If you are lucky enough to have an attached garage with room to park your ride in, I would say that a motorcycle cover may not be a terribly necessary piece of equipment.

Motorcycle covers protect both bike and rider in two ways: They protect the motorcycle from damage, dings, dust, when the bike’s not being used. Hell, we know that sometimes idiot passers-by can sometimes throw garbage, beverages, or whatever at things when they walk by – and motorcycles make fine targets for undeserved vitriol.

I do not have comprehensive motorcycle insurance. So when I read the American Motorcycle Association article online “Lock It or Lose It” recommending that a cover is a good theft deterrent, I looked into getting a cover for the upcoming winter (non riding) season.

Pretend you’re a no-good, waste-of-DNA thief, amblin’ your worthless self down a street, checkin’ out what’s what.

Which looks like the juicier target?

This late-model Honda Interceptor…

Or whatever the hell this is?

Now, if a thief wants what you got, he or she is gonna do their darndest to get it, no doubt nor argument. But, as the AMA article author points out:

“…plenty of motorcycles are stolen by opportunistic miscreants.”

Don’t give the slugs the opportunity. Which bike is going to get more attention, the absolute known quantity (a shiny red sportbike with aftermarket sideluggage) or… whatever is under that plain old cover?

(And, for the record, this motorcycle usually is parked far in the carport. The bike was taken out for photographic, illustrative purposes. Which brings up another reason you need to read AMA’s article:

“Some people are so proud of their bikes that they park them in the front yard for everyone to admire. That just makes it easier for thieves to case your ride.”

Now, I was taken by the logic of the article. Heck, I’d want to put something over my bike to keep my cats and all the neighbors’ cats from gettin’ their muddy little paw prints on my bike. As much as they’d like to think, my Interceptor is not their park bench. How much is a good motorcycle cover? You may be surprised…

<< continued… >>

2002 Yamaha Virago 250 Review

Years Available: 1981-2007

Pros: Great looks and a good kick out of her when above 250cc

Cons: Early models has starter problems. Cornering can be tricky if your taller than average

Note: The writer of this review earned $15, and so can you. Details about writing a review here.

Price Range: $700-$1,500 (Depends on year of bike)

In 1981, the Yamaha Virago was introduced to the world. It graced the headlines of biker magazines and newspapers when journalists grappled to see the first ever V-Twin motorcycle produced by a Japanese company. The bike is a cruiser style motorcycle, which were and still are extremely popular among bikers.

The bike has a slung back design with handlebars right up on the tank and the seat curving downwards right behind that grumbling engine. This gives the rider a laid back look with legs slightly bent, knees up by the gas tank. Viragos come in almost any colour depending on what production year you go for. Popular choices include black, red and turquoise. The Virago is deserving of strong, bold colors that make it stand out from the other cruisers of the era. Chrome only ads to the effect, with many featuring a double-barrel exhaust pipe and a shiny pair of headlights.

The engine too, is also a glistening dream to look at and hear. Initial models were only made with a 750cc engine. However when Harley Davidson pushed for tariffs on any imported bikes over 700cc, Yamaha dropped the engine capacity to 699cc. The fact that the Virago was making Harley-Davidson, the most famous motorcycle producer in the world, worry, is a testament to the Viragos appeal and success throughout the years. Nowadays, viragos can be found in almost any engine size from 125cc right up to 1100cc. However I’d suggest starting off with something on the bigger side of 250cc to really get that grumble from the V-Twin, not to mention the lack of power the 125cc has if your in anyway offensive to a set of weighing scales or in windy conditions.

The riding experience on a Virago is exceptional, especially one from the late 80s early 90s (anything before ’85 and you may have starter problems). It’s comfortable over long journeys especially for a pillion passenger with that great sissy bar to lean back on. Turning is good so long as your under 6’2”. One final thing that I’d like to add about the Virago is that she’s a great workhorse (the word Virago literally means warrior – they got that right!). I’ve put carrier bags loaded with tonnes of stuff and she just gobbled up the road in front like they weren’t even there.

All things considered this is a great bike especially for learners looking to take that first step into motorcycling. Parts are easy to find on the rare occasion anything goes wrong with her. Viragos are also easily customizable with dozens of websites and companies selling aftermarket lights, mirrors, seats and tanks. The final bike to roll of the production line carrying the Virago name was the 250cc 2007 model. However, fear not! The model was simply renamed V-Star for the 2008 onwards production.

The opinions and observations stated  are solely of the writer of this article. Seattle-Motorcycles.com makes no warranty as to its accuracy; if you’re interested in a Yamaha Virago you should do your own research before buying.

Welcome to Seattle-Motorcycles.com if you’re a new reader, and for the folks who are returning for the upcoming Spring season, welcome back my friends!

I’ve put a new skin on Seattle-Motorcycles.com – I liked the previous look, but the theme and container didn’t allow for a cool new feature, the Featured Content Gallery at the top of the main page.

I’m also going to purge some older posts. As you may know, what I do here is look through Craigslist and eBay Seattle-area motorcycle listings and highlight street cycles that are affordable and decent. There are probably 12 dirtbikes for every street bike listing on Craigslist, and while dirt riding is a great sport, street motorcycles are a bit more practical (and popular, especially in today’s economic climate.)

Being the internet nerd that I am, I like to look at statistics. As of today, the top 10 most searched terms that result in traffic to this humble site since January 1, 2009 are:

1. triumph bobber for sale
2. honda bobber
3. suzuki bandit 400
4. bobbers for sale
5. triumph bobber
6. bank repo motorcycles
7. yamaha vision
8. rat bikes for sale
9. 1986 yamaha fazer
10. repo motorcycles

It’s an interesting list. I’m glad that my favorite motorcycle of all time, the do-it-all 1986 Yamaha Fazer is in the top 10. The Suzuki Bandit 400 is a very rare bike here in the States (much more popular in Europe). And I have an entire page devoted to finding repo motorcycles. I’m not a huge fan of riding bobber motorcycles, I’ll admit, but bobbers are some interesting cycles to look at and admire for their uniqueness and art. Finally, the interest in rat bikes completely baffles me.

I’ll use this list and keep an eye out for them in particular in my travels. I have some tools I can use to fetch such motorcycles and post them here.

So have a look around, subscribe to my RSS feed so you’ll receive updates immediately.

And thanks for visiting!  If this site got zero traffic, I’d have quit it a while ago – and kept the neat motorcycle sale finds to myself.