General Posts

Here's a touchy topic: A proposed bill could make it easier for people to legally own and operate a motorcycle in Utah.  Representative Val Peterson wants to make it so anyone with a Utah driver’s license can drive a motorcycle.  Currently, people must pass a knowledge and skills test to get a special motorcycle certification. However, Peterson’s bill would still require riders to take a safety course.  Continue reading

  Orange and white sparks fly into Kris Luis' face and bounce off the lenses of his dark glasses before they fade. The smell of superheated metal permeates the shop as the steel frame of a motorcycle begins yielding to its future form to the chugging rhythm of an air compressor powering a grinder that shrieks as it connects. Luis, 30, owns Full Throttle Custom Cycles at 930 Main St. and spends his day bending metal, mounting chrome and wielding a metallic pallet of paint colors to make the machines in his head a street-legal reality. He has owned the shop for nine years, and while self-employment can be an unsteady ride, he said it is well worth it. "I work as many hours as I can get away with and watch my wife and see what kind of face she is making when I get home," he joked. Winter tends to be slower for his business, with jobs picking up in the spring. "I don't like working for other people that much," he said. "I kind of line up projects for the winter in case it gets slow." Continue reading

Mikuni American's latest Mikuni Carburetor Products Catalog features their complete line of Aftermarket Performance Carburetors, Accessories, Replacement Parts and Tuning Components for Racing, Street Motorcycles, Off-Road Dirt Bike, ATV, Snowmobile and Personal Watercraft applications. The full-color 36-page Catalog covers Mikuni HSR, HS and RS and Flatslide, TM Flatslide, VM Round Slide, BN and Super BN Watercraft Carburetors and Pulse Fuel Pumps. Included are complete Replacement Parts Lists, Tuning Components and Rebuild Kits of each Carburetor Type with Exploded View Drawings. The complete Mikuni Carburetor Products Catalog is available for viewing and downloading in PDF and JPG format on the www.MikuniPower.com website. Consumers should contact their local dealer to order Mikuni Carburetors and Parts. Dealers can get a copy of the printed Mikuni Catalog by contacting their Mikuni distributor. Mikuni American Corporation, 8910 Mikuni Avenue, Northridge, CA 91324 / www.MikuniPower.com

We will see if we can get some new members to join and hopefully resign some old members.

America Picker Mike Wolfe shows off one of his cool finds: a first-year Chief Indian display engine featuring cutouts all over its mechanical components. In this discussion with Indian Motorcycle's designer Greg Brew, you can get a sense of where Indian is taking the brand. Visit Indian Motorcycle for more information

The new Screamin' Eagle® Laser Exhaust Shield Kits from Harley-Davidson® Genuine Motor Accessories® feature laser-cut openings that are filled with tightly-woven mesh for an attention-getting, high-performance look. A direct replacement for factory-installed exhaust shields, each kit is easy to install and includes front and rear header shields and a collector shield. Available finished in Chrome with Chrome screens (P/N 65400064, $299.95) or Jet Black ceramic with Stainless Steel screens (P/N 65400117, $349.95), each is a perfect match for Original Equipment or Screamin' Eagle® mufflers. Laser Exhaust Shields fit 2009-later Touring and Trike models except 2010 Street Glide® and Road Glide® Custom.

  January in Western Massachusetts has become the month that bikers in the area look forward to for one reason: the Springfield Motorcycle Show. The eighth edition of the show will run from Jan. 18 through 20 at the Eastern States Exposition grounds in West Springfield. It will offer everything motorcycle as a respite from the winter doldrums. The headliner at this year's show is none other than the legendary bike builder Ron Finch, of Michigan, who is known under such monikers as the “King of Customs” and the “Motorcity Magician."     Continue reading

Sitting under a beachside palapa in the small quaint town of Mahahual, Yucatan, we’ve managed to travel through north, central and southern Mexico without losing our heads, getting robbed, bribed or landing in jail. We’ve traveled through areas high on the State Department’s website identified for “known cartel activity, dangerous and unnecessary travel not advised.” We’ve ridden through major cities, on remote dirt mountain roads and through impoverished villages in the middle of nowhere. While we’re sure there are stories out there of people having bad experiences, we have had nothing but warm welcomes from friendly, beautiful people with an amazing culture and unique traditions. Continue reading

  High gas prices are forcing many people to make their commute on two wheels. Motorcycle manufacturers are responding to the increased demand.   The price of gas goes up, then it goes down, then it goes up again — maybe. With volatility in pump prices, commuting on two wheels has become a bit more popular in this country, as it has been in Europe for many years. "Our surveys have shown that a lot more motorcycles these days are using their bikes for commuting and errands, getting around, just like they would cars," said Ty van Hooydonk, communications director, Discover Today's Motorcycling. Continue reading

The old Harley and I were a long way from home.