Riding to work at this time of year has its appeals. You tough out the cold morning, the street still untouched by the warming massage of all those particles of light, and you receive your afternoon reward of a beautiful fall ride past fields and fauna. These are, at least, my circumstances.
Tour Master ...
There are plenty of bike covers to choose from now that it's bike covering season. Trikes, however, are often neglected the comfort of a well-fitted cover and instead don a frumpy tarp for the winter season. A tarp traps moisture that will contribute to rust and degradation, which is not what you want ...
Four years ago, I would not risk buying inexpensive bags. Why take a chance at dissatisfaction when you can just drop another $50 and buy some confidence? Well, like I said, that was four years ago, and this old economy ain't what she used to be. Now, I look for every bargain, and I ...
Every now and then, when I need to dodge out of the way of a motorist talking on the phone, reading directions, eating, or all three at the same time, I wonder if I bear some responsibility for their obliviousness. Perhaps a really loud outfit would have prevented my nimble show ...
The KBC Ed Hardy "Death or Glory" Nomad brings me a weird kind of joy. The Ed Hardy tattoo designs, which don't shirk their responsibility of transmitting a certain disregard for an under-lived life, give this helmet an uncompromising look.
This particular model of the Nomad is in no way subtle, ...
The necessary evil of rain gear has come into its season. Sure, there are summer torrents, but a hearty rider can grit her teeth and tough it out 'til the next stop. In these cold days, the wet leads to a chill that extracts all the joy from a ride ...
Alpinestars' C-1 Windstopper gloves caught my eye for the very reason they shouldn't have. They are surprisingly humble, coming from their otherwise ostentatious Alpinestars roots. There's nothing showy or striking about the C-1. I dare say they look generic, but Alpinestars has not overlooked their function.
Constructed of thick Windstopper nylon for insulation, ...
Because I ride, I get a lot of questions about biker culture. It's as if people think there's some kind of handbook that comes with the bike about being a big bad biker babe. One of these questions was about vests and why they're so popular in the riding ...
The warmest it is going to get today in my part of this fine state of Michigan is 48 degrees Fahrenheit. I almost wish I didn't know that. I might be willing to tough out an under-geared ride at 40 degrees if I didn't know it was 40 degrees. Of course, that ...
There are noble and ignoble uses for a really loud horn. Letting that 16-year-old, who's been given a license to wield a 2-ton deadly weapon, know that they are about to do something that everyone will regret is a perfectly valid reason to add to their elder-year deafness with a ...
Of those who are bad at estimating the time, there are two kinds: folks who get everywhere late and folks who get everywhere early. I'm of the latter end of that spectrum, and it drives me crazy. If you're late, you can at least jump right in when you get there, but ...
Bikes across the northern parts of the country are spending more and more time sitting still in driveways, garages, parking lots, and the occasional living room. The hazards of sitting may not be quite as high as those of the road, but they're more universal. Wind, dirt, theft, moisture, and moisture's ...
My brother-in-law has a Kawasaki KLR because he wanted options. He didn't want to be restricted to the road or to the trail. With that kind of demeanor, it is needless to say that he's also a nut for gadgetry. KapscoMoto provides options for gadgetry with their adjustable tank mount.
Constructed of ...
Cops are funny about license plates. They absolutely insist that you have the entire thing rather than what's left after long term vibration and poor seating has cracked it in half, leaving a couple numbers and half of a letter on a long forgotten stretch of highway. A proper 4-peg plate ...
Products like the Kruzer Kaddy stainless cup make me nervous. It isn't the look, intention, or application of such a thing that triggers my caution, but what it could represent for the riding community. A cup holder alone is fine. I like a frosty beverage as well as the next person, as ...
Hawk helmets have been doing creative acrobatics with their helmet designs. The Advance green and white helmet takes the broad tapering stripes that have been the fashion in decals since, well, as long as I've seen full face helmets with decals. A little twist and they've added a strong, almost typographical art ...
