Why Harley Davidson Insurance Tends to Cost More  

Even a standard stock bike straight off the showroom floor will cost big bucks. Every time you take it out on the street there is the possibility of damage to its chrome and clear coat. Harley Davidson riders are proud of their bikes and tend to park them where they are highly visible. Unfortunately, this tends to be near the edges of roadways where cars are more likely to hit them. 

Harley owners are right to be proud of these beautiful bikes. Unfortunately, their beauty also tends to attract thieves. Harley Davidson motorcycles are often stolen and then customized to make them unrecognizable to their former owners. These bikes are much easier to steal than most cars because their motors are exposed all the time. Sadly, most stolen Harleys are never recovered. 

Agreed Value is Important for Custom Bikes 

A custom motorcycle costs even more to insure. It is important to talk to your insurance company about modifications every time you make them. Customization can drastically change the value of your motorcycle compared to a stock model. If your insurance company only covers the value of a stock bike, you will be out of luck if something happens to your Harley. 

Try to find a company that sells agreed value insurance for bikes. With this type of policy, you and the agent discuss the real value of your bike with all of the custom accessories included. Once you agree on a value, you will be reimbursed up to that agreed upon price should there be any covered damage to your custom motorcycle. Without an agreed value policy, you will only receive standard stock rates if your bike is stolen or damaged.

Ways to Keep Insurance for Bikes Affordable 

One way to bring down the cost of Harley Davidson insurance is to protect your bike from theft. Electronic alarm systems and other theft deterrent mechanisms can make your bike a less inviting target for thieves. Parking your Harley in a covered, locked garage while you are at home will also protect it…plus you’ll get a discount on your insurance.

The preceeding article was wrote by Jessica Bosari who writes for carinsurancequotescomparison.com, a site that seeks to keep motor vehicle consumers informed. Those who understand insurance are more likely to get the best rate when they compare car insurance.

The following are responses to some of the questions I had concerning how the money is handled for the charities and prizes;

• We work actively with all of our charities on a daily basis, and have started a separate 501c3 Foundation for all charitable donations. It is The Guts & Glory Foundation. All of the proceeds from the RIDE A MILE program will be split as such: 50% to the Shriners Hospitals for Children; and the remaining 50% split evenly between our three Veterans groups (Not Alone, Able Forces and Project Healing Waters). None of the charity donations are being used to fund the rally in any way.
•  I can say that we are not looking for 1000 riders. In fact, we are limiting the number of long rally riders to 400. We are also limiting the number of RIDE 4 A REASON leg riders to 400 as well. This is due to organization logistics. We want a safe ride… And too many bikes out there, staggered though they will be, will create a mess…. That is something that no one wants, especially us.
• The entire prize package is bonded through One Beacon/Lloyds of London as part of our $100,000,000 insurance policy on the event. Again… The Guts & Glory Rally is about a SAFE long distance ride.
• We will be awarding the winner $100,000;  a custom motorcycle;  and a hand made Gibson Guts & Glory Trophy Guitar. These prizes paid for with 1) Rider apps, 2) Sponsor dollars, 3) our money.
• The Guts & Glory Rally will include checkpoint stops at two Shriners Hospitals for Children, with additional lunch stops at two more Hospitals along the route.  Camp Guts locations range from Speedways to Fairgrounds to private land…. We have tried to mix and match each checkpoint locations to make this a very fun experience for any rider.

The following is the press release;
Guts & Glory Motorsports Announces RIDE A MILE for the Shriners Hospitals for Children and three Veteran Charities.

 Nashville, Tennessee, November 30, 2010 –  The Guts & Glory Rally Across America is proud and honored to announce the Shriners Hospitals for Children as the leading charity in its landmark inaugural Guts & Glory Rally Across America in May of 2011.

 On May 17, 2011, The finest motorcyclists in the world will depart Los Angeles on a 9,000 (plus) mile, 11 day timed rally across America.  Crossing 48 States, and concluding in Bar Harbor, Maine, the Guts & Glory Rally Across America may well total up to 10 Million collective miles ridden by its participants. The Guts & Glory RIDE A MILE sponsorship program is aimed at National and International corporations that are proud to support the work of the Shriners, and the three Veterans charities already a part of the Guts & Glory Rally Across America.  Guts & Glory Motorsports seeks to raise up to, if not more than, $10,000,000 through marketing sponsorships of at least $1 per collective mile ridden for the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Able Forces, Not Alone and Project Healing Waters, with all proceeds from RIDE A MILE going directly to these deserving causes. 

