Motorcycles are very popular, with thousands of them on the road. You will find them in a variety of makes and models for your enjoyment. Finding exactly the style you want that fits your body can prove to be difficult, especially if you are extremely short or very tall. Having a customized motorcycle made to your specifications is a great alternative, but it is also more expensive.

One of the most well known custom motorcycle makers is Jesse James, owner of West Coast Choppers. Jesse James has been passionate about motorcycles since he was seven years old. He has customized motorcycles for many celebrities including Shaquille O’Neal, Kid Rock, and Kyle Petty. The bikes range in price from $50,000 to $150,000.

While this is going to be much too expensive for the average individual, you can still get a great customized motorcycle from some other sources. There are many things you need to consider to get started. First, what is it that you need from a motorcycle that you can’t get from a standard one at any retailer? If it is simply the colour, you will save a great deal of money by purchasing it from the retailer and having it repainted. In some cases, you may be able to contact the manufacturer and have the bike painted your ideal colour at the factory.
Most of the time, individuals need to have a motorcycle customized to fit them properly. Take Shaquille O’Neal for example. He is such a large person, that the average motorcycle just doesn’t work well for him. Jesse James was able to use O’Neal’s measurements to create a motorcycle that was comfortable for him to ride. Customized motorcycles are a great choice for those with a disability that prevents them from being able to operate a standard motorcycle.

If you are determined to have a customized motorcycle, take the time to research the various manufacturers you have to choose from. Keep in mind that you may have to wait several months or even years to get the motorcycle you want if the manufacturer is very busy. Always discuss the options you want in great detail as well as the price. If the manufacturer won’t agree to your specifications then look for someone who will.

It is a good idea to conduct research about the manufacturer. Find out how long they have been customizing motorcycles. Ask for references and to see samples of their work. You will also want to inquire about warranty information and a guarantee if you aren’t pleased with the work. In most cases, you will have to pay a deposit before work begins on your customized motorcycle. Make sure they are familiar with working with the model of motorcycle you want to have customized.

Having your very own motorcycle is a great recreational item to spend your time with. However, investing in a customized motorcycle will allow you to have the very best motorcycle that fits your style as well as your body. Being comfortable on your motorcycle will give you more enjoyment and you can also use it for long road trips. You are less likely to be involved in a motorcycle accident if the motorcycle is a proper fit. While a customized motorcycle is more expensive than a traditional model, it is an investment that is well worth it.

When we buy a car we never doubt that we need to have car insurance by law, we also know we need a drivers license before we can drive that car and of all these facts we are aware even before we are at the designated age to drive. When it comes to a drivers license for a motorcycle or to custom motorcycle insurance most of us have no idea of what we need.

More confusing terms

When you ask a big man in a leather jacket and a small boy about their bikes they will probably revere to something completely different. The first motorcycles built where just simple variations on a bicycle that were popular at that time, and when they were first build it was a very logical step to call them motorbike. When the motorbike grew up, and evolved it was called more often a motorcycle and in America this term is now used the most often. In other parts of the world the term motorbike is still more popular. And even in America the term bike is still used for a motorcycle. There is one big difference between the bicycle and the motorcycle and that is that you need a custom motorcycle insurance before you can ride your motorcycle and you do not need this for your bicycle.
Not required but still a good idea

In some states a custom motorcycle insurance is not required but even when this is the case it is still is a good idea to get some of the custom motorcycle insurance for your own protection. If you get hit by someone without insurance your own insurance will cover much of the damage. And even when your bike get destroyed, your custom motorcycle insurance will work to replace your bike. So you will notice that it is not just for your piece of mind to get good custom motorcycle insurance. It is good to know that when something happens the personal damage will be less because you are covered.

Not just for yourself?

You can be the safest rider in the world but bad things still happen and if you have a good custom motorcycle insurance it can help you take care of the people you might have injured in that split second the accident occurred. It can help you to avoid getting broke over that stupid accident. If you are a responsible driver you do not just get coverage for yourself but also to cover others in case you are the cause of the accident.

You just never know what can happen and that is why custom motorcycle insurance is the best thing you can get to be assured that you are ready for every situation you will come across.

Where to get motorcycle insurance?

Most major insurance companies also have bike insurance and most of the time the best you can do is go to the company were your car and other vehicles are also insured this way you can get the best insurance for the lowest price.

Most bike owners want to add a personal stamp to their machines. Aftermarket motorcycle parts make this easy no matter what your technical skill is. However before slapping on custom chrome everywhere, you want to have a plan. You want your bike to have a consistent look and feel, not a patchwork appearance.

Design the entire bike

As you shop for custom motorcycle parts, you will find a piece here and there that speaks to you. It might be a set of motorcycle fenders or chrome motorcycle tanks or something else. If you just snatch up these parts and slap them on the bike then you may have a cool spot here and there, but the overall image will be weak.

Instead, use these individual parts as inspiration for an entire design. Think about how each piece compliments the other, how they fit the lines of your motorcycle, and how they match the image you want to relate. A unifying theme makes the whole bike greater than the sum of its parts and will lead to a custom creation that will turn heads.

You don’t have to have a complete design plan at this point but you want some idea of your goal.

