I’ve had owned five Harley Davidsons in my life to date:

• 2003 Anniversary edition Sporty – silver and black and shook the heck out of my hands
• 2006 V-Rod
• 2007 Road King
• 2008 Super Glide Custom
• 2010 Fat Bob (my current bike)

In that time I’ve probably had 30 different jackets from amazing Dainese jackets to Belstaff to Vanson and beyond.

I love gear – I’ve said it before – so just like bikes I’ll buy one I love and sell it a while later to get a new love. In that time I’ve only had one Harley jacket. One. Now I don’t have anything against Harley jackets, but I’ve never really been one for huge logos, flames or skulls. I always admired them, but they just weren’t for me. I also like jackets with built-in armor for better protection.

When I got the V-Rod, I saw a jacket at the Harley dealer that really wasn’t anything like the jackets I saw at bike night or parades. It was all black with nary a flame shrouded logo, and had a very cool, subtle look to it. It was an FXRG, which stands for “Functional Xtreme Riding Gear,” and it certainly was all of that and more. It was heavy when you held it, but once you had it on it was just a very good jacket with armor, good wet weather performance, a great warmth liner and even a kidney belt.

I bought that thing for over six hundred bucks and it was the only jacket that I’ve owned for more than two seasons. I only got rid of it last year when I sold my Super Glide – to the lucky guy that bought the bike. I still miss it and have been thinking about getting another when I came across the Luminator 360.

Now some of you might be questioning my getting this jacket, what with the huge Harley Davidson logo across the front – so did I, actually. But the more I looked at it, the more it appealed to me. Sure it’s got a big logo but it’s actually kinda subtle since the logo is also black, with a little reflective outline. What’s even better is that unlike most Harley jackets it had – like my FXRG – armor and a kidney belt. OK, so it doesn’t have the awesome liner, but we live in Erie and by the time I usually need it we’ve got six inches of snow on the ground.

It’s also almost $200 cheaper than my old jacket, and feels to be about the same quality. It doesn’t have the FXRG lifetime warranty, but for the price I really consider it to be a bargain. And the feature that gives it its name – 3M Scotchlite reflective tape, piping and graphics — make this all black jacket really stand out at night. This is great for those of us that want to look all bad-ass but still be noticed by cars while we’re riding in the dark.

In my opinion this is one of the better jackets out there. It sells for $495 at the local Harley shop (less if you’re a HOG/Abate member) and gets you great quality leather, good armor, terrific design and all that reflective stuff to make you stand out.  The other great thing about buying at the local shop is the service – Harley Davidson of Erie really has stop-notch service at their parts, gear and service counters.  They go out of their way to really help you find what you need and stand behind their products.  They also have some really good sales from time to time – I just had cams installed and they credited 20% of the bill to a gift-card, which I then used to buy an LED tailight for my awesome Fat Bob/Fat Glide conversion that I’ll be talking about soon.

Anyway, check them out and enjoy the ride.

So one thing I’m trying to get used to on my 2010 Harley Davidson Fat Bob is the lack of storage.

I had two cavernous bags on my Stratoliner, and I was about to get a cool tail bag for the Griso but I just don’t feel right about a tail bag or worse saddlebags on my Fat Bob.

Yeah I know I’m being an idiot.  I should focus on what I need not on how the bike looks but let’s be honest – we all think about form over function from time to time.  And for storage, I’ve really got my eye on Harley’s Single-Sided Swingarm Bag.

But with a pricetag of $229.95, I’m going to try to find some other alternatives first.

Enter the River Road Classic Fork Bag.  At $24.95 it definitely is a cost-effective way to put a few items, like tools, emergency bandana, etc., away for a rainy day.  For the price, I expected something pretty basic, but the quality looks pretty nice.  The Velcro straps that mount it to the bike are long enough for just about any bike – I trimmed mine so that there’s nothing extra flapping around. I can even fit a t-shirt in there just in case, but anything much bulkier than that won’t work unless I empty out the rest of the stuff.

