Xena XN15 Motorcycle Disc Lock Alarm High-quality, hefty disk lock includes a shrieking 110 dB alarm. It serves as a good deterrent for a would-be thief and a warning for the owner if the lock is accidentally left in place before riding off. Appears to be high quality and more robust than other disc locks …

BMW Racing Motorcycles: The Mastery of Speed by: Laurel C. Allen and Mark Gardiner Hardcover: 174 pages Dimensions (in inches): 9.25 x 6.75 x 0.937 Publisher: Whitehorse Press; (March 2008) ISBN: 978-1-884313-65-3 List Price: $29.95 More:  wBW Book Review Index  |  Book Reviews by Rating  |  Vintage, Classic, Antique Motorcycles Page  |  Motorcycle Repair and Maintenance Article Index Mark Gardiner is …

New Name, Decent Helmet Excellent quality is a surprise at this price. Non-movable top vents. Sizing runs small. Very nice selection of graphics. Brow vents in visor. Relatively quiet. Slightly short in front-to-back dimensions. I’ll admit it: I hadn’t even seen a SparX helmet, but I knew I wouldn’t like them. Why?  Well, it was …

The Essential Buyer’s Guide: BMW GS By: Peter Henshaw Paperback: 64 pages Dimensions (mm): 140 x 195 x 6.0 Publisher: Veloce Publishing; (Feb 2008) ISBN: 978-1-84584-135-5 List Price: $19.95 (£9.99) We have a ton of books queued up and ready to review in the webBikeWorld library. I’ve been having too much fun reading them and, as …

Lectra Sox Battery Heated Socks Review We tried everything we could think of but just can’t seem to get any heat from these socks. Battery heated clothing has been evolving and improving each year. I have no doubt that one day we’ll have thin, flexible, light weight and warm clothing that maintains exact temperatures with …

Neck Tube Warmers or “Gaiters” for Motorcycle Riding Each of these products will block the wind and add comfort and warmth in cold weather, and they’re recommended for motorcycle riding in winter. The Biker’s Comfort in Action “Bike Pit” neck gaiter has a comfortable fleece lining. The Knox “Cold Killers Maxi Tube” and “Hot Hood” …

Interphone, Scala Rider TeamSet and IMC Camos Intercoms You may recall our last chapter in the continuing saga of Bluetooth disappointment (more on that in a minute), when our original set of Interphone Bluetooth intercoms were replaced with the Interphone “Comfort Kit”. This is an update on the replacement and some observations on the current …

A High/Low End HJC Helmet? Shell seems bulky. The exhaust vents and design of the liner allow higher than average noise levels. Rotating internal sun visor works only in the full on or off positions. The HJC FS-10 fills a gap that HJC apparently perceived in their lineup. The FS-10 is one of the most …

Rollastand Wheel Roller Review Very handy device for a motorcycle without a center stand. Allows you to rotate wheels for cleaning, checking tire pressures and chain maintenance. Two models available; one for sportbikes and one for cruisers This is one of those “must have” products for any bike without a center stand. It’s also something …

Caberg Trip Helmet Review High-quality helmet with unique styling (for a flip-up). Comfortable, relatively quiet and one of the lightest weight flip-ups available. Venting could be better, but overall, a good value. Let’s do something different and start with my conclusion: it didn’t take long for the Caberg Trip to become my favorite flip-up motorcycle …

The Walmart Bell Helmet Go ahead and scoff, but I’m declaring the Bell Zephyr to be the Motorcycle Helmet Bargain of 2007. A Zephyr review was originally suggested by a webBikeWorld visitor, and, I’ll admit, I was skeptical. The helmet is primarily sold by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart?  Motorcycle helmets? But, we’ve tried ’em all, from the …

Entry Level Shark Helmet There are dozens of motorcycle helmet brands and models to choose from today — and just as many reasons to select one over another. Of course, there’s always the “Big Three” — Arai, HJC and Shoei — who have a deserved reputation for high-quality products and a commitment to safety. But …

Alpinestars “Recon” Boots Review Reasonably priced and apparently well made but with a thin sole. It was a great plan. But, as plans do, it completely unraveled. The idea was to review a supah dee-luxe Enduro outfit. That would be the M2R Rally Cross jacket and pants combo with the Alpinestars Recon boots. Also, the cool Marushin Enduro helmet …

