Buying Used Motorcycles Through eBay by A R Thompson
Today when it comes to you wanting to buy a used motorcycle you have a number of different options available to you. You could either get one that is being sold privately, from a motorcycle dealer or by bidding for one that has been posted as an auction item on a site such as eBay. However in this article we will be taking a closer look at what you need to do if you are considering buying used motorcycles on eBay.
In the last few months eBay has steady increase in the number of people who are now preferring to use their site to place their motorcycles up for sale. The main reason for this being that they are actually able to target a much larger audience of people who may be interested in what they have to offer. Plus they often find that they may find the price they command is much better than if they choose to sell it privately locally.
However, if you are considering buying a used motorcycle from an auction site like eBay in this article we take a look at certain factors that need to be taken into consideration by you.
Tip 1 - It is crucial that the first thing you do before anything else is that you read through the description that the seller has provided. If you discover that you have some questions that can not be answered through the information that has been provided on the auction page then immediately contact the seller. This is easily done by clicking on the contact seller button to be found at the top of the auction page.
Tip 2 - As well as the description most sellers will post pictures of the item that they have put up for sale. In the case of a motorcycle generally they will provide you with pictures that show you what the bike looks like and to prove it is in good condition. But if you can arrange with the seller to also provide you with copies showing the condition of the wheels, tires and engine. Plus also ask them whether they can also provide you with proof of ownership as well.
Tip 3 - Look to see what feedback rating they have achieved as a seller on eBay and what kind of feedback comments they have. This again will provide you with an idea of just whether they have previously sold anything similar on the site before and also whether you feel that you are able to trust them.
Tip 4 - Should you find at any stage you have problems making contact with the seller either before you start bidding or once you have bid then immediately stop bidding. Also contact eBay informing them of the situation they will then assist you and if you wish you now actually have the right to retract any bids you have made if you find contacting the seller has become a problem. By doing this eBay has now put the responsibility squarely on their seller's shoulders to make sure that they are available to their potential bidders at all times.
Therefore keeping the above points in mind will help you when it comes to buying used motorcycles on eBay. Not only will it save you time and money but also a lot of stress and heartache as well.
At UsedMotorcyclesFlorida.com we provide information about buying used motorcycles. For some good deals on used motorcycles and accessories please click on this link.
Article Source: eArticlesOnline.com
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Oil and the Motorcycle Engine
Oil and the Motorcycle Engine
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_K._Jent
By Bob K. Jent
A motorcycle engine is more compact and higher revving (higher revolutions per minute) than an automobile engine allowing for faster acceleration, better responsiveness, and more efficient fuel economy. With so many parts moving rapidly in the tight confines of a motorcycle engine casing, lubrication is of utmost importance. The primary function of oil in a motorcycle engine is as a lubricator. It provides the fluidity within which all the various metal parts can perform their individual functions in close proximity. If oil were not present, metal on metal grinding would be inevitable, resulting in irreversible damage to a motorcycle engine. Oil allows the motorcycle engine to shift smoothly through all gears, upward and downward, allowing for smooth acceleration and deceleration, making every ride safer and more enjoyable.While lubrication is the most important function of oil within the motorcycle engine, it is far from its only function. When an engine runs at high rpms, quite a large amount of heat can be generated. This heat can be harmful to the life of a motorcycle engine and must be dealt with. Oil helps dissipate this heat, and is especially essential in air-cooled engines where no coolant or water is present to aid in the cooling process. Overheating of a motorcycle engine can result in at best, a pit stop with an hour of cool down, at worst, an engine that will never run again without a skilled mechanic's intervention.
Because the rider is not separated from his or her engine by several inches of metal (as in a car), a motorcyclist is provided the opportunity of truly hearing the engine operate in every twist and turn. When the correct amount of the proper engine oil is present in the engine, this noise is reduced (still audible), and the motorcyclist can concentrate on the sounds of the world that envelop him or her, indulging in the inherent opportunity afforded by motorcycling: the freedom of being in this world instead of viewing it through the picture window that is an automobile's windshield.
