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The H-D museum blends unique stories of the people, products, culture and history into an experience you will always remember.

The museum is located on 20 acres in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to the incredible Museum facilities, you’ll find a restaurant, café, retail store and indoor and outdoor event spaces. Take a sneak peak now by going to www.harley-davidson.com. Click on the Museum tab to get the latest news on exhibits, a virtual tour, hours, tickets and cool downloads.

Preparing for potentially dangerous situations involves a combination of experience and preparation. The more experience you have, the more ingrained and automatic your reactions. However, for many riders, especially new ones without much experience, your best bet is to be prepared by knowing several valuable pieces of information that can be helpful in a dangerous situation.

The first of these is known as defensive driving, which includes constantly thinking three thoughts: - Other drivers can't see me - Other drivers don't like me - Something will probably go wrong While this type of thinking may seem overly negative and pessimistic, it goes a long way to making you a better driver because it reminds you to be constantly alert for bad traffic situations. Your increased alertness then leads to faster reactions, which can save you from a bad situation. Another good rule of thumb is to remember that the vast majority of threats you will face come from the opposite direction in which you are traveling. As a result, it's important to spend most of your time scanning and looking at the road ahead of you, not elsewhere. However, this is hard to implement if you live in a large urban area like a big, busy city. In this environment, you need to keep your eyes peeled in almost every direction: on the vehicle ahead, on your side, behind you, and well ahead of you as well. Finally, consider the advice offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which developed a set of excellent rules for anticipating and dealing with traffic threats to bikers. The rules fall under the acronym SIPDE, pronounced sip-dee, which stands for the following tips:

Scan: Actively search for hazards from the environment, roadway, and traffic.

Predict: What the hazard is likely to do or how it might affect you or other road users.

Decide: Determine the course of action based on your observations and anticipation of what the hazard might do.

Execute: Carry out your plan or move away from the threat by slowing down, stopping, or swerving.

Following the tips above and the SIPDE rules are the best way to insure that your rides are safe and pleasant.

Take your bike to the next level by creating your very own, unique, genuine Harley-Davidson leather custom seat! Next to paint, the motorcycle seat is the largest piece of blank canvas on your dream machine.

Your bike can express itself in ways you never thought possible. The Custom Seat Program lets you choose from a variety of stitch patterns, leather inlays, and stitch colors to place on either our popular solo Brawler seat or two-up Sidekick seat. With over 800 possible combinations, you are sure to find just what you’re
looking for. Here's how to get started -

Create your piece of art using the new virtual custom seat program found at: www.harley-davidson.com/customseat
Print out your masterpiece, and bring it to us to place the order!

Features
• Low-profile, minimalist seat shape for a bike hugging look
• Hand laid fiberglass seat pan with scratch-free soft, felt finish bottom
• High-quality leather seating surface with embroidered Bar & Shield logo
• Top-grade leather inlay options with simulated exotic skin patterns that offer the look, without the high cost and hassle of real skins
• 800 unique seat combinations

A helmet, eye protection, sturdy jacket, pants, boots and gloves are you best defense against injury. Here are some tips for finding the proper helmet fit :

Tip of the week: Like many other materials and fabrics, leather is porous, which when in good working order means that air can pass through while allowing moisture out. To keep your leather equipment in tip-top shape, it is important to use a proper leather cleaner and conditioner. The cleaner will remove all soil, grease, food and excess oils from the leather. Preferably, using a cleaner that is pH-balanced and alkaline-free will yield the best results. Applying a conditioner will replenish the natural oils in leather thus preventing drying and cracking. Using a wax-free and silicon-free conditioner is the best choice and will prevent the pores from clogging up and allowing the leather to breathe. Proper care of your leather riding equipment will give you years of use and enjoyment.

Tip of the week: Spark plugs are the catalyst of any engine. They create the spark in the combustion chamber of an engine, which then ignites the fuel. Observing your bike's spark plugs allows you to determine the condition and efficiency of your engine. When checking plugs, first check their color by looking at the porcelain insulator located just beneath the electrode.

