Gift Ideas Part 2 - For that Special Biker in your life...

Out of ideas on what to get that certain biker of yours for the holidays this year?
Do your one stop shopping here at Liberty.

Help them continue their collection of our yearly holiday ornaments. Biker Santa is making his presence known this year. He's checking his list next to his bike this year on the dated 2012 Holiday ball, mini and large Snowglobe, the dated bell ornament, and the mini mug ornament. Need a place to keep the cookies safe until Santa comes? Store them in the Biker Santa cookie jar. This ceramic jar is a chimney with Santa sliding down with a bag of presents in tow.

Celebrate the holidays in style with our black and white Santa hat with the Bar & Shield, or our "Fair Isle" knit Santa hat that has a snowflake and skull design throughout – both available in matching stockings as well.

After you're dressed the part, serve your guests your favorite holiday beverage out of the Vintage Gas Pump beverage dispenser, it's chrome plated iron with a black plastic dispenser, you squeeze the handle to "pump" a drink into your glass. And you can pump it right into our great 17.25oz glass that features the Bar & Shield in black and chrome (complete your set with matching wine glasses and shot glasses).


Relax with a glass of wine with our set of four 21oz stemless wine glasses. They feature a frosted Bar & Shield surrounded by a snowflake. Top off your wine collection with the wine stopper and corkscrew set; it's a two piece set that’s chrome-plated zinc alloy, with a molded Bar & Shield logo on top of both the stopper and corkscrew. Make a romantic toast by the fire and sip on champagne with the set of two 8oz glass champagne flutes that feature deep etched sandblasted "Harley Davidson" script writing on each glass.

Now you're ready for the holidays...Harley-Davidson style!

Let’s Talk About Flood Bikes

[Ed. note - In this post-Hurricane-Sandy environment, we felt it important to take a little break from the Christmas  stuff and address the impact salt water can have on a motorcycle.  "Hurricane cars" have been in the news lately, and we've gotten quite a few "Hurricane Bikes" in.  This article will address some of the areas of concern, beyond the damage that's easily seen by the naked eye.  Fixing what shows, in this situation, is not only a bad idea, it is a DANGEROUS idea.]

Guest Blogger Tom McTamney,
Owner of Liberty Harley-Davidson

Let me start by stating a few facts: There is no safe time for bikes, or cars for that matter, to be under, (submerged) in sea water.  None, zero, nada.


Frames, not being water tight, allow water inside when the bike is submerged.  The problem is, it is almost impossible to get the sea water out.  So, if you have your bike fixed and the frame is not only cleaned, but also dried and neutralized, then about a year or so down the road, when you hit that big pot hole the frame will, not may, will fail.

Notice the water INSIDE the headlight

Any electronic equipment, and today there is a lot of it, must be replaced.  The new Dynas and the Softails will have to have the new CAN equipment replaced, and the touring models, well, speakers, radios, fuel injection computers, as well as the injectors themselves and all the lights and switches will also need to be replaced. 

Corrosion in the fuse box

The wire harness on the frame along with any connections will also need to be replaced.  All relays, fuses and the fuse box will also need to be replaced.  Lights, light sockets, light connections, and security system, if equipped will also need replacement.  All of this a quite lot of work.

We have not even talked about the engine, the primary and the tranny.  The engine will allow sea water up the exhaust, and into the valve area and cylinder head, as well as the top of the pistons. In just a few minutes, even though they are covered in oil, the rings will be destroyed.  The crankcase vent near the intake and air cleaner will allow sea water into the bottom end, and all the polished bearings that the wheels and rods roll on will be destroyed.  The tranny on all Harleys are vented on top to allow them to breathe - but in a flood condition will allow sea water to fill the tranny.  We have drained some very interesting caustic fluids out of some trannies we have had in the shop.

"Transmission fluid" drained from a hurricane bike.

Although the primary is sealed, there are several shafts that enter and exit the primary, starter jackshaft, tranny shaft and crank shaft, just to name a few, and the seals, which are designed to keep in oil, will not keep sea water out. Seals are designed with specially designed lip, very good at keeping oil in, but useless in keeping water and even moisture out.  After that, the primary and all the clutch parts are history.

View inside an exhaust pipe

Well, if all that is not enough, your whole bike is mostly aluminum. Cases, wheels, switch housings, throttle bodies, cylinder heads, cylinders, and almost all covers and accessories will corrode if subjected to sea water.  Hell they corrode if they are just next to the ocean.

