On the surface, chain maintenance seems a fairly simple task: lift the rear of the bike, get a rag, some cleaner, some lube, spin the tire a few times (you don’t really turn the bike on and let it idle in gear, do you?) and you’re done. But how do you lift the back tire? Having a rear stand is great, but usually only the sportbike crowd will have one of those. Centerstands also make the task pretty easy, but if you’re one of the many sport-touring, standard, naked, and adventure bike owners, just to name a few, who don’t have either, you’re S.O.L. Besides, even if you do have a rear stand, they take up space in the garage when not in use, and you can’t take it with you on a ride.

Those who race motorcycles, like players in any high-risk sport, comprise a mixed group of individuals. The field may contain farm boys, scholars, artists, rodeo riders, engineers, mechanics, musicians and madmen of all sorts. In common, they may have only the abiding passion to go fast on two wheels.

When it comes to Speed and Strength’s Fame and Fortune jacket, I, in the immortal words of Wayne Campbell, am not worthy. Although my ownership of a ’75 Honda CB400F predates the hipster/cafe racer movement, a hipster I’m not. Wearing this jacket, though, gets me about as close as I’ll ever be.

For those of us who own older sportbikes but don’t usually feel the need to keep up in the unending performance wars (after all, many bikes exceeded necessary streetable power years ago), the march of technology still gives us other temptations for updating to more current bikes. These days, it often feels like all of the new bikes come with cool electronic trickery that makes riding easier – and cooler. A quick shifter is an item that drastically increases the fun factor of performance riding. Yeah, they help shave fractions of seconds off lap times, but the real fun for most street riders is the sound of a full-throttle upshift – or three – as they rocket down the entrance ramp or along a remote mountain road.

I was perfectly happy with the kid-sized Camelbak I got my son when he was, what, six years old? But when the wasteful child was last home from college and saw it drying on the clothesline, he disposed of it while I wasn’t looking in spite of the fact I told him Jimmy Lewis himself had told me the black stuff growing in the hose was nothing to be concerned about. It had been colonizing in there since the mid ’oughts and hadn’t killed me yet. With another long hot summer fast approaching, I was forced to obtain a new “hydration system.” I never do any of the sort of serious “enduro” riding this kind of backpack is really designed for, but over the years I’ve found they’re also fantastic for street riding, especially when it’s hot and dry. And especially if I’m going anywhere with Brad Banister.

Action cameras have moved beyond their infancy, and much like the shift in language from calling all paper copies Xeroxes, they are no longer referred to by the brand name that made them ubiquitous. Regardless, GoPro remains the 800-lb. gorilla in the action-camera world, making the challenge for every new entry into the market to find a way to differentiate themselves. Sena entered this market late last year with its Prism camera adding to an already impressive line of Bluetooth communication devices. We’ve tested several Sena products and have been impressed with their quality in this quickly developing market.

Found in the comments section of my Suzuki GSX-S750 Review was this gem from commentor Gary. “Good quality helmet … check. Leather jacket … check. Gloves … check. Deck shoes … WTF?

I didn’t need a CR Spotless Water Systems Deionizing water filter deal, but now that I have one it’s hard to see how I could go on living without it. When CR’s nice PR woman asked if I’d like to try one, I almost didn’t. I’ve used the “Spot-Free Rinse” at the car wash, which I decided is probably a bad translation from the Chinese “Free Spots 25 Cents”. Rinse your thing with this CR Spotless deionized water, and you’re supposed to be able to walk away and let mother nature do the drying without worrying about unsightly water spots.

Blessed is the helmet manufacturer with various interior shapes. Blessed was the old Signet model from Arai, and blessed is the new Signet-Q. If you’ve a Long Oval noggin and have had your skull compressed front to rear inside a helmet with a very round interior, you’ll never realize what a mere 5mm of stretch provides in terms of comfort until you own a Signet-Q.

