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Here at AK MOTORS, we extremely value our customers and their safety on the roads. Please check out our previous blogs on rider safety and also our mass inventory of used motorcycles for sale.

Following up on the previous blogs about gloves, pre-ride inspection, and helmet safety, we felt it was necessary to discuss lane splitting and the safety of performing it. Recently, California became the first state to legalize lane splitting. The bill passed September 1st, 2016 and it authorizes the CA Highway Patrol to create guidelines for motorcyclists on how to perform it safely. Lane splitting is sometimes known as lane sharing or white-lining and it refers to the process of a motorcyclist riding in-between lanes of slower moving or stopped traffic. Motorcyclists may also move in-between lanes to the front of the traffic at a traffic light. The CA highway patrol recommends a traveling speed of 10 mph when lane splitting. Anything over [...]

Honda has been making waves on the internet with the CBR 500 being highly regarded/rated as one of the top best beginner bikes since 2012. The motorcycle division of Honda crafted a bike that caters to beginners, commuters, and intermediate riders. The best thing at the top of the list about the CBR 500 is its affordability. The Thailand manufacturing company (under Honda’s direction) responsible for putting these bikes together help keep the pricing for the CBR 500 competitive. Honda has always tried to incorporate the low cost into the cost of ownership for any owner. The bike is highly fuel efficient allowing riders an average of 64 MPG. So it should come at no surprise that Best Beginner Motorcycles gave it a beginner friendly rating of 10/10. Other notable mentions for the CBR 500 as the perfect beginner bike can be found at Motor 1 and Complex.com.

Once you’ve managed to get your hands [...]

Nicknamed the “LORDS OF THE STREETS“, the FZ’s have found ways to grip the naked motorcycle market and shake it upside down. At first glance, these sport bikes may seem a bit light on the frame but don’t be fooled by the naked looks. Yamaha concentrated on the most important aspects of these speed demons which is performance, rider comfort and power. The FZ09 was Yamaha’s most anticipated release of 2014 and yet two years later, it still continues to surge in popularity due to overall consumer satisfaction. The immediate impressions alone will be close to agility and aggressiveness. Consumers alike can agree that the bike has plenty of torque even in standard drive mode. With a combined quality build, hard to beat price and exceptional performance, the FZ09 never looked so [...]

For how small your hands and fingers are, they sure seem pretty important, both for daily life and motorcycle riding. They’re smaller and more fragile than other body parts, but because they are so important, riders should go out of their way to protect them by picking the right pair of gloves.

To start things off, there’s the choice of whether or not to have gauntlets. Gauntlets are extensions that cover the wrists and go over the ends of the sleeves of your jacket. This extra coverage offers more protection, keeps skin dry, and prevents wind from rushing into your jacket sleeves. Many riders prefer gauntlet-free gloves, often called “shorties” or touring gloves, mostly because of their looks, but gauntlets definitely have a few more advantages when riding.

One of our employees heard two very useful pieces of advice from the instructor at the local MSF Course (which we highly recommend for all riders). First, [...]

In the state of California and 19 other states or districts, it is illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, and for good reason: head injury is among the most traumatic and common injuries in serious or fatal motorcycle crashes. Wearing a helmet can reduce the chances of a fatality by about 37% and the odds of brain injury by 67%, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. So when you go out and buy a new helmet, here’s what you need to know to ensure that you’ll be as safe as possible.

One Time Use

Every rider should know that helmets are built to protect riders from one single crash. After a strong impact, helmets lose their value and protection and should be replaced as soon as possible. Even dropping the helmet from as low as hip-level could sometimes break the inner protective lining, depending on how the helmet landed and on [...]

After a short time in the riding community, most riders will often realize that the Suzuki GSX-R is an extremely popular bike. They’re almost always one of the models listed when looking for a race-ready bike. But why are they so popular?

The big reason is that they are pretty cheap to own for such a track-ready bike. Compared to the Honda CBR600RR, the Yamaha R6, and other 600 cc bikes, the GSXR (pronounced like “jixxer”) is one of the least expensive options out there. Not only that, but banks are much more likely to give great finance options on these bikes. They require much less cash down and usually have lower rates as well. The fact that they are not fully remodeled very often also keeps their price [...]

Because motorcycle riders, especially beginners, are so prone to accidents, there have been a growing number of MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) courses that aim at increasing rider safety by reducing risk. Though it’s usually aimed at new riders to give them the basic skills to ride on public roads, there are many other reasons even for experienced riders to take a local MSF course that can save some cash and even your life.

A famous study of motorcycle accidents called the Hurt Report, which looked at over 900 accidents in the Los Angeles urban area, found that learning to ride through a hands-on course, such as a local MSF course, cuts the chances of a rider being in an accident to one third when compared to those taught by family or friends. That means that riders who were taught by their peers were three times as likely to be in an accident. Avoiding accidents is [...]

With all of the obvious risks involved with motorcycles, it’s easy to ask, “Why would anyone want to ride one?” Motorcycles don’t appeal to everyone (especially not to mothers), but ask any long time rider and they’ll tell you that the experience is unbeatable. As enticing as that sounds, it doesn’t appeal to any logical argument on why someone should start riding. So for everyone who is thinking about getting a motorcycle license, here are some reasons why you should go for it.

1) Price
Motorcycles, as a road legal form of motor transportation, are much cheaper than other commuting options. A great used bike for first-time riders can go for much less than five thousand dollars. Compare that to a car, where finding anything under fifteen thousand dollars is difficult and will probably only get you something on the lower end.

2) Reliability
Japanese sport bikes are known for their reliability [...]

AK Motors is now officially on Instagram! Follow us @ak_motorcycles for some quality photos of our inventory. If you see something you like, contact us and we can help you finance and ride the bike you want.

You’ll love having some pictures of local bikes on your feed, and since each bike will be available, you can contact us sooner than ever!