Holiday Gift Guide

  Motorcycle-related gift ideas from $1 to $100! 

Friday, November 20

Dear VTwin Mama,
I just purchased a 2008 XL1200 Sportster Harley and will be storing it for 4 months in a store-and-lock 100 miles away with no electricity. Want to remove the battery and take it with me. What other winterizing should be done? – New Harley Owner

Dear New Harley Owner ,
Congrats on the new-to-you motorcycle!

Yes, pulling the battery in this case is a good idea, storing it in a cool and dry place. Before doing that you should fill the tank and add a gas stabilizer (found at any auto parts store) and then run that mix for a few minutes to get the stabilized mix through the system. Then turn the gas petcock to off. Filling the tank instead of emptying it helps with tank corrosion ... an empty tank can collect moisture, which can corrode the inner tank.

You should also change the oil and filter unless you know that that was done when you purchased the Sporty. Clean and dry the bike and cover it with something that breaths. Get the tires off the floor if possible by using a center stand or place cardboard on the floor so that the tires aren't in direct contact with what most likely is cement. – Mama

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Thursday, November 19

Dear VTwin Mama,
I have a Honda Shadow 100. Whenever the weather is damp and my bike sits out, it won't start. On Monday night I started it just fine, Tuesday morning nothing. Please help me out here. – Volcano

Dear Volcano,
Damp and intermittent starting problems (and Tuesday's "nothing") leads me to believe that something is reacting to a film of moisture somewhere. Duh! Like we didn't get that.

I would start at the battery. Check that the battery terminals and cable connections have no corrosion by pulling the cables (negative first, then the positive). Clean as needed with an old toothbrush and baking soda, and then dry off with a rag. Then coat the cable connectors and terminals with dielectric grease. This acts as a moisture barrier. Reattach the cables (positive first) and tighten. Coat the entire area on the outside of the connection.

Could this same problem be somewhere else ... yes, but usually the battery is the culprit. – Mama

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Monday, November 16

Dear VTwin Mama,
Thank you for all of your work and giving or yourself on this site. Has been so helpful. My question is can I paint on my helmet without hurting it? I love the fit and hate to give that up and I have an artistic daughter that could do work on my helmet if it will not hurt the safety of it. If so, do you know what kind of paint to use? Thank you again for all of your work. – Rose N.

Dear Rose,
In 2006 this question about getting artsy with a helmet came up. I found a link about painting and then lots of gals chimed in with other ideas. Keep scrolling down. The upshot is ... painting can be done, but in very specific steps ... others suggested with the multitudes of decals and other supplies, one can do a really nifty job as well. – Mama

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Saturday, November 14

Dear Readers,
For those that remember the game show, Hollywood Squares ... there were a lot of great questions and answers from the days when ' Hollywood Squares' game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now. Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions.

Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

If you enjoyed that, check out the rest of the entries on the Motorcycle Humor page!

Saturday, November 14

Hi VTwin Mama,
My name is Chris Clark and I'm the General manager of www.MotorcycleSupermarket.com in the UK.

We have just launched MotorcycleSupermarket.com at the motorcycle EXPO at the NEC Arena in Birmingham last January and we expect great things from it.  Primarily it is a website where people can buy and sell motorcycles and scooters, however we also offer finance, insurance, motorcycle warranties, motorcycle deliveries and everything else motorcycle related on one site. We have over 20,000 bikes on the site making us the second largest in the UK and we come top for many search terms in Google.

Probably more importantly we also offer the ability to sell your bike for free if you sign up for a FREE membership. You can also win a superbike for FREE as well! – Chris Clark

Saturday, November 14

Hi VTwin Mama,
Colorful gift ideas ... crafted specifically to fit a woman's figure with foremost attention to detail, our women's motorcycle jackets are as tough as they are beautiful. So, if you've started looking for a special gift idea for her (or yourself) for the holidays, here's where to start! And for a limited time, you can save 10% and get free shipping on anything!

