What is the method behind the sizing of motorcycle tires? Why do certain motorcycles have certain tire sizes? Do the fatter tires you see on most bikes make the motorcycle handle better? How does one read the tire specification numbers on the tire sidewalls?

These are some of the basic questions I had when I first got into motorcycling. I will address each of these questions based on my research and personal experience.

There are numerous reasons why certain motorcycles have certain tires. As any sales person will tell you in their showroom, the intended use and desired performance of the motorcycle help determine the tire size. For example, most dual-purpose motorcycles like the BMW GS 1200 R and Kawasaki KLX 250 and KLR 650 will have tires suited for both off-road and street use. The KLX 250 tires will be more aggressive on the knobby side than the other dual-purpose motorcycles. Street bikes like the Kawasaki ZZR1200, will have a differently size tire than a touring and dual-purpose bike. Again, it all comes down to the intended use of the motorcycle.

When it comes to replacing the OEM stock tires, it is always wise to use a replacement tire with the same size as the stock tire for which you are replacing. The main reason for this is that the rims on your bike were designed to be outfitted with certain sized tires. Therefore, you need the correct size to fit on the stock rim.

Installing the correct size also implies that the tires have the same circumference. Having two different tire circumferences will have negative effects on your motorcycle’s tire grip and overall handling. Why is this so? A motorcycle’s rake and trail and the front and rear weight bias are affected by the ride height of the front and rear ride height. This is why tire circumference is important.

Recently with motorcycles like the Victory Hammer, you see more fat and wider tires being installed on motorcycles for both performance and style. Be sure the stock rim is designed to handle these wider tires. If you are installing a wider tire on a narrower rim for which it was not designed to handle, the footprint of the tire diminishes due to the profile being wrong. Another thing to be cautious of is that a wider tire may not have enough clearance once installed and rub against the fender or swing arm.

The bottom line is that the sizing of tires for certain motorcycles is determined by the factory motorcycle and tire engineers. They know their science well and know what works best on certain motorcycles. They have devised a numbering system which is used when replacing your tire. It is not a user-friendly numbering system but it makes sense to the tire manufacturers. For example a 100/80-18 tire means the 100 is the nominal width in millimeters. The 80 is the aspect ratio, and refers to the height of the tire as a percentage of the width (in this case 80 percent of 100mm). The 18 is the wheel’s diameter in inches for which the tire is designed to fit. So replace your tires based on what your manual says. Why risk putting on a different size tire just for looks at the risk of safety and performance.

How easy is it to ride 400 miles in 7 hours? Piece of cake on my Victory Kingpin. Heading out from the Maryland Base camp, I was greeted with 90 plus degree temperatures. It was Mississippi hot and humid too. I decided to remove the lower wind deflectors and my soft leather lowers I had on my highway bars. Now I would get some direct air flow. Albeit it felt like I was in a dryer. I contemplated removing the main windscreen, but decided that for such a long ride, I would benefit by keeping it in place.

First things first, I checked the tire pressure, checked my oil. The Victory Kingpin is oil cooled so no worries about overheating. The thing that I was most worried about overheating was my butt. I still had the stock Victory seat on the bike and was concerned that on such a long ride, this would prove to become unbearable. This fear is based upon my Kawasaki motorcycle purchases. It seems Kawasaki puts on the most uncomfortable torture inducing seats known to man. Maybe these bikes are designed for the smaller Japanese riders. But us manly Americans want comfort and do not appreciate a seat that slams our jewels into the fuel tank every time we hit a bump.

Well, I digress. Let's put this fear to rest since the stock Victory Kingpin seat proved to be one of the most comfortable seats I have ever had on a motorcycle. Note, that the stock Victory Vegas seat is notoriously uncomfortable. Not sure why since the Kingpin and Vegas are pretty much identical motorcycles. With the bike passing its checklist, I was ready to prepare myself and head off.

