Chrome Divas Ladies Ride

Motorcycling has definitely changed, it’s great seeing more and more people from all backgrounds pick up the sport and choosing Harley-Davidson. There’s nothing like hitting the open road on a Harley-Davidson. One group we see getting behind the bars more and more is women. It’s great seeing more women riding their own bikes, and we want to help!  We’re hosting the Chrome Divas Louisville Chapter for their annual all ladies ride. The Chrome Divas is a ladies only motorcycle organization, consisting of both riders and passengers and even some non-riding women who just love motorcycles and participating in charity functions. Originating in Tallahassee, Florida in 2002, Chrome Divas was created to provide a means of camaraderie, community participation, and a national link to all women who ride motorcycles and strive to be known as outstanding citizens in their communities with a preference to ride, have fun and share their talents and compassion in group effort.  They’ll be at Bluegrass Harley-Davidson on August 4th for their ride! We’ll have free food and drinks available to all after the ride.  Come on out and support the Chrome Divas as they continue to support women riders!

Are you interested in riding, but don’t know where to start? Let us help with our Harley-Davidson Riding Academy!

Learn to Ride!

It’s here,  Harley-Davidson Riding Academy at Bluegrass H-D!

Have you ever wanted the freedom of two wheels, but didn’t know how to take the first step?  We know that your first time on a motorcycle can be a little intimidating, that’s why we’re offering the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy! It will teach you the basic skills needed to ride safely and enjoy the freedom of the road. With over 50 years of combined experience, our Riding Academy coaches will get you riding! Approved and certified by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), and through Harley-Davidson, our class will teach you how to be safe and help get your motorcycle endorsement for your license. You’ll learn on an actual Harley-Davidson motorcycle, an XG 500, which is perfect for beginners. You’ll learn some basics in the classroom, but most of the time will be spent on our controlled range riding a Harley-Davidson.  Whether you’ve never been on a bike before, haven’t ridden in years, or just want a refresher course,  Riding Academy at Bluegrass Harley-Davidson will get you going in the right direction!

Interested in learning more?  Check out our website: Bluegrass H-D Riding Academy

 

On the Road Again

Well it’s that time of year, time to load up the bikes and head out to that little place we call Sturgis!   Sturgis can be a lot of fun, but be sure you’re prepared! We’ve talked to Sturgis vets and here are some things you need before you hit the road!

One of the most important things you need to do before you head out to Sturgis is to make sure your bike is in good working condition.  Do your tires have enough tread? Are you due for a service soon? All electronics working? Any major issues that need to be addressed?  We all know having the bike in the shop isn’t the most fun, but a quick checkup before your ride can mean the difference of getting their safe and on schedule or ending up broke down on the side of the road.

 

Now that the bike is ready to go, we need to think about what’s coming with us. Will you have a vehicle to store your items in or are you putting everything in the bike?  While every one’s packing list is a little different, here are a few things we think are absolutely necessary.

 Helmet ( Some states  have a helmet law, and if you’re passing through and want to avoid a ticket, throw one in your tour pack or saddle bag, better yet put it on your head.)

Rain Gear ( You never know when you’ll need it. Summer pop up showers can happen any time. You’ll be glad you brought it.)

Light Weight Riding Jacket

Hoodie/Sweatshirt

Sunglasses and night glasses

Change of shoes (other than riding boots)

Extra Gloves

Small Tool Kit

Replacement Fuses

Extra Oil

Tire pressure Gauge

Cleaning Supplies (spray polish and a soft cleaning cloth)

Emergency Cash

First Aid Kit

ID’s and all other important documents.

Fold out map ( just because you have GPS doesn’t mean you don’t need the ol’ standby)

Of course there is more, some people will take less, the most important thing is you’re prepared and have what you need to make it a successful ride!

Introducing the XL1200cx

I’m sure you’ve heard the news, and it’s true!  Harley just re-introduced the Sportster Roadster (XL1200cx) and it’s kick ass!

The new Roadster puts a powerful new level of sport into the Sportster  line-up. Its refined performance package includes 43mm inverted front forks with massive triple clamps, powerful dual-disc front brakes, premium rear suspension and new dual gauge instrumentation to complement the iconic fuel tank and chopped rear fender. The riding position is aggressive, but comfortable for long rides thanks to the 19” front and 18” rear offset-split 5-spoke cast aluminum wheels, lowered bars, mid-mount controls and a new two-up seat. Its 45-degree, 1200 cc engine delivers massive off-the-line torque.  Check out the video!

