If you are a serious motorcycle enthusiast, you probably spend hours a week riding, fine tuning, and thinking about your bike. But was about your bike accessories? A high quality motorcycle deserves a high quality motorcycle helmet.

There are many different reasons to invest in a high quality motorcycle helmet. One of the most important is safety. The best construction and materials ensures the best protection for your head.

Another reason to invest in a high quality motorcycle helmet is looking good. You know your bike looks awesome. Shouldn’t you look awesome on top of it? A sweet bike doesn’t look as good if the rider has cheap accessories.

A great example of a high quality motorcycle helmet is the RKT 101 Carbon. This is a serious helmet, that offers you the best in both style and protection, as well as features not found in other helmets.

It’s all in the name, as they say. The 101 Carbon is completely covered in a carbon fiber shell. This lightweight system looks great and offers protection. The helmet itself also offers multiple shock absorbing layers.

When you’re really into riding, you’re also really in to going fast. That is the reason that the 101 Carbon is aerodynamic, allowing you to go even faster. And it can be customized with a communication system, for those times you need to stay in touch.

There are many reasons that the 101 Carbon is a high quality motorcycle helmet. The shield is designed for easy replacement, and can be snapped out and replaced. The shield is also UV resistant.

You can find many great high quality motorcycle helmets, online and in local motorcycle shops. What’s right for you depends on what features you’re interested in, and how much you’d like to spend.

Harley Bikes

If you are ready to take a motorcycle weekend trip, there are some things you will need to plan before you go. A buddy of mine who loves his Harley Road King has a wife who does not like it, so one thing we do is have what we like to call our pace car-with my the wife of my buddy driving it! Because we usually have lots of things to take with us, it is nice to have a pace car full of necessary things when you reach your destination, but not necessarily things you need on the way. Our pace car carries things like sleeping bags, extra food, a larger tool kit, blankets, and our tents. We also like to have his wife have the other end of the walkie-talkie in case she decides to stop at a shopping mall along the way and we need something in the car. We also make sure she carries beer to sip in the evenings when we are not riding out on the open road.

When you plan for a big motorcycle weekend trip, you not only need to map out a solid route for your destination, you should consider the number of miles that you will travel, and also consider the available options along your route for gasoline or hotels if you are not camping out. You can easily map out your destination with one of the numerous mapping options available on the Internet or if you are good, do it manually using that old atlas.

Beyond the pace car with my buddys wife in it, we like to make sure we bring other necessary things we will need. Plenty of water and thirst quencher drinks are good for motorcycle trips to keep you hydrated-it can be very hot out there on the highway, mountain, and rural roads. Smart and healthy snacks are good to take along such as granola bars and other small snacks that fit easily into your backpack or motorcycle compartments.

You must also take along a compact tool kit that is easily store which contains items that you may require for emergency repairs. All the basic tools like screwdrivers, spare nuts and bolts, plastic ties, extra bungee cords, along with other small tools you might need are all good things to have. If you can, and have the room, extra oil and braking fluid are good to bring as well as flashlights and matches. Keep your matches in a plastic bag so they stay dry if you hit rain.

As we mention rain, anytime that we can not locate the pace car and dry off in the SUV, we always bring along some rainwear for protection from rainfall regardless of whether it is light or strong. They make all sorts of rain weather gear these days along with gloves and jackets that are heated for cooler mountain or elevated areas. Other wearable gear needed is of course your helmet and make sure it is Department of Transportation or DOT certified in case you get stopped by any official, riding glasses, scarves for face protection, and a good pair of chaps to keep your legs warm and protected.

The personal affects that should probably be brought along in a plastic protective bag will most likely be your toothbrush and toothpaste or any other grooming requirements that you feel that you can not do without. You may also want to keep your wallet, credit cards, and money in a plastic bag to keep from damaging them-after all, you will need them when you arrive at your destination and throughout your trip, especially if the pace car is way, way ahead of you, or in the case of my buddy, way, way behind him.

Everyone on the trip should carry some towels to dry off your bike and windshield if you pass through rain. If you can, utilize a good GPS system on your motorcycle that will ensure you are on the right track and are not lost, even though you may have thoroughly planned your trip. Just remember that sometimes road maps are incorrect. Bringing along some extra clothing is a great idea should you become too wet or too cold. You will also want to include an additional pair of gloves or a warm hat that can be worn under your helmet.

