BIKER’S MADNESS MALADY

Eghad!  You thought you were in control of your life.  Things seemed to be going OK.  Your bike’s been running fine.

And then…it dawned on you.

You had succumbed to the bikers’ madness malady: Motorcycle Farkles Disease.

In retrospect, and early on, there was no thought of anything awry.  Heck, lots of motorcycle enthusiasts buy and install accessories, called farkles (also spelled farkels), to customize their bikes.  The word itself seems pretty benign: Farkles is a combination of “function” and “sparkle.”

TYPES OF MOTORCYCLE FARKLES

Farkels can include all manner of nifty gadgets, including…

♦ Radar Detectors

♦ Global Positioning System (GPS) Receivers

♦ Heated Grips

♦ Music, Radios and Audio Systems

♦ Wireless Communication Systems

♦ And of course lots of SHINY THINGS

… to name barely a few.  The list is endless.

MOTORCYCLE OBSESSION OUT OF CONTROL

It may be arguable when the malady should have been spotted and addressed, but certainly at the point when the obsession to buy things to personalize your bike and/or to make it more suitable for your individual riding needs included owning more accessories than could fit on all the bikes you do not own anymore, and all the bikes you may or may not own in the future.  Somewhere in there a little mental alarm bell should have given a jingle.

But even if your mental jingler was out of whack, it’s hard to argue that the madness had not extended beyond the fringes when your investment in farkles surpassed that of your house.

All of this is indicative of a disease in need of a standard remedy: You need to ride more!

ALL KINDS OF MOTORCYCLE GEAR AND ACCESSORIES:

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LUGGAGE RACKS AND MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES

Going on a motorcycle adventure?

Or, need some additional storage space for your daily commute to work?

Luggage racks are one of the first things you can add to some bikes to easily increase storage capacity.

Keep in mind that most luggage racks are designed to carry a huge amount of traveling luggage. Some judicious decisions will still need to be made as to what is best to bring. (Think in terms of what is really needed, as opposed to what would be nice to bring).

Click on the following link to check out these luggage racks and see if there’s something that strikes your fancy for your next adventure….

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BASICS OF HYDRATION PACKS

Hydration packs have become standard equipment for hikers, bicyclists, campers, and any other outdoor recreation.

Of course, they are also very useful gift for motorcycle riders.

HYDRATION PACKS get their name from their “backpack” design. The pack contains a fluid reservoir, or “bladder,” which is manufactured from rubber or flexible plastic. (Note: there are also or waistpack designs, too, where the bladder is worn around the belt area).

The “bladder” or fluid reservoir includes a capped opening for filling the liquid. From that, a hose is available for the wearer of the hydration pack to drink hands-free. The hoses themselves have an ending with a “bite valve,” which simply means that when you put the thing in your mouth and bikte down on it, the fluid is available for drinking. Bladder sizes can range in fluid capacity from 1.5 to 3.0 litres and are oftentimes replaceable, should you the original bladder get damaged or punctured.

HYDRATION PACK TIPS FOR RIDERS

Specifically in terms of motorcycle riding, these hydration packs do allow a rider to drink while on the road, however, the use of the hose and bite valve can be more difficult with a full-face helmet.

Further, in the warmer months, it doesn’t take long for that water reservoir to get real hot. It’s very practical to fill the thing with ice cubes at convenience stores along the road. Alternatively, if you fill the bladder with ice cubes at the start of the day, you’ll get a number of hours of cool water – depending upon exactly how hot it actually is at the time.

Another factor to be aware of, even if you do fill the reservoir with ice, the water that is in the hose itself can become quite hot, depending upon how long it’s been since your last drink. So, if you know you have cool water in the bladder, but the several ounces of water in the hose is ready to boil in your mouth, then just be aware of it and spit it out until the good stuff makes it way down to where it’s needed!

Note: Using the hose, particularly with a full-face helmet, and especially on a day when the water in the hose itself is too hot, can be distracting to riding, so from an ideal safety perspective, you would be better off pulling off the side of the road to wet your whistle.

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LOADING RAMPS ARE ‘NOT’ JUST FOR WIMPS

Just because you buy someone a MOTORCYCLE LOADING RAMP as a gift, does that automatically mean you are calling him a wimp?