So what does all this mean?  I’ll tell you.  If your insurance company wants to give you some money to fix your bike, DON’T.  If some shop, any shop, says that they can fix you sea-water-submerged bike, make sure they will be around in a few months or a year when you have sea water related problems. 

Here is the deal:  if your bike was in water, salt water, that was over the lower frame rails then that bike should be totaled.  If anyone says otherwise they are being less than truthful with you.

All I Want for Christmas...the HARLEY edition!

Part 1 - Men's and Women's Holiday
Classic. Engineered. Craftsmanship.

The Men's Holiday 2012 Collection  takes on a vintage feel with bold colorblock varsity styling and elements of  military influence. Textile fabrics and leather accents create textural contrast, while over-dyed colors and understated hardware speak to the  classic craftsmanship that inspires the line. The Men's Holiday Collection provides a twist on the time-honored favorites this holiday season.  Cozy.  Fun.  Radiant.

The Women's Holiday 2012 Collection is a season of contrasts and juxtapositions where cozy casual meets holiday glam. Bold metallics, fur accents and oversized hardware evoke a feeling of bohemian chic while lush fabrics and Fair Isle patterns speak to cozy comfort. Designed to evoke the spirit of the holidays, a touch a military influence and varsity inspiration round out the Women's Holiday 2012 Collection.

Liberty H.O.G.'s Toy Run is THIS SUNDAY!

Can you believe it's already time for the Toy Run again?

We can't.

And yet, here we are.  The Liberty H.O.G. Toy Run is absolutely the best run of the year around here, and we can't wait for Sunday!

What?  You've never been?  Well, let me tell you a little bit about it then.  It benefits the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.  Here's how it goes.  Hundreds of bikers meet up in the Liberty Parking Lot, starting at 10am.  They all register and get their place in the line, and we all hang out, drink coffee and meet Santa.

At 1pm, the whole group leaves Liberty with a police escort from lots of local municipalities, and Santa in a sidecar, not to mention a trailer full of elves and toys!  We all head down Rt. 27 until we get to New Brunswick, where we do a loop through the entrance and wave to the kids.  Santa hops out of the sidecar (with a little help...) and we get to meet some of the kids who are mobile.

Then, as Santa heads up to the floors to give out gifts personally, all the bikes head back to the American Legion Hall in Rahway for a spaghetti dinner!

Words don't really do it justice though, so please, check out the following pics and video:
Toy Run 2011

And the video:

We've also been uploading pictures to our Facebook that show Toy Runs going back to 1999 (which we had to scan from actual PICTURES!  Crazy!)  You can check out that album here.

To get more info about the event, please visit the Liberty HOG website, or you can check out the flyer on our Events Page.  You won't want to miss this event.  It's awesome.

Heading into Winter with our Service Department

Anthony Noto, Guest Blogger and
Liberty Service Manager!

What a great riding year 2012 has been! I can’t remember a year where the weather has been so favorable for motorcycling. But like most things, even good things must come to an end and unfortunately the 2012 riding season is coming to a close. Thankfully the off-season months of December through March offer the advantage of using the down time to perform some much need maintenance or install some of those accessories you’ve been craving. I’d like to talk about some of the ways Liberty H-D can help you capitalize on the winter months

As always, Liberty H-D offers simple, safe and secure winter storage for your ride. For a period of four months, we’ll keep your bike in a dry, heated environment until the riding conditions improve. Our techs upon arrival of your ride will perform a safety inspection, remove your battery and set it on charge, add a stabilizing agent to your fuel. When you’re ready to ride again, we’ll check and re-install your battery, change or engine oil and filter, adjust your tire pressures. Our support staff will give your motorcycle a thorough cleaning and get you ready for the upcoming season…..all for $369.00. Many customers use this period to also have their scheduled maintenances performed as well as have us install their accessories or performance packaged. And as an added bonus, if your accessory or service work totals $2,500 or more, we’ll throw in the storage….free of charge!

Each winter, the service staff here at Liberty H-D put together some accessory packages that work well with the current H-D models. From Big Bore power kits to chrome front ends, Liberty has a package for you. You can see a sample of some our packages at www.libertyharley.com/service. If our packages don’t fit your needs or if you have something else in mind, please give our service staff a call. The in store team at Hardcore Customs can complete any job your imagination can create. From custom Body work to extreme painting and powdercoating, our trained techs can get the job done at a competitive price from a business you can trust to be there for support. We already have some extreme projects under way, so stop by and take a peek or check our website for live video updates or work in progress.