Hey it’s not meant to be luggage it’s meant to be small storage so if I want anything more I’ll either have to buck up and get that really cool side-bag (it really is calling me) or go the extra mile and get saddlebags.  If I go the saddlebag route I already have a pair of very nice ones that are also River Road.  I’m trying to find a low-cost quick-release bracket option that will work with these bags – for now I’m having a hard-time.

Just like the fork bags they are well-made, functional and very inexpensive.  I would guess them to cost twice as much as they actually do.  Now these aren’t huge, and they don’t lock, but I’m thinking that as long as the brackets work out, they will be a pretty good option for when I just have to have some more gear.

You can find River Road gear in our area at Off-Road Express.

Another option I am looking at is the Zip-Off, Quick-Release Saddlebags.  I’ll offer a full review later, but here are some of the specs:

• Rich, synthetic material with UV protection offers the look and feel of top quality leather
• The Fast-Zip Removal system allows easy on/easy off for installing on a bike or carrying as a bag
• Quick-release buckles, hidden behind traditional chrome hardware, make opening the bag quick and easy
• A removable, neoprene layer covers the bag contact points to protect the motorcycle
• Reinforced side walls and a reinforced base provide strength and shape retention
• Box-style lids with hook-and-loop closure and extra long cross-over flaps inside provide a secure storage environment
• A waterproof cover with full elastic closure is included to protect against rain and dust
• All saddlebags have a custom-fitted liner bag inside that makes packing convenient and further protects the contents from the elements
• Quick-release straps secure the bags to your motorcycle or saddlebag supports
• Includes a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
• MSRP $189.95

I love gloves – I ALWAYS wear them while riding – even back when I was an idiot and would ride around in shorts, sneakers and no helmet I’d still have gloves on.

Maybe it’s from the motorcycle accident I had when I was 18 in Hawaii and decided it was okay to show off and ride like a moron – a moron in dress pants and dress shoes.  There was so much gravel and rash on my hands that I could swear I still feel them tingling to this day. Maybe I just love the fact that a decent pair of gloves usually seems to make the vibration a little easier to handle.  Either way, good gloves for me are a must, and the Icon Super Duty 2 fits the bill in both areas.

First off I really am digging the color – kind of like the color of work boots. It’s sorta cool in a different kind of way. You don’t have to get them tan though – they come in four other colors – black, blue, white and red. Being as I have about a dozen black gloves, the color switch is nice. But it’s not the only reason I pick these up to ride. For $60 (less if you can get them on sale at one of the local dealers) you get a well made glove that has a fair amount of protection and excellent ventilation.

They are made out of “Battlehide” goatskin (I’m not making that up) and concealed padding – no hard armor. I feel these have pretty decent protection and some impact resistance. These might not be the gloves if you are going to do some serious riding. But for going back and forth to work, or chilling out with a nice Sunday morning ride, these guys are a real good option.

Both Offroad Express and Chrome Addiction are listed on Icon’s website as dealers so give them a shout.

Ride safe

Wow! I am really excited to be a motorcyclist in Erie right now. The weather has been great and will only get better, and we live in a terrific area to ride. You can leave Erie in just about any direction and have some really fun day trips, and on top of that we’ve got a great number of dealerships in the area to support our addiction. We’ve got a terrific Harley dealer right in town that is only going to get better this summer (I’m REALLY excited to see the new place – if they can really have it ready by the Roar that will be awesome) and two more Harley dealers within a quick ride. There’s the Off-road Express pair covering just about all the imports from Japan, along with good American Victory (who is launching a really cool bike this year IMO called the Judge) you’ve got Forest Park Honda, Aleks Powersports and a slew of smaller shops focusing on pre-owned bikes.

Anyway, we’re already well represented here in Erie, except for one particular area – European bikes. Till recently in order to get a BMW, Triumph or Ducati you had to go to Pittsburgh or Cleveland but now Precision Bikeworks on Peach by the mall has added a Triumph franchise, which is music to my ears. Sure you had Uncommon Motorcycles out in North East but they’ve been gone a while now, and having a great store like Precision be the home for Triumph makes me feel comfortable that it will be well-supported.

