There are literally thousands of motorcycle accessories for every type of motorcycle out on the market today. If you need your bike to look or perform differently, I guarantee there is a motorcycle accessory or two that can help accomplish your goal.

Personally, I don’t think certain things mix very well.  For instance, I wouldn’t suggest anyone mix steak with jelly beans or read a Dean Koontz murder mystery novel while horseback riding. Each of these items is great by themselves but together they are awful. Some things just don’t mix.

Like motorcycle and golf.

Like motorcycling, golf goes beyond a casual past time to many people who play — it is a lifestyle. The dedication, passion, and love that many golfers exhibit is equal to the dedication of bikers towards riding.

That’s why the Go Go Caddy is the worst motorcycle accessory in the world. For the life of me, I cannot fathom why a biker would want to carry a fully loaded golf bag on their bike.

Here are a few reasons why the Go Go Caddy is just plain dumb.

• Golfers own cars: Golfers who are in the primary demographics of Harley buyers are older professionals who own cars as their primary transportation.

• Harley owners own cars: Almost all Harley’s are considered luxury items and are fairly expensive. Most Harley owners are  professionals who own at least one car. It seems pretty unlikely that a Harley owning golfer would use his/her bike as primary transportation.

• It makes riding a motorcycle unsafe: This product’s website states that mounting a golf bag on the bike can cause blind spots. Any accessory that makes a bike unsafe is a bad accessory.

• It looks terrible: I don’t know why anyone would spend the money to get a beautiful Harley Davidson motorcycle only to add a golf rack to it? With or without the golf bag attached, it is hideous.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident in the Boston or Andover area, contact personal injury lawyer and avid biker Tom Kiley! Or order a FREE copy of Tom Kiley’s motorcycle accident guide, Do Loud Pipes Save Lives.

Every biker feels he/she looks better in their biker gear. With that confidence, bikers gain their biker swagger.

Here’s your chance to put how good you look in biker gear to the test.

Hot Leathers, one of the biggest online retailers of motorcycle accessories and biker apparel has launched a free, monthly photo contest. Sure, this is a ploy to get people to buy their stuff, but so what? Spring is here, the weather is getting warmer, and this is the perfect excuse to buy something.

All you have to do is buy an item from Hot Leathers, take a great picture, and send it in. Contestants can send as many pictures as they like and the folks at hot Leather will post them on their Facebook page. Every month, the staff at Hot Leather will pick the winning photos.

Winners will be notified be email or phone and given their prize; a Hot Leather gift certificate. But don’t forget the importance of bragging rights. Being the coolest looking biker of the month according to the folks at Hot Leathers is a prize in itself.

Remember to make sure your photos are creative and original. That will insure you have a chance to win the monthly prize. Other rules and regulation can be found on their Facebook contest page.

Whether you gain the admiration of your friends or some good natured ridicule, have some fun with this contest. If you are in the market for new biker gear, give Hot Leathers a try. If you look really good, you might be able to get a few more items when you win the contest.

Hi, I’m Tom Kiley, and when my buddies and I go riding we always put safety first. Get a free copy of my motorcycle book for some valuable riding tips. And if you or loved one are ever hurt in the Massachusetts area, contact the Kiley Law Group for legal advice from a real motorcycle attorney.

But not all motorcycle accessories are created the same.

While some accessories are cosmetic, there are a few that are must-haves. These motorcycle accessories really improve the comfort, performance, or style of the bike. With these accessories, you cannot go wrong:

• The Butty Buddy: Most OEM motorcycle seats are not built for passenger comfort, especially for longer trips. And sometimes, you have to bring your significant other on a motorcycle road trip. The Butty Buddy is a removal seat enhancement for passengers and is even installable on chopper style bikes. Your passenger’s butt will thank you.
• HP Tools Extreme Motorcycle Tire Repair Kits: Running over a nail and getting a flat on your bike really sucks. With these kits (with a few exceptions) you can get back on the road and get to a repair shop to properly repair or replace your motorcycle tire. The kit is small enough to fit in small tool pouches too.
• Voyager Trike Conversion Kits: I’m not a big fan of trikes but these kits can turn a touring motorcycle into a stable trike at the lowest possible cost. The good thing about these conversion kits is that they do not remove the motorcycle’s rear tire and can be taken off easily.
• Rear Lowering Kits: For shorter riders, nothing makes a biker more comfortable than a rear lowering kit. These kits are under $30, can lower a bike 1-3 inches, and can be installed in less than 30 minutes. There are similar kits available for metric cruisers as well.

