeal of a motorcycle and the enclosed safety of a car, and one of the earliest attempts, the Ford Gyron, was a two-wheeled gyrocar first unveiled way back in 1961 as a concept car.

Though the configuration was something like a motorcycle, the vehicle was stabilized by gyroscopes.

Two occupants were seated side by side and when the vehicle was stationary, two small outriggers appeared from the sides to support it. Though there was never any intention to produce the Gyron, designer Alex Tremulis used gyroscopic systems based on Louis Brennan’s theories.

Ford Motor Company gave credit for the Gyron to Brennan.

Tremulis began his career working for the US Air Force and numbered among his projects a plan to build a “military flying saucer.” Tremulis was also the chief designer for the far-ahead of its time Tucker automobile before he joined Ford.

Tremulis went on to design concepts for Ford which included the “Tuscan Gyroscopic Motorcycle” and the Gyronaught XU1 gyroscopic car.

Now Lit Motors of San Francisco, lead by designer and engineer Daniel Kim, says they have the first production 2-seat vehicle combining the efficiency and freedom of a motorcycle with the safety of a car.

“We’re trying to open up safety to a huge market of 200 million motorcyclists daily in the world. We have a huge market, and I think we could have a lot of impact” says Kim.

The C1 features an electronically-controlled gyroscopic stabilizing system to keep it upright when stopped or at low speeds, and company says it will remain upright even in a side-impact collision.

A variety of battery packs provide a full-charge range of from 150 to 200 miles after a 4 to 6 hour juice-up.

According to Lit, the C1 depends on electric hub high-performance Remy HVH motors to drive both wheels.

The company also says the C1 uses KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), a technology which transfers energy normally lost during braking to deliver power back to the drivetrain when the vehicle is accelerating.

Lit says the top speed of the C1 should be around 120 mph…

Riding on Air

Todd Halterman — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:25:53 +0000

What makes a motorcycle a Motorcycle?

Is it grease? Chains? Chrome? Well, if not those, then it must be gasoline and noise.

But then again, how about one with no gearbox, no exhaust system and no gas tank?

Design student Edwin Yi Yuan is one of the men behind what could be a work of inspirational genius, or maybe just a conceptual exercise doomed to the dustbin of history.

Yuan and his instructor at RMIT in Melbourne have the dream of setting a world land speed record in South Australia on what is essentially a stripped-down Suzuki motorcycle driven by a rotary air engine and pushed along by high-pressure air tanks.

The motorcycle, known as the Green Speed Air Powered Motorcycle, is built around an old Suzuki GP100 from the 1970s which was then stripped down to a rolling chassis that left only the frame of the bike, the wheels and brakes.

The engine? It’s a rotary air engine developed by Angelo Di Pietro which generates up to 3,000 RPM. Compressed air stored in the bike’s on-board carbon fiber tanks.

Di Pietro qualified as Congegniatore Meccanico in Avellino and moved to Stuttgart, Germany to work on the Wankel rotary engine at the Mercedes Benz research laboratories 1969 and 1970. In 1971 he migrated to Australia where he established a construction engineering company. But it was from his early experience with Wankel rotary engines that Di Pietro became obsessed with developing a more efficient engine to replace traditional reciprocating internal combustion engine technology.

He’s been at it on and off for the last 30 years.

Back in 1999, Di Pietro says he made the major design breakthrough which would allow the realization of his invention and decided to fully focus on the development of his new motor concept.

But Yuan is hardly the only designer and motorcycle freak to think “air” when is comes to bikes.

The “Pursuit” – the work of industrial designer Dean Benstead – also uses Di Pietro’s “air mill.”

Benstead’s “air hammer” is a motocross bike wrought from aluminum components which weighs in at a positively svelte 221 lbs. This sucker is capable of somewhere around 62 mph top speed .

“The bike is running a standard scuba tank which runs air compressed up to 200 bar. With further developments, we would be looking at running a tank at 400 bar with increased capacity to also increase the range,” Benstead said.

