12 Things you can’t forget in your next bike trip this spring

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Spring season is here! Now we can take a break from normal life and try something out of our routines and hit the road with our bikes. This season is more demanding due to the weather and you will need to arrange some things before taking a long ride. Take a look!

  • Cash: along the way, you will find some spots that do not allow credit or debit cards, especially if you may require gas.
  • ID/Documentation: you will never know if you will require it for a cops stop for a quick check, bring with you your government ID and insurance papers if you have them.
  • Mini Tool Kit: a motorcycle breakdown is always unexpected and it its better to be prepared especially during a long ride because you will pass remote and lonely roads. Have a basic tool kit with you, just in case.

  • Extra Ignition Key: who knows if you might lose your current key!
  • Hydration: with the spring weather you will get dehydrated faster than usual, do not forget to fuel your body and mind with enough water or your favorite energizing drink.
  • Comfort Seat: you cannot allow to be distracted by any pain or discomfort, add anything that helps you to have a peaceful ride, for example, a seat gel.
  • First Aid Kit: this is a must have, even if you are in an usual commute, short-ride, riding alone or not, could be needed for a fallen stranger too.
  • AGATT: do you remember? All Gear All The Time. This means gloves, helmet, jacket, rider pants, boots and even louder horns (especially for blind curves) and visor cleaner. You cannot forget your tires from BTRubber.

  • Chain Lube: This is what you need if you want smooth-riding, this will keep your motorcycle chain wet, especially if you will ride more than 500 km.
  • GPS: after you choose your destination you need to ask yourself: how do I get there without delays? GPS is your best friend while riding!
  • Charger: especially if you are using the GPS in your cell-phone this can drain off your battery, be prepared for long distances with a full mobile battery charger.
  • Lighter: you can include it as part of your mini tool kit but you may want to find some peaceful by having a break after ride and smoke a cigarette.

We hope this is helpful for you to plan your next spring ride safe and fun. Please let us know if you think that we can add something to this list. Cheers!

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What Is Your Reason To Ride?

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There is a big chance that not all people really understand whatever reason we gave them about why we ride a motorcycle. We ride because it is our life, is who we are and we can’t not ride. It is not only about it makes you look cool. Here is a list of reasons why you should ride a motorcycle. Do you connect with these?

1. Freedom

It is not only that a motorcycle can take you to a lot of places that a car, bike or plane cannot; it is because when you ride you have total autonomy and control over your decisions, what you do is only yours, you and your motorcycle, there is no space and time for distractions. There are no limits to stop you.

2. Authenticity

Every motorcycle is a reflection of its owner’s personality, they are all unique. You spend time in it, work on it and give it maintenance every day, which makes you create a deeper connection and build a bond.

3. Commuting is easier and more fun

We all know that traffic sucks, but with a motorcycle, you are able to do lane splitting (depending on if it is allowed in the place you live). But still, if it is not permitted, your commute experience will be more fun and enjoyable. It is known that people arriving to work and take of their helmet are more likely to start the day smiling than the ones who were stuck in a car before arriving.

4. You help the environment

Riding a bike is also better than a car in terms of ecology. You use less fuel, a motorcycle use fewer resources to be built, is smaller, cheaper (to buy, maintain and operate), and more efficient if you use a single or two-person to transport.

5. Is good for your health

Long story short is good for your brain. While driving you need to make a lot of decisions that increase your brain activity and it has benefits for your cognitive function. This could be therapeutic as well for people with depression or other mental health issues or as a stress buster. Of course, if you ride off-road or as a sport, you will increase your physical health also.

6. You meet a lot of great people

Sharing an interest in motorcycles with a fellow rider is one of the things that could fill your soul. You create a community where you will be helped and where they will take care of you. The bonding and great friendships will bring you joy and reward.

7. Just because!

At the end of the day, we all need something that makes us feel good, have fun, be excited and stimulated, it does not matter what kind of rider you are or if your motorcycle is big, small, slow, fast, it only has to be fuel to your mind and soul.

