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Review


A Pull-Over Bib Vest With LEDs The Roadgear LED lightweight mesh vest includes separate front and rear LED flexible light tubes. These can provide good visibility in the dark, but not without some issues in execution and construction. I think the visibility thing is catching on with motorcyclists, or at least I’d like to think …

Also: Akuma Aegis Hydrophobic Visor Regular webBikeWorld visitors know that Akuma Helmets, in partnership with Mr. Wizard himself, Kerry Harris, have developed some of the coolest and most interesting helmets and helmet technologies going. For example, they developed the Sunshift photochromic visor (review) a couple of years ago, which we reported on during our review of the Akuma …

Midland BT-2 Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Review Bluetooth Primer Without exhausting any related standards or wiki sites, a few simple facts on Bluetooth are offered up. For communication and connection purposes a typical Bluetooth network or connection set is made up of eight devices: the master device and up to seven other active devices. This ad-hoc …

60 Years of MotoGP & the World Motorcycle Championship Author: Michael Scott Hardcover, 256 Pages (2008) Carlton Books, London, 2008 ISBN: 978-1-84732-1343 Coffee table books should, at the very least, be filled with wonderful images. Text usually takes a back seat. I’ve seen a few coffee table books that aren’t lately; big massive books that …

Scottoiler Automatic Chain Oiler A well designed, well tested and well proven product, Scottoiler systems have been extending the life of motorcycle chains for over twenty years. Complete with everything needed, less tools and the requisite skills, the Scottoiler kit is quite straightforward and if the whole installation is understood, simple to execute. Depending on …

Scorpion XDR “Commander” Jacket Review The Scorpion XDR Commander has a feature list as long as your arm. It also has slick styling and an expanded size range all at a reasonable price. This makes the Scorpion XDR Commander a top choice in a 3/4-length jacket. 2008 will go down as the Year of the 3/4-length Jacket. Suddenly, motorcycle …

Hard Core for Cold Weather The Discovery jacket is designed for riding in harsh weather. It’s a waterproof, no-nonsense touring jacket with many features, including a wrap-around skirt under the hem with a unique attachment strap to block cold air, all at a bargain price for this type of jacket. If you didn’t know any …

Scorpion EXO-700 Neon Review The new Scorpion EXO-700 “Neon” motorcycle helmet was announced one month ago, in October of 2008. The original press release from Scorpion is included below. Scorpion recently sent us a production Neon so we could take a closer look, and this is our report. Why all the coverage on the EXO-700, a …

Sidi Vortice Boots Review Serious track or race day boots with a closure system that provides securer fitting across the instep, the calf and the shin. We published a Sidi Vortice boots preview almost exactly two months ago in September of 2008. At that time, Motonation (the North American distributor for Sidi) promised that the boots would …

Albrecht BPA 100 Bluetooth Adapter Review Bluetooth adapter connects to non-Bluetooth devices and allows wireless connectivity with a Bluetooth motorcycle intercom. The Albrecht BPA 100 Bluetooth adapter was purchased as an accessory for the Midland BT2 intercom set previously reviewed. Albrecht and Midland are companies owned by CE International (see summary table below). A Bluetooth …

One Life to Ride One Life to Ride By: Ajit Harisinghani Bibliophile South Asia, June 2008 Softcover, 226 Pages, Text ISBN: 978-81-85002-89-7 Price: 195 Rupees ($22.65) It isn’t hard to get me interested in a motorcycle book. It’s the reading part that’s tough. Not that I don’t love to read, mind you. It’s just that …

A New SCHUBERTH Has Arrived! Here is a first look at the new SCHUBERTH C3 flip-up motorcycle helmet. We have one on the way and it will go through the full webBikeWorld evaluation process as soon as possible! NEW! SCHUBERTH C3 DOT Review  |  SCHUBERTH C3 Full Review! No doubt about it, the SCHUBERTH Concept was the …

HJC FS-15 Carbon Helmet Review Near flawless quality, beautiful carbon fiber, very light weight and comfortable. Good ventilation and an easy-to-use face shield, all at a very reasonable price for a carbon fiber motorcycle helmet. Meets DOT safety standards and Snell 2005 certification. The HJC FS-15 Carbon was named the webBikeWorld 2008 Motorcycle Helmet of the Year! …

