It doesn’t matter how much power your bike has, how great the brakes are, or even how awesome the suspension is, if your tires can’t transmit those forces to the ground, it’s useless. We explain tire basics in two parts: selection and sizing.
This past April, one of our faithful XR650L customers made a solo adventure riding from Elko, Nevada all the way to Lake Havasu, Arizona. Paul's 750-mile journey consisted of 600+ miles of dirt tracks and took him 4 days to complete.
One of the most common desires we see from our customers is to go further on a tank of gas. While many of you install a larger fuel tank on your bike, improving your MPG will also help extend your range.
There are a few simple maintenance items that can make a big difference in getting better MPG.
#1 is a clean air filter. A good, clean air filter will allow your engine to breathe more easily, improving its operating efficiency.
We wanted to improve our support for a long time favorite in the dual sport market,the Yamaha TW200, so we started a project bike! The TW200 is a motorcycle that first saw light back in 1987 and has undergone minimal changes through the years. You can still pick one up brand new at your local Yamaha dealership. We picked up our 2021 TW200 pre-loved from a ProCycle customer here in Oregon. We bought it in great shape, with the only modification being a different front tire. We will start from scratch and create a video series on building out the bike with different stages of modification.
Today, we look at the brake fluid in your bike. What types there are and which one is best for you.
The four most common grades of brake fluid are DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 5, and DOT 5.1. Each grade is manufactured to a specific performance standard. DOT 3, 4, and 5.1 are glycol-ether based, and DOT 5 is silicone based. In general, the higher the number, the boiling point of the fluid (more on this later). Fresh and clean brake fluid will have a higher boiling point than old and dirty fluid.
Today, we look at the benefits of the over-size aluminum handlebars.
Most new motorcycles come standard with steel handlebars that are ⅞” in diameter. This has been used for decades, and all after-market products (accessory mounts, hand-guards, etc.) are made to fit this.
The steel bars have proven to be rugged and relatively low-cost to produce.
More recently, aluminum over-size bars that are 1⅛” in diameter began showing up in the aftermarket. At first, these were used for MX & off-road racing only, but these have big benefits all types of riders.
We want to extend a HUGE thank you for all of the amazing photos that were submitted for this years chance to be in the ProCycle Calendar. You have all been to some amazing places and have beautiful motorcycles, we're so grateful you shared them with us.
This years voting for the top 3 favorites are in, and the winners are:
Dustin in 1st place taking home $100 in ProCycle Store Credit, with his Yamaha T7 at sunset on the Beaver Rim, section 4 of the WYBDR
No, not that bag of caps and stems your buddy has brought on your annual camping trip. Your tires ability to hold air depend upon the valve stem cores and caps. These tiny items make a big difference with tire performance.
LED lights provide huge safety benefits and are must-have items that help you see and be seen, especially when riding at night.
LED headlights are significantly brighter than stock halogen bulbs. They create a bigger, brighter pattern that reaches farther down the road and wider on the sides, making obstacles easier to spot sooner. Just as importantly, the hue of the light is more noticeable by other motorists, helping you stand out when you are in traffic.
The story of ProCycle starts in 2002 when Jeff Homolka outgrew his two car garage "Small Time" machine shop and decided to rent an official commercial shop space. Before starting his machine shop, Jeff worked in the motorcycle industry as a mechanic and a parts manager. To help pay the rent of this new shop space, Jeff had the idea of drawing on his motorcycle industry experience to sell motorcycle parts to supplement his machining services.
