Global Public Articles

I’ve written before about the advantages of having a good motorcycle GPS unit mounted on the handlebars of your motorcycle. Motorcycle GPS navigation technology has revolutionized modern navigation systems, and that includes motorcycle navigation.

Navigation has always been a problem for the traveler. In the past navigation for motorcyclists wasn’t easy. Maps weren’t accurate, and even if they were weren’t easy to follow, and even if they were then it wasn’t easy to do when you’re riding. And it’s raining. And it’s windy. And so on. Navigation on a motorcycle could be a pain.

So the advent of motorcycle GPS, well GPS in general, was a revolution in navigation for the average motorcyclist. And walker, and car driver and so on.

GPS itself wasn’t the only technology that achieved this, GPS alone isn’t such a great navigation tool for the average person. For the army maybe, but not for your average motorcyclist. Because GPS on it’s own just gives you a latitude and a longitude. And having a latitude and a longitude isn’t all that user friendly unless you have a great map and know exactly how to use the information.

However modern technology has come to the rescue and made huge gains with adding more functional technology to GPS technology to make a GPS navigation system much more user friendly.

The big breakthrough was modern digital mapping software combined with GPS technology. A good motorcycle GPS unit now tells you exactly where you are and where you’re going, and exactly how to get there, all on a map that anyone can read. And it will tell you how to get there with voice prompts along the way if you’re a motorcycle rider who doesn’t want to look down at a critical time. It all goes straight to your helmet.

OK, so motorcyclists can rely on a good motorbike GPS unit to get themselves around the US right? But what about elsewhere. Will it work in, say, Australia if you want to ride around Australia? How about New Zealand? How about anywwhere?

Mongolia?

Mongolia? Surely motorbike GPS units can’t work in an out of the way place like Mongolia? After all, have they even heard of technology in Mongolia? Let alone GPS technology.

So I was very interested to watch a video today about motorcycle navigation by GPS in China and …. inner Mongolia. Yes it works. You CAN navigate in Mongolia by use of good modern GPS technology. And in the video they tell you about how they do it. I was so stunned by the video that I put a copy of it on my website.

Believe me, this is a major advantage for anyone wanting to do a remote motorcycle trip. I say believe me because I’ve lived in China. It’s madness on the roads, there’s no road signs you can read, there’s no maps you can read, and I wouldn’t have even tried to ride anywhere without some way of finding my way around.

Now good motorcycle GPS can get you around, almost to the yard.

So yes, motorcycle GPS works a treat, in the US, but if you don’t have one you can still get around fine. But it is an essential tool in places like China, and inner Mongolia. In fact I’d say if you’re going to ride through places like this, don’t leave home without your motorcycle GPS system mounted right there on your handlebars.

For a website totally dedicated to motorcycle GPS systems visit Peter’s Website Motorcycle GPS Deals and find out about Tom Tom motorcycle gps and more, including motorcycle gps mounts.

If you are a motorcycle enthusiast of any kind you have probably thought about buying a Harley Davidson at some point in time. The sound, the power, the ride all seem alluring to those of us who like it on two wheels. One option when purchasing a Harley is to go with a used bike. Most Harley owners maintain their bikes better than their cars so buying into the used market is a pretty safe bet unlike other makes or brands. Harley owners have a lot of pride in their bikes.

So when you go to buy a used motorcycle and in this case a Harley here are the top things you need to consider to make it a good sale and a good ride for you.

1. One of the biggest advantages of buying a used Harley is that more than likely it will already be somewhat customized. The basic truth is that most stock bikes off the factory are not that great looking. So most Harley owners right away go and add lots of chrome, maybe a new seat, a backrest and sometimes a windshield or saddlebags.

2. Now if you bought a new bike and then went and purchased all of these nice and fancy accessories it might run you ton of bucks. Not to mention you have to have them installed or spend lots of time doing it yourself. Then you will find that many a used bike has had a custom paint job done to it which can drive the price up as well.

3. A key factor in deciding to go used is that the average Harley Davidson maintains its value well, but if you buy a brand-new bike you will find it depreciates quite a bit the first year. This is just like any new car you might buy. So now we have three good reasons why buying a used bike are a good idea for you. How about some more?

4. When checking out a used Harley over at the seller’s house or place of business you will want to give it a close look over to make sure it has not been in an accident or dropped. Some of the key things to look for when inspecting the bike are new brake or clutch grips, mirrors or foot pegs. This could be a warning sign that the bike has been dropped, since these are the first to get damaged. Man have I had that happen to me. Back in the days of my first bikes this was all too common. Now with big bikes I am not dropping them if I can help it at all.

