When first beginning to play piano, many people acquire bad habits. These habits will make it more difficult for you to learn and master this art and can make practicing a very frustrating experience. As a piano beginner, you may not even realize that you have developed these bad habits, but continuing these will make the learning process much longer than it needs to be. Here are 5 habits that you must not develop.

1. Not sitting correctly at the piano

The way you sit and position your arms and hands directly affects how well and easily you are able to play. Your back should be straight, shoulders relaxed, upper arms vertical, forearms and hands horizontal and fingertips resting comfortably on the keys.

2. Being tense….Not having your fingers totally relaxed

In order for you to play smooth and eventually professional sounding, your fingers must be relaxed. Flex your fingers regularly to loosen up the joints, and practice moving your fingers across the keys in a smooth and relaxed manner.

3. Not making sure that you are playing each note with the correct finger

This is a big no no! Always make sure that you are playing using the correct finger for each note. Follow the finger numbers until you know them by memory.

4. Skimping through the music….Not reading the music correctly

You must make sure that you have your timing and rhythm right. As a beginner, you can not skimp through the music because it will throw the song off. Not skimping means that you may have to play very slowly initially, but don’t worry about that. You will eventually speed up. A piano pro can skimp through the music and get away with it, still sounding great. A piano beginner can not. Don’t try to play like a pro. Read the music correctly each time.

5. Not keeping your fingers on each key long enough so that the note will last for the correct number of beats.

Make sure that you are counting out the timing of each note so that you will know how long each note should last and how long each rest should last. This is what makes the music sound right. If you don’t master this, your song will consistently be off beat. Make sure that you understand the timing of each tune.

When I first began playing piano… now over 16 years ago, I thought the best way to begin was to read music and play simple finger exercises so I could get used to the instrument.

Turns out I was just a little right. Some of Czerny’s exercises are very good for developing finger strength and dexterity. When I have nothing better to do, I’ll practice five note finger patterns on the white keys.

But now, I don’t practice scales, exercises or any other kind of “technique” exercise. Why? Because I’ve discovered a better way to warm up and get the fingers going. Of course I’m speaking about improvisation. You know, the great thing about improvisation is that technique is invented when it is required.

Learning rote fingering will never make you a good piano player. Trusting your intuition and letting your fingers guide you will serve you much better.

Using finger exercises to warm up is not a bad idea at all but will not give you the dexterity and adeptness that just improvising will. This is because the former way is rote while the latter is spontaneous creation from moment to moment. The fingers will follow the heart and will lead you to new combinations and ways to express. In fact, through improvisation, you’ll come up with entirely new fingerings!

“STARS…” once you hear that scary evil low voice, you know he’s coming to get you for sure. He is always constantly following you through the whole course of the game making your life as miserable as possible.

He is a tough enemy to beat, he runs faster than you, a lot stronger and has a rocket launcher to top it all off. You can knock him out after a couple of handgun magazines, roughly about 40 bullets. Though you may riddle him with bullets, he gets back up after the first knock out and tries a last resort to kill you using his 1-hit kill desolating move. He will bleed purple blood indicating that he is truly dealt with.

Luckily if you defeat him after he gets up, he drops an item but this can only happen in hard mode. The items he drops are gun parts and first aid boxes containing 3 first aid sprays. The first encounter with him in hard mode, for most of us who played it, is the hardest one. Why you ask? At that point of the game you only have a knife, a handgun and a shotgun. The ammunition is limited so when you decide to take him out of commission, make sure you’ve got enough bullets to deal with him.

Fortunately the game has a lot of guns to offer and each one has it’s own advantages. The strongest that you can acquire during the early and middle part of the game is the Magnum that holds 6 powerful bullets and the Grenade Launcher being loaded with freeze rounds. Most people use the Grenade Launcher freeze round combo because it does a lot of damage to him while partially slowing his movement.

