By the time Harley-Davidson built this X-8 single in 1912, the company was well on the way to establishing itself as a major motorcycle manufacturer, and the motorcycle was a more refined mode of transportation. This bike was a direct development of the original 1903 model and continued in production until 1918. Though it still had belt final-drive, an atmospheric inlet valve, and no gearbox,
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
France In America, harley, Import, Insurance, motorbike, Motorcycle, Rental, Road Trip, Route Planning, Tour, USA
Guide to Planning a Motorcycle Road Trip in the USA
Planning to a motorcycle road trip in the US? Then you might want to read this guide.
As a Englishman who planned and then rode 21,000 miles in America on a road trip, I learnt a lot about what to consider if planning a motorcycle road trip in the US for the first time. Thinking it would be useful to others doing the same thing, I wrote about my views on this. If you are planning to visit the US from a different country and are going to ride a motorcycle while there, you might want to read my free guide giving tips and advice about planning such a trip.
Americans might find it useful as well, or you could let me know if I have missed anything.
The free guide is available here http://bit.ly/RodhRW
As a Englishman who planned and then rode 21,000 miles in America on a road trip, I learnt a lot about what to consider if planning a motorcycle road trip in the US for the first time. Thinking it would be useful to others doing the same thing, I wrote about my views on this. If you are planning to visit the US from a different country and are going to ride a motorcycle while there, you might want to read my free guide giving tips and advice about planning such a trip.
Americans might find it useful as well, or you could let me know if I have missed anything.
The free guide is available here http://bit.ly/RodhRW
Sunday, 2 December 2012
France In America - Free Book!
At the end of my 21,475 mile motorcycle tour of the USA, I made a promise on my blog that I intend to keep. I said anyone that commented on my blog before the last day of the trip, would receive a free copy of my book about the tour.
That promise will be kept.
With a few things still to do, the book will be published early next year. To show my gratitude to those that encouraged me to keep writing on my blog by making comments on it, I would like to send you your free copy.
So, if you commented on my blog before the last day of my tour, sometime between now and 14th January, please let me have a postal address where I can send the book to. All you need to do is to send it to me in an email to the address in the 'Contact / Social' part of the panel on the right.
By the way, Blogger lets me know who commented, so no cheaters please!
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Book Update - France In America
My regular readers already know I went on a pretty long ride on my motorcycle across America. It was 21,475 glorious miles of getting to know the country and its people. The journey was a tremendous experience, as I visited 27 different states and witnessed many of the great places America has to offer.
What started out as a simple blog journal of the ride eventually led to the decision to write a book about the road trip and I am pleased to report that book is almost complete. To give you an update, about a month ago, the writing was finished, the photos to be included were chosen, the maps were all drawn and editing was completed.
I then travelled to Thailand to undertake the next stage in the evolution of the book – to create the layout of the book by deciding exactly what goes on each page. Sizing and locating each of the many hundreds of pictures in the best place within the text isn’t easy, so I needed the help of people with considerable experience in this.
My brother Tim lives in Thailand and it was to him I turned for help. He runs a communications company, Inis Communications, that writes, edits and publishes documents to help global health and development organisations achieve greater impact through high quality publications. Tim had helped me with guidance and advice about writing the book and I now needed his help again. Here are the two of us, working on the book....
Tim and his team made the task of creating the book layout very easy and it was a pleasure to watch experienced people at work. At four hundred pages this is a big book, and they worked their way through it with the ease that only experts can. The main graphic designer, Benya, did a terrific job and produced a layout I am very happy with. This is Benya discussing the cover of the book with me....
Many, many thanks go to Tim and his whole team for turning my words and pictures into a fantastic-looking book. I am thrilled with the end results.
You can find out more about the book here.
More updates will follow. The next stage is another area of complete mystery for me - choosing the right printer. Now, just how do you go about that.....?
Next week, I will tell you about fulfilling a promise I made......
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
My New Motorcycling Website!
Containing information about different aspects of motorcycling, the site has sections about my forthcoming book, touring guides, my videos, a competition (win the latest GoPro camera), a bit about me, reviews of motorcycling books, other people videos I like, plus a whole load more.
I hope you find just a little bit of time to go take a peek.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Harley Davidson 1905 Model No.1
Only 16 of the 1905 Harley-Davidson models were built. It was not much more to the first Harleys than these two main components, motor and bicycle. Although William Harley Davidson brothers used a bigger engine than most of their current producers, the pedal force is an essential complement to the internal combustion engine on hills meant that the bicycle layout should be maintained.
Harley
Harley
Friday, 19 October 2012
Biker get away to the sun?
Now is the time of year that most bikers in the northern hemisphere don’t like. The warm days of summer have passed, the grey and rain of autumn have made their unwelcome appearance. Getting out on our motorcycles just isn’t as much fun as it was in the summer. As a biker living in London, England, as yet another riding season draws to a close, it’s all pretty depressing to me.
There is only one thing for it – head south to the sun. For most people in Europe, you have to go a pretty long way south before the temperatures begin to climb, but in the US, that isn’t the case if you live in the more southerly states.
Take Texas for example. Motorcycle rallies are over for most of us, but not so in Galveston, Texas. The ‘Lone Star Rally’ runs from 1st until 4th November this year. Located on the Gulf of Mexico near Houston, Galveston is on the same latitude as... the Sahara Desert. The average daily high for Galveston on 1st November is 75F / 24C with the record high being 82F / 28C, and thats plenty warm enough for most of us.
Photo courtesy of Galveston.com
Claimed by the organisers to be the largest four-day rally in North America, this year’s event features concerts, a custom bike show, hundreds of vendors and even an appearance from Charlie Hunnam who plays ‘Jax’ in the TV series ‘Sons of Anarchy’.
Not able to attend this November, I am determined to go to the rally one year.
Here is the “official teaser video” from the rally organisers website....
If you do manage a autumn get away to the sun somewhere, have fun and post something about it!
There is only one thing for it – head south to the sun. For most people in Europe, you have to go a pretty long way south before the temperatures begin to climb, but in the US, that isn’t the case if you live in the more southerly states.
Take Texas for example. Motorcycle rallies are over for most of us, but not so in Galveston, Texas. The ‘Lone Star Rally’ runs from 1st until 4th November this year. Located on the Gulf of Mexico near Houston, Galveston is on the same latitude as... the Sahara Desert. The average daily high for Galveston on 1st November is 75F / 24C with the record high being 82F / 28C, and thats plenty warm enough for most of us.
Claimed by the organisers to be the largest four-day rally in North America, this year’s event features concerts, a custom bike show, hundreds of vendors and even an appearance from Charlie Hunnam who plays ‘Jax’ in the TV series ‘Sons of Anarchy’.
Not able to attend this November, I am determined to go to the rally one year.
Here is the “official teaser video” from the rally organisers website....
If you do manage a autumn get away to the sun somewhere, have fun and post something about it!