review
Falco 480 Raid Boots Review
Falco 480 “Raid” Boots Review Style, protection, function and comfort are key descriptors that come to mind when assessing the Falco 480 RAID motorcycle boots. Getting in and out of the boots via two strategically-placed straps and large over-flap couldn’t be easier. These boots reflect the high standards maintained by Falco and will undoubtedly provide …
Clearwater Krista Lights Review
Ultra-Powerful Road Blasters! The Clearwater Krista lights use the latest generation of LEDs for retina-melting power at minimum draw. The light output can be varied by turning a rotating dial or the lights can be turned off completely. The quality of construction, mounting hardware and the light output are outstanding. In the 12 or so …
Dainese Carbon Cover Gloves
Dainese “Carbon Cover” Gloves Review The Dainese Carbon Cover gloves are new for 2011. They are located somewhere near the middle of the massive 2011 Dainese glove range in both price and features and they’re a solid choice for street riding. I especially like the comfort that is provided by the thoughtful fit and fingertip construction. The …
Waterproof Power Ports
3BR Weatherproof Power Ports, Cables and Connectors 12V or 5V DC water-resistant power ports to keep your mounted and portable accessories juiced up and functioning while on the road. Sometimes a plan just comes together and when it does, it’s good — really good. Last fall as I started to develop the winter maintenance and …
Triumph Bonneville: Portrait of a Legend
Triumph Bonneville Portrait of a Legend by: James Mann and Mick Duckworth Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-85733-017-8 Publisher: Haynes Publishing Publication Date: May 2011 256 Pages. 300 Color Photos. 7″x9″ List Price: $49.95 USD; $55.00 CAD; £30.00 The Triumph Bonneville is one of the most enduring, classic and iconic designs in all of motorcycling. The Bonneville name …
Vemar Jiano Review
The Vemar Jiano Solid but heavy, the Vemar Jiano doesn’t evolve the species. But it is reasonably priced and carries an excellent warranty. The Vemar Jiano was announced at this year’sPowersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis (article) back in February. Rick wrote a “First Look” report that generated a lot of interest from webBikeWorld visitors. The emails have been …
Vemar Eclipse Review
Vemar Racing Helmet Now Snell Certified The Vemar Eclipse has been revised for 2011. It is now Snell M2005 certified in addition to meeting DOT, ECE and BSI safety standards. As the top-of-the-range Vemar helmet, the Eclipse has a host of interesting features. These include a very comfortable liner, specially designed cheek pads and excellent …
AFX FX-90 Review
AFX FX-90 Helmet Review The FX-90 is the entry level full-face helmet in the AFX 2011 lineup. It’s an excellent value with very good quality and a very comfortable liner. Ventilation is better than expected and beats quite a few helmets costing a lot more. The FX-90 also meets both DOT and ECE 22.05 safety …
Motorcycle Horn Comparison
Motorcycle Horn Comparison Redux Hella does it again with a 115 dB rated disk-type or diaphragm “pancake” horn. They’re not pretty, but the slim size fits where others won’t. Pair up the high and low tones for a particularly obnoxious and attention-getting sound. This didn’t start out as anything like a Part 2 of our …
Pocket Floodlight
A Super Pen Light Pocket Floodlight The Maxxeon WorkStar 220 Pocket Floodlight lives up to its name with a broad, even swath of light with no hot spots. About the size of a classic Bic “Stic” pen, the Pocket Floodlight puts out an amazing amount of light for its size. The Pocket Floodlight has absolutely …
Olympia 144 Deerskin Gloves Review
Olympia 144 Deerskin Gloves They look like the ultra-classic motorcycle gloves from the 1930’s…and ’40’s…and ’50’s. The deerskin is soft but feels paper-thin and the gauntlet feels like cardboard. While most of the stitching isn’t bad, the 144 Deerskin gloves feel much more like a pair of dress street gloves than anything that will protect your hands …
REV’IT! Energy HV Jacket
REV’IT! Energy HV Jacket Review The new Rev’it Energy HV (High Visibility) jacket introduces a new direction for Rev’it. This commuter-oriented jacket is value priced and easy to use. It forgoes many of the expensive high-tech fabrics and race protection of other Rev’it garments while incorporating some unique features to make a reliable, highly wearable city, scooter …
Contour GPS HD Video Camera
Contour GPS HD Video Camera Review There are lots of reasons to like the Contour HD series video cameras — size, weight, durability, ease of use and superb video and more. The Contour GPS with Bluetooth on board made further resistance futile on my part; I have been assimilated, and gladly. In an effort to …