At some parts of the game, he has a rocket launcher that he carries around and after using all the rockets that was inside the launcher, the launcher explodes causing damage to Nemesis himself. Jill Valentine, the main character, doesn’t just rely on guns, she has the ability to dodge attacks by pressing the right button during an attack on her and she has the ability to create bullets from the 2 gunpowder type the game has.

If you thought that Nemesis was tough already, he then mutates at a certain point in the game where he can use his tentacles as a whip to lash and latch onto you to throw you around. Due to his mutation, he gains more health becomes a lot tougher than usual taking more hits than the previous one did. His name truly suits him for he is the Nemesis of Resident Evil 3. Whether he is a pain in the neck to deal with, he makes the game worthwhile and challenging that you want to play the game over and over again.

One of the challenges of learning to speak French well is mastering those little expressions of politeness that go a long way to making conversations flow smoothly and demonstrate fluency.

When someone says “Thank you (very much)” to us in English, the most common response is probably along the lines of: “You’re welcome” or some variation such as: “You’re more than welcome” or “You’re very welcome”. There are a couple of other possibilities, of course, such as: “Be my guest”, “My pleasure”, “No problem” and “Likewise”. Certain forms such as “You’re welcome” and “My pleasure” are socially neutral in that they can be used under any circumstances. Others may be considered rather informal, to be used in casual conversations, and others more formal for those occasions where one wants to be more polite.

In French the situation is similar; there are many ways to respond to “Merci”, “Merci beaucoup” or “Je vous remercie (beaucoup)”. Be careful. You must avoid at all costs the temptation to translate word for word from English. The results are inevitably very awkward and show a poor command of idiomatic French. Instead, you want to reply with a quick and confident response that will impress your listener and give the impression that your French is very fluent.

Let me first point out that in France, one does not say: “Bienvenue” in response to “Merci” This is a literal translation of “Welcome” and often heard in Quebec French, Many people criticize it for being a poor translation. To avoid any negative perceptions, It is probably best to avoid this word even if it is quite widespread and tempting.

Here are some good alternatives in all varieties of French.

“De rien” (For nothing) is a short form, a bit informal perhaps, but can be used anywhere.

“Je vous en prie” (I beg of you) is an all-purpose form, a bit on the formal side. This is a very polite form.

“C’est moi qui vous remercie” (It is I who thanks you) is a bit of a mouthful. Also all-purpose and a tad formal.

“Il n’y a pas de quoi” or “Pas de quoi” (There is nothing to it) is a bit literary and very polite.

“Pas de problème” (No problem) is very informal and considered somewhat slangy. To be used with caution,

“Ça m’a fait plaisir” or “Cela m’a fait plaisir” (It gave me pleasure) is quite common in Quebec and rare in France.

“Merci à vous” or “Merci à toi” (Thanks to you) is a bit informal and short.

Which ones to choose? In terms of recommendations, you can’t go wrong with “Je vous en prie”, “C’est moi qui vous remercie” and “Il n’y a pas de quoi”. They are all on the very polite side and good for nearly all occasions. The others expressions are also quite usable especially if you want to add a bit of informality. Like many features of spoken language, usage will vary according to the degree of formality. “De rien”, “Merci a toi” and “Pas de quoi” are short and punchy. They are good for fast-moving conversations.

The only one that I recommend using with caution is “Pas de problème”. I’m not saying it is not to be used. It is just is a bit slangy and best avoided if you are not sure of how to use it well. Note that it is to be used when you actually mean “No problem” as in response to “Can I change my flight?” Just avoid it as an all-purpose answer to “Merci” unless you feel comfortable doing so.

While you’re at it, add cellular respiration to that also. But don’t misunderstand me. I don’t hate photosynthesis or cellular respiration. What kind of a biology teacher would I be if I went around hating the two most important energy processes of living things? Without photosynthesis life as we know it on Mother Earth would not exist.

What I, and many of my colleagues, don’t like is teaching these two processes in the great amount of detail that we have to, which is mandated by state standards today. I’m risking bringing down the wrath of every biology teacher in the world by saying this, but really, do high school kids actually have to know what glucose-6 phosphatase is and what it does? Come on. How many times have any of you reading this been asked what glucose-6 phosphatase is at a dinner party? I thought so. Actually, I’d be ecstatic if I could get the kids to just spell it correctly.

