Posts in category

Review


Midland BT2-D Intercom Review The Midland BT2 intercom system we reviewed in November of 2008 was of the type distributed by Midland UK that was purchased by motorcycle riders in many different countries. Although the original BT2 system was not sold in North America, many riders imported a set, paying list price and the hefty shipping cost …

Twiins Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Review Twiins is a really good basic Bluetooth communications system that provides seamless mobile phone functionality and a crystal clear intercom up to 10 metres. It paired up instantly with every Bluetooth phone and GPS we put in front of it. The only current shortfall, more related to self-imposed limitations (legal …

Joe Rocket Highside Gloves The Joe Rocket Highside gloves are very comfortable, offering reasonable protection for the the street at an also reasonable price. Joe Rocket has come a long way over the years to reach its current status of one of the most popular manufacturers of motorcycling gear. One thing they have managed to keep consistent …

REV’IT! Jerez Motorcycle Gloves Top-of-the-line race gloves from REV’IT! with all the bells and whistles. Many protective features including very large and thick protective armor, especially on the back and wrist. Comfortable and surprisingly cool in hot weather. I’ve been wanting to get my hands on (or in) a pair of REV’IT! Jerez gloves since I first …

TireGard Wireless TPMS Review The TireGard wireless TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is easy to use, light weight and accurate, but expensive. A tire pressure monitoring system — specifically a wireless TPMS — has been on my radar screen for some time. And now that I think about it, is there such a thing as …

Akuma Phantom II MFR Motorcycle Helmet Review Ultra-light carbon fiber helmet is comfortable, has good air flow and is relatively quiet. The Akuma Phantom II is designed as a no-nonsense “Made For Racing” (MFR) design. Another first: the Akuma Phantom II is the first motorcycle helmet to have a genuine Transitions SOLFX brand photochromic visor …

My Experience With the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is known for promoting safety, education, and training for riders. The MSF offers two motorcycle training workshops, the Basic RiderCourse and the Experienced RiderCourse (review). The Basic RiderCourse is very popular; it is offered through various local training affiliates in most states …

Koolin’ Klothz for Evaporative Clothing This is a “Quick Look” because it’s really a follow-up to the original webBikeWorldKoolin’ Klothz review of October 2006. I did not even realize that the product had been reviewed previously until I had already written this one and found the original as I was doing some research! What’s amazing is …

LEDwear LED Rucksack Cover Review Interesting backpack cover that easily fits over a motorcycle backpack to to greatly increase visibility. The LEDs can be cycled through three different high-visibility modes when desired. See Also: LEDwear Aurora LED Jacket Review Just as we were about to publish the article on the new LEDwear Aurora LED jacket, this …

Tirox Speed Wax Detailer Review Clear spray is super easy to use, buffs easily to a highly polished shine and leaves a very nice finish. I’m embarrassed — this can of Tirox Speed Wax has been sitting around the garage since I wrote the review of the Tirox Chain Cleaner kit in September of 2008. If you …

Zeus ZS-3000: A Snell Certified Flip-Up! The Zeus ZS-3000 is the first Snell certified flip-up helmet in the U.S.A. It has excellent quality, a solid-feeling helmet shell and a comfortable liner that is removable and washable. The helmet is also convertible to an open-face “Jet” style. The ZS-3000 is Snell M2005 certified in the small …

Short Boots With BMW Style The BMW Street Sneaker 3 boots are comfortable right out of the box. After the outside of the sole hits the ground, there isn’t much sensation of wearing anything. They flex, support and provide pressure exactly where needed, at least for my foot. A small premium will be paid: I …

Sidi Vertigo Lei Boots Review Sidi has not forgotten the woman rider! The Sidi Vertigo Lei boots are not a frou-frou-fashion woman’s motorcycle accessory designed by men who think they know what a motorcycle riding woman should look like. These are the real thing — just as high-tech, strong and safe as the best Sidi …

Scorpion EXO-900 “Transformer” Helmet The EXO-900 is the first flip-up helmet from Scorpion. It can be easily converted to an open-face helmet with the included parts. The helmet also features Scorpion’s inflatable cheek pads and an internal sun visor. Scorpion has really grown in the last several years, and the company that was originally known …

