Motorcycle Clubs

Motorcycle Clubs

Let’s start with a bit of history. First motorcycle clubs were social groups just like any social group out there, for example an American Legion club or a car club. Then as time went by these clubs started to become motorcycle gang clubs. Right now we have a mix of both worlds and then some. We still have the normal motorcycle gangs, motorcycle social clubs and motorcycle groups that are more for raising money. Many of these clubs now have their own publishing of some sort such as a magazine or newsletter.

Motorcycle clubs are great sources of information when it comes to buying a bike, restoring a bike or wanting to get ideas on customization and accessorizing. In addition, motorcycle clubs provide a great deal of knowledge and support. In most cases if you’re having a problem with your motorcycle you will almost always get answers at a motorcycle club since someone at some time has probably faced the problem you are faced with.

There are 4 different types of motorcycle clubs:

- International, National and Independent (ex. BMW MOA which stands for Motorcycle Owner’s Association
- Manufacturer created / sponsored (ex. H.O.G. which stands for Harley Owners Group

Here are the websites for both of the above clubs:

Motorcycle Clubs Index

H.O.G. Harley Owners Group

BWM Motorcycle Owners of America

Read up on them, talk to some people that belong to them, and see which one is right for you. Not all motorcycle clubs are the same and not all will be your cup of tea so do your research.

If you would like to post a link on this website on a club you are part of or would recommend just submit your information by filling out the form below and we’ll list it here for others to view and enjoy.

Motorcycle Weight

Motorcycle Weight:

Question for you, if your motorcycle fell over and you were by yourself would you be able to pick it up all by yourself? Are you stong enough and big enough to be able to pick up your selected motorcycle? Motorcycle weight is very important. One of the considerations for your motorcycle shopping should not only be style / type but also size and weight.

Motorcycle weight is important especially if you always or majority of your riding is alone. Remember that it's not always your fault that your bike can be flat on the ground. You could run into someone that doesn't like you or someone clumsy and either on purpose or by accident tip your bike over. Are you big and strong enough to pick it up? Think about this. It's not always about style, how much power, and type of riding you're going to be doing but it's also thinking about these unfortunate situations.

Nothing new here but of course a larger bike with larger motor will weigh more, touring bike for example, and a smaller bike suck as a dirt bike will weight much less. Different types of motorcycles and purposes of course. Most motorcycles have a different center of gravity which will also depend on how easy or hard it is to pick it up and handle.

You are probably thinking right now what dealer or private seller will put their motorcycle down so i can try to pick it up and test. Well not many but they might help show you themselves.

A few tips:

- Sit on the motorcycle (with permission of course)
- Make sure both your feet are flat on the ground (if not you might need to adjust the seat
- Slowely tip the motorcycle from side to side and feel it out
- Walk the motorcycle front and back

If you do the above and the motorcycle feels comfortable for you then the size and weight is probably ok for you. Use this as a guide only.

One last item: just because a motorcycle is heavier but you like the style / type / and it's for the purpose you are looking for it might be the right one for you. If you happen to come to a situation where you cannot lift it yourself you will simply need other people's help. If it fits right and is what you're looking for, then get it. Motorcycle weight will not be able to handle it during riding.

Motorcycle Seats

Motorcycle Seat Height:

Motorcycle seat height is very important for several reasons but the most important is whether or not you'll be able to support your motorcycle comfortably while you are at complete stop. Depending on the total weight of your motorcycle and your body size and weight you might be challanged to support your motorcycle if your feet are not touching the ground flat while at a stop. In addition, when backing into a parking spot you will need to have full control over your motorcycle to fully and confidantly support the motorcycle. You simply cannot be touching the ground with one foot at a time with your toes and think you can support the motorcycle, if you think this you are WRONG because sooner or later you will drop your bike. There are many motorcycle seat manufacturers such as Corbin or JCWhitney.com
. Corbin makes great motorcycle seats in a wide variety of comforts and styles.

Before you buy any seat the best way is to try it. Go to a motorcycle store or even during motorcycle shows and sit on them to see which type and style is right for you.