Depending on your riding style and your bike, these motorcycle accessories can be great for you. Make sure to do you research and ask around before you buy.

Hi, I’m Tom Kiley, and when my buddies and I go riding we always put safety first. Get a free copy of my motorcycle book for some valuable riding tips. And if you or loved one are ever hurt in the Massachusetts area, contact the Kiley Law Group for legal advice from a real motorcycle attorney.

My bike had lots of motorcycle upgrades including chrome accessories, lowered progressive suspension, fat handlebars, a chin fairing, and other items. My Suzuki was a great looking bobber.

The one thing that I did not upgrade was the exhaust. I contemplated doing it but decided against it because I felt my bike ran strong and sounded pretty good.

My Harley buddies disagreed and frequently teased me about how quiet my bike was. They were right. Compared to some of their Harleys, my bike sounded like a scooter.

I now have a 2007 Harley Street Glide and even the stock exhaust on this bike is relatively quiet. There has been much debate over whether loud pipes are a safety feature or a public nuisance. As aftermarket exhaust continued to get louder and motorcycle manufacturers like Harley Davidson received more public backlash, they decided to outfit their bikes with pipes that are quieter and socially acceptable.

Recently, I replaced my stock pipes with a set of Rinehart Slip-on Mufflers and all I can say is wow. Now, my bike sounds like a Harley should. It also feels that the bike has a bit more throttle response but that might be the placebo effect of the increased noise.

The best way I can explain the sound is to compare it to the sound of a fat guy snoring on a couch after eating a full rack of ribs and drinking a six pack of beer. This is not the best visual image but, the sound is accurate; low, deep, and nasty! The increased sound gives the bike the type of attitude that a Harley deserves. While the bike is much louder, it is not so loud that my bike is annoying to my neighbors. It’s perfect.

I should have gotten slip on exhaust with my Suzuki and now that I have them for my Harley, I strongly suggest this upgrade. The sound, style, and maybe even the performance are all worth the cost.

I’ve had my current motorcycle for about 2 years and I have made some significant changes. I added lots of chrome, a chin spoiler, fat handle bars, LED lights, braided steel lines, Progressive shocks, custom lights, and more. My bike looks very different than it did when I first bought it.

But I need to finish what I started.

My ultimate dream for this bike is very close to being a reality. I just need to add Cobra Speedster Slashdown Exhaust, a hot box, Tornado Air Intake kit, and chrome wheels. After that, I can say my bike is done.

In 2010, unless I upgrade to a Harley Street Glide, I’m going to make sure I finish my bike. So, one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to finish what I started when I bought my motorcycle. If your bike is in the middle of it’s transformation from stock to stylish, then make 2010 the year to complete the job.

There are literally thousands of accessories for motorcycles and almost every piece on a bike can be exchanged with an aftermarket item. Here are a few items that would be an excellent addition to any bike:

• HID Headlights: High Intensity Discharge lights provide 300% more light than regular halogen bulbs. This increased light discharge allows for greater forward vision at night and also makes the motorcycle visible to motorists at a greater distance. This increased safety measure is a great way to avoid potential night time accidents. Purchasing and installing a HID motorcycle kits is a smart move.

• LED Lights: Light emitting diode (LED) lights provide greater visibility than regular bulbs. Not only can LED lights be used for rear running lights, brake lights, and turn signals but they can also be used as accent lights. By adding LEDs around your bike, it will have a much bigger visible footprint and will be much more easily seen; especially at night.

• Louder Pipes: For years, bikers have said that loud pipes save lives. While there is very little data to support this claim, one thing is true. Loud pipes can be heard at longer distances than many stock brands; especially on metric cruisers. There are dozens of brands to consider that offer a variety of style, noise level, and performance features.

• Carbon Fiber Helmets: High grade carbon fiber is much tougher that fiber glass and plastic helmets. As a result, they provide more protection at a smaller size. Even some carbon fiber novelty helmets have provided a remarkable level of protection.

• Oil Coolers: For air cooled Harley Davidson motorcycles, keeping the oil between 190 and 230 degrees is critical to keeping the motorcycle operating perfectly. Oil coolers help prevent oil from overheating and potentially damaging critical engine parts. Installing a motorcycle oil cooler can greatly extend the life span of an air cooled motorcycle.

That’s why I’m excited about the 2010 Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows.

Cycle World’s Motorcycle Shows are not new. They have been around for a long time and for years, major motorcycle manufacturers, and vendors have been unveiling their new products there. Motorcycle enthusiasts who want to get the scoop on all things motorcycle know to go to these events.

