20 Jan

New Technology In Motorcycles

It used to be that a motorcycle was a piece of raw engineering. It represented a powerful, staunch, and muscley image, and gave riders the feeling of freedom from the rest of the world. I should know - I used to own one! However, with the developments of the technological age, motorbikes became the subject of new enhancements and additions - ultimately resulting in what we now refer to as the motorcycle. If you were to walk in to a motorbike retailer today and view some of the models on display - you would soon see that the technological additions which have been made are vast. In this article, let’s go through two of these changes, and see how they have enhanced the safety and usability of motorbikes in the modern day.

Firstly, and something which people tend to put quite a bit of value on - is the inclusion of airbags in motorbikes. If you are wondering how on earth it is possible to include an airbag in a motorcycle design, let me assure you - the designers definitely had to think about it for a bit too. Eventually, it was decided that an airbag could be efficient if placed in to the same (approximately) place as in a car. The logic behind this is that if a minor crash occurs in which the rider would usually be thrown forward and over the handle bars, the airbag would prevent the rider from going the whole way.

Another safety feature is along the same lines as electronic stability control in cars. On motorcycles, there are only two wheels, so this certainly minimizes the chances of an individual wheel losing grip. However, it is still possible in certain circumstances - and hence developers have now included the program in motorbike computer systems.

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1 Jan

Fuel And Cost Efficiency of Motorcycles

It has been a hot topic in recent times - are motorbikes so much more fuel efficient than cars? To get straight in to this topic - I will give a straight up answer to this - yes! Of course, depending on your situation (as I have touched on in previous articles), it may not be just the fuel efficiency you need to take in to account here. Of course, large families which sell their car or cars to purchase a motorbike will almost certainly be worse off. But let’s stay away from that idea, and look at just a single person, living alone.

For this single person to switch, the efficiencies would be greatly discovered. Firstly, motorcycles use a quarter of the fuel that cars use - to travel the same distance. With fuel prices constantly fluctuating as if there was no tomorrow, it’s very difficult to predict the price you will be paying at the pump. Whilst this doesn’t affect some people, others will need to plan and budget for these costs. Having a motorcycle instead of a car will help in this budgeting process, because the relative amounts you are spending on petrol will be far less.

Another thing to know when buying a motor bike is that bike insurance is generally less than car insurance. This is a very big generalization, but it is true most of the time. It is especially true if you find yourself downgrading the price of your car to the price of your motorbike. What I mean is - if you have a car valued at $30,000 and you then decide to sell it and switch to a motorbike, it’s most unlikely that you will buy a bike for $30,000 also. For a very good motorcycle, you could expect to pay $10,000 to $15,000. Hence, this automatically saves you $15,000 or so! This is before the fuel savings and the lower. insurance premiums.

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25 Nov

The Growing Popularity of Motorcycles

Gas prices are on the rise, making the national average for a gallon of gasoline over $4.00. Long gone are the days of a family road trip to see the sights of the United States, or running down the street to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk. Soaring gas prices have consumers looking for ways to economize on fuel as much as possible. Some people won’t go to the store unless they have at least five items to purchase and two different stops to make. Others use their vacation time to visit places closer to home. Some consumers are looking for hybrid or electric vehicles. And still others are opting to ride a motorcycle whenever they can. Motorcycle purchases have been on the rise over the past decade. You can tell just by flipping through channels on the television on weekends. There are numerous different television shows dedicated to the building of custom bikes and choppers. It is not just the stereotypical renegade who enjoys the feeling of the wind in their hair, riding on the open road. In more recent years, it is everybody from the office worker to the stay-at-home mom who is seen riding on a motorcycle.

According to this website, the purchase of motorcycles has increased as much as 24% from 2001-2005 than were sold in the entire decade of 1990-2000. That is a staggering amount of sales! There are so many different kinds of motorcycles on the market, that just about anybody can find a style or type suitable for them. From the Chopper to the Street bike, there are so many different models and sizes that riding a motorcycle has become an easier goal to achieve. With the increase of motorcycles on the road, there has also been an increase in the number of accidents related to new riders. This can be attributed to inexperience on a motorcycle. 80% of all motorcycle accidents occur with a rider who has been riding for 6 months or less. It goes to show that practice, patience, and experience will certainly pay off for riders of motorcycles on the open highway. Whether you choose to ride a motorcycle to commute to work, or as a leisurely rider on weekends, it is important to wear the proper protective gear.

If you get into an accident, your insurance, which can be obtained from Carole Nash, will increase in price. First and foremost, a good, quality helmet is one of the most important items a rider can have. It needs to be approved by the Department of Transportation, and needs to fit snugly and securely without impeding vision. You also should wear a jacket with elbow, shoulder, and back protectors. It needs to feel comfortable enough to maneuvers unimpeded, but give enough protection to keep injuries to a minimum. Eye protection is also a necessity when riding. Whether it is a face shield on your helmet, or a good, quality pair of sunglasses, most states requires eye protection for all riders. Gloves are another requirement by most states. A good pair of leather gloves will protect your hands, but also allow you to maneuver comfortably. If you want to buy motorbike insurance from Carole Nash, visit their website at www.carolenash.com