One of my favorite bikes ever was my 2007 Speed Triple, and the new one just might be one of the best all-around bikes on the planet so I’m really psyched to check it out in person. I first noticed the dealership at a booth at the Auto Show at the Bayfront in early February. They only had a few bikes but a lot to say to anyone that went by their booth.

I’d been meaning to stop by since then and finally was able to go last week. I was completely surprised by what I found. I expected a few Triumphs, maybe some different examples of gear. Instead I was greeted by a shop full of bikes – sure some pre-owned Harleys, but mostly a sea of new Triumphs and a very well-represented selection of Triumph gear, which is top-tier quality at very reasonable prices.

If you aren’t familiar with Triumph then you should stop by – Rich was very happy to talk to me about the shop and its bikes till well after closing (sorry, Rich!) – or do some research. Triumph has a bike for just about everyone regardless of style or experience. Café racers, light cruisers, sport bikes, standards, adventure bikes, heavy cruisers and oh yeah, the “motorcycle of the year” according to several top motorcycle magazines – the Triumph Thunderbird. It and my Fat Bob are my two favorite cruisers on the planet right now. Well, throw in the Ducati Diavel too, but that thing is way to fast for me.

The Thunderbird comes in a few flavors, from the standard version with 1600cc’s and very nice power to the brutally powerful Storm, with an extra 100 cc’s bolted right on and enough attitude right out of the box for almost anyone. Besides the power on both bikes, they are super comfortable and easy to ride – they are surprisingly nimble for bikes their size too. I was telling Rich  that if I’d have known there was a Triumph dealer in town before I picked up my Fat Bob I may well have been flying the Union Jack right now – but the truth is there’s a better chance I’ll try to pry a used Speed Triple off of them once they start getting them in.

In closing congratulations to all of you rider out there, for living in an area where we can really enjoy our bikes, have lot’s of cool shops and one of the country’s best motorcycle events.

Ride safe!

So yeah, it’s a great time to buy a bike.  An awesome time actually…such a good time that I took advantage of it myself, LoL.  You see during my research of calling up different dealers to see what kind of deals were to be had, I came across a bike that I’ve lusted after since I first saw it back in 2007 – Harley Davidson Fat Bob.

 I loved those twin headlights and that beefy look.  I love the split drag bars and the internal wiring.  And I love that it’s a Dyna – to me the best of all the Harleys.  Now I know that there’s people that swear by their Road Kings or Softails, and  while I could definitely see myself on a King I’d need to put too much into it right now to get it the way I like; whereas the Fat Bob hits me where I really need it.  A Softail is a terrific bike too, but the Dyna fits my riding style a lot better with its dual rear shocks and more aggressive motor.  Anyway it’s kinda funny – that Fat Bob I first lusted after was in some magazine on the sales guy’s desk the day I was taking delivery of my 2007 Road King Custom back in the day.  I remember looking at it and being kinda bummed – I instantly got buyers remorse and ended up throwing a ton of cash at the Road King to get it my way.  Didn’t work and I sold it two years later.

Anyway here I am searching for info on bike deals for you guys (and gals) and I come across a Denim Black 2010 Fat Bob at the Harley dealership’s website.  It was awesome looking.  I could just see myself rolling down to French Creek and getting some wings and beers, or going to the Tavern in the Pines on the weekend for the outdoor steak night (man, I can’t wait till the summer).  I imagine myself riding the Twisties with it, taking advantage of the awesome torque and gunning through the straight-aways.  Too expensive though – so I started looking for cheaper rides, like an older Road King or maybe a relatively new Super Glide Custom, but that Fat Bob stuck in the back of my head.

After a few test-rides – critical by the way; I would NEVER buy a bike without riding it – I was really torn between the two bikes.  I couldn’t make up my mind and I couldn’t figure out why.  I called the dealer with the Fat Bob and just for fun told him what I was getting the Super Glide for.  He told me I was way off, so I just figured I’d live with it – damn that Harley resale value!  I was about to pull the trigger, loan and insurance already in-hand, when literally five minutes before calling to agree to the Super Glide, the Fat Bob dealer calls back and asks me how much higher I could go.  I figured I could swing a few more dollars to get the bike of my current dreams, so I told him so, never thinking he’d agree to the smallish number.

