Category: Random

1. The Best Songs and Riding Playlists for Motorcycle Road Trips

   Posted on 10:00am Thursday 13th May 2021

   Motorcycle road trips are memorable experiences, but any great adventure needs a good soundtrack. You want music that will heighten your sense of adventure, evoke powerful memories and fit seamlessly with life on the road. That’s why we’ve assembled our comprehensive list of the best songs and riding playlists for motorcycle road trips to help you make the most of your experience.

   1. “Motorcycle Mama”

   Neil Young’s laid-back cruising song from the 1978 album, Comes a Time, is perfect for those long highway touring days. Neil Young and Nicolette Larson sing together about love, lust and trouble–all timeless themes for all motorcyclists.

   2. “Smoke on the Water”

   The guitar riff, the angsty lyrics–all of the details of Deep Purple’s 1971 classic tune–evoke the free-wheeling spirit of motorcyclists everywhere.

   3. “Born to Be Wild”

   It’d be impossible not to include this song on a motorcycle road trip list. Steppenwolf delivers the ultimate, rebellious biker song that captures the thrill of the open road.

   4.” Ezy Ryder”

   Another 1971 classic, “Ezy Ryder” by Jimi Hendrix evokes an era of crazy hippies while also creating something altogether timeless. The lyrics say it all:

   “There goes Ezy, Ezy Ryder

   riding down the highway of desire

   he says the free wind takes him higher

   tryin' to find his heaven above”

   As far as motorcycle lyrics go, it doesn’t get much better than that. The Hendrix guitar doesn’t hurt, either.

   5. “Midnight Rider”

   The Allman Brothers are an American treasure. This 1970s song strikes all the right chords. The lyrics evoke freedom, the highway, poverty, evasion and the life of a nomad. The guitar bridges and sweet, haunting high notes of the guitar riffs coupled with the steady beat of the drums conjure up life on the road.
   

   6. “The Ballad of Easy Rider”

   The Byrds’ “The Ballad of Easy Rider” is all about the flow of the ride and following the flow of life. It’s spiritual, it’s earthy and it touches on timeless themes of freedom, desire and the beauty of the natural world. Play this while you’re riding down country roads, and you might just find yourself someplace like heaven.

   7. “Bat Out of Hell”

   With this ten-minute masterpiece, Jim Steinman made the ultimate teenage tragedy anthem. Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman take this song from the end of the road, over the barricade and all the way to the watery depths of the ocean.

   Making Your Playlist

   When it comes to crafting the perfect riding playlist, you obviously need more than seven songs. We’ve provided these incredible songs to get you started and to give you an idea of how to cultivate the atmosphere you need and want while riding. However, there’s much more to it than that.

   Maybe you want to have one massive playlist where you put any and all your songs for riding, but we recommend that you build playlists based on themes. That way, you know exactly what playlist to go to, regardless of mood and landscape.

   Choosing Your Themes

   Choose playlist themes that will work well with the landscapes you’ll be encountering over the course of your different rides. For instance, cruising along a highway out West evokes a very different mood from the back roads of the Northeastern states. Seaside Southern roads are different still and twisting mountain roads have a character all their own.

   Build playlists that reflect the mood you want to cultivate while riding through these different terrains. Choose songs that evoke the hard-driving, amped-up freedom you love, or choose songs that fit seamlessly with laid-back, open-sky tours.

   Ideas for Themes

   Here are some ideas for perfect motorcycle playlist themes that can keep you going on all roads and in all weather.

   * Chilled-out cruising

   For this theme, choose songs with a steady, calm beat, well-crafted melodies and poetic lyrics. Neil Young’s “Motorcycle Mama” or almost anything by The Eagles is an ideal song choice.

   * Rebel freedom

   “Smoke on the Water,” “Bat Out of Hell” and anything punk or metal fit this playlist theme perfectly. Get your adrenaline going and enjoy the rush of life on the road.

   * Country roads

   If you’re in mountain country, why not enjoy a little John Denver, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks or Emmylou Harris? Ride to the beat of down-home classics and enjoy the nostalgia of country music.

