Best Motorcycle Products of 2006

December 31, 2006 - Is it 2007 already? Wow! It's become a webBikeWorld tradition -- if you can call two years a tradition -- to offer our humble awards to what we consider to be the best motorcycle clothing, helmets, products, accessories and gizmos of the year.

And what, you might ask, is the criteria for a webBikeWorld Best Motorcycle Product of the Year? Simple: a product that, in our opinion, either stands head and shoulders above its competition, furthers the cause or is just something that truly tickles our fancy.

In most respects, 2006 was a year of evolution for motorcycle products. We'll see what 2007 has to offer, and we'll know more after the 2007 Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis in February, where the manufacturers roll out all of the new goodies for the year. As in the past, we'll be reporting live from the show, so stay tuned.

2007 marks the beginning of our 7th year of operations. Seven years is an eternity in Internet time, and I think I can now safely say that webBikeWorld has now become the largest motorcycle review website in the world, thanks to our visitors -- that means you! Our logs show visitors from 144 countries in the past month alone, which is nearly the entire planet! For that, we are truly grateful.

We'll probably hit our 500th review in 2007, so we'll have to think of a nice way to celebrate, hopefully by giving away some products and donating money to worthy causes. Also, watch for the 2007 webBikeWorld Spring Cleaning sale -- last year's event was a huge sellout, so when you see something you like, you better buy it fast! We'll also have many items that will be sold to raise money for our favorite charities, and I'm sure webBikeWorlders will rise to the occasion.

Thanks also to our many contributors in 2006 and the wonderful articles they've submitted, including Chris B., Shawn Cochran, "Burn", Bill C., the Mad Dog and many more. Many have called -- few were chosen.

	webBikeWorld 2006 Motorcycle Product of the Year The Jett Battery Heated Vest Battery heated clothing is a revolutionary product category that will dramatically change motorcycling for the better. We remain impressed with the Jett Battery Heated Vest, especially now that winter has truly arrived. Based on our evaluations of three other battery heated vests, the Jett is the hands-down winner. It wasn't originally designed for motorcycling, and the battery and switch location could be improved, but overall, it's the standout product of the year. Honorable Mention: The Rev'it Scoop Windproof Vest is a simple product that's beautifully constructed and works better than any other windproof garment we've tried.

	webBikeWorld 2006 Motorcycle Helmet of the Year The Akuma V-1 Ghost Rider is the surprise helmet of the year. It's way more than an ultra-cool work of art -- it's actually one of the most functional helmets we've used all year. Honorable Mention: The Schuberth J1 is a radical new approach to helmet design that works great and provides so much visibility that it's shocking to see what we normally don't. Will it ever come to the U.S.A.?

	webBikeWorld 2006 Men's Motorcycle Clothing of the Year Teknic is known for its "out of the box" thinking at prices that normal humans can afford and the Teknic Sprint Jacket and Pants are no exception. The jacket is especially useful, combining high quality with a huge feature set at a very reasonable price. It comes closest to the mythical four-season jacket than anything we've seen in a long time.

	webBikeWorld 2006 Women's Motorcycle Clothing of the Year The Clover Beverly Jacket doesn't offer racetrack levels of protection, but it exhibits an extraordinarily high level of quality in its construction and materials and is a real pleasure to wear, both on and off the bike.

	webBikeWorld 2006 Motorcycle Boots of the Year Short motorcycle boots were a curiosity until the Kochmann Scout Boots came along. They're way more comfortable than a pair of motorcycle boots should be, they work great in all but the coldest weather and they look for all the world like a cool pair of expensive hikers. Great styling and stunt-bike street cred are the icing on the cake.

	webBikeWorld 2006 Motorcycle Tool of the Year The Vise-Grip Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper is made like the tools Grandpa used to own -- built to last instead of built to self-destruct. They strip wire so fast you'll have to watch in slow motion to see how they work. Guaranteed for life and the price is too low to believe, so you better buy a pair before Vise-Grip gets wise!

	webBikeWorld 2006 Motorcycle Accessory of the Year Cargo Buckles are the only way to fly. Period. Combine a set of these with a Bike Grab in the front and a Tyre Down in the rear and you'll want to trailer the bike a couple of times a week just for fun! Honorable Mention: The Easy Wheeler is an incredible piece of industrial art that's almost too nice to use! Way too expensive but you'll be the envy of the 'hood.

See you next year!

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