TAG | motorcycles
23
The Best Motorcycles Clothing: What Youll Need To Get Started
0 Comments | Posted by Guest Author in motorcycles
One of the essential parts of preparing to ride a motorcycle is ensuring that you have the right motorcycles clothing on hand. These pieces of clothing are something which every motorcyclist needs to invest some time and money in acquiring in order to protect themselves on the road; despite what you may have thought, its not just for looks.
Leather motorcycles clothing is intended to protect riders from injury if they get into an accident. Leather is a lot tougher than other fabrics and certainly tougher than skin, which can prevent road rash and even disfiguring injury in the event of an accident.
No question about it, leather motorcycles clothing is the right choice. Knowing this, youll be prepared to start looking for your own motorcycle clothing for the road. There is plenty to choose from and some pieces are essential. Others, however can be passed up, at least for the moment. There is one thing which you absolutely do need: a leather motorcycle jacket.
A jacket is a vital piece of motorcycle leather clothing and provides protection to much of your body. Covering the back, the chest, arms and midsection, a jacket can prevent a lot of damage to your skin. While this is the most expensive part of a set of motorcycles clothing, no motorcyclist can afford to be without a good leather motorcycle jacket.
Next most important is a good pair of leather gloves. These, obviously will keep your hands safe from harm while also helping you to get a firm grip on the handlebars of your motorcycle (theyll also keep your hands nice and warm on your rides). Having your hands and arms covered also prevents injury from any debris which may fly up from the road.
Leather chaps are starting to become a popular purchase out of all of the various kinds of Motorcycle Leather Clothing. While many people may not see them as stylish looking, they will protect the legs just as the jacket protects the arms and chest. With all of the debris that could be kicked up towards you at any moment, your legs can be somewhat protected by the leather chaps. Since riding a motorcycle is a dangerous hobby, it is important to make sure that you are being smart about it and picking up everything that you can to better protect yourself.
You should think of safety first when you ride; a jacket and a pair of gloves are definite must-haves for every motorcyclist and a pair of leather chaps is also something you should consider. No one cares how they look once they get into an accident- remember that and be sure to choose motorcycle leather clothing that keeps you safe on the road.
20
Big Sandbar Chapter of The Antique Motorcycle Club “Swap meet”
1 Comment | Posted by Guest Author in motorcycles
Every year In a Little Town in New York called Ridge, On a Big Sandbar known as Long Island, Hundreds of Bikers who have only Antique Motorcycles on their minds. Gather to attend The Big Sandbar Chapter of The Antique Motorcycle Club of America,Inc’s annual “Winter Blues Swap meet” at the Ridge Firehouse. As I entered I was greeted by two lovely Lady’s. I told them who I was and they where happy to tell me about the Big Sandbar Chapter of the AMCA. I was told how the AMCA considers any Motorcycle 35 years or older an Antique.
Being I am a few years older then 35 and not feeling anything like an Antique, I’m thinking maybe it should be moved up to like 55 years an older! After all they say 50 is the new 30!
I also found out The Big Sandbar Chapter prides itself on being very Family Friendly, many of the Members are made up of Husbands and Wives and even some of their Kids. Many of the Big Sandbar Chapters events are Designed so the whole family can enjoy them together!
Of Course you Don’t need to be Married with Children to be a member of the Big Sandbar Chapter of the AMCA! All you need is a love for Antique Motorcycles and live anywhere in their coverage area which is from Montauk to Manhattan. The Chapter meets six times a year and is Well known for it’s Annual May Swap Meet at the Fireman’s Park in Ridge!
To learn more about the AMCA go to www.thebigsandbar.com
Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com and Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com
20
Motorcycle Club Mentality Versus The Biker Gang Mentality
1 Comment | Posted by Guest Author in motorcycles
I want to talk a little about the Brotherhood mentality versus the gang mentality in the Motorcycle Club world . Now for those of you who may be asking what is the difference? I will set up a scene to help give you an idea! At a small Bar a member of a Motorcycle Club walks in he sees four Bikers playing pool, He can tell they are a bit nervous, They see his patches and they know who he is with. Now how does he act? Does he walk over to the pool table knock the 8 ball in the pocket say games over and tell one of them to buy him a beer? Or does he walk over introduce himself and let them know when they are done shooting pool they are welcome to stop over at the bar have a beer and talk with him! One is the gang way of thinking the other is the Brotherhood way of thinking! I really don’t think I need to tell you which is which!
