With riding weather hitting full stride, time’s short to spruce up your ride and add some well-deserved swag to its magnificence. There you stand in your garage, staring at your machine and wondering what bit of functional bling you could add to the bike to brighten its appearance or add punch to the motor.

By complete design, the folks at Performance Machine step forward to throw their hats in the ring with a pair of very good suggestions for 2011:

PM’s Fast Air Intake offers a new take on an old idea. This intake utilizes the highest-quality and best-performing K&N filter element, which results in a… Continue Reading

There are a couple of things I prefer not happen to me while perched atop my faithful machine. One of them is getting a flat tire. The idea of picking up a nail or some other form of road shrapnel bothers me for two reasons: One, most of the time I’m clipping along at a good rate of speed, and the thought of sharp debris attaching itself to one of my tires and shredding it into tiny pieces while I am hurling myself through a corner is upsetting to say the least.

Two, if I manage to survive the tire blowout unscathed, there’s the less dramatic issue of being… Continue Reading

Nothing takes the fun out of a daylong ride than returning home after dark and discovering your garage door opener is in the pocket of the denims you stuffed in your saddlebags earlier in the day. You’re fumbling around with your gear in the darkened driveway and you can’t see the nose on your face, let alone a small box with a button on it.

After this happened to me a few times, I made my garage “smart” by installing motion-activated lights at every entrance to the garage. It’s nice to have a light kick on when I get home, and I went the easy route. Instead of getting… Continue Reading

When you talk about motorcycle technology, most of us think of electronics of some sort, fuel-injection controllers or a navigation system — or maybe even the latest high-powered exhaust. As a rule, motorcycle jackets don’t usually fall under the category of innovative, high-tech gear. Until now.

We first told you about d3o technology in February of 2010 (see “What We Saw at Indianapolis Dealer Expo”). Today, we’re pleased to share that J&P Cycles now sells the new Firstgear Rainier jacket that employs d3o T3 intelligent shock absorption armor in the shoulders and elbows, providing incredible protection for… Continue Reading

There’s one constant that remains true in motorcycling and it’s this: All of us have different tastes and opinions about what we ride. Just read the biker forums and comments on Facebook and you’ll see constant buzz about what somebody rides or what they should do to their ride.

I’m certainly among those with an opinion or two. Just take a look at my bikes and you’ll see a theme. These motorcycles are all purpose-built to be quick and agile, with no added radios, cup holders or luggage — pretty much just keys and a seat. The problem with… Continue Reading

So you finally went out and pulled the trigger on a new fly-by-wire bagger. And after a few miles you added some stuff just to get it how you like it. Maybe you put on a comfy seat, some extra lights here and there and just the right amount of chrome.

Then you got down to business and put on a free-flowing air cleaner, a performance motorcycle exhaust and a fuel-injection controller. Now you’ve got a sharp ride — and a runner to boot! But… Continue Reading

Need a new set of treads for your ride? Look no further than J&P Cycles for these must-haves! Not only do we have the hottest and newest motorcycle tires available in the marketplace, but we have some of the lowest prices, too.

Go to www.jpcycles.com/tires and check out these new, awesome and low-priced tires. In some cases, we’ve marked them 50 percent below retail prices! These savings aren’t just limited to one brand. Discounts are available for most of the popular brands, including Avon, Dunlop, Metzeler and Michelin, among others. ATV, Continue Reading

While most of us are itching to get back out on our bikes, it’s still a bit frigid in most parts of the country to ride at highway speeds. A good way, however, to score some early seat time without turning into a popsicle is to add a windshield to your ride. And if the idea of a windshield isn’t very appealing to you, either because of the esthetics or something else, then the folks at National Cycle may have what you need.

Earlier this month — at V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio — National Cycle… Continue Reading

In today’s world of technology smart phones offer us unlimited information at our fingertip. With a smart phone comes what is known as the App (application). There are thousands of these small programs that allow us to play games, get instant news, edit pictures, listen to music, or find the closest restaurant. What I’d like to concentrate on are those apps designed specifically for those of us who ride motorcycles.

There are plenty of biker apps from which to choose in the motorcycle world, depending on… Continue Reading

Fat Baggers Inc. — more affectionately known as FBI — is one of those outfits you know all about and assume that everybody else does, or you’ve never heard of them. Of course, we here at J&P are well versed when it comes to Gary Chipp and the boys, and not just because they’re our neighbors.

Fat Baggers Inc. is located just a quick trip west of our Anamosa headquarters here in the middle of Iowa. And we like them for more than just the fact that they’re fellow Iowans, although that certainly carries a lot of weight with us. What we really admire about these… Continue Reading