Author Archives: Dave

Kawasaki Ninja 300 – Awesome Entry Level Sportbike

Just when they started feeling some heat from the Honda CBR250r, Kawasaki has upped their game in the entry level sport bike market with the introduction of the all new Ninja 300.2013 Ninja 300

The Ninja 300 has an amazing 20% more HP than its predecessor the Ninja 250. The Ninja 300 is powered  by a parallel twin with new digital fuel injection  that provides snappy power along with improved fuel economy.  The styling of the 300 sets it apart from the competition with an aggressive and edgy look, typical of the Ninja family.2013 Ninja 300 (2)

The all new F.C.C clutch includes slipper and assist functions. This allows the clutch to handle more power while also making the clutch lever significantly easier to operate.  The slipper assist function also reduces rear wheel hopping that could be experienced during heavy downshifting. The following video goes over these features and many more.

The base version of the Ninja 300 starts at $4,799. There is also an ABS version that retails for $5,499. Both are available for viewing at Contra Costa Powersports.

Motorcycle Groups in the San Francisco Bay Area

With the beautiful weather we are having in the San Francisco Bay Area, motorcycle riding season has begun. If you’re looking for a partner to ride with or an entire group of people to hit the road with, there are two great motorcycle clubs that you should check out.

The first is the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) Delta chapter. The majority of the group owns either a standard Honda Gold wing or a Gold wing trike.  They have chapter meetings the 2nd Saturday of each month at Hometown Buffet in Concord. During the riding season they go on at least one ride per month with some overnight rides during the year. They are always looking for new Gold Wing riders so feel free to contact them if you own a Wing or trike.

Another great group is the Star Touring and Riding Association (Contra Costa Chapter).  The members of this active group have all different kinds of motorcycles (Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Victory, etc).  While the group is sponsored by Yamaha, and many members own Yamaha’s, it is not required that you own a Yamaha. The group meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at Fudruckers in Concord. They have several rides throughout the riding season in addition to a standing ride the 2nd Saturday of each month. The chapter is sponsoring a cool mileage contest this year that just started. Some people refer to it as an “Iron Butt” contest. Basically each member of the chapter tracks their mileage throught the year on STAR rides and there are several prizes based on high mileage, low mileage, etc at the end of the year. It sounds like a totally fun contest and those interested are encouraged to contact the chapter.

Increasing the life of your motorcycle battery

Picture this scenario: It’s saturday morning and you flip on the morning news. Today’s forecast, sunny and mild with a high of 75 degrees. You finish up breakfast, put on your riding gear and head out to the garage to hop on your motorcycle and carve the canyons. You insert the key, turn it to on, pull in the clutch, push the electric start and then you hear it….. the dreaded click-click-click. You have a dead battery.

The frustrating part is that this can be avoided with some basic maintenance on your battery.

Motorcycle batteries are much smaller than car batteries in order to minimize their weight. While you are riding your motorcycle, the battery is being charged by the bikes charging system. The problem comes when you let your bike sit for a while. Due to their natural drain, motorcycle batteries can lose up to 1% of their life per day when not used/recharged.

The easy way to eliminate this problem is with a battery charger such as the “Battery Tender”. The Battery tender has two cables, one that plugs into an electrical socket and the other that attaches to the terminals of your battery. When plugged in, the Battery tender will apply a small current to your battery based upon how much charge it has remaining.  Once it becaomes fully charged, the tender switches modes and dleivers less current to maintan the battery at full charge.   This one accessory can allow your battery to last for up to five or more years.

The Battery Tender can be purchase at Contra Costa Powersports or any other store that carries powersports accessories. There are several different models of the Battery Tender available starting at $39.95.

Honda Dirt Bikes on Sale

Just in time for Christmas, Honda has brought back their famous Bonus Bucks on all off road (dirt bike) mototrycles.  Whether its the CRF50, CRF70 or CRF80 whch are meant for the young riders, the CRF100 or CRF150 for the older kids or the CRF230 which is for the adult rider, they have Bonus Bucks ranging from $100 to $300.

The Bonus Bucks can be used for riding gear, exhaust systems, helmets, golves or anything else in the store. They can also be used to extend the factory warranty or as a down payment toewards the price of the motorcycle. The Bonus Bucks are good thru December 31, 2011.  Contra Costa Powersports stocks the comnplete line of Honda off road motorcyles and dirt bikes.

International Motorcycle Show – San Francisco

The International Motorcycle Show is back again in the bay area next weekend Nov 18th-20th.  Once again it will be held at the San Mateo fairgrounds. All the major manufacturers such as Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, etc will be there to show off their new 2012 models.

Test drives are usually offered depending on the weather. If you’re thinking of getting a new bike or just want to see what is out there, this is a great way to do it. Make sure to check out the newest edition to Honda’s sport bikes, the 2012 CBR250r.  You won’t be disappointed.

Helmet Cameras take HD videos

Technology has reached the video camera world when it comes to motorcycle riding and racing in the form of the GoPro hero camera.


 

The camera is very compact weighing in at just over 3 ounces and measuring 1.6” x 2.4” x 1.2”. The HD version sells for $299 and can hold up to 2.5 hours of video on a single charge and up to 9.0 hours with an optional 32 GB SD card. If you don’t need HD, the basic GoPro Hero sells for $179.  It can shoot the same amount of video as the HD model, just at a lower quality. If you’re not sure what to get that special someone for Christmas, this may be just the ticket.

The GoPro camera is available at Contra Costa Powersports and other motorcycle dealers.

International Motorcycle Show

The 2011 International Motorcycle Show will be making it’s bay area appearance in just over a month. The event will once again be held at the San Mateo Convention Center November 18-20.

This is a great place to check out the new Japanese models or take a second look at an existing bike you’re interested in.  discount admission tickets will be available at Contra Costa Powersports.

Have fun !!

Chinese Scooters – Beware of Japanese imitators

Over the last 6 or 7 years, there have been literally hundreds of chinese, taiwanese and other asian country brands flooding the US market with inferior scooters and other powersport products. These scooters can sell for up to 50% of the japanese competitor but there is a reason. They typically use inferior metals and other components which allow them to be manufactured at a lower price and thus sold at a lower price.

We have investigated several of these brands and have decided that we cannot, in good faith, sell them to our customers.  These inferior products are typically sold over the internet, out of someones garage or from a retail business that also sells other products. There is a lot of information on the internet regarding problems with Chinese scooters such as this one from a Dealer in Cleveland.

Unfortunately we have had several of these scooters show up at our service department in need or repair, some being only 30 or 60 days old.  Consumers are being told by these companys that they are just like Honda’s or that Honda replacement parts can be used. This is not correct.

The profit on these off-brand scooters is substantially more than we make on the Japanese couter parts so if they were a good product, we would definitely be selling them.  We just don’t feel they are a good deal for our customers.