All bikers want to protect themselves from the occasional spill. Your helmet protects your skull, but what about the rest of your body? Gloves and boots take care of the extremities but what about your torso and limbs? That's where a good set of leathers come in.

One of the best brands of leathers available is the teknic brand of leathers. There are several types of teknic leathers to choose from. Here are some of the major categories:

o 1&2 piece suits
o Leather jackets
o Leather pants
o Textile jackets
o Textile pants
o Ladies suits & jackets

Let's take a look at what makes Teknic leathers different than others. Firstly, you have the leather. Teknic uses thicker leather than the competition, so you get a suit that provides more abrasion protection.

Secondly, you have the armor. Teknic incorporates their armor into the leather in the critical areas-elbows, knees, and shoulders. By securely incorporating the armor it prevents it from moving around in the event of an impact.

Another consideration in selecting riding leathers is the seam construction. It is much more comfortable for the rider if their bare skin is not in direct contact with seams. Teknic covers their seams and prevents sore spots.

You should also consider stretch material in critical areas for comfort and control. The arm/shoulder and leg/groin areas are constantly moving, so having stretchable, breathable panels in these areas is a benefit.

Choosing the right set of teknic motorcycle leathers is a decision that could save your life. A high quality set of leathers not only make you look good, they also provide a good layer of protection.

The number of aftermarket exhausts are endless. they all make claims of better performance,style and sound. Recently I have been looking at a new aftermarket exhaust for my bike and I'm looking at a M4. These exhausts can have a significant effect on performance and the ability to carry a passenger.

First, the performance. Some bikers go the way of bolting a big bore no-name can on their bikes with the thought of cheap horsepower. Too bad--this rarely happens.

Modern bikes are finely tuned machines. The exhaust plays a crucial role in this system. No-name exhausts typically are not correctly tuned for your application and can actually hurt horsepower and torque.

The best way to evaluate an exhaust's performance is to look at a dyno sheet. So be sure to ask for a dyno sheet for the M4 exhaust. Dyno sheets are available by most high end manufacturers, and they clearly show where and how the horsepower and torque are changed with the new pipe.

The exhaust is specifically tied to your carb/fuel injection. When you change your exhaust it is critical that you have your carb re-jetted or your fuel injection recalibrated. This should be inexpensive at the shop doing the pipe swap.

Passenger Considerations with the M4 Motorcycle Exhaust: The other thing to consider with an aftermarket exhaust is how it will affect your passenger footpegs. Depending on how the system mounts, it might require you removing the rear pegs. This might not bother you, but it is something to consider.