Essential Motorcycle Parts and Accessories

Motorcycle GPS is like auto GPS. It’s fast becoming an essential accessory for any biker who likes long rides without getting lost.

Because it’s not quite as easy to navigate on a motorbike. You can’t just hand the map over your shoulder to your girlfriend behind and ask her to tell you where to turn. Navigating on a motorcycle involves stopping. You need to take the map out, work out where you’re going and put it away. While you’re stopped.

Not so good when it’s raining, for example, or on the side of a busy road, or even just when you’re in a real hurry.

A good motorcycle GPS unit can take all that away and make motorcycle navigation a breeze. And the Garmin Zumo 55o is a good motorcycle GPS unit. A very good motorcycle GPS unit.

Why? Well first up is it’s design. It’s not an auto GPS device that’s adapted for use on a motorcycle. It’s designed specifically with the motorcyclist in mind. For example it has a simple user friendly touch screen with large icons so it can be operated on the ride with gloves on. And with the left hand.

And unlike someone using a car GPS, a motorcycle GPS unit has some other requirements for bikers as well. For example you’re trying to read the screen in the sun, so it’s usually harder to read.

Not the Garmin Zumo 550 motorcycle GPS. It’s designed to be readable from the saddle even in bright sunlight, so the motorcyclist
doesn’t need to do contortions to read it. And it’s UV friendly so the sun won’t break it down. And it’s waterproof so the rain won’t kill it. And it’s fuel resistant too.

After all you don’t want your bike GPS to break down from something like the effects of the sun do you?

Another issue specific to motorcycle riders is the mount. In the past a good mount was quite in issue, and many motorbike riders had to adapt some type of car GPS mount to mount the motorcycle GPS unit on the handlebars, or anywhere.

But the Garmin Zumo 550 comes with it’s own motorcycle mount for the handlebars. And it’s vibration resistant too, an issue for bikers but not for car drivers. It’s got integrated speakers so you can listen to your directions via bluetooth technology so you don’t even need to look down.

City navigator maps are loaded from the start so all your maps are already right there. There’s a comprehensive database of points of interest like motels, fuel stops, restaurants and more, and you can even load your own points of interest, or maps.

with an XM subscription and an antenna you can even get real time traffic and weather and radio, so you can avoid all those pesky traffic jams. Traffic jam ahead? Push a button and your Zumo will calculate a new route for you without even needing to get off your bike.

Use your phone via the 550, and you don’t even need to take off your gloves or helmet. And you get the voice commands right to your helmet too. Need to turn left soon? Just wait for the command. And why not upload your favorite music and listen to that while you ride as well?

A good motorcycle GPS unit like the Garmin Zumo 550 will allow you to plan your rides, store your best rides and even share them with your friends. If you’ve found motorcycle navigation a drag in the past, invest in a great motorcycle GPS unit and motorbike navigation becomes a breeze.

Building a custom motorcycle isn’t just something fun to do; it’s something that can consume your life! But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it doesn’t consume your wallet in the process. If you’ve ever read the novel “Rebuilding the Indian,” you know how difficult it can be to try and build or rebuild a motorcycle from a hodgepodge of parts and pieces. Using custom motorcycle kits is a much less frustrating and less expensive way to build your custom dream bike.

Custom motorcycle kits don’t take all the fun and sport out of building a motorcycle. They just provide you with all of those pieces, parts, odds, and ends that you’re going to need to get your motorcycle together. You know the feeling you have when you realize that you need to run to Home Depot again for another thing to finish your home project? This realization often results in retiring to the couch and vowing to finish “tomorrow.” This is the scenario that custom motorcycle kits help you to avoid.

Using custom motorcycle kits doesn’t mean that you can’t add all kinds of custom chrome or aftermarket Harley parts. The opportunity to add all kinds of custom chrome and custom parts is half the fun of the building your own bike. Make your selection from the various custom motorcycle kits based on the overall features of the bike you like, then swap out mirrors here, a seat there, get an amazing paint job, and soon your custom motorcycle kit becomes a truly customized bike.

Before custom bike building became as popular as it is today, you would have had to get out the saw and the blowtorch and make your own custom motorcycle parts! Today there are so many aftermarket Harley parts, exhaust systems, wheels, and other motorcycle accessories that it’s easy to build your own custom bike without having to invest loads of money in equipment and machinery. The kit bike just makes things that much easier.

