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28 Jan 03:04

Top 10 Performances In Rock Music History

by JFrater

It is widely accepted that “Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston And His Delta Cats was the first ever rock ‘n’ roll song. However, many rock fans are not on board with this, as they feel that “That’s All Right, Mama” by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup should receive the honor of being the first-ever rock ‘n’ […]

The post Top 10 Performances In Rock Music History appeared first on Listverse.

28 Jan 03:03

Top 10 Crazy Facts About Working At Tesla

by JFrater

Tesla is the most valuable automaker in the world. This is incredible considering it was founded in 2003 and released its first car in 2008. Its older and well-established rivals like General Motors Company, Daimler AG and Toyota have been in the business for decades. However, Tesla is not your traditional carmaker. It actually created […]

The post Top 10 Crazy Facts About Working At Tesla appeared first on Listverse.

28 Jan 02:54

How To Make Yourself A Hard Target

by NRA Shooting Illustrated
Criminals also like victims who are preoccupied and not paying attention.
28 Jan 02:52

Here's Where The $1.8 Million Bernie Made From His Inauguration Meme Will Go

by Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff
Sanders has pledged to donate the funds to local Vermont nonprofits.
28 Jan 02:52

How To Become A Malevolent Leader: A Field Guide For Aspiring Fraudsters And Tyrants

by Alexander Stein, Contributor
Do you want to be a terrible leader? Not terrible as in not good. But in the classical sense: venal, amoral, remorseless. Feared and admired. Destructive and self-serving. Then this is the how-to guide you’ve been waiting for.
28 Jan 02:13

Top 10 Evil Cults You May Not Have Heard Of

by JFrater

A ‘cult’ is a difficult thing to define. Some will argue that some authoritarian regimes, such as those headed by Stalin and Mao, were like giant, secular cults. There’s some validity to that—the loss of individual autonomy, an expected unwavering support for the leader, harsh punishments for those who seek to leave or expose the […]

The post Top 10 Evil Cults You May Not Have Heard Of appeared first on Listverse.

28 Jan 02:08

The 50 Greatest Western Movies Ever Made

by Miss Cellania

Vulture has produced another list that might make you angry, or might be an opportunity to explore a movie genre you want to know more about. Westerns are particularly American movies, even when they are produced elsewhere. They range from action films to history lessons, from comedies to social commentaries, from art films to mindless romps. There are so many of them that the compilers set some limits.  

This list of the 50 greatest Westerns reflects that wide legacy from the very first entry, a film directed by a Hungarian and starring a Tasmanian. It’s been assembled, however, working from a fairly traditional definition of the Western: films set along the America frontier of the 19th and the first years of the 20th century. That means no modern Westerns, no stealth Westerns starring aged X-Men, and no space Westerns with blasters instead of pistols. (We did, however, make an exception for a certain comedy that concludes with its stars attending its own premiere.)

That, of course, still leaves a lot of great Westerns. More, of course, than could possibly fit on a top-50 list interested in capturing the full scope of the genre. As such, not every John Ford film made the list. Anthony Mann and James Stewart made eight Westerns together. Any of them could have been included, but not all of them have been. This list is designed to double as a guide to the genre’s many different forms in the hopes it will send readers to corners they might not know and reconsider some classics they might not have seen before.

The list at Vulture features synopses of each movie and a justification for its inclusion, and some trailers, although not as many as we'd like to see. -via Digg

28 Jan 02:06

Swedish Egg Coffee

by Miss Cellania



Have you ever considered how people made coffee before coffee makers, or even percolators, were available? When I was rather young, an older co-worker told me about his railroad days, when the crew would make a large batch of coffee in an industrial boiler by throwing coffee grounds, water, and eggs into it. This was a common workaround for percolating and filtering, as seen even today in the Lutheran church that sells Swedish egg coffee at the Minnesota State Fair.

Even in the mayhem of the State Fair, those three words on Salem Lutheran’s marquee are enough to stop the uninitiated cold. Yes, egg coffee. Jim Zieba, who’s been brewing the stuff at Salem since the 1970s, explains:

“The egg is mashed into the grounds, and the grounds are boiled in, kind of like campfire coffee,” says Zieba. “The coffee being slightly acid and egg being alkaline, they cancel each other out, and you get a very mild clear cup of coffee. A lot of people, they just love it for some reason.”