 “It’s FEZTASTIC for the Guts & Glory Rally to be sharing the proceeds of this 9000  mile (+) ride with the  “worlds greatest philanthropy” as SHRINER’S continue the monumental job of giving a better life and future to our kids.   The lengthy and prestigious history of providing specialized care for almost a  million children in need has been the Shrine focus for the past 88 years.  It is my hope this event will reflect on all Shriner’s past success.  THANK YOU for being partners in our Shrine Family as all efforts are very much appreciated in support of the children that come to SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN for help” says George Mitchell, Imperial Potentate of the Shriners International.

 The RIDE A MILE program provides major companies an innovative marketing opportunity through the Guts & Glory Rally Across America phenomena.  Sponsors will be able to leverage the hundreds of millions of impressions garnered by simply committing to pennies per mile, or even fractions of a penny per collective mile ridden. 

 ”This marketing platform is both powerful and meaningful to our corporate partners.  It brings smart marketing and humanity together for what will be the Ride of Our Lives, as ailing Children and Brave Veterans fight for their life each and every day.  It is an amazing privilege to work with the Shriners, and our Veterans, on what we all know will be the Ride of 2011.  We are excited about making a difference in the lives of thousands of children and veteran hero’s … two things very close to the hearts of all of us creating the Guts & Glory” says Robert Swope, president of Guts & Glory Motorsports.

 The Shriners and staffers from the three Veterans charities will work alongside the Guts & Glory Motorsports production team in handling all logistics and organization of the 11 checkpoints along the route.

 Says Able Forces Executive Director Skip Rogers, “What an incredible event!  48 States, over 9,000 miles in 11 days, this has never been done and will undoubtedly capture the interest of our entire Nation.  Able Forces is honored to be one of the recipients.”

 “We’re pleased to join Guts & Glory Motorsports in this inaugural event and we’re looking forward to the awareness the Rally Across America will generate for the organizations who do so much for deserving individuals,” stated Ed Nicholson, president of Project Healing Waters.  “When America’s warriors participate in a Project Healing Waters activity they’re involved in a great national pastime.  Plus, there are also significant therapeutic and rehabilitative benefits associated with fly fishing, and for a while these injured soldiers forget about their injuries and feel good about themselves.  And, that means the world to them.”

 As a key component of the Guts & Glory Rally Across America, Emmy Award winning Sunrise Entertainment will be filming a reality television series throughout the course of the rally.  This television series will chronicle the joys, struggles, challenges and most importantly, the personal stories of many of the participants.  Filmed in High Definition using cameras mounted on motorcycles, chase vehicles, helicopters and even an ultra-light aircraft, viewers will not only feel as though they are a part of the rally, they will also see the amazing scenery and vistas of this great country as seen through the eyes of each rider.  Fast moving and engaging, the programs foundation is the overwhelmingly compelling personal stories of victory and defeat, joy and hardship, camaraderie and competition.

 For further information about the Guts & Glory Rally Across America and/or to become a RIDE A MILE Corporate Partner, please visit:

 www.GutsandGloryRally.com

 Contacts:
Jane Crossman
Marketing & Promotion
Guts & Glory Motorsports, Inc.

As I get information I will be printing it. Hopefully I can get a heads up and some pictures of the custom motorcycle that they are having Dave Perewitz build. I am sure there will be one one lucky person who will be a very happy biker. I am still looking for someone who is doing the ride to send me updates on the ride and a few pictures. I plan on giving someone $100 for their time. Contact me through this link; Open Road Biker contact form

Related Article; Guts and Glory Rally Across America

This year the good ole US of A will play host to two very large rally rides across its great land among the scenic highways and byways. Both pledge to cross all 48 lower states, be over 9,000 miles, and rewards to the best finishers. They also have a $1,000 entry fee. I don’t know about you but that’s a hell of a lot of money. One of the rides has a sort of notoriety that it picked up from its last outing. It is called the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. It had its challenges all right, from fatal wrecks, tons of scam rumors, and a photo finish with two riders arriving at the finish point in Alaska at the same time. The ride publicized a half million dollar grand prize with the rest of the proceeds to benefit the Oglala Sioux Tribe providing water to the Pine Ridge Reservation. There were stories of motorcyclist mortgaging their homes just to compete for the grand prize. This year they are back again but with Harley Davidson as a major sponsor.

