Product

Metzeler Roadtec 02 Tire Review

Designing a sport-touring tire must be one of the hardest challenges in motorcycling. In a way, you’re asking for it all. The sport-touring customer wants a tire that offers handling like a sportbike, but with the mileage of a touring bike. And let’s not forget, wet performance is of the utmost importance. Is it possible to have your cake and eat it, too?

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MO Tested: Alpinestars Tech-Air Off-Road Review
Astars brings off-road airbag protection to the masses
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MO Tested: REV’IT! Stratum GTX Review

The REV’IT! Stratum GTX is the Dutch brand’s newest adventure travel kit and has been positioned by the company as its “halo product.” The jacket and pants feature a modular design meant to tackle the wide variety of scenarios one might experience on a proper adventure. Essentially, what we have here is a Gore-Tex outer shell and an inner mesh jacket and pants with armor built in, but there’s plenty more to talk about.

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Best Motorcycle Helmets for Harley Riders

If you don’t understand, we can’t explain it to you. But you know who you are. It’s not a universal rule, but for many, many motorcycle riders, it’s Harley or nothing. For many of them, the best Harley helmet has to continue the theme that often but not always includes the leather vest, the chained wallet and the tattoos. For even more Harley riders, a good helmet is a good helmet. In truth, everybody’s skull is basically the same shape, on the outside anyway, so the best motorcycle helmets for Harley riders are still great helmets no matter what you ride. But there are definitely variations that make some of them the best motorcycle helmets for Harley riders. And away we go…

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What We're Wearing: 2023 Honda SCL500 First Ride

If you haven't read our new 2023 Honda SCL500 Review, we strongly suggest you check it out. It's a hoot to ride!

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MO Tested: Garmin Zūmo XT2 GPS Review

Since early 2020, the Garmin zūmo XT has been the GPS maker’s flagship motorcycle-focused model, bringing the best that the company has to offer riders. As an XT owner, I am quite familiar with the GPS, and when Garmin announced the zūmo XT2, I couldn’t wait to see what changes were made. As good as the XT is, there are still areas in which the device could be improved for motorcyclists. After spending a couple of months testing the Garmin zūmo XT2, I’ve found it to be a worthy successor – though the original XT is still available. Since I will be comparing the two generations of zūmos in this review, I highly recommend reading my extensive review of the XT.

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MO Tested: REV’IT! Levante 2 H20 Women’s Jacket Review

I prefer to test my gear in a slightly unconventional way: Order it last minute, open the box the day before I depart, and try it on once before immediately leaving on a multi-week cross country roadtrip. Luckily for me, the sizing was accurate, and the jacket choice was impeccable.

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MO Tested: Brake Free Helmet Brake Light Review

I love a simple-but-good idea. In today’s ever-increasing climate of distracted drivers, we need something to attract attention to motorcyclists. Like many riders, I’ve relied on bright-colored and/or reflective gear to increase my conspicuity. However, they all depend on light striking them, particularly retro-reflective materials. Additionally, riding gear says nothing about the current dynamic state of the motorcycle and its rider. That’s why the Brake Free Helmet Brake Light initially caught my attention. Further inspection made me want to give the product a try.

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MO Tested: Forcite MK1S Helmet Review

I love technology, and as such, I’m very excited with the potential of smart helmets. We are just at the very beginning of what helmets can do for riders other than just protecting us from the elements when riding or impacts in a crash. Naturally, when Forcite approached me about reviewing the new MK1S helmet, I was immediately on board. The technology looks to be a great step along the path of smartening our lids. The Forcite MK1S offers the Bluetooth-smartphone integration many riders have become accustomed to and features a clever integration of LEDs to signal the rider important information without having to take their eyes off the road. 

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MOpinions: Sedici Marco 2 Jacket, Pants, and Gloves Review

We’d like to introduce MOpinions, a new series of reviews which are conducted by real riders and not motojournalists. To find qualified motorcycle riders for this task, we looked at our parent company VerticalScope’s wide range of motorcycle forums and found a group of forum administrators who we felt could give the gear a thorough testing. Scott Faulk is an admin for BMW Luxury Touring Ducati.ms, and Ducati DesertX Forum. He has been riding for 49 years, has owned 27(!) motorcycles, and prefers sport and sport-touring rides. The one fact he felt we should know about him is that every May, he spends a week on The Tail of the Dragon and other roads in the area.

