In the interests of having more actual motorcycle-related discussion, what is the singlebest, most useful, must-have, handiest piece of gear you have ever bought? be it mechanical, safety, clothing, luggage, camping, etc...
There are lots of different riding styles and lots of experience here, so please share!
I'm personally looking at upgrading my cold-weather riding jacket/pants and I'm looking for recommendations, but any other sort of bike related stuff is good to know about, too.
Right now, I've had the best bang-for-buck from my el cheapo Teknic Freestyle jacket. it's waterproof and yet well-ventilated. For ~$60 it's been great!
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Care to be more specific? Which particular helmet, ATTGATT boy?
You know what helmet I wear Dec.
I have read up on the European standard helmets and they seem to be alot better. Also having never tested a helmet (thank God) I can not speak intelligently from experience about whats good. But I LOVE my exo1000. Quiet, Comfy, Warm when it needs to be warm, cool when it needs to be cool, sunvisor, and the perception of safety.
On a serious note, after a good helmet and jacket, a good set of overpants for those of us in the cold areas!!! Plus, three/four sets of gloves: winter, spring/fall, summer, and track. I hate having my hands either cold or sweaty when I'm riding.
hmmmm......... i would have to say my leather jacket... joe rocket ballistic.........red black and white.... comfy....nice...... fits perfectly.......... followed closely by my arai rx7 corsair and my suomy helmets......
I agree. There are some people that should wear one every waking moment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Basspiece919
You know what helmet I wear Dec.
You are correct, sir...I know which helmet you have, but there are a hundred or so folks here that probly don't know....
Quote:
Originally Posted by rmb
Helmet first of course, after that I love my Olympia jacket but I am biased, this is the first "real" riding jacket I have bought.
which helmet do you really like and why? Which Olympia jacket is it? what do you especially like about it?
Jeebus! you guys are difficult! I'm not just looking for info for just myself, I was hoping to start a thread about what specific, particular piece of gear you've used in you're entire motorcycling career that you wish you still have, wish you'd never got rid of, or that you take with you on every single ride....that one awesome gizmo or whatever that you really really think that everyone should have to enhance the riding experience! Even if it's not something thats normally motorcycle related.
Post up a link to a retailer who sells it!
Let's have a thread that anyone, a guy with only a week of experience on his first bike, can post up with an opinion or an oldtimer who's had 50 bikes can look at and see what folks really like & recommend (and why), out of the plethora of farkle-ish crap that is available in motorcycle-land.
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Well, fire the engines! Spur this iron space-pony on!
I think my Speed and Strength "Hell and Back" Jacket is the most versatile coat I've owned. I still miss the feel of leather, but for riding around here its so far proven to be very adaptable to the wide range of conditions you can encounter with the mountain weather, elevation changes, etc.
I also really really like the heated grips on my Buell on cold days, extends my riding comfort considerably, as my hands are usually cold before anything else. Instead of cold and stiff, they are toasty warm with the flick of a switch.
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I bought my 919 a year and a half ago. 10k later with pretty much no problems I'm loving it. I finally drove the car to work this week due to some rain.
As far as gear goes... I really like my helmet (shark rsr2) and my shoes (icon laced boots with a single strap that comes over the top). I feel like the helmet is safer then the HJC it replaced and it is much quieter. I like the boots, because they were only $90 or $100 and are so comfortable I often don't change them when I get to work.
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Scott goggles.
started trail riding this year, the biggest thing I was worried about was using goggles. I sweat no matter what the temp is outside but my Scott goggles never fog up or get condensation on the inside even if it's 90 out. not only do they breath really well but they have a lense which automatically gets darker the brighter it is outside so you don't have to worry about switching lenses throughout the day (my eyes are really sensitive to light so that is a great feature for me)
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Having a garage full of bikes I've recently discovered that my best friend is a battery tender with quick connect leads permanently attached to each bike's battery. Makes keeping them all charged a snap, just tuck the lead out of sight when you're not using it.
Other than gear, I have to say my tank bag, cortech mid sized is the most used and abused thing. I use it everyday, I have figured out how to carry atleast 14 beers in it ( just need to figure out the other four for an 18 pack). That sucker stays put too, even with out the leash, I rarely use it unless I'm on a very long road trip.
as far as helmets go I love my new "HJC -FS 15" very comfy and under $200, the next thing on my list is ear plugs, it sounds crazy but I can not ride without ear plugs. sorry I can not help you with cold weather gear , I don't get much use for that here in SO CAL .
The item that opened my eyes to the real joys of motorcycling...
GPS
Paper maps and planned routes can't possibly unleash the potnetial fun on a motorcycle trip the way GPS does. It transformed the way I ride and how I plan my trips.
Some people say too much route planning is a bummer...I disagree. Only too much scheduling is a bummer on a trip. Of my last 5000 joy-ridding miles (not in town or commuting for work) I would guess that 98% of them were hand picked for the sake of the road itself and dictated by my TomTom One XL.
It's hard to describe just how satisfying it can be to pick every mile between here and there, once, while sitting at my PC and never have to think about the route again - while being able to hit every one of those "OHHHH look at that!" spots.
Go get one. Strap it on your bars with a 20 dollar ram mount and enjoy.
besides the obvious protective gear, i am going the scottoiler, 37000km and still the original chain with lots of adjustment left, hard miles and track days.
on my tracky i love the acumen gear indicator.
dave
besides the obvious protective gear, i am going the scottoiler, 37000km and still the original chain with lots of adjustment left, hard miles and track days.
on my tracky i love the acumen gear indicator.
dave
Yo dave ... That gear indicator difficult to install ? ... (Didn't do a search or nothin just curious) ...
