Now it is and for all the right reasons.

Harley Davidson has joined the fight against breast cancer by launching its Pink Label Collection. This collection includes 12 motorcycle apparel and biker accessory items for women.

Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer among women and the second largest cause of cancer death among women (first among Hispanic women).  Every year, nearly 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and around 40,000 women die from the disease.

What few people know is that men also can contract breast cancer. Breast cancer among women is 100 times more likely but nearly 2000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year and over 400 men will die from the disease. Celebrities like actor Richard Roundtree and former talk show host Montell Williams are both survivors of breast cancer.

Harley Davidson also recognizes that women are increasingly buying Harley Davidson motorcycles and Harley should in turn support important issues that affect women. From 2003-2007, Harley ownership among women increased by 1%. While this may seem like a small number, this trend represents a potential windfall in years to come.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Pink Label items will benefit Your Shoes 24/7 Breast Cancer Support Center. Your Shoes provides peer support, information, emotional support, and a kind voice to women battling breast cancer. Your Shoes 24/7 Support Center is administered by the Breast Cancer Network of Strength, a national non-profit organization.

Motorcycling has less to do with the bikes and more to do with the people riding them. As more and more women join the biker community, all bikers will have to embrace the issues that are important to women. Breast cancer support is one of those important issues.

This spring, make sure to support breast cancer by purchasing a Pink Label item for a lady in your life; whether she is a biker or not.

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.

Even worse, sometimes the holidays pass without me being able to find something for everyone on my list. Thankfully, post-holiday deals are out there for those of us still looking for some great holiday bargains.

Cycle Gear gift cards make a wonderful last minute motorcycle gifts. You can even buy them online. While some people think gift cards don’t carry enough emotional context, it’s hard to always know exactly what accessory or gear someone needs or wants. Gift cards like these ensure your giftee gets exactly what they are looking for.

If you are stuck and don’t know what to get the biker on your Christmas list, then got to Cycle Gear’s Great Gifts section for riders and non-riders. This section will give you some quick ideas for great biker gifts. They have suggestions for motorcycle apparel, DOT helmets, saddle bags, and other biker stocking stuffers.

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.

But there are lots of options.

• Xelement Jeans: These stylish jeans come in many varieties and start at about $30. They have regular heavyweight jeans and racing style motorcycle jeans with removable inserts. Xelement also has some of the lowest price leather motorcycle pants on the market. Leather pants are not for everyone and are not for all climates but I have been told they are among the most comfortable and durable pants for motorcycling.

• Diamond Gusset Motorcycle Jeans: These jeans are soft and considered among the most comfortable jeans in the motorcycle market. The diamond gusset gives these jeans some extra space in the seat area making them very comfortable when seated for long periods. Priced under $40, these jeans are a winner.

• Dickies Jeans and Pants: Dickies makes heavyweight jeans and pants mainly for industrial usage. Bikers have discovered these inexpensive and durable jeans to be a much better option than wearing expensive fashion oriented jeans.

• SHIFT Lodown Motorcycle Jeans: This company is pretty new to the motorcycle apparel market but their baggy, slightly heavy jeans are great for riding and relaxing. At approximately $70, they are not overly expensive either.

• Joe Rocket ‘Steel” Jeans: While these jeans look and feel more like regular jeans, they have a feature that may be hard for some bikers to get used to. The fit of these jeans can best be described as ‘low rise’ as the waist sits lower than most jeans. This may make these jeans a less than desirable choice for some bikers.

• Duluth Trading Company Fire Hose Loggers: These jeans are made from the same canvas material as fire hoses but soft and supple. These somewhat oversized jeans are generous in the leg and waist areas and have enough leg room to accommodate protective armor. Priced under $50 these jeans are great especially for riders in cooler weather areas.

• Maverick “Sidewinders” Polartec Polar Flannel Lined Jeans: These jeans are perfectly geared for bikers in cold weather climate. The flannel lining not only keeps the rider warm but feels great against the skin. Looking great, staying warm, and only paying $60 is a great way to enjoy a motorcycle ride when the temperature drops below 50 degrees.

You can always jump on your bike in your favorite jeans but I think it makes sense to add a few pairs of motorcycle specific jeans or pants into your apparel collection.

I live in sunny South Florida so instead of wearing full leather motorcycle jackets, I tend to wear vests. To me, the motorcycle vest is one of the best and coolest motorcycle accessories a biker can own. I have several and depending on my mood, I wear each one of them almost equally.

But not all vests are created the same.

When I first started riding I ordered what I thought was a cool vest and when I tried it on, I knew right away I was going to return it. With that vest on, I looked like a member of the Village People and that was not the look I was trying to achieve.

It doesn’t matter what I think. Each biker has his or her own style and what doesn’t work for me may be the best choice for someone else. Personally, I like the bulletproof style vests and vests that have a crew neck. I also only wear leather vests because to me, they look the best.

If you don’t have any vests, put them on your Christmas or birthday list.

But some gifts need to stay in the box a few days until you are ready for them.

I know it is nearly impossible to not jump on your new bike and ride it on Christmas morning but that is a really bad move even for an experienced rider.

Before you jump on that shiny new bike, here are some important questions to answer.

• How long has it been? If it’s been a very long time since the last time you’ve ridden a motorcycle, then you don’t need to jump on your new one, twist the throttle and ride off. Take some time to learn motorcycling again.

• Do you have a motorcycle endorsement? If not, this is your first step. Riding legally is one of the first steps in motorcycle safety.

