Perfecting Motorcycle Riding

The racetrack isn't the place to learn to stop. Track days are expensive, time-consuming events that happen only a few times a year but you can ride around an empty or abandoned parking lot for free nearly any day of the year. Save yourself time and money by practicing your braking and steering inputs in a parking lot so you can spend your track time working on high-speed maneuvering. All you will need is an empty parking lot that is free from gravel and oil, a measuring tape, an hour of your time and some cones or chalk or some other way of marking the ground.

Measure out 10-feet and mark both ends of the line with a cone or chalk and draw a circle around the line. Measure another 10-foot line that touches the edge of the previous circle and mark the ends of the line with a cone or chalk and draw a circle around the line. You should have two 10-foot circles side by side. Begin riding around the first circle at 15 mph.

You should be looking at the other end of the circle as you spin around the circle. Try increasing your speed slightly. Does the bike feel more or less stable at higher speeds? Change your body position so that the bike is leaned over but you are sitting upright with your weight resting on the outside foot peg. Does the bike feel more or less stable the farther the bike is pitched over and the more upright you sit?

Move on to trying a figure 8 by riding clockwise around one circle and counter-clockwise around the other circle. This will help you ride with your feet light on your toes to aid how well you transition from one side to the other. Now we move on to practicing braking. Draw a chalk line and mark a line off every six inches behind that line for 4 feet. Ride at 25 mph with our heads looking up at the horizon and our peripheral vision searching for the line.

As we approach the line we apply the front and rear brakes and stop in as little time as possible. Did you keep your head up, staring at the horizon the whole time? If not repeat the process until you feel comfortable looking off at the horizon even as the bike dips forward under heavy braking. Notice how and where your tire finally came to a stop. Repeat this drill until your can reduce the amount of space it takes you to go from 25 mph to a controlled stop. Try applying more or less front and rear brakes until you feel the tires start to go into a slide. This is the upper threshold of your braking and a parking lot, not racetrack, is the best place to learn to stop better.

Novitec Tunes the Alfa Romeo 8C

The German-based car tuning specialists at Novitec have a long history of tuning Italian cars. The company is divided into a number of branches based on the type of cars they modify. There's Novitec Tridente for Maserati cars, Novitec Rosso for Ferrari, and for the other Italian automakers such as Fiat and Alfa Romeo, there's Novitec.

One of the most celebrated designs to come from an Italian automaker in the past decade has been the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. The car was built to honor the eight-cylinder racing cars at the height of Alfa's motorsport success. The 8C proved to be immensely popular, and from this popularity, spawned a convertible variant. Just in time for the warm summer months, Novitec has introduced a tuning program for the Alfa Romeo 8C Spyder.

Since the topless sports car is roughly based on the Maserati GT and uses a similar engine, Novitec called in their Maserati division to tune the engine. The 4.7-liter V-8 engine was fitted with a supercharger driven by the engine's crankshaft via cogged-tooth belt. The supercharger was designed to provide an even power band, even at low speeds.

Maximum boost pressure is set at 0.37 BAR (5.37 PSI). In addition to the supercharger itself, Novitec Tridente has also added a water-to-air intercooler with dedicated radiator and larger fuel injectors. The entire engine upgrade is completed with advanced car tuning, in which Novitec has recalibrated the injection and ignition mapping for the optimum power output.

Since the Alfa Romeo uses a Maserati-based 4.7-liter V-8, it also boasts one of the most attractive exhaust notes in the industry. To make it even better, Novitec has installed a stainless steel sport exhaust with a flap system that varies the volume of the note depending on the engine speed and throttle input.

The result of the engine tuning is an astonishing 600 horsepower (441 kW) at 7,300 RPM and 433.63 lb-ft. (588 Nm) of torque at 5,400 RPM; an increase of 150 horsepower (110 kW) over stock. This added power helps improve the acceleration time for the Alfa Romeo 8C by cutting the 0-62 mph time down to 3.9 seconds. Top speed is also increased from the stock 180 mph (290 k/h) to 189.52 mph (305 km/h), making it the fastest Alfa Romeo model.