Now one thing everyone needs to remember is all of the original Motorcycle Clubs Started out with the idea of being a tight nit group of Brothers and just about all of these Motorcycle Clubs got along. Don’t forget many of the men who started the first MCs where returning home after serving their country during times of war. They were looking for that feeling of Brotherhood here at home that they had been left behind. These were good men seeking adventure, looking to ride their Motorcycles and have a good time with others like themselves. Today most Motorcycle Clubs have gone back to that way of Club thinking, There are very few Clubs left that still have the Gang Mentality that was seen mostly during the 70’s threw 90’s. During the late 90’s things had just gotten too far out of hand and most Motorcycle Clubs began to realize the Gang Mentality was not the way it was meant to be and it was not the way they wanted it to be anymore, This was not what the Clubs were started for ! Many Clubs who had been friends were now fighting with each other. No one wanted to wear club support gear and things were just not fun anymore. These MC’s had all started their Clubs with the same ideals and ways of thinking, How and why had they grown so far apart that they now hated each other!
Well the answer to how is during the 50’s and 60’s the golden age of the Brotherhood years of Motorcycling, The Motorcycle Clubs were really huge. During this great time many of the Biker Movies that came out showed Motorcycle Club Members as Bullies and Thugs. The Bikers in these movies would pick on those weaker then them, take over small towns and the Clubs in these Movies all fought each other just like the street gangs of the time! So of course over time many new Bikers came to believe that this was the way it was. So when New Clubs started this was how they would act and the Original Motorcycle Clubs now had members who where young kids looking to prove how tough they were by starting fights with each other. The Original Motorcycle Club Members had been threw real wars together and they were as hard as nails and had nothing to prove to no one! But many younger members felt that they had something to prove and would imitate the Biker Clubs from the Movies they had scene and soon it was Biker against Biker, Brother against Brother, MC against MC. Thus began the Dark age of the Motorcycle Gang Mentality years.
Now for the question Why did this Happen? Well When something Changes the way of thinking and being of Groups like the Motorcycle Clubs so far from their original ideals, You have to ask was it just an accident these movies did this? Or was there more to it? Was there a plan behind it? Is there someone or some group out there that would benefit from having these large groups of Motorcycle Clubs who are run in a very military fashion and are made up of many ex-Military Members fighting against each other? If these Clubs all got along and worked together the world could be a very Different place! The Motorcycle world certainly would be! Are there people out there who are afraid of this happening?
Today there are very few Clubs left that have the Gang Mentality. Most have gone back to the Brotherhood way and the word Gang in the Motorcycle Club world has become almost the equivalent of a racial slur. Now as Motorcycle Clubs are beginning to go back to the way it was at the start and trying to put the past behind them, I am noticing that there are more and more Biker movies and TV shows Coming out. Will these shows show MC’s in a good way? Will they go out of their way to stir up the quarrels of the past? Will they show us as mindless Bullies much as the Movie Wild Hogs did? Most Important will we let them influence how we really are? Or have we learned from our past? If all continues to go well we could soon be making our way into the Second Golden age of Motorcycle Club Brotherhood back to where it all Started !!!
All Bikers need to ask themselves, Are you part of the Problem or part of the Solution?
I am Your Bro LJ James with AmericanBikerX.com Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com
Whenever a person or group of people try to live their lives free, those who are stuck in unhappy lives will be jealous. Some people have a hard time letting go, freeing themselves from the day to day trials and tribulations of everyday life even for a little while. Others seek an escape from the stress and anxiety often associated with modern day life. I guess for me, that’s part of why I am a Biker. There is something about riding a bike that inspires a sense of freedom in me. The open road, the wind in my face, the smells, getting back to nature, the power of my bike. It’s all these things and more that make me feel free. It’s unfortunate that there are some people who, for whatever reason, can’t find something or someway to let go and experience the sense of freedom that we do. These people, for whatever reason, are the ones who point to us and call us rogues or rebels. They say that what we are doing is wrong and that our culture is a “disruptive influence.”
