Shorter pipes, as a style statement, can really clean up the look of a bike. Depends upon what you're going for, of course, but they do add to that lean, tough, all-business approach.
The Vance and Hines Short Shots fill the style bill nicely: slash-cut ends, an included heat-shield that ...
Bolt-on parts are fun. You pick out an after-market option you like, remove the original or previous after-market choice, and bolt on the new. Quick and easy, and all of a sudden your bike takes on a whole new look. You never knew it could ...
Big names in scooter boot manufacturing come largely from Italy, these days. Gaerne's made a good name for themselves in the mid-price range. I first heard of these back in the '90s from a friend who has enough money to buy whatever he likes, but chose a pair ...
People keep coming up with new designs for holding bikes up, and one of these days someone's going to get it right. Another addition to the pile is this 26-pound wheel chock from Condor, which (depending upon whom you quote) can support motorcycles from 2400 to 3000 pounds. ...
If you happen to notice your clutch in any way, this typically means there's a problem. Difficulties getting the bike into or out of gear, a clutch that won't release well (a.k.a. a sticky or dragging clutch), or your engine revving up and the bike not picking up speed are the ...
The X-Wing is what's known as an "intake tract". Designed to move more air into the engine, it does this by creating a smoother flow of air similar to airflow over an airplane's wing -- also known as laminar flow. If an engine can get enough air when it needs ...
Helmet technology is booming. And in every aspect from weight to functionality to features to the bottom line (or ‘head' of the list, maybe)-safety. The Akuma Phantom MFR is another of these on the leading edge of technical design.
Start with the carbon fiber shell, very light and very strong. ...
This is one ambitiously innovative helmet. Advertised as a modular, it'd also be easy to label as a convertible because it can be altered from a full-face helmet to a half helmet. The French company Shark is relatively new to the U.S. market, but they'll definitely draw attention to themselves with ...
I like green. I like jackets. This is a green jacket. Two things I like! And, you get it through the American Motorcyclists Association, so a portion of what you spend goes back into defending your rights as a motorcyclist. Not a bad deal and a ...
The AGV Miglia (Italian for "miles") is a modular helmet that comes with some surprisingly good features. If you've been considering a modular but didn't want to pay the investment price of some of the upper-end models, the Miglia brings high quality to a very affordable range.
At a fairly light 3 ...
Everyone appreciates a good product at a good price, and the Emgo portable travel trunk is one of these. A simple and highly functional design which does everything you hope it would do and for not much money.
On most bikes, its less-than-8-pound weight will be unnoticeable -- although if you fill it ...
The 304 has been around for a while now. Named for the grade of stainless steel it's partly constructed from, it's also the first silencer Pro Circuit ever built. Intended as an OEM replacement, the 304 was designed to add horsepower throughout the power-band yet keep noise close to stock ...
Wiseco's been keeping up the pressure since 1941. Cylinder pressure, that is, by manufacturing and selling high-quality pistons and other precision core engine parts. Clyde Wiseman began making pistons in his garage for himself and some fellow riders, and did it so well that Wiseco became and remains an instantly recognizable ...
With so many bolt-on chrome parts available, it's sometimes hard to know where to begin -- or stop, for that matter. How do you know when you're done?
You're never done! There's always going to be something to catch your eye, and you know it, too. While you're adding it ...
At Xelement they make a variety of leather apparel items as well as saddlebags. New for their lineup is the Cruiser Premium Vented jacket. It's called a vented jacket because the two upper zippers are actually vents, and there's a matching pair of zippered vents on the lower ...
Back in school a few years ago, a teacher dubbed me The Man from Plaid. She had a distinct disdain for plaid. Not one who enjoys being singled out or pigeon-holed (does anyone?), I promptly switched to single-color and simpler print flannel shirts. Plaid had nothing to do with ...
Aside from the tires, the most vulnerable part of an off-road motorcycle is the section right below the engine and transmission. Knowing this, most manufacturers include minimal skid plates on new machines. But stock skid plates don't cover much and are often at least partially made of plastic. That's fine if ...