Tan colored plugs: indicate the engine is running normally and the air/fuel mixture is correct.

Black, dry, fluffy colored plugs: indicate the engine is running too rich or excessively idling. Black smoke coming from the exhaust is another sign of a rich air/fuel mixture. You need to find the cause of the rich air/fuel mixture before installing a new spark plug. Causes can include a dirty air filter, a carburetor screw that needs adjusting, or a choke that may be sticking.

Black, wet, and glazed plugs: indicate that burned oil is leaking past the piston rings or valve guides and burning in the cylinder.

White colored plugs: indicate that your engine is overheating, due to any of several factors: the engine's heat range is too hot, the octane in the gas is too low, the ignition timing isn't set correctly, or the carburetor is running too lean.

A good rule of thumb is to check your bike's plugs at least twice a year and before any long road trip. They are critical engine components, but are inexpensive and easily replaced. New or well conditioned spark plugs make a good running motorcycle engine run even better!

Tip of the week:We've all been caught by unpredicted rain. The first thing we do, if we are prepared, is pull off the road and get into our rain gear. If it's a heavy rain, we often wait under a bridge or other shelter until is abates. Sometimes it is just a short shower so we opt to continue. Here's something you want to consider as you get back on the road. There are now two road conditions: wet and oily. Keep to the right or left of the center of your lane. It takes quite a downpour to wash the oily slick from the center, particularly if it hasn't rained for a few weeks. The oil and rainwater combine to create a surface that can be as slick as ice. You'll have substantially less traction in the center of the lane than at either side. It's always a good idea to test your brakes when riding in the rain. First make sure there's no one close to your rear fender. Then gently apply pressure to the rear brake first to see if there is any traction, then to the front to test traction and dry the brake pads. Remember that unlike a car, you have a very small contact patch with the road's surface. The amount of rubber touching the road is less than one tenth of that of a car. Finally, slow down and concentrate.

Tip of the week: Build your next open road adventure with a customized map, turn-by-turn directions, and points of interest along the way using the Harley-Davidson Ride Planner. Join up with others starting at OSHD by subscribing to our BLOG.




As you ride, scan the area aggressively, including the areas along the road and behind you. Check your mirrors frequently to maintain a constant awareness of your surroundings.



Use that information to evaluate the situation, predict what unexpected hazards and challenges may arise, and actively formulate strategies to deal with them.



Adjust your speed and positioning accordingly, while communicating your intentions to others.

Tip of the week: Don't fold your clothes... roll them! They take up less space that way.

Get your tickets for the August 30th performance at the Roadhouse on the Lakefront for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Milwaukee- tickets are on sale now on a first come first served basis.

Tip of the week: Pack items that have more than one use. A multi-tool is handier than a basic pocket knife.

18 weeks and counting.... be sure to visit Harley-Davidson's 105th Ride Home event planning page to get a glimpse of what's in store for the Anniversary Celebration: http://www.harley-davidson.com/105th

Use zipper-lock plastic freezer bags to organize gear in saddlebags and duffle bags, and make it easier to find and retrieve particular items without unpacking your entire motorcycle. Use the one-gallon size to pack one day’s worth of clothes – jeans, undergarments, and shirt. This makes it easier to unpack just what you need.

OSHD also sells saddlebag liners and tour pak liners that makes it easy to unpack just what you need as well - we've got new hard sided liners on display at the parts counter in Warwick.

Tip of the week: The “What do we bring and where do we put it?” can often be more vexing than “Where do we go?” Visit http://www.oceanstatehd.com/PackingList.htm to get a sample packing list of must have clothing items, emergency items, and bike maintenance gear essential for a road trip. Yes, you can bring it all with you – with some clever packing!

Mark your calendars now for the evening of Tuesday, August 19th for our Ride Home Party