Summer is all about getting on your ride and hitting those sunshiny roads. If you happen to be interested in riding with some protection though, which everyone should be, then summer can also mean sweating your bearings off inthe sweltering heat in traffic or while sitting at a stoplight that just doesn't seem to want to sense your motorcycle that day.

Joe Rocket's Phoenix 5.0 Mesh Textile Jacket is a heavy-duty, full-protection riding jacket aimed at keeping you safe while still keeping you cool.

The Phoenix has a poly/mesh shell that actually lets wind inside rather than keeping it out. If you happen to get caught in a summer deluge though, the Phoenix also comes with a removable waterproof liner.

The black jacket has a clean, non-flashy look to it. Remember, black is not the most visible color on the planet, and while the Phoenix does have a little reflective stripe, don't expect to be glowing in the dark out there. It does come equipped with C.E rated protectors in the elbows and shoulders. It also comes with a spine pad that isn't C.E rated but you can upgrade to one as the pad is removable.

So while you probably aren't going to be as cool (temperature-wise) sporting this jacket as you would be a cut-off t-shirt and shorts, it will be an improvement from the standard heavy duty jacket that only has a few zipper vents in the armpit area. Plus you can ride with an elevated level of inner peace knowing that in the unfortunate event that you happen to get up close and personal with the ground, you might just save yourself from some road burn.

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I was helping a friend buy a used bike. We looked at a nimble Suzuki street bike (this was a while ago and I've forgotten the model) that was going for cheap because it had a sordid past. At some point the speedometer had been cracked off of it. I took it for a test ride and had a good time on the spritely, little machine. Without the speedometer I had a habit of going, as my friend said, stupid fast.

A decent speedometer isn't expensive and can prevent speeding tickets, not to mention the fact that it'll provide a needed spark of reality in the ether of your highway "high." I need boundaries and reference points, or I will get myself into trouble.

Baja Designs sells a basic analog speedometer at a basic price. We are not talking about anything fancy. The Baja has a tripmeter, odometer and, of
course, its 2.5 inch display is backlit. This speedometer is only designed for Japanese bikes with 21 inch front wheels and OEM odometer cables, but if you meet those criteria, it has a universal mounting bracket.

The only thing I demand of my speedometer is an accurate reading of my miles per hour. The scale on the Baja reads up to 160 mph, so we can now throw my earlier talk of boundaries out the window.

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If you work on your bike at all, then no matter how careful you might be, chances are you will eventually tarnish your pristine garage floor with a nice black blob of oil that will turn into a nearly impossible to remove stain.

Pour-N-Restore Oil Stain Remover offers a new twist on old grease-removing options like pouring gasoline on a stubborn stain- it won't kill the earth. Well maybe that's a bit dramatic, but it is a biodegradable and environmentally safe product which is definitely not a bad thing.

A lot of degreasers use solvents that will clear up a stain but end up drawing it back up when they dissolve. Pour-N-Restore is unique in the way it works. You just pour the liquid on the stain and leave it for eight hours. It works its magic and eventually turns into a powder that you just sweep up. The manufacturer says its trademarked Micro-Extraction Technology basically grabs onto oil molecules and then pulls out the entire stain and dries on the spot. Whatever the trick, it seems to work well on everything from cement to stone to paving bricks. You're not supposed to use it on asphalt, but it works on all sorts of stains like motor oil, brake fluid, anti-freeze, and even cooking-oil for those times you happen to be frying up some chicken while you are removing your air filter.

Poor-N-Restore does works pretty darn good, although sometimes it can leave the treated area noticeably cleaner than the rest of your garage. It's also best if you are not craving fruit salad when using it, as it ends up making
your garage smell like an orange exploded inside. But hey, that's better than a nasty ol' grease stain any day.

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When it comes to grips, I encourage shopping around. Your hands are going to be spending a lot of time with whatever you buy. All hands are different, so take the time to find out what diameter or material is comfortable for you. I prefer hard grips and my buddy prefers gel grips. In my friend's case, this is because riding his '87 Rebel is like riding a bumblebee, whereas my bike is on the smoother side.

