Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Gear review

Collapse
This is a sticky topic.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #31
    Every one of you should own and carry one of these tire plug kits:

    http://www.southbayriders.com/forums...ad.php?t=41347

    For the record, Dylan was the ride partner who found and plugged the two holes in my tire in Montana.

    Dude is a motherfucking machine with that kit. When he noticed a puncture in his own tire while we were stopped for a break at a gas station somewhere in Oregon, he had the thing plugged and filled before we finished our beverages.

    Buy the kit yourself, or better yet, hire Dylan to ride around with you everywhere.

    Just posted this on BARF:

    Originally posted by wackyiraqi
    I absolutely swear by this plug kit:

    http://www.southbayriders.com/forums...ad.php?t=41347

    Last year in Montana, I picked up an industrial staple in my rear tire somewhere near Glacier National Park. Leaving MeterMan's house in Kalispel in the morning, while routinely checking our tire pressures, one of my ride partners found TWO holes in my tire about 1/4" apart buried in one of my tread cuts.

    That tire went on a day or two before I left, and had about 1500 miles on it--it was a Pilot Road II and I normally get 6-8k out of a rear. We plugged both holes using my plug kit, and the tire got me the other 1500 miles home, as well several thousand more commute miles once I was home, without any significant drops in pressure.

    When you plug a tire, you DO need to be a lot more vigilant about regularly monitoring your tire pressure. That said, if it's a routine (non-sidewall) puncture and it's plugged correctly with a good kit, your tire can and should be totally safe to ride on for the life of that tire.

    Case in point:



    For the record, the Slime air compressor mentioned in that SBR thread is also an excellent deal. It's a great little compressor and has helped me out in many a pinch on long rides. :thumbup

    "Far be it from me to question your stupid civilization or its dumb customs."—Philip J. Fry

    Comment


    • #32
      I have two of those kits, one has a permanent home in my bike luggage. I've used em several times and they only take a couple of minutes.
      "I love Satan and speedmetal" - Dylan

      Comment


      • #33
        The real bitch is finding a way to air up the tire after you plug it when you're on the side of the road at the ass back end of J1 by Clear Creek.

        <hint> Farmers usually have compressed air on the premises.
        "Through the course of my life, I've spent most of my money on motorcycles, drinking, drugs and chasing wild women. The rest of the money I just wasted."

        I am the chosen one, the mighty hand of vengeance...
        ... sent down to strike the unroadworthy!



        sigpic

        Comment


        • #34
          I second the plug and go kit, but I'd recommend you dump the CO2 cartridges, since they're really expensive, you need to carry 5 or 6 to limp a flat anywhere, and a bitch to use since you'll need a set of pliers and a glove when the cartridge freezes.

          Instead, I'll recommend the Slime Powersport compressor, which Ziad had on that same ride and it worked well enough that I bought one. Sure, it'll take you 10 minutes to air up your tire, but it's much easier that working with CO2. You can power it off the battery with a 2 pin connector, which just happens to be the same one I use to power my heated vest and charge the battery.

          I can store the plug kit, the compressor (sans case), the factory tool kit, and a multi-tool in the trunk of the FZ, which is notoriously tiny. Pretty good peace of mind for road side emergencies.

          Comment


          • #35
            Da Boots

            .

            I have some background too give You first, I have wasted Ankles and real bad Knees so I look for support, protection, then function and durability.
            The Sidi to the left is a pair I bought based on Ankle support and dexterity and used for the RS-250 then the CR-500, both kick start bikes and provided a base line of use.
            Support: Failed. None to speak of for plastic parts maybe metal.
            Protection: Pass.
            Function: O.K.
            Durability: Failed. I had zipper fail and lack of arch support and the soles soft.

            The teknic in center was tested on both bikes as well, a shorter time to prevent damage from the CR-500 kick starter.

            Support:Pass
            Protectionass
            Function:Pass
            Durability:TBD

            The Sidi too the right was tested only on the CR-500.

            Support:Win
            Protection:Pass
            Functionass
            Durability:TBD
            NOTES:
            Nylon zippers fail at small loads and temps,a better plastic or metal should be used.