Well he agreed, and I’m the proud owner of a 2010 Fat Bob with 1,700 miles on it.  He gave me a great trade on my Yamaha Stratoliner S (great bike BTW) and a fair price on his bike too.  Truth is that I never would have even thought about buying the Fat Bob except that the winter really IS a great time to buy a bike, and I guess the fact that I sold my Moto Guzzi Griso at the same time let me go a little higher in budget than I normally would.  What I love about the Fat Bob so far is that it has some similar riding characteristics with the Griso – great mid-range, good handling, excellent looks – and also with a few upgrades can be turned into a competent light touring bike.  We’ll delve into the customization of Bob later on – I’m very excited as Harleys have a million options – but next time we will be saying good-bye to Mr. Griso and wish the new owner the best of luck with a truly wonderful bike.  I will own another Griso one day, I promise that.

Hello everyone, and Happy New Year!

You might think I’m crazy, what with all the snow on the ground and the promise of more to come, to be thinking about motorcycles. Maybe I am a little, but frankly this is the perfect time of year to be thinking about finding a great deal on a new bike or upgrading your current one.

This week we are going to speak primarily about taking advantage of the timing to get yourself a new ride. Dealers across Erie are sitting on their inventory – some have even relegated a part of it to storage as they make room for snowmobiles and such. Don’t let this get you down though – they still will bend over backwards to sell you a bike and this time of year you can often get one for a song.

If you are willing to buy a left-over 2011, you can find some terrific deals out there; if you are okay with a leftover new bike that is a little older, then you can really save. Dealers often will have a bike that’s one, two or even three years old, brand new with full warranties. Nothing wrong with these bikes: maybe they ordered too many, or had a deal go sour at the last minute – or just bad sales on a specific model – but now you can benefit.

What I recommend in these situations is to go in-person and check out what they have on the floor, then speak directly to a sales manager if you can. Be straight-up and honest – ask them about their leftovers and if they have something that will tickle your fancy make them an offer. Here’s the catch… it’s got to be a legitimate offer. Sure, they may want to get rid of a bike that’s worn out its welcome, but they aren’t going to just give it away. They aren’t going to give you the same price as if it were a used bike, but I would make an offer a little bit above retail on a used bike and negotiate from there. Or you could just come straight out and ask them. Tell them you are looking for a real deal, and that in order to move the unit they are going to have to make it worthwhile versus purchasing a new model year unit. Honesty really is the best policy –just make sure that you come across sincerely and you’ll score.

As good as left-overs are this time of year I think out and out used bikes are even better. Whether it’s a dealership or a private seller these bikes need to go! I would scour the paper, craigslist and local dealer websites for their used inventories. There is a great Honda 919 at Forest Park Honda that they’ve been sitting on for a while – I’m sure they’d move on it. Off-Road has a few really sweet Harleys, and a ton of metric cruisers, Victories and sport bikes. Harley has a ton of slightly older cruisers and tourers, and you can almost always save a few bucks at a Harley dealer buying their import trade-ins. If you’d rather deal privately there are some great buys out there too. There’s a fellow on Craigslist selling a really nice seeming 2007 Yamaha FJR for $7,500 – it’s a good price already in my opinion but it never hurts to make a slightly lower offer.

Anyway the point is now is the time to find a great deal. I buy almost all my bikes after riding season, and I’ve almost always been able to save enough to actually make a little profit when it’s time for me to sell. My theory (well, I borrowed it from a buddy) is that it’s not really how much the bike costs, it’s how much it costs YOU. If I got that $7,500 FJR for $6500 and then sold it in July for the same price, that means all it cost me was gas and insurance for the most part – so I got a free bike basically. Heck, motorcycles aren’t meant to be investments – if it costs you a few hundred bucks but you get to enjoy the summer then I think you’ve come out way ahead. Another great place to look for used bikes is on motorcycling enthusiast web forums. My favorite general forum is www.advrider.com. Tons of awesome info and a great classified section. There are specific forums for just about every bike so don’t be shy. At this point I would just get busy and start looking – something awesome will come along and you can get a great deal on it.

