What is a Motorcycle?
Definition of a Motorcycle The definition of a motorcycle for the Federal Highway Administration’s “Guide to Reporting Highway Statistics” was recently revised and expanded. There are actually two definitions of a motorcycle. First is the NHTSA definition in FMVSS 49 CFR 571.3 and then the definition in the reporting guidelines. The new reporting definition is …
Roadgear MultiTasker Briefcase
Roadgear MultiTasker Briefcase Commuting to work or school on a motorcycle or scooter sounds like a lot of fun, but reality often leavens the thrill. There aren’t many places with a perfect dry and sunny climate that encourages carefree two-wheel commuting. Most of us have to consider things like the type of outerwear that will …
2011 Olympia Gloves Review
Three Sub-$50.00 Motorcycle Gloves The old adage “You get what you pay for” keeps coming to mind with this sampling of Olympia motorcycle gloves. It’s difficult to pick a favorite in this bunch because each pair has at least one serious flaw. But another old adage may be appropriate: “Some protection is 100% better than …
7Eye Motorcycle Sunglasses Review Part 2
7Eye “PanHead” and “Rake” Photochromic Sunglasses It was 10 years ago when the 7Eye men’s and women’s motorcycle sunglasses were reviewed on webBikeWorld. That’s a long time by anyone’s standards! Frankly, we were surprised to learn that not only is 7Eye still in business, they’re going strong. Back then, the company was called Panoptx. That name is …
iXS Vidar Gloves Review
Gore-Tex, Waterproof, CE Certified “Handschuhe” The iXS “Vidar” gloves may look fairly basic but the details and execution are what make the difference. First off, the Gore-Tex waterproof guarantee is the headliner here. But there’s a lot more than that… The Vidar gloves are not heavily lined, so they’re not necessarily designed for ultra-cold weather. But they are …
AGV Sport Torino Jacket Review
What’s An “Entry Level” Jacket? At its $144.00 list and $139.00 street price, the AGV Sport Torino jacket is about the least expensive 3/4-length touring jacket available today. It checks all the boxes with, of course, a few compromises. AGV Sport lists the Torino jacket as “entry level”, a label which means it will unfortunately be immediately …
Nexx XT1 Review
New Nexx Top-of-the-Line Supersport Helmet The Nexx XT1 is the Portuguese company’s new premiere full-face motorcycle helmet. It’s what we’d call a “supersport” helmet, with features such as the locking face shield and Pinlock posts cribbed from racing helmets. But the very nice, full coverage internal sun visor and “quick release” chin strap retainer, along …
Nolan N40 Helmet Review
Hard to Beat This Good-Looking Open Face Helmet The Nolan N40 is a very nicely made helmet with several useful features. The shell design has a city/scooter/touring style with some angular creases that give it a modern look. The helmet is also very comfortable and the relatively thick padding helps control noise levels. The large …
BMW Motorcycle LED Turn Signal Replacement
A $246.00 LED Replacement for Four $1.81 Bulbs? Why Not?! Warning: this has to be the craziest, most ridiculous way to burn money that you’ve ever seen. But what the heck — nothing’s too expensive for Acolytes of the Temple of the Farkleization Nation! So all of you cheap BMW Airhead guys who visit a …
Pilot Omni Pants Review
Mesh Over Pants for Hot Weather Riding The Pilot Omni over-pants are available in the Omni Air mesh version described in this review or as a solid textile version. Both are designed as over-pants, so they can be worn alone or over jeans or other street pants. The Omni Air mesh over-pants have a thick-feeling …
AGV Sport Mercury Motorcycle Gloves
AGV Sport “Mercury” Motorcycle Gloves Review The AGV Sport Mercury gloves are a lightweight summer choice with barely-there protection. But, but…at a nearly giveaway price and with probably the best reflectivity you’ll ever find on any pair of motorcycle gloves…and a pretty darn nice main knuckle protector, well, why not? If they had more finger …
Solar Joos Battery Charger Review
Solar Joos “Orange” Solar Battery Charger Review The Solar Joos Orange is a portable solar battery charger. It’s designed to charge cell phones, tablets, GPS units, MP3 players, digital cameras and more. It’s a very rugged unit with a polycarbonate and metal body and encapsulated or “potted” solar cells. The charger has one rather strangely …
REV’IT! Oceanus GTX Gloves Review
REV’IT! Oceanus GTX Gloves Review The Rev’it Oceanus GTX gloves are new for the fall and winter of 2013 and 2014. The “GTX” label signifies the Gore-Tex guaranteed waterproof and breathable membrane liner, and the Oceanus GTX gloves definitively passed the webBikeWorld “Bucket Test”. The glove exterior is entirely made from goat leather, which is …
