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We have some of the most fun Social Sites on the Web for bikers and friends of  bikers. I wanted to offer more than one site to the members of my social sites. This allows them to have fun in many different social media's that each one of these free sites offer. One nice thing  about the social sites is the friends you can make all over the world. Some people are looking for riding friends near them, while others are looking for soul mates that like to ride. I thought I should list them on the blog for other people to have a chance to see what a fun time these are and the offer to join them for free. First off let me give you the website Bikers-n-Babes.com this is also a portal to the main social site.

• V-Twins-n- friends
• Biker n Babes
• VTWINS AND FRIENDS
• BIKERS-N-BABES

Each one has something different to offer the members and like I said each one is free to join so here is your chance to get in on the best social sites for bikers and friends on the Web.

Courtesy of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation

In response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's release of its 2006 Preliminary Fatality and Injury Assessment, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is reminding all riders and motorists that they each have an important role in helping to reduce the number of motorcycle crashes on America's roads and highways. "The overwhelming number of motorcyclists who wind up in single-vehicle crash statistics are there because they aren't following basic but important safety precautions when riding," said Tim Buche, president of the MSF. "And fewer than half of all riders have taken any kind of formal training course. We also know that car drivers and other motorists are at fault a majority of the time in multiple-vehicle crashes that involve a motorcyclist. We have life-saving messages for everyone, whether they are behind the handlebars or behind a steering wheel."
For motorcyclists, the MSF has five critical messages:
1. Get Trained and Licensed - Take an MSF RiderCourse and get licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Visit www.msf-usa.org, or call (800) 446-9227.
2. Wear Protective Gear - Wear proper protective riding gear - all the gear all the time - most importantly a helmet that meets Department of Transportation standards.
3. Ride Unimpaired - Never use alcohol or other drugs when riding.
4. Ride Within Your Limits - Don't ride faster or longer than your abilities allow.
5. Be a Lifelong Learner - Regularly return for refresher rider training courses to brush up on skills and knowledge. For car drivers and other motorists, the MSF says:
1. Look Out for Motorcyclists - Use your eyes and mirrors to see what's around.
2. Don't Be Distracted - Hang up and drive, put down the food, the pet, the personal grooming gear, the MP3 player, and the reading material and save it for later.
3. Give Two-Wheelers Some Room - Don't tailgate or get too close.
4. Use Your Turn Signals - Signal your intentions. It's also the law.
5. Keep it in the Car - Don't throw trash out the window, and secure cargo that can fall out on the road and become a deadly hazard.

"All of these are all doable, real-world actions that will cut down crashes and fatalities right now," Buche said. "Above everything else, it's about the human element, the attitude, the mind-set that motorcyclists and motorists have, and the choices they make out there on the road."

Choosing A Motorcycle So you are thinking of purchasing a motorcycle. Well I will try to walk you through some steps you should think about before heading out to your nearest dealer or looking in the classifieds. Owning a motorcycle is probably one of the most intimate relationships you will ever have with a machine. You will learn more about your bike than you will about your car. Riding a bike is a different experience that exposes you to feel and hear what your bike is doing every mile of your journey. There is nothing better than seeing your bike parked in your garage. Just sitting there, you are totally overcome with emotions knowing it is yours. However, before it is yours, you have to decide what type of bike is right for you. Many people make the mistake of buying a motorcycle that is too big for them to learn to ride easily. It is not recommended that you buy a motorcycle that is too advanced for you if you are a beginner. Pick a motorcycle that you can learn to drive, maneuver, and enjoy more as your skills get better. If you already know what you want to do with your motorcycle then the battle is half over. If you know that all you are going to be doing is off-road or just street touring then you can go with several bikes that will fit those criteria. Now the problem that new buyers come across is as soon as they get a specific terrain motorcycle, they want to do more than that. If you are starting off, a dual sport motorcycle is not a bad choice. These motorcycles are designed to be used as street touring bikes and as off-road bikes too. Only disadvantage is that they stand high compared to other motorcycles but allow you to see the road better. When picking out a touring bike, the main problems that people come across are weight and price. These machines can be upwards of 800lbs fully loaded with travel gear. Some of these touring bikes can cost as much as a brand new car. For a beginner this maybe a bit too much. Several companies sell smaller sized touring bikes so just shop around and find the one that fits you. With sport bikes, size, or price is not a big deal. They are lightweight and you can find a reasonably priced used bike on the internet. The main concern for sport bikes is their powerful engines. Even the smallest sport bikes are capable of extremely fast speeds. You need to asses your self-control before buying these types of motorcycles. Now after you have decided what bike would be best suited for you, you need to decide if you want to buy a bike new or used. Money will be a big determining factor of buying a used motorcycle. The problem with buying a used motorcycle is that you are not aware of the motorcycles history. It might have been abused by its previous owners and not maintained right. By buying a brand new motorcycle, you know exactly what is going on with your bike since you are the only one that rides it. Used motorcycles can be a good investment for beginners though. Motorcycles nowadays are very reliable and it usually takes alot of abuse to destroy it. There are also some hidden costs involved when purchasing a motorcycle that you might want to think about before you buy a motorcycle, especially if you are on a budget. For one, you will have to get insurance for your motorcycle. Most insurance companies charge their rates based on the engine's displacement. Now the bigger the bike you have the more its going to cost you. Depending on your record and where you live, expect to spend around upwards of 500 dollars a year on insurance alone. After you have put some miles on your motorcycle, the other hidden cost will rear its ugly head, maintenance, and repairs. Now if you are mechanically inclined I am sure you can learn to change your own oil and perform some checks but if you are not, prepare to have a big dent in your wallet. Motorcycles are very technologically advanced. It takes alot of components to make a small engine put out so much power that is why your bike will need more regular checkups than your car would. One way to cut down on the cost of things is to take good care of your motorcycle. The less you abuse it, the less you have to spend repairing it. Hope this gave you some insight and helped you come to a decision.

