Archive for June, 2011
Searching For The Right Hog
A Harley Davidson isn’t a motorcycle a mindset a ride or a hog. It’s an entire culture within our national fabric complete with leather clothes wild rides thousands of tshirts and darn good people. When you purchase a Harley you are entering a whole new world with friends in every corner and a way of life stretching out before you like a long scenic stretch of highway. For folks wanting to purchase a Harley who aren’t close to a dealership or who simply like to do things online there are several ways to be a part of this vibrant community.
Straight To The Dot
HarleyDavidson is a dealer site that really packs a punch. You can view videos of their motorcycles in action and get 360o pictures along with a full description and options available. You pick the motorcycle by picture so you don’t have to go through a bunch of names to see a bike you like. They also have a database of preowned Harleys and a great program called “TryaBike” where you can see a list of demo ride events offered in cities around the country. Another bonus for people not quite sure if a Harley is for them is found on the “Experience” page where you can go to plan a trip and rent a Harley while you are there. For great descriptions and community spirit the dealer site is the place to start.
Local Dealers
Not only does HarleyDavidson have an amazing site but each local dealer also has a site full of amenities and helpful links. As an example: Barnett HarleyDavidson in El Paso Texas has a list of current bikes in inventory internet specials and clothing you can purchase online for you or a hog loving friend. A step in a more practical direction the site also shows financial calculators and lists financing options for customers with weak credit and customers wanting to buy a privately owned Harley Davidson. You can also link to the Harley’s Owner Group H.O.G. in El Paso or see photos of the store and area. Each local website is different but they all offer helpful advice and sales online.
Blogs About Hogs
If you want advice from the riders themselves or just want to share thoughts and feelings about the Harley experience there are hundreds of blogs on the internet directed to and written by Harley owners. Some blogs are highly technical parts manifests or advice on everything from oil changes to trickle chargers. Others are more introspective travel dairies of people who have undertaken a cross country journey on their bike. There are blogs that list the most helpful dealerships or where you can stop along a crosscountry trip if you need a good meal or quick repair. Harley collectibles from Zippo lighters to leather chaps also have their own blog sites where collectors can buy and trade discover release dates and relate tales of where they acquired their object.
HarleyDavidson is more than just a brand it’s a people who like loud bikes long rides and shared experiences. Getting your Harley online is one of many ways go along for the ride.
About the writer: James Brown writes about Performance Products online coupons PartsAmerica.com deals and AutoSport Catalog discount codes
Ride Motorcycle To Save Money And For Pleasure
The rising cost of gasoline in todays world has pushed the average consumer to new extremes to try to conserve fuel and save money. There have been many inventions to help gain gas mileage with the most recent being hybrid cars. Ever since the invention of the motorcycle in the early 1900′s people have been improving upon the engines of the motorcycle and have been perfecting the fuel efficiency. However no commercially ready solution so far has been able to compare to the motorcycles legendary conservation of gasoline.
The main reason that motorcycles receive such excellent fuel mileage is simply a matter of weight. There is less machine and driver to propel forward so there is less fuel consumed. This has been attempted in the car realm however the results have been a bit hilarious. Three wheeled covered cars simply look ridiculous. Any self respecting motorcycle rider wouldn’t be caught in one of those things.
Some people may make the claim that their small car is better for their family. In some cases this may be true. However a family of three can ride in a motorcycle. Simply use a mounted side car and have one passenger in the side car while the other passenger rides behind the driver. Using this configuration still allows for fuel savings and gives the family some time spent on the open road in a fun and enjoyable way. When using this configuration consider using a set of helmet mounted radios so that the whole family can communicate with each other.
Some motorcycles are able to achieve an amazing 80 miles per gallon of fuel standard not modified from the factory. The best car so far commercially made has been a 63 miles per gallon hybrid from Honda. However there is a point to consider in all of this regarding insurance. With a brief interview from a national insurance company the representative said that it is generally cheaper for motorcycle insurance than for automobile insurance. Of course the actual amount that would be paid is based upon the drivers experience driving history motorcycle or automobile type safety factors of each vehicle and the actual cost of the vehicle.
So should you buy a motorcycle to replace your car? That choice is up to you. However in a recent study an independent company found that with rising costs of fuel the sales of motorcycles has risen dramatically. I’m sure that these people did not simply trade in their cars for their new motorcycles. Rather they have started using the motorcycles for day to day errand running and such.
The last thing to consider when deciding whether to ride or drive is the fun factor. Riding a motorcycle has been described as low altitude flying. Feeling the motor surge and the road soar beneath you as the machine floats along on a cushion of fun. Can you say that you feel this in a car? That is most likely not the case.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp; Jafrum.com sells motorcycle helmets and motorcycle gear. You can find articles and products at our website www.jafrum.com
All information given on this web site by Jafrum.com is given in good faith but we shall not be held liable for any loss or damages suffered by any client customer or other visitor to this site on account of any inaccuracy of description or information or as a result of any change or new information which may have arisen after the date of publication.
“Copyright 2007 Jafrum International Inc.
Revisiting Two Classics – Tr7 Versus The Alfa Romeo 2000
As many a motoring journalist will tell you beauty is often alleged to be in the eye of the beholder or in this case the ignition key holder.
Taking a look at these two former rivals from the safety and security of history we can now look back and see what we possibly failed to appreciate in one and positively eulogized in the other.
With regards to the two cars opinion was a little different over 20 years ago.
The common consensus at the time was that the TR 7 was ugly and the Alfa Romeo Spider was elegant and rather beautiful. How opinions have changed in the ensuing years.
Sure looking back at the Spider the Pinninfarina designed curves are all elegant and timeless but the sharply angular TR 7 scrubs up quite well over the years too.
If we take a look at the specifications we get a rough idea of what we’re dealing with. With the TR 7 in 1981 you got a 2 Litre engine 1998cc actually that developed 105bhp 5500rpm and it had a torque of 119lb/ft 3500rpm. The transmission had a five speed manual gear box. There was rack and pinion steering. The wheels were 13 x 5.5 alloys and the tyres were 185/70×13 with disc brakes on the front and drum brakes on the rear.
How dated is this car? Well it had a 0 to 60 of 9.6 seconds and a top speed of 112 miles an hour. Performance that probably doesn’t even match a brandnew Ford focus nowadays. However back in the eighties this car had a certain amount of cool.
Turning our spy glass round to view the Spiders specs in the late seventies and early eighties Alfa Romeo presented us with the following.
An engine that was just under 2 Litre 1962cc in fact and this in turn provided 150bhp 6000rpm compare that with the 105bhp 5500rpm of the TR7 The Torque was 132lb/ft 3750rpm. The transmission had a five speed manual box the wheels were 4.5×15 steel alloys and tyres were 165×15. The car had disc brakes all round and had a 060 of 9.1 seconds and top speed of 120mph.
Looked at this way and there really is no comparison.
The overall comparison on both cars is favourable to be honest and both cars have their legions of fans. For the TR7 one opinion given was that it was nice and clean to look at basically uncluttered. Just a straightforward easy to look at car. Fans liked the wedge shape of the car believing that this may contribute positively to better road holding. Hmmm?
With regards to the Spider fans always believed that ever since the car was featured in the Dustin Hoffman film The Graduate in 1967 the shape of the spider has always been considered sexy. The problem with values nowadays is that you can buy good a TR7 for less than half the price of a good spider.
Perhaps that makes common sense?
About the writer: Scott James writes about a number of Auto issues such as Car Dealers in Manchester and Nevada Driver Education. A keen proponent of all aspects of free and independent services available he advises clients to look at the financial implications of Auto Insurance matters available.