This is just an example of how far away we are in teaching science that is of any true benefit to our kids. Teaching photosynthesis and cellular respiration is like administering barbiturates to the kids. They get all glassy-eyed and sleepy and just plain zone out. And I’ve finally figured out who to blame for all this. I blame Dr. Werner von Braun.

Dr. von Braun was America’s preeminent rocket engineer during the heady days of our space program. It was the design and engineering of his rockets that allowed us to get to the moon. So how do I blame America’s most famous rocket engineer, a former Nazi by the way, for the way we teach photosynthesis?

The history of all this madness can be traced back to a single event in October of 1957. That was month that the Soviet Union successfully launched the world’s first artificial satellite. A shocked America gasped as the tiny Sputnik beeped overhead the U.S. every night. And every night it was a reminder that we were “behind” the Soviets in technology. Or at least that’s the perception we were led to believe. Even a very surprised Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet Premier at the time, took political advantage of the event to embarrass the United States and promised to “bury” us in superior Soviet technology.

How could the Soviets beat us, America, into space? Who was to blame for this embarrassment to American prestige, knowhow and pride? Somebody was to blame. Someone had to be blamed. Isn’t that what politicians do, blame someone for our shortcomings? How else could our arch enemy be better than us if someone didn’t do their job properly?

So the “blame” for the failing achievement of American technology fell on bad science education. Why not. If Soviet scientists and engineers could launch a satellite, and we didn’t, then logically their scientists and engineers were better educated. But the focus should have been on America’s technical knowhow to launch a satellite into outer space not on the perception of how bad our schools were.

The success of the Soviet launch of Sputnik was not an American educational failure. We emerged from World War Two as the strongest country in the world by all accounts. It was the strength of the American economy, industry, scientific research, and the large pool of well educated people that led to our eventual victory. And with that strength we went from a sleepy, politically isolated nation to the leader of the free world. It was American ingenuity and inventiveness that produced the machinery to win the war.

So what happened between 1945 and 1957? Did we all of a sudden get stupid? Did all of the returning veterans, many of whom took advantage of the new G.I. Bill and got college degrees, not take advantage of their education? Remember, it’s this pool of men and women that American businesses hired in the late 1940’s and 1950’s to propel the American economy a pull Europe out of the ashes of the Second World War.

The key historical point that led to the Soviet success in 1957 was the development of Nazi Germany’s rocket program in the 1930’s. A program that was led by none other than Dr. Werner von Braun. von Braun’s group designed the feared V1 and V2 rockets that brought terror to England in the closing days of the war. As the Nazi regime crumbled, the Soviets and the Allies saw the potential in capturing not only von Braun and his entire workforce, but the rockets themselves. Unlike von Braun, both sides understood the potential these rockets posed as military weapons, not as space vehicles. von Braun always saw his designs taking Man into outer space.

As the Soviets closed in on Nazi Germany from the East and the Allies from the West, a great effort was made to locate and capture von Braun and his operation. von Braun knew what his fate would be in Soviet hands and in a tale of courage, and basically treason, he and his core group of engineers made their way to Allied occupied territory and surrendered. By the time the war ended the Allies not only had the key engineers, but the plans and parts of many operational rockets in their possession. The Soviets too were successful, but they didn’t have what we had, von Braun. How much the Soviets captured was unknown to the West. Until 1957 that is.

von Braun and his group were quickly evacuated from Europe and sent to a camp in New Mexico, as prisoners of war, where they were held incommunicado for many years. We didn’t bring him here to develop a rocket program, as von Braun originally thought. Politically and militarily we didn’t need rockets. We had the ultimate weapon. We had The Bomb. We brought him here to keep him out of the hands of the Soviets.

In 1950, von Braun’s group was moved to the Army’s Redstone Arsenal outside of Huntsville, Alabama. Through a lot of political maneuvering, they lost their “prisoner” status and were allowed to work with the Army to develop strategic missiles. But von Braun never lost sight of the stars and already had the basic design work for a rocket that could launch a man into space worked out.

