Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
1/7/09 

Greetings Riders,
 
Well, I'll bet you thought I forgot about you this week. I didn't, just running a bit late. Hopefully better late than not at all. If you missed the letter last week, Click Here.
 
The first week of the new year is now in the books and I am already starting to think about which direction I want to point the Road Glide to this year. We've scoured the Western United States and Canada pretty good over the last several years, so going East of the Mississippi could be a real possibility this year depending on the amount of time we can carve out for a spin through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Not sure where we will end up, but the research and daydreaming phase has officially started. If you need some ideas, Click Here for all of the Rides listed on www.cyclerides.com .
 
Regardless if you are on a long summer trip or just riding locally, you are always at risk of parking your bike somewhere, spending the night or even just going in for lunch to come out and find an empty parking space where your bike used to be. Or even worse... a Gold Wing could be in your spot. (Just kidding Wingers!) Regardless of the circumstances, the bike that you own is now on the way to a chop shop to be parted out, never to be seen again. Motorcycle theft is a big problem. More than 71,000 bikes were stolen in 2006, that's more than $440 million in losses. Since 2000, motorcycle theft has increased 137%. There seems to be no shortage of stories of riders who have either had a bike stolen or know someone that has. Most motorcycles are stolen by professional thieves, and there's little you can do to prevent them from taking your bike if they really want it. In fact, Lo Jack states that a motorcycle is stolen every 7 1/2 minutes.
 
So how can you protect yourself from the negative financial ramifications of your bike being stolen? The obvious answer is insurance. I have insurance on our bikes as well as an additional rider for the upgrades that have been added to the bike. But if the bike got stolen, I would get market value plus the upgrades. We all know that isn't going to replace my bike exactly how I have it now. You can put an alarm system on the bike. That might slow a thief down, but probably not. They usually pick them up and carry them away. One addition that gives me piece of mind is the siren that is attached to the alarm system. The alarm by itself only keeps the motorcycle from being started. But if you add the $80 alarm siren, it would possibly make someone think twice about carrying away a motorcycle screaming like a stuck pig. It definitely puts a kink into the "path of least resistance" that a thief likes to follow.
 
So if your bike got stolen and you wanted it back, what would be the best line of defense? It looks like Lo Jack for motorcycles would be the ticket. I was emailed a press release from Lo Jack a couple of days ago and was impressed with their story. After doing some research, I was amazed at what they have done with this product. I will let you do your own reading on the product, but basically Lo Jack works off of a strong radio wave that can penetrate through garage walls, steel containers, dense foliage and other places thieves may try to hide your motorcycle. When you notify the police that your bike has been stolen and supply them with the VIN, the Police send out a signal that wakes up your installed Lo Jack and allows the Police to monitor that signal from patrol cars or helicopter and lead them right to the vehicle.
 
The Lo Jack units that are sold for motorcycles even go one step further by adding an early warning system. The LoJack Early Warning Recovery System notifies you directly if your bike is moved without your authorization. LoJack will alert you by phone, e-mail and/or pager so you can quickly check on the status of your motorcycle. If a theft has occurred, the LoJack Early Warning Recovery System enables the police to track and recover your bike even sooner. You can get alerts at work, at home or on the road and choose up to five methods of contact including text message. Since two thirds of motorcycle thefts occur between the hours of 11PM and 6AM, it is critical that you are able to be notified immediately. The quicker you are notified, the quicker LoJack can begin tracking your bike. This feature would really give me a good level of comfort when on the road in a motel for the night.
 
Here are some top Lo Jack stories for 2008.
 
“Most Arrests Made in Recoveries” – In less than 48 hours, LoJack For Motorcycles helped Las Vegas police and the Southern Nevada Auto Theft Task Force break up two theft rings, which led to the recovery of four Honda motorcycles, a Yamaha ATV and the arrest of 10 suspects.
 
“Fastest Motorcycle Recovery Leads to Big Chop Shop” – In this recovery, a Yamaha YZR was stolen and recovered in only eight minutes after the system was activated. Through this recovery, Los Angeles Police Department and LAPD Burglary Auto Division also found seven other stolen bikes and bike parts, valued at a total of more than $100,000!
 
“Best Bust Reflecting the Trend of Selling Stolen Bikes Online” – In this recovery, thieves advertised a bike online and, as soon as they got an interested buyer, stole a bike matching the one they had advertised. The thieves then delivered the stolen bike to the buyer, thus limiting the time they were in possession of the stolen item. Fortunately, the bike had LoJack For Motorcycles and its signal was picked up only 10 minutes after system activation – 75 miles away from where it was stolen.
 