In 2010, Cycle World is raising the bar by offering a few new features to make each event even better.

• TapOut Champions Area: Cycle World has partnered with TapOut, one of the leading mixed martial arts apparel companies, to bring fighters from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to the world of motorcycling. Show goers will have a chance to meet, take photographs of, and talk to TapOut sponsored UFC fighters. Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove will kick things off in 2010 at the Cycle World Show in Novi, MI January 1^st.

• Bikes and Beats: To inject more energy into each show, Cycle World will have a Bikes and Beats stage at each show to assault your senses with sights, sounds, and soul. Musical performance will be conducted by new and established acts. Also, these stages will have the Tuner Cover Girl Model Search.

• New Rider Welcome Center: Not everyone coming to the Cycle World shows will be experienced bikers. Each show have a section with individuals available to answer questions for new riders regarding classes, motorcycle apparel, equipment, bikes, and other critical issues.

• Women’s Center: This area is specifically for experienced and new female motorcyclists who want information on gear and apparel. This center has been designed to help women find exactly what they need based on their stature, riding style, and taste.

• The Hub: This is an interactive education and entertainment center for a wide variety of seminars including motorcycle accessories, advanced riding techniques, long distance touring, helmets, and other rider topics.

Whether you are an experienced rider or looking to pick up a new hobby, the Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows will be a great place for you. If the show is not coming to your town, then it will be worth taking a road trip.

This could be true for that special biker on your Christmas list. He or she already has their dream bike, loads of motorcycle apparel, every accessory possible, and you are stumped.

Maybe the gift of education is exactly what they want and need.

If you have an avid biker on your Christmas list, sending them to a class about motorcycle repair would be a great way to build on their love of motorcycles. This could be the gift that takes their passion for motorcycles to the next level.

There are lots of options of motorcycles classes too.

• Community Colleges: Community Colleges across the country offer a variety of classes including classic motorcycle restoration. This could spark your biker to decide to build a bike from the ground up.

• Motorcycle Mechanic Schools: Just like Community Colleges, there are schools across the country specializing in certificate granting programs for various brands and groups of bikes. Students can learn how to repair sport bikers, cruisers, or specific brands like Harley or Suzuki. Graduates can seek employment or use the knowledge for their bikes.

• Motorcycle Seminars: Organizations like Motorcycle R &R have weekly seminars helping bikers learn more about their motorcycle. Some seminars are free while others have a nominal charge.

• Online Classes: If your bike has limited time available, then maybe an online motorcycle course would work best. These courses generally cover the basics of motorcycle repair but can give your biker enough knowledge to save money by doing basic maintenance at home.

• Local Mechanic: By searching sources like Craigslist.org or by stopping by a local motorcycle dealer, you may be able to find a mechanic willing to give your biker some private instruction. Perhaps this person can help your biker learn basic maintenance or work on a project bike together.

They say education is for a lifetime. If that’s true, then getting your biker a motorcycle class for Christmas could be that perfect gift.

To me, this makes absolutely no sense. Even used motorcycles cost several thousand dollars. And after a few upgrades and motorcycle accessories, that bike can easily have a combined value of $10,000 -$20,000.

What’s even crazier is that motorcycles are incredibly easy to steal. Wheel locks are easily broken, pop the bike into neutral, roll it up a bike ramp into a truck bed, tie it down, and your bike is gone in 60 seconds flat. Motorcycle theft has been relatively flat over the past few years but in today’s challenging economic climate, motorcycle theft is surely going to rise. Stolen bikes without a GPS tracking device are almost never recovered.

With a few clicks of a mouse or a phone call to your vehicle insurance provider, you can get a quote and see if it fits your budget. Progressive Insurance and Geico seem to be two companies vying for motorcyclist insurance dollars. It may be worth checking out.

I guarantee that the insurance premium will be cheaper than having to replace your bike out of pocket.

Since I’ve never met a biker I don’t like, I always compliment the owner on his or her  bike and ask where they buy their motorcycle accessories.

That’s how I learned about Scootworks.

Scootworks is a motorcycle accessory retailer located in Zebulon, NC and they are my online retailer of choice. Their website is where I go whenever I need a replacement part or accessory. 9 times out of 10, they have exactly what I need. They also sell their own custom motorcycles.

Their customer service is very good as well. Questions are quickly answered and problems with shipments are resolved with a pleasant phone call. Their online gallery also gives me great ideas for my bike.

Give Scootworks a try the next time you need a part for you Harley or metric cruiser. You won’t be disappointed.