As Bikers, we live our lives a little differently. We work and have responsibilities, but we still know the feeling of freedom. Maybe its because we smile just a bit more and are a bit more relaxed that turns these people green with envy? A person who works hard and has no free time sees a person on the road riding his or her motorcycle and thinks “I wish that was me!” The thought of being free doesn’t leave their mind. They long for it. They crave it badly! How many of you out their have had a friend tell you how they have always wanted to buy a Motorcycle and just go out riding? How many of them ever actually do?
Here is a typical story : A man is driving home from work when he see’s a group of motorcycle riders pull up next to him. He looks at this group of people riding together having a great time, He starts to think, “I wish that was me”. He then decides, “I’m going to buy a Motorcycle!” He starts thinking about riding. How great it will be to have his wife on the back of his bike and the wind in his face. We could ride up to the lake or maybe that little motel way up in the Mountains. Thinking of the great times he will have he starts to feel that small sense of freedom. He thinks “This must be what those Biker get to feel, Wow!” He turns into the driveway, parks his truck and rushes into the house to tell his wife about his fantastic idea. “Hi honey, I’m going to buy a Motorcycle.” His wife looks at him and says “What? Did you get overwhelmed by the fumes at work again?” “You can’t ride a Motorcycle. The man answers back, “I’ll learn!”
“You must be crazy”, she says. “Those things are death traps! You will kill yourself and we can’t afford it!” “Honey this is something I really want” replies the man. “NO NO NO!!! I won’t have one of those things in my house! What kind of message would it send to the kids, our neighbors?” They argue about it, but it the end, the man never gets his motorcycle. He never goes to the lake with his wife or takes that trip up to the little motel in the mountains. He never feels the real sense of freedom one can only get when taking a long trip on a motorcycle. He spends the rest of his life wishing he had never seen that group of Motorcycles. He is angry and bitter.
Now when he see’s Bikers he puts them down. He hates Bikers, not because of who or what they are, but because of what he can never be. He hates them because of what they represent. They represent a kind of freedom, sense of belonging, a oneness with nature and the world that he longs for, he craves, but can never have. We live here in America, the home of the free, but many are not free. They have never experienced the sense of freedom that can only be experienced on two wheels and, for whatever reason, never will. They live boring, uneventful. “safe” lives and complain about those who don’t.
Don’t hate these envious people, pity them for they will never know the sense of freedom and brotherhood we get from riding with a group of our Bro’s. They’ll never know the wind in their face, the feeling of peace and oneness with nature we feel as we ride threw the country side or down a long lonely highway. They’ll never know the clarity of mind that comes from a long ride alone or the closeness and bond of a long ride or weekend away with someone special. Just thank your higher power that you’ve found a way to escape, a way to be free, even if it’s just on the weekends.
Ride Safe and Ride Free because when it all come down to it, this is all about the Ride! Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com Listen to LJs Radio Show at BikerLowDown.com
19
Long Island NY Bikers Unite for Orphanage Toy Run !
0 Comments | Posted by Guest Author in motorcycles
I’m sure most of you from Long Island NY go to the Who Cares Committee Toy Run every year and have been going for many years as it is a Long Island Biker tradition! Some of you may or may not know over a few years back Bob Whelehan (a good friend of mine) who was the President of the Committee passed away due to complications caused by his Diabetes, leaving his Wife and Kids with many bills to take care of. His Wife Liz known as Mom to many because of how giving she has always been took over as President of the Committee and running the Toy Run to make sure the Children of the St. Chris-Ottille Residential Treatment Center in Sea Cliff Still received their Presents every year.Even with her own bills piling up due to the loss of her Husbands income!!!
Well as if things where not bad enough for Liz and her Family while she was walking home from the Super Market a car ran a red light and hit Liz while she was walking across the street in the cross walk putting her out of work an into a Wheel Chair! Being the strong women she is, she has fought back and can now walk around a little with the use of a cane. Liz is living on $600 a month until she can get well enough to get back to work. She can not pay all of her rent or bills!