Oil produced by the world's leading manufacturers like Triple Diamond Energy Corp plays a most important part in helping the motorcycle engine at all stages of its life by preventing rust and corrosion forming within. Oil also helps pistons continue pumping, safely sealed so that dirt or debris cannot enter in, disrupting movement. Oil and its necessary counterpart, the oil filter, help to keep all foreign substances out of the motorcycle engine, increasing engine life, and performance. Oil has an invaluable place within the motorcycle engine, and must always be monitored, added, and replaced as part of an owner's motorcycle maintenance regime.
About the Author: Bob Jent is the president of Triple Diamond Energy Corp
Triple Diamond Energy specializes in acquiring the highest quality prime oil and gas properties. For more information, visit http://www.triplediamondenergycorp.blogspot.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_K._Jent
http://EzineArticles.com/?Oil-and-the-Motorcycle-Engine&id=822914
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Motorcycle Racing Games
by Michael Rad
These are some of the most fun racing games to play online because the best races are automatically recorded and you can play against the previous high scores to improve your own performance. An Internet search for available racing game downloads will reveal kids motor cycle games like Daredevil and Motor Bike Game. The Motor Bike Game is just like a real motor cycle race with pit stops and laps and the goal is to always finish first in order to ascend to the next level of difficulty. One of the first motorcycle racing games ever created is not one of the racing games to play online as it is a video game dating back to 1991. Developed by Electronic Arts the game called Road Rash throws the player in the middle of illegal violent street motorcycle races. It was probably the first game in the history of motorcycle racing games that combined combat and motorcycle racing, and probably the first game that allowed weapons (clubs, crowbars, cattle prods or police batons). The game has several levels of increasing difficulty and the player needs to finish each race on one of the first three places if he is to advance to the next race. For every victory the player receives a certain amount of money which can be used upgrade the motorcycle, buy a new motorcycle or pay the police fine when being arrested. Since it is a game of illegal street races the police can pop up at any time and mess with your score. Other more modern racing games to play online are Motor Bike Game, Daredevil, Test Drive Unlimited, Grand Theft Auto or MX vs. ATV Unleashed; although they are not all actual motorcycle racing games and some of them just combine motorcycle racing with car racing or boat racing, etc. One of the most original motorcycle racing games is the MX vs. ATV Unleashed which takes trophy trucks, monster trucks and motorcycles and makes them race together on one single track to offer you a race like you’ve never raced before. The Test Drive Unlimited is a combination of cars and motorcycles together in an off road and on road race across one thousand miles of Hawaiian territory. Last but not least Daredevil is a kid’s motorcycle racing game that lets you perform some of the most spectacular motorcycle stunts ever seen on the internet.
Article source: ArticlePros.com
About the author
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Monday, November 19, 2007
When it comes to motorcycling, sisters have always been doin’ it for themselves
by Mark Gardiner
In recent years, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has reported that almost half of the students in most new rider training classes are women. But history shows that there have always been avid, expert female motorcyclists. Here are five famous female riders who are truly “old school.”
1.) Linda Dugeau – The original “Motor Maid”
In the ‘30s, there was an association of female aviators called the “Ninety-nine Club”. This inspired Linda to form a similar association of female motorcyclists. She teamed up with Dot Robinson, a well-known competition rider, to form a club called the “Motor Maids.”
It took Linda and Dot several years to find the 50 members they needed to earn an AMA charter, but the Motor Maids were soon known for their smart uniforms, complete with white gloves. The club still exists, with branches across the U.S. and in Eastern Canada. (www.motormaids.org)
2.) Dot Robinson – Sidecar champion
Dot’s father, James Goulding, was the designer of a popular line of motorcycle sidecars. When Dot’s mother went into labor with her, Goulding took her to the hospital in a sidecar. As an adult, Dot and her husband were Harley-Davidson dealers in Detroit.