Chatterbox XBi2 Review A new system from Chatterbox and a new contender for top of the heap for me. There is not much to complain about here. All of the new systems have leading edge features — some more, some less, but none of them have packaged it as well as Chatterbox. Although the XBi2 …

Chatterbox XBi Review The Chatterbox XBi system isn’t as new as the XBi2. But for what it does, it is a contender for top of the pile in the wide-open Rider-to-Passenger intercom category. A really good motorcycle headset system, everything just works including the excellent stereo audio sharing features. While perhaps seen as a lesser …

Shift “Fury” Motorcycle Gloves Lightweight summer gloves are comfortable and provide excellent ventilation. The tradeoff is the relatively thin fabric in some areas. This is the time of the year, at least in the top half of the globe, that motorcyclists think about the “perfect” pair of hot-weather motorcycle gloves. Perfection, of course, doesn’t exist. Will it?  Could …

Cycle Hill Motorcycle Tire Changer In my previous review of the No-Mar tire changer I mentioned that motorcycle owners can save money by changing their own tires. Most people wouldn’t even think of changing the tires on their car, but changing the tires on a motorcycle is another matter. It’s not that difficult — as …

Art of the Basket Case wBW Book Review Art of the Basket Case by: Andrew C. Bauer Softcover. 150 pages Dimensions (inches): 10x8x0.5 Publisher: Ilumina Publishing (2008) ISBN: 978-0-9718600-8-7 List: Price: $29.95 You can tell when the obsession has really taken hold. The first sign can be found by looking in the closet. It will be …

Custom Painting – Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles MBI Publishing (Motorbooks), 2008 Soft Cover. 160 Pages. Color Photos. ISBN: 978-0-7603-3169-9 Price: $25.95; £16.99; $28.95 CAD It’s like traveling the 9 circles of Dante’s hell. Motorcyclists can (and do) go deeper into the nefarious and ever more obscure areas of the sport. The farkling and customizing and mechanical …

Nolan N43 “Air” Motorcycle Helmet Review Excellent ventilation and wonderful visibility combined with comfort and very good build quality make this the new hot weather champ. We’ve had our ups and downs with Nolan helmets — more downs than ups probably, but the new Nolan N43 is a definite winner. Nolan is a curious company. …

The HJC IS-16 All-Arounder Solid helmet with excellent quality and many features at a reasonable price. Includes internal sun visor, large chin curtain and good ventilation. The HJC IS-series is new for 2009, with three family members. First is the HJC IS-Max (review), which was recently reviewed on webBikeWorld.com. Next is the HJC IS-33 (review) “Jet” styled open-face …

World’s Best Back Protector? The Forcefield Pro Sub 4 is claimed to be the first motorcycle back protector in the world that transmits less than 4 kN of force in the EN 1621-2:2003 standard testing regime. This is below the “magic” number of 4 kN, said to be the maximum force that should be transmitted …

Joe Rocket Jet Set Jacket Review A well-constructed, stylish leather jacket with elbow and shoulder protection for the fashion-conscious rider. Cut specifically for a woman’s body, the Joe Rocket Jet Set Jacket also has adjustability through the waist for a custom fit. The Variable Flow ventilation system and a removable insulated vest provide flexibility for …

MotoGP “Grid” Jacket Review A good looking, versatile riding jacket that is built to last. MotoGP Apparel — you see adverts for it now and then… But they don’t seem to have as much of a marketing push as many of the big names like Joe Rocket, Fieldsheer and Scorpion (yep, I think they’re a …

Scorpion Savannah Pants Review Flattering riding pants with attitude, armor and plenty of style. What more could a woman want? How about: 1) Versatility – a removable windproof liner takes these textile and mesh pants from cool mornings to hot afternoons. 2) Options – Scorpion’s Savannah Pants are available in three colors. 3) Value – …

The Road Sack High Visibility Motorcycle Backpack The Road Sack is a “right-sized” backpack with a unique shape and a (sort of) built-in back protector. The special fabric is designed to be highly visible during both day and night. Backpacks like the brutish and indestructibleChrome Messenger Bag (review), theRoadgear Commuter Max (review) and others are fine. …

