Equipment Outfitters

Retrieving your boat from the water essentially reverses the steps you took to launch it. At the end of a long boating day, it’s a great temptation to rush through the procedure. Take the time to make sure that your boat is properly seated on the trailer, both for correct support and for balanced trailering. Also, pull the drain plugs at this time to drain any water from the bilge.

At the Pier

With an outboard, disconnect the fuel line and let the engine idle until it runs out of fuel. This prevents the formation of deposits in the engine. Read the rest of this entry »

Safe and easy trailering depends on preparation and practice. Once you know the basics, towing a trailer is simple. Backing up is more difficult. Remember that no one is a “natural” at backing a trailer, and even the experts needed time to master the tricks. Before you drive off to launch your boat at a busy ramp, take time to practice backing the trailer in a deserted parking lot or empty field. Read the rest of this entry »

What to Sleep on

In a caravan, you’ll simply sleep in a bed. But for those who prefer the adventure of sleeping closer to Mother Earth — without sacrificing too much by way of comfort — there are a number of options.

Inflatable air mattresses come in single- or double-bed sizes. They hold a fair amount of air, so you will need some sort of pump to fill them. As they tend to be sturdy once inflated, they can usually be left that way. The top and bottom are kept in place with connecting strips inside, also determining the shape. Long-lasting under normal use, they are not designed to be used as a trampoline. Read the rest of this entry »

The luxury motorhome must surely represent the ultimate touring vehicle. As a combination of large vehicle and caravan it offers the benefits of both, and allows the traveller the sort of freedoms one would usually find only on a yacht! Passengers, for example, are able to sleep comfortably stretched out while the kilometres speed by.

Modern motorhomes are made for comfort, lightness and aerodynamic efficiency — they’re certainly more evolved than their older relatives. The interior layouts are more sophisticated and well thought out and the specification levels are higher. Although a common complaint is that the smaller versions are underpowered, fuel consumption is an important aspect of touring; while bigger engines have more power and are more exciting to drive, they are very much thirstier. Read the rest of this entry »

Off-road riding is a popular pastime with many motorcyclists, and involves the dual-purpose trail bikes — motorcycles that are at home on both roads and the dirt. They are designed with greater ground clearance, greater clearance between tyres and mudguards, higher footrests, longer suspension travel and ‘knobbly’ tires.

It is an excellent hobby and can be a very good way of keeping fit. A tough ride requires a lot of physical strength and endurance. Read the rest of this entry »

Use of the Motorcycle Throttle

Smooth motorcycle operation of the throttle goes hand in hand with smooth motorcycle clutch control and machine appreciation. Harsh motorcycle acceleration can cause motorcycle wheelspin or wheelies; great for posers and fly boys, but bad for professional and caring motorcyclists, and bad for the general image of motorcycling.

Excessive use of the motorcycle throttle, when not absolutely necessary, is also very expensive. The cost of motorcycle fuel is always rising, so the less you open the throttle the better for your pocket. Read the rest of this entry »

The basic principle of the motorcycle gearbox is to alter the rate at which the motorcycle rear wheel is driven by the engine. In the same way that using a smaller cog (higher motorcycle gear) on a bicycle rear wheel makes the bike go faster with the same effort, a motorcycle has a selection of motorcycle gears for much the same purpose.

For every motorcycle gear ratio the motorcycle will travel at a certain speed per 1000rpm (revs. per minute) engine speed. Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping hands warm and dry in cold wet weather is the curse of all motorcylists, and everything from plastic bags to rubber washing-up gloves has been used.

In warm weather motorcycle ride gear gloves are still important, and a thin pair of unlined motorcycle ride gearleather ones is the normal type worn. Read the rest of this entry »

One-piece, two-piece, lined, unlined, nylon, waxed-cotton, or any combination is the choice facing every buyer of a motorcycle ride gear oversuit. Most serious riders have two suits; a lined one for the cold weather and an unlined one for summer ride gear wear.

A one-piece, unlined, nylon ride gear suit will fold very small and can be strapped to the seat behind the rider, using rubber aero-elastics, when not being worn. This kind of motorcycle ride gears are ideal for wearing in warm weather. Read the rest of this entry »

During warm weather conditions normal underclothes are more than adequate, but in cold climates, and when motorcycle travelling long distances, some extra protection is required.

Some of the older methods are still used in emergencies, but modern thermal underwear is now taking over. Read the rest of this entry »

Proper care of motorcycle visors and goggles is essential if perfect vision is to be maintained.