When you plan a motorcycle trip for the weekend, make sure that you go with some friends, as it could be very challenging to do it alone. Additionally, it is much more enjoyable to bring friends along for some good laughs and enjoying the open road together. Try to make sure friends or relatives at home know your route and where you are going in case they need to get a hold of you. Weekend motorcycle trips can be fun, exciting, and relaxing-especially if you have that awesome pace car with everything you do not want to carry.

Harley Bikes

It was a quite day in a small Bar in upstate New York . The girl working behind the bar was young, she had just turned 18 and had only been bar tending a few weeks, this was her first time working alone. Everything was going fine with only two of the regulars in the back shooting pool it was nothing she could not handle she thought to herself.

Then the front door opened and in walked ten of the biggest men she had ever seen. They talked loudly and as they walked over to the far side of the bar, She got a look at the back of their jackets. She could easily see that the markings on them where all the same. The men ordered pitchers of beer and their talking only got louder as they drank more and talked about things she did not understand. Then the men went quite as the front door opened and in walked seven more large men, at first she thought these seven men where with the first Ten as they looked and dressed similar but as she looked at the markings on the backs of these new comers Jackets she could tell while they where similar the markings where different, By the way the two groups where looking at each other she guessed the difference must mean a lot to them.

The Seven men sat up toward the front of the bar and also ordered pitchers of beer. The young girl did her best to make sure both groups where kept happy, but it was just a matter of time and Beer! When one of the men from the first group called out to her, “Hey Honey don’t worry about those guys, there losers! Come over here and hang with some real men.” That was all it took, the fuse was lit. “Who you calling losers pal we are good enough to beat you any day of the week!” Yelled back a guy from the second group. “You may think your as good as us but you never will be!” Yelled back a man from the first group.

Then in what was a blur to our young barmaid a fight broke out between the two groups it was loud and she could hear glass and wood breaking all around her as the men cursed and screamed at each other. This young Girl was scared and she feared for her life.

Her fear abated a little when in the distance she heard sirens. The police are coming, she thought to herself as she hid behind the bar. The police arrived in force and they stormed in arresting the men and taking them away. When things got quite and all the men where taken away the young girl looked around the small bar. So much damage she thought to herself, She looked at one of the officers and asked how did you know to come here. We got a call that these two groups where both heading to this bar and we just knew, it happens all the time with these type of guys!!!

Epilogue: The next morning when the young barmaid awoke she walked down stairs to the kitchen where her father was reading the morning paper. Does it say anything about the fight in the bar yesterday she asked her father? Yes he said as he pointed to a small article in the back of the paper “Yankees and Mets fans Brawl it out in small town bar” the story went on to explain how all the men where given tickets for disorderly conduct and released. That’s it she screamed at her father these men trash the bar, scare the hell out of me, They should all be in jail and all they get is Tickets!!! Calm down sweetheart her father said as he hugged her, The way your acting one would think it had been a bunch of rowdy Bikers in the bar yesterday! Those Guys would have been locked away, But it was only Sports fans!

Story By Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com

I recently stopped down at J Signs located at 12 Highland ave in Patchogue. I met the Owners Jerome Morello and Craig Casdia, Who told me about all the things J signs can do to Help promote your Business these guys do Store Front Signage, Wide Format Digital Printing,Carved/Gold Leaf Signs,Contour cut decals,Channel Letters,Truck & Boat Lettering, Banners, Magnetic Signs,Window / Door Lettering,Installations, Service, Repairs, Architectural Signage and so much more I could write 5 articles of these guys!

In this articles I’m going to tell you about J signs Vehicle Wraps! The Wraps are done in House at J Signs by Duncan Weir owner of Graphic Gorilla! Now when I got to J signs I had no idea what Vehicle Wraps where, Duncan was more then happy to teach me a little about Wraps.Duncan was working on a Mini Van while I was their placing a wrap on it for a pet care company. Wraps feel almost like a vinyl bumper sticker But of course they are much more state of the art and High tech then that. Duncan had to go to school to learn all about wraps,He also has a Bachelors in fine art,Computer Graphics Specializing in 3-D Graphics. He showed me how the wraps come off in large sheets and then are apply to the Vehicle in pieces and are then heated so they bond to the Vehicle seamlessly. Wraps will stay on till you want to take them off , a wrap can be removed in the future so if you can sell your vehicle one day with out the wrap on it. The paint under the wrap will be as good as the day you placed the wrap on it.