Yes, eggshells are included. Get the instructions for making egg coffee, which is not necessarily Swedish, at the Takeout.

28 Jan 02:04

The Origins of Chess

by Miss Cellania

An article at History Hit asks the question, "Who invented chess?" That particular question doesn't have an answer, because chess, like many other things, wasn't invented so much as it was developed. It evolved from earlier games, so the question relies on a definition of chess that distinguishes it from earlier games. The earlier game in this case was chaturanga, played in India 1500 years ago. The game was set on board of 8x8 squares, with pieces designed on four types of military forces.

As with both chaturanga and modern chess, winning games of shatranj hinged on the fate of a single piece. When a player’s king was at risk of capture, their opponent would shout “shah!” (“king!”), before calling out “shah mat!” (“the king is finished!”) once they had trumped them – the origin of the word ‘checkmate’.

Ostensibly, though, the early ethos remained much the same wherever the game travelled. As well as a recreational pastime, chess was a strategy tool, adopted by military leaders as a way of sharpening their minds for the battlefield.

What brought chess into its modern form was the addition of a queen. Read how that changed the game in a brief history of chess. -via Damn Interesting

(Image credit: Jorge Royan)

28 Jan 02:01

The Tombstone with a Cookie Recipie

by John Farrier

Naomi Miller-Dawson, a Barbadian immigrant to the United States, lived in Brooklyn. Her profession was postal clerk, but her joy was baking for her family. In Medium, Madeline Muzzi reports that Miller-Dawson's son, Richard Dawson, remembers spritz cookies as a special family symbol:

Richard Dawson described her lemon squares and oatmeal raisin cookies fondly, and joked that she had other recipes that she refused to share with him. To him, spritz cookies are the ultimate embodiment of their family gatherings. He remembered his mother making them most frequently around the holiday season, and recalled the excitement he and his siblings would share whenever they saw them go into the oven. “Me, my sister, and my cousin George … would literally sit around waiting for these things to come out of the oven, and when she turned her back, we’d eat them. … If she wanted to make two dozen cookies, she’d have to make about six dozen because we’d eat them.”

Thus it seemed appropriate to top her tombstone with not a Bible verse or proverb, but a recipe for those favorite cookies.

-via Atlas Obscura | Photo: Sam O'Brien/Atlas Obscura

28 Jan 01:52

Best Motorcycle Tire Repair Kit

by Ryan Adams

Getting a flat while out riding sucks. Whether you’re on a tour or running errands, getting a flat on a motorcycle is not only inconvenient, it can be downright dangerous. It’s even worse when you decided to pack your plug kit at the bottom of your cases and have to sprawl out all of your possessions along the side of the road like some wandering gypsy in order to find it. The only thing worse than that is not having one at all.

There are all kinds of kits out there and they basically all work the same. Most have the plugs, your various T-handles to clear the area and wedge the plug, and maybe even a few CO2 cartridges to get some air back in the tire so you can limp back to civilization and fill up completely (if you even need to). We’ve left plugs in tires for thousands of miles without any issues, but you do whatever you’re comfortable with. Let’s look at some of the best motorcycle tire repair kits on offer these days.

Dynaplug Pro Tubeless Tire Repair Kit – $60

The Dynaplug Pro Tubeless Tire Repair Kit may look like a science fiction instrument of torture, but it is a remarkably versatile tire repair tool. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s the skinny from Burns: “Load the brass-tipped sticky plug in the handle and jab it in the hole like a jailhouse shiv, then pull it back out: The shoulder on the brass tip and the gooey nature of the plug are both going to hold it in place.”

Stop & Go Tire Plugger – $60

“The Stop&Go is more complex and impressive to deploy than the Dyna,” says John B. “Basically you’re inserting a big steel syringe into the tire, then using the handle’s internal screw mechanism to squeeze that pre-lubricated mushroom head into the tire with the included hex wrench. Once that’s accomplished, pull out the syringe, yank on the mushroom stem a few times to seat the head inside the casing (there’s no glue involved), trim off the excess, and you’re probably good to go – slowly at first please. A little water or saliva poured on the repair will let you see if air is escaping. It’s a little bit MacGyver.”