“Bike Stolen – and Recovered – Four Times in Nine Months” – A Tucson resident discovered his 2007 Suzuki GSX-R 600 missing from his apartment, reported it stolen to police and just 14 minutes later, a police helicopter and ground vehicle tracked down the bike. This was the fourth time since August 2007 that the owner’s bike was stolen and recovered with LoJack For Motorcycles.
 
“Best LoJack Early Warning Recovery” – LoJack Early Warning notified the owner of a Yamaha YZF-R6 that his bike was moved without permission from the parking lot of his apartment. Police activated the system and within 20 minutes received the silent signal from the bike, which indicated it was on the move on a local interstate highway. Police then picked up a strong signal and did not see a bike, but rather a Chevrolet cargo van driving nearby. As the police passed the van, the signal’s directional arrow reversed, which indicated that the bike was inside the van. The police stopped the van, discovered the bike (plus two other stolen motorcycles) and arrested two suspects.
 
As you can tell by these stories, the system appears to work very well. Bill Nash, COO of RideNow Powersports stated that "over the last 2 1/2 years, there have been 50 customer motorcycles recovered using the Lo Jack system installed by RideNow". Lo Jack for motorcycles can be purchased and installed at most of the Harley-Davidson dealers in the valley and at all RideNow locations. The cost is stated at $1298 installed. There is no additional monthly fee and the unit is registered for the life of the vehicle.
 
I don't personally have one of these units, but after doing the research for this article, I am going to seriously consider getting this installed either on my bike, or certainly on my next new bike. The cost of the unit can be included into your loan. I haven't verified this, but I would suspect that there would even be a reduction in insurance costs with a LoJack installed. LoJack For Motorcycles is the only Stolen Vehicle Recovery System operated by the Police. Of course, the LoJack could also be installed on various other motor vehicles including sand rails, quads, boats, etc. Below are some links for you to read more about this product.
 
Useful Links:
Lo Jack for Motorcycles
How does Lo Jack work? 

Sandbar Mexican Grill Wednesday Bike Night. Ride by the Sandbar Mexican Grill this Wednesday night where the patio instantly sweeps you away to a tropical island paradise as thatch and tin roofs cover the bar. Sit on one of the many high topped tables on the sandy beach or sit at the palapa bar outside and watch TV while listening to music. Or go inside to the dining area featuring a huge bar with 30 HDTV's to choose from around the room all decorated in an island beach theme. Sandbar has a great menu of Mexican food and will be featuring build your own burrito's for $5.00. Choose any ingredients you want off the menu, pack them into your burrito all for $5.00. There will also be $2.00 off ALL Drinks which makes domestic bottles $2.00 and Margarita's $4.00. Ride by this Wednesday night to check out the Sandbar Wednesday Bike Night. Motorcycle Parking Only will be blocked off in front of the restaurant. Click Here to see Photos and details.  Click Here for Sandbar Web Site. 

Thursday Night 

Dirty Doggs Thursday Bike Night presented by Renegade Classics. The Dirty Dogg Saloon and Renegade Classics of Phoenix announce the start of a Thursday Night Bike Night called Holiday Happy Hour’s for the month of December.  Each week a lucky winner will receive a Renegade Classics Gift Certificate along with door prizes, drink specials and of course the Dirty Dog Girls.  The hours are 8-10; the Dirty Dog is located on the Southeast Corner of Shea and Scottsdale Road –480-368-8095.  Renegade Classics is located at 3102 East Cactus Road in Phoenix and more information can be seen at www.renegadephoenix.com.
 
Chester's Harley-Davidson Bike Night at Dos Gringos Mesa. Ride by the New Dos Gringos Mesa located on the northwest corner of Greenfield and Baseline in Mesa.  Dos is sure to make an impact and add some flare to the east valley. Enormous patio, complete with its own outdoor bar and separate dining areas on each side. Dos is a casual neighborhood hangout with great food and cold cervezas. Feel free to dine at one of our four tops, relax at one of the booths lining the edge or just belly up to the bar. Click Here to View. There will be drink and food specials and Raffles and Fun from Chester's Harley-Davidson. Ride with Chester's from the dealership at 5:30pm every Thursday located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa. 480-894-0404.
 