 

 

 

http://www.harley-davidson.com:80/content/h-d/en_US/video.html?referenceid=Live_Legend_Roadster

Ride Safe This Spring

Warmer weather is here…well for the most part.  Chilly mornings, warm afternoons, and cool nights. Rain, sunshine, clouds, and maybe even a little snow. Who knows with the crazy weather spring brings Kentucky. Most people who ride are starting to get back on the road and crush bugs. Riding in the spring time is great, but you’ll need to be prepared and you’ll need to take some extra steps to get your Harley ready after sitting most of the winter.

Make sure your bike is in good working order, check your fluids, battery, tires, spokes (if you have them), lights, and controls.  A good reminder I’m sure you’re all familiar with is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s  T-CLOCK: tires, controls, lights, oil, chassis, kickstand.

If you haven’t heard of T-Clock, It’s a safety checklist designed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation that should be done prior to every ride. Most riders forgo the T-CLOCK checklist during the season, but you should absolutely make sure that you go through it now. Diagnosing a problem now can save you a lot of frustration on that first day of spring.

Now on to the fun part….Riding!

Riding in the spring is fun, but has it’s own set of dangers. When you’re gearing up to ride, be sure to look for these springtime road hazards.

Sand/Gravel/Salt
We shouldn’t have too much of a problem with this now, but there still could be some out there, and we  all know what the consequences of hitting this stuff in a corner or while braking is, so keep an eye out for it.

Potholes
Every year there are more and more potholes around town and on the back roads. Hitting a pot hole can cause all types of damage.  Be on the lookout and if you see one and can remember, report it.

Report A Pothole in Louisville Metro

Ky Dept. of Transportation Pot Hole Reporting

Erosion
With heavy rains and snowmelt, erosion can occur, undermining the footing of roads, especially in the mountains and out in the twisty back country roads where there’s little road maintenance. Pay special attention to the edges of the asphalt , where previously firm ground can crumble away.

Animals
Spring means babies and animals migrating in search of food. Pay particular attention near bodies of water during dawn and dusk hours. Hitting an animal in a car most likely repair bills, hitting one on a motorcycle can be devastating to your bike and your body.

Cold Temperatures
Like we said up above, with Kentucky weather being unpredictable, it’s important to be prepared.  Remember you can always take layers of gear off, but if you don’t bring it, you can’t put it on. With temperatures fluctuating  sometimes 30 degrees between morning and afternoon, be sure to have the gear you need to say comfortable and safe!  Harley makes some great 3-1 Jackets for all sorts of riding.

Yourself & Other Riders 
If you haven’t been on your bike all winter, you may be a little rusty. Be sure to brush up on your skills before hitting the road on those long ride. Of course, It’s not just you who’s skills might be rusty. Other riders have always been a  major hazard on even the best of days, but on their first ride back in the spring? Watch out, particularly on popular riding roads.

Remember, be safe, have fun, and screw it…let’s ride!

Introducing…..

Welcome Josh!

“We at Bluegrass Harley Davidson would like to welcome Josh Card to our family! Josh relocated from Jacksonville, Florida to be a part of the Bluegrass HD team here in Louisville. He’s been a Floridian his entire life, but spent a handful of years on the road traveling worldwide as a musician. Josh’s love for motorcycles stems from the styles of the 60’s and 70’s chopper era, and old motorcycle films like ‘The Wild Angels’ and ‘Easy Rider”. Josh rides a highly modified Street Bob, and a Shovelhead Chopper that he spent over a year building in his spare time. He enjoys going on long distance road trips on the bike with just his backpack and a tent, finding adventure on back roads and forgotten highways, catching chopper shows and swap meets along the way. Josh is joining the Bluegrass HD family as our Chrome and Performance Manager, handling custom bike designs and performance builds. Come down to the store to meet Josh and give him a warm Kentucky welcome!”

Happy Anniversary!

Wow! What a year!  It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since the change in ownership happened here at the NEW Bluegrass Harley-Davidson! When we started out, we didn’t really know what to expect, but you guys stuck by us and helped make Bluegrass Harley-Davidson into Kentucky’s Premier Harley-Davidson Dealer! We’ve definitely came a long way, starting with only 23 new and used motorcycles to over 150 bikes on the floor! We’ve had a lot of fun and met a lot of great people along the way and can’t wait to see what the future holds! We want to thank all of you for helping us get this far and we hope you join us for all the fun stuff we have planned for 2015!

 

Colder Weather is on it’s way…Don’t let it keep you from riding!

Colder Weather’s coming. It’s time to get ready!