The other rally ride, the one we are here to talk about today, is called the Guts and Glory Rally Across America. It will be a competition with the winner being decided by who has the most points remaining at the finish line. The organizers will have a company ride the route from checkpoint to checkpoint to determine a safe time in which to complete the ride. That time will not be made available to the riders. If you come in over or under that time you will be docked points. At each checkpoint there will be some type of lodging that is paid for with your $1,000 entry fee. You will be on your own for the rest (food, gas, repairs) but they will provide information for those conveniences. The grand prize will be $100,000 and a custom motorcycle by Dave Perewitz. There will also be prizes awarded at the checkpoint for the rider coming in closest to the appropriate time.

There will be a few charities that will benifit from the ride.  The charities being advertised are;

• The Shriners Hospital for Children
• Able Forces (Benefits Veteran)
• Not Alone (Benefits Veteran)
• Project Healing Waters (Benefits Veteran)

I like the thought of the ride supporting charities that benefit Veterans me being in the military and all. Even more I like the thought of support going to a children’s charity. 

I have visited a few forums and sites and they are all buzzing about the ride. Another thing I have noticed is that there seems to be a fair amount of people that are polarized on this ride and the Hoka Hey. Some say it is a rip-off of Hoka Hey, while others believe that while it does cover all 48, the way they go about it makes it original. I don’t care one way or another, hell they both seem to be loosely based off of the Iron Butt runs.

If there is anyone out there who is planning to do it, I will offer $100 to someone to cover the run for me (can’t do it from Afghanistan). Use the contact form to send me and email and I will discuss the details of what I want you to do.

I have sent a series of questions to the chairman for the run; I am currently waiting on him to respond. Once he does I will post the questions and answers on the site.

Northern Indiana Ride for Kids
10 July 2011
Pinhook Park
2801 Riverside Dr
South Bend, IN 46616
Registration open at 8:00am EDT
Ride starts promptly at 10:00am EDT
www.NorthernIndianaRideforKids.org

Join us for an escorted charity motorcycle ride through the beautiful Northern
Indiana Country side and support the Pediatric Brain Tumor
Foundation. www.pbtfus.org

After the ride stay for a lite lunch and the Celebration of Life and meet the
Stars(young brain tumor survivors) who will join us for the ride.
www.NorthernIndianaRideforKids.org
Contacts
Bobby Newman
219-324-0706 H
219-363-6071 C
bear.kitten@frontier.com

John Zepik
219-363-3256 C
jwzvtx@gmail.com

Ej Ford
219-324-3459 H
EjFord@frontier.com

I mounted up and followed him out to his farm. It was out about 10 miles from town down a hard packed clay road. His house was of the style I had dreamed of living in when I was a younger man. White two story, wood siding, with a porch that wrapped around the house on three sides. It also had a tire swing hanging from an Oak that looked to be a couple of hundred years old. The house sat on a small rise, probably the tallest hill for miles but that wasn’t saying much there in the delta area.

Frank pulled the truck over to the barn, opened the barn doors and backed the truck in. I parked the bike under the tree and went on in the barn and helped unload the seed. It took us another 30 minutes or so to unload and then we went inside. He asked me if some warmed up cornbread, pinto beans, and fried potatoes was fine and of course being from the south that sounded like a feast to me. While it was warming up he explained that he didn’t get many guests. It was just him now a days so he usually cooked enough to last a few days and would keep the leftovers in the ice box until they were gone. We sat and talked through lunch and he told me that he would start planting next week and was trying to get everything ready. I asked him where his help was and he told me he had been doing it all himself for the past 10 years. He only had about 100 acres that he worked so he really hadn’t needed anyone else until recently and he said he was a little too stubborn to ask for any help. I took that as my queue and asked if he would mind taking me on. I told him I wouldn’t eat much or take up too much space and I worked cheap. Not really sure which he liked most, the thought of some help or a little company but his eyes lit up a little and he agreed to giving me a job. He got up and showed me to a little room with a twin bed inside and told me I could sleep there. Heck, I would have been happy with a dry spot in the barn after sleeping on the ground for the last six months. This would give me a little time to do some much needed maintenance on the Dyna and work up a little kitty to help me stay on the road for a little while.

