Harley Davidson Sportster Motorcycle

By: Martin Davies

Harley Davidson has been considered as the iconic American bile for ages and owning this bike is luxury for some and sheer passion for alot of others.
Harley Davidson Motor Company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in USA is the manufacturer of these fine motorcycles.

The Harley Davidson Sportster Motorcycle happens to be the proud member of the Harley Davidson Motorcycles family and came into existence in the year 1958.

The Sportsters bikes were inaccurately based on the then popular K-model racer. The first ever Harley Davidson Sportster was pretty lightweight, relatively narrow and stripped down and had earned a good amount fanfare among the sports bike enthusiasts.

Many bike lovers believe that the Harley Davidson Sportster gradually evolved to become the Harley's cruiser bike model.

There is a group of people who also like to call this beautiful bike as the semi-sports bike, now that is an interesting way to name a bike!

Today's evolved Sportster resembles the XLCH Sportster bike model that was created in the year 1958 but amusing enough every single part of the Sportster is different when compared to the XLCH Sportster of 1958.

The batteries and battery boxes, engines, carburetors and air cleaners, exhaust, mufflers, brakes and rotors, rotors, cables and charges, gas tank, oil tank, swing arm, rear shocks, wheels, forks, frames, everything is different but surprisingly the resemblance is austere.

One has to bear in mind that Harley Davidson bikes have always been considered as or rather was intended to be the chopper style bikes. In fact it was Harley Davidson bike that has given a rise to the new whole new cult of custom created bikes.

People often find this fact as contradictory but then if you have ever owned a Harley Davidson or have been an avid admirer of any model of Harleys you would know what it means to be believe in evolution but not revolution.
It is this characteristic of the Harley Davidson Sportster Motorcycle that has made the bike what it is today, a truly retro yet state-of-the-art bike till this date.

It is for this fact that the Harley Davidson motorcycle company, which is the oldest motorcycle manufacturing company, has retained its popularity and credibility as the one of the most renowned motorcycle companies in the world.

The Sportster Motorcycle too lives up to the standards set by the earlier models of Harley Davidson's motorcycle company. By this yardstick the Harley Davidson Sportster Motorcycle is a real-time example of the evolving work or let's say a work in progress. Have you ever seen two Sportsters that looked exactly the same?

Believe me one doesn't have to be a Harley Davidson motorcycle fanatic to be able to answer this. Any layman who knows a little bit about Harleys will answer the question. You will never find two Sportsters that look same, it is again for the reason that the like any other Harley Davidson bike, the Harley Davidson Sportster Motorcycle too is full of possibilities when it comes to the additions and modifications.

This is especially true for the basic XLH 883 and XLH 1200 models. The type and number of modifications that you can do to your Harleys Sportster can be limited only by your own creativity and imagination.

Whether it's engine performance, safety accessories, comfort and convenience accessories, appearance accessories, the possibilities are many.

It is the final touches that you give to your Sportster that lends the personality to your Sportster.
No wonder that even today a well-maintained and well-treated Sportster is capable of fetching you a 100% of the original cost price as the resale value.

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Reputed Motorcycle Dealers in the USA

By: Jayesh Bagde

Motorcycle dealers are always on top of the market because of their product's affordability.

The reputed motorcycle dealers in the United States are discussed below regarding their origin and why they are on top.

1. Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson, popularly known as a Harley, is an American manufacturer that is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They sell heavy weight bikes of over 750 cc because they are designed for cruising on the highway.

The company's logo licensing will account for the company's 5% net revenue that was actually estimated to be about $41 million just for last 2004 alone. William S. Harley first drew up the plans in 1901, at the age of 21 years. Thus, this engine was specifically designed for usage within a regular type of "pedal- bicycle frame".

Moreover, over the succeeding two years, Harley together with Arthur Davidson, his childhood buddy, went to work on this motor-bicycle only with the use of a machine shop situated at the house of their friend.

It was then finished in the year 1903. This was with the assistance of Walter Davidson, Arthur's brother. When they completed their so-called "power cycle" without the help of pedals, they quickly rode off their first motor experiment. Yet, the original Harley-Davidson type of motorcycle possessed a larger engine, which was estimated to about 24.74 cu. inches with a 9 ¾-inch flywheels and weighs 28 pounds.

In 1906, the company built their first factory on Chestnut Street, where in, 50 motorcycles were produced. In 1907, Harley graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. By the year 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Dealers in 67 countries sold their bikes and it can produce about 28,189 machines.

