Review
Sena SM10
Sena SM10 Bluetooth Stereo Audio Adapter Preview February 21, 2012 – In addition to the new Sena SMH-5intercom, Sena also introduced the new Sena SM10 Bluetooth Stereo Audio Adapter system at the 2012 Dealer Expo. UPDATE: Sena SM10 Review! The SM10 is a surprise and it responds to the many webBikeWorld Sena owners who have been asking …
SCHUBERTH S2 Preview
February 21, 2012 – The 2012 Dealer Expo is over but I have a few more reports to post. SCHUBERTH formally introduced both the SCHUBERTH S2 and SCHUBERTH SR1 (review) helmets at this year’s event. We reviewed the SCHUBERTH SR1 late last year and it was named the webBikeWorld Motorcycle Helmet of the Year in our annual awards. 2011 …
Sena SMH5
Sena SMH5 Preview Background February 21, 2012 – Sena formally announced the new SMH5 intercom system at the 2012 Dealer Expo. The SMH5 has a slightly smaller form factor than the Sena SMH-10 intercom (review) and although it uses the new Bluetooth 3.0 standard, it is more comparable in features to the original SMH10. …
Arai XD4 Preview
Arai XD4 Helmet Preview Background February 20, 2012 – Arai formally introduced the XD4 helmet at the 2012 Dealer Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana. I stopped by the Arai booth to ask about their internal shape “evolution” for the Signet-Q (review) we reviewed recently on webBikeWorld.com. More on that subject later, but in the meantime, I took …
Interphone F5 Preview
Interphone F5 Intercom Preview February 19, 2012 – Just a quick note to let you know that Interphone is back in the U.S.A. The Interphone F4 (review) was/is one of my favorite intercom systems, only because it’s simple and easy to use and I’ve used it enough to know how to work it without a …
Suzuki DR650 Engine Case Guards Review
Suzuki DR650 Engine Guards Extra protection for both sides of the DR650 engine. The guards are available for the DRZ400 and Honda XR650R. Easy to install and slightly expensive but made in the U.S.A. I’m pretty much beyond the “must have” list of goodies for the DR650 but there are so many cool gadgets available …
VQuattro Squadra Gloves Review
VQuattro “Squadra” Heated Motorcycle Gloves Review The VQuattro Squadra gloves are the company’s top-of-the-line offering for 2012. The Squadra gloves incorporate all of the excellent features found in the VQuattro Lazio gloves (review), plus a very unobtrusive battery-operated heating system. The price is actually not out of line with other battery or wired heated motorcycle gloves. But you …
Handy Motorcycle Lift
Handy Motorcycle Lifts and Accessories February 19, 2012 – I’m happy to report that Handy is back! Handy Industries was well known to motorcyclists and motorcycle dealers as the manufacturer of high-quality, heavy-duty, made in American lifts. But the company apparently failed and went under in 2010, much to the surprise of everyone in the …
Shoei Neotec Helmet Safety
Shoei Neotec Helmet EPS February 18, 2012 – I met one of the Shoei helmet designers at the show and he had a cutaway version of the new Shoei Neotec (review) that was recently reviewed on webBikeWorld.com. This cutaway sample is very interesting because it illustrates why we discovered that the upper ventilation is so good on …
2012 Bell Helmets
Bell Helmets for 2012 February 18, 2012 – Bell Helmets is well known to motorcyclists around the world and the company has been on a roll over the last few years. Bell is known for their innovative helmets, of course. But they also have probably the best and most varied collection of graphics and colors …
2012 Teknic Clothing
Teknic Freestyle, Sprint and Supervent Pro February 18, 2012 – A lot of time has passed since we last reviewed any Teknic gear — too much time. There’s no reason for this — it’s just an oversight. The brand sort of disappeared off our radar for some reason, even though the company can always be …
AFX FX-140 Preview
Limited Edition Euro-Style Flip-up February 17, 2012 – We have received more emails from webBikeWorld visitors about this helmet than any other, so the AFX booth was my first stop at the 2012 Dealer Expo. The FX-140 has been selling for some time but for one reason or another, we just never caught up with …
Tourmaster 2012 Clothing
February 17, 2012 – (Note: I’ll have more on the 2012 Tourmaster line coming soon but here’s a quick “teaser” look for now). I’ll admit: I have a soft spot for Tourmaster clothing. This is probably because of a pair of Tourmaster overpants (review) that were my first “serious” motorcycle apparel item. Believe it or not, I …
Shorai BMS01 Charger Review
Shorai BMS01 Battery Charger Review The intent of this review is to take a look at the Shorai LFX charger, which is intended as a custom solution offered by the manufacturer. Whether or not Shorai designs and manufactures the charger or whether it is produced by a subcontractor to a provided design specification (probable) may …