Bikemaster Tire and Tube Repair Kit – $40

The Bikemaster Tire and Tube Flat Repair Kit has what you need to get back underway. This little repair kit fits easily under many motorcycles’ seats and can repair both tubed and tubeless tires. You get patches, plugs, a plug insertion tool, a hole cleaner, vulcanizing glue, a pressure wheel with surface a preparation tool, and a knife for plug trimming after installation. The kit also features four CO2 cartridges to reinflate your tire. A flexible valve makes hard-to-reach valve stems a non-issue.

Oxford CO2 Tire Repair Kit – $35

The CO2yre Repair Kit contains everything you need to plug up a tubeless tire puncture, get you back up to pressure and back on the road. This kit features controllable inflation via regulating valve head, three 16g threaded CO2 cartridges, a reaming tool, tire sealing sticks, an insertion tool, rubber cement, and a handy carrying pouch for easy storage.

Slime T-Handle Tire Plugger Kit – $13

Slime manufacturers tire repair solutions for dozens of applications from autos, to bicycles, to jet skis. This kit will repairs punctures on motorcycles easily. Included is: rubber cement, T-handle reamer and plugger tools, and five plugs. Best of all, this kit is easy, cheap, and can be found at most auto parts retailers.

Aerostich Tube/Tubeless CO2 Tire Repair Kit – $50

This compact emergency tire service kit packs small and includes everything you need to make repairs on the road and refill your tires when you are finished. The kit includes cement, patches and plugs for repairing both tube and tubeless tires, a rasp and needle tool for installing the strip-type plugs into tubeless tires, and five 16g CO2 cartridges with an adjustable air chuck that accepts a flexible valve adapter hose to refill your tires. All of this is neatly stowed in a zippered nylon pouch measuring the following dimensions when closed: 7″×4″×2″, 18 oz.

The post Best Motorcycle Tire Repair Kit appeared first on Motorcycle.com.

28 Jan 01:38

1974 BMW 2002 Turbo Coupe

BMW created the sports sedan when it introduced the 2002 in 1968. The first factory turbocharged car from BMW came in 1973 with the 2002 Turbo, based on the 2002...

Visit Uncrate for the full post.
28 Jan 01:33

Novitec Ferrari F8 Tributo

While Ferrari would tell you every car that leaves Maranello is perfect, Novitec would beg to differ — and they have the results back their claims. The Ferrari F8 Tributo...

Visit Uncrate for the full post.
28 Jan 01:33

Floris Hotel

Situated at the base of the Dolomites in South Tyrol, the Floris Hotel is a collection of modern treehouse suites for the Parc Hotel Florian. The gabled volumes are placed...

Visit Uncrate for the full post.
28 Jan 01:05

Hermes Speedster E Dayboat

If you've ever wondered what it might be like to take a Porsche 356 out on the water, this boat might be your closest option. The Hermes Speedster draws inspiration...

Visit Uncrate for the full post.
28 Jan 00:47

Icon Old School Toyota FJ44 SUV

Icon's Old School series of restomods gives new life to vintage classics by thoroughly upgrading everything from the interior to the running gear. The latest in the Old School series...

Visit Uncrate for the full post.
28 Jan 00:11

These Are The Most Popular Souvenirs From Every Country, Study Finds

by Kaitlyn McInnis, Contributor
A new study by French travel and tourism operator Club Med has just revealed the top selling souvenirs from around the world; an initiative put in place to help grounded travelers relive their favorite holiday memories (and purchases!).
28 Jan 00:02

The 50 Best Cult Movies

by Miss Cellania

You might ask yourself if a movie that makes a "best of" list can be a cult film at all. Why yes, in the internet age it's quite likely. Once upon a time, a box office failure would only live on in late night TV, but with home video and online group chat, any movie can have a second life by finding its audience.

To kick things off: a ranking. This ranking was assembled through the votes of Ringer staff members. And though there is no official definition for a cult movie—most times, you know it when you see it—voters were asked to consider only films that (a) were not successful at the box office, (b) were not widely and initially praised by critics, and (c) gained popularity only after they left theaters, whether by word of mouth, midnight screenings, or home-video success.

