Posts Tagged ‘lifestyle’

Top Holiday Gift Ideas for Motorcycle Riders: 2025 Guide

Posted: November 12, 2025 in Uncategorized
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The holiday season is here, and it’s time to find the perfect gifts for the motorcycle enthusiast in your life! Whether your loved one is a seasoned biker or a weekend rider, these unique and practical motorcycle gift ideas will rev up their holiday spirit and keep them riding safely and stylishly all year long.

1. Custom Motorcycle Bobblehead

Surprise your favorite rider with a personalized motorcycle bobblehead crafted from their photo. This fun and memorable keepsake is perfect for any biker’s desk or garage and makes a great conversation starter.

2. Personalized 3D Miniature Motorcycle Model

Go beyond the bobblehead with a custom 3D figurine of your rider and their bike. These detailed models are a fantastic way to celebrate their passion and make for a unique display piece.

3. Biker Couple Motorcycle Ornament

Looking for a motorcycle-themed Christmas ornament? Choose a personalized biker couple ornament featuring two riders on a bike. It’s a great way to add some biker flair to your holiday tree.

4. Motorcycle Metal Wall Décor

Motorcycle wall art is a popular gift for riders who love to decorate their garage, man cave, or living space. Choose from personalized metal signs featuring their name and bike model or opt for LED-lit designs for extra impact.

5. Membership in Motorcycle Advocacy Groups (AMA or MRF)

Support your rider’s rights by gifting a membership to the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) or the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF). These organizations fight for motorcyclist rights, offer discounts, emergency towing, and even insurance benefits. Keeping up with motorcycle legislation and safety is crucial for every rider.

American Motorcycle Association – Membership does not only help in the political arena but also include discounts on products and emergency towing.  The AMA is the largest motorcycle lobbyist group.

Motorcycle Rider Foundation – In addition to their pro-motorcycle lobbying efforts membership will get you a $4000 AD&D insurance policy and regular weekly/monthly updates on what is going on in Washington DC.

6. Motorcycle Cleaning Equipment

Help your biker keep their ride looking sharp with new cleaning supplies. If their current gear is worn out, upgrade them with high-quality products. For quick clean-ups between rides, I recommend Bugslide—an easy-to-use cleaner that I personally endorse (not sponsored).

7. Custom Dynamics Motorcycle Lights

Enhance safety and style with Custom Dynamics motorcycle lights. Their ProBeam LED Turn Signals are super bright and fit many models. I’ve used them on three bikes and highly recommend them for visibility and eye-catching looks.

8. Motorcycle Shop Manual

A shop manual for your rider’s specific make and model is a practical gift. Even if they don’t do their own repairs, having the manual helps them understand maintenance needs before heading to the shop.

9. Lip Balm & Sunscreen for Riders

Don’t forget the essentials! Replace that old stick of lip balm or expired sunscreen in your biker’s saddlebag. These small items make a big difference on long rides and help protect against the elements.

Why These Motorcycle Gifts Stand Out

These motorcycle gift ideas combine personalization, practicality, and safety—making them perfect for every type of rider. From custom keepsakes to essential gear and advocacy, you’ll find something to suit every budget and style.

If you have any ideas to add to this list please use the comments to give us more ideas!

Maintain Your Motorcycle Helmet: A Step-by-Step Guide

Posted: April 9, 2025 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, motorcycle safety
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helmets

Your motorcycle helmet is your most important piece of equipment so keeping it clean is important.  Not just from an appearance perspective but as a method to ensure it is still in good working condition.

Also, April is Motorcycle Helmet Awareness month so now is a good time to do the work!

While you are cleaning your helmet look for cracks in the shell, that the hard foam is intact and in good condition (this is the part that does most of the work to protect your head) and all the other parts are in good order.  

Before you start… read your owner’s manual on cleaning your specific motorcycle helmet.

1 – Take either a microfiber or paper towels, soaked in warm water and lay across the helmet and visor.  This will moisten any hard dried bugs or grime that might scratch the finish if you first went to scrubbing or rubbing.  Leave the towels on for about 10 minutes and then gently remove the now softer bugs/grime. Remove the visor before step 2.

2 – After the bugs/grime are soft use warm soapy water to clean the shell fully. Rinse, dry and admire your clean exterior.