Saturday, November 14

Dear Readers,
I just updated the Holiday Gift Guide, adding two figurines ... one is a pink teddy bear on a bike ($19.95) and the other is Maxine on a motorcycle (!) ($29.99). Enjoy taking a look ... if you click for a closer view, keep in mind that there are over 100 motorcycle-related products in the Collectibles Today catalog!

Friday, November 13

Hello VTwin Mama,
My name is Val Williams and I am president/owner of ChristianJourney.com. I came across your site and just love it. I ride a motorcycle and your site is such a help to women riders. 

The reason I'm contacting you is that my website sells a large variety of products, but one in particular that I thought would be of great interest to your readers are my high quality custom chrome motorcycle license plate frames. Once an order is placed it is shipped usually in 1-2 days. Prices range from $15.95 for the fiberglass reinforced plastic motorcycle license plate frames to $20.95 for the basic custom chrome frames. We also offer a nice custom chrome motorcycle frame with a 3D Christian fish emblem on it for $25.95. Thank you and respectfully, – Val

Friday, November 13

Hi Petra,
Yep, we let the "Dawgs" out again! Desert Dawgs rain guards, that is! This time it's Honda VTX1300 and VTX1800 riders whose legs and feet will be warm and dry when others aren't!

Desert Dawgs minimize cold updrafts, repel road spray from front wheel and flared front fender, keep bug juice off motorcycle chrome (and legs!), allow engine cooling - NO temperature restriction!, easy on-and-off - three snaps, belt clip and hook-and-loop attachments, does not affect bike handling, accommodates all standard foot peg settings, and includes Ultra Pockets for extra storage.

These are available for a wide range of manufacturer's models, including Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha. Manufactured in the USA! Visit LeaderMotorcycle to check it out! – Tracey Cramer, Top Dawg

Custom Leather Work

Dear Mama,
Once again I’m amazed at how I’ve been able to help some one out and save them some money!  As you know I’m an affiliate of Fox Creek Leather which makes awesome apparel and accessories.  Fox Creek sends people to me who have “special needs” like alterations, adding embellishments and custom work.  It’s a great partnership.  

Recently I received a request for a jacket zipper extension for a gal who layers up in the winter and finds herself with a jacket that no longer fits.  I’ve made chap extensions before and again it was for a winter rider who also layers up but I had yet to make one for a jacket.  What struck me is how it did not take away from the jacket and how it wound up looking like it was part of the jacket design.  

The zipper extensions would work in any situation where a jacket, vest or chaps are too tight for whatever reason! They are affordable and certainly much cheaper than buying another piece or riding gear.  Chaps extensions are $40, Jackets are $30 and vests are also $30. Basically I need to know the length of the existing zipper and how wide they need the extension to be.  I’ve included a couple of photos for you to look at.

As always thanks so much for passing the word long regarding my business, over the years you’ve been a huge help in getting the word out on what I do. – Nanci Rogers, Ace High Leathers, www.acehighleathers.com, 530-905-0505.

Dear Nanci,
I love hearing from you as it usually means you're going to tell me about something interesting that helps women riders with their riding gear! Readers, I've posted the pictures on the Ace High Leathers review page for you to look at. – Mama

Angel Wing T-shirts and Patch

Hi Petra,
It's Becky Brown, founder of Women In The Wind. I wanted to tell you about a new venture that I started this month ... designing T-shirts! I've started with a beautiful Guardian Angel T, in both short and long sleeve (and matching patch).

My inspiration came from the many riders I've met over the years. So you might be asking, "Why now?" Well, I was an industrial electrician who lost her job after 30 years with the same company. The plant closed in March so I decided to finally do something I always wanted to do!

As you can see in the pictures, the front says "Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly!" and the back has a pair of angel wings, which by the way, have a shimmery bling to them!

The Ts are Gildan Ladies Ultra Cotton; $20 (S-XL) and $21 (2XL) and $21 (3XL, men's T style) for the short sleeve ... $25 for the long sleeve (S-2XL). The matching patch is $5, but you'll get a $1 off with a T-shirt purchase.

I hope you and your readers like the idea and take a closer look at http://witw1.com/Angels to place an order! – Becky Brown