With the Army, Navy, and Air Force all competing for limited military funding, it’s no wonder there wasn’t any centralized effort made to develop a true ICBM. The one man who could do it, who had the experience to do it, as well as the engineering knowhow to do it was the former Nazi, Werner von Braun. In the 1950’s with Senator Joe McCarthy and his Red Scare creating hysteria at finding communists behind every light pole and shrub in America, having a former Nazi developing our defense missiles, much less a manned space vehicle, would not have played well with American sensibilities.

The Soviets, on the other hand, had a specific plan. And they spent a great deal of money on rocket research and development to implement the plan. We had neither a plan nor the desire to spend the money to develop our own rocket program. Was this the fault of bad schools? Or was it a political decision? von Braun made a great effort trying to convince the government that he could launch a space vehicle. But the U.S. government didn’t see the need. They didn’t say that we couldn’t do this because our kids were ill prepared in science and math. They didn’t say that our schools were a failure and we needed to reform them before we could take on such a challenge. Nor did they say that we didn’t have the industrial capacity to undertake the task. They just plain didn’t see the usefulness in spending all that money just to launch an artificial satellite. A purely political decision based on under-estimating the ability of the Soviets.

Sputnik changed everything. Now we had the “need”. We were threatened by the apparent superiority of Soviet science, technology and education. Almost overnight millions of dollars were allocated to fund the first great science education reform movement administered through the National Science Foundation.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad thing for science education. Did science education need reform? By all indications, the answer is yes. But without some stimulus, it wasn’t going to happen on its own or quickly. A number of excellent science programs that were developed in the 1950’s were implemented as a result of this new source of funding. Programs like the Physical Science Studies Curriculum (PSSC), ChemStudy and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Studies (BSCS) became popular and approached science teaching through a method of inquiry. The philosophy behind these programs is to expose students to how science is really done through first-hand experience.

Curiously these programs were not developed by educators, but real scientists. People who had a blank slate to design their “dream” science program. They had a vested interest in keeping science alive in the classrooms. They knew that federal funding of research programs depended on the education of the generation who would eventually replace them in the labs around the U.S.

This seemingly minor point is often overlooked when you examine the why’s of what we teach in science. These newly developed curricula were excellent and still are. But their primary reason for development was self serving. They were designed by scientists who felt that science needed to be constantly in the public eye, that science was necessary for a strong economy and nation. They felt that their source of funding from the government could very well be in jeopardy if Americans lost interest in science and research. They wanted to expose as many kids to as much science as they could in the hopes that many wold pursue a career in scientific research.

The foundations of what we teach and why in science classrooms were laid down in those days. And every evaluation of new science curricula is measured against those early “standards”. But in these evaluations are questions about real necessity asked? Are questions about what Americans really need to know about science asked? They are, of course, but not with the answers that we think are relevant.

How much detailed science does the average American really need in order to make sound, reasoned decisions about national science policies? Is it important to teach such a massive amount of science and losing true understanding? Or is teaching a lesser amount with deeper understanding better. Is it better to have people who maybe remember the processes of photosynthesis, or is it better to understand the significance of photosynthesis to life on the planet?

Could we have launched a satellite before the Soviets. The answer is most definitely yes. Had we done that, had someone given the go ahead to von Braun to proceed with his development of a rocket, think how much different everything could have been. There may have not been a “space race” or the massive education reforms we experienced. And maybe, just maybe, I and all my colleagues wouldn’t be pulling our hair out trying to get the kids to understand what glucose-6 phosphatase is.

Everyone knows penises can range in size from Michelangelo’s David to adult-entertainer, Remington Steele. However, there’s not a lot of talk about the shape of the manhood. Yet its shape has a big effect on pleasure for a partner, but also on a man’s health. Let’s talk a little about male penile shapes, normal and abnormal, as well as how to maximize pleasure and when shape can mean that something might need a closer look from a doctor.