Flames or no, as winter approaches, beanies look cold. I realize that not everyone riding through this broad expanse of land, traced with the veins of well traveled roads, is about to end their riding season. For those of you who enjoy ridable weather year-round, I understand if you want ...
Every class of machine comes with its own style that works its way into accessories or bits of ride-specific apparel. Although there is always crossover, you can see trends. Sport machines have lots of color, sharp angles, and are composed of numerous synthetic materials. Cruisers have leather, black, red, curves, chrome, ...
Hardware doesn't need to be about basic function. If you never thought that the nuts and bolts could be decorative features, consider Lucky Bike's engine bolt kits. These kits provide a set of high strength aluminum bolts for your crankcase cover and your alternator cover. The bolts come ...
Cosmetics aren't just used to spruce up a bit. Sometimes cosmetics are used to hide that big scar so no one knows you're really a superhero by night... or just clumsy. Chrome covers work the same way; they can add a little more shine or cover the effects of wear, tear, and time.
Cobra's ...
Snow is coming. You can smell it in the air. This morning I stepped out into my driveway to find a thin frost over everything. It feels sterile and unwelcoming. It is also a harbinger of much time to be spent in a car. Enough lamentation -- I'm not off the ...
These days, nothing is tailored to fit. You get a pair of new shoes that feel good, wear them for a day, and you end up with sore feet until you break them in --them being the shoes or the feet, take your pick. The same goes for motocross armor. It ...
As it is the most obvious drawback, I'm going to address the ugly first. Icon's Hooligan 2 gloves are not pretty. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but nothing coming through my retinas is being translated as stylish. I think it's the big, 1990s-style cartoon lettering on the knuckles ...
Not too long ago, I put reflective tape on my helmet because, I was told, all that could be seen of my bike in the night was a little red dot. By happenstance rather than design, all of my gear is black and my bike is black. I can't ...
I tend to see my bike as 90 percent function and 10 percent show. This doesn't mean that I refrain from accessories, but I won't apply anything to my bike that inhibits its performance, unless it's unbelievably neat. Not everyone shares my view, and I'm happy for that, because ...
Oh wee little Icon riding gloves, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
Don't worry, I'm not about to whip out the ol' poetry on you, but I do have a soft spot for these gloves. They are much like my old, beaten-down riding standby pair. Leather on ...
Some people think I'm wasteful because I like frivolous accessories. Those people are dead wrong. I'm against waste in all forms and fashions. I do like to decorate my bike with a little leather, which is technically unnecessary, but I wouldn't call that wasteful. Now, big traditional-style turn signals are ...
Tire pressure gauges are nothing tools. You can pick them up for under a buck at most auto parts stores and, if you want to get fancy, you can get a $4 gauge. This is how I once saw tire gauges. Now, every time I want to check my air, I ...
I hate buying third party computer software for the same reason I love buying third party cruiser accessories: compatibility. Software requires plug-ins and mysterious workings, but the manufacturers of quality accessories for bikes make them mated perfectly to the machine you own. Which reminds me, make sure you get Cobra's dash plaque ...
I ride in a full face helmet, a leather jacket replete with armor, leather gloves, leather boots, and jeans. I keep saying that I'll buy chaps later, but I wouldn't ride until I got my coat. I obviously rank my legs lower than my arms in more than just the spacial ...
I don't change my own tires. I don't have the equipment. I do, however, help my buddy change his using his ragtag collection of substandard tools. That's a fun afternoon of blood and grease, I'm telling you. You really want to save the getting stabbed with a screwdriver till the ...
Cats and dogs. Truckers and bikers. Leather and synthetic. Usually, these things are in opposition, but every now and then they come together in the spirit of peace and harmony. River Road's luggage liners bring the beneficial attributes of modern synthetic materials to your leather saddlebags, but tuck away and ...
I have seen Harley stickers on Cadillacs and undefined motorcycle decals on everything from laptops to shotguns. If you should see one of these evidences of a fellow rider, you can feel comfortable inquiring about their bike. Heck, they're probably itching to tell someone about it that hasn't heard their stories a ...
