I am a great lover and fan of the legendary Harley Davidson motorocycle. At the same time I am also a practical person who will acknowledge that a Harley is not the best engineered motorcycle. It has the aesthetic appeal, cult value and sounds great but when it comes to technology, I know that the motorcycle lacks on several counts. Despite these faults I continue to nurture the hope of owning a Harley, some day not too far away.

While browsing the internet I found this site by Clayton Koenig, who was so pissed off with the problems he had with his Harley-Davidson XL883 Sportster (1999) that he promoted a website to vent his frustrations. He bought his motorcycle new and owned it for 5 years and 20,000 miles, his trials and experiences with the bike is published in a neat, chatty story format on his website, “Does Harley Suck“.

There are other people too joining Clayton in contributing their stories to the “Harley Sucks” website. He makes it very clear to the contributors that they are solely responsibile for what they say and they have to stand by their words.

Some interesting quotes from Calyton’s website are appended below:
1. The truth is many Harley owners alter their bikes after purchase to make them much louder, and then universally wear earplugs.
2. A motorcycle rider who is seen and/or heard is a motorcycle rider who lives.
3. Unfortunately for Harley, I place much greater weight on engineering than aesthetics when it comes to bikes, and it is the disappointing reliability of this bike that makes me wish I had gone Japanese instead.
4. The myth that the new Harleys no longer leak oil is indeed just a myth.
5. Over $700 in Service at 10,000 Miles!!!
6. My opinion is that today’s Harley is a well built machine that will take you where you want to go without any problems. The machines are near perfect. (Bob, A harley owner)
7. This Road King will do 110 mph even with an intake leak and a barn door for a windshield!
8. The most important lesson I have learned about Harleys and I include new bikes in this; GET THE ENGINE BALANCED BY A COMPETENT MACHINIST. It will make a world of difference.

Visit the website for a lot more good and bad reviews about the Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Paintball is one of my new favourites in sports. This is one sport where you shoot down your opponents but don’t hurt them, because the ammunition used here are colour-filled gelatin balls and not hard metal. Paintball is a very popular sport in the US and according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturer’s Association, over 5 million people play the game annually.

Being a very safe sport, paintball is attracting more and more people it it. I love the outdoor version of this sport, though the indoor version is equally popular among some of my friends. The scenario, X-Ball and speedball games are among my favourites. I like to play team games in paintball and like to play the role of a commando during these games. This gives me the style, aim and role playing ability which is usually not possible in real life. I can target and shoot down one or more players and still not hurt anyone.

One of the biggest points to note when it comes to playing a successful and enjoyable paintball game is to get the right equipment. In my knowledge of online stores selling paintball stuff, I have come across Ultimate Paintball, one of the best places to shop for gear. Their vast inventory of paintball gear includes Tippmann, Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Empire, Draxxus and other renowned brands. It is very easy to order off their user-friendly website. It goes without saying the Ultimate Paintball’s top selling guns are Tippmann A-5, tippmann 98 custom, Smart Parts Ion and Spyder Pilot ACS. The biggest bonus for shopping at Ultimate Paintball is their supremely attractive prices and free shipping.

The month of May is declared as the Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in California and to mark the beginning of the month, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) released a new educational video titled Thrill or Buzz Kill?. The video full of real life incidents of dangerous motorcycle riding incidents which resulted in accidents is designed to create an awareness among bike enthusiasts and riders of the hazards of motorcycle riding. The video is appended below for your viewing. Take a look and take care while you are on the road.

The CHP website where the video is embedded clearly states a disclaimer which I have quoted for the benefit of readers. Motorcyclists need to be aware of the added danger they’re in every day. This video will show you how to ride safer, and arrive alive. Viewers are advised this video contains graphic footage from actual crash scenes involving motorcyclists. Viewer discretion is advised.

The 13.31 minute video is quite scary and would deter people who are unsure of riding a bike from hitting the road on two wheels. The video contains real life accounts, interviews with people involved in the accidents. CHP officers, accident victims, motorcycle riders, parents of victims, survivors etc. The video serves as a timely warning to peope that one has to be careful while on the road and accidents could happen to anyone if they are not careful.

