Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
12/19 Winner
Thomas Atkinson is our holiday promotion winner for 12/19! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact info.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Holiday Giveaway Agreement
For all winners of the holiday promotion: please claim your prize by 12/31/12 in order to be eligible for a prize. If you do not contact Rider Insurance by 12/31/12 by 11:59PM, your chance to claim a prize will be null and void.
12/18 Winner
Courtney Brookman Kukovich is our holiday promotion winner for 12/18! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact info.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
12/17 Winner
Traci Hopper is our holiday promotion winner for 12/17! Please contact us via Facebook
message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact
info.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Weekend Winners
12/14/12 - Lori Eshlemen
12/15/12 - Biz DeadSerious
12/16/12 - John Cordileone
Please contact us through Facebook messages or by email: promotions@rider.com. Please include your full name, address, and contact info.
Friday, December 14, 2012
12/13 Winner
Home Slice is our holiday promotion winner for 12/13! Please contact us via
Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and
contact info.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
12/12 Winner
Scott Truglio is our holiday promotion winner for 12/12! Please contact us via Facebook
message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact
info.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
12/11 Winner
RM Jacob is our holiday promotion winner for 12/11! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact info.
Rider Holiday Gift Swap (Updated)
Swap a motorcycle gift idea for a chance to win a $25
gift card! Starting Black Friday (11/23), for every motorcycle gift idea you
post on the Rider Facebook or Twitter page through Friday, 12/21, Rider will
enter you in for a chance to win a $25 gift card daily drawing with no one
person winning twice! Share our post and get a bonus entry! The daily winner and
updated motorcycle gift ideas list will be posted on the Rider Blog starting
11/26. Weekend winners will post the following Monday. Check back daily to see
if you’ve won and get some great ideas for gifts for the special motorcyclist in
your life!
Here is the list so far:
-H-D Museum Gift Card
-Gerbings Heated Gear
-Leather Jacket
-Riding Boot
-Motorcycle Ship Gift Card
-Riding Glasses
-Cold Weather Under gear
-Guardian Bell
-Heated Grips
-Riding Gloves
-Maintenance Class
-Lights
-Insurance Payment
-Detail Gift Certificate
-Face Mask
-Detailing Kit
-Face Mask
-Rain suit
-Motorcycle Safety Course
-Bunny PJs
-Trip to Sturgis
-New Tires
-Rinehart Exhaust
-Fuel Injection Mapping
-Motorcycle
-Chrome Cup Holders
-Roller Chain Key Chain
-Motorcycle Cover
-Tank Bib
-Detachable Windshield
-Personalized Motorcycle X-Mas Ornament
-Heated Leathers
-DOT Riding Glasses
-Chrome Lockable E-Z Pass Holder
-Electronic Deer Alert
-New Tires
-Go-Pro Mounted Camera
-Reflective Vest
-H-D Snow Globe
-Motorcycle Alarm Clock
-Reflective Decal
-Neon Lighting
Here is the list so far:
-H-D Museum Gift Card
-Gerbings Heated Gear
-Leather Jacket
-Riding Boot
-Motorcycle Ship Gift Card
-Riding Glasses
-Cold Weather Under gear
-Guardian Bell
-Heated Grips
-Riding Gloves
-Maintenance Class
-Lights
-Insurance Payment
-Detail Gift Certificate
-Face Mask
-Detailing Kit
-Face Mask
-Rain suit
-Motorcycle Safety Course
-Bunny PJs
-Trip to Sturgis
-New Tires
-Rinehart Exhaust
-Fuel Injection Mapping
-Motorcycle
-Chrome Cup Holders
-Roller Chain Key Chain
-Motorcycle Cover
-Tank Bib
-Detachable Windshield
-Personalized Motorcycle X-Mas Ornament
-Heated Leathers
-DOT Riding Glasses
-Chrome Lockable E-Z Pass Holder
-Electronic Deer Alert
-New Tires
-Go-Pro Mounted Camera
-Reflective Vest
-H-D Snow Globe
-Motorcycle Alarm Clock
-Reflective Decal
-Neon Lighting
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
2013 T-Shirt Design Contest Winning Design
Congratulations to Lonnie W., he is our 2013 T-Shirt Design Contest winner! Here is his winning design. Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest as well as all of the people that voted for the designs.
12/10 Winner
Joe Perez is our holiday promotion winner for 12/10! Please contact us
via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address
and contact info.
Monday, December 10, 2012
This Weekend's Winners
12/7/12 - Andrew Strycharz
12/8/12- Tanya DeBoer
12/9/12 - Jason Vitale
Please contact us through Facebook messages or by email: promotions@rider.com. Please include your full name, address, and contact info.
12/8/12- Tanya DeBoer
12/9/12 - Jason Vitale
Please contact us through Facebook messages or by email: promotions@rider.com. Please include your full name, address, and contact info.
