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Here's The Motorcycle Touring Made Easy eZine - for February 2009
February 07, 2009

Motorcycle Touring Made Easy

....the eZine
....inside this issue

Welcome to the Motorcycle Touring Made Easy eZine
Our goal with our website is to provide motorcycle touring information to others that would like to get involved or know more about motorcycle touring. We've spent the last year gathering information and getting it together on the site and now with our eZine we're looking to bring you more and up to date information directly to you.

We hope that you find this information helpful and forward this eZine on to all your friends and if someone has sent this to you, please go to our home page and subscribe to get your own monthly copy. Just fill out the form and your there!

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Knowing the Basics - General Motorcycling
Group Riding Most folks get their first bike and off they go down the road for a ride. It's great to get out and ride, but nothing is better than riding with friends. This brings on an entire new aspect of riding, group riding.

There are many thoughts to group riding, so we won't get into the details so much as we will just provide the basics. The basic idea of group riding is to be seen. Other vehicles on the road don't pay attention for motorcycles and with all those new distractions like cell phones, DVD players, navigation systems, etc. it's even worse.

The formation is fairly simple, there are two tracks in the lane where the car tires run, so we run those same tracks and stager left and right. This allows the group to maintain a tight formation so cars don't go diving in and out while still maintaining a 2 second following distance on the bike in front of you.

Communication is key, and if you have CB's or Chatterbox's that would be the best way to go, but if you don't, basic hand signals like we were all taught when kids riding bicycles work well. Just make sure everyone knows what they are before heading out.



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Out on the Road - Riding and Safety
Being seen is a great thing. Most accidents are from a car or truck not seeing the motorcyclist. Group riding above helps but we don't always ride in groups. So what can we do to be seen by others.

The first thing that comes to mind is the bike itself. Chrome can be a great thing as well as bright colors. I've seen bikes painted flat black and just shake my head. Why would anyone paint a bike flat back when it's hard to see already?

Lights are another great thing. If you can add a few lights here and there that can be a great help especially at night. Check out G&B Cycle Goodies if you are around the mid Atlantic states for some great lighting and lighting ideas. Just check with your state to make sure this is legal where you live.

Probably the least expensive and one of the most effective things you can do is use reflective materials. Reflective tape is available at most auto stores and when purchasing riding gear, look for gear that has reflective material sewn into it.

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Keeping Garage Time Short - Maintenance Tips
With the winter months we tend to ride a bit less or store the bike for the winter. So it's important that you check your bike before you head out after it's been sitting for a while.

First things first, check your tires! Things to look for are under inflation, this could lead to flat spots if you did not raise the bike off the ground. I overinflate my tires by about 3 or 4 pounds for storage then adjust the pressure prior to riding in the spring. Also look for any damage. If fluids have gotten on your tires such as oils etc. I would highly recommend getting a new tire. Fluids like this can damage them and cause soft spots. The last thing you need is to have a blowout at speed.

Change out all the fluids. Oils and lubrication can become contaminated with moisture from condensation when they sit in the cold. It's best to drain motor and rear end oils at least. Also if you did not top off your gas tank prior to the winter storage, put some "Dry Gas" in your tank and then top it off.

Check lights, brakes, turn signals, etc. before that first ride. Make sure that this check is the most thorough check you do. Chances are, once you start riding, you'll want to ride and not look at your bike so much. So make a good check now to look for any problems before they arise on the road.

If you should have any tips of your own, see our tips page and post it so that others can learn from your knowledge.

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Our View On Parts - Product Review
We've found a great way to mount accessories on to your bike. Most mounts tend to be bulky over sized and get in the way of both your vision and sometimes your controls. The best thing would be to have a mount that will allow you to place your accessories in a place that allows access to your controls and gauges while not being bulky themselves.

We've found that in SAENG. The pieces for the mounts are well made and designed for many different applications. You can add onto the mounts as you buy more "toys".

Support for the mounts is excellent. We purchased our mount and were having trouble with the metal ball swivel holding tight. One call and we were told that they had developed a rubber coated ball and they sent one to us no charge.

So for a clean and versatile mount for your GPS, MX Radio, etc. look into SAENG. If you don't see what you need, give them a call and they'll be more than happy to help you out.

Keep an eye out this spring as we test some mounting hardware from Leader MotorSports Accessories.

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If you have any information you'ld like to discuss, we have our new forum up and need YOUR input to get some great and current discussions going. See our Forum Here



Judy and I hope that you've enjoyed our eZine and if so, please send it on to your friends. If you have any tips that you would like to see posted on our site go to our tips page. We'll get them on our site and maybe use it in our eZine as well.

Also feel free to Contact Us with any questions or suggestions.

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