1) The Straight and Narrow – This is a penis that is the same size from base to tip and is on the thinner side. Completely normal, the lack of girth can sometimes be a challenge for sexual satisfaction with a partner. Choose positions that create a tight fit, most notably by bringing a partner’s thighs close together to create a narrower passage resulting in a small space and more friction for both partners. A long, thin penis is also nothing to worry about and is totally normal.

2) The Gherkin – A man with a smaller penis that resembles the shape of the famed smaller pickle has often gotten a bad rap. With a little creativity and a lot of attention, both partners can achieve plenty of pleasure. Choose positions that allow for maximum depth and access to a female partner’s other erogenous zones. Couples can also additionally use sexual aides that are meant for the inner part of a woman’s vagina during sex, increasing pleasure for both parties. Oral and manual stimulation also bring plenty of pleasure.

Men who have an undersized penis should have their testosterone levels periodically checked as they age, as this is generally caused by inadequate levels of testosterone during fetal development.

3) The Tapered Tip – This penis shape is thicker at the base and narrows out at the tip, sort of resembling a rocket pop. This is a completely normal penis shape and can be very pleasurable for partners, as it provides depth and fullness without potential pain due to the narrowing of the tip.

4) A Modest Curve – A curved member is not at all uncommon, and generally, many men have a curve in their penis of 10 degrees or less that develops during puberty. Any host of sexual positions are pleasant with this penis shape, and female partners may be particularly enthusiastic, because men with moderately curved penises have a better chance of stimulating the G-spot during intercourse.

5) A Wicked Curve – While a curved member is not at all uncommon, a curve in any direction of 30 degrees (some would argue a curve of more than 15 degrees) or more is a cause for concern. If that curve is accompanied by painful erections and intercourse, the owner of such a penis may have Peyronie’s disease, which is caused by scar tissue in the penile canals.

Generally, medication and/or surgery is needed to alleviate the disease. This disease affects nearly one of out of four men over 40, so it’s more common than might be believed.

Penis Health

No matter the shape, a daily penis care regimen will keep a member strong, supple, and ready for action. Be sure to engage in blood-pumping exercise each day to stimulate blood flow. Protect the penis whenever playing sports or cycling to prevent injury.

Build a good grooming routine which includes daily cleansing with a gentle cleanser. Follow up with a specially formulated penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which has been clinically proven safe and mild for skin). Moisturizing with this type of special crème, made explicitly for penises promotes penis health and function. Look for vitamins like A, B, C, D, and E, as well as penis-boosting nutrients like L-Carnitine and L-Arginine. Combined with a natural moisturizing base like Shea butter, regular use will strengthen the member and make him attractive to all who meet him.

Learning to speak Spanish fluently seems like something that might take months or even years to master, but I assure you, that is most definitely not the case. These days you can easily and quickly take on a new language without batting an eye lash. Ok, well, that isn’t entirely true. It will take some work, but it’s much faster than it used to and definitely much less stressful than a classroom style workshop. Read on to learn how I managed to learn to speak Spanish fluently in just 8 weeks.

I got lucky in the sense that I was able to find a lot of great resources online that I was able to use. I’m talking conjugation guides, terms and glossaries of the most common Spanish words, explanations of the unique Spanish cultures around the world and a lot more. I’m not special though–this information is widely available on search engines like Google. The only downside to these free resources are that they are disorganized, usually just teach the basics (and I mean very basics) and won’t mature with you as you learn more about the language. That’s why I went with a paid course after I taught myself the basics, like how the Spanish conjugation works.

The course I went with was Rocket Spanish, this is an advanced course that you purchase and download online. You can get by with free stuff on the internet, but this course will have you speaking near fluent or fluent Spanish in 8 weeks or less. I’ve tested this personally and it does in fact work as described. So there you have it, there are great free basic options, and a “speedy” course you can purchase to help you to become fluent in 8 weeks or less. Learning a new language is a great way to get new job opportunities and open up your life to way more options like new cultures and people. Once you learn a new language, you’ll be so glad you did!