Friday, December 7, 2012
12/6 Winner
Dawn Steiner is our holiday promotion winner for 12/6! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact info.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
12/5 Winner
Shaun McNally Sr. is our holiday promotion winner for 12/5! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact info.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
12/4 Winner
Beth Farrell is our holiday promotion winner for 12/4! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact info.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
12/3 Winner
Jo McKeon is our holiday promotion winner for 12/3! Please contact us
via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address
and contact info.
Monday, December 3, 2012
This Weekend's Winners
11/30/12 - Brenda Cohen
12/1/12 - Paul Young
12/2/12 - Dave DiGiuseppe
Please contact us through Facebook messages or by email: promotions@rider.com. Please include your full name, address, and contact info.
12/1/12 - Paul Young
12/2/12 - Dave DiGiuseppe
Please contact us through Facebook messages or by email: promotions@rider.com. Please include your full name, address, and contact info.
Friday, November 30, 2012
11/29 Winner
Karen Wilson is our holiday promotion winner for 11/29! Please contact us
via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address
and contact info.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
11/28 Winner
Mike Smith is our holiday promotion winner for 11/28! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
11/27 Winner
Elyse Dai is our holiday promotion winner for 11/27! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
11/26 Winner
Andy Hickman is our holiday promotion winner for 11/26! Please contact us via Facebook message or email: promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thanksgiving Weekend Winners!
Friday 11-23 Winner: Robin Pomeroy
Saturday 11-24 Winner: Beth Farrell
Sunday 11-25 Winner: Justin Fxwg
Please contact us through Facebook messages or email promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact information. Congrats!
Saturday 11-24 Winner: Beth Farrell
Sunday 11-25 Winner: Justin Fxwg
Please contact us through Facebook messages or email promotions@rider.com with your full name, address and contact information. Congrats!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Project Give
In light of Hurricane Sandy, Rider Insurance is giving back
to the community. Throughout the month of November, Rider Insurance will be
collecting donations for Project Give. We have already donated $2,500 in
supplies to various shelters and charities throughout Southern New Jersey. That
is not all, for every dollar donated, Rider Insurance will match it. At the end
of November all funds will be donated to the Red Cross to assist in the relief effort
of Hurricane Sandy. Help all those effected get back on their feet! Send all
donations here:
Monday, November 12, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Vote Now!
Election Day may be over, but you can still cast your vote for our 2013 T-Shirt Design! http://www.rider.com/tshirtcontest/vote.html
We're open!
We are happy to announce that power has been restored at our Springfield office and is re-openning today! Our office will be open from 8:30am to 5pm today and you may reach our customer service department by phone from 8:30am to 9pm. To file a claim by phone, call toll-free (866) 211-0055
(24 hours).
(24 hours).
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
2000 Likes on Facebook
If we get to 2000 likes on Facebook by the end of October, we will donate an additional $1000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation! Help get us to 2000!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Tech Tuesday
This is the next article in the welding series. First and foremost, the actual welder will either need to be purchased or borrowed. Respectable brands usually yield good results. A typical flux core mig welder can run from $200 to $500, while an argon shield mig welder can go from $400 to $2,000. Tig welders are quite expensive and can get into the thousands of dollars. Other things needed before welding include a welding helmet, gloves, a wire brush, an angle grinder, a hammer and pliers. Some welders come with helmets, but helmets are another item that can get expensive. One great feature some welding helmets have is an auto darkening feature. Early welders would have to flip the mask down as he welded and then flip it up to see what he had done. Auto darkening helmets have an electric shade that automatically comes on when welding and turns off when welding is finished. A foolish way to weld is with no shield at all. Some people think if they close their eyes they will be fine. That is not true and is very dangerous. Welding emits light brighter than looking into the sun. Professional welders tend to get flash burn, which is like sun burn on the eyes. A person closing one’s eyes is still at risk to this light, because it passes through the eyelids and burns the retina. For safety reasons, please wear a mask!
Two dissimilar metals cannot be welded to each other. This means metals such as aluminum and steel cannot be welded to each other because of their metallurgy. However, metals of different thicknesses can be welded to each other. The thickness of the metal determines how hot and fast the weld needs to be. Stick welding is used on very thick metals because it carries a lot of amps (measure of electric current). The amps are needed to penetrate the thick metal. Unfortunately, welding sheet metal with a stick welder is tricky because it tends to burn through. Mig and tig welders can weld varied thicknesses of metal. Sheet metal is measured in gauges like wire. A good start to practice welding thin metal is 20 to 18g sheet metal. Many manufactures make clamps and pliers to hold sheet metal in place. Welding pliers are generally known as vise grips with long reach. Some welders make jigs, which are essentially position holders. The metal can be placed in a jig and welded the same, time after time. Jigs work very well when welding motorcycle frames.
