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Motorcycle Views Newsletter for 02/28/2016

By Walter F. Kern

Motorcycle Views Newsletter

Vol. 10, No. 5, February 28, 2016

Articles of Interest on Motorcycle Views:

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1. Recent Additions to the Motorcycle Views Website:

2. Daytona Bike Week:

March madness on motorcycles is a tradition at Daytona's Bike Week

The 75th anniversary of Daytona Bike Week is being held March 4-13, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The start of Daytona Bike Week is often announced on the morning TV news shows. You know, where somebody sticks their face in front of the camera and announces: "We're at the opening of Daytona Bike Week. Good Morning America," and then you see a whole line of bikes roar off in front of the camera. Unfortunately, most of the remainder of Bike Week will not be seen by non-motorcyclists.

Most of the items described in this article have links listed below.

Almost everyone has heard of the Daytona 500, the "crown jewel" of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series held at Daytona International Speedway, but how many have heard of the Daytona 200 or the AMA Superbike Championship? How many know that there will be flat track racing, and supercross? Not many.

Such is the state of motorcycle racing in the United States. Even at Daytona Bike Week where 500,000 bikers are expected, many don't know or care that these races are taking place at the same time and in the same town.

Admittedly, there is a steady stream of motorcycles crisscrossing Daytona Beach from the beach area to the various racetracks but since not a lot of Harley-Davidson racing is going on, the bikers who are devoted to the brand from Milwaukee are not inclined to stop to watch the races. In the old days at Daytona when racing was done mainly on the sand, Harley-Davidson was King and their machines always won the races. Tickets for motorcycle racing are available. However, often the grandstands are half empty.

Some people are interested in how Daytona Bike Week got started. Others just want to party - that's the vast majority. The scenes along Main Street in Daytona Beach haven't changed much except the crowds continue to get bigger every year. Where do all these bikers come from? Do they ride their machines from all over the country in early March just to be seen on their Harleys?

There are always discussions in the motorcycle forums about whether a true biker would ride or trailer his/her machine to Daytona. Turns out, it depends on your point of view more than whether you are a true biker. The one thing that can be said is that bikers or motorcyclists love to come to Daytona.

OK, the bikers get to Daytona somehow but where do they stay and what do they do? The overhead banners strung across the street read "Daytona Beach Welcomes Bikers." If you're looking for a motel at the last minute, good luck. Hopefully, you've made your reservation a year in advance. Maybe you want to rough it at a campground. There are more than half-a-dozen.

Now check out the complete Daytona article and see a list of useful Daytona Bike Week links to almost anything you might be interested in.

3. How to Get Back Into Riding Motorcycles Again:

Part 1: Getting Ready for the Road

Many riders are coming back into motorcycling after a long absence, some as long as 30 years or more. These are riders who reached a point in their lives where family obligations or their economic situation forced them to sell their motorcycle. As the years passed, their situations changed and the love of riding came back with a vengeance. However, motorcycles have changed, training methods have changed, and motorcycle safety has become a priority.

Are you one of these returning motorcycle riders? Here's what you need to know to do it right the second time around.

Things Have Changed

If you haven't been keeping up with the progress in motorcycling since you gave up the sport years ago, you may be in for a surprise. There are a wide variety of both domestic and foreign bikes available that are cool to look at and much more fun to ride. Models run the gamut from scooters to cruisers, to standards, to sportbikes, to dual sports, to touring bikes, and even to trikes.

Motorcycle trikes are relatively new to the sport even though they existed more than 40 years ago. New trikes are extremely stable and possess riding characteristics unheard of until recently. Some returning riders choose trikes to deal with various infirmities.

You'll also find a change in motorcycle riding apparel and helmets. Various synthetic materials are now being used as well as leather for jackets. Helmet use is now controlled by law in some areas. Check local regulations.

Learning how to ride a motorcycle is now much more organized with numerous classes available.

With the popularity of the Internet, there are now thousands of motorcycle resources available that allow you to stay current with what's going on in motorcycling. For example, many people become regulars on one or more motorcycle forums. These forums can attract thousands of visitors daily. If you have any question about motorcycling, you can post it on the forum and get immediate responses from all over the world by numerous experts.

Get Trained to Ride a Motorcycle

I can not emphasize this enough: You must take a formal motorcycle training course from a school that uses the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) methods. You may think you already know how to ride a motorcycle but attending one of these courses will give you the latest skills required to be a safe rider. These courses are usually given over a weekend with both classroom instruction and field exercises. Motorcycles are provided. The classes teach you how to ride the machine, but more importantly, they teach you street survival skills.

