review
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 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 …
2012 Honda NC700X
2012 Honda NC700X Announced January 21, 2012 – American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has announced some of the details of the new 2012 Honda NC700X. The NC700X is a sort-of-but-not-really adventure-touring version of the current NT700V and it fits with Honda’s worldwide “Mid Concept” strategy, announced at the 2011 EICMA show (report). The Mid Concept strategy includes motorcycles …
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 …
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 …
2012 REV’IT! Spring and Summer Clothing Preview
REV’IT! 2012 Spring and Summer Clothing It’s hard to believe another year has rocketed by and it’s now time to announce the REV’IT! Spring 2012 clothing lineup. I was introduced to the new lineup during a visit to the REV’IT! USA headquarters in New York back in October. I took some photographs there and in …
Delkin Wingman HD Video Camera
Delkin “WingmanHD” Review The new Delkin “WingmanHD” video camera has a few interesting features and, for the most part, it captures very good quality video. The accurate color rendition and excellent exposure management are class-leading, but the camera has a few quirks that keep it from top billing. But it’s a good first try from …
King of Fleece Motorcycle Seat Cover Review
The King of Fleece to Prevent Wet Butt Syndrome (WBS) Most stock motorcycle seats are perfectly fine for shorter rides in sunny weather. But if you spend a fair amount of time in the saddle — and not just the “Iron Butt” types — then chances are you do a bit squirming around on that …
Making a Cardo Systems Intercom
Designing and Testing a Cardo Systems Motorcycle Intercom I’m finally getting caught up from my visit the EICMA and the Cardo Systems R&D Center tour and back into the normal webBikeWorld routine. It was a wonderful trip and EICMA is an amazing event. It was also a lot of work; unfortunately without much time for …
Spidi T-Winter Gloves
Spidi T-Winter Gloves Review The Spidi T-Winter gloves are waterproof and insulated and designed for cold weather use. However, the insulation is relatively light, which means they are effective only down to about 40 degrees F. Also, the gauntlets are very narrow, making it difficult to fit the gloves over an insulated sleeve cuff. Bottom line? The …
Iasus Diablo Mobile Amp
Amp Up the Volume! The Iasus “Diablo” Mobile Amp increases the volume available from an electronic device such as an MP3 player or radio. It can pump up the volume by 50% with a 15 dB boost, so be careful — you can damage your hearing and ruin your earbuds at the same time! Tiny …
AltRider Headlight Guard
AltRider Headlight Guard Review The AltRider Lexan Headlight Guard Kit is an example of what experience, knowledge and involvement in the motorcycling community can deliver: clean simple design, visual appeal and durability for the long haul. AltRider makes headlight guards and auxiliary light guards and both are worth considering for safety and protection. My experience …
EICMA 2011 Final Report
2011 EICMA Wrap-Up It’s a Wrap… November 24, 2011 – I still have a few more reports to trickle out, but it’s time to get back to the regularly scheduled programming… I’ll mix in the last of the reports along with the rest of the regular webBikeWorld reviews and other articles. For example, I visited …
2012 Roof Helmets
Roof “Bamboo” and 2012 Roof Helmets November 23, 2011 – Roof Helmets may be one of the least known motorcycle manufacturers in the world. The French company has had quite an impact on motorcycle helmet design, however, with products like the ahead-of-its-time Roof Boxer (review). The Boxer’s unique design, which allows the chin bar to be …
Nexx X40 Helmet Preview
November 22, 2011 – This has been the “Year of the Motorcycle Helmet”, with manufacturers pumping out new designs seemingly by the hour. We hadn’t heard much from Nexx since our review of the Nexx XR1R Carbon (review) back in August of 2010. I did see a revised Nexx X30 (review) at the 2011 Dealer Expo back in February …
Nexx XR1R Diablo
Nexx XR1R Diablo First Look November 22, 2011 – Let’s say you finally decided to buy thatDucati Diavel (report) you’ve been lusting after. Now there’s a big decision: what helmet to wear? Answer: The Nexx XR1R Diablo, of course! The Nexx XR1R Carbon (review) is one of the lightest full-face helmets on the planet and it has among …
Nexx Helmets
2012 Nexx Helmets Highlights of This Report: New Nexx Helmets announced. Nexx X40 and XR1R Diablo. Many new colors and bold graphics. More: 2012 Nexx X40 First Look 2012 Nexx XR1R Diablo First Look Nexx XR1R Carbon Helmet Review wBW Motorcycle Helmet Reviews 2012 Nexx X70 The big news from Nexx was the 2012 Nexx X40 (First …
2012 Lazer Helmets – EICMA 2011 Live Report
2012 Lazer Helmets – EICMA 2011 Live Report November 12, 2011 – We haven’t heard much from Lazer Helmets in a while and since they were displaying at EICMA, I decided to stop by. webBikeWorld readers may remember the Lazer Superskin helmet reviewed on webBikeWorld a few years ago and, coincidentally, one of the very first product …
Vemar Helmets
2012 Vemar Helmets Highlights of This Report: New Vemar Storm Helmet announced. Will be released in the U.S. at the 2012 Dealer Expo. Many colors and bold graphics. More: 2012 Vemar Storm Helmet First Look 2012 Vemar Attivo Flip-up First Look Vemar VRX7 Helmet Review Vemar Jiano EVO TC Flip-up Helmet Review wBW Motorcycle Helmet Reviews …
2012 Caberg Duke – EICMA 2011 Live Report
Caberg Duke Preview November 20, 2011 – The big news at Caberg for 2012 is the introduction of the Caberg Duke flip-up helmet. The Duke replaces the Caberg Konda (review) and is a successor to the Caberg Trip (review), both very popular flip-up helmets. So the Duke has a strong heritage to uphold and it appears to be …
BikeComm BK02 Group Intercom Communications System Review
BikeComm BK02 Group Intercom Communications System Review Borrowing a page from the Editor’s playbook used to introduce the Sena SR10 Bluetooth hub (review), this article will first provide a brief initial overview of the new BikeComm BK02 system. The BK02 uses a Bluetooth hub as its core component. It provides a capability requested by many motorcyclists — …
Givi Luggage – EICMA 2011 Live Report
Givi Luggage for the Kawasaki Z1000 November 19, 2011 – Here’s a quick one, we passed by the Givi Luggage booth with this Kawasaki Z1000SX on display. The luggage looked very nice and well made and it turns the bike into a respectable sport-tourer. I picked up a Givi brochure that I thought described this …
2012 Caberg Helmets – EICMA 2011 Live Report
Caberg Helmets for 2012 November 19, 2011 – Here are some more new Caberg helmets for 2012 (See the Caberg Duke flip-up helmet preview here). We have focused on the Caberg flip-up and “jet” styled helmets in our webBikeWorld reviews such as the fantastic Caberg Ego (review) and HyperX (review). The company is noted for its unique designs, but …
Cardo Scala Rider G9 – EICMA 2011 Live Report
Cardo Scala Rider G9 Preview November 16, 2011 (Update from original posting) – Last year, in conjunction with the EICMA 2010 show, I was given an exclusive tour of the Nolan Helmet factory, which resulted in two reports. “How to Make a Motorcycle Helmet” is an inside look with photos and video of how a …
Clover Motorcycle Clothing – EICMA 2011 Live Report
Clover “Tekno WP” Jacket November 16, 2011 – The Clover brand name may not be as familiar to motorcyclists as some of the other mass-market names and that’s a shame. Whenever I have seen Clover clothing, I have been impressed by the quality and attention to detail. We reviewed the Clover Beverly jacket (review) a few years …