A cult movie may be the "so bad its funny" kind, but most of the films on this list were ignored by first-run audiences for other reasons, like not being the feel-good feature audiences expected, or being too confusing to appreciate in a single viewing. Still, there are points to argue, for example, you can't really call Monty Python and the Holy Grail a box office failure. Check out the list and the reasons why each movie became a cult film at The Ringer. -via Boing Boing

(Image credit: Adam Villacin)

27 Jan 23:49

Royal Enfield's New Continental GT 650 Is a Bloody Good Time

You don’t always have to look back to go forward...but with a retro motorbike this fun, why the hell wouldn’t you?

27 Jan 23:45

This Is the Root of All Badass Seiko Dive Watches

The Seiko 6105 is an unlikely legend, but one that's earned its reputation.

27 Jan 23:44

Today in Gear: Royal Enfield's New Retro Motorcycle, How to Take Care of Your Feet & More

The best way to catch up on the day's most important product releases and stories.

26 Jan 13:45

Best Motorcycle Hitch Carriers for Your Ride

by Ryan Adams

Motorcycle carriers that mount to your vehicle’s hitch can prove to be incredibly convenient for all manner of reasons. The biggest reason being that it will allow you to carry a motorcycle with a vehicle that could not otherwise. Maybe you’re not willing to give up the convenience of your SUV just to haul a motorcycle now and then, or maybe you just like the idea of being able to stow the carrier when you’re not using it. Maybe you hate trucks?

There is a wide range of hitch-mounted carriers on the market. You’ll want to make sure you’re buying one that is well-made, especially if you plan on putting a street bike’s worth of heft on it. You’ll also want to be sure your vehicle can withstand the weight of the carrier and motorcycle. Even the two-wheeler you plan to use it for should be considered. For example, scooters have a serious rear weight bias. If you get a carrier only rated for the weight of your scooter, and most of that weight is being held on one side, you’re gonna have a bad time. With all things considered, let’s take a look at the best goldang motorcycle hitch carriers available today.

Editor's Pick: Joe Hauler Deluxe Cam-Loc carrier

I’ve had a Joe Hauler Cam-Loc Heavy-Duty carrier in my garage for many years now. There was a time when I had only owned motorcycles for nine years. The last streetbike I bought (a 2015 Aprilia Tuono V4R) was brought home on that carrier, and it has since been used for hauling a dirtbike with the fam in an SUV on many desert trips. Now that I splurged and finally bought a truck, it doesn’t get used as often, but I still find fairly frequent circumstances that necessitate keeping it around. 

The Joe Hauler carriers are some of the strongest and solidly built carriers I’ve seen on the market. The all-welded steel construction hints at the carrier’s stout build. Also, included is a ramp which can be secured during use and bolted to the carrier when you’re on the road. There’s nothing to bolt together once it’s received. Joe Hauler makes a variety of carriers from single and double carriers designed for dirtbikes, to super heavy-duty products able to withstand “any size motorcycle” not limited to “full-dress” cruisers, Gold Wings, etc. The Joe Hauler carriers will fit any Class III two-inch receiver, are powder coated black, and come with a three year warranty. The Joe Haulers themselves go up in weight as their weight ratings increase (as to be expected), and due to the welded construction, require truck freight to ship. There’s a reason Joe Hauler is the brand I keep in my own garage.

BikeMaster Motorcycle Carrier

Don’t feel like loading up the trailer for a quick run to the track? The Bike Master Motorcycle Carrier provides you with an easy way of transporting your motorcycle or scooter safely and securely. Its heavy duty powder coated steel construction allows this carrier to transport motorcycles up to 500 lbs. The overall length is 76-1/2 in. (81-1/2 in. with stopper) and can be used with tires up to five inches wide. The 38.5-inch steel loading ramp attaches secures to the rack for easy and convenient loading and unloading. The 18-inch main hitch tube fits into standard two-inch class III or IV receivers. A front tire slot is included for additional stability as well as an anti-tilt bracket.