The Bike Night At The Billet Bar. Voted "BEST BIKER BAR IN PHOENIX" by New Times. There is no better place to watch all the Bikes ride down Scottsdale road than from The Billet Bar Patio. The Billet is ALWAYS packed with bikes Every Day. Stop by and take a look at the New Flamed Booths on the Paradise Patio. The new bars front and rear provide spacious seating, fresh air atmosphere, perfect temperature and courteous staff. The food is amazing and always the latest in cold libations await. You can sit at the back bar and watch your favorite TV on any of the seven big inch televisions. Play pool, listen to the latest music and socialize. The front patio seats over 75 people and is perfect for people watching on Scottsdale Rd. The Billet Bar is located on 3752 N. Scottsdale Rd. Check it out this Thursday night and all weekend long. Info: at 480-941-1876. Click Here for the New Billet Bar Page with pictures. 

Next Week 

Wednesday, January 14th
Chester's Harley-Davidson Garage Party Event. Do you know a Woman who has always dreamed of riding a motorcycle? Tell her about the Chester's Harley-Davidson  Garage Party Event. Chester's is hosting a free Garage Party event to introduce women to the fun of riding and give them "inside information" on how to enter the sport. We will hold interactive sessions on topics of interest to potential female riders. We will answer any questions Women want to know!
When: It all takes place Wednesday, January 14th from 6-8pm.
Where: Chester's Harley-Davidson, 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa.
Contact: Sarah Clark for more information - sclark@chestershd.com - 480-894-0404
Enjoy Wine, Cheese and Raffles. Arrive early for a VIP shopping spree!! 15% off all Women's Apparel from 5-6pm. Enter to win a pair of Genuine HD Boots. Please pass on this information to a Woman who has always dreamed of riding a motorcycle.
 
Saturday, January 17th
Morning Roast and Rumble with Chester's Harley-Davidson. Looking to meet some new friends that share your passion of riding? Holiday's are over, it is time to get out and ride. On Saturday, January 17th, Chester's HD is offering you a way to get out and meet some new riding pals. Enjoy Free Gourmet Coffee and Free Breakfast from 9am-11am with the purchase of a Harley-Davidson mug! All proceeds from mug purchases donated to Youth at Risk! THEN...after the coffee kicks in, it's time to ride! RIDE WITH US to Saguaro Lake and The Monastery III. Kick stands up at 11:30. Approximately 48 miles via the AZ-87 and the Bush Highway. The RIDE WITH US event at Chester's has become a great way to meet up and share a ride with some new friends. Chester's is located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa. For more information call 480-894-0404.
 
Saturday, January 17th
Arrowhead Harley-Davidson Customer Appreciation Day. Didn't get everything you wanted for Christmas? Now you have an excuse to get out, take a ride and enjoy Tier Discount Savings of up to 20% for One Day Only, Saturday, January 17th from 10am - 5pm at Arrowhead Harley-Davidson. Don't miss this opportunity for huge savings. Spend $0-$200 for a 10% savings, $201 - $500 for 15% off and spend over $501 and save 20%. There will also be FREE Hot Dogs and drinks from 11am - 3pm. Arrowhead HD is located at 16130 N. Arrowhead Ftn. Ctr. Dr. in Peoria. 623-247-5542.
 
Saturday, January 17th
Spring of Life Motorcycle Ministry to benefit the American Cancer Society.To be held on Saturday, January 17, 2009 . Registration 9:00am to 10:00am , Run 10:00am to 2:00pm , Prizes 2:00pm , lunch 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Entry fee: $15.00 rider or $20.00 rider & passenger , Location Spring of Life Christian Church 1330 south Crismon road, Mesa ,A.Z. , Prizes for best , worst hand and dealer's draw. All bikes welcome. 

Extras 

Thanks to all who emailed from Last Week's Newsletter with ideas for the website. I am taking a lot of things into consideration and will be tweaking some things over the next few weeks. If you have some ideas, email me at info@cyclerides.com
 
This one will keep you captivated for the entire 2 minutes. Here is a guy having some fun with the local police on a sport bike. Most of us are trying to find ways not to crash. This guy is trying to find a way. Click Here to View.
 
The stunts on motorcycles just keep getting bigger and better. Robbie Madison had a big New Years jump in Las Vegas. But it was the return that I found to be as exciting. Click Here to View.
 
I guarantee this one will have you laughing out loud by the time it is over. Someone got real creative adding sound effects to a video of ducks landing on a frozen stream. Click Here to View.
 
Here is a great video for all of you animal lovers. This gives you some great examples of how animals figure things out. Click Here to View.