2Wheeltips

Now that riding season is here, we want to remind everyone of the 2wheeltips video store and the wonderful products we have for sell. What makes our store different from the other motorcycle websites out there is:

-- each product is filmed in high definition, so you get to watch a quality video of each product being used before you buy it. That way you know exactly what you are getting before you open the box

-- we sell quality products that are new, interesting and affordable. These are not refurbished or used products....they are shipped directly to you from the manufacturer

-- we sell a limited number of interesting products that we have personally tested ourselves.....so you don't have to worry about a product that looks good on paper but in practice is a huge disappointment

Check out our video store at www.2wheeltips.com/store to see what we have to offer. We introduce new products all the time so check back often to see what's new.

Your friends at 2wheeltips.com

On March 5th, Sport Honda Powerhouse in Metuchen, NJ hosted its first Safety Day.  The whole day was dedicated to motorcycling safety issues and was co-sponsored by the NJ Gold Wing Road Riders Association and Rider Education of NJ.  Lots of people showed up and there were plenty of activities and seminars to take in.  Although I didn't get a chance to attend the seminars, etc., I saw lots of people assembled to learn about all types of safety issues.  Sport Honda has a great meeting room that is adjacent to their service area and while they were conducting seminars there, other visitors could wander around the showroom, take a look at all the Honda bikes and scooters that Sport Honda has available, grab something to eat and drink, and just enjoy the company of so many motorcyclists who not only enjoy riding, but enjoy riding SAFELY!  Kudos to Sport Honda for hosting their first motorcycle safety day….I am looking forward to safety day being an annual event!!

I had an interesting experience this week that I'd like to share. It's not necessarily motorcycle related but could be. It has do to with educated people making really stupid decisions. We all make poor decisions from time to time, part of living and learning. But what possess someone to make a decision like I'm about to describe? We flew in a candidate this week from the West Coast to interview for a sales position. An experienced guy, very successful, 52 years of age. I took him to dinner at a very nice restaurant on Thursday night where we had a few drinks and a glass of wine over a 3 hour dinner. We left the restaurant a little before 9PM and he was to return to our facility the next morning to complete the interview. I drove home and I offered to have this candidate follow me and I would make sure he would have no problem getting back to his hotel aout 10 minute drive from the restaurant. He declined as he had a GPS and assured me he would be fine. The next morning our candidate did not show-up. We called his room at the hotel and got no answer. My 2 assumptions were he either became very ill and went to a hospital or he got arrested. I checked the Ames, IA arrest log and sure enough he was arrested for operating under the infulence "OWI" at 11:45PM that night. So, this brilliant decision cost our candidate this job opportunity, thousands of dollars in fines, suspended driving license, attorneys fees, and travel expenses back to Iowa to go to court. For what???? I share this with you as an example of how perfectly intelligent and rational person can make a tragic decisions they will regret for the rest of their lives. When you are out riding please reflect on the decisions you are making. We all have the ability to do something really stupid if we allow ourselves the opportunity.

The 2wheeltips crew made it over to the Javits Center in NYC last month to check out the International Motorcycle Show. This is our 3rd time going and we always have a good time talking to the vendors and catching up with the latest motorcycle industry gossip. This year was no exception.  We had a great time talking to our friends from National Cycle, Arai helmets, Touch of Purple, West Virginia Tourism and a few others. It was a great show and we had a lot of fun. But we couldn't help but notice a few changes, most of them driven by the slow economy. These are:

Smaller Show
As we all know, the "powersports industry" (motorcycles, UTV's, ATV's, scooters, watercraft) has taken a serious hit due to the declining economy.  The NYC show is one of the largest and over the years we have noticed a steady decline in the size of the show.  Five or six years ago, the show was "standing room only", had hundreds of vendors and was on 2  levels. Now the show is on one level and many of the exhibitors decided not to participate or are no longer in business.  To many, a motorcycle is simply a luxury item they can no longer afford and many people have put off purchasing a bike or they are selling the one(s) they already have. We think the show numbers reflect this new reality.

Smaller Bikes
In prior years, most of the big manufacturers couldn't wait to unveal the latest and greatest bike with bigger engines, more features and even bigger price tags. How things have changed. This year, the spotlight was on smaller bikes. The most memorable were the Honda 250cc (you heard that right) sport bike, the dressed up Honda Shadow (750cc) with Cobra accessories and the Harley-Davidson (mid-priced) softtails. Since banks are not handing out motorcycle loans like halloween candy anymore, the manufacturers have caught on and are now making bikes that people can get financed.

Scooters
We did not see ANY scooter manufacturers at the show nor did we see any "green" vehicles. In previous years, there were at least two at the show. This segment of the industry has taken a serious hit and we personally know of a few scooter manufacturers that are out of business. The only exception was the BMW, but it's a concept scooter.....and is not available for sale.