HJC FS-Max: The Next Sy-Max? Average modular helmet with no real outstanding features. Includes an internal sun shade. Relatively quiet with comfortable liner. New and unique type of face shield removal mechanism. Our example had some quality flaws. This helmet in size XL is very heavy. NOTE: See our review of the HJC Sy-Max II, which is …

REV’IT! Off Track Jacket and Dakar Pants I think we can safely credit BMW with popularizing the Adventure Touring or Enduro styling movement way back in 1980. I’m not saying that BMW started the fad; in fact, this type of motorcycle, which is a sort of two-wheel equivalent of an SUV, has one of the oldest legacies …

Harbor Freight Gordon LED Flashlight The Harbor Freight “Gordon” LED flashlight is super cheap but super good. It’s as powerful as many other LED flashlights that cost up to 10x more. We haven’t been very keen on Harbor Freight, preferring instead to pay good money and get good tools. Sure, some bargains can be found …

Roadgear Ultra Hi-Tec Digital Tire Gauge Yikes! Here we go again, yet another motorcycle tire pressure gauge review. Will the perfect gauge ever arrive? The good ol’ original Roadgear Digital Tire Gauge (review) is still a favorite, because its “L” shape fits every motorcycle tire I’ve tried. Sportbikes have big disks covering most of the front wheel, …

The Oxford Digi Gauge Now you may be asking yourself “Self, is this yet another webBikeWorld digital tire pressure gauge review?” Good question! And the answer is: because we still haven’t found the perfect tire pressure gauge. After all’s said and done, the original Roadgear digital tire pressure gauge (review) is the one that gets used most …

KBC Force RR Motorcycle Helmet Visitor feedback tells us that KBC helmets are ultra-popular — every time we review one, you ask for more. We reviewed the KBC VR-1 (review), the KBC VR-2 (review), the KBC VR-3 (review) and the KBC FFR (review) flip-up. But that wasn’t enough; now you want the Force RR! No Problemo!  But…I’m not sure why there …

Xtreme Charge Battery Charger Review Lightweight and sealed vinyl case and all sorts of blinking lights. Does it charge a battery any faster or better than anything else? Who knows… Motorcycles sleeping away in the garage, cozy and blissful, tucked under their comfy flannel sheet covers. Ahhh, a peaceful sight!  Their little batteries are carefully …

The World’s First “Jet” Styled Helmet? Here’s my prediction: you’re looking at the next big thing in motorcycle helmets. I realize I’m going out on a limb here, because not everyone is into what could be called “Jet” or “Scooter Style” helmets. But they’re becoming hugely popular in Europe and just about everywhere else in …

Shoei Multitec Flip-up Helmet The Shoei Multitec is without a doubt the most anticipated motorcycle helmet of 2006. The Shoei Syncrotec (review), the Mulitec’s predecessor, was getting “long in the tooth”. Although it was still one of the best-selling modular helmets in the world. So, I’m sure everyone wants to know if the Multitec is the ne …

Forcefield Armor and Protectors Many of you are still responding to the series of motorcycle armor review articles we’ve published over the last year or so. Although we knew it all along, this just proves that webBikeWorld visitors are extremely knowledgeable — and concerned — about safety. This pleases us to no end, because we’ve …

The Swiss Watch of Motorcycle Wheel Rollers The Easy Wheeler has to be one of the most over-the-top motorcycle accessories we’ve seen in a long time. But hey — when it comes to motorcycles, too much is never enough, right? Any sport that craves 300mm wide cruiser tires, chromed swingarms, gold-plated chains and carbon fiber …

Streetbikes – Everything You Need To Know Paperback: 160 pages. 300 color photos. Dimensions: 8-1/4 in. x 10-5/8 in. Publisher: Motorbooks (2005) Price: $24.95 – $33.95 CDN – £16.99 ISBN: 0760323623 I’m usually not a big fan of this form of “do-it-all” compendium. It typically tries to cover everything and ends up covering nothing. So …

TechSox Boot Socks Review It’s nearing the end of the summer motorcycle riding season here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.A. All of the new-for-2006 motorcycle helmets, clothing and many accessories have long since been released and we’re waiting for the new batch of 2007 goodies. In the meantime, there are a few items …