If you had the earth-friendly constitution, refinement and pocketbook to buy a Brammo electric bike, your insurance needs can get complicated. We’re here to help you find the right insurance for your brand new electric or hydrogen-powered motorcyle…

An Elemental and Sleek Motorcycle Design From Mac Motorcycles

Todd Halterman — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:53:01 +0000

http://carefullyconsidered.com/projects/mac-cycles/

This concept cosmetic design for Mac Motorcycles, a start-up motorcycle company in the UK with a nod to classic cafe bikes, really speaks to me. It’s elemental without looking too geeked-up and impractical. The design team somehow managed to make this bike look both wispy and tough at the same time, and that’s no mean feat.

The bikes are powered by a Buell single, air-cooled, 2-valve, push rod, 492cc, 5-speed taken out of the ‘Blast’models, and that makes them “thumpers” in the classic mode of the old Yamaha SR500, a favorite of cafe racer builders the world over. Valve adjustment is handled automatically via the use of hydraulic lifters, and the transmission placed low in the frame to aid with handling. The stock Buell motors produce 34 HP at 6500 RPM, and Mac adds a bolt-on big-bore kit (515 cc), Andrews Cams, a Mikuni HSR 42 carb’, Screamin’ Eagle ignition and a Supertrapp exhaust to crank that output up to near 50 HP at 7200 RPM.

The Mac Motorcycles team has this to say about their concept:

We explored a variety of visual approaches and production techniques. The intention was to create something new in a category that is overwhelmingly garish with logos and neon graphics that also complemented the amazing industrial design by Xenophya.

While keeping the integrity of the classic look, we created eight prototype designs that employ such production techniques as laser etching, anodized finishes, and screen-printed graphics applied to the gas tanks. This, along with simpler color systems, helps bring a more subtle, conceptual approach to the identity.

This project has received incredible recognition not just in the design community, but, more importantly, in the motorcycle-enthusiast community — nearly 100 mentions and spreading including articles and mentions in Fast
Company, Bike EXIF, Asphalt and Rubber, MBF Motorcycle forums, Cyril Huze Blog, Bikes in the Fast Lane and of course right here at Motorcycleinsurance.com.

My Bike Smells Like Fries – Yum

Todd Halterman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:06:18 +0000

Clearly, the future of the motorcycle, as is the case with it’s lesser cousin, the automobile, does not lie the way of fossil fuel power.

It’s time to face facts, only the hardcore outsiders will be left to ride inefficient, gasoline-powered motorcycles before the close of the decade. It’s written large on the horizon for those willing to face the horrible truth.

Diesel Works of Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Joe McEachern designed a custom two-tank waste vegetable oil fuel system for an out-there bike built from an Arctic Fox diesel ATV engine.

The bike, designed and fabricated by the Detroit Brothers, looks a little useless, but since it uses Vegpower components, it does have the benefit of smelling like Ray’s Drive-In in Grand Haven, MI…

Electric Motorcycle?

A Quarter Million Plus Seems Like A Lot Of Money For A Bike to Haul Firewood

Todd Halterman — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:43:44 +0000

This sort of hype is starting to get on my nerves, and I believe I need to point out what seems like a simple conceptual truth to manufacturers of various “motorcycle-like” vehicles: a “motorcycle” uses but two wheels to get from point A to point B, and no more.

A “trike” is not, as my wife likes to scornfully point out whenever she sees one go by, a “motorcycle.” To use her carefully chosen and oh-so-apt description of such conveyances, a “trike” is a “motorcycle with training wheels.”

Neither is a “quad bike” a motorcycle as it clearly does not meet the simplest definition of the machine in question.

That said, I wouldn’t return this back to the factory without riding it should they decide to send me one for ride testing.

Put together this year by a firm called Lazareth, the Wazuma W8 is billed as an ‘atypical three-wheel vehicle’ which features two linked rear wheels – and it’s driven along by a Ferrari mill. It tips the scales at a relatively porky 1400 pounds and looks, well, sort of ungainly.