When she won a Jack Pine enduro in the sidecar class, she became the first woman ever to win an AMA national competition. She rode until she was well into her 80s, often in a pink riding suit that she adopted in the 1950s, when the customary black leather outfits became associated with outlaw gangs.
3.) Linda Wallach and Florence Blenkiron – Taking the Rugged Road
Linda grew up in the 1930s, in the English midlands near the factories where BSAs and Triumphs were manufactured. Despite her early fascination with bikes and her obvious skill as a rider, she was never encouraged to pursue such an unladylike sport.
Undeterred, she studied engineering and later took her friend Florence on an epic sidecar journey across the Sahara and south all the way to Cape Town, South Africa. The women had to argue their way past French Foreign Legion outposts and face man-eating lions (luckily they weren’t woman-eaters). They rebuilt their engine in mid-journey and once pushed their rig 25 miles. They told the whole story in a popular book titled, “The Rugged Road.”
Linda later became the first woman to earn a coveted “Gold Star” for lapping the Brooklands race oval at over 100 miles an hour. In WWII she became the first woman ever to serve as a British military dispatch rider.
After the war, she moved to the U.S. where she worked as a motorcycle mechanic, eventually owning her own dealership. She wrote a popular motorcycle training manual, then moved to Phoenix where she operated a riding school. She helped found WIMA, the Women’s International Motorcycle Association. She never owned a car and rode until her eyesight failed at the age of 88. She died less than two years after giving up her beloved sport.
4.) Bessie Stringfield – The Motorcycle Queen of Miami
The American Motorcycle Association’s “Bessie Stringfield Award” is given to women who distinguish themselves in the sport of motorcycling.
As an African-American woman in the ‘30s and ‘40s, Bessie made several well-publicized cross-country rides, fearlessly taking on both racists and sexists. She was frequently denied accommodation and there are pictures of her sleeping right on her motorcycle. Once, she was run off the road. Those experiences didn’t dim her patriotism however – during WWII she served as the U.S. military’s first female dispatch rider.
Bessie was truly a larger-than-life character. She once disguised herself as a man to win a dirt track race. She said she’d owned 27 Harley-Davidsons and one Indian. She owned up to no less than six husbands, too.
5.) Marjorie Cottle – Rode in motorcycling’s real “Great Escape”
Marjorie Cottle was one of the first female competitors in the International Six Day Trial, which is often called “the Olympics of motorcycling.”
In 1939, the ISDT was held in Nazi-controlled Austria in the last few days before England declared war on Germany. That year, Britain sent both a civilian and a military team to compete. After four days, when it seemed that war could break out at any minute, British officials told the civilian team to return to England immediately. Cottle refused to leave and competed on the fifth day alongside the British Army team. When they too were ordered to abandon competition, Cottle and the Army team rode their motorcycles to neutral territory in Switzerland.
Next week, we’ll post the stories of five contemporary riders who lend a whole new meaning to the phrase “fast woman!”
1.) Linda Dugeau – The original “Motor Maid”
In the ‘30s, there was an association of female aviators called the “Ninety-nine Club”. This inspired Linda to form a similar association of female motorcyclists. She teamed up with Dot Robinson, a well-known competition rider, to form a club called the “Motor Maids.”
It took Linda and Dot several years to find the 50 members they needed to earn an AMA charter, but the Motor Maids were soon known for their smart uniforms, complete with white gloves. The club still exists, with branches across the U.S. and in Eastern Canada. (www.motormaids.org)
2.) Dot Robinson – Sidecar champion
Dot’s father, James Goulding, was the designer of a popular line of motorcycle sidecars. When Dot’s mother went into labor with her, Goulding took her to the hospital in a sidecar. As an adult, Dot and her husband were Harley-Davidson dealers in Detroit.
