Posts in tag

review


Nitro N1200-VX Steve Plater Replica Helmet We’ve been compiling the list of our picks for the best motorcycle products of 2005. That article will be posted soon. But unlike last year, there will be no “Motorcycle Helmet of the Year” award for 2005. This year, there’s really no standout helmet, like the Shark RSR (review), named …

Bell Mag-8 Helmet Review Have you ever wondered what happened to Bell motorcycle helmets? Bell owned the market seemingly forever, and the distinctive Bell logo was everywhere. Bell was the Arai, Shoei and Suomy of its time, and their helmets adorned just about every motorcycle rider and racer in the U.S.A. If you were serious …

UView “Freedom Lite” Rechargeable LED Work Light Review Nice rechargeable LED work light with a big, soft, rubbery handle. The Freedom Lite LED work light is handy for the garage, shop and home. And best of all, it’s made in Canada! It’s been a very warm winter so far here in the Mid-Atlantic, which is …

Clover “Beverly” Women’s Motorcycle Jacket Review Clover may seem like a strange brand name for a motorcycle clothing manufacturer. It’s not clear how the name originated, but I’m told by my Italian speaking friends that “clover” in Italian means…clover in English. I’m not sure what that tells us, but I do know that this Clover …

All Kleer Plastic Cleaner & Polish There are few secrets left in motorcycledom, with the Internet and chat groups spreading tips about hot new products nanoseconds after they’re discovered. Unlike the old days, when the Anointed Ones kept the secret scrolls of motorcycling tips for themselves, it’s now loads of fun to discover a new …

Icon “Merc” Gloves A few weeks ago, we published our review of the Marsee “Primatista Gaunto” Race Gloves and I proclaimed them as my new favorite. This was after previously declaring that the Held Ninja was my favorite pair of motorcycle gloves; and the Teknic Violators prior to that. Call me erratic, inconsistent or mercurial, but I call it adaptable. This only …

CRG Bar End Mirrors Review They’re solid as a rock and it’s amazing how much I can see behind me. CRG bar end mirrors have been available for quite some time and they have been used by many motorcyclists on both modern and vintage bikes. So there are many good articles available that document the …

A Police Helmet With a Built-in Flashlight and Rechargeable Battery: The M5 Switchblade Power System This is a review of the Shoei Syncrotec Police Motor Officer motorcycle helmet. It is identical to the Syncrotec that you and I can purchase from any authorized Shoei retailer. But this helmet includes an interesting option: the M5 Switchblade …

Leanings 2 By: Peter Egan Hardcover: 320 pages Dimensions (in inches): 6.125 x 9.25 x 1.0625 Publisher: Motorbooks, 2005 ISBN: 0760321647 I came to Peter Egan’s writings in a roundabout way. Roundabout, that is, from a motorcyclist’s point of view. That’s because I first became aware of Peter Egan in the pages of Road & …

HJC CL-XS Dual-Sport Helmet “Enduro” styled helmets continue to attract interest from a dedicated but relatively small group of Adventure Touring bike owners. The HJC CL-XS shown here is the fourth Enduro helmet we’ve reviewed, only one of which is legally available for sale in the U.S.A. (the Arai XD. The others are European models …

Triumph Motorcycles: From Speed Twin to Bonneville by: Tim Remus Hardcover: 144 pages Dimensions (in inches): 10.1 x 10.3 x 0.7 Publisher: Wolfgang Publications, 2005 ISBN: 1929133219 Remus as the author of the excellent “Triumph Twins and Triples“. But as it turns out, Remus is also responsible for many different books on motorcycles, motorcycle history, …

GPA “Aircraft” Motorcycle Helmet Review Motorcycle helmets can be classified by types, such as open-face, full-face, flip-up or half-helmet. But beyond that, there really isn’t all that much to physically distinguish them, other than style, colors and graphics. A helmet looks like a helmet, more or less. Another word for this situation might be “boring”. …

TPro Forcefield vs. Bohn Back Protectors The TPro Forcefield is the most comfortable and least obtrusive back protector we’ve tried so far. We’re still in shock, but for some reason the reviews of the Knox Ricochet and Knox Stowaway back protectors we posted recently are among the most popular articles on webBikeWorld, generating lots of …