Now that you see the whole, look at the pieces

Once you have a design concept, start mentally taking the bike apart.

Start with the front end. Replacing the wheels or forks will create sweeping changes in the look of the bike, but smaller details like axle covers add subtlety that really separates you from the crowd.

Move your focus along the bike to the engine, the dominant feature of the machine. Chrome motorcycle parts like lifter block covers really draw the eye and tell everyone that you aren’t riding a stock bike. Of course the engine is more than just pretty and there are many custom motorcycle parts that will improve performance.

The other important component in this area is the seat. Unless the bike is just for show, you want to consider your comfort. Options for seats and handlebars can make riding your motorcycle an even greater pleasure.

Now move along to the back end of the bike. Here again you have both functional and decorative choices. You can add bags for cargo capacity, a comfortable seat for a passenger, or you can strip off the function and chrome out the back end to leave a dazzling final impression.

Shop for the right parts

Once you have the design details down, it’s just a matter of finding the right custom motorcycle parts to fit. The custom job doesn’t have to cost more than the bike did, either. You can find discount motorcycle parts that are high quality additions to your street machine.

Take the time to make a plan so you will have a bike that is an extension of your true self, not an off-the-shelf carbon copy of every other one out there.

When it comes to motorcycles and motorcyclists, patches and emblems are one way to both set yourself apart and define yourself as part of a group. Many motorcycle clubs, both formal and informal, use patches and emblems to identify themselves. You can use these patches to locate other chapters of your motorcycle club, express your interests and proclaim your allegiances and lifestyle decisions. Motorcycle patches are most popularly placed on jackets and they are great way to locate other people who are “in the know.”

Many motorcycle clubs have unique patches and emblems that are used exclusively by their members. These patches are often custom-made and commissioned from embroidery shops. Then they are distributed among the members. Some clubs use ceremony or hazing techniques while other clubs are a great deal more casual. While some clubs have uniforms, for other clubs, the motorcycle patches are the only way to denote membership.

It is difficult to discuss the use of motorcycle patches without discussing the “one percenters.” After a rash of unfriendly and unflattering media regarding the motorcycling lifestyle was produce, the American Motorcycle Association declared that 99 percent of all motorcyclists were law abiding citizens; only 1 percent participated in any sort of criminal or antisocial activity. Individuals and groups began to adopt the moniker “One percenters” to separate themselves from the mainstream motorcyclists and their club patches are cut into three pieces. The top piece features the name of the club, the middle section features the club’s emblem and the lower piece designates the chapter that the member hails from.

As time has gone on, the distinction of a one, two or three piece motorcycle patch emblem has come to signify certain things. A single, whole patch states that the wearer is in a law abiding motorcycle group, while a three piece patch indicates active service in Outlaw Motorcycle club. On the other hand, a two piece patch can indicate that the motorcycle club one belongs to is being considered for acceptance into the Outlaw Motorcycle Club.

A complete discussion of motorcycle patches might prove to be impossible; every year, the club change, the emblems change and the meanings are in a constant state of flux. No matter what a person is wearing, remember that making assumptions regarding their status in a motorcycle club or their participation is not only unrealistic, it can also be considered rude.

Whether you are designing a motorcycle patch or you have recently become a full fledged member of one, it is important to take a look around and see what motorcycle patches mean to your club. Find out the local language is in terms of motorcycle patches and make sure you are fluent!

Some times during one’s life, we see something that is both fantastic and nearly unbelievable. As many of us, I have seen commercials in magazines, on TV, at the store and seen some most outstanding artwork, especially in photography and even digital photography. Then, one day, I saw something my wife was doing on the computer. She calls it digital collage art work, I simply called it ‘wow’!

It is so fantastic to see her develop her custom digital art work business and to see her truly enjoying herself. Life was not always good to us, but something good was sorely needed. I am handling the stress of being laid off a little better than her. Buying generic products appears to come a little easier to me than her. A little late on the rent is a minor glitch to me, but the end of all good to her, so seeing her loving what she does and that she is contributing to our bills is seriously helping her re-establish her own identity.

What she does is this, take a digital picture of a custom car, custom motorcycle, airplane or boat for that matter, she spends a lot of time removing that vehicle (or person for that matter) from the digital picture and super-imposes it on a new background. Of course, it is never that easy. She messes with the color to make everything match. Makes people’s teeth look like a tooth paste commercial, perfects skin, takes that pearl paint job and makes it actually look on pictures like we see for ourselves. Not like the pictures I have taken, lol.

The short of it is this, if you go to a custom car show and have a simple digital picture generated, with your vehicle on a custom background, you will pay upwards of $200 for each complete picture. My wife doesn’t refuse to do just a simple cut-and-paste for $200, she is truly an artist and generates a piece of art, even with more pictures and super imposing many pictures for that one of a kind picture to hang on the wall at home, she even does it for less.

So if you are looking for that special memorial picture of a loved one, the pride and joy parked in the garage to hang on the best part of the wall at home or an entire advertising campaign, you seriously want to go check out her web site. I never knew what digital collage art work was until I saw my own wife’s digital collage art work.

By the way, have I bragged yet that she was Miss Denmark? I am one lucky son of a, ahem, nice lady!