The Rally Board Blog

When the International Motorcycle Show roars into Charlotte next weekend for the first time, one local has something special to show off.

The event, Feb. 24-26 at the Charlotte Convention Center, will feature gravity-defying stunt riders, a vintage motorcycle exhibition, seminars from industry giants and “the world’s largest” custom-bike-builder competition.

But leave your preconceived notions about rough crowds and motorcycle gangs at the door.

“Before you envision leather vests and ponytails, let me be the first to tell you that kids and teenagers actually make up a good amount of our show attendees,” said show spokeswoman Lauren Williams of Driven Public Relations.

The Smage Bros. Stunt Show, a group that rose to fame after becoming finalists on the NBC television show “America’s Got Talent” last summer, will wow crowds with their signature moves, including wheelies, two-wheeled obstacle courses and bunny-hopping their trial bikes over a friend.

But for one Monroe resident, the custom-bike competition is the real draw.

Darrell Murphy, 63, who goes by “Murphy,” is the only individual from south Mecklenburg or Union County to enter the competition, and one of only 10 from North Carolina.

After two years of spending hours every week in the two-car garage behind his house, Murphy’s project – a 1998 Honda GL 1500C with a six-cylinder engine most people would think came from a car – is valued at about $50,000.

“It runs so smooth you can balance a nickel on the edge of the motor,” said Murphy, who credits Honda for the well-made engine.

Murphy’s latest creation soon will be featured in StreetFighters Magazine, a motorcycle publication in the United Kingdom. He’s put $35,000 to $40,000 into the bike, and nearly nothing looks the same as when he bought it cheap in Hawaii several years ago.

Murphy makes most of the parts himself. He molded his own plastic, designed his own upholstery and set up his own exhaust system. He made turn signals, installed LEDs in the back and added little features no one but him would notice.

And contrary to popular practice, he actually spends a lot of time de-chroming. Murphy said his focus is “on the performance and handling.”

“Chrome don’t get you home.”

Murphy entered his Honda in the motorcycle show’s freestyle custom-bike competition, where the only regulation is that the bike has to run and stop.

Want to go?

When: 4-9 p.m. Feb. 24; 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Feb. 25; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 26.

Where: Charlotte Convention Center, 501 South College St.

Cost: A one-day pass is $13 if bought in advance online, or $15 at the door. For children age 6 to 11, a one-day pass is $10; free for age 5 or younger.

Details: www.motorcycleshows.com/charlotte ; 704-339-6200.

Read more at: CharlotteObserver.com

Could it be that the ranks of riders are getting fuller with more would-be bikers being bitten by the motorcycle bug?

What could be a positive trend swimming in a sea of bad national and worldwide news, things could be considered on the upswing for the motorcycle industry.

A quick look at popular media and one would think motorcycles never fell out of favor with the general public. Marvel’s World War 2 era superhero Captain America recently spent much of his onscreen time riding to the front on a vintage looking Harley-Davidson and early publicity photos from the upcoming Batman movie shows Catwoman borrowing the Dark Knights custom ride.

More and more ‘everyday’ characters are seen riding motorcycles for their roles, a far cry from when the bike was used by movie makers as a way of singling out the bad boy or villain.

All the larger motorcycle manufacturers are seeing a return to profitability with some enjoying record breaking figures, whether for sheer profit or simply the number of units sold to a particular market.

But there are many more tangible ways to judge whether the obsession on two-wheels is affecting more people; counting the number of heads at a bike night, comparing attendance numbers at larger motorcycle events, new motorcycle sales as well as those of used bikes.
As far as motorcycle sales are concerned, they usually peak over the summer months when new riders decide to take to the open road for the first time. It would be hard to judge the summer’s sales in North America while still in the month of August, but thanks the Earth’s equator switching seasons, an indicator for summer sales can be found down under in Australia.
According to industry experts, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), motorcycle sales in Australia increased in the first half of 2011. In the six months to the end of June, 50,379 motorcycles were delivered to Australian customers, representing an increase of 1501 units (or 3.1%) over the same period in 2010.

Even better, the growth in motorcycle sales outpaced the wider passenger and commercial vehicle market during 2011, according to FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar.

“The overall market for motorcycles has continued to see a little growth during 2011 compared with car and light commercial sales, which are down 6.6% year-to-date,” he said.

Seven of the top-10 motorcycles remain off-road motorcycle, which is considered a testament to the ongoing popularity of motorcycling as a recreational sport and pastime in Australia.