Back in the day, motorcycle communicators were just that. You used them to talk with your riding buddies when you were riding with them. Maybe, if you were lucky, they had a FM radio or some kind of facility to allow you to run a wire from your iPod to the unit, but if you were running a wire, why not just wear your headphones, anyway?

I love my old R1, but having been badly spoiled by things just as fun while eminently more comfortable, like MO’s 2015 Bike of the Year, the KTM Super Duke R, it’s time to take the old girl the next step from supersport to naked bike. The first instinct is to throw on a dirtbike handlebar; the easiest way to do that is with an LSL Superbike bar kit, which I have used previously and very satisfactorily on a Kawasaki ZX-9R. But I didn’t want to lose the R1’s sportbike aesthetic entirely, and did want to keep its flyscreen fairing and ability to suck up straights on the occasional track day.

As I slide on my back, the wet Spanish dirt at the outside of Almeria’s Turn 6 rushing up to greet me, I take a moment to ponder the error of my ways. It’s funny how time appears to slow down once one fully accepts that control has been ceded to powers greater than ourselves. Rewinding my current situation to just a fraction of a second earlier, my sin is revealed, standing before me like an old friend, arms open. With my no longer pristine, custom Pilot leathers providing tactile proof through my back protector of why I shouldn’t be allowed to have nice things, I try to ignore the 2015 BMW S1000RR skidding to my left and slightly in front of me. (So much more can happen before it grinds to a halt.) I can’t help but think how this has all happened before. How, once again, a single thought has spelled disaster. In the past, the thoughts were as simple as “I love this track!” or “I’ve finally figured out this corner!” This time, I merely thought, “The Metzeler Sportec M7 RRs have so much grip in the rain. Soon, I’ll be dragging knee!” Instantaneously, I was – only not in the manner I was expecting.

In my article,  Evans Off Camber – Precious Cargo: Riding With Kids, I had photos my daughter using a Children’s Riding Belt which actually straps her to my body. While I still think that it’s a good idea for longer rides where her attention could wander or she could fall asleep (I’ve seen it happen with other peoples’ kids), I’ve been looking for something more convenient for running errands or school drop offs. So, I contacted the folks at Left Coast Mobility Systems about getting a Grip-n-Ride to test. In a matter of days, I had not one but two Grip-n-Rides in my possession. The first is a standard $89 Grip-n-Ride. The second, a limited edition Street Art Collection Grip-n-Ride, priced at $169.

Built to morph from an Adventure-Touring boot to a Sport-Touring boot, and back again, the Sidi Armada is a one-boot solution to a two-boot problem.

We’ve oft complained about the lack of travel in the stock rear suspension of Harley-Davidsons. Maybe we ride a little faster than we should, pushing the American cruisers and tourers beyond their intended performance parameters. Still, even if we didn’t, the 2.1 inches of travel in the twin shocks of H-D’s Dyna models is a minimalist approach to functional suspension.

Harley-Davidson’s 2015 technical MotorClothes line features a variety of new and/or upgraded apparel. We recently spent some time in the rain wearing Harley-Davidson’s two-piece High Tail Colorblocked Hi-Vis Rain Suit, and have been enjoying the warming massage of the Dual-Source Heated Jacket Liner. There’s also two new versions of the FXRG Triple Vent System Switchback jackets – one leather, one textile – a standard FXRG leather jacket, and FXRG Dual-Homologated and modular helmets.

Recently, I reviewed the  Aerostich Kanetsu Electric Warmbib, and I thought, in retrospect, that perhaps some readers might miss out on what a great idea that wind stopping bibs were because they wanted neither the extra warmth nor additional cost of an electric item. A good insulated bib is an important tool for motorcyclists to have at their disposal. These easy-to-pack mini-blankets are a cost effective way to increase your comfort and – by extension – your safety on a chilly ride. The Pilot Breeze Blocker is a perfect example of the comfort that can be found in cold weather for a mere $35.