Furthermore, an association was established in 1983. This is in response to the growing breed of motor riders that believes in an organized way of sharing their passion and showing their pride. In 1991, H.O.G. went international with the first official European H.O.G. Today, more than 1400 chapters worldwide make H.O.G. In fact, it is considered as the biggest factory-sponsored motorcycle organization in the world and it even comes hand in hand with being the number one manufacturer in the world.

2. Ducati

Ducati's headquarters is situated in Bologna, Italy. They gained their name in motorcycle racing and in the motorcycle industry as well. In the 1960's, Ducati's history started by having the then fastest ever regarded 250cc "road bike" available, the acclaimed Mach 1.

Hence, in the 1970's they started producing their huge "displacement L-twin motorcycles". Then, in 1973, it released the desmodromic trademarked valve design. Hence, Ducati is well known for their high performance bikes that are characterized by a large capacity four-stroke, 90-degree L-twin engines, and having the desmodromic valve.

Desmodromic valves were closed having a dedicated, separate cam lifter and lobe. This is despite the traditional valve springs that are mostly utilized in internal combustion engines. This can let the cams possess a more radical profile, allowing it to open and close the valves more quickly, without the risk of valve-float. This is considered likely when using passive closing mechanisms. They also used multiple dry clutches in many of their modern bikes. This is also unlike the other companies that use wet clutches with the spinning parts bathed in oil.

The dry clutch can eliminate the power loss. This is from oil viscosity brought on to the engine even though it may not be as smooth as the oil bath versions. Plus, the clutch plates wear out more rapidly. Thus, the company has won twelve rider's world championships since the year 1988. For the 2008 model, Ducati will race a homologue version of the 1098R. With this, the sanctioning body for the Superbike World Championship has raised the displacement limit for 2 cylinder engines to 1,200 cc.

The other top motorcycle dealers would include BMW and Honda.

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Motorcycle Parts - OEM Or Aftermarket?

By: Daniel Levy

This is always a difficult one to answer when shopping for motorcycle parts and I firmly believe that each one of us must decide what's best for our bikes AFTER carefully evaluating each of the possibilities.

For me?

Well... it really depends on what I am looking for - just replacement or improvement - , the availability of the part, my budget and other things. Sometimes I buy OEM, others aftermarket motorcycle parts.

Keep reading. You will find some views that will hopefully help you decide the next time you shop for motorcycle parts.

What a heck are OEM parts?

OEM parts stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer parts which not necessarily mean the OM (Original Manufacturer) actually produced them. You know, many motorcycle and automobile manufacturers don't manufacture each of the parts used in their vehicles. They frequently have the parts designed and manufactured by outside independent companies and then, install them in their machines or put them in their own boxes to be sold as OEM parts!

Good to know when buying OEM Motorcycle Parts:
When you buy OEM Motorcycle Parts you are buying the exact same original part the manufacturer used to build your motorcycle, that means:

>> Same performance as the part installed in your motorcycle right now. The part won't be better nor worse than the original part you want to replace.
>> Normally OEM parts a more (in some cases MUCH more) expensive than aftermarket parts.
>> Motorcycle and car agencies clerks will normally tell you OEM Parts are higher quality and the best option for replacements. Is this true? Well sometimes it is, sometimes it's not.

>> Normally after a certain period of time, the manufacturer will allow the company that originally designed/produced the part to sell it in their own box at a considerably lower cost, making it: an Aftermarket OEM part! :-)

>> BE CAREFUL if your bike is still in its guarantee period make sure you use only OEM parts and have them installed by authorized mechanics. If you don't do so, you will probably void the guarantee.

What about Aftermarket parts?
Aftermarket parts should perform as well as OEM parts but are produced by companies other than the original manufacturer(s).

Things to know when buying Aftermarket Motorcycle Parts:

>> MAKE SURE YOUR GUARANTEE PERIOD IS OVER. In many cases, you can VOID your guarantee if you have an aftermarket part installed by an unauthorized mechanic in your machine. I know I said it before, but it's worth repeating; I happened to me! :-(

>> Equivalent aftermarket Suzuki motorcycle parts are normally cheaper than OEM parts. Sometimes up to 70% cheaper!

>> Aftermarket parts can have lower,the same or higher quality than the original.

>> When buying aftermarket parts make sure you are getting AT LEAST the same quality as the OEM part. If possible try to get some reviews about brands and performance. You can do it in the Internet, with your favorite mechanic or with fellow riders.

>> If you are looking for high performance parts and devices, you know the kind: carbon fiber, titanium, aerospace aluminum parts and gizmos, well you will probably find them as aftermarket motorcycle parts.

OEM or aftermarket motorcycle parts, sooner or later you will be shopping for them...

Enjoy the ride!

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