Now With a story like that you may believe Liz would have been looking for some one to help her out, and why not? After all she has done for the Children of people of Long Island over the years! But no that is not what she was looking for. She was looking for help Running the Toy Run for the kids of St.Chris-Ottille. The Who Cares Committee being in Disarray because of all the tragedy that had befallen it had lost its AMA Charter and needed help Getting the Toy Run Sanctioned and Insured and of course they needed some able body Bikers to help work the sign up at the Sears Parking lot in Hicksville!
Well when the bikers of Long island heard about this they came out in force to help out! Members of L.I.M.A (The Long Island Motorcycle Association)a Club of AMA Clubs got the Run Sanctioned and insured and Bikers from all walks of the Biker world came down to help out! Members of the Mortal Skulls MC who own an Entertainment Company Donated their time to D.J. the Run and announce the Raffles at the party at the VFW Hall, 320 South Broadway, Hicksville. Once again Members of L.I.M.A. helped out, This time with cooking and serving the food. As anyone who has been to this event knows the food is always incredible.
So often we here the cry as Bikers to help one of our own and we always do!!! This time the Cry was to help one of our own Continue to help others and again on a cold December day We where there!!! The Long Island Biker Community over the past few years has really come together, The differences and prejudices of the past seem to really be melting away!!! If you would like to become a Member of the Who Cares Committee or just help out at next years Toy Run go to angelfire.com/ny2/whocarescommittee
I’ll see you There!!! Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com Radio Show BikerLowdown.com
Has you Son, Daughter, Niece, Nephew or Grand kid Changed in the past year or so? Have they become withdrawn or maybe a little rowdy? When you ask them what they want for the Holidays or a special occasion is the answer “I don’t know?” Was it just a few years ago you used to be able to always get them the perfect gift they wanted , Does it now seem like they are choking trying to get out the half hearted thank you every time you give them a gift?
Do you want to be the Cool Grandparent, Aunt , Uncle or Parent again at their Birthday or during the Holidays this years? Do you want to see that look in their eye again you used to always see when they opened one of your presents? Well you can see it once again, Because Skull Gear Apparel Inc www.skullgearapparel.net has got your back, and theirs with their infamous “Back The F**k Off” Sweat Shirts!
The Sweatshirt has become almost legendary! If you know some one who wears Punk Clothing, Gothic Clothing, Rock Clothing, Goth Clothes, Rockabilly clothing , cool clothes or just likes to look like a Bad-Ass! Then this is the perfect gift! The back of the shirt says BACK THE in large letters on top and the words F**K OFF in large letters on the Bottom and in the middle is a large 45 caliber revolver pointed right at you!!! The Sweatshirts come in Grey with Black writing or Black with White writing and are available with Hood and Pocket or with out!
Some teens or young adults parents may not like or approve of this gift! But I can promises all of the recipients friends are going to love it! Hey we all go threw that crazy rebellious faze and most of us come threw it OK! The Holidays and Birthdays are not the time to complain about how a person dresses or try to talk them out of what they are into! It is the time where we all want to give the best gift.
So if you know someone young or old who likes to dress in Black or Grey and just wants to be left alone. Check out wwwskullgearapparel.net and be the Cool relative that your whole family will be talking about all year long !!!
your bro, L.J. James of americanbikerx.com
19
Motorcycle Club Introduces Skull Gear Apparel, Inc.
0 Comments | Posted by Guest Author in motorcycles
MORTAL SKULLS MOTORCYCLE CLUB LAUNCHES SKULL GEAR APPAREL, Inc.
The Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club based out of Long Island NY have started their own Motorcycle Gear and Apparel Business aptly named Skull Gear Apparel, Inc.
The Business will not only be selling the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club’s line of Club Support Gear, it will also include a full line of Skull Gear Apparel, Inc. Mens and Ladies Clothing.
The most anticipated item at this year’s launch for Skull Gear Apparel is the Infamous “Back the F#%K Off” sweat shirt that every biker loves to wear when on the road!!!
Look for new items soon, Biker Jewelry, Sunglasses, Skull Figurines and much more!