New Products
Although the industry is changing, we did see some new products and vendors. SpeedpassingXV was there with a new EZPass holder that straps you your arm. NikkoMotoRacing introduced a new line of motorcycle helmets. BLINC introduced some new integrated bluetooth helmets and West Virginia Tourism gave an excellent presentation on motorcycle rallies and events available in their state.

As one of our friends from the industry stated, the industry is getting back to basics and is now focusing on the motorcyclist that has always been there. We will see how this goes in 2011.

Many of you are well aware of the “Hurt Report”, a study done in 1981 by the late-Professor Harry H. Hurt. That study has provided much of the information used to educate riders of where they are at greatest risk of being involved in an accident. Unfortunately, that information is now severely dated and driving habits have changed dramatically over the last 30 years since that study was done. Motorcycling fatalities have continued to increase for the last decade until 2009 where they declined for the first time dropping to 4,462 (2009) versus 5,312 in (2008). The only “good” news here, if you can call it that, is that these tragic statistics have finally caught lawmaker’s attention and a number of new studies are in the works to update crash-causation research. The Federal government as launched a $3 million study into the causes of motorcycle crashes thru the Oklahoma Transportation Center and being conducted by Oklahoma State University. This study sends teams of researchers to the scenes of motorcycle crashes that police are actively investigating to gather data. Each investigation includes a detailed inspection of the motorcycle and its components, rider and passenger impact points, interviews with riders who crashed as well as riders who travel the same route who haven’t crashed, examination of medical records and a lot more. Each crash analysis is expected to require as many as 60 hours of on-scene work and follow-up analysis and investigation. This study will look at 300 crashes and is expected to take until 10/2013 to complete. Other studies underway include Maryland where researchers are studying whether rider safety training really saves lives, or whether just gaining experience by riding plays a more important role in avoiding a crash. In Oregon, researchers are studying where riders look when they ride, and whether visual scanning skills can be learned and if so what is gained from them. A research group in Ohio is looking at different groups of motorcyclist such as cruiser riders, sport bike riders, touring riders etc, do determine if a given group have behaviors common to the group that put them more at risk of crashing than the other groups. Lastly, in Virginia a study by the MSF will use video cameras and data gathering devices to capture rider behavior in an attempt to see what riders do to avoid crashes and what they do wrong when they crash. These studies will be critically important to develop more timely analytical data for us to better understand what causes motorcyclist to be involved in crashes. Here are some recent statistics you might find interesting: •Motorcycle deaths increased by 78% from 2000 to 2007 •Motorcycles only represent 3% of all registered vehicles but accounted for 13% of fatalities in 2007 •The fatality rate for motorcyclist and their passenger is 5.5 times higher than car occupants •50% of all fatal motorcycle crashes involved collisions with another type of motor vehicle. Of those 78% were struck from the front and only 5% struck from the rear •25% of fatal motorcycle crashes involved crashing into a fixed object like a telephone pole or concrete abutment •Speeding was a factor in 36% of fatal motorcycle crashes in 2007 •Florida (530), California (495) and Texas (375) had the highest number of fatalities in 2007 •The NHSTA estimates that helmets saved 1,784 motorcyclist from death in 2007 and if all motorcyclist had worn helmets, an additional 800 more lives could have been saved. Much of the information contained in this article came from the American Motorcyclist article “Safety In Numbers” by Bill Kresnak 11/2010 and Rider Education article by Gene Knutson. If you are not currently a member of the AMA I would strongly encourage you to join. The AMA is to the sport of motorcycling what the NRA is to hunting and sports using firearms as well as our 2nd Amendment rights.

Early in the morning when the wind is cold,
Riding without a windshield with freeze your soul;
You looked at all the gear that you have a hand,
Summer wear, fall wear, and in the corner stand;
Full-face, quarter, and a Bennie top,
You’re looking for something that the wind it will stop;
Common sense comes to mind,
Which helmet will not leave me blind;
You grab your full-face and to the door you race,
Without thinking you forgot your taste;
You like looking cool, because that’s your rule,
Even if you’re riding around LQQking like a fool;
Wait, wait PrayAsIride, now you are passing judgment,
From here on out I don’t care for your comment;
Why are you telling me that I ride around looking like a fool,
Who died and left you the fashion stool;
In the summer, yes I wear no top,
Because down here in Key West it’s really hot;
I have a six pack that I love to show,
It’s make a biker’s chick heart really glow;
Because my job keeps me in the Southeast,
My summer riding gear is only a two piece;
It’s a full-face helmet to stop the wind,
And so biker’s chicks can see my seductive grin;
This grin is seen after I take my helmet off,
But wearing the darn thing makes me cough;
My other gear is a pair of sexy shorts,
Made of silk and shows my polk;
Did you mean to say shows my ham and not my polk,
Because if you did, you will end up in 2Wheeltips biker’s court;
Shut up Pray and let me tell my story,
Because right now, I am in my glory;
Getting on my bike and about to go down the road,
And in my sight is a biker’s chick, looking bold;
Riding up to her and looking real cool,
She winks at me as if she is in the mood;
Can I ride on the back of your bike she asks,
She rubs my six pack and I feel a real blast;
Inside my full-face, I do sneeze,
Out of my nose comes a big breeze;
There she stands just looking at me,
Snot on my visor is all I can see;
I quickly lift my lid, to hide the sight,
She tells me she will ride on the other guy’s bike.

