Updated March 2021

Updated March 2021:

Updated March 2021

Updated March 2021

Insta360 appears to be the first action camera company that has a real possibility of disrupting the giant action camera gorilla in the room that is GoPro. There have been other companies over the years that offered a quality video image and image control sometimes even surpassing GoPro, but none of them could compete with the ease of mounting and presence in the marketplace that GoPro has enjoyed. Perhaps this will change with the release of Insta360 second iteration of their tiny “GO” camera, the Insta360 GO 2.

Updated March, 2021

Updated March 2021 

We’ve all been there. The forecast was “possibility of scattered showers,” but the horizon is a gray freight train of wetness, it’s getting dark, and you have 300 miles left to ride. Now’s not the time to realize you’re gonna need some waterproof motorcycle gloves; yesterday was.

Before we get too far into this, let’s face it, smartphones have come a long way and are capable of doing things most don’t understand and some can’t comprehend. Navigation, however, is one of the features people from all walks – and levels of technological literacy – use on a daily basis.  A smartphone works quite well for nav among dozens of other things, occasionally at the same time. So are standalone GPS units even worth having around anymore? As phones continue to advance – as well as GPS units – the lines between the two continue to become more blurred. Let’s have a closer look at the pros and cons of both. 

Winter can be a tough time of year for motorcyclists – particularly those who live in northern states. While nothing outside of screwing studs into your bike’s tires and going ice racing can help you scratch the two-wheeled itch once the white stuff hits the ground, there are still plenty of opportunities for riding if you are prepared with the right cold weather motorcycle gear.

Picture it: you’re having the motorcycle adventure of a lifetime; you’re somewhere new, traveling down roads and paths you’ve never seen before, and just around every bend is a view more picturesque than the last. The scenery is gorgeous, the roads (or trails) are twisty, and you and your motorcycle are one. By all accounts, this ride qualifies as epic. There’s just one problem: you haven’t documented any of it. Once the ride is over, you’ll only have memories to refer back to, save for the few shots you took on your cell phone camera.

As mentioned in our first installment of adventure bike upgrades, tires are one of, if not the, easiest ways to transform the handling of your big adventure bike. As adventure bikes have grown in popularity, so have tire offerings for them. With the plethora of tire choices to choose from these days, one can almost pinpoint exactly how much dirt versus road you plan on doing and choose a tire that meets your riding expectations.

Now that we can use our phones for so many things, they rarely leave our side – or hands in many cases. You can use your phone to pay at the grocery store, to hook up with randos via dating apps, and, of course, for GPS. Other bits of info you might want access to while you ride may include your music or seeing who’s calling/messaging or perhaps some cool new app from your motorcycle manufacturer. Other motorcyclists don’t want to have anything to do with their phone while riding, but even those Luddites need directions from time to time. With Rokform’s rugged case and universal mount, you get a solid mounting option that will connect to any Ram Mount-style ball receiver, and a stout phone case that attaches to it. 

Sure you know Harley-Davidson is the goliath among motorcycle manufacturers. And in the back of your mind you knew The Motor Company has a huge apparel line. But have you ever stopped to think about how big the apparel line actually is? Probably not. It’s so big, H-D has its own Amazon store dedicated to just footwear. Yep, that’s more that just Harley-Davidson boots.

There are many reasons why motorcycles (unfortunately) get put away to storage: repairs, restorations, and sometimes life in general means you have to put the bike away for a while. For most of us though, winter is the most obvious reason motorcycles get put away, and as we type this winter has begun to rear its ugly head in the way of snowstorms and bitter cold in many regions of the US. Unfortunately, for many motorcyclists, that means a long depressing few months of storing away your beloved two-wheeled friend from the elements. For long-term storage, it’s best to get yourself a smart battery charger to maintain the optimum voltage level to be sure your bike’s battery voltage doesn’t drop to potentially damaging levels, leaving you unable to ride when that first nice day comes around. Remember, you want to avoid the cheap chargers that continuously charge your battery without any regard for its current voltage. These “dumb” chargers can actually damage your battery and should never be used.

