Motorcycle Road Trip! The Tail of the Dragon beckons us to ride...

Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, Blue Ridge Parkway, Hellbender 28...these are all roads in the Great Smoky Mountains that almost every motorcycle enthusiast has heard or read about.

Maybe you have ridden them, maybe you haven’t. Well here is your chance to experience them yourself...

The Ballistic EVO2 Lithium Battery: An Amazing Performer!

Hello!  This is Rick from Diamond Motor Sports. In this article we are going to look at Ballistic Performance Components' EVO2 lithium batteries. This is a great way to lose a few a pounds, "gain some power" and have an awesome, reliable battery to boot!

The EVO2 five battery lineup

So here's the scoop. Ballistic Performance Components have engineered a battery using lithium ferrous technology...

Join Diamond Motor Sports on a trip to Lost Trails ATV Park!

Diamond Motor Sports is sponsoring a trip to the Lost Trails ATV Park March 24-25.  


Why?  After I took my first trip to the Lost Trails ATV Park just after Thanksgiving last year, we decided it would be a great place for a group ride.  So join us for some fun!  

The park currently has roughly fifty miles of trails and they are adding more. The scenery is great including a couple of reservoirs that are very picturesque...

Dungey Debuts Fox Racing's Latest 360 Gear, a Future A1 Limited Edition

While Ryan Villopoto ran away from the pack, another Ryan (Dungey, that is) held his own finishing in style against the competition to capture a spot on the podium at Anaheim 1 earlier this month. KTM must be pleased to see their bike take a first ever place on the podium at A1.  Even more recently Dungey took first in Arizona.

So Fox Racing has reason to be pleased too. 

Synthetic oil for your motorcycle? Yes, it's a great idea.

Ask 10 savvy motorcyclists about synthetic engine oil and you’ll likely get 10 different opinions. Old timers will tell you that converting an old machine to synthetic will create problems, and to some extent, that may be true. There are certain instances where the use of synthetic oil may take some wise consideration.  However, today’s synthetic oils made for piston engines have more superior chemical and mechanical properties than traditional petroleum-based products.  Synthetics will give your engine added life and protection.

Product Review: Joe Rocket Atomic 4.0 Jacket

Stewart Crouch

If you are considering a versatile, functional, good looking, water-proof textile jacket you have to consider this from Joe Rocket. I had the opportunity to give one a try for 2 days during a recent trip to the Smoky Mountains.


Each morning the temperature was in the high 50s to low 60s and even without the removable, insulated, full-sleeve liner the jacket was very comfortable (and I get cold easily). I am confident that with the liner installed and the waterproof membrane zipped, I could easily stand temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

Men's Atomic 4.0 Jacket in Red

In the afternoon, the temperature would climb to the mid 80s. There are six zippered vents, 2 on the arms, 2 on the chest and 2 on the back that made it easy to adjust as the mercury climbed. I found I could open or close the front 4 as I needed while riding down the road. (Although, I do recommend you always pull off the road to a safe parking spot before attempting to adjust any zippers.) The zippers are a little stiff, but that is understandable since they are waterproof.

Tips for Winterizing Your Motorcycle

Mike Rush

The roads on the Delmarva peninsula are clear of ice and snow for a major part of the winter season.  However, not all motorcycle riders are warm-blooded enough to keep riding during those cool months.  If this is true of you, you will want to take care of your bike during hibernation. Here are some essential tips to make the spring thaw easy on you, your bike and your wallet.

Fuel System:
We recommend you use a fuel stabilizer to keep your gas fresh and protect your carburetors/fuel injection system and gas tank from corrosion and residual deposits.

Dress Right for Cold Weather Motorcycle Riding

Steve Graybeal

When the weather turns cold most riders put their bikes away for the winter, but with the right clothing there’s no reason to stop riding.

The key to staying warm is covering all exposed skin and layering your clothing.  You should dress in at least three layers:  the base layer, an insulating layer and an outer weatherproof layer. 

The base layer should be silk, polyester or other synthetic material.  It is designed to wick moisture away from the body.  To do its job it must be snug fitting.  

A Cool Ride on Yamaha's FJR 1300 AE - Electric Shift

To shift or not to shift…that is the question...

Stewart Crouch

Last Saturday morning I was responsible for leading the Snowball Haul Sport Touring ride. I spent some time in the morning laying out a route that would be interesting without going too far away and allow us to be back to the dealership within 2 hours. 

Since temperatures were going to be in the upper 30s and mid 40s I pulled out my moderate gear. Into the garage to fire up the bike and I got nothing but the dreaded click, click, click, and click. Arggg, why didn’t I hook up that battery tender last night? No time to charge the battery so I loaded up everything in the truck and headed to the store.

Now I had to decide what to ride. I had multiple choices from our selection of nice used bikes; a 1000cc sport bike, no that’s too much, a 600cc sport bike, no I wanted something different.

That’s when the used FJR1300AE caught my eye.

The Morning Ride by Eric Beck

Eric Beck

The Morning Ride… He just woke up. He slides to the edge of the bed and stretches out his arms to the ceiling and then he relaxes.  He looks down at his clock and realizes it’s only 6:45am. The thought races through his mind, “Do I have to work today?” He fumbles for his cell phone and notices that it’s Saturday and he has the day off....

Considering getting your child a motorcycle?

Stewart Crouch

Giving a child their first motorcycle is bound to make a lasting impression. Picking the right one will make it a pleasant one. Consider the following points before you purchase.

The child’s physical size:

• Unless you are buying a 50cc cycle with training wheels, the child must be able to sit on the seat and be flatfooted on the ground. If they are learning to ride they cannot be worried about touching the ground and holding the cycle up.

Inconsiderate Drivers

Stewart Crouch

Ok, I don’t like to complain but if there is one thing that really p#@*%s me off while riding or driving it is “inconsiderate drivers”. My broad brush description is any driver/rider who is not considerate to their fellow driver/rider.

Let me elaborate on a few examples...

Vehicle A is merging onto a busy highway, using the acceleration lane properly to get up to the cruising speed but no one will let them out. The “inconsiderate drivers” speed up to close the gap. Are they really in that much of a hurry?

R6 Power Up Kit

Rick Allara

Hey, this is Rick from Diamond Motor Sports and I would like to introduce you to a cost effective way to get more power out of your 600cc motorcycle! I love my 2006 Yamaha R6 but like all things I own that consume gas I wanted more power and acceleration that's also budget friendly.

After some quick research online on how to squeeze as much inexpensive (inexpensive being the key word here) horsepower out of my R6 as possible, I came across a sprocket power-up kit ($250.00). I personally chose...

50 year Anniversary

Where does the time go?

It is hard to believe but 2011 is the 50th year Diamond Motor Sports has been in business. If you could call Warren Price’s humble beginnings a business. It was more about getting the parts he and his buddies needed to keep their assortment of junk motorcycles running.

To hear Warren describe it is really comical, “the parts department was under my bed. When someone needed something I would pull out the boxes and see if I had something that would work, never mind the exact part they needed. One thing led to another and I somehow ended up with a BSA franchise. Once that happened we had to clean out the shed because my mother wasn’t about to let me keep them in my room.”

His success in the motorcycle business led Warren...