I started out slow, topped off the fuel tank, and set my trip meter. On the Victory Kingpin there is no fuel gauge. So I tend to know it is time to refuel when I put approximately 160 miles on a full tank of gas. I stuck mainly to two-lane roads. Heading up old route 97 through Howard County, Maryland. Riding into Westminster and on up into Pennsylvania. Passing through what is left of the rapidly disappearing farm land, through some small towns in Pennsylvania. I decided to take breaks every hour. This coincided perfectly with my arrival into Gettysburg, PA -- Excellent place to pull of and rest. There is even a Harley shop to checkout. Mind you, there are not many bikes on display. It seems the new Harley Davidson dealership business model is to sell clothing and Harley hats for your dog. You go Harley. Why you are selling Harley Doggles, Victory will out perform and outsell you.

After my break and back on the road, the Kingpin is performing flawlessly and I feel really comfortable on the bike. As I pass through the dreaded Harrisburg, Pennsylvania I hold my breath. The Harrisburg area has some of the most congested and dangerous roads in the nation. They totally suck and I hate that I chose this way to get up top the Catskills. Nevertheless, I survive the bypass. I take a much-needed rest at a roadside stop in Linglestown, Pennsylvania. The birthplace of one of the greatest Americans ever born, James E. Noss.

No the fun part of the journey begins, I start to enter the mountain region of Pennsylvania on Rt. 81 headed up to Honesdale. I jump onto some two-lane roads and enjoy the sunny day and scenery. The bike is running flawlessly. It truly is all about the journey.

As I approach the Poconos, I enjoy the smell of the mountain pines as I pass the ski areas. I pull into a pit stop right off the turnpike exit. Lots of travelers complimenting me on the Victory Kingpin. What do you say in these circumstances? I bought it, I wish I would have thought of designing and making it, but I simply spent my twenty thousand and took her home. But I graciously accept the compliment.

Now back on the road I remember a Victory shop I want to visit that is on my route to the Catskills. It is Baer Victory in Honesdale. A beautiful little town with loads of Power sports stores. I stop into Baer, say hello and buy me a T-shirt to commemorate my visit. I am only 1 hour away from my destination in the beautiful mountains of the Catskills. The remaining 60 plus miles were the most beautiful. Hardly any traffic, beautiful scenery, and a great motorcycle.

My next to last pit stop is in Hancock, New York. A sleepy little town that time forgot. I have another 30 minutes to go. Heading up to East Branch and onto route 30 towards Downsville, New York. I cannot say this enough, these roads and the scenery are by far the best I had ever seen. It was a little disappointing to know that I was nearing the end of my journey. But the cabin and the 4-wheelers need to be ridden as well.

The Kingpin did great, no problems and it was a very comfortable ride. I was not sure or numb. I had to ride back in a few days and was looking forward to the return trip. Bottom line, the Victory Kingpin is a very good motorcycle – reliable, comfortable, and just plain fun.

The IRS has changed the regulations on donating vehicles to charities. If you donated a car last year, you need to read the following to understand the new rules.

Giving Your Car to Charity – The New Tax Rules

Millions of people donate cars, boats, RVs, motorcycles and many other forms of transportation to charities each year. While doing a good thing is one motivation, reaping a sizeable tax deduction is also a motivating factor. Unfortunately, the IRS has concluded that more than a few people were deduction very optimistic values for their cars. Instead of auditing everyone, the IRS simply changed the deduction rules for vehicle contributions to charity.

If you donated a vehicle of any sort to a qualified charity, but claimed less than $500 as a deduction, you can stop reading. The rule changes don’t apply to such situations. If you are claiming a deduction in excess of this amount, read on.

The new IRS regulations are pretty simple to understand. If you donated a vehicle to a qualified charitable organization, the amount you can deduct is the exact dollar value the charity receives when it resells the vehicle. Put another way, you can no longer claim the blue book value of the car. The IRS wants to know what it was really worth, not what it would be worth if you hypothetically repainted it, got new tires, rebuilt the engine and so on.

Charitable organizations are more than aware of the new regulations and they will more or less take care of everything for you. To donate a car, you simply arrange for delivery to the charity. The charity will then resell the car at some point in time. The organization will then will send you correspondence detailing the gross proceeds from the sale of the vehicle.