5. Ask the seller in some detail why he wants to sell the bike. It never hurts to have a conversation to determine just what the motivation is for the seller. With the way the economy is today, a lot of people are selling for financial reasons. Harley owners are dedicated, but if it comes down to the House or the bike, in most cases the house payment usually wins. You can help a fellow Harley owner out by buying his bike and you will also be getting a great deal below market value. Make it a conversation and not an inquisition. Get into their love for the bike and find out if it is hardship, upgrading or what that is motivating them to sell. By being interested in their story you might even turn things in your favor when it comes time to nail down a price.

In these days of vast shopping and research options on the internet, shopping for a used Harley online is the easiest way to find a good deal. Online auctions are a good source. Be sure and read the description carefully and don’t hesitate to ask for more pictures from the seller. If you need close-ups of anything be sure and say so. Most sellers are happy to send you more photographs. If you purchased your used Harley online then you will need to arrange for shipping at a reasonable price. Some of the online motor vehicle auction sites like eBay will give you a quote before you make your purchase.

It will always pay to do your research no matter whether you are looking for your bike online or across town. Be thorough, ask questions, take a test ride if you can and most of all, be diligent and honest in your transaction with the seller. Then once you get that used Harley Davidson home you can make it your pride and joy. And don’t forget the insurance and helmet if you live in a helmet law state.

Do you love Harley Davidson motorcycles? Then come on over and see them in video action. Share your love of Harleys and see our videos. Hot Harley Videos

GPS is the new wave of navigating, and motorcycle GPS is no exception. But what exactly is GPS and why would you want it on a motorcycle?

GPS stands for global positioning system. It’s a high tech way of saying that it tell you where you are on the globe, and if you’ve got a motorcycle GPS system it tells you where your motorcycle is.

A GPS, including a motorcycle GPS, works by receiving radio signals from a series of satellites that are positioned in orbit around the globe. By cross referencing these satellite signals your motorcycle GPS unit can work out, to an accuracy of around 6 meters or less, exactly where you are.

In order for your GPS to work you need to be in a location where you can pick up the radio signals from a number of different satellites so that they can be cross referenced. Too few satellites and the accuracy goes down, none, or one, and it’s useless.

Early GPS systems, whilst accurate, had limited usefulness for the motorcyclist or car driver because they gave you your position on the globe in latitude and longitude. Whilst it was accurate, it wasn’t really user friendly, because you couldn’t really use it to plot your position on a map unless you were extremely map savvy and had the resources to do so. However modern motorcycle GPS systems have advanced way beyond this, and the best motorbike GPS units have now become a total motorcycle navigation solution.

The GPS technology has been combined with modern mapping software to eliminate the problem of being given only a latitude and longitude. Now you have a visual display that shows you exactly where you are on the map. So at a glance you can tell where you are.

And where you are wanting to go. Because high quality modern motorbike GPS systems are sufficiently high tech to allow you to rely on them 100% for your complete navigation needs.

So along with a map display showing you where you are you are also able to ask your motorcycle GPS to tell you how to get to where you want to go. It will do this with extraordinary accuracy, and will do so with both visual map pointers and voice prompts via bluetooth technology direct to your motorcycle helmet.

A good GPS motorcycle unit will come preloaded with a massive number of maps, and so you can navigate your way right across the country with the maps supplied. It should also have points of interest loaded as well, so that you can ask it to tell you the nearest fuel stop, motel or food stop.

And a dedicated motorcycle GPS unit should come with a properly designed handlebar mount so that you can mount it right there in front of you on the handlebars. However you shouldn’t need to look at it regularly, this isn’t safe, it should tell you direct to your helmet when you need to turn right or left.

It will also be able, if you have the correct subscriptions, to tell you when there is a traffic problem up ahead, and also tell you how to navigate your way around it. So by relying on your GPS navigator you should save both time, fuel and frustrations.

And make phone calls or listen to music along the way too if you wish.

A modern motorcycle GPS unit is one of the best tools a motorcyclist can have if he or she likes long rides. It does away with the need to carry, and consult, maps, and makes navigating a breeze.

And then at the end of the day you can download your ride and store it to recreate in the future. Or share it with your friends.

For a website totally dedicated to motorcycle gps visit Peter’s Website Motorcycle GPS Deals and find out about Garmin motorcycle gps and more, including motorcycle gps mounts.

Riding motorbikes can be a great means of travel, especially if you commute a lot.It is practical, cheap (as well as efficient) and it is enjoyable, all at the same time. With more and more big cities getting crowded, driving cars around can be a tough job.