The Find

The next day was an early start; we were going to do a little work on the equipment to help it make it through another growing season. Most of it looked to be over 30 years old but in great shape. Frank said he had no need for new stuff when he could just take care of what he had. We commenced to changing the oil filter, fuel filters, and greasing up anything that needed it. After a couple of days all of it was ready to turn ground. While we were in the barn working I noticed an old army surplus tarp covering up something that might just be a bike. I asked if he minded if I was nosy and checked it out and he told me to go ahead. I went over, pulled the tarp back to a 1952 FLF (panhead) in Persian red. Now we all dream of stumbling upon a “barn find” like this but I never imagined I would. With all of the custom chopper guy shows and everything surrounding the motorcycle world you would think they would all be gone. All you would have left is listening to your old man tell about the bike he had back in the day. Now I know I didn’t find it, hell it wasn’t lost but to see that old iron there covered in dust, rust, and a few scrapes was probably one of the most beautiful things I had seen in a while. I asked frank if he minded if I “freshen” it up and get it running. He nodded his head and said sure go ahead and turned to go to the house. That night at supper Frank was quiet, I figured he was just tired and before you know it he decided to turn in early.

Over the next week or so we got the ground prepped for seed and I had the bike tore down. I spent most nights working on that bike during my time there. I would usually head out to the barn and work on it after Frank had turned in for the night. It was a little hard on me at first because we got such an early start but after a while I got used to it. I knew our evening talks were good for Frank, heck they may have even been good for me. The man who listens will sometimes learn a thing or two.

Over the course of the growing season I must have cleaned every thread, chased every bolt hole and nut, stripped the paint off of every part, and replaced any wires that I could find. The motor was in fairly good shape inside. I replaced the rings and gaskets and then buttoned it back up. The transmission just needed a quick run through because it had set up so long but all in all the gears still looked new. The only things that were in bad shape on the bike were the cables and the carburetor. Once the cables were replaced and the carb rebuilt it was time to rattle can the tins and frame.

Through the whole build Frank stayed out of the barn. He and I had started to get pretty close. He reminded me a lot of my grandfather who had passed about 20 years earlier. He was a man who bore the scars life had given him with honor and wasn’t ashamed of the choices he had made. Frank met and married his wife in 1950 and then a few months later went off to Korea to fight. When he returned he purchased the farm and had been working the land ever since.

Harvest was finally upon us and we worked night and day to get the cotton up and to the gin. After a week of going back and forth from the fields to the gin there wasn’t a white speck to be seen where just a week prior the fields had looked as though they were covered in snow. Frank was able to sell all of the cotton for a fair price and we went into town for a little celebrating. We went to a little place just on the edge of town, Frank said the food was good and the beer was cold. Kind of surprised me a little, the whole time I was at his place I hadn’t seen him take a sip of anything with alcohol in it. Come to think of it, I hadn’t had a drop the whole time I was there. We enjoyed the meal, a whole catfish with a side of hushpuppies and home made slaw with a nice large mug of home brew. This wasn’t some microbrew; it was just a good cold beer. As we rode home we talked a little about fishing and the weather. I was kind of thinking it was time for me to move on but I really wasn’t ready to tell him, maybe after we went fishing the next day I would break it to him. We made plans to get an early start and head down to a little bend in the river and then we turned in for the night.

That next morning I woke up a little late. Usually by 4 Frank would have some ham or bacon frying in a pan and a pot of coffee on the stove. With those smells you just couldn’t lay in bed long. Here it was 6 A.M. and there weren’t any of those great smells coming from the kitchen. I went down and Frank was no where to be seen. Maybe that beer affected him than he thought it would. I went and knocked on his door and called through the door joking “get up old man, those fish aren’t going to catch themselves”. I went on back down stairs and got breakfast on and the coffee boiling. After about 30 minutes passed and the table was set with the food getting cold I figured I would go try and get Frank up again thinking that beer must have really done a number on him. I knocked on the door and didn’t get an answer. I knocked again and pushed the door open. He wasn’t stirring an inch and a feeling of dread and sorrow washed over me. I went over to the bed and felt for a pulse while leaning over to see if I could feel breath on my cheek or the see the rise and fall of his chest. All of that wasn’t really necessary though, as soon as I touched his wrist I could feel his body was cold.