MotoTote Steel Motorcycle Carrier

Manufactured from heavy-duty steel, this MotoTote carrier is rated to 450 el bees and fits rear tires up to six inches in width and front tires up to four and three-quarters inches. The MotoTote carrier will work with any Class III and IV two-inch receiver. A removable loading ramp and adjustable wheel chock are included. The track length is 70-inches by four and three-quarters, with a claimed weight of 58 pounds. And, according to the picture above, it doesn’t need tie downs to secure your motorcycle! Just kidding. Tie down points are also included.

Black Widow Aluminum Motorcycle Carrier

Black Widow makes all sorts of motorcycle moving products – and that includes more than one type of hitch carrier. Not all of us need to carry 400-plus pound motorcycles on the back of our daily driver. For those folks, the Black Widow Aluminum Motorcycle carrier slots in as a lighter, cheaper option that is still rated up to 400 pounds. This carrier will fit any Class III and IV 2-inch receiver. Made from high-strength aluminum, this carrier is about half the weight of its steel counterparts, at a claimed 36.5 pounds. The track itself measures 75.25 inches with a width of 5.5 inches. Also included is an aluminum 47-inch ramp for easy loading. The ramp attaches to the carrier itself when not in use. Like the other Black Widow ramp on this list, the aluminum one also includes an AWD (anti-wobbling device).

Trackside Motorcycle Carrier

The Trackside Motorcycle Carrier is a great alternative choice for your motorcycle transportation needs when a trailer is not an option. It is constructed entirely of steel with a powder-coated finish for years of durability. Included is a ramp that allows for loading from either side of the carrier and an anti-tilt device to help eliminate excessive movement of the motorcycle carrier inside trailer hitch. This carrier works with class III or IV receivers. Maximum load rating is 500 lbs with a max tire width of 4.75 inches.

FAQ

What to consider when choosing motorcycle hitch carriers?

There are a few things to consider when trying to find the right motorcycle hitch carrier for your application. First, you should consider the weight and type of motorcycle you plan to carry to ensure the carrier itself can handle the weight and size. You should also check the tongue weight capacity of the vehicle you plan on using the hitch carrier with. Just because the carrier is rated to 1,000 lbs, doesn’t necessarily mean your vehicle can handle the same amount.

What types of motorcycle hitch carriers are there?

Motorcycle hitch carriers are all fairly similar in design but can differ in weight limits and build quality. The products we’ve included above are a good sampling of what is available on the market currently.

Recent Updates: August 2021: Additional resources and FAQ added, refreshed links to in-stock product. September 2022: Removed out of stock items, added two new carriers.

Additional Resources


We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.

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The post Best Motorcycle Hitch Carriers for Your Ride appeared first on Motorcycle.com.

26 Jan 01:09

Must Have Motorcycle Tools For Productive Wrenching

by Evans Brasfield

Motorcycles seem to invite their owners to tinker with them. Maybe it’s the fact that often the components are easy to get to once the bodywork has been removed. Regardless of the reason, we, as motorcyclists, tend to maintain and modify our own machines, leaving only the most highly technical items to the mechanics at our local shop.

But what if you’re new to motorcycling? Where do you start? Most budding mechanics begin with a basic mechanics selection of tools: sockets, ratchets, open end wrenches, and a selection of pliers. If you shop carefully, you can score some good deals on quality tools. However, there are some specialized motorcycle tools that may not be readily apparent that can make your wrenching so much easier.

Read on to find out what the staff at Motorcycle.com considers to be the essential motorcycle tools in their garages.

1. Maintenance Necessity: Front and Rear Stands

We’re happy to report that manufacturers are starting to include center stands on some standard motorcycles again. Still, many bikes don’t have them, and working on your bike is much easier when it is upright on a stand. While not all motorcycles can accommodate a rear stand, if your bike will, it is a worthwhile investment. Chain lubing will be much simpler, and the bike will be held in a much sturdier position for other maintenance chores. If you plan on doing any work that requires the front wheel be removed, you should also invest in a front stand to support the bike when it’s not wearing any shoes.

Bottom Line/No motorcycle garage should be without stands

2. End Loose Fasteners: Torque Wrench

Yes, torque wrenches are expensive, and your dad and grandad may have claimed to never have needed one. Still, motorcycles have changed, and the manufacturing tolerances are much tighter. When you’re putting your bike back together, you’ll feel better about your work if you use the proper torque for each part. Trust us on this.