Electro-Luminescent High-Viz Vest Every once and a while, we find what could be called a “cross-sector” product. This PolyBrite lighted safety vest is a good example. That’s because it was originally designed for construction or road safety but it has potential for motorcycle use. It also meets one of our goals of providing our visitors …

Safe Lights “BeaconWear” Reflective Vest Review From my own experience working with the Department of Transportation, I can tell you that the difference between being seen and becoming a statistic is simply this: visibility. Motorcycle riders are constantly exposed to risk because of their smaller outlines, so getting the attention of other drivers on the …

Low-Voltage Warmth With Chilli The Chilli Heated Vest (or waistcoat) is nicely made. It includes a simple but strong wiring harness and assembly. But the 38 Watt output just doesn’t seem to provide that much heat. It’s available in men’s and women’s specific sizes and the size large weighs 323 g (11.375 oz.). I thought …

Belstaff Trialmaster Jacket This is it, folks – get ’em while you can. It’s the end of the ride for the very famous Belstaff Trialmaster jacket (which is also sometimes erroneously referred to as the Belstaff Trailmaster). We’ve been told that Belstaff has discontinued the manufacture of the Trialmaster waxed cotton jacket and pants and they are …

Vendramini Aero Motorcycle Boots Red suede shoes?  Why not — Elvis and Carl Perkins would have flipped for these, I’m sure. It took me several days of peeking inside the Vendramini box to get up the nerve to actually try them on, but judging from the reactions I’ve gotten from others, they’re a hit. It’s …

As you may have discovered, the seat that felt fine on the motorcycle in the showroom isn’t quite so comfortable after several hours on the road. Long distance riders and hard-core commuters know that an uncomfortable saddle can make for an unpleasant trip, if not sheer misery. After having covered over 95,000 miles in 4 …

Craft R2 Aerospeed and the Craft RX6 Quiet, comfortable, excellent value, good quality for the price Craft Helmets are becoming popular in Europe, and they are now being distributed in the U.S.A. through SMF Cycles. One of the interesting features of all Craft Helmets is that they are U.S. DOT FMVSS 218. Also, they also …

Halo Helmet Band Review Inexpensive safety item that fits almost all full-face helmets Shoei helmets were once available in a bright orange color. I believe it was called “Safety Orange”. No one bought them, so that color was discontinued. Too bad… Think about it — a motorcycle rider’s helmet is normally the highest point on …

Pretty Big for a Stowaway We were surprised at the response we received to our recent review of the Knox Ricochet back protector. We didn’t expect that so many motorcycle riders would be interested in such a serious piece of safety equipment. But we should have known better! After all, webBikeWorld visitors are the smartest …

“World’s First Helmet With A Built-In Rear-View Mirror” About one year ago we received a mysterious delivery of a Reevu helmet. I wore the helmet and took photos and started the process for a webBikeWorld review. Then I received a just-as-mysterious note asking us to return the helmet immediately and not to say anything about …

A Lookwell Leather Suit The Lookwell Leathers one-piece leather suit is surprisingly comfortable. It has nice overall styling that looks better than the photos may indicate. The perforations and vents work well. It has good elbow and shoulder protectors but no hip padding and the knee protectors is not adjustable. We’ve been surprised at the …

Garmin StreetPilot i5 GPS The Garmin i5 is super easy to set up and use. It makes a great all-around GPS for first-time users and for anyone who wants a very portable solution. It’s not waterproof and remote speakers can not be attached. The screen gets washed out in daylight. It weighs 6-3/4 oz. (193 …

Shake It to Power It! The NightStar “Shake” flashlight batteries are charged when you shake the light back and forth. This flashlight is waterproof and the manufacturer claims it can be stored for years with the expectation that it will still work when needed. It has a five-year replacement warranty. My flashlight obsession has most …

The EDZ Motorcycle Neck Warmer The EDZ neck warmer is light weight, stretchy and easy to use. It blocks some of the wind and provides light insulation over the neck and chin and keeps the bugs from your neck. The clocks have been set back one hour and the sun is setting earlier. The leaves …