There are different types of joints for welding. Taking two pieces of metal and butting them up to each other is called a butt weld. Laying one piece of metal over the other is called a lap weld. Lap welds tend to be stronger because there are two pieces of metal supported underneath each other. Unfortunately, metal cannot be lapped in every case. Another type of welding is plug welding. For example: A frame tube of a motorcycle is wrecked and needs to be replaced. Taking two pieces of rolled tubing and butting them up against each other seems like the most logical solution. However, this is not the right way. (In some applications when the stress of weight is not pushing down at every instance, this may apply.) A motorcycle frame sees a lot of stress from weight. Rather than just butting two tubes against each other, a slug is inserted inside of the tube. A slug is a solid piece of metal just smaller in diameter to fit inside the tube. It would, however, be impossible to hold in place when the tubes are butted against each other. A hole is drilled through the tube but not the slug. A weld can then be applied inside the hole to the slug. This holds the slug in place and then it can be solidly welded around the tube. Welding through a hole is called plug welding. Spot welding, which is something common on cars, actually uses no welding wire. A machine uses pressure and heat to fuse metal panels together. It forms a little spot; hence spot welding.
Getting excited yet? There are formal teachings of welding at colleges and trade schools. Some people find it too expensive to go out and buy a welder. Welding can be practiced in these classes before a welder would actually have to be purchased. The next article will get into welding and practice. Stay tuned for more of the welding adventure!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Fight back! Join us in raising breast cancer
awareness! Throughout October, Rider we will have “Check Your Headlights”
t-shirts and magnets available for purchase on our Facebook page as well as an
area to make donations. Click Here
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
White Rose Thunder
We have more GIVEAWAYS! Up for grabs are 20 VIP All Access passes to White Rose Thunder in York, PA. Bands like KIX & Vince Neil will be performing as well as flat track racing and charity rides all weekend. It is held at the York Expo Center, Sept 27-30. Enter to win by emailing promo code ROSE to promotions@rider.com along with your full name, address, and email. Winners are selected at random. #RiderGiveaways
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Happy Labor Day!
Our office will close early Friday 8/31 at 3pm ET, and remain closed through Monday 9/3 for Labor Day.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tech Thursday
Yowzah! Thats hot!
(The
Basics of Welding, Part I)
In
the world of custom motorcycles, fabrication is what makes bikes stand apart.
As a conventional rider, not everyone will feel the need to change their bike
or repair broken parts. Yet some aspects of maintenance may require minor
welding. Welding is not something to mess with. If the welded part contains
structural integrity, the weld has to have structural integrity. These types of
welds should be performed by an experienced welder. Other types of parts such
as spacers or cosmetic changes can be performed by a less experienced welder. A
typical life lesson is relevant here: the only way to get better at welding is
PRACTICE!
What
is welding? The simplest term: welding is the fusion of metal. There are many
types of welds, as well as many types of machines and techniques. Welding can
even be done underwater (We DO NOT recommend this). It can be broken up into
two categories: gas and arc. Gas welding is done through means of a torch using
gases like acetylene and oxygen. Arc welding uses electricity and a shielding
gas. Shield gas is usually a non flammable (inert) gas that prevents oxidation.
Oxidation has to be prevented so that the weld can penetrate. Penetration is a
key word when in conjunction with welding. Even though metal seemed to be fused
from the outside, it may not have been fused all the way through. This is VERY
important when welding something structurally. On buildings, some engineers use
X-Ray machines to check the penetration of the weld. Differences in metals need
different types of welds. Two dissimilar metals such as steel and aluminum
cannot be welded to each other because of their properties. Steel and cast iron
are not the same, but share similar properties and can be welded to each other.
One would think a degree in metallurgy is needed to weld!
For
this article’s sake, it will mostly be about arc welding or electric welding.
From traditional standards, arc welding has been considered “stick welding”.
The stick is an electrode. The electrode is covered in flux, which in this case
is its shielding material. Imagine a wire covered in a chemical that looks like
concrete. A clamp holds the electrode and electricity transmits through it.
Other types of arc welding are mig and tig welding. A mig welder has a spool of
wire inside; this is then fed through a gun with a small tipped end.
Electricity passes through the wire into the metal it is welding. Mig welders
can use inert gases such as CO2 and Argon mixture as shielding gases. Others
use a flux core wire, which is very similar to the “stick welder” electrode. It
is a wire covered in an anti-oxidation chemical. Aluminum can be tricky to weld
as the material and electricity source need to be in a close proximity. Unlike
steel mig welders, the welding wire spool is not located in the base of the
machine. It is located in the welding gun. Tig welding uses an inert gas as
well. The welding material is held in one hand and gas and electricity pass
through a non-consumable tungsten electrode, which is in the other hand. The
energy is controlled by a foot switch.