            Less is more when it comes down to durability.

            I live for riding so should my gear.
            Die trying,trying to Die.

            Comment


            • #36
              Gear review

              BentGate was selling a bunch of demos from last season. I thought they even had an ad up here in Gear Swap but I cant find it right now.

              Comment


              • #37
                Nice. I just posted in a thread like this on another forum not too long ago. I'm lazy as fuck so I'll just copy and paste here:

                I picked up an '00 VFR in August (IIRC). Going from a Seca II to the VFR (surprise triple digits!) prompted me to upgrade my gear as well. I'll go through my thoughts on what I had, and what I got.

                I'm not even going to talk about the gear I bought when I first started riding. Let's just say budget was *the* primary concern and it was better than nothing. I still have that $100 flea market leather jacket...

                Scorpion EXO-700: Had this for two years. Size XL. I decided what helmet I wanted based on research and price, then found the size that fit me best - not the best method, I know. I thought this was a pretty good helmet, until I got something better. I know someone that crashed in theirs pretty hard, and it did it's assigned job, so take that for what it's worth (although, he replaced it with a Shoei). However, I had a lot of complaints about this helmet. Pressure on my forehead once the padding wore in - enough to leave a red mark for ~20 minutes after I removed it. A mean whistle from the rear vents every time I turned my head at speed. I could not tell whether the chin vent was open or closed unless I felt for it with my hand. They wanted 80 fucking dollars for a fucking chin curtain (on a $180 helmet! WTF!). The breath guard hits my nose (at least it's removable). The shield release mechanism is difficult and frustrating (but it's simple, they say...). There's probably more that I can't think of. All in all it did it's job and if $200 is all you can afford then it's a fine helmet.

                Shoei RF-1100: So with the forehead pressure starting to really bother me, and a much faster bike scaring me (in all the right ways, mind you), I started doing some research about better helmets. Arai's site has a lot of good info, and great marketing. Thanks to them, I measured my head and realized I should be a large (not an XL). So I thought I wanted an Arai, but when I went down to try them on, I didn't like the way any of them fit, at all. Also the breath guards contacted my nose (I know I have a big nose, but still) and were sharp, and were not removable, and that wasn't cool either. I was not expecting to be disappointed like that. So I started randomly trying stuff on. My head really liked the Shoei. I ended up with an RF-1100 in white (cheap, visible, cooler in the summer). I like it a lot.

                The breath guard is removable, but that doesn't matter 'cause it isn't sharp and it doesn't hit my nose. It's extremely effective, too - it does a great job of keeping my exhalation from fogging up the shield... it fogs my glasses instead. It probably wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have the chin curtain installed, but hey, that thing's awesome when it's cold (update - chin curtain out, fogging of glasses only reduced slightly). Above ~20mph I can feel the airflow change from each individual vent, and when I open all the vents this thing moves some serious air. It's more physically stable at speed, even when turning my head. It seemed quieter at first, but as of right now I'm starting to realize that earplugs are a good idea. It may insulate sound well, but there is a *lot* of wind noise. This helmet isn't perfect, but it is a whole lot better than the Scorpion. It's very nice and I highly recommend it. Now I finally understand what everyone was trying to tell me when they said "don't cheap out on a helmet, it's not worth it."

                Tourmaster Intake: I bought this jacket around the same time as the Scorpion; while living in Fresno, just as summer was starting. It is three layers - an outer mesh layer (with a fabric mesh liner), a windbreaker liner, and a thermal liner. All in all, it does a very good job as far as comfort goes. It works well in a wide range of temperatures. With just the outer mesh on, 115° ambient temps are very livable. With both liners in, 40-45° is not too bad as long as the rest of your gear is up to the same task. HOWEVER - this jacket suffers from two major issues: One, removing the liners very much changes the size of the jacket. There are straps to help cinch things in, but they are ineffective due to limited range of adjustment. The advice given earlier in this thread (I mean that other thread, on that other forum...), regarding this very jacket, is sound advice. Buy something purpose built. If you intend to ride in 95°+ temps, get a jacket that is just mesh, or at least only has a thin windbreaker liner (getting the wind off makes all the difference once the sun drops on a summer night), so that it fits properly at all times. Issue two: the construction is sub-par. There are a number of loose threads coming out, half of the little plastic covers for the snaps are gone, one of the snaps actually came off, etc. For the price, and the functionality, I will give it a pass. It really is a versatile jacket, it does what it says, CE approved armor in the elbows and shoulders, non-approved padding in the back, and it was all of $130. I call it money well spent.