When she won a Jack Pine enduro in the sidecar class, she became the first woman ever to win an AMA national competition. She rode until she was well into her 80s, often in a pink riding suit that she adopted in the 1950s, when the customary black leather outfits became associated with outlaw gangs.
3.) Linda Wallach and Florence Blenkiron – Taking the Rugged Road
Linda grew up in the 1930s, in the English midlands near the factories where BSAs and Triumphs were manufactured. Despite her early fascination with bikes and her obvious skill as a rider, she was never encouraged to pursue such an unladylike sport.
Undeterred, she studied engineering and later took her friend Florence on an epic sidecar journey across the Sahara and south all the way to Cape Town, South Africa. The women had to argue their way past French Foreign Legion outposts and face man-eating lions (luckily they weren’t woman-eaters). They rebuilt their engine in mid-journey and once pushed their rig 25 miles. They told the whole story in a popular book titled, “The Rugged Road.”
Linda later became the first woman to earn a coveted “Gold Star” for lapping the Brooklands race oval at over 100 miles an hour. In WWII she became the first woman ever to serve as a British military dispatch rider.
After the war, she moved to the U.S. where she worked as a motorcycle mechanic, eventually owning her own dealership. She wrote a popular motorcycle training manual, then moved to Phoenix where she operated a riding school. She helped found WIMA, the Women’s International Motorcycle Association. She never owned a car and rode until her eyesight failed at the age of 88. She died less than two years after giving up her beloved sport.
4.) Bessie Stringfield – The Motorcycle Queen of Miami
The American Motorcycle Association’s “Bessie Stringfield Award” is given to women who distinguish themselves in the sport of motorcycling.
As an African-American woman in the ‘30s and ‘40s, Bessie made several well-publicized cross-country rides, fearlessly taking on both racists and sexists. She was frequently denied accommodation and there are pictures of her sleeping right on her motorcycle. Once, she was run off the road. Those experiences didn’t dim her patriotism however – during WWII she served as the U.S. military’s first female dispatch rider.
Bessie was truly a larger-than-life character. She once disguised herself as a man to win a dirt track race. She said she’d owned 27 Harley-Davidsons and one Indian. She owned up to no less than six husbands, too.
5.) Marjorie Cottle – Rode in motorcycling’s real “Great Escape”
Marjorie Cottle was one of the first female competitors in the International Six Day Trial, which is often called “the Olympics of motorcycling.”
In 1939, the ISDT was held in Nazi-controlled Austria in the last few days before England declared war on Germany. That year, Britain sent both a civilian and a military team to compete. After four days, when it seemed that war could break out at any minute, British officials told the civilian team to return to England immediately. Cottle refused to leave and competed on the fifth day alongside the British Army team. When they too were ordered to abandon competition, Cottle and the Army team rode their motorcycles to neutral territory in Switzerland.
Next week, we’ll post the stories of five contemporary riders who lend a whole new meaning to the phrase “fast woman!”
Article source: ArticlePros.com
About the author Mark Gardiner is an internationally acclaimed motorcycle journalist, the subject of a documentary film, “One Man’s Island” and the author of “Riding Man”, an account of his struggle to qualify for—and survive—the world’s most dangerous motorcycle race. www.ridingman.com |
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Tips On Buying That New Motorcycle
Tips On Buying That New Motorcycle by Sintilia Miecevole
You've made up your mind and you have finally decided to buy a new motorcycle! What a thrilling time this can be especially when you go into a dealership with a little bit of knowledge! It is important to know what you want, and to make sure your motorcycle fits your needs. Do your homework and understand completely what you're looking for before you talk to a salesperson. There is a great web site called http://CycleBuy.com where you can find out the dealer invoice price and obtain a report on each bike. Remember the dealer is in business to think money and he will try and make at least 10% profit on your sale. Some of the more common fees are set-up fees, documentation fees, destination charges and taxes. It is difficult sometimes to find out what a dealership's profit margin is, but it is somewhere between 5 and 15%.