Regardless, the on-road motorcycle segment remains the single largest by market share, with half-year sales of 18,653 representing 37% of all motorcycles sold. Japanese manufacturers continue to dominate sales. Honda was the number one brand, delivering 10,424 motorcycles to the end of June.

Yamaha was in second position to the end of June with 9349 sales, followed by Suzuki (6333), Kawasaki (4882) and Harley Davidson (2955).

The used motorcycle market appears to be heating up along with the temperatures currently roasting the United States. Late last week NADAguides, considered the most comprehensive new and used car, classic car, motorcycle, boat and recreation vehicle pricing and information resource online, announced its 2011 second quarter Traffic Trends Report.

A new wrinkle may enter the ever contentious debate over motorcycle helmets as a yearlong study finds the much discussed safety equipment could cause hearing loss.

Coming from researchers at Britain’s University of Bath and Bath Spa University, a recently completed study has found that helmets may actually increase the risk of hearing loss among riders.

According to their study, “Aeroacoustic Sources of Motorcycle Helmet Noise,” which has been accepted for publication in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, the biggest source of noise for motorcyclists is not the roar of a motorcycle’s engine, but rather the noise generated by air passing over their helmets.

Even when riding at legal speeds, bikers may be exposed to unsafe noise levels, the researchers say.

For their study, the British scientists placed motorcycles helmets on mannequin heads, mounted them in a wind tunnel and turned on the fans, recreating the wind and noise situation that biker’s experience. By placing microphones at various locations, the researchers found that an area underneath the helmet and near the chin bar is a significant source of the noise that reaches a rider’s eardrums.

‘Intuitively it is clear that wearing a motorcycle helmet will change the way in which people perceive sounds,’ the researchers note, ‘ There are both engineering and psychology aspects to understanding this process.’

Buying a new or used motorcycle is serious business. It needs thought and careful selection. A motorbike is sacred to many and just a vehicle to some. However no motorcycle buyer should be without a check list that will help him or her make a great selection.

10 musts before paying for a motorcycle:

1. Check it out and do so with a motorcyclist friend in tow. Check if the motorcycle is clean and straight down centerline and forks.

2. Take along a list of models and their pros and cons. Discuss the nuances with the friendly sales person.

3. Find out about gears, brakes, clutch, and all other mechanics.

4. Determine engine specifics and details of gas tank and wheels.

5. Ask about service and warranties.

6. Get details of accessories and other musts like helmets, rear view mirrors and so on.

7. Sit on a lot of bikes to get a feel of height and riding position.

8. Read up on bikes in discover Today’s Motorcycling. Get all the information on types of bikes, financing, bike care and more.

9. If you are new to motorcycles choose a light-weight bike rather than the coolest, sexiest bike that only pros can ride. New riders should aim for a four-cylinder of less than 600 cc or 75- cc for sports machines and 150cc for everyday use.

10. Ask about safety gear and budget for this too in the cost of the motorcycle. Use pants, helmet, gloves, and jacket meant for motorcycling.

All motorcyclists must consider safety and reliability. Get a valid motorcycling license and insurance too. Be wise and take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course see: http://www.msf-usa.org/ .

Refer to magazines like beginner Bikes magazine for recommendations on good starter bikes. According to dedicated bikers, a good choice of a motorcycle for a beginner would be Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Buell Blast.

Choose a bike that suits you and not one that looks good on the cover of a magazine. The rule of thumb is the motorcycle and its rider must fit like hand in glove. Test ride the motorcycle and get a feel. A large part of selecting a motorcycle is comfort and instinct. So choose a motorcycle with care so that you get long hours of riding as well as comfort and safety.

Never buy a bike on first sight or visit. Take your time in making a selection. Visit the many motorcycle websites on the internet and comparison shop. Find out what offline prices of motorcycles are and compare features as well as prices, service contracts, and warranties. Many people find that the best deals are available on the internet. Others feel a motorcycle must not be bought without viewing and test riding. So get all your thoughts and options in order before you make a choice.

The Nashville Honkytonk and Hawg Bash will be held on September 2nd, 2011 and
will end on September 3rd, 2011

Location: Roosters Honkytonk & Chicken Shack, Hennessey, OK

Sept 2nd: TCM recording artist Joe Matthews, David Ray, Tony Stampley, and
the Badlands Band.

Sept 3rd: Poker Run sign in starting at Roosters at 9am. First bike out at
10am, last bike out at noon.

Concert starts at 8pm Sept 3rd. All vendors welcomed free.