According to the French maker of this thing, Lazareth, the mighty 550bhp engine pushes this “couch on wheels” to 150pmh. And as an added bonus ‘the engine management can be modified and monitored with a computer.’ This monstrosity sports a high-performance gearbox, and mighty Brembo brakes whacked on to a bespoke suspension.

“The Wazuma offers matchless driving sensations with a unique design,” said a spokesperson for the company by way of extolling the virtues of this machine. “It’s designed to be simple, aggressive and high-performance. It is, first of all, a masterpiece of engineering; a sculpture.”

The price for all this art and engineering?

A sort of staggering $266,000 dollars of American Cash Money, which makes it, at least in my estimation, the most expensive couch for hauling firewood the world has ever seen…

WAZUMA W8′s VITAL STATISTICS

Engine: Ferrari – 550 bhp
Top speed: 150+ mph
Wheels and tires: 18 inch 285‐30ZR18 front and 315‐30ZR18 rear
Weight: 1400 pounds
Suspension system: Four horizontal shock absorbers from EMC
Gearbox: Six speed made for the BMX M3 roadster

Buying Your First Bike? The Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Why Are the Wheels On This Motorcycle Turned Sideways

Todd Halterman — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:25:12 +0000

Why are the wheels on sideways?

Because it’s not really a motorcycle, at least in theory, but more like a flying variation of motorcycle.

Inventor Chris Malloy of Australia put together every kid’s dream vehicle – a “hoverbike” – from motorcycle parts. Malloy says it can rip through the sky at up to 170 mph and achieve an altitude of up to 10,000 feet.

Malloy has set a high bar for his creation and says he thinks his solo flying machine could replace conventional helicopters when it comes to taking on work like aerial surveys, search-and-rescue missions and rounding up the cattle.

Featuring a pair of oak propellers, at 240 pounds, the “hoverbike” climbs into the sky (or will at some point) powered by a 1,170cc 4-stroke engine which drives the propellers using a carbon-fiber shaft drive.

How does one drive, or ride or fly this thing? At liftoff, the “pilot” cranks on the loud with the right hand via a throttle grip ala a motorcycle.

And it’s not just cool, it’s also efficient. Getting somewhere around 22 miles per gallon, the “hoverbike” can cover just over 90 miles on a full tank of gas.

But how safe is it, you ask? Well, not that safe at all. Malloy says his final version of the machine will need a pair of explosive parachutes to provide a ‘fallback’ position should the engine fail. Malloy says the final version of the ‘bike-o-copter’ will feature propeller housings covered with mesh, and that ought to come in handy to prevent the family cat from being pulled into the rotors and summarily diced.

While it’s not quite complete yet (the inventor says the bike will need gyroscopic sensors to prevent it from tipping over) once safety tests on the hoverbike are completed, Malloy thinks he can sell them for around $40,000 a piece. Malloy and his business partners are in the process of raising $1.1 million precious Australian dollars to get the project ‘off the ground’ as it were, and so far he’s managed to collected about $70,000 of that total…

Hoverbike inventor Chris Malloy

Hoverbike website

I’m thinking that if you get your hands on a “hoverbike,” your insurance needs will get complicated in short order.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

I Only Do This When My Bike Craps Out By the Side of the Road

Todd Halterman — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:44:35 +0000

Nothing worse than having your bike take a dump by the side of the road. You’re left hanging in a way you just aren’t if you’re driving a car. No sitting in heated – or at least weatherproof – comfort while you wait to be rescued.

And there have been a few times when I’ve done just what this guy is doing, but for completely different reasons.

This demonstration of an interesting conceptual motorcycle technology involves kicking the bike…but with a slightly different outcome:

Clyde Igarashi, CEO of Thrustcycle Enterprises LLC, says his bike’s gyro technology is the future of the motorcycle building game. Taking electric motor technology and a unique system to prevent the bike from being unstable, Igarishi might be on to something here.

