Motorcycle myths

But the biggest part has been chewing the fat with customers on old mechanical issues or regular upgrades. There's nothing wrong with that, but man, do they give you some bangs in the ears. Among those beatings is a treasure trove of horse shit. By that I mean tall tales, home remedies, advice from the uncle of someone who has been riding for 77 years, and other nuggets of “wisdom.”

Over the years I've heard a long list of nonsense that has been passed down for years, and to be honest, it seems to be worse on the cruiser side of motorcycling than anywhere else.

Now mind you, I'll be the first to admit that I definitely don't know everything, but through years of racing, working J&P Cycles events, and ripping for a living, I've come to know when someone pees on my leg and tells me it's raining. Let's take a look at some of my favorite biker myths.

Myth: It's safer not to wear a helmet

Believe it or not, I've had several conversations with people who claim it's safer not to wear a helmet than to wear one. This rubbish claim is usually based on some dubious claims. Many people claim that wearing a helmet obstructs their vision. While the average person's field of vision is about 180 degrees, the DOT requires helmets to have a 210-degree field of vision, so unless you're inexplicably dizzy, your vision shouldn't be obstructed by your helmet.

Likewise, some say they don't feel comfortable wearing a helmet. I'd like to point out that some of these same people are blasting Skynyrd at 135 decibels while walking around the city. But also, if you've ever ridden without a helmet, you know that once you hit about 45 mph the wind noise is louder without a helmet than with it.

"You're more likely to have a spinal injury when you wear a helmet," some claim. A study of hospital records debunked this theory , but perhaps you're one of those people who doesn't trust "experts." If so, I suggest another experiment: Have someone swing a baseball bat at your head like Babe Ruth without a helmet, and let me know which hurts more, your head or your neck. I don't have to consult a scientist to guess where you'll feel more pain.

Myth: Strong tubes mean more power

First of all, let's get this out of the way: Noisy pipes do not save lives, knowing how to ride your motorcycle will save your life. But before we disappear down that endless rabbit hole, let's take a look at noisy tubes in general.

Some people assume that a louder exhaust produces more power, and therefore drag pipes or an open header are the best performing exhaust systems. While a drag pipe or a baffle-free exhaust system may be the least restrictive and possibly yield a few extra horsepower at the top end of the rpm range, they aren't the best performing pipes outside of a drag strip. They're definitely not the best choice for your street bike .

Companies like Vance & Hines and S&S Cycle have spent 40 years perfecting pipe designs and fumbling to get the best possible performance from your street bike 's exhaust pipe . Exhaust systems that perform best in the midrange (baffled pipes) give you more power and torque where you spend most of your time pedaling (in the middle of your rev range) rather than at the redline.

Another myth is the concept that the “true dual” is the best performing bagger exhaust. The term true duals means that each cylinder head is independent on each cylinder of the motorcycle. In reality, a set of bagger tubes with a built-in crossover actually works better.

“A crossover allows the impulses to talk to each other,” explained Hunter Klee, Director of Exhaust Development at S&S Cycles. Engines of various configurations use cross pipes in the exhausts, but it is especially relevant in engines like those in your bagger, with large combustion chambers and shared intake. That's why S&S designed a crossover hidden in their headers to create a system that resembles true duals, giving the consumer the performance of a crossover.

Myth: Ape hanger handlebars offer the best handling

A pet peeve of mine is when someone describes monkey bars as the “best” handlebars. With the seemingly endless handlebar options in cruiser country, there are tons of opinions on which bars will make your high-performance Dyna or Street Glide look better, and almost all choices won't translate into better handling for your hog. People seem to confuse comfort and handling. Just because you personally feel more comfortable with your arms 18 inches above your head doesn't mean the bike will respond better to steering inputs up there. If monkey bars were the best performance handlebars, MotoGP riders would be sporting 14-inch monkeys instead of clip-ons. End of story.

Myth: A Sportster is not a “real” Harley

The “bigger is better” attitude seems to permeate all areas of Harley culture and it drives me crazy. This bias is probably most evident when people talk about Sportster.

Personally, I think Sportsters are the best Harley-Davidsons ever made, but for many people, a Sportster is the entry-level bike they want to get rid of as quickly as possible before moving on to a big twin. The idea is that the bigger bike , whether Dyna, Softail, or bagger, is a better, faster machine. But let's look at some simple math. A Twin Cam Street Glide weighs about 850 pounds, depending on the model, and the stock 103cc engine puts out about 70-75 horsepower at the rear wheel, for a ratio of about 11,33 pounds per horsepower, if we're being generous. By contrast, a 1200cc Sportster Evo weighs about 520 pounds in stock form and puts out about 55 horsepower, resulting in a ratio of 9,45 pounds per horsepower. So, when you look down on a simple Sporty while sitting at the stoplight on your shiny new bagger,

Then there's the ever-present criticism that you can't ride a smaller bike like a Sportster. Of course, that's also a load of rubbish. While you might argue about how comfortable a smaller or larger bike would be, the fact is that many people ride long distances on smaller bikes . Our personal videographer, Steve Luke, recently rode from a South Dakota snowstorm to the beaches of San Felipe, Mexico, on his trusty 2001 Sportster 883. Chris Comly finished the Iron Butt Rally on a Sportster , and Brett Donahue took third place in the 2007 IBR on a Sportster, logging over 11.000 miles in 11 days.

Some of my favorite conversations have been had leaning against a shop bench or across a campfire, talking about how to improve the looks and performance of motorcycles, but every now and then a whole load of BS sneaks in from those conversations and is passed as a fact. If you know other myths, write to us. Maybe we'll learn a new one.