Off Road / MX

When I started in motorcycles in the 1970s, Bell helmets were the big deal. My first street helmet was a Bell Star. You saw Bells on motocrossers, street racers, and all over the road. Sometime in the '80s and '90s, Bell helmets lost their luster ...

Wow! Do they still make these? A traditional, no frills, no nonsense dirt helmet?

The HJC CL-X5N solid helmet is refreshing in its simplicity. This helmet doesn't pretend to be anything but a well-built off-road helmet. Rest assured, in the case of this helmet, simple does not mean low ...

The Moose Racing Qualifier Jersey is simply a well-made, well-designed dirt jersey. It is not some frilly, gaudy, attention-seeking billboard. It is attractive, understated, and functional. This is a welcome departure from modern MX gear for a lot of us.

The jersey is polyester with sublimated graphics. What ...

Dual sport riders probably encompass the widest range of interests in the motorcycling world. You have dual sport riders who spend all of their time on the road, and you have dual sport riders who only use the road to get to the trail. Riders who ...

I've reviewed the GoPro Motorsports camera for this site. In short, I love the product. It comes with a variety of mounting options out of the box -- some of which are more secure than others.

Dirt bike mounting poses its own unique issues due to vibration, banging, tree branches, ...

Versatility is becoming the name of the game in motorcycle protective apparel. Here we have a hydration system that integrates a chest protector (or vice versa). At first glance, the Fly Racing Convertible Hydro Pack Kit looks to be a perfect marriage. In fact, for most ...

Most riders avoid weather extremes like rain, hail, snow, sleet, and blazing heat. I know adventure riders who actually seek out these extremes -- preferably in the same day! Obviously, riders with this mindset seek out gear with the ability to adapt to this full palette ...

I live in the Desert Southwest, so I am no stranger to flat dirt-bike tires. Thorns punch their way into my tubes, and the rocky terrain inflicts more than a few of the dreaded "snake bite" sidewall pinch punctures. Because of my treacherous home trail environment, ...

What to do if you want to do some track days on your sport-bike, or if you want to try your hand at racing? If you get serious about these pursuits, you are ultimately going to want to get a set of racing plastics. Track bodywork alleviates ...

We have talked here on SpotMotorcycles about the issues plaguing motorcycle batteries. The combination of small size, infrequent charging, high power demands, and a plethora of other ravages take a toll on our relatively small electrical storage boxes. Eventually, every motorcyclist is going to need a jump. ...

I have spent quite a bit of time reviewing helmets for adventure-touring. However, the second most difficult body part for the adventure-tourer to outfit is the foot. These riders (of which I am one) ride through water, mud, and dust, and still must have a boot that will ...

The Triumph Tiger, the BMW R1200GS, the Moto Guzzi Quota, the Buell Ulysses, the KTM Adventure... What do all these bikes have in common? Well, they are all big, powerful, versatile dual-purpose motorcycles. They are all (with the possible exception of the KTM) most comfortable on the ...

Dirt bikes are popular for good reason. There are still millions of square miles of dirt in which to ride across the US. However, we dirt riders can be our own worst enemy. Loud bikes screaming on our public lands are a social nuisance and a ...

I began my motorcycle riding obsession over three decades ago on dirt bikes. To this day, I still ride in the dirt, and I still love it. However, there is one thing that has always stuck in my craw -- the overly trendy and gaudy nature ...

Dual sport riding is a great compromise in the motorcycling world. It is growing in popularity for a number of reasons. Dual sport motorcycles can perform reasonably well in both dirt and street situations. However, this dual nature can create some interesting gear conundrums for ...

I have always wondered about these frame-hitch mounted motorcycle carriers. I have used something similar with mountain bikes. However, with bicycles, we are carrying (at most) about 50 pounds total. Cycle Country rates the Wedge-Lok at 400 pounds. That is a lot of weight on the ...

As an avid dual sport rider, I have always felt the choice of helmet for this kind of riding is a bit of a conundrum. Should I wear a full-on dirt helmet and goggles? Sometimes this is the perfect set up -- especially in slower, dustier off-road ...

Let's start with the technical features of the Fox Racing V3 Latinese motocross helmet. Most importantly, it is Snell and DOT certified. The shell is constructed of carbon fiber, Kevlar, and fiberglass. These are the premium materials for modern helmet construction. Fox Racing knows dirt ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Cruiser seats and motocross seats are different animals. One is meant to cushion you for hours and hours of lazily sitting, and the other is for the short, hard ride. Cruisers baby their seats, covering them in inclement weather, whereas the motocross riders are willfully abusive to themselves and their equipment, ...

Helmet branding is important. My natural inclination is to reject branding due to its relevance to status, which is a bunch of bull in my opinion. Branding, however, has function beyond that superficial stuff. It's a way to know that you're getting a good product without having to conduct crash tests in your ...

Alpinestars' riding boots are great, everyone knows that, but most of them are nothing I would ever buy. I don't ride motocross, and I don't race. I like to keep my gear at a reasonable level, but not to the extent of paranoia. I'm not alone in this perspective, and Alpinestars' ...

The world of the dual-sport rider is often one of compromise. You are compromising between speed and torque. You are torn between devoting your vacation time to a cross-country road trip with your cruiser buddies or a cross-state trail trip with your off-road buddies. It's a hard life.

