Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
motorcycle dress
Why Do Bikers Dress The Way They Do?
Most motorcycle riders wear leather � lots of leather. Boots, chaps, vests, gloves, chain wallets, and leather jackets. The reason behind all this leather is not for looks, and it's not to appear threatening. It's all about protection!
There is protection from weather provided by leather. Riding in cool weather gets very cold when you are moving at 55 miles per hour. Even the gentle Florida winter requires protection from winter weather. In fact, I would never know that was Becki getting ready to ride the Toy Run if I didn't recognize the motorcycle! Weather isn't the only issue, however.
True bikers dress to protect themselves in a fall rather than dressing just for the ride. Accidents do happen. You may have to drop a bike to avoid being hit by a car. You may experience a front blow out and lose control. It is possible that even the most experienced rider can drop a bike. I've had to CHOOSE to drop a bike to avoid being run over by a car. The bike and I both survived. I didn't even get road rash since I was wearing leather! I also chose where to drop the bike so it wasn't damaged except for a paint ding.
Bikers learn from experience, both theirs and others. When you see someone who chose to ride in shorts and tee-shirt come in covered with road rash, you know that riding that way is not wise. They dressed for the summer ride and failed to dress for the fall which happened.
That explains the leather jackets and chaps. But why the chain wallets? Motorcycles vibrate somewhat. You climb on and off them. This places stress on the back pocket where a wallet would be carried. Over time, the wallet can drop out unnoticed and not only is money lost, but ID, proof of insurance, credit cards lots of valuable things that take time and trouble to replace. With the chain wallet, this cannot happen. You also do not expose yourself to having a pick-pocket hit you during a crowded motorcycle event!
The leather gloves � often fingerless for summer wear -- make holding handlebars for hours more comfortable. There isn't a cruise control on a motorcycle, although some people rig them up. The throttle is in your hand and you have it turned to the speed you want to go for the entire ride. That wears on the palm and tires the hand. The gloves provide comfort. Mesh and leather are normally used for summer riding, full leather for winter rides. Also, the hands are provided protection from the road in case of a skid, fall, or drop. Road rash on the palms HURTS!
Goggles or eye protection is often the law, but it also makes sense. Think what happens if a bug hits you in the eye at 55 mph! Of course, the goggles or eye protection needs to look cool, but that just because no one wants to wear funny looking glasses. Helmet visors provide the protection in states where helmets are required. A benefit of visors, if you use a full-face visor, bugs don't get in your mouth either! ICK!
Speaking of bugs: leather protects the rider from insect impacts as well. Do you realize how hard a bug is when it hits your body at high speed?? It's painful!! And no one would want that angry insect to sting if it were capable.
Boots are a necessity. If you "almost" drop a bike, often that sturdy boot placed on the ground prevents the potential drop becoming a real accident. Think how your foot would look if you had to steady yourself and your bike wearing thin bottom sneakers? If you ruin a pair of boots because you saved yourself from a fall, it's an investment that paid off! Boots also provide protection from hot exhaust pipes and support the ankles better for mounting and dismounting your ride.
Where helmets are not required, leather skull caps are popular. Sometimes called a "do-rag", these leather bandana-like objects are shaped for the head and tie in the back. This hold hear in place but also provides some protection should you scrape your head during a fall. Of course, if you HIT your head during a fall, only a helmet will provide protection. However, we should let those who ride decide, but most states feel otherwise!
There is a reason for every thing the biker wears. Sure, it looks cool in their opinion, and there is some really beautiful riding gear available. But it's not all about looks. What you wear when you ride can save your life or at least your skin!
Monday, September 22, 2008
dent removal
Author: Steven Magill
How Can You Remove A Dent From A Motorcycle Tank ?
You may be wondering, "How can you remove a dent from a motorcycle tank?" It's a good question, and one that has puzzled many people over the years. Specialists in this area of dent removal have got it down to a fine art these days. Their dent removal techniques are just like magic.
How can you remove a dent from a motorcycle tank? By going inside to push out, or by going outside to pull out, either way the dent gets removed.
Motorcycle gas tanks have their caps on the top, usually at the highest point. That way they can be filled to the maximum. Unfortunately, the gas caps on motorcycle tanks are not large openings.
Some motorcycle gas tanks are double skinned. It's a bit like having a tank inside a tank. This kind of gas tank makes it difficult to remove the dent from the inside as you will be applying pressure to the inside metal skin, and not the outside metal skin where the dent actually is.
However, if the tank has a single wall, or metal skin, then the job becomes very easy. Well, easy in the hands of an expert at least. The first thing done is to attach an object a bit like a flag onto the tank. This has a flexible mounting that can be adjusted to any angle, and at the end is a rectangular flag-like card with parallel black lines running the length of it on a white background.
This is a very clever idea. The "flag" is reflected in the shiny paintwork of the motorcycle gas tank. If the tank is in perfect factory condition, then the reflected black lines will all be smooth. If on the other hand the tank is dented, then the reflected lines will converge, balloon and be distorted where the reflected dent is. This is important!
As the dent is massaged and caressed from the inside, using a special tool designed for removing dents in motorcycle gas tanks, the reflected black lines in the region of the dent will become less and less ballooned and distorted. By the time the technician has completely removed the entire dent, the reflection will be smooth and perfect.
Of course, the actual surface of the motorcycle tank is constantly checked as well for smoothness. But the reflections of the black lines is arguably the best visual and actual guide as to the presence or otherwise of the dent. Properly performed, the dent will vanish completely and the repair will be wholly invisible. That's the mark of a good motorcycle dent removal - nothing left to see.
The days of answering the question of, "How can you remove a dent from a motorcycle tank?" by removing the tank, rubbing it down, or removing the paint with stripper completely, then applying filler, rubbing that down before re-spraying the entire thing has all but gone.
Today's expert technicians use paintless dent removal techniques. They attempt to leave the original factory paint exactly as it is. They also attempt to remove the dent with leaving a mark, and more often than not they succeed.
DENT MASTERWALES LTD, believes that mobile dent repair services will take away your stress when you dent your car or Motor Bike Fuel Tank. Our services will help save you time and money, and at the same time provide complete satisfaction through an effective dent removal process. You can find more information on how to save money through PDR and dent repairs and at http://www.dentmasterwales.com
Saturday, September 6, 2008
don't let this happen to you!
The Honda rider was traveling at such a 'very high speed', his reaction time was not sufficient enough to avoid this accident. Swedish Police estimate a speed of ~250 KM/h (155 mph) before the bike hit the slow moving car side-on at an intersection. At that speed, they predicted that the rider's reaction time (once the vehicle came into view) wasn't sufficient enough for him to even apply the brakes. The car had two passengers and the bike rider was found INSIDE the car with them. The Volkswagen actually flipped over from the force of impact and landed 10 feet from where the collision took place.
All three involved (two in car and rider) were killed instantly. This graphic demonstration was placed at the Stockholm Motorcycle Fair by the Swedish Police and Road Safety Department. The sign above the display also noted that the rider had only recently obtained his license.
At 250 KM (155 mph) the operator is traveling at 227 feet per second. With normal reaction time to SEE-DECIDE-REACT of 1.6 seconds the above operator would have traveled over 363 feet while making a decision on what actions to take. In this incident the Swedish police indicate that no actions were taken.
In other words, they didn't even have time to say, 'Oh, ####!'
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