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Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Motorcycle Deals

UPDATED Oct. 10, 2023: Amazon Prime Big Day Deals are here, with deals running Oct. 10 and 11 for Prime members. We’ll have the best motorcycle-related deals we can find right here as they become available.

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Best Summer Motorcycle Jackets

Summer, as in hot weather. So hot it’s tempting to take the car instead of the bike and turn up the AC. Don’t fall into that trap. From there it’s a short trip to sloth and gluttony, followed shortly by despair. It’s always going to be tough to stay cool when you’re stopped, but once rolling, the miracle of convective cooling means you can remain reasonably chill even when the temperature starts climbing into triple digits – if you’ve got the right gear. The key is being able to adjust the airflow around your body, staying hydrated, and using your built-in cooling system to convect heat away from yourself. Here’s a quick sampler of the right stuff.

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BMW Introduces ConnectedRide Sunglasses With Head-Up Display

BMW is bringing to market a set of motorcycle riding glasses with head-up display (HUD) technology. The ConnectedRide Smartglasses will arrive in the U.S. later this year, or at least, in states where HUD technology is allowed.

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The Best Motorcycle Cameras To Document Your Rides

Motorcyclists love to tell stories about things that happened while they were riding. Having video evidence to back it up makes the stories even more fun. Who would believe you if you said that, as you were hard on the brakes from 160+ mph into Turn 2 at Laguna Seca, a ground squirrel ran across the track in front of you and the $100,000 Ducati Superleggera you were piloting? Well, Troy was able to document Mister Squizzles’ near-fatal dash, thanks to his helmet cam, and put an end to our disbelief. (See the proof here.)

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MO Tested: Muc-Off Secure AirTag Holder For Powersports Review

Some products are so simple that you can grasp them at a single glance, and while the Muc-Off Secure AirTag Holder For Powersports may appear that way, a lot of thought clearly went into constructing it. Apple AirTags are little discs a tad bigger than a quarter that leverage the massive number of iPhones wandering around the streets to track an item’s location. I’ve been using AirTags in my luggage on international flights for a while and have been able to tell my airline where my bag was when I somehow found myself on a different continent from it. The idea is the same here: You mount the Muc-Off AirTag Holder on your bike, and it pings Apple’s servers with its location whenever an iPhone passes through its range. So, if your bike gets stolen, you may be able to supply police with an address to reclaim your property. 

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MO Tested: Alpinestars Supertech R10 Helmet Review

Head-to-toe protection is the dream of any motorcycle apparel company. Which is why this moment is especially poignant for Alpinestars. One of, if not the, leading apparel manufacturers, it’s been a little ironic that Alpinestars has had the rider protected from neck-to-toe for over two decades. Finally, however, the company that started making protection for rider’s feet back in 1963 has finally released its crown jewel (almost literally) – introducing the Alpinestars Supertech R10 full face helmet.

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MO Tested: Alpinestars Fusion 1-Piece Leather Suit Review

I might as well just come out and say it: In my years as a motojournalist, I’ve had the pleasure of testing dozens of track leathers, from ill-fitting, inexpensive off-the-rack items to full-on custom-sized suits, and the Alpinestars Fusion Race Suit is the most comfortable and best breathing one I’ve ever had the pleasure of donning. Since that’s my opinion, I figured I shouldn’t string you readers out. However, if you want to find out why I feel this way, I’d be happy to tell you. 

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MO Tested: Shorai LFX Lithium Battery Review

Motorcycle batteries are one of the many consumable parts of a motorcycle that we don’t usually think about until we hear the dreaded click-click instead of the starter motor turning over. Sometimes, all that is needed is a recharge to get the battery operational. However, each time a battery gets completely drained, it’s life is shortened. This is particularly common with motorcycles that are only ridden occasionally (like the Kawasaki KLX300 used here). Since lead-acid batteries lose their charge significantly faster than the newer lithium-iron phosphate batteries, I decided it was time to upgrade the stock battery on my Kawasaki KLX300. My battery of choice was the Shorai LFX since the poor KLX sometimes sits for as much as a month – or more – during the oppressive summer heat here in the Southwest. 