Torque wrenches are so important that they have a buyer’s guide devoted to them.

Bottom Line/Significantly more accurate than a torque elbow

3. Secret Weapons: Ratcheting Combination Wrenches

Yes, you can get by with just a standard set of combination wrenches, but you’d be amazed at how many tight spaces that you can’t fit a standard ratchet into. Also, in spaces where you have a limited angle of rotation, some wrenches allow you to ratchet in as little as 2°. In those instances, you can save tons of time with a combination wrench that has a ratchet at one end.

Bottom Line/These may become some of your most reached for tools

4. Unsung Hero: Cable Luber

Although cable lubers aren’t terribly expensive, they are worth their weight in gold when it’s time to lubricate your motorcycle’s cables. You simply screw the tool onto the top end of the cable, insert the tube from your can of cable lube, and give it a spritz. Once the lube bubbles out the far end of the cable, you can be comfortable with the knowledge that your cables will last a long time. Some might scoff that the lowly luber is still on this list since so many bikes come with a ride-by-wire-throttle. Still, having a smooth clutch engagement is one of the joys of motorcycling.

Bottom Line/Will the advancement of technology knock the cable luber off the list?

5. Life Saver: Smart Battery Charger

In a perfect world, we’d ride our motorcycles every day. While a few hardy enthusiasts do, the vast majority of us have to park our bikes occasionally. For those times when our pride and joy sits for more than a few days, the longevity of its battery can be dramatically improved by using a smart battery charger. These chargers monitor the state of your bike’s battery and only actively charge it when the voltage drops below a certain level. Once the proper voltage is reached, the charger returns to float mode to keep your bike in its ideal range. Note: the chargers for standard lead-acid batteries and lithium ion batteries are different. Make sure you buy the proper charger for your bike’s battery.

Bottom Line/Never encounter the dreaded click, click, click again

6. Secret Decoder Ring: Multimeter

From testing your battery’s voltage to troubleshooting electrical shorts, a multimeter is an essential part of your mechanics arsenal. It doesn’t need to be a big fancy one, either. You just need the basics: DC voltage, continuity, and resistance.

Bottom Line/You'll never be able to trace that short without a multimeter

7. Ingenious Accessory: Axle Tool

For years, owners of modern sport bikes had to go buy an odd-sized allen key to enable them to remove their bike’s front wheel. Then some clever soul (bless you!) came up with the motorcycle allen tool. This tool has all of the most common hex key sizes used in front axles all in one place. Buy it. You’ll be glad you did. Note: since there are many versions of the tool on the market with different size groupings, make sure you buy one with the size you need.

Bottom Line/One tool for multiple axles

8. Money Saver: Chain Breaker/Riveter

Most chain-driven motorcycles come with endless chains from the factory. So, you’ll need to break it before you can replace it. Then you’ll need to cut your replacement chain to length. Finally, you’ll need to spread the rivets on the new master link to finish the job. Guess what? You only need one tool. Go ahead, spend the money on a chain breaker/riveter. It’s worth every penny.

Bottom Line/You'll never have to know the indignity of tossing a master link

9. Mess Preventer: Brake Bleeder

A vacuum hydraulic line bleeder used to be a luxury, but now with the increasingly complicated systems on ABS-equipped motorcycles, a brake bleeder is a must for the home mechanic. The brake bleeder not only saves you time, but it also can help you do a better job of getting any stray bubbles out of your bike’s hydraulic systems.

Bottom Line/Increasingly important thanks to ABS

10. Holy Grail: Factory Service Manual

Nobody knows a motorcycle better than the engineers who created it. So, it makes sense that you buy the factory service manual for your bike. You’ll learn the proper way to disassemble and reassemble your bike like a pro. Also, any specialty tools you may need for your particular motorcycle will be listed, making it possible to buy them before your engine’s halfway apart. A factory service manual will outline all of the service intervals for your particular model. Seeing that book on the shelf with greasy fingerprints all over it will put a smile on your face.

See your local dealer for your bike’s factory service manual.

Bottom Line/Correct information from the engineers that designed your motorcycle

FAQ

How often should I maintain my motorcycle?

