2020 the lost year…. Just not a lot of cool motorcycle “art” this year. I only found 9 motorcycle tanks that I thought were really special.
The tank is the center of attention for almost all motorcycles. Some folks can get really creative on what they paint or construct for their motorcycles. I really hope that 2021 folks can get back to crazy paint, sheet metal and other tools to produce some truly unique projects.
If you have a candidate for 2021’s list please drop me a comment below!
During 2020 I collected 23 motorcycle memes that I though were funny, good or made a point.
I had a very hard time deciding which one I liked best, for me it came down to “Aliens” or “Make ready to RIDE!”. Well it is a tie for me… which one do you like best?
Here are the best 9 motorcycle memes for 2020.
Ride on Ride Safe
2020 was a lost year in more than a few different ways. For motorcyclists not only did we lose riding time we also seem to have lost some motorcycle art.
There were just not very many “candidates” for the wild, weird motorcycle helmet list this year. I barely had enough to hit 9, the minimum number to have a list. Why 9? Because everyone does 10 and 11 is to much work!
So, which one is your fav-o-rite? Do you have any suggestions for 2021 because I think I will need the help?
Hitting Neutral – Harley on a new course – Harley Davidson Motorcycles changes course, again. Out with the old boss in with the new boss. Out with the old plan in with the new plan.
When the last Harley Davidson CEO was in charge, he put in place an ambitious plan of 100 new motorcycles in 10 years.
The new guy thinks that is an overreach and ended the effort and has stating that 30% of new models will be cut. This is paired with a cut to production to “make them more exclusive”.
While the new streetfighter motorcycle looks like it may be on the cut list. Its engine sharing brother, the Pan America adventure bike, is coming out with the 2021 models.
The new guy also wants to drive up the parts and accessories business along with merchandise.
My Take: Who is right? According to the board of directors, not the guy that got fired. I thought trying to expand appeal by having different Harley Davidson motorcycles was an interesting idea. Not sure where cutting production will help exclusivity when there are 1000’s of bikes on the used market.
*****
Upshift: The King of Baggers Race – MotoAmerica is adding a touch of the surreal to American motorcycle racing. Well maybe, in the age of COVID who knows.
If you always wanted to see American V-Twins race at Laguna Seca raceway, maybe this is the year. Watching a mildly modified Harley Davidson Road or Street Glide swinging through the corkscrew is going to be bonkers at best.
The race is getting attention. Drag Specialties is the King of Baggers sponsor. A bunch of accessory companies are getting in on the action, for example Saddlemen, the motorcycle seat and luggage maker, is sponsoring bike #87 in the race.
And Indian and S&S are teaming up to run a Indian Challenger as well. It should dominate on the straights as it has more than a few cubic inches on the Harley’s.
Currently the race is schedule for October 23-25, but who knows if it will happen until it happens.
My take: OH HELL YEAH!
As long as there has been machinery, there has been mechanical problems, as long as there has been mechanical problems there has been a man or lady that has the skills to repair it. These highly skilled people either spent most of their young lives as an apprentice or studying at a college to ultimately become the person who repairs your motorcycle, the mechanic.
Historically, if we have had problems with our motorcycles our first stop would be to reach for the yellow pages and call the nearest affordable garage or bike repair shop. Fortunately for the modern day motorcycle enthusiast things have have changed for the better since the arrival of the internet, the motorcycle owner of today can simply search the internet for a solution to their problem, and within a minutes there is a good chance the owner will find someone who has had the same issue, and possibility a solution, this information may come in the form of a blog, a forum thread, Facebook groups, Reddit posts or even a YouTube videos.
Although information alone is no substitute for good old fashioned experience, there is allot to be said for “the have go hero’s” amongst us, at the end of the day there is a sense of pride and achievement when we repair our own things, this is not to mention the money we can save be doing it ourselves.
Despite the wealth of mechanical information on the internet there can be no better
source of information than a official workshop manual, these manuals are developed and written by the manufactures of the motorcycles, so its fair to say the information within the pages of these documents is gold.
One of the best investments any motorcyclist can have is an automotive eManual, these very detailed step by step documents can hold the hand of the most inexperienced arm chair mechanic, and walk them through the most complex of tasks. Unlike their hard-copy cousins, these eManuals are easier to access and are more of a sustainable option.
