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The Rugged Road by: Theresa Wallach ISBN: 0953509826 Dimensions (in cm): 24x16x13 Publisher: Panther Publishing, 2001 150 pages, B&W Photos and Illustrations Available From: Panther Publishing (UK) for £16.00; or with VHS Video £28.00 and with NTSC Video £32.45. I’ll have to agree with the summary of this book printed on the back cover: “this is quite simply …

Cruiser and sport bike owners have been known to spend big money on all sorts of custom bits for their bikes. A large chunk of that cash can go for wheels; custom wheels can easily run into the thousands of dollars.  But all wheels have to be balanced, and who wants a crummy old hunk o’ …

The Throttlemeister Cruise Control This is another article in an ongoing series to make my new 2006 Yamaha FJR 1300 the “Ultimate Sport Tourer”. Having been spoiled by my ’99 BMW K1200LT with such luxuries as heated grips, heated seats, six-disc CD changer and fully electronic cruise control, I decided I was going to need …

California Earplug Law UPDATE:  California has recently passed a bill (SB 315 from the 2004 session) to amend Vehicle Code Section 27400.  The revised law takes effect January 1, 2004 and will allow the use of foam, “non custom” earplugs by motorcyclists.  Thanks to California State Senator Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach) (send an email thank-you to [email protected]) and the American Motorcyclist …

Motorcycle paint is like a magnet for bugs, road grime and dirt.  That noxious mixture is bad enough, but factor in harsh Cordura or leather clothing, tank bags, bungee cords and motorcycle boots and it’s surprising that the paint lasts more than a single season. This problem is exacerbated on adventure-touring bikes, because they frequently see …

Back in the old days (uh-oh, here he goes again!), accessory windscreens for motorcycles were offered by a handful of companies who had never put the words “customer” and “service” in the same sentence. Anyone under the age of 40 or so probably doesn’t realize that prior to 1976 there was basically no such thing …

Motorcycle Stickers and Decals Back in the old days, decals were fragile things that were soaked in warm water and carefully removed from their paper backing. If you were really, really lucky and if all the stars were aligned, the decal would slide off the paper and on to the surface of the model car or …

Looking to add a little excitement to your night riding?  Tire Flares may be the answer! These LED wheel lights screw on to the valve stem of a motorcycle (or bicycle, car, etc.) and automatically activate at night.  The tiny LED light in each Tire Flare automatically activates on while the tire is rotating and shuts …

Caberg always has some interesting helmets, like theCaberg Sintesi we reviewed in 2010. UPDATE 2: The webBikeWorld Caberg Ego review is now available! UPDATE: Caberg to enter U.S. market? More in the Caberg HyperX Review. Also see this Caberg DOT Helmets report from the 2011 Dealer Expo. The new Caberg Ego take the Nolan N43 Air (review) concept one step further: It adds a massive …

Part 2: Blutek Bluetooth Helmet Review A “well done” and big “thumbs up” to Blutek for Generation II of the Blutek Helmet and Bluetooth System. But, don’t rest your laurels Blutek – a little more attention to graphics work and finishing is warranted. And allowing both users to initiate an intercom session (and Class 1 …

J.D. Power Motorcycle Helmet Report J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Arai Motorcycle Helmets Rank Highest in Overall Customer Satisfaction for Sixth Straight Year Helmet Comfort and Fit Become More Important as Riders Age (May 2004) For the sixth consecutive year, Arai ranks highest in customer satisfaction with motorcycle helmets, according to the J.D. Power and …

Vox?  Zox?  You’re kidding me, right?  Hey — you asked for it!  The el Cheapo crowd is always looking for the ultimate helmet bargain.  Does it exist?  Truth be told, I don’t think they’ll be satisfied until somebody pays them to take a brand new helmet!  And dollars to donuts, they’ll still complain. Everyone likes a bargain, …

New ACU Five Star System to Combine Snell and ECE 22.05 Motorcycle Helmet Safety Standards The Autocycle Union (ACU Motorcycling GB) fulfills a role in the UK that is similar to the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in the U.S.A. Both serve as the the governing bodies for motorcycle racing, they help organize motorcycle clubs and …

