Holy Crap, it's almost Christmas! (Is that the holiday spirit or what?) How the heck did that happen? It seems like just yesterday, it was hurricane season. Okay, officially, it actually was, but that's beside the point. With only a short time left, you may be wondering what to get for that biker on your shopping list. Let's look at some of the options.
No matter if
your favorite biker is your husband, wife, grandparent or child, nothing says, "I love you," like the blatta-blatta-blat of a nice set of after market pipes. Trust me. My wife got some for me a while back and it may very well be one of the
nicest presents I've ever received. Now, there are a lot of options out there and you might want to check out a few of them before making up your mind. If you like 'em loud, Vance & Hines makes a range of pipes that'll make your ears
bleed if you stand too close. Just about all of their systems have a "shot" theme: Longshots, Bigshots, Sideshots. They come in shiny chrome, or my personal favorite, jet black. You can get them as a slip-on to save money, or you can get the
complete set for a bit more. Nice. Loud. Pipes. There are so many other brands, each with their own unique sound, that you really should just do a Google search on pipes for your bike. That said, I feel like I have to mention one
other brand in particular. There's a shop out in California, called Bub that makes an excellent product. (My wife gave me a home-made gift certificate for bike pipes, then I did all of the research myself. That's probably the best way to do
it, since it's hard to say what sound or look will appeal to your biker.) After quite a bit of looking, I settled on a set of pipes called Big Willy's, that are absolutely fantastic. Not too loud, not too soft, they have a deep, thumping
bass rumble that really makes a statement. They still make Big Willy's for some bikes, but their latest line includes 2 into 1's, 2 into 2's, slip-on's and a new type called Jug Huggers that look sharp. If I were in the market
for pipes today, Bub is the first place I'd check. No matter what pipes you get, you can pretty much count on spending four to five hundred bucks for a full set, maybe half that for slip-on's. They're relatively easy to install yourself,
but you might want to make sure you have a buddy handy to hold them up, while you tighten them down. I got too anxious to hear my new pipes and did it myself, putting a minuscule scratch in one of them. I'm the only one who can see it, but I
can see it. It still pisses me off, so don't make the same mistake I did. If you don't want to go the pipes route, you could look at saddle bags. I was hesitant to get some for my bike, because I like the look of a lean, clean cruising
machine, but now that I've had them for a few years, I can't imagine going without them. While I was looking at bag styles, I liked the look of the soft bags, but I wanted the functionality of the hard sides. I decided to compromise by getting
a hard bag that has a leather-like look, hence the name, LeatherLyke. They were a little pricey, at over four hundred clams, but I've definitely gotten a ton of use out of them. Soft bags would cost considerably less (I still prefer the look
of a soft sided bag) and if I were looking today, it would still be a tough decision for me. How about a new seat? Not a bad idea if your favorite biker's ride came with a stock, factory pad. When I switched my stock seat for a new Corbin, I
found that I sat an inch or two lower on the bike, slightly changing the center of gravity. The bike seems easier to handle and is actually more fun to ride, believe it or not. Sounds weird, I know, but it's true. The only thing you need to
know about Corbin seats is that initially they are hard as a rock. It takes a bit of a breaking-in period. (I'm not sure if it's the seat or your butt that gets broken in, probably a combination of the two.) Mustang also makes an
after-market seat, and it's not as pricey as the $400 Corbin. I haven't had any direct experience with them, but rumor control tells me a Mustang seat moves you a little closer to the front of the bike, at least on my model. Okay, enough of
the $400 - $500 doo-dads. Let's look at some more cost-effective options for your favorite biker. Chaps and gloves are never a bad idea. True, they don't get used a lot here in Florida, but when you need 'em, you need 'em. You can pick up a
pair of chaps for $50 - $70, and a pair of over-the-cuff gloves for about the same price, if not less. (I'm remembering a 40 degree Toy Run morning a few years ago, when I was pretty dang glad to have those chaps and gloves.) If you've ever
walked into one of the local bike shops (see the ads in this here magazine) you know there are a ton of other accessories. You can't go wrong with a biker t-shirt, leather handle-bar fringe, or a new pair of riding boots. And not that I'm
dropping any hints to anyone who may or may not be shopping for me this season, but I would absolutely love a windshield or perhaps an air horn for my bike this year. (Again, not that I'm hinting, but perhaps a certain very attractive, loving
and thoughtful wife I know, may be doing some shopping in the near future. I won't mention any names, but her initials are Linda Hopkins.) So good luck with your shopping and have a safe, happy holiday season. Tune in next month
for a New Year of Coastal Cruizin' in 2009!
Christmas List for Bikers