The gold standard for motorcycle maintenance is the schedule listed in your bike’s owner’s manual (or better yet, the factory service manual). Generally, maintenance chores are broken down in groups. Frequent/weekly maintenance items are chain lubrication and slack test, tire pressure test/set, and pre-ride safety checks. Then you have the longer intervals, like oil changes, brake pad swaps, and valve adjustments. Again, every manufacturer outlines these intervals in the owner’s manual or factory service manual, eliminating the guesswork for the rider.

Is maintenance on a motorcycle expensive?

As with many things in life, that depends. Mostly, it depends on how much you ride your motorcycle and how you ride your motorcycle. Someone who commutes on their motorcycle racks up more miles per year and will naturally need more maintenance, like oil changes, done. Similarly, someone who spends every weekend out riding mountain roads on the stickiest tires you can buy for the street will need more frequent tire changes. Still, for an average rider, a rough estimate of $500-$1,000 per year would cover most maintenance – with the vast majority of riders being at the low end of the spectrum.

Which bike has less maintenance?

New bikes will typically have the least maintenance because they have less wear and tear. Additionally, they come with a warranty to cover any defects. If you’re looking at used motorcycles, more recent model years with low mileage are your best bet. Still, there are those rare used gems, the older, low-mileage bike out there for those who are willing to wait until they find one.

Recent Updates: September 2021: Additional resources and FAQ added

Additional Resources


We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews and other articles. Learn more about how this works.

Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here.

The post Must Have Motorcycle Tools For Productive Wrenching appeared first on Motorcycle.com.

26 Jan 01:03

Archive: Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R

by John Burns

For a couple of years there’ve been rumors suggesting there’s a new Hayabusa on the way, and with that old warhorse currently MIA from Suzuki’s list of returning 2021 models, the buzz has grown a bit louder that Suzuki’s fixing to spring a new World’s Fastest Production Motorcycle on the world. This time we’ll be a bit less unsuspecting than we were in 1999, and this time, it won’t be so easy a feat for Suzuki to pull off, given the existence of the Kawasaki H2 Carbon, which made an honest 206-rear-wheel horsepower on our dyno last November.

Whether the new ’Busa is fact or fiction, it probably won’t be the earth-shattering experience the original 1999 GSX-R1300 was, a motorcycle that had no peer or precedent when it came to bouncing off its 186-mph speed governor. (Actually, as Mr. Siahaan points out, the governor didn’t appear until year two for the Hayabusa.) I still remember the day outside Barcelona when Mr. Watshisname, the Hayabusa project leader, asked us lucky “journalists,” with a sincere smile, to please respect all Spanish traffic laws. That was just before our German ride leader snapped his visor closed and twisted his Hayabusa’s throttle to the stop as we set off down the motorway. Soon, gentle freeway bends became corners where you could almost get a knee down.

The Hayabusa’s been a big hit ever since, but that of course wasn’t enough for everybody. What else are you gonna do, if your name’s Yoshimura, but build a Hayabusa to race in the Suzuka 8-Hour? Fujio Yoshimura built the X1R ’Busa to run in the X-Formula class of the famous endurance race in 1999, which his bike promptly won against a field of other heavily modified open-class production bikes. The X1R was stuffed with 12:1 forged pistons, Yosh cams and exhaust, etc., to the point where it was said to produce 193 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque at just 8000 rpm. All that propelling a bike Yoshimura claimed it had lightened by 37 pounds, down to 436 lbs, dry.

The next year, not at all unexpectedly, Yoshimura built 100 street-going replicas of the racer for sale to the public, the X1. Most of those 100 stayed in Japan. An X1 sold at a Bonham’s auction in England, in 2012, for £19,470 – a bit over $26k in today’s US dollars. That bike was believed to be the only one in the western world.

This X1 went for $26,000 at auction in 2012. (Bonham’s photo)

Wrong! There is one more X1 rattling around in the world, really more of an X1R, and it lives at our pal Chris Redpath’s MotoGP Werks in Anaheim, California. Okay, it may not be one of the original 100 built by Fujio Yoshimura. But it was totally built using official Yoshimura X1 parts, by Yoshimura R&D of America, by the same group of people led by Ammar Bazzaz who engineered Mat Mladin and Ben Spies to ten AMA Superbike championships between 1999 and 2008.