If you feel you are already an experienced motorcycle rider, you may want to enroll in an MSF experienced rider course. These courses are conducted with you riding your own motorcycle.

Get a Bike

I don't recommend going down to your local motorcycle dealer and buying a new motorcycle. Perhaps you've known someone who decided to get back into motorcycling and the first thing they did was buy a big heavyweight machine. Now, it's possible that some people who have natural athletic abilities may be able to pull this off. The vast majority, however, will not be able to do it. They will end up damaging the bike numerous times and most likely injuring themselves in the bargain.

You want to start off with a simple, cheap, standard motorcycle and be prepared to see it fall over a few times while you get used to riding again. You should be able to find something for $1000 or less. Just be sure that the bike runs well, has good tires and brakes, and is insured.

At some point, if you haven't maintained the motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license, you'll have to take a motorcycle road test offered by the Dept of Motor Vehicles for your state or other governmental authority. A possible side benefit of taking the MSF beginner's course is an automatic endorsement without having to take the normal motorcycle vehicle tests. Check your local regulations.

Now read Part 2: Practice and Become Proficient Riding a Motorcycle

4. Today's Motorcycle Views Poll:

I'm running one new Motorcycle Views Poll in each issue of the newsletter. Please participate in each poll so we can all find out what's happening in motorcycling.

Here's Poll No. 33 (It may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient.): If you were buying a trike, which of these trikes would appeal to you most?

The latest Motorcycle Views Poll also appears on the front page of the Motorcycle Views website.

ALL Motorcycle Views Polls

5. Five Motorcycle Terms:

I am featuring five (5) of my Motorcycle Terms in each issue of the newsletter.

6. My Latest Book, Motorcycle Kick-Starts:

My latest book, Motorcycle Kick-Starts, is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback editions.

This small book provides a condensed view of motorcycling information for new riders and returning riders who have been away from motorcycling for many years. It's based on articles I published while I was the Motorcycles Guide on About.com and also during my current assignment as Editor of Motorcycle Views.

My purpose in writing the book is to whet your appetite for more while sticking to basic motorcycle information and not overpowering you with details.

We start out giving you basic information about motorcycles and showing you how you might proceed to become an active, safe rider.

Then we present ten short motorcycle stories (tales) written by actual motorcyclists. These tales allow you to observe some unusual things that happen to people who ride motorcycles. Without a bike, you would most likely never have these experiences. You will find out that your own rides will be different, but they too will result in unforgettable memories. The first story relates my own journey as a newbie rider when I joined a small group and rode cross-country on a 6,000-mile adventure.

Between stories, some practical advice about motorcycles is given in the form of ten motorcycle How-Tos and ten motorcycle Tips that you will need to know to become a proficient rider.

It's available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. Click the cover picture for more information about how to purchase the book.

Work is proceeding to make it available in an Audible audiobook edition in February 2016.

7. Motorcycle Picture of the Month for March 2016:

Motorcycle Picture of the Month - March 2016 - 2014 KTM Adventure 1190R:
See the latest Picture of the Month and previous pictures. If you'd like to be considered for Picture of the Month, send me a picture and description of your bike. Submit Picture.

8. Here are some very popular articles on the Motorcycle Views Site. Take a look:

9. Latest Motorcycle Pictures:

See the latest received pictures by category.



"This is my 2010 Harley-Davidson Limited. I am 71 years old and . . . more. -- Danny McIntire"

10. My Four Motorcycle Books:

I hope you will take a look at my four motorcycle books, available in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon.com. These books make great, inexpensive gifts. In fact, you can purchase all four for less than $30 total. I have reduced the price of my four Kindle editions to $0.0 (FREE) IF you also first purchase the corresponding paperback edition. That way you can always have the book with you if you have a tablet or smartphone with you. None of the paperbacks have color pictures in them owing to the high price of producing a book with color. However, every Kindle edition has color pictures, so the Getting Started Riding a Motorcycle and Motorcycle Haiku Poetry Kindle books are in full color.

My latest book (released December 1, 2015), Motorcycle Kick-Starts, also available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle editions, contains a condensed view of motorcycling for new and returning riders. It's designed to whet your appetite for more while sticking to basic motorcycle information without overpowering you with details. The book starts out telling you what motorcycles are and showing you how you might learn to become an active, safe rider. Then ten short motorcycle stories, written by actual motorcyclists, are presented. These stories allow you to observe some unusual things that happen to people who ride motorcycles. Between stories, some practical advice about motorcycles is given in the form of ten motorcycle How-Tos and ten motorcycle Tips that you will need to know to become a proficient rider. Click the book cover to learn more about the book and how to buy it on Amazon.com. Work is proceeding to make it available in an Audible audiobook edition in February 2016.