Harley-Davidson Diamond Black Collection grips are designed for long term function. A knurled surface provides a grip that wont lose hold with age. Rubber banding borders are exposed, with semi-finished aluminum for friction. The .5-inch diameter Diamond grips do not require glue to install, so you can remove them for service without destroying them.

These grips are designed for use with the '08 and later Harley touring bikes. Diamond grips, like the touring bikes, are made for the long haul. Rubber won't hold up like aluminum. Last year I had a rubber throttle grip start to melt in the dog days of summer.

The satin black finish will go with any paint job. If you want to create unity of design, the Diamond Black Collection also includes shifter pegs, foot pegs, brake pedal pads, and footboard insert kits. Like all Harley accessories, they're on the pricey side. As I said, it doesn't hurt to shop around and get something that suits both you and your bike.

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Heel of your hand feeling like it needs a shoe? Back aching from leaning just a little bit too far forward? Doctor prescribing a scooter-ectomy to ease your pain? Might be time to install some Heli Bars Handlebar Relocator Adapters, and possibly put the full joy back into your ride.

New for 2009 is this very specific kit for relocating the stock handlebars on your 2008-2009 Kawasaki Concours 14. Heli Bars says this will raise the bars by 2" (51mm) and give them a 3/4"(19mm) offset toward the back. The kit comes with all the necessary hardware for installation, and uses the stock
cables and hydraulic lines. By raising the bars, this takes some of the pressure/weight off of your hands, and you won't have to lean as far forward, so taking some of the strain off your back. Keep in mind that because you're sitting more upright, you may be more in the wind, too. The company also says that elevating your bars will provide a noticeable improvement in handling at both low and high speeds. As well, you should no longer experience any distraction from seeing your own hands on the handlebar, as these adapters move the bar out of the mirrors' field of view.

One cautionary note from Heli Bars: these adapters are not to be used as a tie-down point for your motorcycle. Doing so could bend your bars, or rotate the adapters on their mounts, thus causing further damage.

The parts are CNC machined from 6061T6 aluminum, and finished in a silver powder coat. Also, Heli Bars offers a 100% guarantee if you're not completely satisfied, and you can return the kit for a full refund.

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Just because you don't have the dough to spring for an uber- tricked, top of the line helmet doesn't mean you have to ride without top of the line style and top of the line protection.

HJCs CL-15 Full-Face Helmet is a popular choice with everyone from new riders, to the budget conscious crowd, to the advanced "price is no object" crowd.

CL-15s come in all sorts of design and color schemes. This particular one is called the Dragon. The namesake may have something to do with the fact that there is a pretty wicked-looking flaming dragon gracing both sides of the lid. The design is sharp and the dragon avoids a cheesy cartoon look.

As far as features go, the CL-15 has most everything you'll need. It's made of an injection-molded polycarbonate composite shell. It also has a pretty effective venting system with two intake vents up front and an exhaust in the rear. It also has a removable liner and anti-fog shield (with a nice selection of color options sold-separately). Speaking of the shield, HJC has a pretty slick removal system that makes cleaning or replacing it a snap.

The CL-15 is DOT-218 and SNELL-M2005 approved so you can rest assured that your dome is safe. Weighing in at about 3.6 lbs, it's not the lightest helmet out there but it's not the heaviest, either. All in all, the CL-15 is a good helmet that is priced right and is very popular for a reason.

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There never seems to be quite enough room on your bike when you're headed out for those long road trips. And then there's the issue of what to do if you go somewhere and buy a couple of souvenirs or something. If you have your
bags packed to the brim, you're pretty much out of luck. Well, Kuryakyn's latest Ultra Tour 4148 bag might just be the answer with its expandable design.

Made out of thick 1200-denier nylon, the Ultra Tour 4148 has lots of room with a 16 1/2 inch height, and a 15-inch depth. Its 16-inch width can also be expanded to 20 inches if you find the need for a little extra room. The bag attaches to any backrest with a wide hook-and-loop belt, plus it has attached D-rings so you can easily bungee even more goods to it if you are still coming up short on space.

Other helpful features include large waterproof zippered openings on the top
and both sides to allow you to access every inch of the inside without rifling through everything you packed in there so neatly. Speaking of zippers, as any rider will tell you, it's pretty annoying when you have to remove your gloves in order to unzip a bag every time you have to make a quick pit stop. The Ultra Tour 4148 has nice large waterproof zippers that even the meatiest of gloves should be able to grab onto. The bag also comes off pretty easily and has a shoulder strap if you want to take it inside after your ride. A rain cover is also included.