Chris Redpath’s X1R was built by Yoshimura USA with all the choicest ingredients.

Yoshimura USA went with a slightly milder engine tune to extract a claimed 182 horses and 108 lb-ft of torque. Stage One billet cams, a little porting of the head, 12.5:1 forged pistons and Carrillo 4340 rods move the power peak up to around a nice, safe 10,500 rpm, and the torque peak to 7500 – and it’s all so nicely balanced you really don’t even miss the factory balancer shaft. (I know this because I got to lap Willow Springs on the thing 20 years ago when I worked at Motorcyclist magazine. Spotting it in Redpath’s shop gave me a bad PTSD moment.)

Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R

Yosh added a GSX-R superbike swingarm to shorten the wheelbase by 25mm and a kit Öhlins fork carried in Yosh superbike magnesium triple clamps with 30mm offset to sharpen the steering. The aluminum fuel tanks holds 6.3 gallons. Supposedly it runs fine on pump gas, or did in 2000, at least. Higher rearsets and that Yosh tailsection raise the rider a couple of inches for increased cornering clearance.

Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R

You could buff that magnesium top clamp back into its original gold luster. At the time, the Motec M48 engine controller / data-logger was almost rocket science.

Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R

We’ve already got endurance head and taillights, and all you’d really need to do to ride this on the street is add turn signals (which the 100 Japan-built X1s did have).

In 2000, traction control was in its infancy and I believe illegal in AMA racing; I recall Mladin was always being accused of having it. I also remember being acutely aware of all that power as I attempted to ride the X1R around the track fast enough to save face but conservatively enough to avoid catastrophe, before tire warmers were a thing. At my speed, it was stiff as a board and head-shakey over the bumps – and I’d never experienced anything with that kind of acceleration. Now, 200 horsepower is a good starting point.

Which really relegates the Heavy Bus to a back page in the history books, but a fun one to revisit – and one that reminds us what a moment the original GSX-1300R Hayabusa was. Here’s a quote from MO’s 1999 Top Speed Shootout, when we only had one other thing on our minds besides motorcycles:

… except for the R-series Yamahas and, to a lesser degree, the Honda VFR800, no Japanese sportbike we have ever ridden has so consistently aroused the primal desires among potential mating partners as the Hayabusa.”

A fine piece of projection. Wait, what? VFR800?!

Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R This X1 went for $26,000 at auction in 2012. (Bonham’s photo) Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R

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The post Archive: Yoshimura Hayabusa X1R appeared first on Motorcycle.com.

26 Jan 00:58

The Best GMT Watches

Get ready to travel — or at least track multiple time zones right from your wrist.

26 Jan 00:51

16 of the Best Made in America Outdoor Brands

26 Jan 00:48

Modern Vintage Car Replicas, Long Promised and Long Delayed, Are Finally Coming

The federal government rules that will enable production of replica classics are finally getting locked down.

26 Jan 00:30

Bison AirLighter 420

by mark

I have used this tool through three fire seasons and I think it has completely solved a 40-year problem: how do I get a fire started or restarted in my woodstove? I have used hand bellows, air pipes, cardboard fans, and torches. They all work, but my wife and I have begun to get sensitive to wood ash. The ashier the wood, the worse our respiratory issues.

With the Bison AirLighter 420, I can keep the fire doors open a minimal time and along with some air filtration nearby, we are good to go. The reason this tool is so successful is that it is both a butane lighter (very efficient) and a battery-powered fan. Get the fire started with the lighter portion, then switch to the bellows. Too easy. I can go an entire season with one set of rechargeable batteries. The tool gets a battering but keeps carrying on.

-- Terry Elliott

Bison AirLighter 420, Cordless Fire Starter, Charcoal Starter and Lighter, Grill Starter, Campfire Starter, Butane Powered with Built-In Blower

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26 Jan 00:14

Borealis Basecamp

For about 250 nights a year, the northern lights dance across the sky in and around Fairbanks. Experience the natural phenomenon in comfort at the Borealis Basecamp. Just 25 miles...

Visit Uncrate for the full post.
26 Jan 00:05

Rusty Rides Again

Tracklist: 1. Part 1 2. Part 2.

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