I sat down in the chair beside his bed not believing my eyes for a few minutes. I never seen it coming, I know he was getting up there in age but he seemed strong. While getting up to go call the ambulance (hell I didn’t know who to call) I saw an envelope on his nightstand with my name on it. Inside was a rather large check made out to me and a letter.

Wayne,

I want to thank you for the last 6 months you have been here working. It was nice to have another person around to talk to. Since the wife passed years ago it has been just me. We were married 49 years when she passed on and it looks like it is time for me to join her and my boy.

After reading that line I was a little surprised and confused. The whole summer he had never talked about having any children much less a son. I continued to read;

My son was born in ’51 while I was in Korea. He grew up strong and when he turned 18 and graduated High School he picked that Harley up for a song. He spent the summer fixing it up and got to ride it for about a month before he got drafted. By November he was in the jungles of Vietnam as an 11B (Infantry) like his old man. In March he was starting to look forward to coming home when his platoon was ambushed. His mom and I had to do what all parents fear the most, bury their child. That bike sat in the barn under that tarp until you came along and uncovered it. It would honor my son’s memory if you would take that bike. I know you will take care of it. The sparkle I seen in your eyes when you uncovered it was the same I seen in his when he first got it home. I have also left you the money from the yield this year. Maybe it will help you stay on the road long enough to help you figure out the problem you are trying to solve. Along with that you can have the rest of this old junk including the house and land, I don’t need it anymore. Do what you need to do with it but don’t feel obligated to it. I have no one else to leave it to. You can go see the lawyer in town, Robert Hansen; he has my will on file.

Take care,

Frank Hindle

By the time I was through reading the letter I had a few tears rolling down my cheek. It took half the day before the lump in my throat had cleared. The next day I made the arrangements for him to be laid to rest beside his wife and by the end of the week he was where he belonged with his wife and son at his side. I found a buyer for my Dyna, a man only has one ass, and it’s hard to ride two bikes at the same time. I settled all of Frank’s affairs; he had no debt so it was fairly easy. I donated the house to a local women’s shelter but I decided to hold on to the land and equipment. A local would be farming the land in return for him paying the taxes and keeping an eye on things. You never know I may just need it all one day.

Continue checking back here often for more articles by Kenny Lee especially with the upcoming rally season approaching. Between me and him we should be able to do some good coverage on the rallies located in our neck of the woods.

We are still looking for a few more writers to join us. If you are interested please use the contact link at the top of the page to send me an email. I am looking for people who ride so browse around the site and if you feel like this would be the right place for you get in touch with me.

The riding season is coming close too; get your motorcycles ready and get out there and ride. Be sure to come back and tell us about your rides and post some pictures in the biker forums for us to see.

Sometimes I am not really sure how I got here, another two bit town, a hang over, and a cheap motel. It seems like so long ago when I was doing the whole family thing. You know the “American Dream” where you have a job, two cars in the drive, a mortgage, and a wife and family that you provide for. It all seemed to go bad quick, but more about that later. Time to push on, can’t let any grass grow around the bike. Just wouldn’t seem right staying any where too long, not anymore anyways.

The last town I was through wasn’t too friendly so I had to head out of there sooner than planned. You see every so often I try and slow down for a few weeks, take a little job turning wrenches, flipping eggs, bailing hay, whatever it takes to earn enough to keep me on the road a few more miles, take care of Beth (my old panhead) and put a little meat back on my bones. I think I had been there about a week. I found a little job changing oil at one of those old small town full service gas stations. Nights were spent sleeping on an army cot (sure do have a lot of time in one of those) in the back of the shop. Every day the same ole, same ole spend a little time working on cars, pump a little gas, and then at night shut it down with a can or two of Milwaukee’s finest.