The new motorcycles and the designs seemed to be geared towards making a statement. If you look at some of the fast cafe style motorcycles you can clearly see the stream lines in it's design.
This look will give you the impression that it is fast and most of the times they are very fast. Most of these bikes are meant for short trips and not much on comfort for the rider. I have noticed that it is much of a younger generation style motorcycle. This is because us old men need comfort over speed to have a good time.
There is some of these bikes like this one just above that do have a more up right seating position for better comfort for the rider with the same fast motor under it! It also has less of the plastic fairing on it , too!

I have noticed that Harley has came out with some very nice designs this last year that is turning heads of people when they go by. I really like the new blacked out look that Harley has done. It makes these bikes look good plus with the springer front ends adds the old school look with the modern appeal.

3 models – Night Rod® starts at $14,995

High-revving, liquid-cooled V-Twin surrounded by the diamond-like precision unique to Harley-Davidson. The fiery soul of a dragster gone way beyond the quarter mile.

This is a fast blacked out Harley with the design features of the stream line. It looks fast sitting still and what a statement that is! This bike is also built for comfort but is not really designed for short people as far as the controls are concerned.
 

8 models – Night Train® starts at $15,895 Take a look at the pure, unmistakable icon of everything that’s right with an American custom motorcycle. It has the power to defy time and most everything else.

The softail is a very nice looking motorcycle with the custom look appeal and is a marvel all on it's own. The dealers and manufactures realized they needed to capitalize on this market and that is just what they have done.

Not only has the American Motorcycle Companies realized this but a  Japanese Company realized it, as well! 
Yamaha came out with this very impressive custom designed motorcycle for just  a little over $ 13,000 and it has great ratings on it's performance and handling.

This is a great looking bike that has a 113-cubic-inch (1854cc) air-cooled, pushrod 48-degree V-twin pumps out max torque at just 2500 rpm and max power at 4500 rpm for powerful, relaxed cruising. New design all-aluminum cast frame is light, rigid and tuned for light, athletic handling. A light, Controlled-Fill, aluminum swingarm casting complements the bike’s lithe style. Low, sculpted seat holds the rider in place, and pullback bars reach back to enforce a casual, urban cruising style.
Cool, tank-mounted instrumentation complements the custom look, and contains analog speedometer and fuel gauge, along with twin digital tripmeters, odometer and self-diagnostics. This bike is a jewel and worth having for the price.

 On to the riders and the statements they make.
You will notice that a lot of the new helmets on the markets these days have designs on them. Back when I first started riding you only seen them in solid colors and if you wanted to have something different then it was you adding stickers or having someone air brush it for you. The modern day helmets have a lot more choices in colors and themes.

The leather jackets also have made many changes over the years to give the rider choices. These days most of the dealerships have jackets with there company names on them so you as a rider can advertise for them. This concept has paid off greatly for Harley Davidson and many of the others out there. They depend on you as a loyal customer and the pride you take in the product your riding and in return you as a rider take pride in the logo you wear. I am not saying this is a bad thing but it is a what bikers are about, the pride, respect, and loyalty. At least the companies realize this and have done something to provide the biker with ways to display there pride. Here is a leather jacket that promotes a certain style of motorcycle brand.

I wanted to show this one because it shows that everyone is into this not just Harley. It is a very big market for these companies and it brings in big year round incomes to the dealers.

I myself am guilty of buying t-shirts with other company information on them all the time. One reason for me is I like the designs on them. It also is making a statement to what I perfer to show off. I guess it is in the blood more than anything else for me. If you as a reader would like to add your thoughts or veiws to my blog please feel free to do so!  

Welcome to my blog.

This blog deals mostly with stuff about motorcycles everything from buying your first motorcycle and to the safety of riding it. I thought my blogs would be helpful to the many of new riders plus those of us whom have been riding for years.
 
I would like to do my part to help the new riders the best I can. The days are just around the corner when a lot more people will have to ride motorcycles in order to get to and from work. The gas prices will only go up from this point on and it will come to the choice of either gasoline or food for many. The days of the SUV's just might be coming to the end, which in turn will increase the motorcycles on the road and small cars.

I feel as a current rider myself, that I should do my part to help educate the up and coming motorcycle riders of tomorrow.

Please feel free to add your comments as well as your advice.

Thanks

G-Wizard