Surfing the Net best on 2 wheels

The Internet has touched almost every aspect of our lives and that holds true for motorcyclists as well as anyone.

Over the years I've bookmarked a huge number of motorcycling websites and thought it was time to share some of the more interesting and useful ones.

The first one is sort of a mother lode of websites. Simply called Motorcycle Links on the Internet, this site links to hundreds of clubs, manufacturers, cyber magazines, safety organizations, events and private web pages. Many links here lead to others: one site alone ties into 600 other web pages. If you need motorcycle info and you don't know exactly where to start looking, first try http://www.nassauwings.org/mclinks.htm

While it is a good idea to support local dealers for tires and regular maintenance, many items such as clothing, helmets, camping equipment and some parts can be found online at great savings. Riders who enjoy working on their own bikes, especially older and classic bikes, can find secondhand parts through the motorcycle salvage yards across the country. One site, www.necycle.com/acers, offers a nationwide listing of bike junkyards listed by state.

Adventure Motorcycle Gear is my favorite site for finding almost everything needed to equip a bike for touring. Owner Frank Cooper travels to motorcycle shows all over the world to find the best motogear on today's market. Everything from camping equipment and riding clothes to books and lightweight tools for a long ride can be found at www.adventuremotogear.com.

Motorcycle Closeouts at www.motorcyclecloseouts.com sells overstock and blemished items from major manufacturers. Rider's clothing, bike parts and accessories from Harley, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha and others can be ordered online for up to 30 percent off list prices.

Many of us older riders fondly look back to the ''chopper movies'' from the late sixties and early seventies. A lot of young boys' bedroom walls were covered with posters from movies such as Easy Rider and The Great Escape, featuring that famous shot of Steve McQueen jumping a fence while fleeing German soldiers. Posters, VHS tapes and links to like-minded sites can be found at www.hondahog.com

Another site featuring vintage posters is www.motorcycle-memories.com

Many of the prints here are from postcards, advertising and home photos featuring rare and obscure bikes from the '20s and '30s.

Years ago Harley-Davidsons were not known for dependability. Today's bikes are as fine as anything on the road but that wasn't always the case. I once saw a T-shirt, obviously prompted by the old reputation, that read: ''If Harley built an airplane, would you fly in it?''

Well, Harley hasn't gone into avionics but at www.hog-air.com you can purchase an experimental airplane that uses Harley-Davidson V-Twin engines.

Many online magazines are devoted to biking. Motorcycle Daily is one of the more comprehensive ones. At www.motorcycledaily.com you can find up-to-date news on every aspect of motorcycling.

Most motorcycle clubs, many of which focus on niche populations, have websites, too, and are interesting to look through. Women on Wheels brings the growing number of female riders together at www.womenonwheels.org

A Web page linking to ''one-percenter'' sites -- those for the hardcore bikers -- is at www.bikerlink.com This site connects to biker clubs, lists of biker bars and tattoo parlors around the country.

The United Sidecar Association hosts a site at www.sidecar.com

And the Iron Butt Association, a group of fanatical riders who will travel 2,000 to 3,000 miles over a weekend just to get together for a Saturday night barbeque can be found at www.ironbutt.com

The iron butt riders among us may be interested in looking at www.speedtrap.org which is a member-generated list of speed traps around the country.

Finally, no matter what you ride or what your specific interest is, if you don't ride safely you won't ride for long. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation features tips on safe riding techniques and lists rider training schools at www.msf-usa.org

You don't have to be a surfer to travel the Web. You can do it on two wheels!

James Hesketh writes about motorcycles for Wheels & Waves. He can be e-mailed at jmshesketh@aol.com.