Back in October of last year, I wrote about new brake light modulator technologies that were becoming available on the market. In case you don’t know what the new generation of brake light modulators are: they flash auxiliary lights when sensing a motorcycle’s deceleration, even if the brakes are not applied, alerting vehicles behind you that your speed is lowering. After seeing the article on MO, a representative from Vectolabs contacted me, asking if I’d like to evaluate a Vololight. In the interest of learning more about this budding technology (and because I love fooling around with gadgets), I replied with an unequivocal yes.

For no particular reason, my personal moto-wardrobe has been devoid of a new Shoei helmet for quite some time. Evans gave the new-last-year RF-1200 a fair, if not glowing, review, so when the RF’s 2015 color schemes were released, I put in an order for a Terminus TC-9 model. I wore it for the first time on my way to San Diego for Shoei’s presentation of its new adventure-touring lid, the Hornet X2. When it rains it pours.

Let’s just get the disclaimers out of the way right up front, shall we? No tire manufacturer wants you to plug its tire if you run over a nail, not even a brand new one. Some of them might tell you it’s okay to patch a tire, with a permanent patch glued on from the inside. But that’s not what the plugs here are for: The Stop&Go mushroom-style plug and the Dynaplug pointy-style are here to keep you from having to ride a tow truck to your destination when you pick up a nail en route and don’t have a tire mounting machine at hand. Stop&Go says “Safety experts all agree that a punctured and/or plugged motorcycle tire should be replaced as soon as possible. That is our opinion also.”

I’m a fan of expensive eyewear, but like Burnsie surmises in his Why We Can’t Have Nice Things article, the more I spend on a pair of sunglasses, the quicker I am to destroy them. Even to complete this review I had to request a second pair of Lycans due to me losing the originals on the first overseas bike launch I attended with the sunglasses in tow. Twenty-dollar vendor-row aviators … got a box of bent and scratched ones, but it’s that I still have the low-rent shades that’s confounding. My New Year’s resolution is to have the Switch Lycans at this time next year.

History has a funny way of repeating itself, and as long as you wait long enough, what’s old will eventually become new again. Right now, we’re seeing that trend in motorcycling, as models like the  Yamaha SR400,  Royal Enfield Continental GT,  BMW R nineT and  Ducati Scrambler all pay homage to days gone by. Then, of course, you’ve got those who simply refuse to let go of the past, buying 30-plus year-old motorcycles and making them their own. Hell, even the verbiage is making a comeback. Cafe Racer, anyone? Vintage motorcycling may be popular these days, but there’s one aspect of the past that should remain in the history books: safety gear. Helmets, specifically.

Motorcycling has never enjoyed a surplus of international ambassadors, for a number of reasons. Cost probably tops the list for most people, but language barriers, shipping logistics, insurance, border issues and political/ethnic disputes also figure in. And, of course, time.

If you’re a rolling moto-stone but you’ve never owned an all-weather one-piece suit, you’re doing yourself an injustice. For keeping warm and dry in the coldest and wettest weather, a well-constructed onesie will outperform a two-piece outfit any day of the week, month or year. Once owned, a onesie soon becomes the go-to riding garment because of its versatility and user-friendliness.

In theory, I am a big believer in “All the Gear All the Time,” but in practice that’s just not the way it happens for me. Many, if not most, rides are shortish hops around town where even my trusty Aerostich is too much trouble, and let’s face it, sometimes you want to look somewhat cool even if you stopped being it a couple decades ago.

Behold the 50 days of Christmas! Five lists comprised of 10 gifts per, we’ve provided you with a selection of moto-specific gifts to fit every level of expenditure for all kinds of riders. Or, maybe they’re not gifts for others but ideas of what to buy for yourself with all those X-mas greenbacks you’re about to receive in a month’s time. Whatever the case, there’s a lot to look through here, but if that’s not enough, maybe check out some gift guides from Christmases past: 2013 Holiday Gift Guide, 2012 Holiday Gift Guide.