Motorcycle protective gear continues to evolve in some very good ways. Perhaps it's even revolutionary, and certainly to every off-road rider's benefit -- that is assuming you actually wear the safety gear.
Since 1985, EVS Sports has been developing armor for humans. They provide mid-to-high range protective equipment to cover you ...
You may not want to hear what your passenger has to say, but voice communication is a lot easier (and probably safer) than trying to decipher barely comprehensible hand gestures and/or being thumped on your back or helmet -- unless you just enjoy this sort of thing.
Nady System's PMC-2X has noise-cancelling microphones ...
A recurring fantasy of mine is that out my back door are several hundred miles of backwoods trails, a motocross track, acres and acres of sand dunes, and some really gnarly sections for trials bikes. All my riding buddies show up at my place, or even live next door, and the ...
If you've been into off-road motorcycles (or BMX, or surfing, or mountain biking) for five minutes, then you've heard of Fox Racing. Like the cartoon character Savoir Faire, they are everywhere. And they make some bang-up gear that you can take out and bang up all the ...
In business since 1946, Shinko began by making bicycle tires and tubes. In 1998 they bought the Yokohama Rubber Company's motorcycle tire business and molds, and now market these under the Shinko name.
While Shinko is probably less known to Americans than several other Japanese tire companies, they are gradually ...
Electricity runs or regulates every powered device on Earth. And without batteries we'd have no autonomy off the power grids. With more and more demands being placed on motorcycle electrics, batteries must be able to meet that demand as well as conforming to space and weight considerations.
Now we have ...
Much has been written and more has been said about which brand of pre-mix to use for your engine and what fuel-to-mix ratio is best. If you own and ride a two-stroke, you've heard lots of stuff, and maybe made up some of your own lore. But the real answers ...
The Shoei Na Company has been making helmets for motorcyclists since 1958. Their newest off-road offering is the VFX-W, introduced in 2008 and bringing some new designs for 2009. While a top-quality helmet with unique features, you'll also pay for this uniqueness in the same ballpark as Arai or ...
While protective gear for motorcyclists continues to improve, there are still gaps in our armor. One of the products to help chink that gap for street riders is Icon's Field Armor for your legs. Or shin guards, if you prefer.
It's not just a simple knee-pad; these are larger than they ...
Typically used by low-geared trials bikes to aid their near-acrobatic stunts, the trials tire has gained a new popularity in the last five years or so. Someone stuck one on a motocross or enduro machine somewhere and right away figured out they had more traction than they'd ever experienced before. ...
Measuring your bike in inches, not centimeters, is a prerequisite for this kit. These kits don't come in metric sizes. It's SAE, man. That's Standard American Equivalent -- in case you've ever wondered -- for working on American-made motorcycles, standard or not.
You get a fair pile of tools ...
If you're experiencing hesitation or flat spots in your bike's acceleration, particularly after installing aftermarket parts for the exhaust or intake, the Dynojet Power Commander III USB could be the fix for you. This is one very cool high-tech tool.
At the simplest level, the PC III plugs in using the stock ...
A cover is a nice addition for a bike's overall care and maintenance, even if you keep yours in a garage. But if your motorcycle is often outside, or if you tour frequently, this H-D Super Shield will do a good job of protecting it from those elements of decay. Think ...
After dragging a chain around for some years, I finally realized there might be an easier (and cleaner) way of securing my bike. A simple padlock attached to the front disc made me feel just as secure, and took up far less space in my limited onboard storage.
Now, you can ...
Here's another fairly attractive aftermarket exhaust system for your big twin Harley or Victory machine. It'll also provide a slight boost in horsepower over stock to improve low-end torque and high-end performance. And it'll probably put a little rumble in where there may previously have been ...
Vance and Hines has been around for exactly 30 years now, and clearly intend to continue their tradition of quality and innovative products for street and racing. The founders of the company (and their progeny) are in fact active, winning racers themselves with their own NHRA motorcycle team.
The slip-on SS2-R was ...