The idea behind Skull Gear Apparel was really a no brainier. There are so many Motorcycle Apparel Businesses being run by those who don’t know the first thing about Motorcycle Clubs, The Members of the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club asked a great question “Who knows more about what Bikers want and love, Stuffy Corporate types or Real Bikers?”
Look for Skull Gear Apparel, Inc. at Large Motorcycle events near you this year! Or Online at http://www.MortalSkulls.com and http://www.SkullGearApparel.net for new merchandise and to order on-line!!!
When the Riding Season is Here! You need Skull Gear! Your Bro L.J. James
19
Motorcycle Leathers – Where Form Meets Function
2 Comments | Posted by Guest Author in motorcycles
While considering which motorcycle leathers you are going to buy, you need to be educated on a few facts, before you finalize that purchase. Protection really needs to be your focus when selecting, which motorcycle leathers you are going to spend your hard earned cash on, style should be an afterthought when it comes to leathers. After all you depend on these leathers to protect you in a spill.
The A #1 fabric for motorcycle gear has always been leather. This is because of certain characteristics that it has including: the ability to keep you warm, it is waterproof to a certain extent, it does not tear easily, it helps to cushion your fall, and prevents serious injury from happening.
Leather can vary in quality though. We will explain why this is, through this article, to assist you in your choice of which to buy. We shall offer details on the different hide types and how you can tell which one is what type.
You will see as you are looking at motorcycle leathers that there are three types of hides used to make them: buffalo, cowhide, and pigskin. You could also see a few others like sheepskin, but these are not as strong as you would want them to be for protection when riding.
While the pigskin is soft and thick, it is also prone to ripping. But it will keep you nice and toasty warm through the cold winter months. With it being so easy to rip this is not as durable and long lasting as other types of hides are. This makes it not up to snuff to use for protective purposes in riding your motorcycle. It is recommended not to buy pigskin for the purposes of protection; you would be better to put out some extra cash to get a higher grade of protection.
A good high quality type of leather is made from buffalo hide. This does not come from the buffalo from North America, instead it is from the water buffalo which comes from Pakistan and India. In fact Pakistan is world famous fro their leather products, they are true experts in manufacturing with leather. Buffalo hide unlike pigskin is considered a good grade of leather for protection when riding.
The most frequently used hide for leather is cowhide. Through different tanning procedures the hides could range between 1mm and 1.3mm in their thickness. Cowhide is comfortably warm and provides you with the ultimate in road protection. Bikers very often prefers this over any other kind of leather for there motorcycle gear.
To understand your choices further you have to understand what grain actually means. The grain is just the outside of the skin of the animal, or its epidermis. You can have certain flaws in the grain like scarring, cuts, and scratches. But when the grain is in its natural condition is when it is at its strongest and it the most durable. The grain of leather has the ability to breath, which makes it more comfortable to wear.
You need to remember that a great percentage of leather wear is produced in countries like China, India, and Pakistan. The leather items that have the Made in the USA label usually cost more than the ones from these other countries, and they are not better in quality usually. A lot of the leathers that are originally designed in the USA are then manufactured in Pakistan. As we said before, Pakistan is known world over as the expert in leather goods, so when you see Made in Pakistan on a label of a piece of leather wear you can trust that in the quality and workmanship involved.
18
Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club a Run for Awareness
1 Comment | Posted by Guest Author in motorcycles
Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club a Run for Awareness
Do you remember the Story of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia ? Carlie was the Little girl from Long Island NY who while staying with her Mother Down in Florida was Kidnapped and Murdered on Super Bowl Sunday, 2004. Her abduction was captured on video in front of the car wash where she was Kidnapped by Joseph P. Smith,Who has since been found Guilty of first-degree murder, sexual battery and kidnapping.
The story was carried nationwide and was heartbreaking to all who heard it. Now there is an old saying that every dark cloud has a silver lining and if that is true then the silver lining here is Matt Barbis, Carlie’s Cousin who started the Rose Brucia Educational Foundation (http://rosebrucia.org) with the Mission of reducing child abductions.
Matt goes around to Schools and preforms Puppet Shows and teaches children how to react and what to do if someone ever tries to adduct them. As you can imagine Matt’s Mission does not come without its costs and the Foundation runs on Donations from Groups,Individuals and Businesses.