• Have you taken a motorcycle safety course? Even if you know how to ride a motorcycle, it’s good to go back over the basics in a controlled environment and on a practice bike. This will help insure that you know what you’re doing when it comes time to ride your new motorcycle.

• Did you read the owner manual? The first step in knowing your bike is doing a bit of reading. Grab the motorcycle owner manual and read the entire thing. Learn all the little nuances about your bike because all bikes are not the same.

• Do you have the right gear? If you are going to ride, make sure Santa included appropriate gear with your bike. Riding without the right motorcycle apparel is asking for trouble.

• How’s the weather? If you wake up to a white Christmas, then riding your bike is out of the question. If the weather is wet or cold, you may want to wait until a nice clear, dry day.

I know you’ve heard all of these things before but every so often, it’s good to go back over the basics. If you are lucky enough to get a new bike for Christmas, make sure you don’t wreck it and end up in the hospital on Christmas day.

Just make sure you check the weather channel first.

In most parts of the country, December weather can be a bit tricky. Unexpected rain, snow, wind, or cold can turn your pleasant motorcycle ride into a trip to the emergency room.

A simple check of your local weather channel or online weather site can help you determine if riding is a good or a bad ideal. If you decide to ride, be sure to take the appropriate motorcycle gear with you. Even is the roads are clear of rain, snow, and ice, you still have to make sure you remain dry and warm on your bike regardless of the temperature.

And if you don’t have all the gear you need, make sure you put motorcycle apparel on your Christmas list. Make your Christmas motorcycle ride fun and safe.

For bikers, this means taking some time to hit the road!

Regardless of the experience level, jumping back on a motorcycle after a long layoff can be an intimidating time for some riders. Before the adrenaline kicks in and you do something stupid, here are a few things to think about before taking a ride after a long layoff.

• Motorcycle Maintenance: Motorcycles are made for riding, not for sitting around for months at a time. If a bike has been sitting for a few months, it is likely that the oil, gas, coolant, brake fluid, and other fluids need to be checked and changed. Make sure to give the bike a thorough inspection and have a mechanic review the bike if necessary.

• Tires: Tires are one of the most important systems on a motorcycle yet they are frequently overlooked in a safety inspection. Review the treads and air pressure. Make sure to inflate the motorcycle tires to their correct levels and that the tires are free from dry rot and cracks.

• Apparel: Depending on the climate, make sure you have on the appropriate motorcycle apparel for safety, fit, and comfort. Riding in the wrong gear can cause rider discomfort and fatigue.

• Weather Conditions: Make sure you and your bike are properly outfitted for the climate you will face. Whether it is heat, snow, or rain, your bike needs to be ready to handle whether comes its way.

• Length of Ride: Don’t bite off more than your can chew for your first ride. Take shorter or medium length rides to start.

• Speed: Only ride at a speed you are comfortable with. If you fall behind, you can catch up later.

• Other Riders: Motorcycle group riding is always dangerous. Limit you ride to the smallest group of riders possible.

Don’t hesitate to go back to basics. If you need to have a few short practice rides before you are ready for the road, then do it. There is no shame in being safe.

Motorcycle businesses and biker events are popping up everywhere.

Biker Shirt Club provides a new promotional channel for biker business owners and event promoters to reach their target market. This approach utilizes two of the powerful promotional strategies; word of mouth and direct contact through motorcycle apparel.

Businesses are able to send the Biker Shirt Club their designs or logos and those designs are transposed onto biker shirts. Here’s the best part, the Biker Shirt Club actually pays businesses for their designs if it picked as the ‘design of the month’. Businesses can either receive $100 or 12 free t-shirts.

Individuals can join the club and receive Biker Shirt Club’s shirt of the month. Memberships can be canceled at anytime. If 3 or more months are paid up front, members receive a free t-shirt. The shirts are definitely cool

What’s better than being paid to promote your business or event? Send your designs to Biker Shirt Club and prepare to be successful.

For bikers, riding the Pacific Coast Highway is as good as it gets. The road offers the technical challenge of negotiating hills, blind turns, and traffic. A mistake on this highway could result in a head on collision with a vehicle, rear ending a slow vehicle, or a several hundred foot drop off a cliff. This ride is not for rookie bikers.

The reward for this ride is some of the most stunning scenery in the world. This ride features views of the Pacific Ocean, coastal mountains peaks and valleys, rock outcroppings, waterfalls, redwood forests, and flowered meadows.

Along the highway, whales, sharks, sea lions, falcons, butterflies, and other types of wild life can be seen from various vantage points. There are also a number of lighthouses and 18^th century Spanish missions along the route.

The best way to enjoy the Pacific Coast Highway is to start south and head north to Monterey, CA. As a destination, Monterey has lots of offer and makes a great place for bikers to jump off their bikes and enjoy the landscape. Monterey has lots of restaurants museums, galleries, and tours. This area is also known as Butterfly USA due to the winter migration of a large variety butterflies; some migrating from as far as Canada. One of the best tours in the area is Hearst Paradise, the mansion/castle built by former publishing giant William Randolph Hearst.

Depending on the time of the year, motorcycle apparel and gear can be very important. Generally, the weather in this region is mild but rain could be a factor. Since this route has lots of twists and turns, checking and possibly changing your motorcycle tires for a ride like this is a smart move.

Riders of all types uniformly say that the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the best rides a motorcyclist can take. It doesn’t matter what type of bike you ride, this highway offers the type of scenery and challenge that all bikers can appreciate. Make sure to watch the road more than the scenery while driving. Like any scenic highway, traffic can sometimes get congested.