I believe patient, careful, defensive driving/ riding is the first step for safe roads anywhere in the world. Back home in India I have noticed that people are always in a perennial hurry, riding like maniacs, honking, bullying their way on the traffic-choked steets. But in America the trend is different, the roads are huge and traffic sparse. As a result motorists tend to drive/ ride at amazing speeds. It is very normal to travel at 60 miles per hour (90-100 km ph) on state highways and 50 mph in city roads (80-85 km ph). On Interstates I have seen people averaging 70-75 mph, which clearly dangerous. At such speeds it is difficult to see small objects on the road, and a motorcycle (however large it is) is definitely small compared to the huge V-8s and V-6 cars that dot American roads.

Exercise caution and you will be safe on the road.

According to Consumer Affairs (an online portal), identity theft tops the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint list (36 percent of the 674,354 compaints received between January 1 and December 31, 2006) during the past seven years. In technologically advanced nations like the US, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes and accounts to about a $50 billion a year in losses across the country. This non-violent crime is far more serious crime than any other form of criminal activity. Identity theft can happen to anyone and everyone. Moreover identity theft doesn’t need any location to happen, it can happen virtually anywhere.

Loss of identity would result in losing everything, money, credit, employment, taxation, social security, healthcare among others. Once identity is stolen it could take several months or even years and expense of thousands of dollars to recover your good name and credentials. Stolen identities are often used in multiple locations by many people and victims of identity theft often remain unaware till something serious happens.

But how would one prevent identity theft from happening? There are several ways of protecting your identity. You have to be careful not to lose any documents/ driving license/ social security card/ bank statement, credit cards, etc. Online your identity such as e-mail id, websites, blogs, online bank accounts, ebay registrations etc can all be compromised if you are not careful. You have to watch where you use your credit/ debit cards and where you give your details. You should be alert when someone asks you for your personal details, with promises of gifts and prizes. It could be a scam to steal your identity. Never take up/ encourage pre-approved loan offers/ credit offers. If they land up in the hands of unscrupulous elements it could render you bankrupt.

Does it sound tough? Yes protecting identity on your own is pretty tough. It would be easier to to sign up with an identity protection agency such as lifelock. LifeLock, the industry leader in proactive identity theft protection, offers a proven solution that prevents your identity from being stolen. Check out their website for more details.

I was an active biker taking off every weekend on my motorcycle into the back country. I had been across the Himalayas too and to several small, tiny and large places in the country. While on my sojourns I would shoot pictures and videos with my tiny digital camera and upload them onto youtube. Here are some videos I had uploaded earlier.

The above video was shot when we explored the arid drylands of Tumkur district on our bikes. One of my friends shot this video sitting on the back of another bike.

This was shot during a Himalayan sojourn on motorcycles in 2002.

In the fast paced world when technology is changing every day it is important for everyone to indulge in continuous learning and certification. This will ensure that one can keep abreast with the changes in technology and be prepared for advanced jobs. Attending classroom training would be a daunting task for many professionally engaged persons. There are social engagements, professional tasks and numerous other errands to run. One of the best ways to acquire new and advanced certifications is through the online mode.

There are numerous institutes offering online education in every field of study. CED Engineering a leading online education provider is now offering several PDH courses for engineering professionals. A
comprehensive list of PDH courses offered by CED Engineering is revealing and covers more or less all fields of technology.

One of the most essential fields of study Pollution Prevention for Municipal Operations - Materials Management is a course with lots of scope for career progression, especially for those working in the lower and middle management levels. Upgradation of skills with this course will not only make your promotion prospects better but also make your profile more interesting to prospective employers.

An online education will help you upgrade skills and enhance your resume. Think about it.

Bikers across the world are accused of reckless riding and being a hazard to road users, especially in first world countries where speeds are very high. In heavy traffic nations like India, China, motorcycles are considered very dangerous vehicles. This was the reports we heard when motorcycles had two wheels. Now there is this new motocycle named “UNO”. The creation of 18-year-old innovator and motorcycle designer Benjamin Gulak, the Uno actually has two wheels but they are set side-by-side, instead of one behind the other as in traditional models. But since the wheels are so close together it can be considered as one entity.

It is simple to ride this electric powered wonder. You lean forward to make it move ahead and lean backward to slow it down. There is a single on/off switch to operate this uni-motorcycle. The Uno was showcased at the 2008 National Motorcycle Show in Toronto and attracted lot of attention. This was the first public appearance of the bright orange and grey Uno.

I am sure it would become very popular in India where space is premium as also economy. Powered by electric motors this wont consume too much petrol and being compact it will fit into the small parking spaces that are available.

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