My book, 50 Wild Motorcycle Tales, contains a collection of stories that originally were only available on my website. Fifty of these stories were selected, intensively edited, and compiled into the book. I wrote five of the stories. The book is available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook (Audible) editions. Click the book cover to learn more about the book and how to buy it on Amazon.com. The Audible edition is also available for immediate download on iTunes and Audible.

My book, Getting Started Riding a Motorcycle, was first published in 2011 but only as a Kindle edition. It was revised in 2014 and also made available in a paperback edition. Click the book cover to learn more about the book and how to buy it on Amazon.com.

My book, Motorcycle Haiku Poetry, also available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle editions, contains haiku poems about motorcycles. Haiku is a simple poem of three lines with five syllables in the first and last lines and seven in the second line. Each of the nearly 60 poems is coupled with a motorcycle picture and description related to the poem. I wrote seven of the haiku poems. Click the book cover to learn more about the book and how to buy it on Amazon.com.

11. Polar Bear Grand Tour Runs to Hooters in Wayne, NJ and Bahr's Landing in Highlands, NJ:

Since the last Newsletter, the Polar Bear Grand Tour has completed a run to The Franklin House Tavern in Schaefferstown, PA and The Riverton Hotel, Bangor, PA. Click this link (or the picture) to see some of the pictures as they appear on Facebook.

All the pictures and videos for these two runs can be found by clicking the following links: Hooters in Wayne, NJ and Bahr's Landing in Highlands, NJ.

The Polar Bears consist of 550 riders from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Delaware, who ride each Sunday to a different prescribed destination where they sign-in and receive points. There is, usually, a restaurant at or near the destination. It gets cold, windy, and snowy on these rides. I've been a Polar Bear member for more than 20 years, and I built and continue to maintain their website.

The picture to the right was taken at Hooters.

12. Help Grow Motorcycle Views:

The Motorcycle Views Website is here for you. We encourage you to submit a story, picture, poem, salvage yard recommendation, user review of your own bike, tattoo, YouTube video you made of your bike, motorcycle tip, etc. These will be evaluated for inclusion into one of our major features. Send us a submission today and share part of your motorcycling experience with our many readers. Read how to make a submission.

13. Send In Your Pictures:

We love pictures of your motorcycles. Even better is a picture of you with your bike. We also like descriptions of bikes so tell us all about your bike. What accessories do you have? What special paint job do you have? How long have you been riding? Tell us more. Women riders are especially requested to send their pictures in. Submit a Picture.

14. The Motorcycle Views Website is Also on your Smartphone or Tablet:

Are you relying more and more on your cellphone or tablet and less and less on your PC or MAC? Remember that all that great motorcycling information on Motorcycle Views is as near as your cellphone. It's also in a new format designed to fit your portable screen. Check us out anywhere you need motorcycle information.

Be sure to check out the Home Page on Motorcycle Views. It keeps changing daily, now containing links to hundreds of my original articles and features including Makes and Models, Picture Galleries, Motorcycle FAQ, Motorcycle Tips, Motorcycle How-Tos, Rallies, Videos and Movies, and User Reviews.

15. Social Media:

See me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Walter F. Kern's Author Page on AmazonThanks again for coming along for the ride in this new edition of the Motorcycle Views Newsletter. -- Walter.

For New Subscribers:

Expect newsletters on Sunday afternoon every other week.

Please understand that the Motorcycle Views Newsletter is NOT the Motorcycle Views website. The newsletter provides a few links to content on the Motorcycle Views website. Once you click a link in the newsletter, you'll be getting access to content on the Motorcycle Views site.

If you'd like to view some recent newsletters, just go to the newsletter sign-up page and look below where my three motorcycle books are described for links.

Thanks for signing up for the Motorcycle Views Newsletter. Using this Newsletter, I'll keep you up-to-date with what's going on in the Motorcycle Views Blog, the Motorcycle Views Website, and the Motorcycle Views Forum. The forum has a new look as of February 13, 2015. Take a look. Not sure what a blog is? It's like a daily readout of what I'm thinking about, similar to a diary at times. Most often, I'm using mine right now to tell my visitors what has been added to the Motorcycle Views site.

See me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube.

The Motorcycle Views Website is Also on your Smartphone or Tablet:

Are you relying more and more on your cellphone or tablet and less and less on your PC or MAC? Remember that all that great motorcycling information on Motorcycle Views is as near as your cellphone. It's also in a new format designed to fit your portable screen. Check us out anywhere you need motorcycle information.

END OF NEWSLETTER

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