This correspondence should, but is not required to, come to you as Form 1098-C. Yes, another form. Simply take the deduction for the gross proceeds on Schedule A and attach the Form 1098-C to your tax return. If the charity sends you a written letter, attach that to your tax return.

While the above may sound overly burdensome, it really isn’t.

Camping on a motorcycle can present a real challenge, because you can't carry much weight or volume, and there are few places to store your equipment on a motor bike.

Most motor cycle riders use bags or panniers at the back of their machines to hold the camping gear. These have to be tough and waterproof - a bit like their owners - to keep the camping equipment safe from the weather. And you don't want anything coming loose and flying off either. It might cause an accident and you could be held liable for damages - or worse.

With a truck or an automobile, you can put your camping gear on the inside. But with a motorcycle, it's got to be fitted pretty much on the outside of your machine. Some fancy fairings (wind breaks) have small pockets, but they don't hold much camping gear at all.

You can usually fit a large cube-shaped bag on the rear luggage rack or pillion seat, and maybe a tank bag on the motorcycle petrol tank, and that's it.

Some bikes may have a couple of large panniers at the back, like the leather saddlebags you see on some Harleys, or the stylish 'fat briefcase' types you see on a German BMW tourer. (I've always wanted one of those.)

All your camping gear has got to fit inside that limited space, so camping on a motorcycles gives you the same kind of storage constraints as a backpacker, except you can travel a lot faster than on foot.

Depending on whether you're riding the bike solo or two-up, you'll want a small tent, sleeping bag (or bags), sleeping pad(s) between you and the ground, a small camp stove, cook kit, plastic mugs, bowls, spoons and maybe knives & forks as well.

Have tea or coffee-making supplies, including powdered milk in an airtight container or sweetened condensed milk. (Anything else leaks or spoils too easy in my experience.) As for myself, I love to sleep in a Hennessey Hammock it's perfect in the warmer weather and keeps the mosquitos away from you, so you get a good night's sleep.

Just carry enough food (and water) to make a couple of hasty meals for when you're tired, cold and hungry and miles from a diner or a McDonald's.

Then include a change of clothing and extra socks and underwear. Toilet kit - toothbrush, toothpaste or powder, half a bar of soap (or a small cake or soap from a hotel), a small towel, comb, a few band aids, some asprin or Tylenol pain killers, and any feminine hygiene stuff or prescription medicines needed.

Out in the country or on the interstate highways, the larger gas stations that cater to truckers will have hot showers as well. That can really refresh you if you've been camping away from the comforts of home for a few days. Buy a meal there as well, to pay for the shower.

For camp lighting carry a small flashlight and / or a candle. Some will take a mechanic's 'trouble light' which has a long cord and runs of the motorcycle's 12 volt battery. If you're going to be in a campground with mains electricity, by all means carry a mains-powered 'trouble light'.

These are the things a mechanic uses when crawling under your auto to inspect it at the garage.

Your motorcycle should already have it's own small tool kit, but it could be wise to carry a spare inner-tube and a pump. In case you get a flat tire 50 miles from nowhere. Here's where membership of an auto club would be a good idea, just as carrying a cell phone (mobile phone) would also be cheap insurance.

The only other thing you need when camping on a motorcycle is a sense of humor and a large helping of common sense. You also need to show courtesy for other road users. Why? Because just about everything out there is bigger than you are! Ride your motor bike carefully, and stay safe and in one piece!

Lake Havasu is home to the London Bridge and is known, internationally, as the ‘Personal Watercraft Capital of the World’. Lovers of the outdoors will have a great time enjoying the beautiful landscapes and breathtaking 450 miles of shorelines and sparkling waters of this spectacular lake in Arizona. Even though this town is recognized as a ‘resort’ area, it doesn’t have the crowds and over abundance of tourists that most resorts do, which makes it especially nice to visit.

The lake community offers a huge selection of recreational activities including just about every kind of water-related activity you can think of. You can bring your own jet ski or boat or rent one of theirs. You can even take a cruise on a paddleboat around its waters. There is also camping, swimming and great trails to hike.