The following three precautions will extend the motorcycle life of your visor and ensure that scratches are kept to a minimum:

Never wipe your motorcycle visor with a glove or overmitt ; any dirt particles will scratch the soft visor. Read the rest of this entry »

Not only a safety requirement, but also a legal one in this country. An approved motorcycle helmet must be worn by riders and pillion passengers when the motorcycle is used on the road.

There are two basic motorcycle helmet styles, open face and full face: both are available in either glass fibre or polycarbonate. Read the rest of this entry »

Motorcycle Rider Concentration

Motorcycleriding concentration is defined as the complete application of motorcycle rider mind and body to a particular endeavour, and the exclusion of everything not connected with that motorcycle endeavour.

Today’s road and traffic conditions demand that all motorcyclists exercise full riding concentration every time they venture on to the road. Read the rest of this entry »

Off-road riding is a popular pastime with many motorcyclists, and involves the dual-purpose trail bikes — motorcycles that are at home on both roads and the dirt. They are designed with greater ground clearance, greater clearance between tyres and mudguards, higher footrests, longer suspension travel and ‘knobbly’ tyres.

It is an excellent hobby and can be a very good way of keeping fit. A tough ride requires a lot of physical strength and endurance. Read the rest of this entry »

Preparation

Whether the distance you intend to travel is a few hundred or several thousand miles it is essential that you are fully prepared before you leave. Service the motorcycle from the front to the back, carry enough tools (adjustables take up less room than several kinds), carry a few essential spares, and most important: make sure you have enough warm and dry clothing. Don’t be uncomfortable on a long journey, you’ll regret it. Read the rest of this entry »

In some ways, two people touring on a single motorcycle are subject to greater packing restrictions than a pair of cyclists on push-bikes. Weight is not such a problem because the engine will take the strain, but there is only a limited amount of space for two people’s gear, Read the rest of this entry »

Just about every kid has attempted to jump their bike off something when they were growing up. Those that didn’t certainly never became extreme sport athletes. The small and cruiser-style bikes of the Sixties and Seventies began a shift in how people viewed bicycle riding. Kids found that they were quite maneuverable, and the smaller wheels and fatter rubber tires made them more capable of enduring the thrashing a hard-riding kid could deliver. These new bikes redefined what could be done, and soon kids jumping things found they could jump bigger things, and could ride on softer surfaces, and the idea of dirt racing and jumping just kind of evolved naturally. Read the rest of this entry »

Large Resorts

These are not necessarily the first choice for everyone. They’re highly developed, usually on prime land and are close to major tourist attractions, so they quite rightly pride themselves on being able to satisfy the most demanding holidaymaker. Accommodation may range from the simplest of camping sites, situated under shady indigenous trees, to luxurious fully serviced bungalows commanding views of the surrounding countryside. They may have several well laid-out ablution blocks so that no one has to walk too far or stand in a queue to shower or wash dishes. They may also offer a full gym, large pool, TV room, games room, trampolines and waterslides, and have a well- equipped shop and various pieces of recreational equipment for hire (or for free, with the cost built into the price of the site). Some even go so far as to hire minor celebrities who wander around from site to site in the evenings, joking with the guests and telling amusing stories! Read the rest of this entry »

Walking, scrambling on all fours, and crawling on your belly into the moist darkness of a cave is not everyone’s idea of a good time, but it is certainly extreme. The labyrinth-like tunnels that can lead to huge sheer drop offs or expansive chasms are not for the faint of heart. Those prone to nightmares from watching too many reruns of Dracula also may not appreciate the propensity of caves to attract legions of bats.

Appropriately, those who do cave (serious cavers do not refer to their sport as spelunking or potholing) always travel to the inner depths of the earth in groups of two or more. Not surprisingly, cavers are subject to many dangers that one would expect could occur in a cave, such as death by starvation, falling, asphyxiation, drowning, and hypothermia from exposure. Read the rest of this entry »

The Obstacles—riders now weave their way through a series of turns that lead them over several obstacles (jumps), ranging from fairly easy to difficult and technically challenging. The jumps are designed to challenge a rider’s ability to the fullest, create close racing, and maximize airtime. Jumps come in many sizes and are linked to create varying degrees of difficulty throughout he course. The jumps are categorized as:

• SINGLE JUMP – rider jumps 20-60 feet (6-18m) onto a flat landing
• DOUBLE JUMP – rider jumps off one obstacle and lands on the far side of the next, usually covering 20-70 feet of terrain
• TRIPLE JUMP – rider must get through three consecutive jumps and may choose to jump them as sets of two and one, or as a group of three (launching over an entire triple requires the rider to catch up to 25 feet (7.6m) of vertical air over a distance of 75 feet (23m) or more. Triples are real crowd pleasers) Read the rest of this entry »