REV’IT! Axis Pants
Lightweight REV’IT! Pants The new REV’IT! Axis pants were announced in 2011 as a match for the REV’IT! Energy HV (review)commuter jacket. These lightweight pants have a clever and unique design. But they’re missing a few important features, perhaps making them too much of a compromise. The REV’IT! Axis pants (or trousers as they’re known in …
BikeVis Blue Bullets LED Lights
Blue BikeVis Bullet LED Lights Blue version of the BikeVis Bullets, small LED accent lights that that are amazingly bright for their size and can help improve motorcycle visibility. We installed a pair of the original white-colored BikeVis Bullets (review) on a Ducati Multistrada 620 a couple of years ago and they’ve been going strong ever since …
Olympia 180 Monsoon Gloves Review
Olympia 180 “Monsoon” Gloves Not bad looking, comfortably soft leather and — surprise! — fully waterproof. The Olympia 180 Monsoon gloves have no armor and very little extra abrasion protection and I could live with that. The sizing, however, is non-standard with too-long fingers for the size. These are fairly basic motorcycle gloves in terms of their construction …
Olympia Switch Gloves Review
Olympia 298 “Switch” Gloves New for 2011, the Olympia “Switch” gloves are so named because of their dual-purpose liner. Slide your hand over or under the non-removable liner for your choice of warmth or grip. These are a good-looking pair of gloves and — surprise — they actually fit as expected. The faux carbon fiber “knuckle protectors” are …
Waterproof Motorcycle USB Port
Burns Moto Weatherproof USB Port As its name implies, this is a waterproof (water resistant actually) USB Type A port designed for motorcycle use. It’s a simple device; connect the wires to a battery or other switched power and you’re good to go. Then you can charge your video cameras, music devices, intercoms, GPS units …
REV’IT! Ventura Pants
Rev’it Ventura Pants Review Are you looking for women’s protective riding pants to wear in a wide range of weather conditions? Look no further! Touted as multi-functional, all-season riding pants, the Rev’it Ventura pants have ProLife CE-approved armor, a removable waterproof liner and a removable thermal liner. It’s like getting four pairs of pants in …
REV’IT! Ventura Jacket
Rev’it Ventura Jacket Review The Rev’it Ventura Ladies Jacket is a top-of-the-line adventure/sport touring jacket with all the features found in men’s gear, but designed specifically for women. Great venting and thermal and waterproof liners make this all-weather jacket versatile enough to use for all seasons in many regions. Combine this versatility with high-end ProLife …
BMW Custom Motorcycles
Choppers, Cruisers, Bobbers, Trikes & Quads By: Uli Cloesen Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-845843-25-0 Publisher: Veloce Publishing Publication Date: April 2011 128 Pages. 270 Photos. 250 mm x 250 mm List Price: $39.95; £19.99 BMW isn’t the first brand that comes to mind when I think about custom motorcycles. Nor the second… Sure, there are plenty of …
Nexx X30 Review
Nexx X30 “Maxi Jet” Helmet Review The Nexx X30 is a radical-looking helmet with a new type of construction designed to bridge the gap between flip-up and full-face. Nexx is a relatively new motorcycle helmet manufacturer. The company is based in Portugal, a country that is establishing itself as a force in European motorcycle helmet …
AFX FX-50 Review
AFX FX-50 Helmet Review The new AFX FX-50 helmet is perfect for city riding, scootering or touring. It features a quality build and outstanding visibility along with good looks and style. AFX has upped their game with improved quality, comfort and good looks and the FX-50 also represents a strong value. Background This is the …
SW-Motech Skid Plate Review
Heavy-Duty Engine Protection Just for the record, the SW-Motech skid plate, as we call it in the States, is officially known as the SW-Motech Engine Guard. This type of engine guard is also referred to as a “bash plate” and probably a few other colloquialisms as well. “Engine guard” seems correct to me, but many …
Shift Enforcer Knee Guards
Shift “Enforcer” Knee Guards Review An inexpensive set of knee guards that offer excellent value to the street rider who wears jeans and wants better protection. The Shift Enforcer Knee Guards may also serve as an improvement on the armor included in textile or leather motorcycle pants. Last year I reviewed two different types of …
Bell RS-1 Review
Bell RS-1 Helmet Review The RS-1 rings the Bell (sorry!), with outstanding quality, modern design and a leading-edge feature set. Factor in the super-plush, very comfy interior, excellent ventilation and superb noise control for a hard-to-beat combination and a very good value. The RS-1 also meets both DOT and Snell 2010 safety standards. The internal …