“The gyro system improves handling and creates a specific field of gravity within the vehicle,” Igarishi said.”We used the ZEV7100 internal hub motor. Our system is being tested on this rear-steered prototype to demonstrate that even such a challenging configuration can be made viable with gyro-technology. Future prototypes will focus on more conventional steering.”

Igarishi’s vision for the technology has some enviable goals.

“Technological improvements in Gyro stabilization will enable safer, more efficient transportation,” he said. “Enclosed narrow track vehicles can be stable and have the ability to recycle braking energy through the use of a gyro/flywheel kinetic energy recovery system.”

As the top speed of this baby is somewhere around 70mph, it meets one of my major requirements of a motorcycle – it’s reasonably fast. The Thrustcycle Enterprises LLC gyro creation is powered by a motor from Z Electric, a Pennsylvania based company which claims to make the world’s fastest electric production scooter. Z Electric says their scooters are capable of speeds as high as 80 mph, and their ZEV7100 scooter uses Thundersky Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries to power a 7100W brushless hub motor.

Designed as a practical commuter vehicle that can complete a 50 mile trip, the ZEV7100 is a real performance machine according to all the reviews.

Not sure how it will work out for the guys at Z Electric and Thrustcycle Enterprises, but I’m always heartened to see that people have the stones to try something different in pursuit of The Perfect Motorcycle…

The Boy In the Bubble – A Wearable Motorcyclist Airbag

Todd Halterman — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:37:47 +0000

As much as I dread the idea of having any part in a motorcycle accident, watching this video of a wearable motorcycle airbag just makes me want to be part of the test crew.

Rejean Neron’s Safety Sphere is a rider-wearable protective suit made to inflate to a gigantic sphere around the rider in the event of a crash.

According to Neron, the Saftety Sphere inflates in five hundredths of a second to cushion a rider from impact and the whole shebang is contained in a loose fitting coverall made from two layers of fabric.

“The outer layer is made up of a highly resistant parachute type material. The inner layer is made up of a thin, moderately elastic synthetic material. In a collision situation, the passengers are thrown from the motorcycle, the cord connecting them to the motorcycle seat disconnects, the electrical voltage plummets, and the electronic circuit processor inside the belt buckle housing of each occupant connects the 9 volt battery to an electric igniter in the back housing of their respective suits,” Neron says of his creation. “This triggers the firing of an explosive canister of propellant called nitrocellulose.”

Neron’s been working on the Safety Sphere for lots of years through what he says are “countless” versions, and he now says he’s on the cusp of bringing the suit into production.

All he’ll need to make it a big seller is to have a designer cover the outside with skulls and flames, and he should be off to the races with his marketing effort.

Buying Your First Bike? The Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Friday Motorcycle Chain Links – The Best Motorcycle Stuff of the Week

Todd Halterman — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:28:57 +0000

It’s Friday and we’re ramping up our livers for Happy Hour tonight. We do, however, manage to find the time to put together a page of our favorite stuff from the Motorcycling Interwebic Device.

You’re in good hands with this bunch of motorcycle fanatics and here are some links to our favorite stuff from their sites.

Enjoy…and give them some link love.

Moto Guzzi Makeovers

Bill Johnson, over at DucCutters, was pointing out another bike on his site, a Ducati of course, but while I was there I spotted this Moto Guzzi, the Marrano 1160 and it just struck me as a beautiful piece of work. It’s the blue bike shown above and built by Das Mototec of Germany…

The Kneeslider

What Can You Do With A Couch on Wheels?

Dutra’s Gold Wing is not a 900 lb road sofa with a sound system, sat-nav and heated seats. El Guapo(“The Handsome One”) is a rusty, stripped-down custom…

Bike EXIF

Is TeeVee Good For The Custom Motorcycle Business

It was billed as a three-way custom motorcycle buildoff between the feuding Tuetels and teevee star Jesse James, but was the American Chopper buildoff show good for the custom motorcycle business in general?