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Motorcycling’s Response Rusia and Ukraine war.

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More than three weeks into Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, a growing number of motorcycle manufacturers, their parent companies, and some aftermarket companies are ceasing production and business operations in Russia, in response to that country’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Others are pledging donations to humanitarian aid groups to give assistance to and help stem the tide of more 3 million displaced persons who have been forced out of their homes. Adding to the effort are new sanctions from Western governments that ban the sale and shipment of some motorcycles to Russia.

Harley-Davidson and Polaris Inc. revealed their actions early in March. H-D announced it had, suspended its business in Russia and all shipments of its bikes to the country, and Polaris, manufacturer of Indian motorcycles, said it is suspending exports to Rusia.

Honda Motor Co. announced the suspension of exports of motorcycles and autos to Russia, citing distribution and financial challenges, and just this week, the Tokyo headquarters said it would donate 1 million euros to the Japanese Red Cross Society as humanitarian support for the many people in Ukraine.

American Honda has said it would match donations made by associates who wish to support organizations providing aid to those impacted, as part of its existing HondaGO.

BMW, whose motorcycles enjoy huge popularity in Russia, also issued a statement confirming it had stopped exports of all vehicles to that country, and was quoted in the NY Times as saying, “production would suffer at its factories in Munich.” For context, most of the company’s motorcycles are made in Berlin, though BMW has assembly plants in Thailand and Brazil for distribution to those local markets, as well as contract manufacturing agreements in China and India.

Ducati, suspending vehicle exports to Russia early on, via an announcement from parent company Volkswagen Group emphasizing that its associated brands would be halting business there. The statement went on to say, a sustainable solution to the conflict can only be found on the basis of international law.

And on March 3, Suzuki too announced it would be halting shipments of motorcycles and cars to the warmongering country.

Yamaha, which sells motorcycles, snowmobiles, and outboard motors in Russia, suspended exports from Japan and other countries, citing “chaotic logistics networks.” It’s not clear whether the company intends to resume operations once those issues are cleared, but in a statement released earlier this week, Yamaha HQ in Japan said it will donate 700,000 US dollars toward humanitarian aid for Ukraine and its surrounding regions.

Ural is the only Russian manufacturer of high-capacity bikes. On its US subsidiary’s Instagram page, the brand continues to show the simple message: “Stop War Now.”

Meanwhile, the Russia-born Sardarov brothers are in control of 100 percent of MV Agusta’s capital, and CEO Timur Sardarov issued an early condemnation of the invasion in an open letter, saying he “never thought that I would feel so betrayed by the action of my own country.” An additional post on Instagram stated simply, No War.

Other companies pulling out of Russia include the Michelin Group which has said it is suspending its industrial activity in Russia, as well as exports to the country in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Michelin has halted production of passenger tires and truck retreads at its 18 year old factory in Davydovo.

US measures released on March 11. The Executive Order prohibits the “direct or indirect supply of luxury goods to any person located in Russia from the United States or by US persons.” Those  luxury goods include “apparel, autos, motorcycles, and artwork.”

In addition to individual companies taking action, Western governments have stepped up with sanctions as well, the latest coming just this week. In a just-released package of sanctions, the European Union will restrict the shipment of luxury goods to Russia. Motorcycles are considered a luxury item and the ban is enacted to target motorcycles worth more 5,000 euros and any other vehicle or boat over 50,000 euros.

Whether the reasons are economic or moral, the wholesale elimination of motorcycle sales in the country is unlikely to put any serious pressure on Vladimir Putin’s decision to wage war, but even the smallest of steps taken together can hopefully make a meaningful unifying statement.

What do you think about the measures that these companies are taking about this situation?

Leave us your comment.

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BIKE TO THE FUTURE

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The worl ahead of us is constantly changing with every passing moment and every decision made. The future is unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean we can’t wonder and try to see ahead, be in hope or in despair.

