vented | Motorcycle Accessories and Apparel

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 ...

I think I have seen more -- umm -- interesting helmet designs in the last year than in any year previous. The Nolan Trilogy N43 fits firmly into this "interesting" design category. Nolan claims that the N43 is a "6-in-1 crossover helmet". This basically ...

The Fly Racing Patrol Jacket is a model of dirt apparel versatility. Just listen to what it can do. In cool weather, leave everything zipped and attached. As things cool, you can remove the sleeves and open the vents. If you need to remove the jacket ...

When the discussion of ultra-premium racing gear comes up in sport-bike circles, Dainese will certainly be mentioned early and often. The Dainese Racing Leather Jacket is a new offering by the legendary Italian company. It will cost you, but if you want to ride in a jacket ...

I recently reviewed the Arai Corsair V for SpotMotorcycles. As one would expect, I gave it high marks. Here is a helmet that I am even more excited about: the Arai RX-Q. Arai describes it as a "Corsair V for the street".

Simply put, Arai has ...

Joe Rocket Speedmaster gloves have been around for quite a while. I see a lot to like about the latest incarnation, the Speedmaster 8.0. I guess 8.0 means that this is the 8th version -- I'm quick that way.

Anyway, here's what the glove has to offer. It has the standard drum-dyed ...

I have been looking for a pair boots to fit my narrowish foot. I tried the Alpinestars Web Gortex boots, but the width was just too much for me, even with inserts. After sampling many boots, the Sidi Vertigo Boots may just be the ticket.

The Vertigo is ...

What we have here is an incredible jacket with a Shakespearean fatal flaw.

The Speed and Strength Hell 'n Back Jacket has a list of features and functions I have never seen in any other jacket. It has a body constructed of water-resistant AR-600 textile. That body has what ...

A lot of times we don't want to wear tight race replica leather motorcycle pants, despite the fact that they offer the top level of protection. There are nice riding jeans out there. However, I personally question the safety of the armor in loose-fitting riding ...

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 ...

More and more riders are wearing textile pants for everyday motorcycling duty. Textile looks more casual than its leather counterpart. In many ways, it is also more comfortable. Dainese's new Drake Air textile pants are a nice addition to the choices in this motorcycle apparel ...

If you have read my jacket reviews (and I certainly hope you have), you know that one of my pet peeves is that apparel makers typically don't include CE-approved back (spine) armor in new jackets. Sometimes the jackets have a cheap foam insert; other times you get ...

I live in the beautiful Southwest, so rain suits are not typically on the forefront of my mind. For me they are a seldom used, unglamorous item relegated to some recess of my touring luggage.

That is all well and good, but when you need a good rain suit, you ...

In some people's eyes, the problem with armored motorcycles jackets is… well, they look like armored motorcycle jackets. The Teknic Women's Diamond Jacket offers a good measure of protection while still looking good off the bike.

Let's start, as we should, with protection. The Teknic Diamond features Knox Lite ...

This is a strange-looking helmet. I am all for new technology, but the Vemar CKQI Bluetooth Helmet is a real departure. So what is it? Let me try to explain.

As the name suggests, this helmet incorporates a Bluetooth intercom and communications system. I will ...

I have owned an HJC "AC" series helmet, and was quite pleased with it. I only sold it because I changed motorcycle colors (lame reason, I know). According to HJC, the "FS" series is the replacement of that quality AC line.

The HJC FS-15 Carbon Helmet is ...

When riding off-road, the slower speeds and warm conditions can lead to heat build-up and fogging in conventional goggles. The Smith Intake Enduro Goggles, as the name would imply, have built-in venting. The Intake goggles have on-demand vents that direct air into the goggle body. The venting ...

I recently watched a TV documentary on the workings of the Alpinestars factory in Italy. I was more than impressed with the attention to detail of everyone featured, from the engineers to the testers and fabricators. They all seemed passionate about producing a quality product. There is ...

Many touring and cruiser riders prefer an open-face helmet over the full-face variety. The open-face design allows a less obstructed view of the road and motorcycle, and is much more convenient when off the motorcycle. The down-side is that an open-face helmet leaves the rider's face ...

Joe Rocket is a well-known and respected manufacturer of motorcycle jackets, pants, boots, and riding suits. Aside from a name that will inspire an occasional, good-natured verbal jab from riding buddies, I have found Joe Rocket gear to be well-made and functional.

On the other hand, when I think ...

If you are looking for a cheap helmet, stop reading now. The Arai Corsair V is the most expensive helmet I've reviewed for SpotMotorcycles. However, if you are looking for an ultra-premium helmet that involves no performance or quality compromises, read on.

Let's first look at aerodynamics. The ...

As I have mentioned in other reviews, I live and ride in Arizona. The summer riding season is hot, hot, hot. One of the worst things a rider can do is forego protective riding gear because of the temperature. With this in mind, I'm sure why ...

Transition… now that's a good name for this jacket. The Tour Master Transition Series 2 jacket is well equipped to make the transition from warm, to cold, to wet riding conditions.

This three-quarter length touring jacket has a 600 denier shell and a warming 100-gram Polyfill removable ...

Revolutionary. This new Shark Evoline Absolute Helmet is certainly that. It's hard to know where to start. I guess it makes sense to start with the helmet's most striking feature: the patented Tech-Move System Chinstrap. The chin bar unlocks, moves to a back ...

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 ...

The Icon Men's Accelerant leather jacket is simply a quality piece of riding apparel. Icon has a reputation for being a company that appeals to the young and trendy segment of the riding community. Some of their gear is, in my opinion, a little "over the top" ...

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 ...

Having lived in Arizona for over 4 decades, I know a little something about heat. Having been a motorcyclist for almost as long, I know a little something about hot weather gear. I don't know if Joe Rocket invented the armored mesh jacket, but they are at least ...

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 ...

I have always felt that there are two areas where a motorcyclist simply cannot cut financial corners. One is tires, and the other is helmets. My experience with helmets is relatively extensive. I buy a new helmet every three years. However, I always seem to ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

The Suomy Vandal Bayliss Limited is Suomy's new entry-level helmet designed for sport riders, sport tourers, and "urban riders", whatever that might mean. The Vandal features the same features found in Soumy's top-shelf premium helmets such as an ultra-luxurious liner with special "anti-nap" fabric the provides comfort, durability and hypoallergenic qualities. ...

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, ...

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 ...