Good luck and ride safe.

Snow, really?

So this year I’ve been able to ride my bike a lot later in the season than other years, but sadly I know it’s all about to end. Last weekend we got a glimpse of what the weather is supposed to really be like and with snow on the horizon it looks like bike season is almost over.

That all said despite the fact that winter is over it doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be on the lookout for things that can help you; a big thing in that regards is the right winter tire. I actually believe in snow tires even in places that aren’t the sixth snowiest in the country, according to the Daily Beast’s 2010 report. The way I look at it is that snow tires are pretty much free, as long as you plan on keeping your car for a while. Yeah, that might sound kinda crazy but look at it this way… What season damages your expensive all-season tires the most? Umm that would be winter. The ice, salt, snow, potholes, etc – plus the increased chance of an accident – all eat away at all-seasons far more quickly than the other three, far more benign, seasons. So if you keep your car 100,000 miles and that would normally require 2 or three all-season replacements, then sneak in a winter tire there and the number of tire swaps should actually stay the same AND bring you safer road conditions. Oh yeah, the safety. It’s actually more important than the savings, truth be told… The tire I’ll be looking it is the Michelin X-Ice Xi2, a studless Ice and Snow tire that is aimed squarely at climates like ours. Sure I could have gone with a more performance oriented Michelin, like the Alpin, but the X-Ice is a tire that will be way more available for the cars that most of us drive.
Like I said I’ve always believed in snow tires – I just have never bought the Michelins because I thought they were a little pricey. They are among the more expensive snow tires out there – about $25 more a tire than the Blizzaks I usually get (on my car – in some cases the Michelins are the same price or even less), but I figured there must be a good reason why there were so consistently ranked number one.

The tires arrived straight from Michelin just in time for our first decent snow of the year last weekend. I got myself over to Dunn Tire on Peach and Adam was able to get me swapped out in no time. Maybe my old tires were lousy or worn, but I swear the X-Ice tires actually handle better on the pre-snow roads better; they handled and braked well, were rather quiet and didn’t negatively impact my gas mileage. The next morning though, when I awoke to about four to six inches (probably 3 inches; I always exaggerate that sorta thing) of snow I eagerly jumped in the car and went for a drive. Right off the bat I was VERY impressed. While I was aware of the snow I felt like the tires were helping me pull one over on the car. Acceleration was fine, predictable with no wheelspin, cornering was excellent and braking was superb. The Michelin X-Ice Xi2’s gave me a tremendous sense of confidence on the road that morning – I can’t wait for some deeper snow to try them out in that. When I got back home I took my buddy’s all-season equipped Prius (yep!) and took it out for contrast. Even though the Prius’ Yokohama Avid Touring’s are well reviewed for light snow, there was absolutely no comparison – none at all. The Prius – a normally very stable car and a fine automobile – shook and shimmied its way up the hill on Steretannia towards 90 and while we got back in one piece just fine it certainly wasn’t carving its initials in the snow.

I also compared it to the Blizzaks that I usually love. After testing out the Prius I drove a vehicle equipped with Blizzak WS70’s – a very, very good snow tire. As I have for years, I loved the characteristics of the Blizzaks. I have to say though that the Michelins were, in my opinion, better in most areas. Were they $100 better? I guess that depends on you. They handled better, stopped better and made less noise on dry pavement. I know the Blizzaks are almost untouchable in deeper snow so I look forward to comparing them a little more when the time comes but as of right now I am very comfortable with the Michelin X-Ice Xi2.

Michelin puts out extremely high quality tires. I love their High Performance Pilot Sport All Season, which is ideal for performance cars as well as their excellent Grand Touring tire, the Primacy MXM4. Now I can add another tire to the list of Michelins I would recommend freely – the X-Ice Xi2. Michelin (or their Ad Agency) is very smart in putting so much emphasis on safety and the importance of the passengers that ride in your vehicle. “Because so much is riding on your tires” – Michelin’s former catch-phrase (http://daryllang.com/blog/3196) – definitely speaks to me; in my size the Michelin would be less than the price of dinner for four more. It makes me think really…

Happy Holidays!