See what Cyril Huze had to say.

Cyril Huze Post

Motorcycle In A Suitcase

WE’VE been avidly following the progress of Boxx Corp’s suitcase-style bike from its original patent and now the finished product has been released.

The electric bike is just a metre long and has a top speed of between 28 to 35mph with a battery range of 20 miles before recharging, which takes up to four hours.

Visor Down

A Ducati Car?

It’s no surprise that a company decided to take the desmodromic-valved engine from Ducati, and bolt it on a lightweight sports car. And that company is the Spartan Motor Company in Australia…

Bikes in the Fast Lane

Buying Your First Bike? The Women’s Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Can Harley Davidson Hold On To the Youth Market?

Todd Halterman — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:38:44 +0000

: $14,000 Harley-Davidson Dark Custom Street Bob

Harleys are for old men and hardcore biker gang members.

At least, that’s the perception many younger riders have of the company and its products.

For at least the last ten years, Harley-Davidson Inc has largely failed to reach a younger audience – and it’s the tastes of that audience that’s likely to determine the future health of the last big American motorcycle manufacturer. The Milwaukee firm has pounded enormous amounts of money and resources into new lines of motorcycles aimed squarely at 20 and 30-year-old riders as Harley’s core customer base became grayer and older.

“Our goal really was to be the No.1 seller of motorcycles to young adults in the United States,” said Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. “We are now.”

Chief Executive Keith Wandell says that effort is finally paying dividends, figuratively if not yet literally, after he began modernizing the company.

The price of those changes? Offending the graying crowd of Harley loyalists, for one…

In a speech to analysts at Harley’s plant in Pennsylvania a couple of weeks ago, Wandell said he’s committed to “extending the reach of the brand beyond our core customers.”

That’s what Wandell said, but he may not be entirely convinced of the strategy and he’s certainly unsure of the possible repercussions.

“That’s a touchy situation. Our core customers have allowed our company to be successful – so there’s a certain amount of jealousy, if you will, around the brand,” Wandell said.

Well no kidding…

The new, shaved-down and nearly bobbed bikes that make up the Dark Custom lineup and aren’t your father’s Harley anymore, and the old line customers are making sure the dealers know it.

“They’re like, ugh, that’s not a real Harley,” said Joe Fredo, sales manager of Harley-Davidson of New York City.

But it’s not the traditional buyer of Harley-Davidsons that the company is counting on to keep the production lines running in York, PA. The company’s push to skew younger has eaten up millions of dollars worth of investment in design changes, youth marketing of lower-priced machines – and perhaps most importantly - a considerable effort to teach thousands of neophyte bikers to operate a their machines.

“Our goal really was to be the No.1 seller of motorcycles to young adults in the United States,” said Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. “We are now.”

And he’s not wrong. Since the changes Harley has increased its share of the heavy-bike market sold to buyers under the age of 35 by more than a thirty-three percent and H-D now lays claim to 48.6 percent of that critical youth market, and that’s according to R.L. Polk & Co.. It means the Men of Milwaukee now quadruple the share of its closest competitors in the big-bike segment. In 2008, just under seventeen percent of new Harley buyers were under the age of 35,and by 2010, the number ballooned up to 21 percent.

If you think it’s all over but the shouting and H-D has won the youth war, think again. Wandell notes that the current age of the company’s average buyer is a stodgy age 55.

The new Dark Custom trim line bikes like the Street Bob are a reflection of a shift in taste toward a more old-school and sporty design.

“Young people love the look of it. It’s kind of that rockabilly, rock-and-roll, urban, cool cruiser look,” said Kenn Hartmann, a salesman at Harley-Davidson in Berwyn, Illinois.

Pricing has definitely been a key and the cheap bike is fueling the brand with a younger demographic. The bike with the most momentum on its way out of showrooms? The Iron 883 in the Dark Custom trim.

“Our bestseller is our cheapest bike,” said Fredo. “I can hardly keep them in stock.”