Tucano Urbano Seppia Invernale Gloves Review
Tucano Urbano “Seppia Invernale” Gloves Review The Tucano Urbano Seppia Invernale gloves are comfortable, warm and good-looking.They’re kind of a “stealth” winter motorcycle glove because it’s not easy to tell that there’s a big, hard main knuckle protector under the corduroy-look exterior. The finger knuckles have small hard protectors also. The gloves are completely waterproof, having …
RHOK Gen3 Kevlar Jeans Review
RHOK “Gen3” Kevlar Jeans Review The “Gen3” RHOK Kevlar jeans are soft and comfortable. The “PEKEV” Kevlar lining is a special design that covers the seat down to just below the knee in the rear, along with a section at the hips. The RHOK Gen3 jeans come with removable knee and hip protectors. The knee …
Firstgear Jaunt T2 Jacket
Firstgear Jaunt T2 Jacket Review The newly revised Firstgear Jaunt T2 jacket could very well be the best 3/4-length motorcycle jacket bargain going today. Everyone who has seen it has been impressed, because there’s a lot here for not a lot of money. In fact, it pretty much beats all of our old favorite “cheap” jackets. …
Firstgear Kathmandu Gloves
Firstgear Kathmandu Gloves Review Let’s just put it this way: the Firstgear Kathmandu gloves did not live up to my expectations. As I mentioned in Part 1 of this 2011 Winter Glove Review series, the Firstgear Kathmandu gloves and the Spidi T-Winter gloves (review) were specifically chosen for a couple of reasons. Spidi products are under-represented in …
Spidi T-Winter Gloves
Spidi T-Winter Gloves Review The Spidi T-Winter gloves are waterproof and insulated and designed for cold weather use. However, the insulation is relatively light, which means they are effective only down to about 40 degrees F. Also, the gauntlets are very narrow, making it difficult to fit the gloves over an insulated sleeve cuff. Bottom line? The …
Giant Loop Dry Bags
Giant Loop “Coyote” and “Great Basin” Dry Bags Review The Giant Loop Coyote and Great Basin dry bags provide waterproof storage for clothes and gear. The are designed to fit on the Giant Loop Coyote Saddlebag (review) or the Great Basin saddlebag. While they do the job, both of these bags could use more tie-down …
Olympia 144 Deerskin Gloves Review
Olympia 144 Deerskin Gloves They look like the ultra-classic motorcycle gloves from the 1930’s…and ’40’s…and ’50’s. The deerskin is soft but feels paper-thin and the gauntlet feels like cardboard. While most of the stitching isn’t bad, the 144 Deerskin gloves feel much more like a pair of dress street gloves than anything that will protect your hands …
Olympia 180 Monsoon Gloves Review
Olympia 180 “Monsoon” Gloves Not bad looking, comfortably soft leather and — surprise! — fully waterproof. The Olympia 180 Monsoon gloves have no armor and very little extra abrasion protection and I could live with that. The sizing, however, is non-standard with too-long fingers for the size. These are fairly basic motorcycle gloves in terms of their construction …
Olympia Switch Gloves Review
Olympia 298 “Switch” Gloves New for 2011, the Olympia “Switch” gloves are so named because of their dual-purpose liner. Slide your hand over or under the non-removable liner for your choice of warmth or grip. These are a good-looking pair of gloves and — surprise — they actually fit as expected. The faux carbon fiber “knuckle protectors” are …
Sunax Max Sunshield
Sunax Max Sunshield Review An updated version of the Sunax Sunshield (review), designed specifically for the newer Arai helmets. It has a new profile that makes it easier to install than the original while providing more extensive sun glare protection for touring or sport-touring. I reviewed the original Sunax Sunshield(here) in September of 2010 and both the …
MEElectronics M6 Earbuds Review
MEE M6 Earbuds Review The MEElectronics M6 earbuds have excellent sound quality at a double-take price. The over-the-ear loop helps to make them easier to wear with a helmet. But should you? The first thing I should mention is that wearing earbuds or even ear plugs is illegal in many U.S. states and in other …
Bausch & Lomb FogShield Sport Review
FogShield Sport Anti-Fog Treatment Review The new Bausch & Lomb FogShield Sport is easy to apply…once you know the secret. It also works well and it’s more cost effective than our other anti-fog favorite. It was about one year ago that Rick and Burn reviewed the Clarity DeFog It (review) anti-fog treatment for motorcycle helmet face shields. …
India: The Shimmering Dream
India: The Shimmering Dream By:Max Reisch Translated by Alison Falls ISBN: 978-0-9556595-9-1 Panther Publishing, Ltd. 2010 216 pages List Price: $17.95 Our friends at Panther Publishing have done it again! They have resurrected another gem, entitled India: The Shimmering Dream by Max Reisch. The book is subtitled “The first overland journey to India by motorcycle in 1933” …