   * ’90s teen spirit

   This list has been ’70s-centric, but who doesn’t love a little bit of ’90s angst? Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Incubus, Nine Inch Nails, Led Zeppelin and Chris Cornell all make excellent additions to a ’90s throwback.

   * Hippie riders

   If you want to get in touch with your inner slow-riding hippie, make a playlist centered on the acoustic classics: Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith, Paul Simon and Joan Baez all bring back some stripped-down hippie blues. 

   Download Your Playlists

   If you need your tunes to keep you going through the backroads where you might lose signal, remember to download your playlists to your listening device. This can help keep you motivated even in the absence of cellular service.

   Add to Your Playlists as You Go

   Part of the beauty of playlists is that you can add to them as you go–add songs that your buddies recommend and create a time capsule of memories. The more you build and ride to your playlists, the more memories you’ll have associated with the songs and the themes you’ve chosen. Some things just get better with time, and the best riding playlists definitely fall into that category.

   The Takeaway

   Whether you enjoy chilled-out cruising tunes or amped-up Rock ‘n’ Roll, there’s something here for every rider.

   Enjoy your ride, make those memories and savor the moments and the friendships along the way. The road is calling, and these songs can help you enjoy the journey.

    

    

    

    

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2. Silence helps drive UK electric revolution from West Midlands

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 12th May 2021

   The West Midlands took another leadership step in the electric vehicle revolution today – as leading Spanish electric vehicle brand, Silence, opened its ‘urban ecomobility’ headquarters, training centre and first UK retail store in Solihull.

3. The Meteoric Rise of Fabio Quartararo

   Posted on 3:00pm Tuesday 11th May 2021

   MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. Every biker worth their salt dreams of getting aboard one of the amazing bikes and racing at breakneck speed around some of the most demanding and exhilarating tracks around the world. Fabio Quartararo is one young man realising his MotoGP dreams.

   The 22-year-old Frenchman is a MotoGP superstar in the making. He started his professional career during the 2015 season where he raced for Team Estrella Galicia in Moto3. Quartararo finished 10th in his debut season before switching to the KTM of Leopard Racing for 2016. A 13th place finish followed before Quartararo stepped up to Moto2 with the Kalex of Pons HP40. Another 13th place in the rider’s championship was followed by a 10th place in 2018 before Quartararo got his MotoGP break in time for the 2019 season.

   "Fabio Quartara" by motorsports.com is licensed under CC BY 3.0

   Yamaha Takes A Gamble That Pays Off

   Petronas Yamaha SRT gave Quartararo a shot at the big time. Yamaha initially planned to give Quartararo a 2018-spec bike but gave him a factory-spec Yamaha instead. It turned out to be a masterstroke from the Japanese racing giant because Quartararo was incredible. He went from having a reputation as a talented rookie to being one of the race favourites almost overnight. 

   Quartararo qualified for the Spanish Grand Prix in pole position and became the youngest-ever polesitter in MotoGP history. Disaster struck, however, on Lap 20, and Quartararo retired with a gearbox problem, but he had shown the world what he was capable of.

   The young Frenchman’s first podium finish came three races later at the Catalan Grand Prix. Quartararo started in pole position again before finishing second to the fantastic Marc Marquez. Two third-place finishes and a further four runner-up finishes, including at the season finale in Valencia, resulted in Quartararo finishing fifth in the championship race with an impressive 192 points.

   "Fabio Quartara on the track" by PETRONAS is licensed under CC BY 3.0

   First MotoGP Victories

   Quartararo started the 2020 campaign in style with his first and second MotoGP victories in back-to-back races. After yet another pole position, he won the Spanish Grand Prix before taking the chequered flag at the Andalusian Grand Prix, again from a pole position start.

   His 2020 campaign was helped by a severe arm injury to championship favourite Marques. The Spaniard was involved in an accident in Spain and hardly races again during the COVID-19 hit season. Quartararo ultimately finished eighth with 127 points from 14 races.