                Tourmaster Coldtex gloves: I still have these. They will be upgraded soon. My hands get cold easily, and once 2008 started to get cold I wanted a good warm glove. These are acceptable, not fantastic. The crash protection is minimal. The insulation works well, but does not manage to overcome my poor circulation. The velcro is starting to not work properly - I have to really press and massage the velcro on the right glove to get it to stick. They've lasted about a year and a half, they're not really very worn, but it is time to replace them. I got what I paid for here ($40, I think?). Oh, the new bike has heated grips, and those things are fucking priceless. I absolutely love them. They don't just provide heat, they provide the perception of warmth. Makes an immense difference on a cold night.

                Aerostich Roadcrafter one-piece: Aww yeah. These things have a reputation that speaks for itself. What really sold me on this was seeing a friend of mine show up in his, slip his boots off, unzip the suit from bottom to top, step out of it wearing a dress shirt and slacks, step into his dress shoes, and look sharp. A minute after arriving, you would never know he rode up on a motorcycle. Bad fucking ass. I spent about two weeks checking craigslist religiously, looking for a used suit (they also come up on ADVrider once in a while). Red was not my first choice, but it fit reasonably well (a little big, but this helps when I want to wear layers), and was half the price of new, so I jumped. Size is a 40L, in suits I wear a 38R. TRY IT ON. In combing over my purchase it appears the suit was constructed in 1995, which makes it all the more impressive because it is in excellent condition. This is truly a quality garment. I do not generally ride in the rain, but I was caught in some light to moderate rain twice, for about 30 minutes each time, and emerged dry and comfortable. It is very good at what it was designed to do, I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a garment like this. The only caveat is that, once you're off the bike, you generally want the suit off, and finding somewhere to store it can be a problem. When I go to school, I still wear the jacket and jeans.

                Also, It has the TF3 pad material, which is both impressive and unnerving. I am strongly considering replacing it with hard-shell pads due to its age and my lack of confidence in it's protection. I'm actually curious what your thoughts are on this, and if anyone has any experience with this protection material.

                Another thing of note: I went from a dark green bike, silver helmet, black/white jacket and jeans to a yellow bike, a red suit, and a white helmet. Cars actually do notice me quite a bit more. Of course, I'm sure the Staintune helps, but yeah. I'm BRIGHT, and it *does* make a difference.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Insurance story... PLEASE READ AND NEVER USE PROGRESSIVE

                  I have been with Progressive Insurance for over 3 years. The last accident (if you can call it that) was 22ish years ago. 1 ticket 3 years ago (Progressive knew I got it when they first signed me). I ride a BMW K1200GT. The rate I started with was $56/mo and dropped to $44 last year. I just got my policy for next year and they quoted me $99/mo; more than a 100% increase!!! I crapped my pants; then called them.

                  Progressive tells me that nothing has changed with my credability with them; that the company changed rates globaly and this was my in(sult)crease.

                  I "politely" told them to dig up their ass a little deeper that there really is gold in there. and started making calls.

                  Each call I made produced a result signifigantly lower than the rest. the last one I called was Markel. If I get their entire package wich included: in the event of my injury or death the owner of the company would fly out and kiss the ass of my corpse, throw a major party for me and pay for my club to get new bikes to get over the loss... All for less than I was originaly paying Progressive(ly more of an ass) each year! Ok.. not kiss my ass, but we were talking death insurance payments, funeral costs, road service and like $100k/$50K on everything.

                  the moral of this story: BOYCOT Progressive, the cute girl in the commercial is a succubus looking to suck your bank account from your asshole (not in the good/naughty way either)!! Be sure to be sitting on your toilet when you open up your renewal notice; if the news is a brown note, you want to be in a place that is easily cleanable. Shop around; the price difference can be staggering!!