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MO Tested: Rev’It Davis TF Riding Pants
Business casual, moto style
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ETS JSK8 Race Fuel Review
Liquid horsepower for a little performance edge
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Shoei Announces the X-Fifteen Helmet

Shoei is known for producing premium motorcycle helmets, and the newly released in the United States Shoei X-Fifteen helmet represents the current state of the company's helmet art. When you have racers of the caliber of Marc Marquez wearing your helmet, you know that the helmet is one of the best in the world – as befits a six-time world champion. The big news for track riders is the 6.1% reduction in drag and 1.6% reduction in lift compared the the previous generation. During the development of the new shell, the helmet was tested at speeds in excess of 218 mph. So, we mere mortals should be OK during our track day exploits. Since these typically take place during the summer months, the seven intake and six exhaust vents will help to keep riders cool. Finally, the rider's field of vision has been improved.

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Best Electric Motorcycle Chargers

The proliferation of EV motorcycles is well and truly underway. Granted, electric motorcycles don’t quite fit the needs of many recreational motorcyclists, but if your lifestyle is one suited for an EV, then they are certainly a viable option to consider. But most of the charging cables that come with your electric motorcycle (or car) are only Level 1 rated, meaning it plugs into your average 110v wall outlet and can take forever to charge. 

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Putting Dunlop’s Q5 Trackday Tire Through The Ultimate Test

When Dunlop released the Sportmax Q5, and its Q5S sister tire, I was skeptical. To get straight to the point, I wasn’t a big fan of the previous Q4 tire. Yes it warmed up quickly, but it also wore quickly and didn’t have enough edge grip to feel confident on the throttle on a powerful 1000cc-plus bike. Dunlop addressed a lot of the Q4’s shortcomings with the Q5, and after a day sampling the Q5 and Q5S, I came away impressed with the new tire. But that was just an initial impression. I was still skeptical about the tire over the long haul. How quickly does it wear? How does it behave once it’s worn? How much life can I really expect out of these tires? And are they really worth it?

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Best Motorcycle Brake Pads

Slow your roll.

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MO April/May Giveaway: Two Insta360 X3 Cameras

In honor of our newly-relaunched Motorcycle.com, we’re hosting a special giveaway for April and May! – EB

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Best Motorcycle Phone Chargers To Power Your Mobile Technology

Remember in the bad old days when we had to tape directions to our bike’s gas tank? Well, smartphones have become an essential part of riding, and fewer and fewer of us can find ways to leave them behind when we go on our rides, particularly since you can track and share your rides with your buddies. However, playing music and running turn-by-turn directions can drain your phone’s battery. Naturally, we need a way to feed it while out on the road. While some phone mounts have built-in wireless charging, the vast majority are just a means of securing your phone to your motorcycle. So, here is our current list of the best motorcycle phone chargers we know of. If you have a favorite that’s not listed, let us know in the comments. 

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This Week's Motorcycle Gear Deals

–We’re constantly on the look for great deals on motorcycle gear. We’ll be updating this post each week with the latest sales on gear and accessories, so keep checking here for new deals.

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Best Battery For Harley-Davidson Motorcycles

Modern motorcycle batteries have gotten so good that we largely don’t think about them until the sad day that we thumb the button and hear the starter struggle to get our Big Twin to crank through the compression stroke – or even worse, hear the dreaded click-click of a dead battery. Like it or not, batteries are consumable items on a motorcycle, and without proper care, can die on us at the most inconvenient times. So, if you suspect that your battery is getting ready to give up the ghost, we’re here to help you find a new battery to keep you headed down the highway. 

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Best Motorcycle Back and Chest Protectors

Crashing sucks, but getting hurt because you weren’t wearing the right gear stings just a little bit more. You all know to wear your helmets, jackets, pants, gloves, and boots – but what are you wearing under all that? If you’re not wearing at least a back protector then you’re missing out on a relatively inexpensive piece of kit that can make a big difference. Add in a chest protector, and you have two components that can further absorb some of the impact energy of hitting the ground before your body does. 

