The ButtyBuddy seat corrects this injustice, making it a potential favorite of women among motorcycle accessories.

ButtyBuddy safely provides added comfort on bikes with small passenger seats, bikes with bare fenders, or sportbikes, especially on long road trips.

Portable and remarkably easy to install and remove, ButtyBuddy can be fitted atop an existing seat (and optionally attached) or suction-cupped to a bare fender only when it is needed. Properly installed, the seat won’t fall off or scratch your paint.

Putting your laptop in a saddlebag can expose it to the heat from the exhaust pipes on many bikes. Although wearing a backpack will solve this problem, a more professional solution is to sling a courier-style bag over your shoulder. Courier-style bags, however, tend to slide around a bit and can make you feel off-balance.

The Moto-Briefcase is great for carrying your laptop. It straps down to your passenger seat or backrest like a tail bag, eliminating the need to wear a backpack or courier-style bag while commuting. Off bike, you can carry the briefcase by hand, slung courier-style on your shoulder, or strapped on your back.

Padded on all sides, the Moto-Briefcase offers ballistic nylon construction, heavy-duty zippers, and padding on all sides. What’s more, it’s expandable.

Several inexpensive motorcycle accessories are available, however, that will reduce hand fatigue and cramping.

Throttle Locks vs. Throttle Levers

One way to provide relief to your throttle hand is with a throttle lock. Depending on the model, the lock fits on your throttle either between the switch housing and the grip or on the end of your grip. When pressed or rotated closed, the lock clamps your throttle into its current position, allowing you to relax your grip or remove your hand entirely.

An o-ring style lock, such as the Vista Motorcycle Cruise Control, is easy to operate with your thumb. (Check out this “universal fit” model at AeroStitch.) A rotating bar-end style lock requires more skill to operate.

If the lock fits on the end of the grip, and, thus, the end of the handlebar, chances are it also is weighted to reduce handlebar vibration. This lock will be sold with a twin weight that is installed on the brake side of the handlebar. !!!Manic Salamander in Minneapolis, MN, sells a version of this product.

The biggest drawback with a throttle lock is that it locks the throttle open. You have to manually unlock the device and force the throttle to close to slow down or stop safely. In addition, tools and/or assembly are required to install the product.

Another way to provide relief to your throttle hand is with a throttle lever, such as the one sold by CrampBuster in Grants Pass, OR. This device allows you to relax your grip while operating the throttle with the palm of your hand. Best of all, it doesn’t lock the throttle open.

Because the level simply fits over your grip, no tools are required for installation.

Throttle Rocker in Boulder Creek, CA, also sells a version of this motorcycle accessory.

While soft luggage is easier to fit to your bike than hard luggage, it doesn’t provide the same security or durability. More importantly, soft luggage isn’t waterproof without added covers. These drawbacks aside, soft luggage is the more affordable solution.

Soft Luggage Comes in Many Shapes and Sizes

Soft luggage is most often made of synthetic (especially Cordura or nylon) or leather materials. A plethora of types is available to fit your needs:

For jaunts around town or for commuting to work, you may be able to get away with just a triple tree bag, which can hold a few pocket-sized items. A bungee net on the passenger seat or a luggage rack and bungee cords can expand your options. A small strap-mount or magnetic tank bag can also be used.

Professionals may need a backpack or courier-style bag to carry a laptop or other work-related items.

A set of saddlebags is great for weekend trips. A tail bag is another option, as is a medium- or large-sized tank bag or a set of tank panniers. A tail bag attaches to the passenger seat or backrest. Tank bags attach to the top of a gas tank. Tank panniers hang over the sides of a gas tank in a manner similar to saddlebags.

A neat feature often found in tank bags is a clear vinyl map holder. The larger the tank bag, the larger the area of the map that can be viewed without refolding. Map pouches are also sold as a stand-alone product.

Some great manufacturers of soft motorcycle luggage include:

• Chase Harper
• Cortech/Tour Master
• Fieldsheer
• Nelson-Rigg

Of course, different combinations of these bags can be used to extend the length of your trip. Soft luggage can also be used to augment the integrated or removable hard luggage your bike came with.

Finally, if you are worried about soft luggage scratching the paint on your bike, use a little inexpensive shelf liner from Walmart for protection at contact points. This is especially useful with tank bags, tank panniers, and saddlebags.

Biketoberfest may not be the biggest motorcycle event but it is without question one of the best in the world.

Biketoberfest is an International Award Winning Event developed by the Daytona Beach Area Visitors and Convention Bureau. This annual long weekend literally takes over the city of Daytona Beach with events occurring all over town. Biketoberfest features the best of Daytona Beach along with the best of the motorcycle world. Events include racing at the Daytona International Speedway, scenic rides, motorcycle accessories vendors, free demo rides, great food, an array of muscial performances, and thousands of bikes and bikers to admire. Every year, there are even a few couples who get married at Biketoberfest.