Also know that the salesman will always try to sell you extra items including an extended warranty and all the accessories, because, as you may well know, the dealer makes money on this as well. You may not want any extras and if so, don't let a salesman talk you into anything you don't want.
If you are doing a trade-in, remember to do your homework. Check out this web site, http://www.kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book), as this will tell you what the price of the vehicle is when either selling it outright or trading it in. Try keeping mind that the dealer always wants to make at least 10% profit on each deal, so doing your homework means you may be able to talk them down quite a bit.
Most dealers like cash deals, however, if you are financing try to put down a good portion of that in cash. You may want to use a personal line of credit or get a pre-approved loan from a lending institution before approaching a dealer. Some dealers may have low percentage loans they can offer you on certain models, and this may definitely influence your decision. If you sell your bike privately rather than trading it in, you will usually get more for it. Remember, the dealer wants to work with you so play hardball with him. Give them some of your other business such as riding gear and accessories as this can be used as a bargaining tool. After you finalize the deal, you can almost always get them to sweeten it a bit more by throwing in the helmet or a jacket, since the salesperson has spent a lot of time and doesn't want to lose the sale.
Sintilia Miecevole, Administrator of http://www.hkmotorcycle.com provides you with information or resources from motorcycle, motorcycle accessories, clothing and gear to parts, rallies, events and more. Be sure to visit http://www.hkmotorcycle.com for further information.
Article Source: eArticlesOnline.com
You've made up your mind and you have finally decided to buy a new motorcycle! What a thrilling time this can be especially when you go into a dealership with a little bit of knowledge! It is important to know what you want, and to make sure your motorcycle fits your needs. Do your homework and understand completely what you're looking for before you talk to a salesperson. There is a great web site called http://CycleBuy.com where you can find out the dealer invoice price and obtain a report on each bike. Remember the dealer is in business to think money and he will try and make at least 10% profit on your sale. Some of the more common fees are set-up fees, documentation fees, destination charges and taxes. It is difficult sometimes to find out what a dealership's profit margin is, but it is somewhere between 5 and 15%.
Also know that the salesman will always try to sell you extra items including an extended warranty and all the accessories, because, as you may well know, the dealer makes money on this as well. You may not want any extras and if so, don't let a salesman talk you into anything you don't want.
If you are doing a trade-in, remember to do your homework. Check out this web site, http://www.kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book), as this will tell you what the price of the vehicle is when either selling it outright or trading it in. Try keeping mind that the dealer always wants to make at least 10% profit on each deal, so doing your homework means you may be able to talk them down quite a bit.
Most dealers like cash deals, however, if you are financing try to put down a good portion of that in cash. You may want to use a personal line of credit or get a pre-approved loan from a lending institution before approaching a dealer. Some dealers may have low percentage loans they can offer you on certain models, and this may definitely influence your decision. If you sell your bike privately rather than trading it in, you will usually get more for it. Remember, the dealer wants to work with you so play hardball with him. Give them some of your other business such as riding gear and accessories as this can be used as a bargaining tool. After you finalize the deal, you can almost always get them to sweeten it a bit more by throwing in the helmet or a jacket, since the salesperson has spent a lot of time and doesn't want to lose the sale.
Sintilia Miecevole, Administrator of http://www.hkmotorcycle.com provides you with information or resources from motorcycle, motorcycle accessories, clothing and gear to parts, rallies, events and more. Be sure to visit http://www.hkmotorcycle.com for further information.
Article Source: eArticlesOnline.com
How To Choose A High Quality Motorcycle Boot
How To Choose A High Quality Motorcycle Boot by Gregg Hall
Today's biker is looking for classic styling, high performance and unmatched quality--from their boots and their bikes. So what should you look for when buying motorcycle boots? First you want Premium Oiled Leathers, the best leather available.