The Talon T-3300 Motorcycle Alarm Besides possible discounts on motorcycle insurance, installing and using a motorcycle alarm is just plain smart. The Talon T-3300 system is a very good alarm system. It’s easy to install and it has loads of features, but it is still extremely straightforward to configure and use on a daily basis. …

Fat Duc O2 Oxygen Sensor Manipulator A few weeks ago I received a breviloquent email from “Jason” at Fat Duc: “Just wanted to make you aware of a new product that we’re seeing great results in curing many of the low RPM problems plaguing late model Ducatis. The Fat Duc O2 Manipulator is a simple, …

Ixon Children’s Motorcycle Jacket Ixon is one of the few manufacturers who have addressed the need for children’s motorcycle clothing. Their children’s motorcycle clothing line is pretty small, if you’ll pardon the pun.  It consists of the Los Angeles jacket for boys and the very unfortunately named “Lolita” jacket for girls. They also make two …

Rim Wax Wheel Polish Manufacturer’s Information Category:  Specialized wheel rim wax Type: Jar, paste. 8 oz. (256 g) Manufacturer: Smart Wax Made In: U.S.A. List Price: $16.95 Claims – “Quickly restores a bright, polished and protected wheel finish. The anti-static RimWax formula actually helps repel brake dust to reduce dust buildup by as much as 75%.” For Use On – “Chrome, …

Eco Touch Waterless Wash Manufacturer’s Information Category:  Waterless cleaner Type: Spray bottle, 22 oz. (651 ml) Manufacturer: Eco Touch Made In: U.S.A.(?) List Price: $9.99 Claims – “One step spray & wipe cleaning. No hose or bucket required.” For Use On – Vehicles. Claimed Features – “Non-toxic.  Biodegradable.  Phosphate free”.  “Contains: Water, Plant-derived surfactants (coconut + soy), Degradable polymer, Organic Solvent (soy), …

Forever Black Bumper & Trim Cleaner and Reconditioner Manufacturer’s Information Category:  Black trim cleaner and dye Type:  Liquid. 4 oz. (256 g) Manufacturer: Forever Car Care In: U.S.A List Price: $11.95 Claims – “Help restore faded black plastic, rubber and vinyl.” For Use On – “Black bumpers and trim”. Claimed Features – “Permanently recolors and protects all black plastic, vinyl & rubber …

Gummi Pflege Stift – Rubber Care Stick Manufacturer’s Information Category:  Rubber cleaner and protectant Type:  Liquid. 100 ml (3.4 oz.) Manufacturer: Einszett Made In: Germany List Price: $7.99 Claims – “Cleans, conditions and protects weather rubber seals…Protects rubber from drying and cracking due to oxidation, heat and UV exposure. Restores dried weather seals to original condition.  Reduces wind noise due …

Ixon “RS King” Motorcycle Gloves Review Thick supple leather, big honkin’ gauntlets and a reasonable price make these a winner. I think we found the perfect replacement for Rick’s fabled original Teknic Violator gloves! The Ixon RS King gloves review is Part IV of a five-part Ixon motorcycle clothing review series. The final installment will cover …

Ixon “Courageous” Jacket Review For those who like the simple approach, the Courageous is a no-frills waterproof jacket with retro styling, armor, back padding and a comfortable insulating liner. Ixon motorcycle clothing and products are distributed in many regions of the world and the brand is very well known in Europe.  There’s an Ixon distributor …

Retro Leather Heaven Super-supple leather, perfect fit, retro cool styling right down to the antiqued YKK zippers. Includes Knox elbow and shoulder armor and an optional Knox Level 2 back protector. Bottom line?  The Montana jacket is a winner! A couple of years ago, British Motorcycle Gear (aka BMG) decided to move forward with their own line of …

Falco 775 Novo Motorcycle Boots The Falco Novo boots have been styled with flair and they look good on just about any type of motorcycle. They’re way more comfortable than you’d think, especially for a motorcycle boot! My introduction to Falco boots came with the Falco ESO TT race boots (review), which are designed for sport …

Falco 305 ESO TT Motorcycle Boots Review The Falco 305 ESO TT boots are high-quality real leather boots made the old-fashioned way — by hand in Italy. What does Falco have in common with Alpinestars, Forma, Gaerne, Sidi, StylMartin and TCX? Well, the obvious answer is, of course, that they all make motorcycle boots! But …