Wow! It’s September already and look at the weather in Sturgis…32 degrees and snowing! Where did the Summer go? Not too much longer and it’ll be here in Kentucky. For many people this time of year is the beginning of the end for their motorcycle season. For others it means adding a few extra layers, and maybe some heated gear. I fall into the latter category. I love cold weather riding and try to ride all year long unless there is snow & ice on the ground. Some people say it’s crazy, but as long as you take the proper precautions and use the right gear, riding in January when it’s 18 degrees can be a lot of fun!  We’ll start with the gear! The secret here is layers. Typically I start out with thermal long underwear  and some nice warm wool socks as a base layer. Next I’ll do the jeans and long sleeve flannel with a thick hooded sweatshirt. (Keep in mind, it’s easier to stop and take layers off than it is to put them on. I’d rather have too many layers than be too cold.)Now it’s time for the leathers. Leather chaps, boots, and of course an insulated leather jacket. I always go with a pair of waterproof insulated gloves too.  The final piece, is a balaclava or face mask under my helmet since I don’t have a full face.  A balaclava and a full face helmet would be ideal to cover you’re entire face AND neck.  A great example for fall riding is below. The Harley-Davidson Magnum Distressed Leather Jacket, Deluxe Harley-Davidson Chaps, Full Face Modular Harley-Davidson Helmet and new Gauntlet Passing Gloves will keep you comfortable throughout the cool fall air.

Now that we have gear covered, let’s move on to the bike. When you’re riding in cold weather, there are extra steps you should take to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable ride.

Be sure you’re bike is topped off with all the proper fluids, if you have a new Twin Cooled 103″ be sure to put fresh antifreeze/coolant in.  Check your hoses and cables.

If you  don’t have lower fairings, you can always opt for soft lowers that attach to your bikes engine guard! Keeps the wind, road grime from hitting your legs! 

Be sure to check your tires. I can’t stress this enough, with the salt, wet roads, cracks in the roads from plows, and possibly ice, you don’t want to be running on bald tires.  Remember since it’s colder, it will take tires longer to warm up to get a better grip. Cold tires = less traction and with winter riding, you want as much traction as possible. Don’t forget to check your tire pressure too. It’s a good habit to get into no matter what season you’re riding in.

In the fall, be looking for wet leaves covering the road, these can get extremely slippery.  In the winter, watch out for the dreaded black ice, potholes,and of course the salt.  If you happen to hit some ice, don’t panic and DON’T hit the brakes. Pull in your clutch and glide through it.  We all know one of the worst things for motorcycles is salt, and during the winter there’s a lot of it on the ground. Salt can eat chrome, and cause your bike to rust,which nobody wants. Be sure to give your bike a good wipedown once you’ve arrived at your destination. Also, watch for patches of salt at intersections, if you put your foot down on loose salt you could lose your footing and drop your bike.

Be sure to increase your following distance incase you need to come to a quick stop, and since most people don’t expect to see motorcycles out in winter, be sure you’re seen! Take you’re time and enjoy the ride.  Winter riding can be a lot of fun as long as you take the proper steps to ensure a comfortable and safe ride! Hopefully we’ll see some of you riding this winter, and if you’re in the cage, that’s ok too!  I’ll be riding as much as I can so let’s hope for as little snow as possible!

Winter Riding!

Harley-Davidson MT-500 Check this out!

Check this out! Bluegrass Harley-Davidson has a rare piece of Harley-Davidson History on display! The Harley-Davidson MT-500 is an extremely cool bike!  The MT-500 was originally developed by an Italian company known as SWM Motor Works. They were using both a 350cc and 505cc rotax motor. SWM won several racing championships with these bikes but eventually liquidated the company. An English company, Armstrong, bought the rights and started producing military bikes in the mid 80’s. It was Used in the Falklands, the Middle East, and Canada. In 1989 Harley-Davidson bought Armstrong mostly for the Rotax engine  which they wanted to use for their dirt track racing teams. The MT-500 is a rugged machine. It can take extreme desert temperatures, rocky mountainous terrain and harsh environments. The operation manual even says it can stand “Torrents of fording water”. Even though the bikes were rugged and could withstand the elements, they weren’t used by the military for long.  The heat of the engine  was easily detected by infrared scopes and they ran on gasoline at a time when the military was wanting one fuel and that was diesel. Harley lost the military contract in 1998. Harley-Davidson didn’t produce many of the MT-500’s. From 1995-1998 they produced about 3500 MT350’s. In 1995 only 20 MT500’s. They produced 278 in 1999 and in 2000. Although from our sources only 156 of the 2000 models have been accounted for. You can still find MT-500’s throughout the country, but one that’s never been titled is an extremely rare find.  We have one in our showroom on display! Stop in and take a look! They’re pretty bad ass! 

Summer Customer Appreciation Party Was a Blast!

What a weekend! We hope everyone that came out to our Customer Appreciation Party had a great time!  Letterfly was great, he did quite a bit of custom work this past weekend!   Keep up with everything going on at the NEW Bluegrass Harley-Davidson…. Like Us on Facebook!, Follow us on Twitter! and Connect with us on Google +. Don’t miss out on the fun!