                  Rev
                  Vampires MC

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    On the other hand, for me Markell wants twice as much as Progressive for the same (decent liability) coverage. So... YMMV.
                    Originally posted by the_grinch
                    ‎@Thatch-you sound just like an old athlete that can't face the fact that his best years are behind him. Josh would crash on the way to your funeral just to take that pin off your corpse.
                    Originally posted by Beauregard
                    give me some time to get used to not riding a Harley you young whippersnapper and i'll teach you some manners

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Was there some issue like new claims or tickets? I have nothing on my record, save that one ticket 3 years ago that was there when they originally signed me. It's that they in(sulted)creased me 101%, not that I fucked up somewhere and had a reason they raised it....

                      But the disparity of the premiums shouldn't be as much as 100% different... It's not like that with anything else I buy... Even the negotiation for the purchase of the bike itself had a much smaller disparity between offers.

                      Rev
                      Vampires MC

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        That was going online and looking at rates for both of them.


                        I've got an injury accident (well, some ins cos see it as injury - solo accident) from March 09 on my record, had my M1 since september 06.
                        Originally posted by the_grinch
                        ‎@Thatch-you sound just like an old athlete that can't face the fact that his best years are behind him. Josh would crash on the way to your funeral just to take that pin off your corpse.
                        Originally posted by Beauregard
                        give me some time to get used to not riding a Harley you young whippersnapper and i'll teach you some manners

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Not really gear, per se, but something to help you with your gear:

                          http://www.containerstore.com/shop?p...blanket+hanger

                          For $5, it's the perfect hanger for leather pants. Very heavy duty stainless steel (about 1/4" thick), open on one end so you don't have to feed your pant legs into it, and rubber coated so leather will not slide off.

                          The frigging thing weighs a couple of pounds--you're not going to bend or break it.

                          HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WOULD HANG PANTS AGAIN AAAA++++++++++
                          Attached Files

                          "Far be it from me to question your stupid civilization or its dumb customs."—Philip J. Fry

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Speed And Strength Twist Of Fate Jacket: Good armor, seems to be made well, plenty of good ventelation, and excellent price on sportbiketrackgear.com 150 bucks. I don't know about the pants looking to pick those up next.

                            Shoei RF1100: Awsome helmet. No air or water leaks at all. Vents that really work. Good vision. Light weght. No doubt the best hemet I've ever had.

                            Icon Merc Gloves (long): Comfortable, No rips or holes just some scuffs after I lost the front tire in a dirt patch on fucken dirty Glendora Ridge Road.

                            Just bought some Alpinestars SMX plus boots so far they feel like I have 2x4's strapped to my feet when I'm on the bike. However when I wore them to the L.A. zoo to brake them in they felt fine.... go figure.

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Originally posted by SVRIDER View Post
                              Just bought some Alpinestars SMX plus boots so far they feel like I have 2x4's strapped to my feet when I'm on the bike. However when I wore them to the L.A. zoo to brake them in they felt fine.... go figure.
                              Good choice.

                              See my pic to the left? I'm wearing SMX Plus. What you can't see is me walking away from a 125 mph crash at Buttonwillow. Even with four broken bones and a pretty massive concussion I walked away in those same SMX Plus.

                              Best fucking boot ever.
                              Cashing Satan's checks with my dick in my hand.
                              Sometimes you gotta fuck a guy up and sometimes you gotta drink some chocolate milk.





                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Best fucking boot ever.[/QUOTE]

                                Went riding most of the day today, my 2nd time out on these boots and im liking them more and more. My feet feel glued to the bike, big difference from my Emerica skate shoes I was wearing when I went down....they didn't make it. That was my first time being down and sliding a bit so i decided to invest in some better gear, and leave my squid like ways behind.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X