Motorcycle seat are like any motorcycle accessory. There are many makes and models, even adjustable seats.

Comfort, make sure the motorcycle seat you select is comfortable for you. Some will not be by design. They might simply be for a particular purpose in mind. A sport motorcycle will have less comfortable seat compared to a touring bike.

Click here to read more about motorcycle seats.

Motorcycle Power and CCs

Motorcycle Power, CCs, and Engine Size


Motorcycle Power:

When it comes to motorcycle power and how much power a motorcycle engine produces size does not matter. It's simlply not true so don't belive anyone who tells you otherwise.

Size of a motorcycle engine is not a good indicator of the actual power it produces. There are many factors of and most important is type of engine. For example inline 4 cyclinder compared to air-cooled. These days with techonolgical advances an engine with 900CCs might produce as much output as a 600CC engine. Technology has come a long way. Some large engines surely will produce more power but think of their weight.

Depending on type of riding you're going to do a higher cylinder motorcycle engine will be smoother than a 1 or 2 cyclinder. However, with a 1 or 2 cyclinder engine you'll probably get more torque out of them. These engines are typically rougher, louder and slower running / turning. To both types there are exceptions just like with anything.

Every motorcycle is designed by the manufacturer with a purpose in mind and when you are selecting your motorcycle type think about what will be sufficient in terms of power for you. This is very important because if you want a higher torque motor then you probably want a motorcycle engine with less cyclinders and for a smoother ride you probably want a V-Twin or 4 cyclinder.

Please remember that just because a motorcycle has for example 900cc it has more horsepower and remember that a motorcycle that has CC's in the 1000s will probably be great for all around touring but will not produce the same results as a lightweight 4 cyclinder 650cc sport bike. The 600cc sport bike will have to run at much higher RPMs to get the same horsepower then the larger CC motorcycle but performance is greater. Of course something has to give right, you loose the comfort and require you to be more in control of the motorcycle.

We like to compare for example a touring bike to a sport bike or a dirt bike in this way: a touring bike is like riding a caddy :) vs a small sport car.

Hope this helps you decide on your motorcycle type and size.

Does Size Matter? Motorcycle Engine, Seat, Height and Chassis Size, What kind did you think?

Motorcycle Engine, Seat, Heitght and Chassis Size


So you know what type of motorcycle type you want, right? Now we you need to figure out what size is right for you. You might be thinking what do they mean? We mean motorcycle engine, height, seat, and chassis to name a few as examples.

Motorcycle Sizes:

By first selecting what type of motorcycle you are looking for you are essentially narrowing down your options and of course motorcycle sizes to a select few. In motorcycle world bigger is not always better as you might think. More power is not always better, higher is not always better, a larger seat is not always better. It all depends on what you are looking for for you.

Think about this. If you have a motorcycle such as a touring type (usually big and heavy) and if you weigh a quarter of it's weight you might be challanged backing it into a parking spot or even touching the ground when at a stop light. So motorcycle height or size is very important for you. Think about if you happen to, and yes it happens, drop it. Will you have enough strength to pick it up?

Select a motorcycle that fits you. Make sure that the motorcycle has enough power to carry you and a passanger (if that's what that particular bike is made for) and can still have enough power if you were to fill the saddle bags. Also make sure both of your legs can touch the ground flat when you're sitting on the motorcycle.

Dual Sport Motorcycle Type

Motorcycle Types


There are several types of motorcycle types or categories. They are: a standard, cruiser, dirt, sport, sport tourer, tour, and dual sport. Each motorcycle type is made with a purpose in mind. We'll go into a bit of a description of each motorcycle type to get you a better understanding what they are typically used for.

Dual Sport Motorcycle Type:

A dual sport motorcycle type is a happy medium between a dirt bike and a standard motorcycle. They are street legal and you have the option to take this motorcycle offroad.

Dual sport motorcycle have special suspension (more travel) to be able to take it offroad. Hand guards as well as skid plates are usually standard on a dual sport. They are a bit heavier than a dirt bike so handling offroad will not be as good and if you get stuck you might have a harder time to get out compared to a dirt bike. This is a very durable motorcycle for both road as well as offroad type riding.