Yes,
this can all be very overwhelming to the average low maintenance rider. Who
would have thought welding could be such a complicated process? Once the trade
is learned, it really isn’t very difficult. The next e-newsletter’s article
will go into the actual steps of welding, so stay tuned for more!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Tech Thursday
Going Tubing!
Unfortunately, this tech article isn’t going to talk about water or snow tubing. Yes, tubing is fun, but replacing a tire and tube on a motorcycle takes some patience. Unless a motorcycle comes with mag wheels, it is going to come with spokes. With spokes, it is almost impossible to run a tubeless tire. Spokes on rims create a problem of air seepage. The spoke is connected to the rim with a nut which is not air tight. Motorcycle manufacturers ran an inner tube inside the tire to solve this problem, however inner tube installation can be difficult.
Tube tires have been around for a very long time. Though the first automobiles and motorcycles may have had hard rubber tires, some of the earliest pneumatic tires were tube. Spoke rims have been around for nearly 100 years. This article won’t really get into changing a 100 year old inner tube. Motorcycle manufactures have spoke rims on many models, new and old. Whether it’s a Kawasaki, Honda or Harley-Davidson, changing an inner tube is pretty close to the same process.
First and foremost, changing the inner tube correctly is very important to the safety of the rider. Since there are only two wheels, if the tires are not properly inflated, it presents a huge hazard to riding a motorcycle. This tech article is only an aid to changing a motorcycle tire with a tube.
The first step is to remove the wheel from the motorcycle. Taking the front wheel off is usually a much easier task than the back wheel. Front wheels are held in a telescopic front end, usually by an axle and a brake-stay. Disconnecting each of these is usually as simple as removing a nut on the one side. A rear wheel which has the axel, brake and (chain, belt or driveshaft) holding it in place, can be more difficult. Please refer to the manufacturer’s service manual to remove the wheels.
Once the wheel is off, put it on a soft surface. Let the air out of the tire with a valve stem removal tool or small pliers. The tire may be stuck to the rim, so its bead will need to be broken loose. Pry the bead loose or use a special bead braking tool against the tire and rim, being careful not to scratch the rim. Use oil or soap to lube the bead and rim, and with 2 tire irons begin working the tire off the rim. Take small "bites" to work the bead off gradually. Once one side is off, it may be possible to remove the inner tube. Continue to use the tire irons and remove the other bead off the same side of the rim. Examine the rim to make sure it is not bent or has any sharp edges. In the center of the rim, there is a large rubber band that covers the spoke ends. If the rubber band is ripped or a spoke end is showing, replace the band.
To put the new tire on, reverse the process. Some tires have arrows pointing in the direction they should rotate. Work the one bead of the tire onto the lip of the rim. This may involve stepping on the tire to keep the one side in place and lubing the tire. The tube must be installed before the other bead of the tire is put on the rim. The valve stem will go through a hole in the rim and will be held in place with a nut. Put a little air in the tube to help it take shape. Lube the tire bead again and use the tire iron to work it under the wheel lip. With little "bites" again work the tire on. Be very careful NOT TO PINCH THE TUBE. If the tube is pinched and leaks, the whole process will need to be done again. Fill the tube up to its recommended pressure and make sure the bead seats fully. DO NOT OVER INFLATE THE TUBE, as it may burst or the tire may come off the rim.
Make sure the wheel and tire assembly are properly balanced, then they can be mounted back onto the bike. Most shops will only warrantee work if their tire and tube are used. A mismatch tire and tube usually leads to a void in the warrantee. Never patch a tube; always replace it, and make sure everything is DOT approved.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Gooch's Garlic ReCap
The Blue Knights NJ IX
celebrated the success of the 25th Annual Gooch’s Garlic Run at the
check presentation dinner this past Wednesday. The event raised
$32,000 in total and each of the 4 families received $8,000! Thanks to
all those who participated in the event. We hope to see you again
next year! Here are a few pictures from the dinner.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Gettysburg Bike Week: Photo Blog
Friday, July 20, 2012
Gooch's Garlic Run: Photo Blog
The 25th Annual Gooch's Garlic Run at Rockaway Square June 20, 2012, aimed to raise money to benefit individuals with serious illnesses. It is a 28 mile ride that leaves from Rockaway, NJ and ends in the Ironbound section of Newark, NJ. The run, organized by law enforcement motorcycle club Blue Knights New Jersey Chapter IX and named for retired Andover Township Police Lt. Al "Gooch" Monaco. In previous years the run has concluded in Little Italy NYC, but logistics have made Newark a more logical choice. The Holland Tunnel had always presented issues with the large volume of bikers passing through. The run traveled via police escort along Route 80 to Route 280 East, down Route 21 to the Ironbound. Close to $600,000 has been raised in the run's 25 years through t-shirt and pin sales, sponsorships, vendor fees and donations.
All photos by Bruce G. and Rider Insurance
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