Matt who Rides a Motorcycle had seen the good that Bikers on Long Island do to Raise Money for those in need, He wanted to Start a Motorcycle Run to help raise Money for the Foundation. A Motorcycle Run is a lot of work and Matt was Referred to the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club (http://Mortalskulls.com) Who do a Run and/or Benefit every year.
When the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club heard about Matt’s story and what his Mission was they quickly decided that this would be the run and benefit they would be doing for many years to come. What better cause can there be then keeping Children Safe? said one of the Members.
For the past 3 years now on the 3rd Sunday in June the Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club have hosted the run and raised money for the foundation. The run starts every year at the Bellmore NY Train station on Sunrise Hwy, with sign up from 10:30am till 12pm, and has ended at local Long Island Bars with live Music, food, Appearances by local New York Celebrities and so much more. The recommended Donation for the event is $10 per person and Run Shirts are available for an additional $10 with every penny of the Proceeds going to the Rose Brucia Educational Foundation. The Mortal Skulls Motorcycle Club Thank all who have come out to help and Support the event every year! This Fundraiser has quickly grown into a huge Long Island NY event, With the continued Support of the Long Island biker world and appearances by Celebrates it will continue to grow for many years to come!!!
I am Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com
As a Member of a Motorcycle Club, I wanted to give some advice to new Clubs out there that are starting up and to those looking to become part of a Club on why I feel Prospecting is so important. I hope I can help make it clear.
I hear members of new Motorcycle Clubs say things like “We do not prospect people” or “We met someone and liked them so we gave them a Patch”. To some of you out there this many sound unbelievable, but trust me it not only happens in many new MCs, it is the reason most new MCs do not make it threw their first year.
Finding a person you like and get along with is a great start. I have many real good friends I like, But I do not know if they would make good Club Members or not. If a person is going to be your Motorcycle Club Brother you need to get to know him as a Club Member first and he needs to get to know what it means to be a part of the Club!
I have spoken to many members of very casual Clubs and I hear a similar story over and over again. The story is how a group of them had been riding together for years having a great time and all getting along. Well one day a new person shows up maybe a friend of a member and he seems like a nice guy. He rides with them a couple of times and they let him into the Club. Right after he becomes a member he turns into a total moron! Now He is going places representing himself as a member of the Club making others hate him and the Club in the process. He starts making it so good members who have been around for years no longer wish to be a part of the Club! Some members want to throw him out, others say they cant do that. The Club is in total chaos and all are in fear of the club shutting down!
What should they do? Well all these problems could have been avoided if the person had prospected! By having a person prospect you can get to know them and see what they are really like. It is easy for a person to behave real well for a few days, but give them a little time and their true Colors will show!
Now how long should you prospect a person for? Well that depends on you and your Club. How much does your Club mean to you? Should you prospect the person three months? Six Months? One Year? I feel the answer is real simple, you and your Club members set a Minimum time limit and then you Prospect the person until they have become a Member and not a moment before that!
Now Prospecting is not just for the Club to find out if they want a person as a Member. It is also for the individual to find out if they want to be a Member of that Club. There is no shame in the fact that a certain Club may have not been for you. If it wasn’t Im pretty sure there is a Club out there for you. Most people don’t get married to the first person they meet in life. They look around till they find the one that’s perfect for them! Like People all Clubs are different and Prospecting is going to be different from one Club to another.
Now it just maybe only my opinion, but I have always felt prospecting is not about trying to break a person. Prospecting is about a person turning into a Member of your Club. Some will rise and become a Brother others will not! My Club Brothers are as close to me as my real Brother. They are all strong adult men who have proven themselves! Not Boys who are looking to prove something to themselves! We all get along great and the only way to keep the Club that way is Prospecting!
I have heard many who have been involved in a Motorcycle Club say that they feel the Brotherhood of the Motorcycle Club world no long exists! I want everyone to know that just because it may not have been there in the Club they were apart of, or tried to become a part of does not mean it has gone extinct! I know that the Brotherhood of the Motorcycle Club world is alive and strong because I am a part of it!!!
I am Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX.com Listen to my Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com