Progress is progress, like it or not and every year, Harley-Davidsons technically improve to meet the times. With those advances in technology, so must some of the powertrain systems advance. These progressions in tech make performance work a bit more challenging for the Do-it-Yourselfer. Many of you have already attended some of our in house service seminars and Dynomometer events. We’ll continue to provide these free clinics throughout the winter, so watch our calender and website. Come on down and enjoy some good company and great info. One of our most requested topics is Dyno Tuning. I field questions daily on what exactly Dyno tuning is all about and how it helps increase performance and daily drive-ability. Our highly trained and experienced staff has been performing in house Dyno tuning for over 6 years now on our state of the art Dynojet 250I machine. With over 1,000 completed tunes and over 20 years cumulative tuning experience, Liberty H-D is ‘the’ premier Dyno tuning facility for the Northeast region.

Well, you can tell I love to talk shop and motorcycles so let me stop myself here! If you have any questions on how Liberty can help you take advantage of the off season, give us a call at 732-381-2400 or stop in for a personal, one on one consultation. If you prefer E-mail, please email me personally at servicemgr@libertyharley.com. I’ll be happy to respond and answer any questions you might have. Until then, enjoy the last days of the 2012 season and I look forward to hearing from you!
                   
                                Anthony Noto
                                Service Manager
                                Liberty H-D/Buell

The 110th Anniversary Commemorative Collection, Part 2 - For the Ladies!

We've reached the next milestone in our second century. Break out the  party clothes, 110 years of motorcycling, it's definitely cause for a celebration. We have the clothing and collectibles to get you looking and feeling ready for this party.

The Women’s 110th Anniversary 3-in-1 leather jacket is a lightweight  abrasion-resistant cowhide leather with polyester twill lining and polyester mesh panels behind vents. Removable cotton poly/spandex hoodie for extra warmth can also be worn separately. Two shoulder and back vents and two handwarmer pockets.
Special 110th Anniversary details include:

• Custom  hardware
• Leather patch with woven label on lining
• Embroidered graphics on  left chest
• 3M Scotchlite Reflective materical embroidered applique  graphics on back.

Removable hoodies feature extended cuffs with thumbholes  that cover the hands and help prevent air from blowing up sleeves, lined  drawstring hood, kangaroo style packets, contrasting stitching throughout,  embroidered graphics on left chest and woven label on left pocket.

The Women’s 110th Anniversary Outerwear jacket is water-resistant 53%  polyester, 47% nylon with polyester mesh lining. Zipper front with two back waist zipper gussets. Quilted stitching detail on shoulders and elbows.
Special 110th Anniversary details include:

• Custom hardware
• Woven label on  lining
• Embroidered patch on right sleeve
• Screenprinted graphic on left chest and embroidered applique with screenprinted graphics on back.

The Women's 110th Anniversary half helmets is a hybrid fiberglass and Aramid shell (7% lighter shell than traditional fiberglass shells). Double  D-ring chin strap with soft inner lining with a removable washable comfort  liner that’s moisture-wicking and anti-microbial. Removable visor and neck curtain with YKK bronze zipper, 110th Swarovski medallion with 3M Scotchlite reflective beading on front. (Meets DOT requirements.)

110th Anniversary necklace and earrings are solid brass with zinc casting that’s tarnish resistant, hypoallergenic and nickel free. Both feature sculpted pendants with enamel fill and Swarovski crystal accents, and 110th Anniversary engraving on back of pendants. The necklace is 18" plus 2" adjustable chain with a lobster claw. The earrings have Swarovski crystal accented surgical steel posts with 1 1/4" drop. Both come packaged in gift boxes.

Available clothing includes hoodies, tank tops, long and short sleeve Henleys, and button ups. Other collectibles that are available include a set of two rock glasses, pint, wine, and shot glasses, as well as ceramic and travel mugs, piggy bank, pewter ornaments, and glass ornaments.

All Anniversary items will be limited-edition and not available for long. So swing by and grab your piece of history before it's history! 

The 110th Harley-Davidson Commemorative Clothing line

We've reached the next milestone in our second century. Break out the  party clothes, 110 years of motorcycling, it's definitely cause for a celebration. We have the clothing and collectibles to get you looking and feeling ready for this party.
 (Today's blog will feature the Mens selections - check back in a few days for the Ladies!)