Much of the time, the manufacturers of riding gear are trying to satisfy the needs and the wants of riders. A compromise is struck between safety and style. This is not even remotely the case with this reflective vest by Amanet. Safety is really the only factor of concern with this ...
Jafrum needs to get their website in order. They list that their three pocket PVC windshield bag is made out of "thick cowhide leather." Unless they've started making cows out of polyvinyl chloride, I believe they are mistaken in one place or the other.
This trio of connected bags, whatever they're made from, ...
In the summer months, it isn't hard to find a parking lot populated with motorcycles. Most of them have helmets dangling from the handlebars like low hanging fruit. Some less scrupulous individuals can bring in quite a bit of cash by harvesting unsecured helmets. And, while many bikes come with integrated ...
Last year I came to the end of a long trip and the skies were darkening with rain clouds. I pulled my cover out and tried to get it over the the top without touching the pipes. I failed. While adjusting one side the cover had fallen over, the other was was ...
When a manufacturer says their leather is "distressed," they mean that it looks like you've put the miles on it when you haven't. To get that look on some modern leather, after it's been softened and treated, you have to buy it. The way old leather used to scuff was because ...
People buy Fox Racing products based on the name, because the name is known for quality. Fox's Dirtpaw glove, which is updated constantly so make sure you're looking at the 2009 model, is their low-end beat-me-up glove.
Constructed of tough vented synthetics, the Dirtpaw won't let sweat disturb your hold. The palm ...
I wish I'd found out about this helmet decal kit a couple months ago. I spent an hour cutting strips of reflective tape to put together a halfway decent pattern on my own helmet.
I realized that, in the dark of night, drivers could see the spot of my tail light and nothing ...
Cruising along, it's nice to put your feet up, but that headwind can push your pant legs up, leaving your skin exposed to all kinds of hazards. Even if you don't get hit by a rock, the force of the air can chap your shins something awful. ...
The days are getting cold here in Michigan, so I'm thankful for my full helmet. It wasn't that long ago, however, that wearing that big chunk of plastic and padding was like having my own personal head-sized sweatbox. Venting only works if you're not stuck in commuter traffic. An open or half-helmet can ...
You'd think that someone designing a product for motorcycles would have more sense than to call it a bike diaper. The last associations I'd like to make with my bike are of parenting or incontinence. I'm going to call it an oil sling.
The oil sling mounts to the bike using a harness and comes ...
I'm something of a traditionalist. Logically, I know that synthetics have come a long way and many can hold their own when pitted against leather, but I have an irrational fondness for hide. Humans have been using leather since we stopped running around naked, after all, while synthetics have been around ...
Ah, simplicity. So much in the riding world is about flash and flair, but I've always preferred that my apparel be straightforward, and there is nothing more straightforward than a pair of short black gloves.
Alpinestars SMX-2 gloves offer function over frills. More akin to a chopped-down pair of motocross gloves, these are ...
Top-of-the-line, $80 gloves are great if you get them as a gift from some rich uncle, but for most of us that's not going to happen. Don't get me wrong; high-end equipment is an investment and provides a lot of protection for motocross riders who need it. If you ride pro or ...
Scooter tires should not be neglected. Far too many people don't seem to understand the level of wear that stop-and-go traffic can put on rubber, even if that rubber is under a very light machine. If your tires are looking a little worn down, don't take risks like skidding during a stop ...
More than half of the adult American population wear glasses, yet those of us who are ocularly challenged seem resigned to wear full face helmets or those stupid straps that hold your glasses on your face. Some of the more creative of my optician-visiting friends have fashioned their own goggles, which ...
Bread, eggs, term papers; all things that pose a unique problem on the bike. It's not so much that you can't strap them to the tail, or toss them in your soft bags, but that you'll probably end up with destruction or a terrible mess. Hard packs don't make it much easier ...
A couple months ago I was out, and an older guy came over to have a look at my machine. He lamented his riding days briefly and then asked if I would give him a burnout. I get that he missed his rebellious youth, I really do, but I still had ...