Akito Desert Pants
Akito “Desert” Pants Review The Akito Desert pants pair with the Akito Desert jacket (review) and they can be attached with a waist zipper. The pants have the same basic quality of construction and stitching as the jacket, with the same issues. See Part I: Akito Desert Jacket Review Please refer to Part I of this two-part review, which describes …
Akito Desert Jacket
Akito “Desert” Jacket Review The Akito Desert jacket and pants are priced to sell, no doubt about it. But while it may seem like there’s a lot here for the money, we have some serious reservations about the quality of the stitching, materials and construction. So is it possible to spend less on an entire …
SaFRace Motorcycle Gloves
SaFRace SR-128 Motorcycle Gloves Review The new SāFRāce SR-182 motorcycle gloves have several interesting and unique protective features. They look rugged, they feel tough and they’re actually pretty comfortable. The word “SāFRāce” was designed as a catchy marketing phrase for the glove brand. I had to search through the Unicode character map to find the “ā” HTML code (ā) for …
American Made Boots
Thorogood American Made Boots These Thorogood American Heritage Signature series hiking boots are not motorcycle boots. They are, however, extremely comfortable, with soft “broken-in” leather and a cushy sole. The surprise is that they are also Union-made in the U.S.A. I frequently get emails from webBikeWorld visitors asking if I know of any motorcycle gear that is …
Falco Mixto Boots
Falco “Mixto” Motorcycle Boots Review The new Falco Mixto boots combine street and adventure-touring style with a waterproof membrane at an excellent price point. They’re comfortable, roomy, easy to wear and made in Italy. Falco has introduced a huge new lineup of motorcycle boots for the 2012 model year, which I previewed in my report from …
Richa Spirit Jacket
Richa Spirit Police Jacket February 19, 2012 – The Richa Spirit jacket (review) was formally introduced at the 2012 Dealer Expo by Vega Helmets, the importer and distributor, and Richa Clothing. Richa is a European (Belgium) manufacturer who has been making motorcycle gloves and clothing for more than 125 years. That’s a long time in anyone’s book! …
VQuattro Lazio Gloves
VQuattro “Lazio” Motorcycle Gloves Review The VQuattro Lazio gloves are made from high-quality, very soft goat leather. Also included is Primaloft insulation and a waterproof breathable liner insert. The overall styling, construction and fit is second to none, making the Lazio gloves among the nicest and warmest non-heated gloves we’ve ever reviewed. Please read the VQuattro gloves …
VQuattro Venture Gloves
VQuattro “Venture” Motorcycle Gloves Review The VQuattro Venture gloves are a combination textile and goat leather, designed for predominantly wet-weather use. They are non-heated and contain the Primaloft insulation and the waterproof and breathable membrane found in the other VQuattro gloves. The Venture gloves also have an Outlast phase-change liner, which adapts to the rider’s body …
Touratech Adjustable Folding Shift Lever
Touratech Adjustable Shift Lever Review I was planning a ride across the Trans-Labrador Highway in Canada in the summer of 2011. While planning for this trip, I was concerned about riding my 2002 BMW R1150GS (review) on the hundreds of miles of gravel roads. I don’t ride off-road very often, so I had a real fear of …
Lazer Monaco
Lazer Monaco Helmet Review (CE Version) The new carbon-fiber version of the Lazer Monaco is claimed to be the world’s lightest flip-up motorcycle helmet and we have no reason to doubt it. In fact, it’s one of the lightest helmets of any type we’ve ever reviewed on webBikeWorld.com. Light weight does make a difference — …
Suzuki DR650 Center Stand and SW-Motech Lowered Foot Pegs Review
Suzuki DR650 Center Stand and Lowered Foot Pegs The SW-Motech center stand is well designed, fairly easy to install and provides a very solid platform. The lowered foot pegs were installed at the same time and they provide a slightly more comfortable riding position, albeit with more vibration felt by the rider. I have probably …
Suzuki DR650 Shift Lever
Suzuki DR650 Shift Levers Not all DR650 shift levers are created equal! Who thinks about shift levers? Not me. If you added up all the time I have spent thinking about this subject over the course of my entire motorcycle career — which spans more decades than I care to think about — you wouldn’t …
Maxxeon WorkStar 2000 Technician’s Floodlight
Powerful Well-Built Working Light The Maxxeon WorkStar 2000 Technician’s Floodlight is the big brother of the Maxxeon Pocket Floodlight (review) we like so much. The WorkStar 2000 is a “professional” floodlight that delivers a huge perfectly round light bath for illuminating wide areas. It has neodymium magnets and a built-in hook and the head turns 360 degrees …