Last Friday was a little different though. Jack (service station owner) and I headed down to the local watering hole to take in a little scenery while enjoying a couple of drinks. Not too much though, I really don’t care to get sloppy drunk. You never know when you might need all of your senses about you. That night turned out to be one of those times. It seems it is getting hard to have a drink in peace without some wanna be badass making some stupid comment or something. It seems you are never free from the idiots that surround you and this one idiot decided he was going to come up and start telling me about how he doesn’t like my kind around there. Now to this day I am still not sure what they always mean by my kind, I mean is it a vet they are talking about? How about an old country boy? Could it just mean they don’t like those of us that chose to live life free and in the wind? I wonder how they know what kind I am when usually they are just meeting me. Hell I will never know but here was another one and well I ignored him like I usually try to do. It doesn’t matter though how much you ignore them they usually are too stupid to know they are going to get hurt. This one actually decided to go on about his business or at least I thought he had until I went outside later that night and found that the tires on my bike were slashed. Now there is not a lot you can do to make me lose my temper. I have lived my whole life learning to deal with jackasses but you shouldn’t mess with my bike. My bike is one of the few worldly possessions that I still have and well, I try to take care of it. So I guess it was time to find this guy and get my $300 back out of him, tires ain’t cheap you know. The bad thing about the whole situation was, as I learned from Jack, the jackass was the local deputy sheriff. I try and keep away from the law and draw as little attention to myself as possible, just don’t think a cage made out of steel bars is in line with my way of living but sometimes you just have to step outside of your comfort zone and do what needs to be done. So over the next day or two I did a little snooping around trying to see where he went, how long he stayed and such and it seems he was at the bar most nights. With a little planning I had figured how this whole thing was going down.

Understand, trying to “get back at the man” and stay under the radar is never an easy thing to do, but knowing their habits help. The way I was figuring it (after a little talk with Jack) if just enough repair parts were sold to the Sheriffs Dept. there might be just enough extra money for me to put tires back on my ride not to mention the cost of a tow. So a little tit for tat and the Jackasses cruiser needs a few new tires and some odds and ends replaced. Sorry for all of the taxpayer dollars down the drain but like i said I am not too keen on bars so confronting this guy head on and getting my face plastered all over the place was out of the question.

So Tuesday night Jack gets a call for a late night tow. He brings the car in long after I had crashed from my side project that night. To get the car back on the road would mean a trip to the next county for a few special order dealer only parts like tail light lens covers and a side window or two. That morning the boss had me go pick up all of the stuff that they had in stock. The rest would just have to be sent by the UPS guy.

On the way, minding my own business, wouldn’t you know it there was a county car pulling me over just a short ways from the county line. Sure enough there was jackass and I guess one of his lawdogg buddies. They both get out; I could see they were wasting no time calling in the stop like normal (you know that nice pause cops use after they pull you over to torture you). As they approached the pickup jackass was on the drivers’ side while his buddy moved along a few paces behind him. It sure wasn’t looking good for the home team. That’s when deputy jackass asked me politely to step out of the truck and place my hands on the hood. Knowing that no matter what I did I was in a bad spot I decided to go ahead and un-ass the truck. I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. About the time I had turned around to place my hands on the hood I felt the hot flash of blinding pain shoot through my head. I guess they didn’t want to disappoint my pessimistic point of view.

Not really sure how long my little beating went on but it seemed to last for a few hours. It probably only lasted for a few minutes though. All I could do was try and protect the vital parts of the body and hope for the best. Once the beating was over I got my warning to leave town and not to come back. If I was seen again that would be the last anyone seen of me. As they left I laid there bleeding a little on the ground, I figured it might be best to sit there for a minute while the world came back into focus. Lesson 1 don’t screw with the local jackass if he wears a badge, the bad thing is I never cared too much for school.

Soon I was back in the truck heading to go pick up the parts. I think I made it back to Jack’s sometime around 3 in the afternoon. Of course he eyes the cuts and bruises that were showing and asked what happened, and in a few minutes he was caught up with all the details. After my tail of adventure was over Jack pointed me to the tires over in the corner of the shop. It seems while I was off having fun my Metzlers had arrived. After a few hours had passed Jack shut down for the day and commenced to helping me get the fresh new rubber on my bike. It didn’t take us very long, maybe a little over a hour and a half and we were finished and working on a 10oz adult beverage. Jack pulls an envelope from his pocket and let’s me know in no uncertain terms that it looked like my time there was over. He says his good byes, asked me to lock up when I left in the morning, and leaves for the night. So that was it, time to pack it all up except for the bedroll and get ready for an early start in the morning.

