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!

2011 marks a complete overhaul of the Suzuki GSXR.  This new package has dropped nearly twenty pounds compared to the previous year.  Suzuki has designed a new aluminum twin-spar frame with enhanced flex design that provides solid rider feedback without being overly harsh in everyday riding conditions.  The GSXR 600 now features Showa big piston forks with increased adjustment range for changing road surfaces.  The new big piston forks combined with upgraded Brembo Monobloc calipers result in significantly improved stopping performance and increased stability under braking.  The 2011 edition features a new engine design that significantly boosts midrange torque.  Suzuki’s engine management system has been tweaked to feature two-way power modes, A and B.  Mode A allows for full power delivery, with no throttle restriction.  Mode B reduces power delivery, making it ideal for slick road conditions, or new riders looking to adjust to a new bike.

AK Motors is proud to offer a huge selection of [...]

The Yamaha R6 continues to be one of the most popular choices in the 600cc class for good reason. It’s ascetics remain one of the sleekest sportbike designs to date, and underneath Yamaha continues to fine tune every aspect of the R6 from the chassis up. As one of the most technically advanced sport bike on the market, the R6 is an icon of cutting edge design from the track to the street. The Deltabox chassis features a stiffer front end along with stronger swingarm bracing in the back to enhance response under braking. Yamaha introduced YCCT/YCCI chip controlled throttle and variable intake to the market with the R6 in 2006, and has continued to refine these systems into the industry standard for racing level performance. The electronically controlled valves result in extremely precise response at high rpm, capable of responding to speed variation at 1000th of a second. Handling on the R6 has been [...]

Suzuki’s GSXR 1000 is a continued lineage of peak performance and reliability.  Track focused sport-bikes like the GSXR 1000 are in a continual evolution from handling tweaks to engine overhauls.  The 2012 edition features Showa big piston front suspension that have been reduced in length as well as reduced spring tension due to overall weight reduction.  The GSXR’s suspension is fully adjustable which allows you to make it as hard or forgiving as you like, going from track ready conditions to total comfort settings in just minutes.  The versatility of the 2012 GSXR isn’t only limited to suspension changes, Suzuki has integrated a multi-engine mapping power selector which enables you to select the amount of power output you want to receive from the engine.  Suzuki calls this their S-DMS engine management system, but it really boils down to input modes A,B, or C.  In mode A, the engine will operate at maximum performance, placing no [...]