Richa Spirit Jacket
Richa Spirit C_Change Jacket Review Richa is popular brand of motorcycle clothing in Europe and Richa clothing is now available in the U.S.A., imported and distributed by the Vega Helmet Corporation. The Richa Spirit C-Change jacket and pants are the company’s flagship outfit and the first of the Richa products delivered to the U.S. The jacket and …
BMW Adventure Bags
BMW Adventure Dry Bag Review The BMW Adventure Saddlebag Liner dry bags are big, bold and meant to go the distance, just like the BMW R1200GS Adventure machine that they are designed for. They also fit perfectly in or on the BMW Adventure pannier system. As a soft compressible dry bag, their uses on or …
Richa Spirit Pants
Richa Spirit C_Change Pants Review The Richa Spirit pants are a natural for pairing with the Spirit jacket. The pants also include the special Schoeller “c_change” climate adaptive membrane bonded to the Dynatec shell. The Spirit pants are fully waterproof at the outer boundary layer and they do not require an inner waterproof liner. The …
Alpinestars Roam Boots Review
Waterproof Boots for Riding and Roaming Waterproof for sure, but not the easiest boot to live with. In the past I have extolled the virtues of Alpinestars boots, in particular the Alpinestars Recon Boots (review). As good as those boots are, they are not ideal for cold-weather riding. The problem — if you want to call …
Vemar Attivo Review
Vemar Attivo Helmet The Vemar Attivo is new for 2012 and slots in at a lower price point than the made in Italy Vemar Jiano EVO TC (review). The styling of the Attivo is nice and the helmet has a few interesting features, but it seems a bit uninspired when compared to its big brother, the …
Richa Spirit C_Change Jacket Review
Richa Spirit Jacket Summary Richa is popular brand of motorcycle clothing in Europe and Richa clothing is now available in the U.S.A., imported and distributed by the Vega Helmet Corporation The Richa Spirit C-Change jacket and pants are the company’s flagship outfit and the first of the Richa products delivered to the U.S. The …
Teiz Motorsports Navigator
Teiz Navigator Outfit Review The Teiz Motorsports Navigator two-piece outfit is a delight to wear. It is comfortable with ample venting and insulation and it is made with quality components and obviously some thought about a motorcycle rider’s needs. I think Teiz Motorsports has put together an excellent product at a competitive price point. At …
The Motorcycle Touring Bible
The Motorcycle Touring Bible By: Fred Rau ISBN: 978 0760 337417 Dimensions (inches): 7.8 x 9.0 Publisher: Motorbooks (2010) 224 pages, Color Photos and Illustrations Cost: $29.99 (USD) $32.99 CAD £17.99 GBP Review Date: January 2012 Good basic background on the basics of motorcycling but not really focused specifically on touring, which is both a plus and …
Michelin Commander II Motorcycle Tires
Michelin Announces Revised Commander II Motorcycle Tires January 1, 2012 – Michelin Motorcycle Tires launches the Michelin Commander II tire today. The Commander II is available immediately in 15 sizes, in both bias and radial construction. Michelin says that the Commander II tire offers “a new standard in cruiser tire longevity and uncompromised handling and stability”. …
HJC Sy-Max III Helmet
Third Gen Sy-Max Is Here The HJC Sy-Max III is a worthy upgrade to the original, with better build quality and improved visibility, noise control and comfort. The flip-up visor retention system has also been improved. Warm-weather ventilation is a question that will have to remain unanswered until next summer. But overall, everyone who has …
Firstgear Kathmandu Gloves
Firstgear Kathmandu Gloves Review Let’s just put it this way: the Firstgear Kathmandu gloves did not live up to my expectations. As I mentioned in Part 1 of this 2011 Winter Glove Review series, the Firstgear Kathmandu gloves and the Spidi T-Winter gloves (review) were specifically chosen for a couple of reasons. Spidi products are under-represented in …
Scottoiler California Spec Motorcycle Chain Oiler
Scottoiler vSystem “California Spec” Chain Oiler Review The Scottoiler vSystem “California Spec” chain oiler is a CARB (California Air Resources Board) approved version of the popular Scottoiler vSystem chain lube kit. The differences are minor, although the holder or receiver for the metering valve is new and this version has been approved for use with …
Baxley Sport Chock
Baxley Sport Chock Review The Baxley Sport Chock is a super-solid, heavy-duty motorcycle stand that is made in the U.S.A. This is the most secure front wheel chock we’ve found so far and it’s as handy as ever in the garage. It’s also designed to work in a pickup truck bed for transporting your motorcycle …
