From the Winner's Circle to the Open Road!

From the Winner’s Circle to the Open Road

So You Bought A Bike, Now What?

Next Steps for New Motorcycle Buyers

Where to go from here?

Top 5 things you MUST do after you buy a bike

            Buying a motorcycle can be the most exciting thing you can do, but it doesn't have to be. At Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, we want your bike buying experience to be a great memory, but we want some of your best memories to come from riding it and the good times that come with it! After you rang the famous bell in the Winner’s Circle and rode your new Harley-Davidson home, you’ll want to know “what’s next?” So after you’ve put your kickstand down for the first time, here are the first 5 things to do after you buy your bike.

• Make Sure You Have All of the Right Gear
  1. Make sure your riding gear, especially your helmet, is ready to provide comfort and protection. Has it been a while since your last bike? It might be time for a new helmet, especially if your old one is past its recommended lifespan and shows signs of damage.If you’re planning on carrying a passenger, then you will want to make sure their helmet and equipment are also up to spec. Don’t forget your gloves, jacket, and boots are all essential parts of safe riding gear. In the summer heat, finding that balance between comfort and protection becomes difficult but with the ventilated jackets, gloves, and boots available you will have no trouble finding something to best fit your needs.
• Is Your Bike Set-Up How You Want?
  1. Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been well known for their comfort on long touring adventures, but many opt to specialize to get the most out of it. There is a plethora of Parts and Accessories available to make your bike perfect for the one riding it! New pipes are often where many people start with their customization to give their bike that
     iconic sound V-twins are known for. From there, the right bars, grips, pegs, and seats are all great places to focus your customization to make it as comfortable as possible. If performance and looks are most important to you, then a quick conversation with our Parts Department will certainly have your motorcycle’s design and performance on the right track.
• Make Connections

There’s not much that ties people together like sharing a love for motorcycles. Some of your closest friends can come from people you just happened to park beside. Riding by yourself will always have a certain reverence, but group rides can introduce you to incredible new places and new people. New and experienced riders alike can always learn from other riders. Sometimes just having someone to bounce ideas off from can go a long way. Other riders can recommend new rides, roads, trips, set-ups, and more! So go to all the motorcycle rides and events you can!

• Stay Up to Date on Service
  1. To keep your motorcycle running at peak performance, you have to take care of it. Keeping up with regular service intervals and performing preventative maintenance goes a long way toward extending the life of your machine. Keeping your bike taken care of and going ahead with the necessary services can let you choose when you want tohave the work done instead of the bike inconveniently choosing for you! Also, with stressed supply chains, if there’s a part you know you’re going to need, it’s better to go ahead and get that order in. For example, if you have a specific tire in mind for the next set of rubber on your bike, see how long it might take to get. This way you can better plan and order it so the bike doesn't have to be parked until it comes in.
• Ride it!
  1. Harley-Davidson’s weren’t made just to sit in a garage. They’re made to ride. Now that you have one of the best motorcycles available, you gotta go show it off. Motorcycles let you turn the daily commute into an everyday adventure. Plus with today’s gas prices, you might want to make them your new ‘go-to.’ Most H-D’s are pretty fuel efficient(depending on how you ride) and can get 45 mpg, which is probably much better than your truck. If you need any more convincing on why you should ride, then check out our earlier article on “Top 5 Reasons to Make a Motorcycle Your New Daily Driver.” In the meantime, check your gear, get your bike set up right, make some friends, keep it serviced, and keep on riding!