This is just one thing that sets Vehicle Wraps apart from having your Vehicle air brushed! another is the detail of the wraps you get! You can blow up a real photo or have the team at Graphic Gorilla design you up anything from a professional Corporate look to anything your loud and crazy mind can come up with! Vehicle Wraps are not new they have been around a few years and they are huge in California. The quality of wraps has improved greatly over the years and the Wraps that are used at J signs are state of the art.

The average wrap lasts over Five years and if taken care of properly can last up to ten years! I asked Duncan, who are some of the people having their vehicle’s wrapped? He told me many Radio Stations and Travel agencies are having it Done,But many Business are realizing as they sit in traffic for 3 or 4 hours a day and hundreds of people are driving by them in each direction, Wraps really make them stand out and catch the eye of those who could potently be clients. Recently their was a study done that said about 30 to 70 thousand people a month see your Vehicle! Vehicles that are wrapped are remembered up to 80% more! Now More people seeing and remembering your Vehicle translates into more money for you and your company!

Now of course there are many people who want to stand out while just cruising around and they are finding they can have wraps made up of everything from insane designs to their favorite Band,Beverage or Hero and put on their vehicle. Duncan also told me that he can wrap just about anything from Motorcycles,Tool box’s, to walls in your Home!!!

In my opinion wraps are going to be the next big thing! An average Mini Van costs about $3,700 to Wrap that’s an average cost of about $15 a square foot and that price includes 16 hours worth of design time,Printing of the Wrap, The installation of it on your Vehicle and Duncan will also show you how to take care of your Wrap as you never wax it but instead apply a glaze and hand wash it with soap and water. Call Duncan and J Signs at 631-758-0707 to learn more about Vehicle Wraps or check them out on the web at jsignsinc.com

Story By L.J. James

MORTAL SKULLS MOTORCYCLE CLUB LAUNCHES SKULL GEAR APPAREL, Inc.

The Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club out of Long Island NY have started their own Motorcycle Gear and Apparel Business aptly named Skull Gear Apparel, Inc.

The Business will not only be selling the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club’s line of Club Support Gear, it will also include a full line of Skull Gear Apparel, Inc. Mens and Ladies Clothing.

The hot item at this year for Skull Gear Apparel is the Infamous “Back the F#%K Off” sweat shirt that every biker just seems to love to wear when Riding!!!

Skull Gear is working on some new products for 2009 including, Biker Jewelry, Sunglasses, Skull Figurines and more!

The idea behind Skull Gear Apparel was really a no brainier. There are so many Motorcycle Apparel Businesses being run by those who don’t know the first thing about Motorcycle Clubs, The Members of the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club asked a great question “Who knows more about what Bikers want and love, Stuffy Corporate types or Real Bikers?”

Look for Skull Gear Apparel, Inc. at Large Motorcycle events near you this year! Or Online at http://www.MortalSkulls.com and http://www.SkullGearApparel.net for new merchandise and to order on-line!!!

When the Riding Season is Here! You need Skull Gear! Your Bro L.J. James - 15574

Every year In a Little Town in New York called Ridge, On a Big Sandbar known as Long Island, Hundreds of Bikers who have only Antique Motorcycles on their minds. Gather to attend The Big Sandbar Chapter of The Antique Motorcycle Club of America,Inc’s annual “Winter Blues Swap meet” at the Ridge Firehouse. As I entered I was greeted by two lovely Lady’s. I told them who I was and they where happy to tell me about the Big Sandbar Chapter of the AMCA. I was told how the AMCA considers any Motorcycle 35 years or older an Antique.

Being I am a few years older then 35 and not feeling anything like an Antique, I’m thinking maybe it should be moved up to like 55 years an older! After all they say 50 is the new 30!

I also found out The Big Sandbar Chapter prides itself on being very Family Friendly, many of the Members are made up of Husbands and Wives and even some of their Kids. Many of the Big Sandbar Chapters events are Designed so the whole family can enjoy them together!

Of Course you Don’t need to be Married with Children to be a member of the Big Sandbar Chapter of the AMCA! All you need is a love for Antique Motorcycles and live anywhere in their coverage area which is from Montauk to Manhattan. The Chapter meets six times a year and is Well known for it’s Annual May Swap Meet at the Fireman’s Park in Ridge!

Harley Bikes

If you Ride a Motorcycle on Long Island then you have probably been to “The Maples” 10 Ryerson Ave in Manorville, If not with all the great routes you can ride to get there, sooner or later I’m sure you will find yourself parking your bike in front!