This Black Odessa Leather is waxed and oiled to make the boot more water resistant. I prefer the Vibram Chippewa Sole. This is the best motorcycle boot sole in the industry. This particular motorcycle boot sole is oil resistant and provides good traction due to its high surface contact area. Since a lot of us are around oil spills and such working on our bikes, this is a must have. Buy cheap boots without oil resistant soles and the oil will eat them away.
Another thing I prefer is Goodyear Welted Construction, which greatly adds to your motorcycle boot durability. Make sure the motorcycle boots are stitched, not glued, meaning that the soles are completely replaceable when you do finally wear them down, and let’s face it motorcycle riders are tough on their motorcycle boots. The uppers are going to last virtually forever so don’t make the mistake of buying motorcycle boots without replaceable soles.
Another thing overlooked by many is a Toe Shifter Pad. This is of major Importance to bikers because it protects the toe and arch from fatigue and damage due to gear shifting. That’s not something that everyone thinks about but it’s important.
Make sure the motorcycle boots you buy have Quality Non-Tarnishable Hardware. You want your motorcycle boot hardware to look as polished and shiny as your bike.
I also like the Texon Insole which takes moisture away from the foot to keep it as dry as possible. The insole is also anti-microbial, preventing bacteria growth in your motorcycle boots. Make sure the lining of your motorcycle boot is fully leather lined with additional upper padding to provide maximum comfort.
Look for the Bison Stampede Collection from Chippewa which is made from the American Bison. This leather is supple, comfortable, and durable. It normally outlasts regular bovine leather by as much as 50-80%.
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses. Look at http://www.motorcyclegearandaccessories.com for your motorcycle gear.
Article Source: eArticlesOnline.com
Today's biker is looking for classic styling, high performance and unmatched quality--from their boots and their bikes. So what should you look for when buying motorcycle boots? First you want Premium Oiled Leathers, the best leather available.
This Black Odessa Leather is waxed and oiled to make the boot more water resistant. I prefer the Vibram Chippewa Sole. This is the best motorcycle boot sole in the industry. This particular motorcycle boot sole is oil resistant and provides good traction due to its high surface contact area. Since a lot of us are around oil spills and such working on our bikes, this is a must have. Buy cheap boots without oil resistant soles and the oil will eat them away.
Another thing I prefer is Goodyear Welted Construction, which greatly adds to your motorcycle boot durability. Make sure the motorcycle boots are stitched, not glued, meaning that the soles are completely replaceable when you do finally wear them down, and let’s face it motorcycle riders are tough on their motorcycle boots. The uppers are going to last virtually forever so don’t make the mistake of buying motorcycle boots without replaceable soles.
Another thing overlooked by many is a Toe Shifter Pad. This is of major Importance to bikers because it protects the toe and arch from fatigue and damage due to gear shifting. That’s not something that everyone thinks about but it’s important.
Make sure the motorcycle boots you buy have Quality Non-Tarnishable Hardware. You want your motorcycle boot hardware to look as polished and shiny as your bike.
I also like the Texon Insole which takes moisture away from the foot to keep it as dry as possible. The insole is also anti-microbial, preventing bacteria growth in your motorcycle boots. Make sure the lining of your motorcycle boot is fully leather lined with additional upper padding to provide maximum comfort.
Look for the Bison Stampede Collection from Chippewa which is made from the American Bison. This leather is supple, comfortable, and durable. It normally outlasts regular bovine leather by as much as 50-80%.
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses. Look at http://www.motorcyclegearandaccessories.com for your motorcycle gear.
Article Source: eArticlesOnline.com
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Sorry it's been a week or so.
I have been really busy trying to write some cool PHP code so I haven't added much here, but I will get back to it, sooner than a ... well anyway.
I am compiling all the part to build an outside shed, to store my Motorcycles, anyone think a 10 x 12 foot shed is big enough?
I am compiling all the part to build an outside shed, to store my Motorcycles, anyone think a 10 x 12 foot shed is big enough?
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