Well you've glob'd on to this website to watch the videos,
To read the blogs about safety stuff and read "Write Like Some Prose"
Our poem Master is Mr. PrayasIride and he has a marvelous wit
But are you getting the message here before you grab your bike and split?
I look back on all the stuff we wrote in the blogs thru all last year
All the info from Carol and Tony, advice that I hold dear
I come to this key question after thought and a few beers
What more is there to say to keep you safe this coming year?
We've covered all the topics, like helmets and "all the gear"
Gave advice to ride responsibly and get you thru your "Newbie" fears
Provided you tips on riding smart, pitfalls you should stay clear
But I'll ask you once again, my friend, will you ride safe this coming year?
The message is so simple,  just open up your ears
The advice you'll find on 2WheelTips will save you pain and many tears!

I am struggling with what to do,
Will I spend my Valentine’s Day with you;
I know you think you are the love of my life,
I had to go to BAG to get some advice;
I heard you say just the other day,
I am the love of your life and you wouldn’t have it any other way;
I have a confession that I must make,
I am not sure how this you will take;
I have an iron pony that I love to ride,
And I have you that are always by my side;
You and my iron pony are one in the same,
You both give me pleasure and both give me pain;
Trust me my dear; this is hard to explain;
Valentine’s Day is to be spent with the one you love,
It is like a heavenly feeling that you get from above;
Hold on a second, what is it you are saying to me,
If you are saying what I am thinking, I want back my key;
Brrrr, Burrrr, Burrrr, Burrrr, what is that sound,
Oh it’s my iron pony clowning around;
Are you saying that bike started up all by its self,
Making so much noise, I am almost deaf;
What do you mean both pleasure and pain,
That I and that bike are one in the same;
What can that bike do for you that I can’t do,
Tell me can it make love to you;
I really wish you had not ask that question,
You can learn from my bike and I have some suggestion;
You know what, I did not think you were that cold and mean,
Just before Valentine’s Day you are making an ugly scene;
I am not being cold and I am not being mean,
It is you that must keep your mind clean;
You asked me could my bike make love to me,
As if that is all to our relationship you see;
What is Love and I know it mean different things,
It is about intimacy that touches the core of your inner being;
You have a place in my heart that is true and dear,
Yet, when I ride my bike, there is something that my soul can hear;
Look, I want to stop the conversation, because my self-esteem is feeling low,
To have a person in my life, that better than me their bike they love so;
See there you go again, Why can’t this be a win win;
It’s either me or the bike, so make up your mind,
I want to know are you my truly Valentine;
Before I answer your question, some papers I have to show,
Promise me when you read them that you will go;
Go, Go are you asking for a divorce,
No, my love, they are papers for MSF course;
So you can learn to ride your own iron horse;
The love that I have, I want to share with you my honey,
So that you can learn to ride your own iron pony;
I love it when you have your arms around my waist,
But, I want you to feel the wind in your own face;
I love it when we are sharing a ride,
But, I rather for you to ride by my side;
Oh my sweet dear, I love leaning against your back,
I love riding with you and there is nothing lack;
There have been times, when I wanted to get my own,
But, I was thinking that you would take it all wrong;
I have been dreaming of the day, when I would take the course,
But I was afraid that you would not support my choice;
Year after year, there I sat, wishing the throttle was in my hand,
Wondering if you could deal with it like a man;
My dear I to have a confession to make,
And Lord knows, I hope it is not too late;
As I have ridden always in the rear,
My head has not always been clear;
The bike and you have both been pain and pleasure,
Because I always wanted my own bike and you beyond measure;
I was afraid which one; I would love most when I started riding,
And feel the middle of my heart dividing;
I must say you are one of a kind,
I got to make up my mind;
On Valentine’s Day let’s go to the store,
I want to purchase the pink bike by the door!