The 45 mile long lake is surrounded by the Parker damn at the base of the Chemehuevi Mountains and provides free, public fishing access. Lake Havasu's deep waters offer striped bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish and trout. Additionally, there is lineside bass which can be found in schools around an area called the Parker Strip. A good tip for you fisherman is that some of the best fishing on the lake is toward the south end in the Bill Williams Arm.

If you like four-wheeling, ATV-riding, dune buggies or riding motorcycles, the Lake Havasu Bureau of Land Management (BLM) can accommodate any of your off-road recreational desires. You can really have a blast tooling around there as its terrain includes hundreds of miles of roads and trails in additional to two wide open areas.

There are two public campgrounds located on the Parker Strip area of Lake Havasu with sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can camp there along the beautiful Colorado River for up to 14 days. There is also the Empire Landing Campground which has 50 drive-in campsites in addition to 28 tent sites. This facility has outdoor showers, bathrooms and a swimming beach. Also, every campsite is equipped with its own picnic table. The Chemehuevi Indian Reservation also offers camping, boating, fishing and other facilities with a permit.

How about taking your boat camping with you? There are 125 lakeside campsites available on the Arizona side of the lake. Most of the sites at the boat-in campgrounds are equipped with a picnic table and bar-b-q grill and are also on a first-come, first-serve basis.

You can also check out the Lake Havasu State Park which is located on London Bridge Road along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Havasu. The park is open 365 days a year and has 3 boat launch ramps and 42 campsites. There is also a 1 ½ mile Mohave Desert walking trail and the Arroyo-Camino Interpretive Garden on the grounds.

In addition to campsites, there are also charming inns, hotels and two private resorts located on Havasu Lake. With accommodations for every lifestyle and taste, you are guaranteed a wonderful experience with memories that will last a lifetime.

The cost of gasoline is in such a state of disarray right now, that it's really affecting many American families to the point of desperation. Sales on bigger cars and SUV's are down, while sales on smaller compact cars, hybrids and motorcycles are higher than ever, in a consumer effort to alleviate gas price impact on their quality of life.

Is there anything we can do to soften the blow to our wallets? There are, in fact, some things you can do to help mitigate the high cost of gasoline right now as it relates to your financial "health". Read on for six gas savings tips that can at least minimize this rough patch for you, and help you stretch your gas dollars to the max.

Here is the list of actions you can take to reduce the impact of high gas costs :

1. When driving, try not to fluctuate a lot in your pressure on the gas pedal. Studies have shown that drivers that tend to give a good gassing on the pedal, then let up, then gas hard again waste more gas vs. drivers who are more constant on the gas pedal. So, try to be mindful of driving smoothly, and applying a more consistent pressure to your gas pedal. Not only will it make for a smoother ride, you'll also be saving on gas!

2. Many cities and suburban areas have opened up courtesy websites to show you where the lowest gas prices in town are. They are usually updated very frequently, actually several times a day, and will show you where the best prices are. This can many times mean a difference of up to twenty cents a gallon!

3. Look into getting a credit card backed by a specific gas company. For example, a Sunoco credit card may offer you a significant savings on gas for using their card, and also sometimes even have very low APR rates. If you pay it off every month, you don't even have to worry about finance charges.

4. If you're a household with two or more vehicles, always take the smaller car out, especially on longer trips or whenever it's possible to save on gas expenditure.

5. Use a high quality fuel system cleaner about once every 3,000 miles. You can even coincide the fuel system treatments with your oil changes if that's easier. Fuel system cleaners are found at any store that sells auto products, and range in price from four dollars to about eight dollars. They restore the integrity of your fuel system by cleaning deposits and gunk that may be affecting your fuel economy. They also help your car to run more smoothly.

6. Go easy on the A/C. Air conditioning usage will have a fairly significant impact on your fuel usage, as it takes additional energy to run air conditioning, and therefore more fuel. Only problem is, some people do say that rolling your windows down is actually worse for your fuel consumption than A/C because of aerodynamic compensation. Try it both ways, and see which one uses less gas for your particular car.