Ixon “Climber” Pants Review Comfortable basic textile motorcycle pants are a good match to the Courageous jacket.  Waterproof liner and removable insulating liner make the Climber pants a good choice for cool weather riding. More Ixon:   ▪ Ixon Courageous Jacket Review   ▪ Ixon Climber Pants Review   ▪ Ixon Ambitious Pants Review   ▪ Ixon RS King …

Ixon “Ambitious” Pants Review Ixon’s Ambitious pants have a great name, but do they live up to the moniker? Ixon is a French company that has been producing motorcycle-specific gear for several years. webBikeWorld has reviewed some of their products before, namely their X-Pand tank bag, and found the company’s products are innovative and well-made. The …

Midland BT-2 Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Review The Midland BT-2 is a stylishly designed helmet-mounted intercom with lots of features, along with lots of unrealized potential. All the features that were evaluated work as advertised, but audio quality and rider to rider intercom limitations detract from what could be an industry-leading system. The ability to directly …

The French Chinese Alaskan Am I the only guy other than the webBikeWorld crew who uses a hand-operated air pump to fill my motorcycle tires? Apparently so… There haven’t been very many comments sent in by readers with suggestions for new products to review. I was scrounging around Rick’s garage and uncovered a pile of …

Restoring Motorcycle Transmissions ISBN: 0-85045-859-5 Dimensions (inches): 7.75 x 10.5 x 0.375 Publisher: Osprey Publishing (UK), 1989 Original List Price: £9.95 126 pages, B&W Photos, Line Drawings and Illustrations On my desk is an ever-growing stack of motorcycle books that are waiting for reviews. I’ve been ignoring it, hoping that it will somehow get smaller …

Full-Face Helmet With LEDs The GMAX GM68S is a high quality helmet with an interesting selection of graphics. It has outstanding ventilation and face shield optical quality and a bargain-basement price. Unique is the word for the LED lights in the rear. It’s officially 2008, but we started this review a couple of weeks ago …

Xpeed XF-705 “Spider” Helmet Review The Xpeed XF-705 has the features of a much more expensive helmet. And it can usually be found at a hefty discount from its list price, making it a super deal. We first discovered Xpeed back in February at the 2008 Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis. It’s now September and …

An Open-Face Dual Sport? The GMAX GM27S has good quality and an interesting design. It includes a 3-position LED light in the rear. The GMAX GM27S makes an excellent city, dual-sport or scooter helmet. The huge popularity of the GMAX GM68S, the webBikeWorld 2007 Helmet of the Year, prompted us to take a look at some …

AGV Sport Aero Sport 2 Jacket Review Very good quality open weave mesh jacket with hefty-feeling armor and excellent air flow. Mesh motorcycle clothing has evolved dramatically since it first arrived on the scene about 10 years ago. The first mesh jackets were made with an open weave textile fabric and they usually had a …

Popular Windscreen for BMW Motorcycles I’m not really sure what got me thinking about replacing the stock windscreen on my 2000 BMW K 1200 LTC. I’ve been using a Laminar Lip (review) for nearly 100,000 miles now and have been satisfied with the performance, although it does have a few drawbacks. The primary issue I have with …

Line Your Jeans With These Comfortable; not as hot as you might think; protective and easy to wear. I’ve been wearing a pair of generic Kevlar-lined jeans for my motorcycle commute to and from work. I can use the locker room to change out of the jeans and into khakis or something more comfortable to …

Roadgear Bungee-in-a-Bag Reversible bag with an attached bungee cord net inside keeps everything nice and tidy. A bungee cord is a pretty amazing device when used correctly.  Some motorcyclists swear by them; others swear at them, but just about everyone carries a couple of them “just in case”. Bungee cords are right up there with …

TCX SS Performance 2 Boots Review The Oxtar TCS Sport boots I reviewed back in 2004 have been my all-time favorites for a number of reasons. They fit perfectly; they’re easy to put on and take off and they’re comfortable (or as comfortable as a sport-oriented motorcycle boot can be). And they flow a surprising amount of …

PIAA “High Intensity” LED Conspicuity Lights I feel kind of silly writing about a product that I couldn’t really find a use for. But, you never know — I’m sure some webBikeWorlders will be interested, and one of you must surely can figure out how to put these to good use? I found these PIAA …

Chain Drain Motorcycle Chain Cleaning System Review The Chain Drain motorcycle chain cleaning system fits under the chain and rear sprocket to help prevent overspray from chain cleaning fluid and chain lube. The dripping chain cleaning fluid collects in a sealed canister that serves as the base. Why didn’t I think of that? It’s not …