Novitec has kept the body and overall design of the Alfa Romeo 8C Spyder stock, as to preserve the already popular appearance. The only exterior modification for the 8C is Novitec's three-piece NA3 wheels. Measuring 9Jx21 up front and 11.5Jx22 at the rear, the five double-spoke wheels are fitted with sporty Pirelli 255/30 ZR21 front and 315/25 ZR22 rear tires. Finishing the stance is a threaded coil-over suspension with adjustable ride height and damper rates.

Novitec will also custom tailor the interior with a large selection of fine leather and alcantara for Alfa Romeo 8C Spyder owners.

Motorcycle Frame Sliders

Insurance is a good thing. Whether it's a full coverage policy or a cable locking your motorcycle to a pole in bad neighborhood, if buying or installing something reduces your anxiety then it is a good. To help ease your anxieties build a set of frame sliders to protect your motorcycle in the event of a low side to a parking lot tip over thanks to an errant driver. This project will cost less then $30 and you will need to purchase the following: 4 skateboard wheels or roller skate wheels with bearings, threaded rod, four nuts, a hacksaw, pliers, hammer, random washers and loctite.

Start by going to a local thrift store in search of an old skateboard or roller skates. The condition of the wheels doesn't matter as their sole purpose is to be sacrificed to save your bike from getting damaged. Once you have the wheels, go to a hardware store and purchase at least 4 feet of 5/8th-inch threaded rod. Purchase four nuts that screw onto the threaded rod and some loctite. If you don't have pliers, a hammer or a hacksaw, purchase them now.

First, stick the threaded rod through your motorcycle's hollow axle. Slip a wheel over each end of the axle and include a little extra space for the width of the nuts. It is better to have a little extra room then not enough. Once you have the length required, mark the cut off point with your finger and remove the threaded rod. Spin a nut onto the threaded rod to the point where your finger is marking and proceed to cut the threaded rod with a hacksaw. When you are finished cutting, spin the nut off the freshly cut edge to chase the threads.

Repeat this process for the other wheel. Assemble one side with a wheel and a nut and feed the threaded rod through the axle. Install the other wheel and nut and check for fit. Use miscellaneous washers to shim up the rod to allow the wheels to spin freely, which will help them survive the crash better. Once everything is installed, drip some loctite on the end of the nuts and tighten the nuts snug.

Cut the threaded rods flush with the nut then make two cuts forming an X perpendicular to the rod's threads. Hit the X with a hammer to deform the rod's threads and ensure the skateboard wheels don't vibrate loose. Repeat this process for the other wheel. This is just another way to improve your motorcycle experience through making your own parts. The next time you come outside in the morning to find someone knocked over your motorcycle, nothing important will be damaged, which is one less thing to be anxious about.

Motorcycle Audio - Accessorize With A Helmet With Speakers

Motorcycle riders are very much interested in accessorizing their helmets. In fact, there are many options available in the market if you too are interested in this work. Having a simple helmet makes a person feel bored but at the same time if it is accessorized and many useful and functional accessories are added to it, they feel much better wearing it. There are many accessories that are used to enhance or beautify motorcycle helmets. One of the most talked about thing is helmet with speakers.

Motorcycle audio has been the one of the most talked about things these days. The best use of it is when you are trapped in a jam or stuck in the traffic. Listening to your favorite music will also not make you irritated and frustrated. Helmet with speakers are of great use when you are driving alone on a long road and in a remote area. There was a time when music was allowed and played only in cars. But now motorcycle audio has made everything completely different and the approach is special and typical as well.

The main thing is that the music that is played would not distract other riders and this is also very important. Helmet with speakers allows the rider to listen to the music and no one else gets disturbed by this. The helmets are also subject to maintenance and you should take utmost care of cleaning and keeping your helmet updated. There are many ways in which you can accessorize your helmet. However motorcycle audio means a completely different thing and enjoying the music while riding a bike is a new and unique experience, no doubt.

There are different options when you opt for motorcycle audio and depending on your preferences and budget you can choose the one that suits you the best. You can have the mp3 audio or the satellite radio or you can even have a CD driver as audio system in motorcycle. You have options to listen whatever you like and even add up more and more alternatives if you wish.

There are many capabilities attached to satellite radio and you can opt for the one that is most liked by you. It is advisable that you buy such a system that can be upgraded easily. This is because there is advancement in technology always and you need to be updated to keep pace with the advancing world.