3 – The visor needs additional attention. The warm towels may have helped get rid of the road grime, but your visor needs special attention. DO NOT use any products that have acid or ammonia! Even products with citric acid can damage the visor (personal experience). Most glass cleaners have some form of acid or ammonia so avoid them as well. Warm soapy water and microfiber cloth is the best way to safely clean your visor.

4 – Make sure you clean out the visor mechanism. Keeping the mechanism clean will help make sure it works as designed.

5 – Clean the sun visor in the same manner you cleaned the visor. No ammonia or acid-based cleaners!

6 – Now that the outside of your helmet is clean how about the inside? MOST helmets allow you to remove the interior padding. Look at your instructions and pull the lining out. Some motorcycle helmet manufacturers allow you to put the padding in a washing machine, others recommend hand cleaning in warm soapy water. If you use the by hand method, I recommend a baby shampoo.

7 – If your helmet’s padding is not removable follow the instructions your helmet manufacturer provided.  BUT, in my opinion, dunking the entire helmet into soapy water is not the way to go. It takes forever to dry; it can mildew, and I am always unsure if it may have damaged the underlying foam. My suggestion is to use a motorcycle helmet sanitizing spray.

8 –Check the vents to make sure they are clean and open.  A shot of compressed air, from the inside, might dislodge dried road grimes and bugs.

9 – Put it back together, following the instructions if you still have them. 😊

Ride On, Ride Safe

Spring Motorcycle Riding Prep: A checklist for getting your bike ready for riding.

Posted: March 27, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle safety
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Spring is here, and your motorcycle is beckoning you to hit the open road.

Before you embark on your two-wheeled adventures, take a moment to prepare your bike for the riding season. While the T-CLOCS (Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis, and Stands) inspection is essential, let’s delve into some often-overlooked recommendations:

  1. Check Your Gear:
    • Retrieve your riding gear from storage. It might have been sitting in your saddlebag for months.
    • Clean your gear thoroughly. Run it through the wash or clean it by hand.
    • Apply water repellent or waterproofing for added protection.
  2. Inspect Your Helmet:
    • Your helmet deserves special attention. Start by cleaning the exterior. Those bugs from 2023 should be easy to remove by now.
    • Remove and clean the interior padding following the manufacturer’s instructions.
    • Don’t forget to check every nook and cranny for any unwelcome guests—SPIDERS (not the Can-Am species).
  3. Evaluate and Replace Gear:
    • Take a close look at your riding gear. Are your helmet and gloves still in good condition?
    • Remember, you are responsible for your own safety. If something isn’t right, repair or replace it promptly.
  4. Give Your Motorcycle a “Colonoscopy”:
    • If you didn’t adequately prepare your bike for winter, it’s time to peek up your tailpipe. Make sure nothing is living in your exhust.
    • Inspect all areas for leaks and ensure everything is in ship shape.
  5. Give your bike a rub down: Happy ending optional!
    • Give it a good wipe down to clean off the dust and debris that adhered to your bike over winter.
    • Now is a good time to give your motorcycle a waxing to help preserve the paint.
  6. Restock your saddlebags or backpack:
    • If you pack a first aid kit replace what you used last year or what is now expired.
    • Sunscreen and ChapStick…might want to swap them out for new.
    • That candy bar you had for an emergency snack, go ahead, and eat it now and put a new one in its place.
  7. Review the owner’s manual:
    • Get yourself reacquainted with the bike.
  8. Check your insurance:
    • Did you stop or reduce your insurance on the motorcycle over the winter? Give a quick call to your agent to get your insurance up to date.
  9. Remind yourself about PANIC STOPS:
    • Find an unused bit of road or parking lot, get up to speed and BREAK HARD! Get that feeling about what you and your motorcycle will do when you must make a sudden stop.
    • Ride with a passenger? Then run this exercise with them on the bike as well. It is best to know how it feels in a controlled environment before you really need to do it. OH, check your breaks before you do this to make sure they are good to go.

This is not an all-inclusive checklist or recommendations, I am sure each of you can add more items, but it can get you started for the new riding season. Remember, a well-prepped motorcycle, and rider, ensures both safety and enjoyment during the riding season.

Ride on, ride safe

 🏍️