Last updated 9 months ago
One of the most important pieces of equipment that we as bikers can purchase, is our boots. Boots are what keep our feet dry. Boots are what keep our ankles from rolling while moving too slow for balance, or being stopped. Boots are what hold our feet on our highway pegs and protect us from slipping in oil at stops. Boots are what make our outfits just that much more attractive. Without our boots, our feet would be cold, wet, sore, we would accidentally fall over a lot more often, and our ankles would get burned on a more regular basis. Ever have to ride your bike in tennis? Shifting isn't comfortable and your toes freeze.
As with everything in our lives, there are things to know that we've never been told. Sometimes these things are just interesting, and sometimes they're educational. We have a few things that you may or may not have known about our beloved biker boots.
Our first tip is to purchase your boots in the afternoon. Most people make the mistake of going first thing in the morning to purchase their boots. Maybe it is a fear of subjecting the rest of the world to an unbearable foot odor, or maybe it is just coincidence. In the afternoon your feet are the most swollen from the day. When you choose a boot you're going to be in for literally hours on end, you're going to want them to be comfortable. If your boots are too tight your feet could fall asleep, causing discomfort and worst case tissue damage or a fall/wreck. We've all at some point fallen asleep in our favorite spot at home in an awkward position and woken up to an almost unbearable tingle in our feet. Sometimes we've been silly enough to try and walk on it. Being unable to properly feel our feet and how we are moving them can cause a break, or prevent us from using our foot controls. Being impaired in any way on a motorcycle is dangerous not only to ourselves, but also others around us. If your feet are at their thickest when you shop for some boots, then you are less likely to to purchase a boot that is too tight.
When trying on boots, or putting them on for the first time you should zip them before lacing. If you lace your boots before zipping them up you create a tighter-than-should-be situation, falling back into our previous paragraph conversation.
How do you pick a good boot? Look for traction, water-resistance, thickness of material, and ankle support. One thing most of us aren't aware of is that most of Harley-Davidson's riding boots are made with Goodyear rubber soles giving you optimum comfort and traction. Yes, that's right. Your boot rubber is made with the same quality as your tires.
I can honestly say that my boots are probably the most neglected piece of equipment in my safety gear. Once you've found that perfect pair of boots, you want them to last you as long as possible, right? I mean, it took what seemed like forever to break these babies in to be comfortable for that 12 hour day. We recommend to not wear your boots every day. Our feet sweat; it may not be slip-and-slide in your boots sweat, but they sweat. Your boots need time to rest and dry. They should be dried at room temperature to prevent drying out the leather any more than necessary. We want the inside dry, but the leather to not dry out. “But....but I ride every day!” If you are a daily rider you should have two pairs of boots so that one pair can dry while you wear the other. Under dry riding conditions your boots should be good to go in 24 hours. If you've gone through a rain storm they should be dry in 2 to 3 days without moving air blowing on them.
Clean and oil your boots regularly. You want to clean the leather really well to make sure you're not rubbing any chemicals you possibly picked up into the leather. Leather is skin, it should be treated as such. I know I don't go put lotion on right after getting all greased up before washing. You should never use a silicone leather moisturizer. Silicone will clog the pores in the leather and wear it out faster. Eventually your boots will no longer be receptive to moisturizer.
Lastly, don't drag your feet coming to or leaving a stop. It is the fastest way to a re-sole or new boot purchase. Once the traction is gone from the bottom of your boot, you might as well switch to roller blades. Ever wear a smooth bottom boot in the rain?
Harley-Davidson does what they can to ensure their products are up to the standard Harley-Davidson customers expect. Harley's boots are made by Wolverine, which is a U.S. company. Some things Harley knows is better left to the experts, so the Motor Company can focus on other important things, like chrome.
Take care of your boots. Pick them carefully and treat them like the important things they are, and they should give you miles of comfortable riding.
Last updated 10 months ago
IronHead Steve sayz:
Latus Motors Harley-Davidson/Triumph is proud to offer this iconic 1982 Harley Davidson FXRS with an indicated 50,087 miles on the odometer for sale. This thoroughly gone over 1982 Harley Davidson "FXR" came from the factory with a Shovel Head motor. It was replaced by the previous owner with a more up-to-date "EVO" motor. The carburetor is now an S & S "B" series. This is matched by a very period looking two-into-two exhaust system. In short; this FXR rocks! While the motor was being replaced, the frame was powder coated a great shade of blue. The tank, front fender and rear fenders are painted to match. The gas tank has a set of flames that start gold and end red-they must be seen! The speedo and tach are very unusual in that they look new instead of the milky "20 year old plastic" look that most of them start to look like. FXR's have a large and devoted following. They handle great, their price is still reasonable and the rubber mounted motor just purrs at cruising speeds (and above)I have personally owned two. Give a call to Internet Simeon for an in person showing or better yet, a test ride. This could be your "Unique" Harley. (#121057) FLASH! A customer just test rode this FXRS. His comment: Its very fast and VERY loud! I couldn't have said it better myself.
Call Internet Simeon at 1-877-468-7587 with any questions or to schedule a test ride.
Come by Latus Harley Davidson or view our entire inventory of used motorcycles online!
