Archive for the ‘Motorcycle’ Category
ATV and Motorcycle Loading Ramp Safety
Planning on taking your ATV or motorcycle with you on a trip in your truck or RV will mean that you need a motorcycle loading ramp. Motorcycle loading ramps do indeed make the task simple.
Doing anything with an ATV or motorcycle there is the right way and the wrong way. Carrying any kind of load requires a little information on how to do it correctly. Loading and securing must be done right or you risk damaging your equipment or yourself.
Follow some of these simple tips to properly load and secure your ATV or motorcycle in the Toy Hauler, trailer or pickup. For loading a trailer the first step is always attach the trailer to the towing vehicle before loading. This will insure the trailer remains stable during loading.
Next you will need a motorcycle loading ramp. The proper ramp to do the job is also required. The ramp load capacity you must know something about. The ramp load capacity may be perfect for the ATV or motorcycle but if you plan to ride it up the ramp into the trailer or RV the ramp may not handle combined weight of you both.
Far too many accidents occur loading and unloading. Riding ATVs and motorcycles up into a truck or trailer is dangerous. So be prepared by taking all the necessary precautions. Always wear your protective clothing, gloves, boots and helmet. Loading and unloading is when these accessories are needed most.
Riding up a loading ramp requires the low or first gear. You want a smooth and stable ride all the way up without stopping or jerking on the ramp. It is also important not to try to do it too fast. A high rate of speed will cause the ramp to buckle because of the G forces and cause you to crash into your trailer or RV.
Many people find using a winch to load and unload up and down the ramp is much safer procedure. The winch gives you much more control for both loading and unloading and not to mention it is much safer.
When the ATV or motorcycle is safely loaded, you will need to take extra time to balance the load. Balancing the load on the trailer or carrying vehicle is important to ensure and even distribution of the weight. Some ATVs have a locking brake, for the motorcycles that do not, put them in first gear and secure it to the trailer of bed of the truck. Tie down straps are required to securely carry the ATV or motorcycle.
Tie down straps must be heavy duty enough to hold the weight of the ATV. Two tie downs on the front and two on the back plus one on each side will secure it to the trailer or truck. The ATV or motorcycle must be completely immobilized. Tie down straps allow you to ratchet them down to tighten them. You want the load to be as secure as possible even to the point of making the tires look as though they are under extra load.
Always secure the extra length of tie down straps so they don’t flap around if out in an open trailer or pickup truck. The flapping of these straps can damage paint jobs and also be forced to come loose. With all of these steps you now have a very secure load and are ready to take your trip and hit the road.
Here are some of the top listings for loading ramps from the very heavy duty to light duty you are sure to find the one that fits your needs.
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 Bluff Manufacturing Truck Loading Ramp 30SYS7036L  US $12,214.00
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 Bluff Manufacturing | Truck Loading Ramp 30SYS8430 US $11,399.05
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 12 1 2 Ton Forklift Yard Ramp | Loading Ramp 84Wx30L US $10,677.00
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 Bluff Manufacturing | Truck Loading Ramp 30SYS7030 US $10,588.00
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 10 Ton Forklift Ramp | Truck Loading Ramp 20SYS8430 US $10,022.00
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 12 1 2 Ton Forklift Ramp | Loading Ramp 70 W 30 US $9,601.00
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 Bluff Manufacturing Truck Loading Ramp Model Number 16SYS7036L US $9,567.00
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 10 Ton Forklift Ramp | Truck Loading Ramp 70 W 30 US $8,920.00
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 8 Ton Forklift Ramp | Truck Loading Ramp 84 W 30L US $8,722.00
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 8 Ton Forklift Yard Ramp | Truck Loading 70 W 30L US $8,177.00
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 30 ft Loading Ramp Dock Leveler Blue Giant 6x7 dock US $6,950.00
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 30 ft Loading Ramp with 30000 lb Dock Leveler US $6,900.00
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Motorcycles Pricing
Motorcycle pricing can be from one end of the spectrum to the other. In fact, motorcycles pricing can be as different as individual bikers are different. Let me put it another way, you get what you pay for. For the entry level motorcycles pricing for basic entry level beginners or you have complex pricing structures for customized motorcycles made for experienced and knowledgeable riders.
On the low side of the motorcycles pricing scale are the basic starter level bikes. Prices come in at around twenty five hundred dollars for bare minimum, rear drum brake, 125cc engine, cruiser-type bike and scooters. Costs then rise to more than seventy five thousand dollars because a fully loaded chopper where every detail and lots of chrome is going to cost you.