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Crash Tested (and Repaired): Alpinestars Caliber Jacket Review

While in Spain on the 2024 Triumph Street Triple R/RS intro, I crashed during the street portion of the ride. As much as I’d like to let this mishap go down the memory hole, it gave me the opportunity to abrasion and impact test some gear. Let’s set the stage, shall we: By making a series of small mistakes in an S-bend that combined to tuck the front end and put me on the ground at about 60 mph, I landed on my left knee and hip, followed by my torso and the underside of the left arm – all fairly typical of this type of crash. In those few seconds of sliding, the Alpinestars Caliber Jacket did its job of protecting my hide by sacrificing its hide. I won’t get into the specifics of the Alpinestars Caliber Jacket’s construction in this review. You can read about it here. What I want to focus on is how it performed in the crash, how much damage it sustained, the repair process, and why I decided to have it repaired.

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Best Stage 1 Air Cleaners for Harley-Davidsons

The first step in getting more performance out of an engine is to let it breathe easier, and if there’s one thing Harley-Davidson owners like, it’s the distinctive sound of their V-Twin rumbling beneath them. Achieving that sound and performance requires replacing a combination of parts, mainly the stock air cleaner and exhaust.

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Upgrade Your Hog's Rear With the Best Shocks for Harley-Davidson Touring

Look back at any review of a Harley-Davidson touring model (and any other model than the Pan America), and there’s a good chance you’ll find a sentence or two about Harley’s weird choices when it comes to suspension. Specifically, the rear shock(s). It seems as though, in order to bring the seat height as low as possible, Harley has sacrificed ride quality in the back by putting on a shock with hardly any suspension travel. Sure it works, but it doesn’t do the human spine any favors.

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The Best Motorcycle Tank Pads Do More Than Just Protect Paint

Riders of a certain age can remember when tank pads first gained wide popularity, moving from being little more than stickers guarding the interface between the abrasive zippers of riding gear and the delicate paint of the gas tank. The genesis of intricate pad designs was the advent of the high-backed tanks that appeared during the height of the sportbike wars, which required the rider to spoon their bodies around the tank’s curves. However, it wasn’t long before those early bits of plastic sprouted wings and grippier materials that wrapped around the sides of the tank to allow the rider to maintain better contact and control of the bike with their inboard knee while cornering. Today, the best motorcycle tank pads offer both style and function.

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Crash Tested: Alpinestars Copper 2 Denim Pants Review

I’ve been wearing Alpinestars Copper Denim Pants in one form or another for seven years, and while I’ve been quite happy with how they looked like traditional jeans and provided comfort off the motorcycle, none of our staff of MOrons have put them to the ultimate test until now. If you’ve read my recent 2024 Triumph Street Triple 765 R/RS Review, you know I did a little pavement surfing on an Andalusian highway. Naturally, to further my embarrassment over my first crash at an introduction since 2015, I need to document the condition of every piece of gear that contacted the pavement so that you, dear reader, can judge the efficacy of the protection provided by my riding kit. The short version is that the Alpinestars Copper 2 Denim Pants sacrificed themselves so that my legs could escape unscathed. 

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MO Tested: Rottweiler Performance Intake System For The KTM 790/890 Duke Review

My love for the KTM 790 Duke has been well documented on MO, but the reality is that had KTM been a little less tight-lipped when I was laying down my hard-earned cash for the bike, I might never have owned it. Instead, an 890 Duke R would probably be parked in my garage. That doesn’t lessen my attachment to the 790, but it helps to explain my desire to squeeze as much power out of the parallel-Twin as I can, while maintaining its social acceptability on exhaust sound. (OK, maybe being mocked in the comments when the Akrapovic slip-on resulted in slightly lower peak power has a little to do with my search for power, too.) Regardless, my unspoken goal for my performance modifications has been to get as close as possible to a stock 890’s mid-range power. From the moment Rottweiler Performance released its Rally Edition Full Intake System for the 790/890 Adventure, I’ve been salivating at the prospect of installing an adapted version on my Duke. Well, with the release of the Rottweiler Performance Intake System for the KTM 790/890 Duke, that wait is over, and man, does it kick some butt. 