The Men’s 110th Anniversary Leather Jacket is a midweight abrasion-resistant cowhide leather with a polyester mesh body lining and a polyester twill sleeve lining. It features two front and back vertical vents, two hand warmer pockets, interior pockets including one zipper waterproof MP3 player pocket. Stitching detail on elbows and shoulders, 3M Scotchlite reflective material piping finish the look.
Special 110th Anniversary details include:

• custom hardware
• custom interior tape
• embroidered leather patches on sleeves
• metal badge on left chest
• embroidered leather applique graphics on back

Then Men’s 110th Anniversary Nylon jacket is water-resistant, a 100% heavy twill with a polyester mesh lining and contrasting piping.
Special 110th Anniversary details include:

• custom hardware
• custom interior tape
• embroidered patches
• embroidered applique graphics on sleeves
• woven label on left chest
• embroidered graphics on back

The Men’s 110th Anniversary Half Helmet is a gloss black fiberglass shell, features a double d-ring chin strap, a removable washable liner, a zip-off neck curtain with embroidered graphics, 110th Anniversary medallion on front with 3M Scotchlite reflective material along trim of helmet. Meets DOT requirements.

Grab a "Ride Pack" available in both Men’s and Women’s. It includes a hat, bandana, and pin. All feature 110th Anniversary logos throughout. The Men’s Hat and Tee combo is a great bang for your buck, you get a 100% cotton twill cap and a 100% cotton jersey short-sleeve tee with rib-knit neckline. Other items available include a belt buckle, shirt and long sleeve button-ups, longsleeve knit tees, Henleys, baseball caps, ivy caps, and skully knit hats.

Destination...or Journey - Part Two: On the Road to Sturgis

(You did decide where you’re staying, right?  You made reservations, right?  If not, bring a tent – there’s plenty of campgrounds!)

So you are all packed and ready to head out on your Journey, or your adventure if you will, now all you have to figure out is, how to proceed? While it is true that all roads lead to Sturgis, the last week of July, you do have several choices. Let me tell you about one of my favorite rides to Sturgis if you are leaving from the Northeast.

If you have the time, US highway 6 across PA is a slow, winding road through the Appalachian and Allegheny mountain ranges of Northern PA. It will take all of a day and then some to cross PA on US 6, but if you have the time it is worth it. (There are several places to hop onto the interstate if you lose patience.)  Also worth a stop is the Grand Canyon of PA, just outside of Stokesdale, where you can kill several hours.

Buffalo have the right of way...

If you stay on US 6 you will cross into Ohio just east of Cleveland, and if traffic isn’t too bad, US 6 takes you on a nice tour of the Lake front of Lake Erie. It is a very nice ride around the Lake, with lots of places to stop for photos and even some nice cafes to grab a bite to eat. If you stay on the Lakefront for a while longer, you can pick up I80/90 just south of Toledo.

If you want to make up some time, I80/90 is a great way to do it. Less than 50 miles west of Toledo you will cross into Indiana, I80/90 transverses Indiana just a few miles south of Michigan. The interstate makes short work of Indiana, and if you need a break there is a nice Harley dealer just off the interstate in Elkhart. When you see Gary, Indiana Interstate 80/90 will split, be sure to stay on I80, otherwise you will end up in Chicago.
 

Wall Drug, Wall, S.D.

You will enter Iowa on I80 in Davenport. Depending on the amount of time you have, Interstate 80 is the quickest way across Iowa. There are some nice back roads, US6 is real close, and of course US30 is also close by. If you choose to stay on I80 be sure to take it to I680, and then north on I29. That will take you through Sioux City, and on to Sioux Fall, SD where you will pick up I90. At this point you are less than 400 miles from Sturgis, but a lot of things still to see.

After a scant hour on I90 you will pass through Mitchell, home of the famous Corn Palace - a must stop on your Journey. A whole convention center completely covered in corn and corn husks, both inside and out; and it is changed every year. Next is Murdo, just a very little town sporting one of the best old car museums I have ever seen. A lot of it is outside because nothing rusts in South Dakota. Make it a must see. Soon after you leave Murdo you will see what looks like a big Wall. That is just what it is. A wall hundreds of miles long, congrats, you just entered the Badlands. We usually stay at Wall for one night, lots of good eats and some nice saloons to enjoy. There is a great Best Western just off the interstate, nice pool and good clean rooms.

N.Y. George, Tom, George, Rich, and some nice
biker we met along the way.