Chacha Chaudhary is India’s most loved comics character. When we hear or talk about him the first thing that comes to our mind is his red turban, his wooden stick, his big white mustache, his wife Binni, his faithful dog Rocket, and Sabu who is an alien from planet Jupiter. Sabu arrived on earth along with Chacha on one of his trip. Chacha treats him as his nephew, his power comes in handy in defeating bad guys. While Chacha’s mind is his most powerful weapon, which is shown to work faster than a computer. Chachaji is portrayed as a middle class, old man. Physically he is not strong but his strength lies in his brain. He is differs from other superheroes whether Indian or foreigner of the fact that he does not have a single superpower to his credit except of course his mind. Chachaji has solved thousands of cases till now.

His family includes his wife, Binni, popularly known simply as Chachi (Hindi for aunt), his pet dog Rocket, and Sabu the giant from the plane Jupiter. Sabu decided to stay permanently on Earth after tasting delicious food made by Chachi’s hands. When need arises Sabu helps Chacha Ji with his physical strength. According to comics whenever Sabu gets angry, somewhere a volcano erupts (this is stated in a panel with a picture of a volcano erupting, which says, “When Sabu is Angry, a Volcano Erupts.”). Whenever he performs an act of great strength, he utters the cry, “Hu-Huba!” Sabu eats 108 Chapatti’s, 12 kilos of halwa and about 20 liters of Lassi in one meal. He is not married, and avoids the topic.

The biggest enemy of Chacha Chaudhary is Raaka (once a dacoit, but an immortal giant who became invincible after drinking a magic portion made by Chakram Acharya), other enemies being Gobar Singh (a dacoit), Dhamaka Singh, and his accomplice Paleeta and Ruldu.

Many a times Chacha Chaudhary has beaten Raaka and forced him to shave off his moustache as a result of some competition which Chacha has won. Chacha’s comic with Raaka, Raaka ki waapsi (The Return of Raaka) is one of the best sellers. In the previous comics Raaka was of the same size as that of Sabu but then Raaka was put to sleep by some potion given by a saint from the Himalayas and buried in the ocean the first time. On his return by another potion he was reduced to a small size, closed in a bottle and buried in a grave. But this was not the end. He returned several times again to wreak havoc in the city. Finally Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu buried him in an endless hole somewhere near a rocket launch site.

Currently Diamond Comics are the biggest publishers of Chacha Chaudhary. One of the Diamond Comics Press Release stated that the Indian kids of the age group 10-13 years ranked Chacha Chaudhary as their most popular comic book character. It is notable that not only kids but adults also like Diamond comics specially Chacha Chaudhary. Diamond Comics is published in nearly all Indian regional languages, it has reached large audience made fans from across the world. Since the last three decades it is providing the best Comic literature to kids.

Do you want to learn the German language? This can be a very daunting task! The good news is you don’t have to do it alone! The great thing about our culture today is we always have an abundance of resources available to us at given time. Hopefully my article will help you truly learn German and be able to use it in conversational situations! Whether you are brand new to the language, or you just want to improve your German vocabulary, I have listed 4 steps to aid you in your journey through learning German. These steps have helped me and I know they will help you too!

1. Have a definite sense of purpose

In other words, set it in your mind that you ARE going to LEARN GERMAN! Don’t let anything hold you back. The mind you have is beautiful and very powerful, so make a decision- your decision will hold you through even when it gets tough. Once you have completed step one you can move on to step two.

2. Find a system, teacher, or book that will teach you in a way you can understand

This is one of the most important decisions to make. There are many systems that you can purchase that will teach you German. The top two systems that I know of are Rocket German and Rosetta Stone. Both of these systems are fully capable of teaching you German. I would recommend using Rocket German over Rosetta Stone because of the success ratios and price difference. Rocket German users have reported faster success in learning German and have also reported it being easier to use. While users learn German using Rosetta Stone, they also pay over five times more than Rocket German users, weighing in at $549 for the complete package. Rocket German’s price is $99.95, which would save you quite a bit of money. In addition to faster learning and a much cheaper price, Rocket German gives you 6 free days worth of courses so you can get a feel for the system and see if it would benefit you. After finding the system that best suits you, move on to step number 3.