The Obrella by Rafael

Monterio Bicalho Nuclear war turned Earth into a remnant of the planet it once was. What was once called Japan is now known as ‘Eden.’ The Obrella is an ‘Extreme G’ motorbike, a high-speed machine that’s most commonly used by the ‘Boso Faction,’ a gang of individuals who pay homage to Japan’s Bōsōzoku culture not only through their criminal activities, but also by painting their motorcycles in vibrant and extravagant liveries.

Bax by Shane Baxley

In the not-so-distant future, we’re introduced to the BAX Moto MKIII, which single-handedly revives café racer culture; no one saw anything as aggressive or clean with clip-ons. The lines of the BAX Moto MKIII’s body make it look like it’s going supersonic when it’s at a stop.

While the front end uses state-of-the-art piggyback suspension, the rear uses a traditional monoshock setup, and Brembo brakes all around. The MKIII runs a race-slick rear tire, but it has a touring front tire so that it can be used daily, and its offset headlights and bold taillights make it hard to ignore at night.

KTM by Julien Lecreux

 With two opposing mono swing arms, this conceptual KTM adventure bike is meant to take you to the wildest and strangest parts of ‘After Earth.’ The lightweight, nimble motorcycle can traverse any terrain with ease and confidence.

The saddlebags are designed to look like Jerry cans from World War II, and stored inside of them are extra batteries for long-range rides. A heads-up display projects on the windscreen.

Punch by Artem Smirnov

A modern interpretation of the supermotos that ripped through the streets of Paris in the 1980s, the lightweight Punch is  compact electric  with good ground clearance, long-travel suspension, quick handling and a top speed of 75 mph.

Cobra by Christian Grajewski

The year is 2036, and autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence and the so-called ‘Metaverse’ have taken over our everyday lives. The most popular motorsports, ‘ROBO MOTO AI,’ is a street racing event where humans compete alongside the most advanced AI-controlled motorcycles.

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MUST HAVE BOOK: The MotoLady`s Book of Women who ride.

Read Time:1 Minute, 33 Second

Available now a must-have for every woman motorcycle enthusiast, is the MotorLadys Book of women who ride:motorcycle Heroes,Trailblazers & Record-Breakers. The coffee-book style publication is fantastically written and curated by Alicia Mariah Elfving,founder of TheMotoLady.com and the Womens Motorcycle show. She is certainly one of my favourite “women who ride” and notable advocates for women motorcycling.

The MotoLady`s book of Women offering the true stories of the women past and present who ride and wrench as well as anyone, proving every bit as indispensable to maintaining and growing a positive motorcycling culture.

MOTOLADY STYLE

Historically, depictions of women in motorcycle culture tend to objectify- from the outlaw motorcycle club ” biker babe”.
The truth is much different, from the early days of motorcycle culture more than 100 years ago, women have played a central role in making the motorcycle a legitimate form of transportation, recreation,and motorsport.

Elfving presents more then 70 figures in the motorcycle world, from the Americas to Europe and even the Middle East and South Asia- stunt riders, racers, builders, customizers, organisers, and more. Elfving links todays women motorcyclists with those of the past and ilustrates the freedom represented by two wheels, and how motorcycles allow women to transcend cultural expectations confidently. You will meet riders sucha as:

  • Jessi Combs, an iconic tv personality, metal fabricator, and land-speed record holder.
  • Sofi Tsingos of GT-Moto, who raises money for charities by building and auctioning motorcycles.
  • Spanish motorcycle racer Laia Sanz,ten-time trials champion and the toughest women in motorsport.

Elfving instils confidence and can-do rather than providing and echo chamber of common compaints among women in motorcycling.
The MotoLadys Book of Women who ride is illustrated throughout with contemporary and historical photos of the authors subjects, comprising a beautiful as well as inspiring package.

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