And I'd have to say my best piece o' gear besides the ol' lid (of course) would be the SS brakelines I guess .... They do help out with feel and stops ya a lil smoother than the stockers ..... Where you'd still be pullin in brake lever with the stock lines to take up the slack and flex, with these as soon as you start to pull the lever you got brakes ... that or the bar-end mirrors (cuz ANYTHING was pretty much better than the stock mirrors IMO ... For looks and function) ...
And thanks to Shadow for posting up a good thread ...
just splice in 3 wires, acumen have a web site where you nominate the bike and they tell you the color wires to splice. Or you can buy a plug in loom for about 100 bucks.
from memory you splice a live, tacho and speedo.
I had the track bike apart anyway as i was painting the fairings.
on a nekid it will be easier
You are correct, sir...I know which helmet you have, but there are a hundred or so folks here that probly don't know....
which helmet do you really like and why? Which Olympia jacket is it? what do you especially like about it?
Jeebus! you guys are difficult! I'm not just looking for info for just myself, I was hoping to start a thread about what specific, particular piece of gear you've used in you're entire motorcycling career that you wish you still have, wish you'd never got rid of, or that you take with you on every single ride....that one awesome gizmo or whatever that you really really think that everyone should have to enhance the riding experience! Even if it's not something thats normally motorcycle related.
Post up a link to a retailer who sells it!
Let's have a thread that anyone, a guy with only a week of experience on his first bike, can post up with an opinion or an oldtimer who's had 50 bikes can look at and see what folks really like & recommend (and why), out of the plethora of farkle-ish crap that is available in motorcycle-land.
the venting in this jacket is great and totally adjustable, comfy on a 90 deg day as long as you are moving, the rain and thermal liners zip in seperately, I don't need the thermal in until it gets below 50 deg. The rain liner really works. I also have their Ranger 2 pants, they are a litle on the warm side until you get below 60 deg or so and plan to buy their Airglide pants in the spring. Top quality products.
i also have to include my new helmet as "one of the best evers"........ i have a suomy vandal helmet.... its a large and fits nice and snug..... quiet*(ish) for the amount of air flow *(i still wear plugs) and it is uber-comfy with no pressure points.... very light and the quality fit and finish are top of the line....
and the suomy's did very well in the anti snell tests they did not long back... it was beaten by a shuberth...
2) Gloves (riding a naked you would be surprised how many rocks have flung up to hit my hands to be saved by good motorcycle gloves)
3) RIDER SPECIFIC UNDERWEAR - forget bunchy boxers and what not, get a good pair of unseamed (padded if you prefer) rider shorts and you'll be fine on that stocker for at least another hour
4) Bottle of water. I can't tell you how many times this has come in handy. Pulling over when you're thirsty wherever you want and just relaxing is also a treat in itself...staying away from cigarette flinging, cell phone yapping, 4 wheeled death machines lined at a super pumpotron station.
5) My wife. She's hot. Who doesn't love a hot wife on a motorcycle? Best accessory yet...
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Well .... leaving the helmet and other riding gear out for this post (that should be important for anybody) ...
Since I've upgraded in bikes since my last post I'd have to say .... a GIpro gear indicator on my 954 (sounds really simple but its a nice add-on) .... and probably just my shorty levers on my GixSix (again, a simple mod but the adjustability really puts the levers right where ya want em) ...
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aside from the essential non arguable gear (pants, gloves, jacket, helmet)..
best piece of gear..... hmm.
toss up between, gas to put in the 919... or the pilot power 2ct's .... probably the tires.
i really dont buy much in the way of extra accessories as im cheap and would rather put that money into the tank to ride the piss outta the bike. haha. I mean all the mods i have done to the bike have been either cheap or free.... only reall money i have spent on it is led blinkers and a relay... totaling 30 bucks. haha.
I have not been cut off once since I got it last fall, same goes for actual or near left turns in my path. I commute in traffic and these "events" were a regular occurrence without the jacket. I still ride as if no one sees me, but the difference is huge.
I pause for a split second in the side mirror view of cars in the next lane before I move beside them or pass them. With this jacket they can't help but notice, maybe it burns their eyes or something.
Best piece of gear ever would have to be my smart phone. Phone, GPS, mini handheld computer all in one. Allows family to keep in touch (when I desire ). Also lets me see weather conditions in my location, find restaurants, places of interest and roads that I may not have thought of. If I'm on a long trip, I can upload status updates for friends and family to follow. Camera and video camera are a bonus. As long as the battery holds out and there is signal, all is good. Of course there are always backups in the event of lost signal, dead battery, etc... but I have to say the piece of gear I use and appreciate the most since its inception is the smart phone.
My Sargent Seat. Alot of money well spent. Now I can do 800 mile days and still feel my balls when I'm done! My favorite piece of gear is my track suit. No, I've never been on the track but on aggressive rides it gives me a piece of mind to focus on better body positioning, line selection, and not on worrying about my personal safety.
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From a mechanical perspective, I really like aftermarket exhausts on a bike. They seem to unlock some sort of hidden character the bike has been withholding when using stock pipes.
Otherwise I really like the dainese jacket I payed an arm and a leg for. It not only saved my ass when I went down but fits me like a glove.
You are correct, sir...I know which helmet you have, but there are a hundred or so folks here that probly don't know....
***Need someone to do some photoshop mockups for you? Looking for a new color or pallet for your ride? How about part mockups, Photo restoration, retouching or color correcting your pride and joy to hang up in the office / man cave? I offer all of the above services to WristTwister members. PM me for details! ***
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