If you are in the market for a new bike, then you are in for a special treat. There will be new products featured by dozens of major motorcycle manufacturers. Custom fabricators will be featuring crazy custom bikes, vintage motorcycles, and modern machines. Need accessories? No problem. Everything from the smallest chrome accessories, motorcycles tires, trailers, motorcycle apparel and teeth rattling pipes to give your bike that perfect sound will be available.

One of the many locations that make this event special is the main gathering place on Daytona Beach’s world famous Main Street. This location has been featured in dozens of films, photographs, and TV shows over the years and has served as a home for bikers for several generations. Make sure to stop in a few of the bars on Main Street where you can see pictures of celebrity bikers from the past 50+ years

With over 150,000 bikes, 2500 vendors, 100s of events, Biketoberfest is guaranteed to have something for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a rider or spectator, all are welcome to join in the fun. Make sure to make your travel and hotel arrangements as early as possible. At Biketoberfest’s official website you can find information on local hotels, airfare, motorcycle trailer parks and a full listing of the events. You can also follow this event via Twitter and Facebook.

Daytona Bike Week has a rich history starting in January 1937 with the first running of the Daytona 200 on the hard sands of Daytona Beach. From those humble beginnings, Bike Week has survived World War II and clashes between the biker and law enforcement communities in the 1980s. Today, Bike Week stands as a marriage between the city of Daytona Beach, the biker community, and the motorcycle industry.

Daytona Bike Week is an annual, cross generation pilgrammage of bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts who gather to share their love for the biker lifestyle.

One of the best features of Daytona Bike Week is Riding the Loop, a 22 mile stretch of scenic highway featuring the natural beauty of Florida. This leisurely ride is a great departure from the sometimes crowded events and displays. Make sure to bring your camera because Riding the Loop is an experience you will want to capture.

The last thing you will have to worry about at this event will be great bikes to see. You’ll see hundreds of one of kind customs, street bikes, and customized road bikes. Every imaginable vendor will be selling everything from biker apparel, motorcycle accessories, personalized memorabilia, food, drinks, and even motorcycles for sale. If you can’t find it at Bike Week, chances are it doesn’t exist!

If you are not convinced yet that you need to go to this event, all you have to do is check out the photo gallery. The picture gallery is divided in categories making browsing easier. You’ll be able to peruse the men, women, events, and even the ‘Wild stuff’ that Bike Night has to offer.

The 2010 Daytona Bike Week event takes place from February 26th through March 7^th. Words cannot adequately describe what 9 days of motorcycle heaven is really like so plan to make the trip next year. For more information about the 2010 event, please visit the official site for Bike Night 2010.

This bike night also supports a great cause.

Every week, proceeds from the sale of selected merchandise are donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This bike night is truly a hidden gem and worth the trip for bikers in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. For more information and directions, visit http://www.lakeworthbikenight.com/.

Safety Gear 

Appropriate motorcycle accessories include: 

• boots,
• gloves,
• eye protection, and
• leather or Cordura riding clothes (preferably with armor padding in key locations). 

These items can make the difference between a harrowing story, and a trip to the emergency room or even the morgue. Today’s choice in riding gear offers style, comfort and convenience along with safety. 

But no single piece of riding equipment has been proven as effective in saving lives as the motorcycle helmet. All the arguments about personal freedom notwithstanding, a motorcycle helmet is one thing no safety conscious rider would go without. 

Helmet testing by the Snell Foundation compares the effectiveness of various types and brands of helmets. Except for novelty helmets that are not certified DOT (Department of Transportation) compliant, the biggest difference is simply between wearing or not wearing a helmet. The choice to not wear a helmet usually extends from peer pressure and it seems unfortunate that going without a helmet is a style decision that often costs a life. Almost any helmet will protect better than none, but a high-quality, snug fitting model is required for optimum safety. 

Another frequently forgotten piece of safety equipment is a set of ear plugs. At highway speeds, wind noise levels even with a full-face helmet are extreme. Permanent hearing damage can take place in less than an hour and becomes cumulative over time. Yet basic ear plugs provide excellent protection and take surprisingly little time to get used to. Unfortunately, some archaic state laws ban ear plugs in both ears, but by citing a reasonable medical need, few courts are willing to convict health-conscious users.  

Other Safety Considerations 

Perhaps the most life-saving preparation is to get proper training. A 300- to 900-pound motorcycle is not like riding a bicycle. Proper ways to ride a motorcycle are often neither obvious nor intuitive. Certain skills require instruction while all require practice. Proper attitude is essential for success in any endeavor and staying alive and uninjured on a motorcycle is certainly no exception. 

The reflexes of youth are no match for the wisdom of experience. Learning to do things right, however, will cover much of the difference. In most states, obtaining a motorcycle license requires little to no training. 

You can find information on motorcycle training from your state’s Highway Patrol or from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). The MSF offers training courses for beginners and experienced riders (800-446-9227).