Tires are of particular concern ...

Where I grew up there were miles and miles of woodlands with ill-tended 2-tracks snaking throughout them. You could ride off into the forest and not see another human for hours. Most popular sports involved guns, and most popular clothing was camouflage.

Many of THH's helmets are designed with flaming skulls and ...

Motocross riders who have been around the track know exactly what these are: these are Alpinestars' Tech 8 boots. Well known and well worn, many riders stick with these when it comes time to get a new pair of boots. There are numerous reasons why these have developed such a loyal following in ...

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 ...

I'll start this off by saying I am not a doctor and I don't even play one on TV. If you have a serious injury and you are looking at a motorcycle product review website for advice before talking to your doctor, then you ought to have your head checked as ...

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 ...

To those folks outside the wonderful world of motocross, our beloved sport's apparel and protective gear can often come across looking "weirdo" or "wanna-be superhero." Let's face it: brightly-colored flashy clothes, paired with large amounts of plastic body armor and big ol' boots, is kind of reminiscent of a forgotten ...

My first riding helmet was a matte black shell without any kind of symbol or emblem aside from the DOT sticker. After a while, I cut a few designs out of reflective tape and decorated its plain exterior. One of my riding buddies told me later that the ...

Your spirit may be indomitable, but you're body is still made of tearable flesh and breakable bones. The corporeal form is never going to be as tough as your mind, but you can help it to withstand the hazards of track, trail and road with SixSixOne's Assault pressure suit.

Although it has ...

The similar appearance of chest protectors and insect exoskeletons is far from accidental. Bugs can survive a lot of abuse. Their hard shells have allowed them to endure more damage than you'll ever see on the motocross circuit, so take a page from their book.

The Vega motocross chest protector, made by Jafrum, ...

Dirt bikes are made for the bump and grit of the trails, but oddly enough they don't do so well bumping around in the back of a truck. A pick-up truck is the most common way to transport your non-street-legal ride to and fro. They can often take the terrain that ...

UFO Plast states three factors that have been key to their rise as a producer of aftermarket parts and gear for the motocross community: style, choice of materials, and quality. Of course, no one is going to say they make ugly, low-grade equipment, but UFO's dual lens headlight is a ...

Edward Teach, better known by the infamous title of "Blackbeard the Pirate," was a master of psychological warfare. It is entirely likely that he never killed a single person on his routine high-seas pillaging. Teach chose, instead of violence, to terrify with symbols and extravagant charades. This is why he set his ...

Regardless of the kind of riding you do, your shins take a lot of hits. Even riding a cruiser you get bugs, rocks, and (sadly enough) the occasional bolt that shakes loose. This does not even address the violent existence of a trail and track rider's shins.

Icon's Field Armor leg guards ...

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 ...

Unlike cruisers, motocross bikes are not known for their chrome shine, but that doesn't mean the riders can't embrace their kinship with the road bikes. THH makes a motocross helmet with a chrome shine that expresses a common love of polished metal.

A clear-coat, scratch-resistant surface adds to the metallic illusion and the ...

While the road riding community argues, whines, and moans about personal protective equipment, the motocross folks have been developing it. I'm not insulting the people who ride cruisers. I'm in that lot myself. But it seems that we're always talking about the level of protection a rider should have. It ranges from those ...

SSR Motorsports offers a mad variety of pit bikes from meek to freak and everything in between. They've become one of the top competitors in this modest-sized but avid market by providing lots of choices, good products, and good support from customer service to engineering.

The SR125 is an entry-level ...

The Acerbis Cyclops headlight and floodlight was designed by the indecisive. They couldn't decide if they wanted to make a headlight for street bikes, off-road bikes, or racing. Then they couldn't decide for what conditions their light would be optimized. So, they did what any rational indecisive person would do: they made it ...

The first time I came across these training wheels from MC Enterprises, I thought, "I just don't get it." I could not understand the plight of those who are just learning to ride enough to justify such a device. Then I realized why these would be of use.

I learned to ride ...

A relatively new trend in off-road riding in the past few years has been to ditch the old trail-destroying aggressive knobbies for more enviro-friendly and ultra grippy trials tires. While trials tires are nothing new, they are gaining some serious popularity among pro riders and weekend warriors.

Dunlop's 18 inch D803 Rear Trials tire ...

Serious riders demand serious protection. The Cortech GX Air Series 2 jacket is a high-end jacket that combines a bit of flashy style with top notch materials and protection.

The GX Air Series 2 uses a combination of natural and synthetic materials. The back, shoulder and elbow panels are all decked out ...

EBC makes brake discs, shoes, and pads for vehicles of every description. So it's a logical next step for them to produce motorcycle clutch kits as clutches also use friction; although in this case the friction is used to engage power to a wheel as opposed to stopping a wheel. Often, ...

As one of the most well-known and long-lived brand names in the motorcycle racing world, Dunlop continues to do its utmost to remain at the top. Cheaper tires abound, and as new tire manufacturers appear every year, the competition for your tire dollars is intense.

The Qualifier is the next generation in ...

Arai has made a name for itself by being expensive. If money's no object and you want the best the world has to offer, buy an Arai. Lots of companies make very good helmets for protecting your skull and all its guts, but Arai is the top ...