This poem might not be for the universal,
Unless you got riding gear for the holidays, and doing a dress rehearsal;
I hope the gear you received is safety proof,
It will protect you if you land on top of a cage’s roof;
Now PrayasIride start the year out and keep it uplifting,
2wheeltips wants to receive high ratings for the booking;
All your stuff is getting old,
Just like the iron pony that you sold;
Lights cut off, and heater too,
No food or money what else could you do;
A family to feed, to house and cloth,
No choice your iron pony had to be sold;
It broke your heart from within,
But it is your family that got to win;
I know in your life the iron pony came first,
You loved your bike until it became a curse;
No one could touch it, or even stare or look,
You would become so angry; it made the earth shook;
You took the rent money and purchased chrome,
And deep in your heart you felt no wrong;
Children grew up without a daddy or mom,
Because you wanted your bike to be the B.U.M.;
Up and on it you would go,
Rather than take your kids to the picture show;
All dressed out in leather in your cool gear,
Children dressed like rag dolls my dear;
Now PrayasIride, this is getting depressing, so change your tone,
To know that one love their bike so, that family is glad it is gone;
Wait a minute 2wheeltips, there you go again,
Jumping to conclusions without looking within;
It ‘s ok to love your bike and on it spend some money,
It’s ok to treat your bike like it is your honey;
The iron pony is a special fare,
You know you have been there;
The truth is you love or hate it—there is no in between,
The bike has a way of sucking away at your green ($$$);
A biker is like an alcoholic with an addiction,
When one who rides and one who doesn’t ride there is always friction; Maybe there should be such a thing as Biker’s AA Group,
AA doesn’t stand for Alcohol Anonymous—but Biker’s Addiction Group;
You see it’s the million dollars advertisement on TV and in magazines,
That chromed the bike out and set the charming scene;
Beautiful women, handsome men smiling and riding their bikes,
You began to feel that you got to live up to that hype;
Rote behavior is a strange and powerful thing,
People will jump on the bandwagon without knowing what it means;
So my friends pull out your money and grab your BAG and gear,
Biker’s Addiction Group—The BAG It is Almost Here!
Wait, wait, wait, wait PrayasIride, I am not going to allow you to get away with this,
Are you saying that we 2wheeltips are caught up in this midst;
We are attempting to get a million dollars advertisement for our website and magazine,
We even started selling merchandise to improve the biker’s scene;
If you play your cards right and keep your mouth shut,
We will even bring you in on the million dollars cut;
This Biker’s Addiction Group or thing that you are talking about,
Is something that we merchant have not figured out;
If such a thing is really going to be,
We got to figure out how much money is in it for me;
We talked to Tony, Dinah and Reggie just the other day,
We asked them, "what do you think about Pray?";
They told us they like you and to bring you in on the cut,
But Reggie was afraid that you couldn’t keep your mouth shut;
Now that you have let the beans out of the BAG, my dear,
We at 2wheeltips are committed and want to make it clear;
The BAG you talked about The BAG—It’s Almost Hear!

Well, they told me that it was too cold,
But they didn’t know that my bike was my soul;
It is something that only a biker will understand,
it doesn’t matter which ride is your brand;
The wind chill was dropping,
My eyes were popping;
Fingers could feel no more pain,
My mind was freezing at the brain;
There I was out in the snow,
Slipping and sliding putting on a foolish show;
I could see it on their faces,
Saying there goes one of those crazies;
In the winter a throttle jockey I am not,
Especially when my head get full of that pot;
Wait, wait, what are you saying,
Are not you a guy who is always praying;
What is this that you are talking about pot,
On 2wheeltips this is not the spot;
This kind of thing we do not endorse,
You are only publishing your poems by our choice;
Wait, wait 2wheeltips you have rush to judgment,
Without realizing the breath of my content;
All you heard and saw was the word pot,
And projected your private behavior on the spot;
Safety, safety, is what I am about when riding my wheels,
By no way will I advocate riding a bike while you are thrilled;
There is such a thing as cabin fever and you want to escape,
And you want to jump on your bike for spring you can’t wait;
That little voice that is in my head, tells me not to ride,
Outdoors where I live is black ice and for sure I will slide;
That little voice in my head tells me that it is cold,
But after I have drunk a fifth, for sure I am feeling bold;
PrayasIride, for sure we don’t know what to do with you,
You are advocating drinking and riding and smoking pot too;
No, no, no, you have it all wrong,
I am only describing what happens when you ride and you are stoned;
People do crazy things when they get high,
Many have had their life pass them by;
Doing this holiday season of the year,
Many will be riding while drinking holiday cheer;
Laying on the ground with body parts missing,
Saying to themselves, Why Didn’t I Listen.