Shift Avenger Jacket Review Comfortable jacket works surprisingly well in warm weather. The wild “Rasta” colors are also highly visible and the jacket is available with several other unique graphic patterns. If you’re a smaller motorcycle clothing manufacturer competing with the big guys, what do you do?  Don’t follow — lead! It’s a story that has been …

Icon Tarmac Ventilated Motorcycle Boots Review Very comfortable on and off the motorcycle and surprisingly comfortable for walking. The Icon Tarmac boots also feature good air flow. They have a “no-lace” design, which makes them easy to slide on and off. The Kochmann Scout boots are our short motorcycle boots benchmark. With a good combination of protection …

Sidi Coibuss Gloves Review Lightweight summer gloves for the hottest days are comfortable and well made. It seems like the glove reviews never end. I guess that’s a good thing, right? The problem is that it seems like it was just yesterday that we finished a huge series of cold weather motorcycle glove reviews for 2008. And here we …

Wider Is Better, Right? See the updated information at the end of this article regarding the tire sizes for the 1986 BMW R65 (and possibly other Airheads!) It won’t fit… or will it? It was that time again — the every-few-thousand-mile decision. New motorcycle tires!! My 1986 BMW R65 was ready for new skins. This …

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles Author: Editors of Motorcyclist Magazine with Darwin Holmstrom & Simon Green Paperback 4th edition (January 2, 2008) Publisher: Alpha ISBN: 1592577040 The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles, now in its 4th edition, is packed with information for newbies, and even seasoned riders may learn …

World’s First Snell Certified Flip-Up Motorcycle Helmet! Zeus is back! And they’re nearly ready to start distributing helmets in the U.S.A. again very soon. Long-time webBikeWorld readers will recall that the original Zeus ZS-508 flip-up (review) was one of our favorite flip-up helmets back about 8 years ago. Many webBikeWorlders also sent us their feedback and comments …

Echo Quick Release Helmet Buckle Review The Echo Quick Release helmet buckle is easy to install and use. It’s an inexpensive and very effective alternative to fumbling around with the usual D-ring helmet retention system. Some motorcyclists like the tried and true double D-rings and strap for securing a helmet onto one’s noggin. This arrangement …

Alpinestars “Stella” SP-3 Motorcycle Gloves A well-made pair of women’s leather gloves from the Alpinestars “Stella” women’s motorcycle clothing line. The Stella SP-3 gloves have plenty of padding and reinforcement. Ladies, if you are like me, you’ve found it frustrating to find the perfect gear specifically designed for women. I live in a small town …

First Look: Vemar CKQI Modular Bluetooth Helmet The new Vemar CKQI has to be the coolest-looking helmet on the planet! It’s a true modular by our definition; that is, the chin bar can be removed and the helmet can be used as a “Jet” style helmet. And it gets even better: the CKQI (missed opportunity …

Nexx X60 Review One more pair of beautifully executed “retro” helmets with modern features and styling. This is Part 3 of our three-part series on “retro” motorcycle helmets. The Nexx X60 is yet another type definition of the word “retro”. This helmet represents the most modern styling interpretation of the trio. The Nexx X60 also …

Retro is IN! Another beautifully done retro helmet with an interesting mixture of modern and classic styling touches. The Cromwell Spitfire is yet another color in the retro palette; this one is a perfect example of applying the retro design philosophy, because it is a very modern take on a very classic look. Compare the …

The All-Around Arai Helmet A solid replacement for the Quantum, the RX-Q has the usual Arai quality and attention to detail. Nothing is really new here though — no revolutionary venting system, face shield or other radical features. The liner material feels a rougher and the padding isn’t as plush as the old Quantum II, …

Davida Classic Jet Helmet Review A handcrafted timeless classic! The “retrofication” craze seems to have taken hold everywhere — and the motorcycle industry is probably as infected as any. At first I ignored this phenomena, thinking it was a fad. Then I begrudged it, thinking it was holding back the evolution of design. After all, …