While this bag wont have the durability or the style of a leather or hard bag, it is a decent-looking and decent-priced option with lots of nice features and a whole ton of space for whatever you can load up.

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Riding for the sheer joy of it is a luxury that should be indulged in whenever you have the time. I don't have a lot of time, so I ride to work, to the bank, or anywhere else I need to go. Getting off of the bike and doing chores requires riding boots that are comfortable enough to walk around in all day.

Some companies boast riding gear that is protective and comfortable, but you're always compromising durability when you add flexibility. I am not so frightened of low-siding that I wear immobilizing, molded plastic up to my eyeballs, but there's also no way I'm going out in a pair of sandals.

Diadora makes a short, motorcycle boot that combines elements of safety with comfort. The Express boot has full-grain leather and Keprotec reflex panels which allow for greater movement, moisture permeability, and airflow. For long rides, the Express has toe shifter pads to protect your toes and arches from shifting fatigue.

Injection-molded plastic ankle guards and reinforced toe and heel regions are designed to protect your feet from impact or abrasion. For the rain, these boots have no-slick soles and are waterproof, but this won't do you much good without the proper rain gear. Some riders have discovered their rain pants dont cover the tops of short boots when in the riding position. Short boots require long pants.

Diadora Express boots are reminiscent of the 1980s with velcro panels over zippers. Some riders might not like a look that reminds them of childhood shoe tying woes or Mad Max trappings, but these boots make me smile.

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Black Diadora Express Mens Leather Boot EU 44 US 10 US $169.99   Auction Ends: 28d 2h 54m Make it yours...

Few things are as kryptonite-like to the proud bike owner as water spots and water streaks on a freshly washed bike. Even the most diligent towel and shammy users will admit that getting those stubborn water drops out of every nook and cranny can be next to impossible.

If your wife is about ready to kill you for ruining her 15th hair dryer to blow-dry your bike, you might want to check out the Harley-Davidson HOG Blaster Motorcycle Dryer.The HOG Blaster is about the size of a Big Gulp in your hand. The electric 1.3 hp motor blasts a nice stream of warm, dry and filtered air at 18,000 feet per minute to basically push water off or out of your bike. This particular version has a nice Harley-Davidson logo on it, although as you might guess, it works with any brand of bike.

The whole package is a bit pricey considering a towel will essentially do the same job. But if you're a stickler for detail and can swallow the price, it does get the job done and sure beats trying to buff out those life-sucking water spots. It's also made in the USA, and comes with a full one-year warranty.

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You can shut an engine off by simply placing your hand over the air intake. It's like sticking a piece of foam in your mouth and trying to breathe through it. This should give you some inkling of the horsepower it takes for your bike's motor to respire.

Meanwhile, in order for your bike to suck, all kinds of metal parts are bumping and grinding together with just a micro-thin film of oil preventing them from super-heating. Add some sand, or even microscopic dust, and you begin to have a recipe for rapid wear and/or catastrophic failure. It needs to be clean in there. According to one source, a cubic mile of air typically contains 400 tons of suspended dirt (particulate matter). And this is just the dirt you can't see.

K&N's been around since 1969. Their brand name has become synonymous with performance, and they do their best to continue to promote this reputation with aggressive marketing and convincing research data.

The most basic description of K&N's filter construction is: four to six layers of oleophilic cotton in a specific mesh pattern, which is then coated in a light oil in order to trap dust. These filters are washable, with the purchase of their filter washing kit, but doing so only needs to occur at an astonishing 50,000 mile intervals. They have replacement filters available for almost any motorcycle manufactured.

Having used these filters, I can say they do improve air flow. Engines idle a bit higher after installing one of these, and in some applications there was a noticeable power increase. But do they filter better than foam or paper? I don't know. I change my oil regularly and follow K&N's filter maintenance procedures, and have noticed no additional dirt in my used oil -- not that I'd be able to see it, perhaps. There's lots of information available online, and detractors as well, and it's always best to do your research first.

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