On a two-stroke motor, the reed valve controls the fuel-air mixture into the cylinder. OEM reeds are engineered to suit the greatest number of riders, and are not necessarily the optimum setup for your engine's peak performance. If you've experienced some hesitation in throttle response, or simply want to boost ...
Renthal is one of the best-known brand names when it comes to handlebars, especially in regards to the world of off-road motorcycling. And they have the distinction of being the first aftermarket manufacturer to have their handlebars installed as factory original equipment on Honda and Kawasaki off-road bikes.
In addition to their established ...
Leather: it's for your senses -- even "sense-ual," as it were. Even the word "leather" has a nice feel and sound to it. And with this thick-skinned and slightly oversized Alpinestars jacket, you'll get a nice feel as well as the creaking sound of good, finished leather. Gotta love that smell, ...
Renthal's manufacturing is based in Manchester, but the company is known around the world for their quality handlebars and chainwheels (sprockets). Heavily involved in every type of motorcycle competition, they continuously develop their products from the knowledge gained through racing. With plenty of competitors in this same market, Renthal manages to ...
Back when your horse wasn't made of iron, chaps were born. Leather was the material of choice, because that was the only choice, period. Leather makes a good wind-breaker, is durable, generally won't tear except under extreme duress, and can be made nearly waterproof. It has a nice ...
At last, a boot you can wear to work or school and not have to pack shoes to change into. TCX's X-Cube will likely help drive motorcycle boot designs toward a new and heretofore unheard-of versatility. And not that boots these days are uncomfortable -- far from it -- ...
RK Excel America is probably best-known for their after-market wheels. They also make spokes to go with their wheels, and now have come up with a wrench to help you set the spokes to the correct torque.
If you've ever considered purchasing a custom wheel, yet were intimidated by the ...
The son of Odin and the giantess Jord, Thor had a fairly successful career as a god. Later, when the Renaissance bloomed and all the credibility went out of the mythology biz, Thor was forced to begin casting about for something to do. As an immortal, time held little meaning ...
Although worn by some very famous racers over the years, from Kenny Roberts to Valentino Rossi, AGV is better known in Europe than in the U.S. That status is changing, however, and their new Blade helmet is certainly garnering some fans.
AGV began in 1945, building leather seats for bicycles. ...
This link will lead you to the back end of your motorcycle -- to the chain, that is; and this is all about breaking one. The typical time of use for a chain-breaking tool is when installing a new chain, and rarely otherwise, except when changing sprocket sizes to ...
Off-road riding in the middle of the dark is an enlightening experience. Or should be, that is, if you've set up your bike for lightless conditions. Motoring along over uneven terrain at night is a surreal event; shadows move and shift with each bump or change in slope, and ...
Roland Sands is the son of the founder of Performance Machine. He began his own design venture in 2005, geared toward an emphasis on highly functional style. As a former racer himself, he is committed to creating aftermarket parts that increase performance and/or improve handling, as well as incorporating ...
Just because it's your humerus doesn't mean it's funny. Far from it. A dislocation of the shoulder is extremely painful and something no one wants to repeat. It tends to lead to subluxations, or partial dislocations of the shoulder caused either by impact or from your arm being placed into ...
This one comes with a warning right up front: these kits are for CDI (capacitive discharge ignition) systems only. You'll want to make certain you know what type ignition system you have, or you could damage your bike's electronic ignition module.
If you don't know what you have, there's a ...
When Mikunis showed up on the scene, racers quickly adopted them. This was back when your choices were such as Linkert, Amal, Dell'Orto, SU, and a few others -- all of which were well known for their limitations at the time. Mikuni provided a carburetor that increased performance, was easily adjusted ...
In the beginning there were roost deflectors and chest protectors, and now we have the Vega ProGuard 'chest deflector'. Whatever you prefer to call them, they're all meant to shield your upper torso from the various puncture and impact hazards encountered in off-road riding.
The ProGuard is formed from a thermoplastic alloy. ...
Parts are parts, it's often said; but good parts sure can make all the difference. I really enjoy bolting up things that fit well because I'm old enough to remember when aftermarket parts only sort of matched their intended applications. Back then you could spend hours or days modifying a ...