One of the largest databases of motorcycle eManuals on the internet is located in the UK, RepairBooks.co.uk is a family run business and was established in 1999, with a growing inventory of over 12,000 titles. Any manual that is not listed on their database can be sourced within a short period of time.
Mark James is an car and motorcycle mechanic with over 25 years in the automotive industry. Head of department at Nissan Sunderland, England for 10 years.
Soooo, bored at home and looking at motorcycle parts. Lo and behold I find a part I did not know I needed, the Kuryakyn Tour-Pak Chrome Lid Grip! Of course, I ordered it right then and there. Is there a cure for the “Chromavirus”?
I must state that I had thought about why there was no “handle” to raise the lid and that it was kind of weird that you had to grab the lip of the lid to push it open. But when I read Kuryakyn’s part description they hooked me “Kuryakyn Tour-Pak lid grips blend in perfectly, while providing ideal leverage to easily unlatch and open the lid in one fluent motion.”
It was not long before it arrived, and it was time to install. Opening the package and reading the instructions it was going to be an easy install.
Four screws, remove old OEM part, put new part on with the same four screws. Easy peasy right. Well yeah, until you notice that the screw heads are stripped.
LOL, dummy the screw heads are on the inside of the lid behind the rubber weather seal. Out they came with a Torx T20 screwdriver and off comes the old part. I cleaned the area, surprising how much road grime gets into small spots, and then slipped the new Kuryakyn Lid Grip on and replaced the screws.
The part looks and fits like as if the Tour Pak was sent from the factory that way, and maybe it should have been. I like it, as of this date it is on sale (both chrome and black) for $22 US. Easy to install and helpful I give it 5 Stars.
Not sure what was going on in 2019 but there were not a lot of selections for the “best of” motorcycle tank art. As always, these tanks might be from a time much earlier than 2019 but that is when I first saw them.
This year there was no cut down, I ended up with 9 and this is those 9 best motorcycle tanks for 2019. I wish I could attribute the artist (and photographer) who made these crazy works of art. If you know who created these rolling motorcycle art pieces, formally called a tank, please let me know so I can properly label them.
Which one do you like the best?
A few years ago, I started to “collect” motorcycle themed posters/print, a few are even in real life. This year I added 21 individual motorcycle prints/posters to my collection.
With that said I award, with nothing but that fine badge and a mention on this blog, the top 9 motorcycle posters of 2019! I wish they all had the artist information on them so we could recognize their talent.
If you see some cool motorcycle posters while you are cruising about in real life or cruising the interwebs, send me a link and they might make next year’s list!
I just stumble upon these weird and wonderful motorcycles as I fool around on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit. But this year there were fewer than in the past, only had 12 to cut down to 9.
Those 3 motorcycles that did not make the cut just might show up on our IJUSTWAN2RIDE Facebook page.
So without further ado I present the 9 Weird Motorcycles for 2019! Which one is your favorite?
Recently my wife and attended the International Motorcycle Show (IMS) in Washington DC. This is around or fifth or sixth IMS in a row and about eight altogether. It has always been a good time and we enjoy going.
This year though there were a lot of missing manufacturers. Some of the smaller companies Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield were missing, not necessarily surprising in the current market. But KTM was a no show, Ducati, Husqvarna were represented by local dealers and Honda, Harley Davidson and especially Indian were quite downsized.
The number of smaller vendors was about the same as was the crowd. Although I will say it felt as if there were fewer people because the alleys between vendors was much wider than in the past.
As side entertainment there was a motorcycle stunt show, little kids riding electric bikes and adults riding Electric Zeros. There was also a vintage motorcycle. There was also the annual J&P Cycles touring custom motorcycle show, there were a bunch of hot bikes to look at.
The two most intriguing items for me were the new KLIM airbag vest and the fact that Harley Davidson had their new Pan American and Bronx motorcycles “under glass”. The KLIM airbag vest, selling for $499 is, I think, the cheapest vest, by a major maker, on the market. It has piqued my interest and if I find an extra $500 I might be in the market to purchase one.
The Harley motorcycles under glass was interesting. Both bikes were getting a lot of attention and I heard folks stating that they like the styling on both. The glass, however, made taking photos difficult, as you can see below. Harley also had their Live Wire electric motorcycle on display as well as an opportunity to “ride” it on a dyno like roller.
So, what did I come away with from this years IMS? I was reinforced that the motorcycle industry is in general decline and I really like the styling of the new Suzuki Katana! While my back can no longer take riding a sport bike, man that Katana is hot!
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 