3. Immerse yourself in the German culture and language

The key to fully learn and understand German is to absolutely surround yourself with the culture. Watch German movies, read German books, listen to German music, and most importantly, recite the things you learn OUT LOUD! When you speak out loud it registers far better in your brain and you learn much much faster. After grasping the concept of step 3, move on to number 4.

4. Don’t quit

This is an obvious statement- no real need for clarification! Just don’t quit. Remember why you want to learn German and that force will keep you on track.

Closing Statements:

These tips will help and guide you along as you learn German. Above all, just remember why you want to learn German and this should hold you back from quitting when you feel pressure and stress. I have included a few links that you can look at from here to get you started on your German adventure.

Whether you’re somewhere on a desert highway driving a Harley-Davidson or flying around the back roads on a Honda CBR model, a little bit of zen and some motorcycle maintenance can often mean the difference between making the curb or not. You only have to land on your back in the middle of a grassy field once to appreciate just how important this difference can actually be.

Obviously, your cleaning requirements will vary depending on how many miles you log and what the road conditions are like when you’re racking them up. Regardless, it’s not a good idea to get your motorcycle washed and cleaned at a commercial car wash. So, unless you’re independently wealthy and can afford to have your bike hand-washed by a bunch of bikini-clad supermodels, you’re going to end up doing it yourself (probably just as well… supermodels aren’t really known for their attention to detail). Here are some recommendations for keeping your bike in top condition.

Before beginning, always consult your owner’s manual. If you don’t have it or bought the bike used, try to track one down on the internet (most manufacturers will offer them as a free PDF download via their respective websites). A motorcycle owner’s manual will contain specific instructions for washing, including cleaning tips and products recommended by the manufacturer.

Always make sure the engine has cooled before washing. Wash your bike in a shaded area as the sun can dry the soap solution before you can rinse it, leaving soap marks on the surface (which more or less defeats the point of washing it in the first place). When you’re scrubbing off the road grime, give all the parts a thorough check. Be on the lookout for leaks and loose hardware, making sure everything is snug and secure.

After thoroughly rinsing, dry your bike with a soft white cotton cloth or towel that doesn’t have loose fibers. Cheap towels leave behind loose fibers that show up like cat hair on a business suit. Also, avoid using a paper towel as it might scratch the painted surfaces. Taking a cue from the commercial car washes, compressed air is a great option for drying and works especially well in hard to reach places, like around the motorcycle license plate frame. If you don’t have an air compressor, you can use a vacuum in a similar way by attaching the hose to the exhaust port, although a modest investment in a motorcycle dryer will pay off with just a few uses. Follow the cleaning process with a good coating of car wax to protect the finish and block dirt from taking hold as easily.

For those who have a collectible model or just don’t have the time to get on the roads as often as they’d like, there are a number of handy accessories – like a motorbike cover or motorcycle loading ramp – that protect your bike and prevent you from having to wash it as often.

Motorcycle covers provide a high-quality way to shield your bike from the elements and other airborne corrosives like dust. Don’t use a plastic tarp. They trap moisture and don’t breathe, allowing mold and corrosion to take hold. Motorbike covers also protect against UV rays, rain, dirt and pollutants while the built-in air vents let moisture evaporate.

Another handy accessory, Motorcycle ramps, features a strong weight capacity, wheel-guider sides, and sure-grip ramp surfaces, providing traction, stability and safety when transporting your bike from one location to another or onto a raised or lowered platform.

Storing your bike requires a little extra care. First, bring the tire pressure for both the front and rear up to the recommended PSI. Next, find an out-of-the-way spot to store it, and put the bike up on its center-stand. Then, block it up just enough to raise the front wheel off the ground and either remove the battery or hook it up to a trickle charger, maintaining the charge and health of the battery while not in active use.