Unless you're a mechanic by trade, you've probably improvised a tool or two. Sometimes pliers are wrenches, zip ties are clamps, and you guess at the torque you're putting on that wrench. All of these things are bad for you bike and bad for your hardware, but buying all the right ...

I bought my current bike from a big guy -- a really big guy. He was upgrading from a 650 to a 1500, and it was about time. I wasn't going to tinker with the suspension in his driveway, so I rode it home with his adjustments. This was spring; the road ...

Nolan makes some of the most aerodynamic helmets, including the Outlaw full-face model, which is surprising as they still have a stabilizing spoiler. Spoilers often lead to greater wind resistance and noise, but Nolan's engineering has gotten around those pitfalls with their unique polycarbonate shell. Even though it's a modular, it's ...

Wiseco's been keeping up the pressure since 1941. Cylinder pressure, that is, by manufacturing and selling high-quality pistons and other precision core engine parts. Clyde Wiseman began making pistons in his garage for himself and some fellow riders, and did it so well that Wiseco became and remains an instantly recognizable ...

With so many bolt-on chrome parts available, it's sometimes hard to know where to begin -- or stop, for that matter. How do you know when you're done?

You're never done! There's always going to be something to catch your eye, and you know it, too. While you're adding it ...

As lights are getting brighter, the housings are getting smaller, and that's just fine with me. I don't need a turn signal the size of my fist, so long as I can be confident the light will be seen. Although, I'd put spotlights the size of cantaloupes on my bike ...

The first time I saw a photograph of the Harley-Davidson Bubble in action, I thought I was looking at a fancy little toy motorcycle in a plastic display case destined for a mantel somewhere. Upon closer inspection I realized that it was no toy at all, but a full-size Harley with all the trimmings ...

When you first buy a bike you may have those fresh emotions where you think it's perfect just the way it is, but after a while you start seeing a few things you wouldn't mind improving. Manufacturer's base machines come with a lot of plastic and unpolished metal, so it's like ...

About 3 years ago some of us rode from Portland, Oregon to Reno, Nevada, in June. Although it was late June, we hit the craziest weather you can think of. In every tiny little town we stopped, people said, "Sure is crazy weather fer this time of year". ...

At Xelement they make a variety of leather apparel items as well as saddlebags. New for their lineup is the Cruiser Premium Vented jacket. It's called a vented jacket because the two upper zippers are actually vents, and there's a matching pair of zippered vents on the lower ...