The Maples draws in every type of Rider, It does not matter what you Ride, how long you have been Riding or how often you chose to Ride! When you are at the Maples you are home! At the Maples it feels as if time is not only standing still ,but you may feel as if you have traveled back in time a few years! Even though the Maples is only about a mile North of exit 70 off the LIE you will feel like all the rush of the Long Island life is a Million miles away! Relaxing at the Maples is an easy thing to do.

Inside you can hang out at the main Bar, shoot a game of Pool or enjoy some of their great food in the large dinning area. Maybe you are more like me and after a nice Ride you enjoy relaxing out side.Well at the Maples you can relax on the huge side deck,Where if you are a fan of Trains you can enjoy the view of the Trains slowly rolling by as if out of a scene from a Norman Rockwell Painting!

Then there is the Huge back deck where there is a full service Bar, Jukebox, Pool table and more often then not a live band! Many Couples like to unwind over by the Perfectly landscaped Pond or walk around the huge backyard! As Maples is a Biker friendly bar you will find that many bike events are held there! After a trip to “the Maples” You will understand why many call it the Best Biker Bar in the Northeast and say that a day at the maples is more relaxing then a weekend trip upstate! The Maples offers Long Islanders everything the Upstate Country Bars do, Well except maybe that Ride threw the City!

Harley Bikes

I’ve heard it said that the first real Snow fall of the Holiday season is supposed to be magical.I’ve also heard it said that it means Santa is taking the slay out for the test run! Sunday December 2nd was the first real Snow fall of the 2007 Holiday Season on Long Island. Now I’m not saying I always believe Everything I hear, but it was a Magical Day and I did see Santa.

He was at the Cycle Sisters MC and the Reach Committee from Quest Diagnostics “Breakfast with Santa” Toy Fundraiser. The event started at 9am at the Marine Corps Building in Massapequa with a Smorgasbord of Breakfast foods, Donated by IHOP of Massapequa and Dunkin Donuts of North Babylon and Deer Park.

The place was packed with Children both young and old enjoying the morning festivity’s with Mr. Santa Claus himself! The only cost to enter was one Toy donated to the Marine Corps “Toys for Tots”. There where many Elves on hand to help Santa out, most had pointy ears but there was one Standing Tall and Proud in Uniform.

This was a great event and all the Children where thrilled to be able to sit and enjoy Breakfast and tell old St’ Nick what they wanted this year for Christmas! As for me well I can not think of many ways I’d rather spend a morning then with a bunch of Donuts and my friends the Lady’s of the Cycle Sisters MC!

Harley Bikes

Queensboro Motorcycle Club has been around for over 98 years! That’s right I said over 98 years, That’s not only a long time for a Motorcycle Club,that’s a long time for anything!

OK Lets stop and think about this for a minute, The first (gas-engined) Motorcycle was invented in 1885. (Of course some consider the first Motorcycle invented to be the two-cylinder, steam-engine motorcycle powered by coal invented in 1867 by American, Sylvester Howard Roper) Harley Davidson who started in 1903 only has 7 years on Queensboro MC!

This MC has been around since the infancy of the Motorcycle culture. Now I have only known Queensboro MC for about 8 of those 97 years but I can tell you over 97 years this group of Bikers have made many friends in and outside of the Motorcycle world! Their annual Motorcycle Rodeo Held each year at a local Park shows not only how many friends they have made but also how 98 years can teach you how to throw a great party.Just one look at the parking lot at the Rodeo shows you the wide diversity of their Friends,With Motorcycles from Harley to Honda, Ninja to Norton and so many others in between. Now you don’t need a Motorcycle to be part of the FOQ (Friends of Queensboro)Crew and some of their many friends showed up in cars to enjoy the perfect Summer day!

The Event starts with sign up at Rolling Thunder in Hempstead and a Scenic ride over to the Rodeo. Once at the Rodeo there are of course plenty of great Motorcycle Events to enter,None of them more memorable then the Port-a-Potty pull ! If you need to ask what a Port-a-Potty pull is, Well all I can say is your just going to have to show up at next years Rodeo! The Event also has many great Vendors,Food and Beverages, a D.J., Children’s events, a Bike Show and many games you don’t need a Motorcycle to play, Such as the Hilarious game “Shoot the Biker Freak”. The Final event of the day is always the Tug of War !

Queensboro MC’s Motorcycle Rodeo has a permanent mark on my calendar of events to attend every year and a big gold star on it for 2010!!! Check out QueensboroMC.com for info on their many other great Annual events!!!

Harley Bikes