This is where motorbikes come in - they are mobile, and you will not have to worry about traffic jams and parking spaces. Motorbikes are cheap, both to purchase and operate, and most of them are very affordable. This is probably why in most Asian cities motorbikes are more popular than cars. Plus, riding motorbikes all day long can be quite fun, especially if you commute a lot.

There are several kinds of motorbikes available. Those of you who love big bikes could opt for sport bikes or roadsters. Almost all popular brands, from the Japanese Yamaha and Honda to Harley Davidson and Daytona, have big sport bikes and roadsters. Imagine riding a Yamaha R6; a definite head turner. It would not be hard for you men to get dates when riding one of the available sport bikes or roadsters.

If you are looking for a more compact motorbike, average 125cc bikes from various models can be selected. They provide a nice mix of performance and efficiency, and you will enjoy travelling on them all day.

This group of bikes is lighter than sport bikes, so you will not get fatigued even if you use them for hours on end. Not compact enough, you say? A Scooter or CVT bike (also known as matic bikes) might be the one for you. They are usually fashionable, suitable for both male and female riders, and very compact. You can cruise through London traffic with ease when riding one of these.

Safety might be the main issue when riding motorbikes. Most cities (or countries) obligate riders to wear specific kind of safety equipment, from helmets to riding glasses, so make sure you comply with these safety regulations. Other than that, riding motorbikes is safe enough to do every day. There is no doubt that enjoying the wind blowing through your hair while you cruise through streets is addictive, and once you experience the true enjoyment of riding motorbikes, it will be hard for you to switch to other means of transport.

Let us take London for example. Riding motorbikes, it would not be hard for you to travel from one point to another. Whether it is work or pleasure, cruising through London on a motorbike will most definitely be exciting. You will be able to enjoy London’s classic scenery even more.

Parking space? No problem, since your motorbike will be compact enough to park comfortably just about anywhere. Traffic in London can be a pain, but riding motorbikes will solve this problem as well. Before you know it, you will be enjoying sundown on the Thames right after work. Let us not forget how economical riding motorbikes are, as well.

Believe me when I say that riding motorbikes is the way to go these days. You can’t get enough of that riding sensation, once you started.

Bikesure are a leading UK Bike Insurance Broker offering Motorcycle Insurance Quotes for a range of different types of Bike.

Think back to the last time you had a moped under you; was it summer fun or a day’s rental in Spain or Greece? Remember dodging the potholes, the sea, the sun, the pedal starter to get the hair drier going? The last time I was even on a bike, it was a Kawasaki 125 - an old heavy donkey of a bike, not a proper motorbike as any aficionado will tell you, but not quite a moped either. I’d been to a birthday party, I was wearing nothing but my jeans, and it was a beautiful starry night.

Anyway, back to reality. What about mopeds as the ultimate get-around utility vehicle? The little gadget that saves you a lot of money - you know, insurance, tax, petrol, parking, time - just about everything, really.

As we know, the vast majority of mopeds today come in the shape of scooters (the original Vespa design barely changed since the good old ’60’s) but that doesn’t make any of the new bikes ‘retro’; if anything, they get more and more beefier and powerful as time goes by. So, let’s start at the ‘toy’ end, like the electric scooters made by ‘razor’.

Before you laugh, think about it - zero emissions, so no restrictions in your travel on ‘zero car days’ some cities are having now, and less road tax. Secondly, no hair dryer (it’s electric) and no trips to the petrol station. This equals more time for what you want - and more money in your pocket to do it. And yes, if you splash out, you’ll see some change from 190 pounds.

It all sounds too good to be true, but then these vehicles are literally only for city streets and short runs; thirty miles being the distance and thirty miles per hour the speed limit, so examine all the lifestyle applications before you buy.

The next step is a 49/50 cc . Take a Katana AY50, for instance. I’m not brand pushing, it’s just that these have been around since 1997 so there’s a good chance you’ve seen one. Hair dryer? Well maybe. There is a liquid cooled version as well, so that’s up to you.

Will you be lugging around a helmet when you reach your destination? Again that’s up to you. There is a storage area beneath the seat. Cheap to run? Well, you’re talking about a six litre tank, approx. 1.5 gallons , so a nice range of 120 miles or so. What I would call a gallon-a-week ride.

Nearly all the information I have put here is fairly standard (irrespective of the brand name you buy) so choice, as with many things, boils down to price and reliability - and what you are happy to be seen driving.

You will save money. Even a chimpanzee recognises this, but as a homosapien wanting wheels, you might as well be cheap. You’re more likely to be able to afford those sun kissed moped rides as a result, and you’re doing something positive for the environment also.

Bikesure are a leading specialist Moped Insurance broker, specialising in Motorcycle Insurance of all types.