Sleep came quick after another beer. There wasn’t any distractions to hold my attention or worth staying up for. The morning came even faster than the sleep did though. I had decided that 4 was a good a time as any to get up and get the bedroll on the bike. It only took me about 15 minutes to get everything settled and locked up and I was on the road again. I really didn’t have enough cash in my pocket to carry me as far as I like but I did have a full tank of gas and an early start. I was hoping to put that state in the rear view mirror before that day was done.

I think I was about a block from Jack’s when I noticed the truck pull out from a dark side road and start following me. I didn’t pay it too much attention until it had followed me through about three other turns. As we headed out of town and the lights of the houses faded in the distance the truck started following a little closer until I noticed that he was right off of my back tire. So I gave Beth a little gas and tried to pull away a little but the truck stayed with me. Before I knew it I had the poor old pan wound up tight. I was creeping up on around 90mph or so and that truck was still there. Knowing that my chances of outrunning this guy anytime soon were slim to none I decided a few curves might let me pull away. Just ahead a little side road that forked off of the main road in a curve was just what I needed. I veered off onto it and kept the throttle on the stops. I knew the first few curves were mild so I would be able to keep it pegged. The truck managed to stay rather close through those curves but I did manage to squeeze a little distance in between us. The next curve was a nice little diminishing radius that went off to the left and was somewhere around a 120 degrees and I sure was hoping the guy following me didn’t know the road too well. Through the other curves I had managed to open up about five car lengths. That was just enough for me to get out of it and down shift before I threw my bike into the curve. The truck barely missed rear ending me right about the time I went to leaning into the curve hard. That’s when his headlight disappeared from my mirrors. I rode the curve out and then slowed her down to see what I could see and the truck was nowhere to be seen. I stayed out of it for another few minutes until I was sure that I had lost the truck. After a while I put the bike back in the wind and pushed on to the highway and the next county. Sometime around noon I pulled off into a little dive to grab a bite. While watching the news a breaking story came on, it seems one of the deputies from a few counties over had run his truck into a ravine during the early morning hours. They say he wasn’t wearing his seat belt and was catapulted through the windshield into the side of the ravine. They pronounced him DOA.

This is the first part of a series that I am writing. I should be publishing one every month and if I start writing a little faster maybe more than one. If you would like to make sure you catch every episode subscribe to the feed for this site by mail or just tune back in about this time next month. We will all find out how the main character picked up his beloved panhead “Beth”.

This story is not based on any event fact or fiction. All characters here are fiction.

So join with me in extending a warm welcome to Kenny Lee and go ahead and read his first article here on the V-Twin Expo.

1. Using too much rear brake and no front brake.
2. Low or high tire pressure.
3. Spinning the tires

The first two are easy to cure, when coming to a stop you should be using the front brake in conjunction with the rear. The front brake should be getting more use also, after all it is the most effective at stopping you because 60-80% of the weight when stopping is transfered to the front wheel. Be warned though, if you are trying to slow down or use your front brake in a curve it can be fatal but it also causes you to use the front tire out quicker.

Low tire pressure will cause your tires to wear unevenly and prematurely. The contact for a tire is designed to be a certain area for each tire. If the air pressure is too low it will increase the contact patch but it will also put parts of the tire that aren’t meant to be on the road all the time in that situation ( think sidewall). If your tire pressure is too high it will decrease the contact patch and then you have only a small percentage of the tire contacting the road which not only causes it to wear faster but will also increase your chances of breaking traction when you need it the most.

As for spinning the tires, well if that is why you are wearing out tires then you should at least realize that if you are going to do it be prepared to pay. One other thing you may not know though. When you spin the tires not only does the tires wear from the contact with the road surface but the heat created will also break down the tires faster of increase the rate at which they will wear. Essentially it will make them a softer compound for a little while and it will have possible long term effects to the tires. Not telling you not to have fun, just want you to be informed.

My last set of tires I ended up with a little over 10,000 miles out of them. That is about right. Some people may get a little more and some just a little less but if you follow some of these tips you should be able to save a trip to the bank by getting a few more miles out of your tires. Now with saving money in mind, when it does come to replacing your tires don’t be looking at the cheapos like you do in your Yugo, you need to buy quality tires, remember you only have two instead of four, if one fails it is bad. I went with Metzlers when I replaced mine and I love them but each of us has our own preferences just choose wisely.

Until next time ride safe.