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 don't talk price much in these product reviews. However, at under $40 including a lock and cable, this cover seems like a heck of a deal. VFR owners are a proud lot, and justifiably so. The do-it-all sportbike is a winner. This cover allows you to ...

If it is good enough for Valentino Rossi, it's good enough for me. OK, so I don't know what model AGV helmet the MotoGP road race champion wears, but I do know he trusts his noggin to the Italian helmet manufacturer.

The Stealth Razor helmet is a premium helmet that ...

Now here is a product I never thought I needed. In fact, the Air Force Blaster 4.0 HP Motorcycle Dryer is a product I didn't know existed. Heck, my first mini bike didn't even have 4 horsepower! This thing has serious motorcycle drying power. ...

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 ...

Mt. Kilimanjaro is an extreme mountain environment in Tanzania. The Firstgear Men's Kilimanjaro Waterproof Jacket is a jacket designed for extreme motorcycling conditions. If you spend much time around touring and adventure motorcyclists, certain jackets tend to come up in conversation. Premium and extremely pricey jackets like ...

I am intrigued by flip-up helmets. I don't feel safe in anything but full face protection, but I'd love to be able to leave a helmet on and still talk to a cashier or another rider. However, there are some concerns -- maybe unfounded -- with the ...

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 ...

Leather is protective, heavy, and expensive. Cordura textile is versatile, waterproof, and relatively affordable. An increasing number of quality motorcycle jackets are mating these two materials with very positive results. By placing leather in the impact-prone zones of the jacket, like the forearms and shoulders, the ...

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 ...

Personally, I'm not into the whole "fear and intimidation" aspect in a lot of today's motorcycling gear. I have never donned flames, bones, or skulls. However, I am a realist, and I know this is a marketable aspect of our sport.

Icon's Men's Skull Leather Motorcycle Jacket plays ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Chase Harper's Dual Purpose bags will fulfill almost any functional needs you have for a set of saddlebags. A long feature list accompanies this product, so beyond the short time we are about to spend together, you should look up all the specs.

To start, the one feature that Chase Harper is ...

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 ...

I've discovered that there are entire forums devoted to motorcycle seat cushions. People get into heated debates about what brand is best to keep your butt comfy. We certainly live in a weird world.

What's even weirder is that the average motorcycle is only ridden a little over 1,000 miles per year, ...

I'm so embarrassed. I went to a party last weekend where bikes were parked around a bonfire providing a great place to sit and have a beer, but I couldn't pack everything on my bike. This is pretty surprising for me because I pride myself on being quick with a bungee, ...

It has rained every day, save one, for the last couple weeks. I love my oiled leather, but it can't take this much, so out comes the rain gear and luggage covers. You can save yourself a few minutes with waterproof luggage, like these PVC bags.

Bikeaccess' T Bar bags ...

Upgrading from a 250 cc to a 650 cc bike has some serious benefits, and unexpected drawbacks, as recently learned by a friend. When you can finally get up to the speed limit on the expressway, you nearly get blown over backward. Your options are hang on, lean in, bulk up those ...

My ex-boyfriend, who shall remain un-named but whose name rhymed with Bill, had a stunning Springer Harley Davidson that he liked to customize. And he liked to do the customizations himself. He was mechanically sound, but not all the aftermarket parts he bought were as sound as he ...

There's something about bullet accessories on a motorcycle that just seem right. I can't say the same thing about naked chrome women in silhouette, but I do like the look of a small, sleek bullet light. Especially one in flat black, and especially ones that put out enough LED ...

After a beautiful, sunny ride, I thought I would park in the driveway at the in-law's place. After a few hours, I came out to find a sticky residue covering my machine. I hadn't noticed the high and mighty pines that were dripping sun-warmed sap everywhere.

This is an example of just one ...

I doubt it's intended by Saddlemen, but I like to call their Universal SSR1200 sissy bar bag "The Lunchbox." This bag is completely rigid in its construction and will hold its shape regardless of whether it's full or empty. The size (15 inches high, 10 inches wide, and 8 inches deep) is ...

The DOT half helmet seems like a wise-ass invention. It's like saying, "I'll protect my head, but only enough so I don't get pulled over." That's not the only way to look at it, but I find it to be the most amusing way to look at it.

Nolan's Cruise half helmet, ...

The streetbike community is overrun, drowning in a deluge of textile jackets. Don't get me wrong; there are companies, like Icon, that make some great leathers for the street rider. There is, however, a particular style to this kind of jacket, and manufacturers will charge you an arm and a leg ...

I had a bad habit of wearing my regular shoes and non-riding boots on the bike. This has resulted in melted soles, split toes, and more wear and tear than the shoe manufactures anticipated. I thought I was saving money by not investing in a riding boot, but instead ...

The older I get, the more convenience I want. I'm not talking about the big things in life, like having a maid to clean my house... although that would be nice, but I mean more along the lines of small conveniences. Little things that save me precious moments mean more to me ...

As much as everyone tries, a lot of the new fancy luggage just doesn't hold up to the classic appeal of saddlebags. You know, I couldn't really tell you why they rank higher than tail bags, tank bags, or sissy bar bags, but they do and probably always will. Now, there ...

Not everyone in the world is keen on magnetic tank bags, but you wouldn't know it based on how many companies seem to be selling bags with only magnetic mounting systems. I am not opposed to magnets, but good old fashion straps have their place and are a secure and sure ...

Full-face helmets are not for everyone. The claustrophobic, for instance, might find them restrictive. Heck, I find them restrictive and I'm one of their most avid defenders. I'm inclined toward the half helmets for their style and the wind-in-your-face experience. Scorpion's Spitfire is a nice compromise if you're ever feeling ...

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, ...