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MO Tested: Alpinestars Caliber Jacket Review

I’ve been searching for the perfect brown leather jacket for years. For some reason, this color appeals to me more than the classic black or multi-colored gear. However, to my eye, brown is a color that is difficult to get right. I’ve seen too many items with a burgundy tint that really doesn’t appeal to me. When I discovered the Alpinestars Caliber jacket, I knew I’d found the jacket I was looking for. 

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Essential Dirt Bike Upgrades For Essential Recreation Part 3 - Saddle Sore, No More

I’ve heard it more times than I can count, “The first thing I do when I get a dirtbike is swap in a Seat Concepts seat.” Personally, I don’t mind the OEM seats on my dirt bikes. That’s probably because most of my riding with the KTM 500 EXC-F is pretty well varied, and I don’t spend a ton of time on long stretches seated. That said, it does happen on occasion, and I’ve found myself shimmying from one cheek to the other for some relief when it does. It’s just not often enough for me to consider other options. Though I do remember giving the KTM the nod for the most uncomfortable seat during this Excellent Dual-Sport Adventure back in 2019.

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MO Tested: REV'IT! Ladies Maple 2 Jeans Review

Ask women riders, and you’ll learn that there is an absolute need for those who commute year round – a well fitting, protective motorcycle jean that doesn’t scrimp on safety, yet blends into a wardrobe effortlessly. An easy choice on the hottest days, as well as a comfortable staple you would be willing to wear for a multi-day trip out of town. It shouldn’t be too hard to shop around for something that fits the bill, yet for women who ride, this has always been a struggle. Not enough stretch, too much material in the wrong place, too low of a waistband… there’s always something that just doesn’t quite fit as well as your trusty old Levi’s do. 

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Spidi 4 Season H2Out Evo Jacket Review

I feel like an impostor in this jacket, really. I only rode in it in the rain once, and only for about a half hour. I stayed warm and dry, but the temperature was only in the low 50s F. Plus, I was behind a nice big fairing. I really can’t speak to how it would work for you Duluthians and people who ride 80 miles to work all winter in freezing sleet on an ‘86 XR600; I can’t even relate. When I moved to SoCal, I laid down one of those Scarlett O’Hara dictums: I swear, as God is my witness, I’ll never be cold again!

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Best Tents for Motorcycle Camping

What makes for a “best motorcycle tent”? Typically, it’s going to boil down to weight and size. The smaller you can pack down your tent, the more room you’ll have for necessary items like your Nanopresso espresso maker, or your high heels. Because backpacking and camping are such big business, motorcyclists can benefit from companies making lightweight, small camping setups, too. Here, we’ll take a look at a handful of options that stow well on a motorcycle and let you take your two-wheeled steed into the great outdoors for a night under the stars. 

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MO Tested: Arai Contour-X Review

For more than seven decades the Arai family has been producing premium handcrafted helmets in Japan. The Arai patriarch has been able to rest at ease knowing that they have, to the best of their ability, developed the safest helmets possible for their customers. While there have been plenty of changes over the years in terms of materials and other things, more philosophical viewpoints like the smooth, round R75 shell shape designed for glancing off of impacts have become mainstays of the brand.

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MO Tested: TCX Infinity 3 GTX Boots Review

The TCX Infinity 3 GTX Boots were constructed to give adventure tourers versatile boots to handle a wide variety of conditions. While the features set includes many of the items that make for a strong touring boot, the two standout features of the Infinity 3 boots are the Gore-Tex waterproofness and the dial fastening system; these place the Infinity 3 in the premium footwear category. The grippy sole and the tall upper with its beefy shin plate impact protection, along with the elasticized gaiter over the rear of the calf to prevent rock and sand ingress, put the boot in the adventure-touring category. 

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Essential Dirt Bike Upgrades For Essential Recreation Part 2 - Making the Mileage

You know what’s worse than carrying a six-pound jug of gas on your hip? Carrying two of them.  I know my riding buddies (particularly the one who puts together the awesome rides) are tired of hearing it, but c’mon strapping a gallon of gas to your waist is a drag – and sometimes, I still have to carry two. It’s a requirement for the super remote rides we usually go on in order to get deep into the backcountry – and back out again. I’d like to say the three-gallon IMS tank solved that issue for me, but really, a larger than stock tank is already imperative for the type of riding I do – plus a lil extra when the mileage calls for it. 