Along the center of the normal valuation spectrum you'll find motorcycles in the range of six thousand to almost twenty four thousand. Most bikes fall within this category and motorcycles pricing will reflect any custom work. Form super quick sport bikes to upgraded better than entry level cruisers, you can start seeing what amounts to the top of the line for low end motorcycles and the bottom of the line for high end bikes. This is where the smaller priced versions of the more costly bikes begin.
Looking at motorcycles in the mid-range pricing you can find the basic touring models and some of the more stylized cruisers. Premium touches such as powder coating or chrome finishes will be lacking. That's not to say you'll be sacrificing quality. You'll still be getting your basic components such as engine size, gears, fuel capacity, etc., but the cosmetic finishes will be plain vanilla. Finishes will be durable for the class of bike, but nothing fancy. Prices here also reflect differences in wheel and tire sizes.
When you get to the $15,000 mark, you'll be in custom territory. At this price-range, options such as ABS brakes, air bags and classy saddle bags are available. Make it twenty thousand or more and you could revel in feature such as reverse, heated grips, heated seats, rider to passenger communication systems and windshields and kickstands that are operated electronically.
Any motorcyclist who has ridden on a chilly winter's day will truly appreciate one feature that is available in the higher end of the motorcycles pricing range. This accessory is known as a proximity key. With this key inside your pocket you could start up and operate your bike without ever having to remove your gloves. When it's below 32 degrees out there, the proximity key is worth its weight in gold.
For the novice rider, motorcycles pricing can be a bit confusing, but once you understand what features are considered upgrades and which are standard for the type of bike you want, you'll see that it becomes easier o research your dream bike. Customizing to the max for a low end bike may not be the best use of your budget if you can get the same or better functionality with an entry level model of a higher end make. At that point, you're only limited by your budget.
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Custom Built Motorcycles : Pro Street 2006 GsxR 1000 red and black 8,500 miles with 2 helmets
 | US $7,000.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 15:06:17 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
Triumph : Bonneville T120R Vintage English Motorcycle, Museum Quality Profession Frame Off Restoration
 | US $13,000.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-12-2012 15:00:35 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
Custom Built Motorcycles : Bobber 2006 FLYRITE CHOPPER BOBBER
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Custom Built Motorcycles : Pro Street Custom Softail
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Custom Built Motorcycles : special build HD SPORTSTER MOD 2001 HD SPORTSTER TURNED CUSTOM CHOPPER IN 2007
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Yamaha : FJR AWR 2007 Yamaha FJR 1300 ABS Sport Touring Motorcycle Corbin
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Cheap Motorcycles
The saying, cheap motorcycles ranks right up there with affordable health care, the only difference is you can actually buy a cheap motorcycle. As always buyer beware, because as the old saying goes you get what you pay for is especially true when it comes to motorcycles.
Cheap, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Even extremely overpriced motorcycle manufacturers offer what they consider “cheap” versions of some of their higher end motorcycles. These more affordable motorcycles are usually very basic models with differences like plain wheels and less chrome and an engine that features a plain unfinished casing instead of receiving a powder coating treatment.
For riders who love to tinker with and customize their motorcycles the basic version may be the way to go as you don’t have to pay for extra features that you might end up taking off later. And for some riders these stripped down, hop on and ride models might be all that they need for their motorcycle adventures. So a cheap motorcycle may be just what the doctor ordered.
Small prices and small engines usually go hand in hand so you can expect to sacrifice some power for those lower prices regardless of the style of motorcycle you choose. Chances are if you are looking for a genuinely cheap motorcycle this will not be an issue. The problem with cheap motorcycles is that usually plague the more experience motorcycle riders with some features they had before are missing.
With touring motorcycles being an exception the other styles of motorcycles are all available in a truly cheap package. Boulevard bikes, café racers, enduro motorsports, and other sport bikes are all available in affordable packages; bear in mind that while these are usually geared towards motorcycle beginners they can offer tremendous bare bones functionality. Most of the models in this price range are lower power models usually less than six hundred cc’s.
The one factor with having a smaller engine is that you probably will not notice the lack of the advanced braking systems usually offered on their higher priced counterparts. Often times you will find drum brakes where disk would and should be, but that trend seems to be riding into the sunset though not as fast as we’d like. Cheap motorcycles need brakes too and safety is an overriding factor even for motorcycle manufacturers.
While there may be some slight mechanical differences in addition to subtle almost unnoticeable changes like differences in tire sizes, the majority of the other differences that make these bikes affordable are cosmetic. Cheaper seats, unfinished engine and transmission casings, plain where there would otherwise be chrome and dyed plastic instead of painted metal or fiberglass make up the majority of the cost cutting materials. The quality of workmanship remains the same even in these low priced models as the manufacturer wants you to ride their machine, and they will be there for you as you gain experience, money, or simply want to ride something different.
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