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Electric motorcycles cost more to buy than their gas powered counterparts, but they only cost more up front. Their efficiency and low maintenance (no oil changes!) means that they save money over time… But how long would I have to ride my 600rr before it would cost as much as a comparable (loosely speaking) electric motorcycle?   Empulsebuyer has made a nifty calculator – you can check it out here…

Those Brits already (pretty much) know what Americans have yet to embrace: motorcycles are probably the swiftest way through cities. And although this commercial is a spoof, there really is motorcycle taxi service in London. And they actually let you cut through hours of traffic in minutes. Check it out here… and here.  If lane splitting were allowed, someone should give it a try here in NY.  Heck, maybe give it a try anyway.

I see your skateboard riding dog and raise you one monkey.  I guess it’s true we really are descended from these guys.  But two questions…  Is that a Rossi Yamaha rep?  And is that monkey on the blue bike smoking a cigarette?

It’s basically “like riding the elephant in India”

It’s surprising to me how even reasonable intelligent people think of bikers in terms of B-movie stereotypes.  It doesn’t help that a lot of the folks who work at bike shops like these stereotypes and play them up.  I think basically a lot of people don’t know how to dress or act, so when they decide to ride bikes, they just take up the whole shebang.  But I digress.  At CityBikerBlog we discourage the typical biker stereotypes – and there’s probably nothing further from it than these women.

There’s probably no better way to get around Manhattan on a warm day than on a scooter. A motorcycle is fine, but more work, and most don’t have the storage (and small traffic squeezing size) of scoot. And if you need extra storage you can strap a backpack onto the front and still have enough room for your feet. I always use an extra (blue) bungee (you can sorta’ see in the picture) in case the backpack strap fails somehow. It’s a good place for electronics because the bag lessens the vibration and bumps; as well as for things you want ready access to (like my camera). It’s also a good place to stick a car GPS (when it’s not raining). Continue Reading »

Or…why a Segway will never replace motorcycles and scooters…

There’s more than one good riding school out there, but these guys are among the best.  I mean who else could get Valentino Rossi to come do a training video?  And this promo is slick.  Which is important…because attending a track school should not only be educational, but it should also feel like a dream come true.

If you’ve ever thought of taking a an advanced riding school or track school, I’d say do it.  Even if you don’t plan to go to the track again.  I took the CSS level one a while back and thought it was worth every penny (and I could definitely benefit from level 2)…   But let me know what you think.  Have you been to any riding schools?  Worth it for a street rider or no?

It’s a good time of year to put some serious miles on your tires (when the weather is under a 100), and if you’re a corner speed junky, you may be getting some serious tire wear.  It’s probably a good things to be able to scrub off some serious rubber because it exposes the fresher (stickier) rubber underneath; but there might by something in the wear pattern that your bike is trying to tell you… Continue Reading »

This is probably the easiest way to ruin your expensive helmet: put it down for a second on the seat or a ledge.  Even if it’s perfectly stable, a breeze could come knock it over.  Well.. you can file this video under “useful ideas”, only I saw this on Motoblog, so I don’t know if you can get it here in the U.S.  Helmet spoilers that double as stands.  It reminds me of those helmet donuts people use to put their helmets down on a table or the floor in your office…  You can check out their website here.

So where is the safest place to put your helmet down for a minute or two?  Not on the floor by your feet (it can roll around or get kicked), and not on the tank (although that’s what I tend to do)…  Probably your best bet is to hang it on a mirror.  Got a better idea?  Share the wealth in the comments!

Lean angle…it’s one of those things people get mental blocks over.  You want to be able to lean it over, but fear takes over, and it bothers you.  Now if you don’t care about lean angle, that’s fine!  Better to keep the bike as upright as possible.  But if you want the option of being able to lean further than you do right now, then read on!  You don’t need to be a super-talented rider to lean your bike over all the way. But not being able to lean it over is kind of like not being able to turn your car’s steering wheel all the way…   Continue Reading »