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MO Tested: Spidi Clubber Jacket Review

What I was looking for was a lighter-weight perforated leather jacket for use during the hotter parts of the year, when MO is most active, to share duties with my beautiful but aging Dainese Street Rider. When the Spidi box arrived, the light weight was there but not the perforations. Turns out there isn’t a perfed version, but maybe that’s only a personal problem for me, since my old unperforated  Vanson AR-3 has been my go-to black leather jacket for most of a decade now.

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MO Tested: INNOVV H5 Helmet Camera Review

INNOVV has been producing progressively better motorcycle dash cams at reasonable prices for over five years, and we’ve typically had good results from them. Now, the company is stepping more directly into the action camera market with a helmet cam that offers some distinct differences from the 800-lb gorilla in the market. I’ve been testing the INNOVV H5 Helmet Camera for a while and have found it to be an amiable riding companion. 

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MO Tested: Mosko Moto Wildcat 12L Backpack With Chest Rig

Some readers have noticed that a few of us MOrons are avid backpack users. In fact, it may have become somewhat of an addiction. The reason behind this is that motorcycle backpacks have become as specialized as motorcycles themselves, with different ones designed for different riding activities, be it day rides, adventure touring, or just commuting. Now, you don’t need a closet full of them, like Ryan, but since we are always looking for new developments in the category of gear, the Mosko Moto Wildcat 12L Backpack With Chest Rig (also available in an 8L version) caught my eye as I was preparing to ride in the 39th LA – Barstow to Vegas Dual-Sport Ride. However, it wasn’t just the plethora of features built into the bag that enticed me. Additionally, the optional attachment, the Chest Rig, that piqued my curiosity. 

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Best Black Friday Motorcycle Deals Available Now

Here we go again; another trip around the sun done and dusted. As we enter the 2023 Christmas buying season, there’s one tradition that highlights the times. No, not the consumption of mass quantities of turkey. Rather, we’re here to honor Black Friday in its many forms. Time to get out your credit card and shop for those holiday deals.

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MO Tested: Continental Conti RoadAttack 4 Review First Ride

Was there anything wrong with the Continental RoadAttack 3? No, not really. Lead engineer Raphael Michels (who finished 3rd in the German supermotard series this season) sounds as if he was reluctant to attempt to improve upon it. But it’s been five years, and engineering is what engineers do. Continental was already billing the 3 as a real high-performance street tire; now they’re calling the new 4 a Hyper-Touring one. It fell upon me to travel to the BMW Performance Driving Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to get to the bottom of it all. 

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MO Tested: Zovii Alarmed Grip Lock Review

The creeps that steal motorcycles count on one thing when they are attempting to rip you off: They want to go unnoticed. Getting even the slightest glance from a passerby might be enough to stop them in their tracks and move on to an easier target. Back when I was a daily commuter with unsecured parking, I carried locks (front and rear) to protect my bike. After all, it was more than just my sole means of transportation; it was my pride and joy. When I received this Zovii Alarmed Grip Lock from the good folks at Aerostich, it made me reminisce about my misspent youth on motorcycles and some of the dicey places I occasionally parked my bike. 

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MO Tested: SW-Motech SysBag WP Review

SW-Motech has released its latest iteration of the Sysbag lineup, which is now 100% waterproof and has a host of new features and updated styling. Despite the bag’s somewhat adventure-focused look and design, we opted to test the medium Sysbag with the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE. With the Scrambler, SW-Motech offers only a single-sided setup due to the bike’s high scrambler-style pipes. To make up for the single sided setup, SW-Motech also sent us its magnetic Daypack PRO tankbag.

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MO Tested: REV'IT! Territory Jacket and Continent Pants Review

Riding gear has largely been divided into two primary areas, dirt and street gear. Recent years, with the increase in popularity of adventure touring, we’ve seen touring suits morph into something that also accommodates off-roading. While that’s fine for that market, what about dual sport riders whose primary focus is beyond the pavement, but they’d like some protection on the necessary evils between trails? REV’IT! has answered this question with its DIRT Series of off-road gear. I took my recent conversion to dual-sport riding as an opportunity to check out some of the Dutch manufacturer’s gear. After I rode with it locally for a while on my KLX300, I decided to see if it had the chops for some adventure touring on our 2,000 mile middleweight adventure-touring Showdown from Sturgis to Los Angeles. The rest is history. 