When looking for a classically styled leather motorcycle jacket, you have to wade through an overabundance of bomber jackets. While they may be cool, they’ve become almost a-dime-a-dozen in the cruiser world. However, a vintage-styled motorcycle cop jacket carries much of the same period feeling (it even has epaulets) and will be fairly unique out on the road. The Triumph Patrol Jacket is a good antidote for the run-of-the-mill bomber jacket.

A motocross-related foot/ankle injury once kept me in non-weight-bearing medical status for six incredibly painful months. Twelve years of recovery and therapy later, the range of motion in my right ankle remains at only about 15%, and lingering pain is a regular reminder of my injury. Considering this history, it should be no surprise that I highly value foot protection.

Some years ago, middle of the last century, thousands of young Italian men became obsessed with motorcycles. And in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, many of them decided to build their own. Not necessarily to manufacture and sell, but to put their own names on them and go racing. One such man was Giancarlo Morbidelli.

Ride for enough years, and you’ll experience some of the immutable truths about motorcycling: Leathers get smaller when hanging in a closet, our past racing ability improves the further we get from actual racing, and tire pressure drops when your bike isn’t ridden daily. While I can’t do anything about the first issue (except recommend diet and exercise changes) and I don’t want to change the second, as I’m enjoying my ever-expanding track exploits, tire pressure is an issue neglected by far too many riders.

We don’t always agree on everything at MO, but we do all agree that the new Harley-Davidson Street 750 could use a better front brake. Its revvable and lovable little 60-degree V-Twin engine is one of the best things Harley’s done in the 21st century and the rest of the bike’s not far behind for the money, but the response from its front brake let us down. In our recent Millennial Hep Cat Shootout, mean Tom Roderick said, “Where the Street 750 really fails in its performance package is with its lame front brake. Whether it’s the brake pad material or air in the line, the twin-piston single-caliper front disc brake is glaringly weak.”

In German, these are motorradhandschuhe – motorcycle hand shoes – and really nice ones (as they should be for $279). (Another favorite German word is auspuf, which is just what it sounds like, exhaust system.) Actually these gloves are designed in Austria and made in China, where they’ve been cranking them out for two decades now.

Riding motorcycles in the Southwestern summer almost guarantees heat and lots of it. Although cooler options for riding gear that still provide decent protection abound, boots are one area that is typically difficult to offer a high level of protection while still providing a measure of venting that feels like more than just an item that was checked off of a manufacturer’s feature sheet. I’ve tried all measures of vented boots with any number of air intake and exit modes. Visually, my favorites still involve ram-air scoop intakes or flashy heel exhaust ports. However, no boot I’ve tested has offered the degree of cooling provided by the Dainese Torque RS Out Air boots.

What better time to test the air-flowing capabilities of Fieldsheer’s High Temp Mesh Jacket and Pants than during California’s drought. On one particular trip we experienced “OMG it’s hot,” “who’s idea was this – it’s too hot,” and “get me off this f*&$ing motorcycle, hell isn’t this hot.” Fieldsheer’s mesh worked pretty darn good in two of the three degree variances.

Right, the all-new Harley-Davidson Street 750 didn’t win our recent Millennial Hep Cat Shootout, but its engine sure did: 53.5 horsepower at 7900 rpm is way more than the 40.6 (at 6500) produced by the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone that won the overall event.

With the possible exception of members of the Harley and Davidson families, few Americans have brought more people to careers in motorcycling than John Penton. When dealing in the off-road industry, the Ohio native is the clear monarch. This doesn’t even include the thousands of riders who were encouraged to join the ranks of off-road riding and competition. That long list of faithful subjects includes this writer.

When riding in the summer, it’s a must that a capable riding jacket for this kind of weather flows a significant amount of air to the rider. Traditionally, jacket manufacturers use mesh panels as the way to achieve this goal. Some use more than others, but when it comes to flowing air, unless you prefer riding shirtless, mesh is the best we’ve got. The problem with mesh, of course, comes when it’s greeted by asphalt.