Last updated 10 months ago
Before your next joy ride on your Harley-Davidson it is a good idea to give your Dunlop or other motorcycle tires a quick review. Start by checking your tire pressure and tire tread. These are important in how your tires handle the asphalt and may decide wither your tires grip or slide out on your next turn. Then inspect each tire for dangerous debris you might have brought home from the open road. A nail or a shard of glass can leave you stranded with a flat tire or may even cause a blow out if not addressed quickly. Follow these tip to ensure a smooth and safe ride; as well as increase the life of your tires.
Check tire pressure before starting your engine. Check your tire pressure once a week. Believe it or not you loose air pressure in your tires even when your bike is in storage. It is best to check before you ride when the tires are cool. Once the bike is in motion the tires warm up and will increase in pressure. Reference your Harley-Davidson owner’s manual for the correct PSI levels. Having the proper tire pressure level is crucial to your safety, the quality of your ride, the life of your tires, the handling of your Harley-Davidson motorcycle and even your fuel costs.
Visually inspect each tire. This should be done before every ride! For best results put your motorcycle on a jack or lift (check out our Pro Lift which is great quality at an affordable price). Spin the wheel slowly so you can inspect the entire surface of the tire. Look for anything out of the ordinary like...
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Punctures which can result in loss of pressure or a dangerous blowout. This is another reason we recommend adding Ride-On to new tires, for preventative measures.
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Bulging or cracking is a sign that the tires are getting old and need to be replaced soon.
Motorcycle tires last no longer than 4-5 years, even if you can't ride your Harley-Davidson as often as you would like and it sits in the garage! The picture above is of a customer’s old cracked tires that we replaced because the rubber was no longer holding its grip. If your tires look like this you might want to consider having a Latus Service Member check them out.
Check the tire tread depth. Check the depth of your tread regularly by placing a quarter in the groove of the tread. If the top of George Washington’s head is covered by tread the tire is still good. If the top of Washington's head remains seen then the tread on your tire has warn away and will need to be replaced. Tread has everything to do with grip in both wet and dry conditions. It is essentially what keeps you from falling on the ground.
Safe riding!
Last updated 10 months ago
IronHead Steve sayz:
Latus Harley Davidson/Triumph is proud to offer this 2010 Harley Davidson Road Glide Custom with 23,009 miles for sale. If ever a motorcycle sold on looks alone, it would be this 2010 Harley Davidson Road Glide Custom! Check out the color-Harley calls it "Scarlet Red"-I call it Scarlet RAD! Being a 2010 model, this Touring machine has Harley's new frame (from 2009) which is very stiff and loves to go around corners. Its fuel tank was upgraded to 6 gallons in 2008. A.B.S. was an option on this 2010 FLTRX and this bike has it. It also has a factory fob operated security system which shuts off the F.I. and the electrical system whenever the fob is out of range. Its previous owner added a chromed luggage rack just in case you still need more capacity than the large, water proof and lockable saddle bags allow. Both the intake and the exhaust system have been upgraded with Screamin' Eagle units. They look great and give a better sound and a little more B.H.P. The last upgrade from stock is the addition of Flamed hand grips. Take a good look at this 2010 FLTRX. Give a call to Simeon the Internet GURU. A test ride would be our pleasure. (#601389)
Call Internet Simeon at 1-877-468-7587 with any questions or to schedule a test ride.
To view Latus Harley Davidson's entire inventory of used motorcycles, please click on the following link: http://www.latus-hd-motorcycles.com/harley-davidson-motorcycle-catagories.asp?cat=20
Last updated 10 months ago
Occasionally, a new product comes along that is such a no brainer that it should be an overnight success. I believe Ride-On Tire Sealant & Balancer is such a product. Ride-On is a pudding like product that is pumped into your tire and it settles in the tread area of the tire or tube. If there is a puncture, it moves into the hole and sealing it and preventing a breakdown.
Imagine you are on vacation with your riding friends and you get a flat tire. You call AAA or the closest dealer and wait. Maybe it’s hot, maybe it’s raining, maybe you are tired and hungry. The point is you’re waiting, and the ride is on hold and it could be a couple of hours or the next day. What will the wait cost you? What would it be worth to insure against it happening in the first place?
When you buy new tires, that’s a great time to have Ride-on installed to help insure you don’t get stuck in the middle of nowhere. If you’re like me the first thought is “not more messy tire slime” “not another gimmick”. In this case, like me you would be wrong. Ride-On Tire Sealant & Balancer is the real deal and that’s right it says “Balancer”. Ride-On sits in the tread area of the tire and balances the tire as well as tire weights maybe better. That means no more unsightly weights stuck to the rim or on the spokes that could fly off leaving a balance problem. Take the time to check out the video at the Ride-On website. Come in and ask us about Ride-On if you still have questions. Each tire size requires a specific amount in ounces to protect against air loss and for balancing the amount is increased by 25%.
When using Ride-On you should inspect your tires for debris since you will not lose much air, you may not know you picked up a nail or other debris. If a nail, screw, or other debris is found it should be removed and the tire or tube should be replaced at the earliest convenience. As you will see in the video mentioned above it is possible to ride with many punctures as long as they are in the footprint area of
the tread.