Lower-priced Sportster sales are growing twice as fast as Harley-Davidson’s other motorcycle lines.

Custom motorcycles require the correct insurance coverage package to protect what is, after all, a significant investment on your part .

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance for your custom bike…

Tips for buying motorcycle insurance for your custom:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.
Additional coverage to replace or repair accessories specific to your bike.

From The Ad Game To Motorcycles and Lamps – Classified Moto

Todd Halterman — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:40:09 +0000

John Ryland was an ad man – until the bottom dropped out. In March of this year after spending more than a decade as an art director and writer, Ryland got a pink slip which turned things slightly upside down.

Ryland had to find something to do, and preferably, something he actually liked to do.

That’s when Ryland and his wife Betsy hit on an idea. They’d put their full effort into building custom motorcycles and crafting handmade, made-to-order lamps from discarded shock absorbers and parts from old motorcycles. The couple actually opened up Classified Moto two years ago when Ryland still worked at the ad agency. For kicks, he built and sold motorcycles on the side.

“We take things that aren’t good to begin with and make them cool,” Ryland said.

Ryland is working on nine bikes in his workshop behind his Henrico County home – and here’s the good news – the initial bikes were so popular he’s got a waiting list for the next generation of his custom machines.

“We don’t have any notions of what is a proper bike to own and enjoy, so we work with what’s available to create unique recycled motorbikes that transcend their humble beginnings,” Ryland said.

Ryland takes bikes dropped off by customers or bikes or he finds ones himself, redesigns them, and then applies his signature look while giving the bike’s guts a mechanical update. He says that while he has a definite preference for the design and engineering elements of customizing motorcycles, most of his time is spent with a wrench in hand.

“I spend a lot more time doing the mechanical work than I like,” Ryland said.

But what about those cool lamps?

His wife, who also works as a jewelry designer, creates the lamps from old motorcycle parts and they’ve become a hit as well and have sold to customers all around the world.

So is building bikes and making excellent lamps the end of the couple’s aspirations? Not hardly. Last month, the Ryland’s launched a website aimed at marketing and selling Classified Moto’s output, and they also plan to sell T-shirts and gear featuring with the company logo. If that’s not enough, their long-term vision includes plans to open up a Classified Moto Café, a sort of restaurant, gift shop and viewing area where visitors can see the bikes being created.

“We want it be a high-end place where a biker would feel comfortable hanging out,” Ryland said.

Insuring your collectible or vintage motorcycle

As for insurance for your collectible motorcycle? You should be able to get Agreed Value coverage on a classic 1959 BSA Gold Star Catalina valued at $15,000 for somewhere around $25 a month, and that gives you the whole shooting match of coverage.

You can spend a lot less, but if you plan to ride the bikes in your collection, the above pricing is a reasonable approximation of what you can expect to pay.

Motorcyclist 380+ Feet In the Air – This Would Tighten Your Pucker String

Todd Halterman — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:34:32 +0000

Ten time South African Supermoto Champion and master of the Trials Bike, Brian Capper, got the chance to traverse the beautiful span above the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa on his motorcycle, but before you crank up the envy, consider that he was 384 feet in the air during his trip.

Trials bikes are hardly your standard motorcycle. Yes, they do have two wheels and an engine, but the similarity pretty much ends there. A trials bike has no seat, it’s purpose-built for competition – and you ride them standing up. They’re incredibly light weight and feature some seriously low – and we’re talking stump-pulling low here – gearing.

Trials riding is a sort of gymnastics event on two wheels and the riders take on an obstacle course to complete a path through a series of climbs, jumps and balance beams within a limited time frame. Riders lose points every time a rider’s foot hits the ground to help them maintain their balance.

: Brian Capper

Custom motorcycles require the correct insurance coverage package to protect what is, after all, a significant investment on your part .

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance for your custom bike…

Tips for buying motorcycle insurance for your custom:

Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
Towing / Pickup
Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.
Additional coverage to replace or repair accessories specific to your bike.