Almost all manufacturers make a dual sport. Some examples models are Kawasaki KX, Honda XR, and Suzuki DS models. BMW makes a GS model.

Touring Motorcycle Type

Motorcycle Types


There are several types of motorcycle types or categories. They are: a standard, cruiser, dirt, sport, sport tourer, tour, and dual sport. Each motorcycle type is made with a purpose in mind. We'll go into a bit of a description of each motorcycle type to get you a better understanding what they are typically used for.

Touring Motorcycle Type:

Harley Road King, BDW R1100 RT, Honda Goldwing are types of models that fall into the touring motorcycle type group. Great bikes! If you're looking to do long distance riding requiring comfort this type of motorcycle is for you. In order for a motorcycle model to fit into this category it MUST have hard luggage racks.

These motorcycle types are almost always equipped with luggage racks with plenty of storage, golve box, fairings, armchair type backseat and windshield and almost always a rubber mounted high performance engine. Touring bikes sometimes come with cruise control as well as heat and air conditioning.

If you're looking for comfort, a touring motorcycle type is for you.

Sport Tourer Motorcycle

Motorcycle Types


There are several types of motorcycle types or categories. They are: a standard, cruiser, dirt, sport, sport tourer, tour, and dual sport. Each motorcycle type is made with a purpose in mind. We'll go into a bit of a description of each motorcycle type to get you a better understanding what they are typically used for.

Sport Tourer Motorcycle Type:

A sport tourer motorcycle is a mix of sport and touring type of motorcycle. This type of motorcycle is typically best for aggresive riding which requires performance as well as comfort. A sport tourer motorcycle is much like a sport bike in terms of looks but with easier ways for accessory attachments, such as luggage systems (standard on many models). These bikes will probably be equiped with fuel injection as well as anti-lock brakes.

Several manufactures make a sport touring bike such as Honda ST1100 model, or BMW R1100 RS model.

Sport Motorcycle Type

Motorcycle Types


There are several types of motorcycle types or categories. They are: a standard, cruiser, dirt, sport, sport tourer, tour, and dual sport. Each motorcycle type is made with a purpose in mind. We'll go into a bit of a description of each motorcycle type to get you a better understanding what they are typically used for.

Sport Motorcycle Type:

Sport motorcycles are typically designed for speed, look and to be bigger and faster. Most manufactureres make sport bikes but the Japanese and Italian manufactureres stand out of the crowd. Manufactures like Susuki, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Ducati, and Moto Guzzi to name a few of the leaders. Some of the more popular models are Honda CBR, Yamaha YZF, Kawasaki Ninja, Suzuki GSX-R, Triumph T595, and Ducati 900SS and 916 series.

Sport motorcycles in general will have high performance engines such as an inline four or a V-twin along with light alloy frames. These features makes these types of motorcycles fast and performance is at the top of the list of requirements by riders of sport bikes. A few other items that make a sport bike a sport bike are: lightweight chassis, specialty stiky tires , aerodynamic and colorful body. One thing sport motorcycles do not have is comfort.

Dirt Motorcycle Type

Motorcycle Types


There are several types of motorcycle types or categories. They are: a standard, cruiser, dirt, sport, sport tourer, tour, and dual sport. Each motorcycle type is made with a purpose in mind. We'll go into a bit of a description of each motorcycle type to get you a better understanding what they are typically used for.

Dirt Motorcycle Type:

Dirt bikes are small, tough, and light. The reason they are built this way is for the following reasons: ease of handling (most important), small displacement engines, take a beating, and withstand being dropped over and over. Dirt bikes have great suspensions and tires that dig into dirt like no other. A dirt bike does not have turn signals, tail rights or any other devices required by the US government to be street legal. These accessories are also ommited from the dirt bike to avoid breakage. This basic fact diffirenciates between a dirt and dual sport motorcycles.

Most dirt bikes are built by Japanese and European manufacturers such as Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, KTM and Husqvarna.