What’s America’s favorite kind of clothing? It would have to be denim blue jeans. Everywhere you go, folks are wearing them. The same could be said about motorcyclists on the street. If they’re covering their legs with something other than a dedicated riding suit, you can expect to see jeans. As comfortable and durable as jeans are, sliding down the interstate at 65 mph dramatically exceeds their job description. Cotton can only provide so much abrasion protection. So, what’s a rider to do? Go through life looking like a transformer, knowing that they’re protected from impact and abrasion but vulnerable to arrest by the style police?

When we decided to take a selection of sport tourers for an extended ride, we knew that we’d be riding through some scorching California weather. So, we decided that we should investigate the cooling capacity of some of the latest mesh riding gear to help keep our internal temperatures down.

OK, I’ll admit I was kinda bummed when I ordered this Icon Airmada Volare helmet. The name brought back painful memories. You see, when I was a dateless early teen, I was certain that it was caused by the 1976 Plymouth Volare station wagon I was forced to drive. Fortunately, the Airmada Volare suffers from none of the lovelife killing issues of my adolescent transportation. This helmet is neither boring nor boxy, and when I wear it, I don’t feel like my mother dresses me funny.

One of the first helmets I ever owned was a Scorpion. I don’t even remember the model number anymore, but I remember I bought it because it was all I could afford as a poor college student. It fit fine when I tried it on at the store for a few minutes, but the honeymoon period quickly ended by the time I rode home from the store – the shell gave my intermediate-oval dome a massive pressure point directly on my forehead. To add insult to injury, after only a few months sitting on my shelf, the liner started coming loose and the rubber seal between the visor and the shell started to come off. In the end, the experience left me with a sour taste in my mouth, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn a Scorpion since … and still have fingers left over.

What’s the fastest way to convert your sportbike into a sport tourer? Tank bag. A nice tank bag stuffed with clothing atop the tank is the effective equivalent of putting a big pillow right where you can lean forward on it and take most of the weight off your wrists as you cruise along. Bliss. And a magnetic tank bag you can instantly whip on and off is best of all, as well as being sweet compensation for having an old-school bike with a steel gas tank.

Motorcycle apparel manufacturers have really upped the game when it comes to combining comfort, style and protection in a pair of riding jeans. Of course, pricing is significantly more than your average $47 pair of Levi 501s, but the protection afforded by the moto-specific denim is worlds better than regular jeans, making them well worth the entry fee.

If you’re primarily a street rider with an eye toward hitting up a trackday soon, listen up. First, don’t listen to anyone who tells you to get a dedicated race tire before going to a trackday, especially your first one. While it used to be true that road rubber and track rubber were two worlds apart, those days are long over, and the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa is proof one tire really can do it all.

Stop me if I already told you about the time I found myself rolling down the fast lane of the 405 North at LAX. Bumper, road, sky, bumper, road … When I stopped rolling, the lady in the car who’d managed to outbrake me, thank God, ran to me saucer-eyed and asked if I was okay. Er, let me check. Yes. Yes, I seem to be fine, thanks. In fact, not only did I escape without any scrapes or bruises, I wasn’t even sore the next day. I was wearing an Aerostich Roadcrafter suit.

When it comes to an affordable, lightweight, all-weather adventure-touring outfit from a reputable high-end manufacturer of technically advanced riding gear, Klim’s Overland Jacket and Pants fit the bill.

Modern technology has radically changed our lives, and not surprisingly, motorcycling reflects that change in many areas. While maybe not directly related to the act of riding a motorcycle, our portable technology permeates much of our daily life. Look at my recent review of the Scala Rider Q3 Multiset for a place I’d never really considered to be essential to my daily motorcycle use until I experienced it. However, there is one thing that most of these modern conveniences need to do their job: power – in the form of electricity.

Lately, there’s been a rise in popularity in cafe- and naked-type bikes. Take the recently reviewed Royal Enfield Continental GT, quirky Moto Guzzi V7, old-is-new-again Yamaha SR400, and of course the venerable Triumph Bonneville as examples. They are simple motorcycles that take you back to a simpler time. And these days, wearing full-fledged, Power Ranger-like protective gear just seems, well, silly.