Stanley Tripod Flashlight Review Very nicely made and a real conversation piece. Also very handy and by the way — it throws a nice, wide and powerful beam. I’m not sure when I first became aware of the Tripod flashlight, but as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have one. We …

Joe Rocket GPX 2.0 Men’s Professional Race Gloves We’ve been reporting on the evolution of Joe Rocket clothing for several years, watching the quality rise from mediocre to first-rate during that time. I remember not too long ago when buying a Joe Rocket jacket was nearly the social equivalent of buying a helmet at K-Mart.  But …

BMW Motorcycles: The Evolution of Excellence Hardcover: 174 pages Dimensions (in inches): 9.13 x 6.8 x 0.75 Publisher: Whitehorse Press; (September 2006) ISBN: 1884313574 List Price: $29.95 More:  wBW Book Review Index  |  Book Reviews by Rating  |  Vintage, Classic, Antique Motorcycles Page  |  BMW Page  |  Motorcycle Repair and Maintenance Article Index Here we are in 2006 and I have to …

Performance Riding Techniques wBW Book Review Performance Riding Techniques is a fantastic new book. It also shows a new direction for Haynes Publishing. Haynes is most familiar to U.S. motorcycle owners as the publishers of motorcycle repair manuals and guides. Haynes books have been around virtually forever, guiding owners with repair and restoration info on obscure …

Velocity Gear F9 and S1 Gloves Review Nice gloves, loaded with features. Based on our examples, they fit 1/2 to 1 size wider than normal. We get many tips about interesting new motorcycle products and accessories from our visitors. Some of them are dead-ends, and others are golden. The tips, that is, not the visitors! …

A Mini LED Keychain Light Things have been a little slow around here lately, mostly due to the intolerable weather that has us watching MotoGP video reruns instead of riding. The entire planet seems to be on fire, and the way it’s going, we’ll all have to find a new pastime sooner rather than later. …

Yet Another Motorcycle Battery Charger We last visited the topic of motorcycle battery chargers about one year ago with our review of the Battery Doc. In that article, we mentioned that our three Battery Tenders had been in continuous use since 2000. We’re now half-way through 2006 and the Battery Tenders are still going strong. They’re …

Rain-Off Waterproof Gloves Review Waterproof over-gloves that can be a bit fussy to wear. You’d think the word “waterproof” would mean, uh…waterproof? As in no water gets through, never? I mean, how many definitions of the word “waterproof” do we need? Seems like there shouldn’t be much controversy over its definition… But in Motorcycle World, …

Racer “High End” Gloves Review Very nice gloves, loaded with features that really make a difference. Well worth the money and actually surprisingly inexpensive compared to others we’ve seen. It’s interesting to watch how the popularity of different motorcycle clothing items waxes and wanes over time. We recently featured several articles on back protectors and visitors kept …

BMW Back Protector 2 The BMW Back Protector 2 is thin enough to fit under most motorcycle jackets. It also covers a large area of the back. The lining is comfortable (relatively speaking) and the Back Protector 2 seems to be more flexible than other back protectors. It’s also a lightweight at only 1.75 lbs. …

Held “Ninja” Gloves Riding a motorcycling is a fantastic sensory experience that never ceases to amaze. We rely on our eyes and ears, the seat of our pants and the feel of the air pressing against our bodies, but our hands serve as the primary interface to the motorcycle. Motorcycle gloves act as a barrier to the …

The Backchat Voice-Powered Motorcycle Intercom I’ve been searching for a wireless motorcycle intercom system for some time now. I remain amazed that apparently no one has yet exploited Bluetooth technology to make this happen. When they do, we’ll be there. But in the meantime, I still needed a motorcycle intercom, preferably without any of the …

Craftsman Programmable Digital Tire Gauge The Evil Gadgeteer within me could not resist when it saw the ad for this Sears Craftsman Digital Tire Gauge in the Craftsman Club tool catalog. What was the hook? The ad copy beckoned me with the tempting “Program the target tire pressure of your vehicle” clearly printed on the …

The Mid-Range HJC Helmet The HJC CL-SP is a sort of mid-range HJC helmet. It has excellent quality and a comfortable liner and padding. It’s also relatively quiet and has good ventilation. There’s plenty of room behind the chin bar and the new face shield design works well. The face shield is easy to remove …