Archive for 'Bikes'

If you know the history of the Harley-Davidson motorbikes creation, you would see why its creators, who assumed anything was possible wouldn’t have it another way.

Harley and Arthur Davidson ( thus the brand ) with aid from Davidsons big brother and an engineer down the road made the 1st absolutely motored bike that became the first Harley to ever grace the street of America. With rising gas costs, many American citizens are turning to possibilities from their gas guzzling autos. Click the link for more info on . And yet while common-sense would lead one to believe a bike is a better alternative choice to an auto, the well established major brand motorbikes arent seeing the same enormous spike in sales that motor scooters are. Whether you are considering industrial evaluators like total value of possession, ROI, or opportunity cost, attempting to save on gas by purchasing a Harley Davidson, Honda, or other major brand bike just does not produce the right bottom line. So does this mean that one has to accept a motor scooter as a consequence of the high gas prices? Well, so long as laissez faire market forces are permitted to run their natural course, the answer’s no. According to the Bike Industry Council, fifty percent of the motorbikes in the world came from China, and China has been the number 1 country in the production of motorbikes since 1994. These numbers sometimes do not make any sense to Yank bike fans because in America Chinese bikes make up a particularly slim minority of the bikes in use in the States. So where has China been sending all of these bikes theyve been making? Basically Chinese bikes are exported to nations in the East, the Middle East, and Africa. The demand in these nations for intensely low cost transportation is higher than any place else in the world. For many families, the sole vehicle the family will ever own and use is a basic tiny engine scooter or motorbike built in China. Bike buyers in the US arent hunting for the lowest form of transport available. Not only has the owning a Harley been a class excellence among motorcyclists, but now the trademark itself has spread like wildfire as Harley Davidson makes about five pc of its annual cash from the sale of items inscribed with the symbol. There simply is no other bike that will struggle with the Harley, on the road or in peoples hearts.

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Bobber Motorcycles

A Harley bobber is simply a Harely Davidson motorcycle which has all the ‘optional’ parts take off to make it lighter. This configuration offers a long, lean look as well as increased performance.

Lowering and stretching a Harley bobber frame is common, or you can keep the stock frame as it is. Extended forks can add to the long, lean look sought in bobbers. Removing or cropping the front fender, and cropping the rear fender is the road to the bobber look.

You may see a pillion pad on a Harley Bobber because bobber owners avoid the king/queen saddle. Bicycle style seats with springs were commonly used because they were comfortable. This really makes a statement that the motorcycle is for the owner and the owner alone! When you do see a pillion pad on a bobber, it is a very, very small one indeed. These bikes are used for performance and are rarely uses by riders crusing around town.

Red-wall tires are quite popular amongst bobber owners. A vintage look is achieved which is reminiscent of the post war bikes which were built by GI’s who returned from war. Harley Davidson’s where uses in the military and the men who rode them where comfortable with them. These bikes arrived back in the U.S. and they were often bought by GI’s as surpluls military equipment. The bobber configuration, the stripped down look that is, was used for street racing or simply to have the wind hit ones face as they ride.

The term “bobber” became associated with this stripped down Harley Davidsons during the post-war years. At that same time, young, trendy women were wearing their hair in a simple, straight, easy-to-care-for style called “the bob” due to the bobbed-off look. The same term, ‘bobbers’ was used in reference to former GI’s motorcycles as young women began to hang out with them. The bikes were ‘bobbed’ which means that all the unnecessary items were completely take off of them.

The stripped down look of a bobber continues to be the style people are looking for, even though there are many requirements needed in order to actually ride it on the road. Head lamp, tail lamp, and turn signals, as well as tag lighting, are items required by most, if not all, states in order to obtain a registration and tag for a bobber. You will never see a Harley bobber that is heavily weighted down with bags, a wind screen, or other things of this nature.

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As long as there is money to be made from criminal activity, there will always be criminals breaking the law. Luckily our police forces are doing a good job to eradicate these guys. Because of this law enforcement activity, various assets are confiscated throughout the country. The variety of confiscated goods and property include everything – also motorcycles.

This creates the need for the police to conduct police motorcycle auctions – a perfect place to look for bargains. What can you expect when you attend?

They can be split into two clusters. These are bikes confiscated due to criminal activity and motorcycles that police departments had for own use.

‘Quality’ is a word synonymous with police department motorcycles. The cause is straightforward. Police Departments across the country services their vehicles and motorcycles regularly. Regulalry serviced and maintained, these motorcycles are normally a great buy at the auction event. Naturally you shouldn’t get exited on driving around in a police branded motorcycle with sirens and all. They will remove any such items.    

Alternatively you can buy seized and confiscated bikes at police motorcycles auctions. These are vehicles seized on the back of criminal investigations and sold by the police. You’ll find anything from pure garbage to superior vehicles. Although there also may be some issues with the title, for the most part the process is simple and you’ll find some great deals here.

Everybody’s objectives are different – perhaps you’re a mechanic wishing to buy a run down motor with the aim of fixing it. It may well be that you wish to purcahse a motorcycle for your own usage. Here’s a tip – determine on the auction catalogue what you ideally want and put all your research effort into this.

The majority of police departments will let potential bidders inspect the motorcycles before they are disposed of. If you intend to buy, it’s important that you do a good thorough job before you decide to bid. Your checklist should include everything from checking the brakes, handlebars, state of the seat, lights and any sort of mechanical issues. If there’s an issue with either of these, it may ‘blow up’ to bigger issues down the track.

If you’re not experienced in buying motorcycles at police auctions, don’t shy away from them. ‘Astonished’ probably best describes newcomers at these events because of all the unexpected good deals they find.

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