Sit Relief Shorts Review
Sit Relief for Seated Relief? Padded seat in a pair of undershorts don’t work very well for motorcycle use. I can’t remember how I first came upon the Sit Relief shorts, but they looked interesting, so I ordered a pair. These shorts are made from a polyester and Spandex material that fits snug to the …
Sunax Sunshield
Sunax Sunshield Sun Shade Review A precision-cut tinted sun shade that fits the narrow slot between the liner and EPS foam in many helmets and helps reduce glare. Can be slightly tricky to install and may not fit some helmets, but the results are worth it. The Sunax Sunshield is an ingenious device that has …
The Upper Half of the Motorcycle
The Upper Half of the Motorcycle Review The Upper Half of the Motorcycle On the Unity of Rider and Machine By: Bernt Speigel Translated by Meredith Hassall ISBN: 978-1884313752 Whitehorse Press 2010 189 pages List Price: $29.95 The Upper Half of the Motorcycle is without doubt the strangest motorcycle book I have ever read. I’m not …
Roadgear H2O Maxx Gloves Review
Roadgear H2O Maxx Motorcycle Gloves Lightweight and waterproof three-season gloves are comfortable and easy to wear. They provide more warmth than expected even in colder temperatures and they passed the webBikeWorld “Bucket Test”. Most four-season riders own at least two pair of motorcycle gloves; one pair for summer and one for winter. Gloves are relatively inexpensive, compared …
Halvarssons Safety Grip Gloves
Halvarssons “Safety Grip” Motorcycle Gloves Review A combination of soft goat and kangaroo skin makes the Halvarssons Safety Grip gloves feel supple and comfortable. They meet the European EN 13594:2002 safety standard for motorcycle gloves and the EN 340 protective clothing standards and they have a certificate to prove it. But, the sizing may be …
Bionic Gloves Review
Bionic Motorcycle Gloves Probably better for cruising than sportbiking, Bionic Gloves have some promise but they leave me underwhelmed. Whenever I happen to mention to a casual acquaintance that I ride a motorcycle, their response is usually “Oh, do you have a Harley?” That’s typical, at least in the U.S.A. When I tell them I …
Koolin’ Klothz Review
Koolin’ Klothz for Evaporative Clothing This is a “Quick Look” because it’s really a follow-up to the original webBikeWorldKoolin’ Klothz review of October 2006. I did not even realize that the product had been reviewed previously until I had already written this one and found the original as I was doing some research! What’s amazing is …
Custom Painting Idea Book
Custom Painting – Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles MBI Publishing (Motorbooks), 2008 Soft Cover. 160 Pages. Color Photos. ISBN: 978-0-7603-3169-9 Price: $25.95; £16.99; $28.95 CAD It’s like traveling the 9 circles of Dante’s hell. Motorcyclists can (and do) go deeper into the nefarious and ever more obscure areas of the sport. The farkling and customizing and mechanical …
Road Sack High-Viz Backpack Review
The Road Sack High Visibility Motorcycle Backpack The Road Sack is a “right-sized” backpack with a unique shape and a (sort of) built-in back protector. The special fabric is designed to be highly visible during both day and night. Backpacks like the brutish and indestructibleChrome Messenger Bag (review), theRoadgear Commuter Max (review) and others are fine. …
Motorcycle Ear Plugs
2009 Motorcycle Non-Disposable Ear Plug Review It’s been a while since the last ear plug review was published on webBikeWorld, so I thought it might be time for another. I had a new batch of non-disposable ear plugs that I’ve been trying out over the last several weeks, and I offered to write an article …
Blockade Earbuds Review Earbuds
Blockade Noise Isolating Earbuds Blockade Noise Isolating Earbuds are, ironically enough, comfortable and better at reducing sound. That’s when compared to any of the other products in our 2009 non-disposable motorcycle ear plugs review. Blockade earbud speakers are claimed to be the only EPA tested earbud speakers with an NRR. They are rated at an NRR …
Master Lock Combination Cable Lock
Master Lock Self-Coiling Combination Lock With Cable Surely the Master Lock Combination Cable Lock must be one of the world’s cheapest yet most useful motorcycle accessories? This is a basic, inexpensive cable with built-in lock. It’s easy to use and it might prevent casual walk-away spontaneous theft of a helmet or jacket. It obviously is …
Riding in the Zone
Riding in the Zone Riding in the Zone Advanced Techniques for Skillful Motorcycling by Ken Condon ISBN: 978-1-884313-76-9 Whitehorse Press 2009 143 pages, includes DVD List Price: $29.95 Like the rest of the webBikeWorld evaluators, I’m a believer in continuously working to improve my motorcycling skills. This means taking everything from MSF courses to privately …