I’d be lying if I said I wear every bit of armor I own every time I hop on a motorcycle. While that’s not to say I run out the door wearing shorts, t-shirt and a helmet, when it comes to riding pants, for my daily commute more often than not I’m skipping the leather and opting for a set of jeans instead. But not just some average pair of Levis – recently I’ve been sporting the Dainese D6 Denim jeans. Here’s what I think about them.

As Bluetooth communications work their way into our daily lives, it’s only natural that they’d begin to become essential to our motorcycling tool kit. Up until I received the Cardo Scala Rider Q3 Multiset, I’d successfully avoided any type of communication system as part of my riding arsenal. However, a ton has changed in the last few years. Most importantly, the use of GPS turn-by-turn directions has become so common that even map lovers, like myself, have accepted that we no longer need to tape maps/directions to the bike’s tank.

The wife’s got her shoes, I’ve got my riding boots. From cruiser cool to track fast, MX to H2O, there’s a pair for every occasion. So, when I found myself at the onset of Spring in need of a new set of casual, street-riding shoes, out went the call to Dainese. A few days later their new Vera Cruz model arrived.

At $109.95, the RS Taichi NXT053 GP-X racing glove is simply a glove you can’t afford not to have in your collection. It doesn’t even matter what kind of bike you ride. Cruiser? Sure. Dirtbike? Yeah, why not. But if you do any kind of sport riding, I can confidently say, your search for a budget-minded glove is officially over. Let me explain.

Well, you learn something new every day. In this case, the “you” would be me and my use of the word sipe. I’ve been using it for years to mean the grooves in a tire’s tread pattern. (Several online dictionaries, the one built in to my laptop’s OS, and the dictionary of record, the Oxford English Dictionary, confirm this by saying “a groove or channel in the tread of a tire to improve its grip.” But I digress.) What prompted this discovery was a statement made at the beginning of the press briefing for Michelin’s introduction of the Pilot Road 4 tire. To wit: “The Michelin Pilot Road 3 was the first [motorcycle] tyre with sipes.” To think that I’d been using the word since before the PR3 was introduced.

In the world of premium protective gear, it’s easy to look toward Italy and brands like Dainese and Alpinestars. With a rich racing pedigree and a large presence in the States, the two have stamped out an exclusive corner of the market when it comes to ultimate protection on two wheels.

Here’s the problem: when you wear a modern full-face helmet you are warmer, safer, better protected from windblast and debris and can ride longer and farther, but nobody can see you or your beard.

Until now motorcycle gloves have had a single function: protection. BearTek is changing that by introducing Bluetooth connectivity into its line of motorcycle street gloves.

Full disclosure, I’ve owned a CTEK Multi US 3300 battery charger since circa 2004. I’ve relied on it for keeping the battery in my 1975 CB400F charged for the rare occasion when I actually ride the bike. According to my records, the battery in my vintage Honda was also purchased circa 2004. So, for a decade the old CTEK model’s been doing a fine job of prolonging the life of this rarely used battery.

With the introduction of its all-new Geomax MX32 and MX52 motocross/off-road tires, Dunlop appears to be hell-bent as ever to be the best in the aftermarket off-road tire segment as well as the top OE tire supplier.

When last we tested a Cardo communications device it was the Scala Rider G4 in 2011. That model’s multi-rider connectivity and various functions worked so well we awarded it with Best New Product of 2011. Three years on and Cardo’s premier communications unit has progressed to the G9 model.

When I started riding I wanted the flashiest gear I could find. Bright colors, exposed armor — anything that told the world I was a motorcyclist. A funny thing happened along the way: I attracted the attention of cops, too. Once, fairly recently, on a MO group ride to Laguna Seca, a member of the local constabulary singled me out from the pack because, my red riding jacket “was easiest to identify,” he said. “All your buddies blended together.” Turns out he was a rider too and let me off easy.