BIG Ratcheting Wrenches Autumn has arrived in the northern hemisphere That means it’s time to start thinking about those winter maintenance projects! Maybe it’s finally time to install a set of heated grips or install a new set of tires? Or how about flushing and refilling the brake fluid or the fork fluid? Or maybe get to that overdue valve adjustment? Check …

The Z1R ZRP-1 Helmet The Z1R ZRP-1 helmet has a strange internal shape that may not fit all riders. It also has an uncomfortable and rough-feeling liner. Top if off with a very flimsy face shield and poor ventilation. So it supposedly transmits lower G-forces in a crash…but if it’s not worth wearing, who cares? …

The Knox “Ricochet” Back Protector Fits under most motorcycle jackets. Covers a large portion of the back. Lining is stiff and has little cushioning, but apparently it is designed to protect the rider. In a land where way too many motorcycle riders apparently believe that proper riding gear means shorts and a T-shirt, a back …

Add Comfort and Protection to the Ride The new Racer “Profile” D3O motorcycle shorts improve riding comfort and add some padding with their integrated D3O protectors and Lycra fabric. Shorts and underwear. These aren’t the types of apparel we often have the opportunity to review here at webBikeWorld, but occasionally it does happen, as you …

A Snap-on LED Flashlight for 10V Batteries webBikeWorld was started back in 2000 (an eternity in Internet time) to provide our visitors with information on unique and hard-to-find motorcycle products and accessories. We get just as much of a thrill now as we did then when we find a really unique product, and the Pak-Lite …

Outlast Adaptive Technology for Motorcycle Warmth The Roadgear Adaptive-Tech vest and jacket are soft, comfortable and stylish. They can be worn as liners for motorcycle jackets or off the bike for street wear. Outlast “phase change” material is relatively new to the world of motorcycling. But, our sport provides an ideal environment to evaluate the …

Tourmaster “Advanced” Jacket Review I have a confession to make. With dozens of textile and leather motorcycle jackets, pants and every other type of motorcycle gear on the planet to choose from, my most frequently used article of clothing is an old pair of Tourmaster pants. Those pants were one of the first items reviewed on …

Installing HID Motorcycle Headlights Here is some information on HID light bulbs and HID light conversions from Bill Finch of SOL Lamps. SOL Lamps sells an HID headlight conversion kit that can be used on motorcycles. UPDATE:  The SOL Lamps website is not operational as of August 24, 2006. The H4 kit we sell uses …

Big Radiantz “Dogeye” LED Turn Signals The word “billet” has been used quite liberally in the world of motorcycling, mostly due to the rise in popularity of custom bikes and their builders. The word has several meanings in English, which probably has added to the confusion. For example, one definition for billet is the place …

Marsee Motorcycle Race Gloves Thick gloves with lots of protective features and big, double-layered gauntlets. Three cinch straps on the gauntlets. Comfortable. webBikeWorld visitors may recall our recent article on the Held Ninja motorcycle gloves (review). These quickly became my favorites after riding for years with a now beat-up pair of Teknic Violator gloves (review). Well, love is fickle, …

Convertibars Adjustable Handlebars on a Moto-Guzzi Sport 1100 I recently fell in love with a cherry-red Moto Guzzi Sport 1100. It was offered for sale by a nice young man who only rode it Sundays and never, ever, raced it. As it was very late in the summer, the asking price had dipped to the “Holy Cr*p, …

Fog City vs. ProGrip Review Review Anti-fogging properties are excellent, but photochromic ability does not meet expectations. Our search for the perfect solution to visor fogging has taken us from anti-fog coatings like FogTech and Cat Crap (apparently no longer in business) to visor inserts like Pinlock. We’ve had a few detours along the way for visor cleaners …

AGV TiTech Helmet Review AGV is a very familiar name to motorcycle riders around the world. The company AGV (Amisano Gino Valenza) was established in 1947 as a manufacturer of leather seats and bicycle saddles. Gino Amisano was a motorcycle industry visionary, having pioneered the concept of motorcycle racer endorsements. I first remember seeing the …