July 14th, 2007 by R.J.

Chalk one up for the good guys. SAN DIEGO - A man was attacked and knocked down after he interrupted two thieves trying to steal his motorcycle just after midnight Wednesday, police said.

The good news is that the man was able to call 911 and give them a description of the vehicle. Police spotted the 2002 Grand Am travelling south on I-5 and pulled it over - both men are now in custody.

It always warms my heart to read stories like this… Every day theres a few posts on the forums about people getting their bikes lifted, it’s good to heard that the police -do- get it right sometimes.

In case you guys didn’t know, LoJack now has their Motorcycle Tracking System available in the Southern California area. Pricing starts at $595, but that’s not very much compared to the piece of mind you’ll have leaving your bike alone.

July 13th, 2007 by R.J.

The Red Bull GP Laguna Seca will air for the first time ever on network television.

The program will air on ABC in an hour-long special on July 30th at 1-2pm EST and 3-4pm PST. ABC will add content that will not otherwise be broadcast on the Speed channel, including exciting features, news, and interviews with the racers.

MotoGP currently reaches 207 countries and has 311 million viewers around the globe. It is one of the most watched sports - except in the United States.

Like Soccer and Formula 1, MotoGP hasn’t really caught on here in the states. Having network coverage should help with that, but in a country obsessed with a bunch of drunk guys who enjoy turning left, you can never be too sure…

Last year, MotoGP returned to the the US after an 11 year absense. 157,000 fans were in attendance with over 1 million US viewers watching on the Speed channel. That number will no-doubt skyrocket when the race airs on network television,
which, unlike that stupid new show Superbikes, will do nothing but good things for our sport.

July 11th, 2007 by R.J.

A 41-year old San Jose man has died of injuries sustained from a collision with a GMC Yukon on Hwy 9 Tuesday afternoon.

The accident occured at 3:58pm at the intersection of Hwy 9 and Hwy 35. The motorcyclist was riding a 2005 Yamaha and was travelling north on Hwy 9 when the Yukon made a left turn in front of him into a scenic turnout.

The motorcyclist was ejected from the motorcycle and died at the scene. The driver and the four passengers in the Yukon were uninjured.

Stay safe out there guys…

July 10th, 2007 by R.J.

One of the most frequently asked questions on the forums I post on is where to find the cheapest motorcycle insurance. I know personally when I first tried to get my R1 insured, I was getting yearly quotes that were almost as much as the
cost of the bike. GEICO quoted me $10,999, Allstate quoted me $9,879, Liberty Mutual quoted me $11,323! Is it any wonder that the majority of sportbike riders are uninsured?

But there are things you can do to lower your insurance premiums:

1. Type of Bike - Obviously if you already have your motorcycle you can’t do anything about this one, but if you are in the market for a bike you may want to consider it. The newer, faster, and flashier the bike is the more money it’s
going to cost to insure it. Even getting a bike a couple years older will lower your insurance cost substantially. The size of the engine also matters - a literbike will cost more to insure than a 600cc bike.

2. Age - This is one of the main factors in the cost of insurance and there is really nothing you can do about it. If you’re 16 and trying to insure a brand new R1 or Gixxer you are going to have problems. My dad has a Harleys and
Vulcans  and pays a few hundred a year to insure them. When I got my bike he wanted to see how much it would be for him to be insured on a sportbike. His premium (at age 47) was $2,800. More than an $8,000 difference in what they were
quoting me! Age makes a huge difference and there isn’t anything you can do about it besides grow up…

3. Location, Location, Location - What city you are in can play an important role in the cost of insurance. Insuring a sportbike in Houston, TX (one of the highest stolen vehicle areas in the country) is going to cost more than insuring a sportbike in Elk City, OK (where? yeah. exactly.)

4. Where you Park - Where you park can affect the cost of your insurance. Most bikes are stolen when parked outside… Thieves especially love to jack them from apartment complex lots. Insurance companies will offer you a discount
if you have a garage to secure your bike.

5. Driving History - The more tickets and accidents you have the more you can expect to pay for insurance. If you have had a bike stolen in the past, it will cost more to get the next one reinsured if you can get it insured at all.

6. Mileage - Insurance companies know that motorcyclists are 32 times more likely to crash per mile driven. If you ride less, you can usually get cheaper quotes. Some companies will ask if you use the bike to commute or for pleasure, pleasure is usually the cheapest, but you shouldn’t lie to the insurance companies. If they find out they may choose not to cover you.

7. Training - Many insurance companies offer a discount if you have completed Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) training. Call your insurance to find out about this. I recommend you take the course even if it doesn’t get you
an insurance break, it will improve your riding tremendously on the streets.

As you can see, there are a lot of factors in determining the cost of your motorcycle insurance. All of that being said, the company you insure with also plays a big role. The cheapest I’ve found so far for my bike has been State Farm. State Farm insures bikes based on the size of the engine (not the type of bike), so a Yamaha R1 will actually cost LESS cc for cc than a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 cruiser!

State Farm also gives you deep discounts if you insure your house and other automobiles with them. I highly recommend them if you are looking for the cheapest insurance prices out there.