Scorpion EXO-500 Review
Scorpion EXO-500 Helmet Review The new Scorpion EXO-500 helmet introduces an impressive new level of build quality for motorcycle helmets. Even more impressive, the helmet is chocked full of EXO-1000 style features, yet carries a sub-$200 price tag. With modern styling and beautiful, close-tolerance cut lines and creases, the EXO-500 is the new star of …
Steinel Heat Gun
An Industrial Strength Heat Gun The Steinel Ultra Heat SV800 Heat Gun is an excellent quality tool with a rugged power cord and it puts out a lot of heat. This is an excellent tool to have for shrink tubing and removing decals or vinyl transfers or for general heat-up chores around the garage. And …
Dainese Alien Jacket Review
Dainese Alien Jacket Review The Dainese Alien Leather Jacket (“Giacca Alien Pelle”) and Alien Leather Pants (“Pantaloni Alien Pelle”) are made with supple ultra-quality leather and lots of Dainese goodness. One touch and you know you’re holding something different. The styling is just right — sophisticated and modern without being overdone. Even the fit is right on …
DOT FMVSS 218 Helmet Safety Standard
Final Rule for Motorcycle Helmet Labeling is Announced by DOT May 18, 2011 – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published the final rule (here) for new motorcycle helmet labeling requirements for motorcycle helmets sold in the U.S.A. The new certification label will bear the manufacturer’s name and helmet model and the words “DOT …
Sidi ST Boots Review
Sidi ST Boots Review The new Sidi ST and ST Air boots provide high levels of protection with ease of use. The entry and security system developed for the ST boots is easier to use for street or sport riding than the entry system found on the Sidi Vortice boots (review). Sidi quality and features abound, …
Motorcycle Helmet Sales
Online Helmet Sales Increasing in Popularity May 26, 2011 – Motorcycle helmet owners are increasingly likely to purchase their helmet online, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study released today. The study finds that nearly one-fourth (23%) of motorcycle helmet owners purchase their helmet on the Internet, compared with …
Tourmaster Intake Air Series 2 Jacket Review
Tourmaster Intake Air 2 Jacket Review The Tourmaster Intake Air Series 2 is one of several Tourmaster jackets that have similar design features. It is available in a number of colors and it is a good choice for a mesh jacket for summer wear, or with the removable liners for cooler weather. It offers style and protection …
Dainese Alien Pants Review
Dainese Alien Pants Review The Dainese Alien Leather Pants, or “Pantaloni Alien Pelle” are the perfect match for the Dainese Alien Jacket (review). They have modern styling to match the Alien jacket and their own share of clever features and they are made from the same high-quality “D-Skin” leather. The Alien pants are designed for rider comfort for …
UClear HBC 100
UClear HBC 100 Motorcycle Bluetooth Intercom Review Using the UClear HBC 100 Intercom To put the HBC 100 intercoms to use, press the Answer button for two seconds. The status indicator will blink Red once then begin pulsing Blue with an accompanying welcome tone generated in the headset. To turn the system off, hold the …
AGV Sport Willow Gloves Review
AGV Sport Willow Gloves Review The AGV Sport Willow gloves are the perfect match for the AGV Sport Willow leather suit (review). The combination makes a good low-buck street, sport or track day outfit. The gloves have an array of safety features, although the armor over the middle knuckles is a bit weak. These are comfortable and good-looking …
Stompgrip Traction Pads
Knobby and Rugged Tank Grips Stompgrip Traction Pads provide an enhanced interface between the inside of the rider’s legs and the motorcycle. That’s about the only way I can describe it! The product is easy to apply (with a few tricks) and it effectively creates a greater amount of friction for the rider to grip …
Essential Buyer’s Guide Harley-Davidson Big Twins
The Essential Buyer’s Guide Harley-Davidson Big Twins FL, FX/Softail and Dyna Series. 1340cc, 1450cc, 1584cc 1984-2010 by: Peter Henshaw Paperback ISBN: 978-1-845843-03-8 Publisher: Veloce Publishing Publication Date: May 2011 64 pages. 195 mm x 139 mm x 4 mm List Price: $19.95 The Essential Buyer’s Guide series from Veloce Publishing now covers about 53 vehicles, …
Motorcycle Helmet Sun Blocker
DIY Helmet Sun Blocker Need a quick and easy alternative for a sun shield for your motorcycle helmet? Use exposed X-Ray film! You can usually get a piece for free from a local medical clinic or a lab that has an X-Ray machine. This sun shield remains in position whether your face shield is in …