NO.

Loading ramps are standard gear among dirt-bike riders, or racers whose machines are not meant for public roads.

Or, more simply, anyone who does not have a street-legal motorcycle is going to need to transport the motorbike to places for riding.

MOTORCYCLE “WIMP” ASSOCIATION IS OVERSTATED

The whole “wimp” association is for guys who have street-legal bikes, particularly bikes that are very capable for riding some distance, but who load them up in a truck instead.

But even so, the wimp argument is still overstated. What if a rider lives in a geographical zone where it’s cold and snowy in the winter, and what if that same motorcyclist wants to transport self and bike to a warmer climate for some riding?

In this case, a loading ramp is needed to get the bike into a truck or trailer.

Or, how about a guy whose taking an entire family on a vacation, but he wants to devote a few afternoons riding around the place he is visiting? Well, he’s going to have to transport the bike, and once again, a motorcycle loading ramp will help get the bike in the truck or trailer.

Personally, I don’t use a motorcycle loading ramp, or for that matter, a truck or trailer for transporting street bikes: I ride the darn things! And I ride them coast-to-coast and all around.

But I don’t begrudge any other riders who choose to transport their own street-legal bike to some other location – even if they ARE a wimp!

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EASIEST WAY TO INCREASE YOUR LUGGAGE CAPACITY

MOTORCYCLE SADDLE BAGS represent the easiest way to significantly increase your motorbike storage capacity. They are also a great gift idea if you want to encourage someone special to take you away for a weekend motorcycle adventure.

NOTE: TANK BAGS are actually even easier to add and remove to and from your bike, but most tank bags do not have anywhere near the storage capacity of saddle bags.

If your bike did not come with saddlebags (and most motorcycles do not come equipped with saddlebags), then, at some point or another, you will probably consider your options for additional storage space – especially if you want to take a trip!

TWO MAIN TYPES OF SADDLE BAGS

Most saddlebags can be broken down into two broad categories:

1. Hard bags
2. Soft bags

HARD SADDLE BAGS

Their names are pretty self-explanatory.  Generally speaking, hard bags are more water resistant and more likely to maintain their general look over time, given minimal maintenance, such as washing them when you wash your bike.  Furthermore, hard bags are more secure than most soft bags, as most come with locking covers and many can even be locked to your motorcycle.  However, hard bags require special hardware that needs to be attached to your bike, which hold the bags themselves.  Hence, hard bags are also usually more expensive.

If you are interested in hard bags, you will want to be sure to get mounting hardware specific for your motorcycle!

SOFT SADDLE BAGS

Soft bags, whether they are made of leather or textile, may be water resistant, but are less likely to hold up to an all-day ride through bad weather in the same way hard bags would.  However, soft bags are lighter, certainly more flexible, and are, generally speaking, less expensive than hard bags.  Most soft bags require no special mounting hardware, although there are some exceptions.  They also need more care and attention to keep them looking good.

As a bit of a twist, there are some hard bags that are made to look like soft bags, since, particularly for some cruiser riders, soft bags might be considered more stylish. In other words, you can get the look of leather saddlebags and have the security of hard bags.

Also, if you’re thinking soft bags might be more convenient than hard bags in terms of grabbing them and carrying them into a motel/hotel while on a trip, well, you may or may not be correct.  Most hard bags can be unlocked and readily detached to be carried, like luggage.  On the other hand, it’s not unusual to use a liner for hard bags, which can be more readily removed, without unlocking the hard bags from your bike.  It may not sound like a big deal, but when you’re on the road, and you’ve just put on a lot of miles, being able to quickly unpack can be a great advantage.  Additionally, when it comes time to pack things and hit the road again the next morning, it’s easier to toss those liners into your hard bags than to re-secure the soft bags. Of course liners can also be used for soft bags, if you have a type that is not meant to be readily removed.

EITHER TYPE OF SADDLE BAGS INCREASE WHAT YOU CAN CARRY

Regardless, either hard bags or soft bags are both the best ways to increase your motorcycle storage space.

Except, that is, if you happen to have a chase van traveling along with you that is carrying everything you could take if you were taking a truck.  And whether that truly represents a real motorcycle touring experience … well … I’ll leave that up to you to determine.

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