   Quartararo’s 2021 campaign has started well. He followed up a fifth-place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix, which is Yamaha teammate Maverick Vinales won, with victories in Doha and Portugal. Quartararo qualified for the Doha Grand Prix fifth on the grid but rode an epic race to finish on top of the podium. The talented Frenchman led for 17 of 25 laps during his second win of the season in Portimao.

   His Portuguese Grand Prix victory placed him first in the overall standings, but Quartararo failed to build on his lead after a disappointing showing in Spain. Quartararo languished down in 13th place, some 19 seconds behind Ducati’s Jack Miller and despite setting a new course record for the fastest lap.

   MotoGP experts have already drawn comparisons between Quartararo and the great Marques. Six-time world champion Marques is a motorcycle racing legend with 56 wins, 95 podium finishes, 62 poles, and 57 fastest laps from 130 starts. If Quartararo manages to enjoy even half the success of his Spanish rival, he will have enjoyed a glistening career.

    

    

    

    

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4. Essex riders take more than 100,000 journeys with Spin e-scooters since trials launched

   Posted on 11:00am Tuesday 11th May 2021

   Spin, the micromobility unit of Ford Motor Company, today announces that its e-scooter riders have taken more than 100,000 rides since the trial launched, underscoring the relevance of the scheme that is part of Essex County Council’s (ECC) Safer Greener Healthier campaign.

5. Essential Tips for Motorcycling Beginners

   Posted on 2:00pm Monday 10th May 2021

   Bike riding is a thrilling experience, and it is pure freedom for many riders. However, bikers should also know that motorcycling is dangerous than driving a car, and that is why safety and attentiveness are important. If you are a new biker then you need to be very careful and a normal mistake can have a huge impact. Therefore, we have summarized some crucial tips for beginners who are new to bike riding.

   Basic: Learn to Ride

   Well, riding a bike is not that difficult, but riding safely is overlooked by most beginners. If you are new to biking, it is best to find out a mentor or a driving instructor with good experience. It should be noted that the driving instructor is also a private motorcyclist and has experience. In addition, don’t change the instructor one you have found the best one for you.

   Right Protective Gears

   This practical tip is essential for safe motorcycle riding. Those who are not adequately protected with gear endanger their health and also the risk of being seriously injured in an accident. The first requirement is obviously the helmet. There are various variants in helmet such as jet helmet, full-face helmet, and many more. You need to check the safety certification of the helmet, and it should be perfect for the size.

   Along with that, clothing for riding is also important. Jacket, shoes, knee pads, pants, gloves, and son. The protective clothing offers good protection against impacts in the event of a fall, and it also offers a certain amount of protection against other external circumstances, such as bad weather conditions. The clothes should be suitable for all weathers.

   Find A Perfect Place for Practice

   Another important factor to keep in mind is that the practice should not be stopped. You need to practice your braking, avoid hurdles, speed control, and such things. If you want to make a career in moto racing, then you have to work even harder. Motorcycling is one of the loved sports worldwide. It has fans all across the world, and many sports betting online platforms offer moto racing in their catalogue. Thus, it can be your best choice if you are good at it.

   It takes a lot of practice to perfect braking. Most riders make mistakes of braking with the front wheel, but a combination of both brakes makes sense. The anti-lock braking system is helpful for better braking. Dodging and speed control is also very important. This is how you can save yourself from accidents.

   Perfect Bike for You

   A new bike would always be good, but if you are totally new, then a used bike can be perfect for you for practice. However, it must be safe for biking. It should be given proper care after and before every tour and checked regularly. You need to check the brakes, lights, tires, and batteries. Any defect in these things can lead to problems in your journey.

   If you ride a bike at night, the lightings are also important. Your view should be perfect at night. Plus, the signal should be used properly so that other road users can identify your moves. Carrying hazard lights, warning triangles and warning lights as the equipment is not required by law for biking but can increase your safety standard for safe motorcycling.

   These tips can be very helpful for the new as well old riders. However, you need to understand that a certain level of risk is always there in motorcycling. Therefore, you should practice safe driving and avoid driving crazily.

    

    

    

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