And no, there’s nothing about starting with custom motorcycle kits that is “wimpy.” The alternative is to put together a list of things that you need, and then go shopping for them all over town and on the internet until you’ve filled your list. You’ll have to decide whether you would rather have someone else put all the essentials into one box (custom motorcycle kits) or shop for everything yourself and build it from scratch.

The money wasted in mismatched parts that don’t work, the cost of gas from driving around town, and the cost of shipping parts from all over the country adds up! With a custom motorcycle kit, there is one purchase for all of your essentials, and then you can pick and choose any custom parts that you want to add or swap for a completely customized motorcycle.

A motorcycle is typically a two-wheeled vehicle run by a small, loud engine. These vehicles are basically motorized bicycles, but are structured with heavier, sturdier and more complex parts, implying that a motorcycle is more machine than bicycle.

Motorcycles have various uses, but the obvious primary use is to ride, to serve as a form quick transportation. Other uses: military and law enforcement, sports/racing, touring, and serving as a symbol of freedom, depending on who is riding it. Motorcycle conventions also allude to yet another purpose for the motorcycle: a show piece! Motorcycles, like automobiles, are also works of art for those who are mechanically inclined or like to showcase their unique and innovative machines (concept bikes).

Motorcycles: Types

Road Motorcycles: motorcycles built for riding on paved and public roads. These motorcycles have shallow treads and 125cc engines capable of reaching 100 mph (160km/h). Some can go over 125 mph (200 km/h). These aren’t designed for racing, but merely for public transportation. They have license plates, blinkers, and other accessories necessary for riding on public roads.

Cruiser—reminiscent of the style of American machines during the 1930s through the 1960s. These motorcycles are designed for long distance riding and provide some comfort. Harley Davidson, Excelsior, Henderson, and the Chopper are cruisers.

Sports bike—performance bikes that are usually lighter and smaller in structure than the cruiser. These motorcycles are racing bikes and have four-cylinder engines ranging 600cc to 750cc. “Super bikes” can also provide up to 1,000cc.

Touring bike—these motorcycles offer large displacement parts, to protect from inclement weather and heavy winds; high-torque engines; comfortable, upright seating positions; and large capacity fuel tanks for long-range mileage. Types of tour bikes include: Full-dress Tourers, Standard Tourers, Global On off Road Tourers, and Sports Tourers.

Naked bike—reduced in parts to its essentials, this bike emphasized function, performance, and ergonomics over the appearance that is a preferred feature of the sports and tour bikes. These motorcycles are also referred to as “street” bikes. The Yamaha Seca II is a fine example.

Scooter—Motor Scooters are short-distance motorcycles with small wheels (357 mm or 14 in. in diameter) and engines in the swing arm. Typically, these run less than 125cc, but some larger scooters exceed 250cc. One popular scooter is the Honda Lead 80.

Moped—a bicycle/motorcycle hybrid with a two-stroke engine that goes up to 50cc. These have demanding licensing in some localities. Their popularity dropped in mid-1980s, but they are still used today.

Off-road bikes—these include dirt bikes and are built for rougher terrain. They have larger, deeper-treaded tires, small engine, long suspension travel and high ground clearance, and no street accessories. These motorcycles have engines that comprise two-strokes at a single cylinder or four-strokes at a single cylinder, and can go as low as 50cc or as high as 750cc, depending on age of the riders and the size and style of the engine. Trial bikes, which go no more than 250cc, are off-road motorcycles. These are used for Motocross and Enduros.

“Dual-Sport” and Adventure-Touring—these are “on-off road” bikes. They are similar as the “off-road” motorcycles, but they are equipped to ride on public roadways as well.

Farm bike—a variant of the trial bike, this motorcycle was used by dairy farmers in New Zealand during the early 1960s. These are low-pressure motorcycles used for easy transportation.

Derny bike—a specialized motorcycle used in track cycling for blocking air-resistance for racing bicycles.

Towing bike—designed by a Swedish company, this motorcycle has a high-torque engine and retractable trailer for towing cars and light trucks. The only one in existence is the Retriever, an altered form of the Honda GL 1800 old Wing.

Concept bike—these are prototypes created to measure the response to innovative designs, new and unique technologies, cost effectiveness, and other factors. Most are never realized, but a small few are released in compromised combination form, taking into consideration marketing realities, public reaction and preference, and manufacturing capabilities.

Motorcycles are the rage of the road—and off the road. These machines are as inspirational as they are dangerous, and they require as much respect as they do training and practice to operate. If treated well, motorcycles will treat riders well.