Looking for reflective stickers for your helmet? Streetglo claims to have over 150,000 different designs, including reflective stickers, decals and striping for motorcycles, helmets, cars, trucks and more, in every color, shape and size imaginable. Many of the stickers don’t appear to be reflective until they’re energized with a light source.  This allows for some …

Making a Nolan Motorcycle Helmet When CIMA International, the U.S. importer and service center for Nolan Helmets in the U.S.A., asked if I’d like a personal tour of the Nolan helmet factory while I was in Milano for the EICMA show, I naturally jumped at the chance. In a past life, I worked in manufacturing …

One thing’s for certain: If a webBikeWorld review reports that a helmet is relatively quiet, we can count on getting an email from someone telling us that it’s the noisiest helmet they’ve ever tried. Conversely, if we think a helmet is loud, we will surely get emails informing us that we’re dead wrong. The lesson …

MAX Motorcycle Helmets wBW Visitor “D.R.” writes about a MAX motorcycle helmet:  “I saw one email you posted on your site about the MAX brand helmets. Ironically, this is the only place on the web that I could find any type of serious review of the helmet and trust me, I search long and hard …

Motorcycle Helmets For BIG Heads! Having trouble finding a motorcycle helmet big enough to fit? Here’s information on motorcycle helmets for very large sized heads, defined as XXXL and above. First check out the very large helmet size chart below If you have any tips on where to find very large sized motorcycle helmets and/or custom …

Methods for Evaluating Visor Anti-Fog Treatments In the most recent webBikeWorld anti-fog treatment comparison article, we discovered that the anti-fog treatment applied to the visor during manufacturing can have an affect on the anti-fog coating applied by the owner. That is something we hadn’t considered in the past. In response to that article, several readers …

Motorcycle Helmet FAQ The webBikeWorld Motorcycle Helmets page is one of the most popular destinations on the site. The subject of motorcycle helmets generates a significant amount of email That includes questions and comments about fitting and sizing, noise levels, safety standards and more. There’s also the occasional Zen-like question: “What’s the best helmet?” Our team of volunteer …

Listing of Motorcycle Helmets (Sorted by Weight) While light weight is always a plus, it isn’t necessarily the only factor to consider. The center of gravity of a motorcycle helmet will affect how the weight is carried, which can make a lighter weight helmet feel heavy and vice versa. The fit of the helmet is …

Three Sub-$50.00 Motorcycle Gloves The old adage “You get what you pay for” keeps coming to mind with this sampling of Olympia motorcycle gloves. It’s difficult to pick a favorite in this bunch because each pair has at least one serious flaw. But another old adage may be appropriate: “Some protection is 100% better than …

Rev’it Ultra H20 Gloves NOTE:  This article was originally entitled “Rev’it Ultimate Gloves” in error.  The Ultra H20 gloves are a brand-new release for fall of 2005. The new Rev’it “Ultra H20” glove is an update of the original “Ultra” glove (previously reviewed on webBikeWorld), which was did not have a waterproof lining. The original …

Too Light for Summer? Question: Where is the crossover point between the ability to protect and lightweight comfort? We searched for the lightest-weight summer motorcycle gloves we could find in 2015 that could still reasonably be called motorcycle gloves. We found the bleeding edge — pun intended — of that not-so-fine line between protection and …

REV’IT! Inferno Gloves Rev’it makes a wide variety of motorcycle gloves, several of which have been reviewed on webBikeWorld over the last few years (see the right-hand column of this page for a listing). Although Rev’it does make a nice-looking “race” style glove (the Stealth), most of their gloves seem to be designed for the …

Rev’it GTX Gloves Preview Rev’it GTX Gloves The Rev’it Bastion GTX gloves represent the top-of-the-line for Fall/Winter 2010. These are the highest-tech gloves I’ve ever seen, incorporating Schoeller Dynamic and Nanosphere fabrics; goat hide with a water-resistant coating and 1000 denier Cordura rip-stop with a Teflon coating. Superfabric is used over the knuckles for abrasion …

Summer Motorcycle Gloves 2007 A never-ending supply of motorcycle gloves flood the dealers’ shelves each year in every style, color and shape imaginable. So why, in the midst of this bounty, is it so hard to find the “perfect” glove? Choosing a pair of summer motorcycle gloves is even more difficult due to the the …