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MO Tested: Racer Mickey Glove Review

I’ve been slippin’ Mickies on my paws for a while now – back before the days of viruses, when Corona just conjured up thoughts of mediocre beer. From the moment I received the Racer Mickey gloves, they became my go-to for any quick moto trips out of the house, shoots with the team, and press launches. As is usually the case with Racer gloves, they fit snug but comfortably straight out of the gate and molded themselves to earn the phrase “fit like a glove” within a few rides. Over 26 months of near daily use, I managed to wear out my first set (more on that later) and was quickly on to my second pair, which have seen continued constant use.

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MO Tested: Alpinestars Tech Air 3 Vest

Maybe think of this as more a second opinion than a review, since Ryan Adams already wrote quite a bit about Alpinestars’ latest Tech Air 3 vest in Best Motorcycle Airbag Jackets last week. While he was posting that, I was attending the Los Angeles premier of the new vest last Wednesday. I haven’t spent enough time in the thing to know how I really feel about it yet, but I can highly recommend The Bike Shed’s breakfast burrito.

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Best Motorcycle Airbag Jackets

Motorcycling airbags systems have now been in development for upward of 30 years. Companies like Alpinestars and Dainese have brought products to market, revised them, updated them, and developed new airbag systems to cover a broad range of motorcycling such as track riding, commuting, and off-road riding. We’ve seen these systems go from being integrated into specific garments, to standalone units that can be worn universally (with proper fitment). Now, we even have subscription-based systems that offer a lower barrier to entry price-wise than initially available. 

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MO Tested: MotoPumps Garmin zumo XT Security Lock

If you own a Garmin zūmo XT GPS, you’re well aware of the ease with which the unit can be installed/removed from its motorcycle mount with the simple push of a button. If you’re thinking about buying a zūmo XT, you should know about this, too. Think about how bad you would feel if you came out of a quick trip into a gas station to buy a bottle of water to find that someone has walked away with your $500 GPS. It really only takes a second. Because of this, there are several third-party manufacturers of locking mounts for the XT. However, they tend to be bulky and/or very expensive, and in one instance, weigh more than the GPS it is trying to protect. Rob Bandler at MotoPumps.com set out to create a small, light, and reasonably-priced lock to keep your GPS safe on your bike where it belongs. With the $70 Garmin zūmo XT Security Lock, he has achieved his goal. 

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MO Tested: Garmin zumo XT GPS Review

The Garmin zūmo XT is the company’s top-of-the-line motorcycle-specific GPS. While the Garmin Montana 700 series has gained popularity within the adventure-touring community, I opted for the zūmo XT to review for a couple of very specific reasons. Although the Montana 700 has built-in inReach communication capability, I opted to combine the zūmo with the Garmin inReach Mini 2 ( reviewed here) because I decided that, even though the combined cost was higher, I would rather have the inReach device on my person in case I got separated from my bike in a crash. The other feature of the zūmo that swayed me towards it was the updatable database of motorcycle shops that is included. Being out in an area without cell service and having the capability to plan a trip to the nearest bike shop, particularly in the Southwest where there are significant distances between cities, seemed like a good thing to have. 

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MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer's Guide

For generations, the image of bikers in black leather jackets and blue jeans has been a (somewhat accurate) stereotype of motorcycle fashion. Riders and non-riders alike donned this gear to portray this lone individualist image. In fact, the riding gear I wore during my first, formative motorcycle trip as a newly-minted rider was a black leather jacket and blue jeans. And for a long time, this plus boots, gloves, and a helmet were state-of-the-art for rider protection. However, technology has transformed motorcycling in more ways than just adding computers to bikes. Over the past five years or so, we’ve seen an entirely new market of riding apparel move from obscure to relatively commonplace. Riding jeans have moved from merely being denim jeans with a layer of abrasive-resistant material as an under layer to fully technical motorcycle gear with certified armor and a variety of styles and materials.

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MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer's Guide – Part 4

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

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MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer's Guide – Part 3

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

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MO Tested: Massive Riding Jeans Buyer's Guide – Part 1

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

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