Just outside of Wall is the entrance to the Badlands National Park, another must see. Plan on spending several hours touring the park and instead of heading out and back to I90, find a small town of Interior, right on the way, and pick up SD 44 and head west. State highway 44 is the most scenic highway I believe, in the state, east of Sturgis. By the way, it goes right through the town of Scenic, that sports a really cool bar called the Longhorn saloon. It’s only open seasonally but a must see if open. [When last I googled it, it was closed with no reopen date, so no guarantees it's open. -Ed]  After a short stop in Scenic you are only about 80 miles of clean smooth blacktop away, and you will be back on Interstate 90 in Rapid City. This is where your destination adventure will begin.

So, grab a good map, and make it your own adventure, and take a road less traveled. Or, let me guide you on one of my favorite adventures on my journey to Mecca. It does not really matter since this time of the year, All Roads Lead to Sturgis. 

The Longhorn Saloon, Scenic, S.D.

Take a gander at the H-D Road Planner, where we've saved a rough route based on this article.  You can adjust it as you like, find the local H-D dealers along the way, and even save it to your GPS!

Destination...Journey...or ADVENTURE? Part One - NOW's the time!

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Guest Blogger - Tom McTamney, Owner

  It’s that time again, when all roads will be leading to Sturgis.  Those of you that have been there know full well what a great destination Sturgis is.  Hot summer weather, great riding in the Black Hills, and a really big butt load of Harleys.

Pappy Hoel, Father of Sturgis

I say Harleys because, one, I am a Harley dealer, and two, while you may get some push-back from some brand X riders, Harley-Davidson, and Harleys, rule in Sturgis.  It was started over 70 years ago by Pappy Hoel, a new Indian dealer at that time, for some great racing competition between Indians, and their arch rival, Harley. The first rally was held in Sturgis on August 14, 1938.  It has been held every year since, except for 2 years during WW2.  I guess it’s fair to say if Indian were still around today they might have ruled the Black Hills.   So, if you ride a bike, especially a Harley, you must add Sturgis to your bucket list.  Sooner…rather than later. 

Just a quick fix outside the room..

Now let’s talk about what this blog is really about.  It's about the Journey, or may I say ….the Adventure, not the destination.  When you decide to do an epic ride like Sturgis it is not, let me repeat, NOT about the destination, it is all about the ride.  I will be honest with you, if I could not ride to Sturgis, I would not go.  It’s that important a ride.  And before I hear all the comments readers are going to post, don’t have enough vacation time,  it’s too hot, my bike's not in good enough shape, my grass needs cutting, and oh the really big one: “my wife won’t let me go”…..ya, it is all crap, put your excuse bible down and experience an adventure.  If you have never taken a journey of almost 4000 miles before, now is the time, actually, it's always the time, and Sturgis the trip to do it.

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When you decide to do an epic ride like Sturgis, it is not, let me repeat, NOT about the destination, it is all about the ride.

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Well, THAT'S no good...

Why?  With a regular "car" vacation to, let's say, Disney World, the adventure begins when you arrive, right?  But, the Sturgis adventure starts when you leave your driveway, not when you get to Sturgis.  After a few hours on the road you will start to see bikes heading west, just a few at first, but as you get half way through PA, there will be a lot more.  West of Ohio, you will begin to think you are in a parade.  The north-east draws the most people for the rally.  When you stop for gas the station will be filled with bikes.  When you stop for lunch, the café will be filled with bikes, and when you finally stop for the night, your place of lodging will have more bikes in the parking lot than you can imagine.  It's time to grab a beer and hang out with friends you haven’t made yet.

This fix took most of the day!

The best part of the journey is now, wherever you are at THIS MINUTE.  Why do I like to call it an adventure?  Well because there are risks.  The risk of a break down, the risk of very severe weather, the very real risk of not being able to find a room and having to sleep at a rest stop, and of course the risk of crashing.

All of the things that I just talked about have happened on all or some of my adventures, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.  If you peruse the photos you will see shots of us fixing bikes, some really severe weather, and a couple of shots of a comrade in a cast (crashing sucks).

All of the photos are of real trips I have made to Sturgis over the last 30 years.  Some non-eventful, some were real adventures. 

Yeah, crashing sucks.  Still wearing a grin though...

I've met many friends over the years, some of whom are all over the country, and our only time we get to visit is at the rally. If you miss the opportunity to journey to Sturgis, you will be missing a lot, because the week preceding Sturgis, and the week after Sturgis is really the only time left where the brotherhood of the highway, some may say the brotherhood of the wheel, is alive and well and glowing.