Velocity Gear 2009 Motorcycle Gloves wBW 2009 Velocity Gear Motorcycle Glove Reviews ▪ Velocity Gear Exhibition Pro Gloves ▪ Velocity Gear Prodigy Gloves ▪ Velocity Gear Formula Gloves ▪ Velocity Gear Metalwear Gloves ▪ 2009 Velocity Gear Motorcycle Gloves Overview The folks at Velocity Gear are at it again, this time with a completely updated glove line for the 2009-2010 model …

Penny Tech: Making Tight Gloves Fit Here’s a trick to help to make a pair of too-tight gloves fit more comfortably. You may have found a particular brand or model of motorcycle glove that fits your hands perfectly. If so, you’re lucky and you don’t need this article. But if you’re like most of us, …

Zeus 508 Owner Reports Many webBikeWorld visitors have sent comments regarding this helmet. It’s apparent that there are a lot of Zeus helmet fans out there! News: Zeus is one of the few manufacturers that make motorcycle helmets in size XXXL; see the wBW Extra Large Motorcycle Helmets page for more information. Electric heated visors and double-lens visors to …

HJC vs Sliks Motorcycle Helmet Liner Comparison Several emails arrived recently from webBikeWorld visitors asking about helmet liners. We’ve often referred to this simple piece of equipment in our motorcycle helmet reviews, and I suddenly realized that an article on this topic was way overdue. I started wearing a helmet liner many years ago to …

Earbuds and Motorcycles Here’s a solution for motorcycle helmets that combines earplugs and hearing protection with speakers to listen to music while you ride. wBW Visitor “B.Y.” recently wrote us about an interesting solution that combines hearing protection with the ability to listen to your favorite tunes. “Hi Rick, I too have chronic tinnitus or “ringing” …

DuPont Motorcycle Chain Lubes and Products for 2012 The formula for the DuPont Multi-Use Dry, Wax Lubricant chain lube, which was a favorite for many years, has been changed. The new formula is no longer recommended by DuPont for motorcycle chain lubrication and it has dropped off our favorite list also. The company now recommends …

Liquid Wrench L704, L706, L711 Chain Lube The “Improved Formula” Liquid Wrench chain lube is a pretty close approximation of the original and sorely missed DuPont Teflon Multi-Use Dry Wax Lubricant (review). It sprays on as a clear liquid with a petroleum aroma and dries nearly completely, leaving a slightly oily film. The only problem is …

Men’s Vented Leather Motorcycle Jacket Note:  This article was first published in 2004.  The Vortech jacket has since been discontinued, although a few can still be found at various retailers. Leather is back!  Leather motorcycle jackets have been around forever, but they’ve been collecting a bit of dust on the racks over the last few years …

Mesh Motorcycle Jacket have become very popular in the few years that they’ve been on the market, and with good reason.  They’re a very welcome solution to hot-weather riding for those of us who like to have more than Fruit of the Loom between skin and asphalt. Motorcycle clothing manufacturers have been hard at work, …

50th Anniversary Sidi Boots Where to Buy Sidi 50th Anniversary Vortice Boots Also: Leather Motorcycle Boots, Touring Motorcycle Boots, Women’s Motorcycle Boots Sidi 50th Anniversary Vortice Boots In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Sidi Boots, Motonation is offering a very limited edition, one-time, built-to-order production run of the famous Sidi Vortice road racing boot (review). The …

Vendramini Elephant Boots Vendramini makes some very interesting motorcycle boots, no doubt about it. If you need proof, just take a look at the Vendramini “Desert Alp” Elephant boots shown here. But maybe “interesting” isn’t the right word. How about unique?  Over the top?  Yes, I think that’s getting closer… If you want more proof …

Tourmaster Cortech GX Jacket – Pants Does anyone remember the so-called “good old days”, when motorcycle riding gear meant a pair of jeans, work boots, some old leather work gloves and a plastic helmet? When the latest thing in “cool” was an old Air Force or Police surplus leather jacket?  Yep, the good old days… …

Roadgear AirTek Mesh Jacket – AirTek Mesh Pants Can there ever be too many choices for warm weather clothing?  I’m not sure if the “perfect” mesh combo exists just yet, but the evolution of the technology to produce these materials will surely give us more options. The mesh motorcycle clothing phenomenon is relatively new, but …