Updated January 2021:

What better time to take a closer look at the Dainese Alger Nomad jacket than now while the 43rd running of the Dakar Rally is underway. Inspired by rally racing of the ’80s, the Alger jacket is part of the Dunes collection, a subset of Dainese’s Settantadue vintage-inspired line. This jacket was specifically styled after Edi Orioli’s late 1980’s Dainese rally gear (pictured below). With vintage style and off-road adventures in vogue, Dainese looked back to its own history when creating the Alger jacket. 

Updated January, 2021

Shoei has produced motorcycle helmets since 1958. More than 30 years after Shoei’s first helmets made their way into the marketplace, I bought my first Shoei, an RF-200, during the initial year of it’s production in 1989. Before the end of its production cycle in 1995, thanks to saving me in one crash, I owned a couple of them. Since that time, I have owned at least one of every single RF model that Shoei produced. To say that I am a fan of the model line would be an understatement. A Shoei RF helmet was my most worn line of helmet until the Neotec convinced me that it was the perfect helmet for daily around town rides. Still, on most sporting rides, where I’d don a non-modular helmet, the RF-1200 was still at the top of my list. After living with the newest version for about a month, the Shoei RF-1400 continues that trend with its further refinement of the company’s popular and versatile helmet.

I’ve made no secret of my love for musician’s earplugs for hearing protection out on the road. They minimize the potential damage to my hearing while still giving close to full frequency response – not muffled frequencies, like with traditional foam plugs. Back in April, after testing a set of EarPeace earplugs, I switched to them as my go-to noise protection of choice, ending a multi-years’-long devotion to Etymotic plugs. The EarPeace earplugs stayed put more than 95% of the time while offering similar protection. So, I made the switch.

Getting a flat while out riding sucks. Whether you’re on a tour or running errands, getting a flat on a motorcycle is not only inconvenient, it can be downright dangerous. It’s even worse when you decided to pack your plug kit at the bottom of your cases and have to sprawl out all of your possessions along the side of the road like some wandering gypsy in order to find it. The only thing worse than that is not having one at all.

If we were presented with a rider and were told to guess which Shoei helmet that they wore, selecting an RF model would be a smart choice. The RF line has been one of Shoei’s best sellers for a generation. In fact, the first RF helmet was introduced in 1984, and the Shoei RF-1400 continues the path of incremental improvement to this ever-popular line. In the press materials below, the idea of Kaizen, a Japanese term for continuous improvement, is mentioned. Each new release in the RF family has layered new features on the previous model while still retaining the essence of the family. The same features that have made the line popular with riders also apply to the MO staff, which has collectively owned most, if not all, of Shoei’s RF line and can vouch for it being a sweet-spot helmet. The value delivered by this line of helmets has captured the hearts of riders ranging from bagger fans to track day riders and every kind of rider in between. The Shoei RF line of helmets has traditionally hit the Goldilocks price vs features point of this premium helmet, and the RF-1400 appears to be no different.

Just like anything else, motorcycles are continually evolving and getting lighter, faster and more powerful with each passing year. Despite improvements to how well bikes handle and perform, having an accident and crashing is always a looming threat that can never be eliminated, only mitigated – especially off-road. Fortunately for us riders, there are engineers working hard to keep our heads and bodies as safe as possible so we can continue to enjoy riding motorcycles – both on- and off-road – with confidence in knowing that we have the best chance in decreasing the amount of damage a potential crash can cause.

Accessories really do make the outfit, and depending on what the outfit is, this is a hugely broad category. The things you need for touring on pavement are quite a bit different than what you’ll need on an off-road adventure, but there’s still plenty of crossover. Blah blah…

“Competition” is all relative. These gloves aren’t competition like your latest $400 Dainese racing gloves or anything, but they are more competition-ready than the regular Elkskin Ropers Aerostich has been selling forever. The difference is simply that these Competition Ropers have a hook-and-loop wrist closure to positively cinch each one onto your wrist (instead of one snap), which makes them way easier to secure securely onto your paws. Secondly, there’s a nice strip of Aerostich’s excellent TF3 impact foam right where you want it most should you hit the deck, on back of yon knuckles.

For almost a decade, I rode with musician’s earplugs because I liked their flat frequency response. I could hear the sounds around me the way I always do – only quieter – without the muffled, muddied sound associated with lower-tech earplugs. Now, this type of earplug is all the rage in the motorsports world, and the manufacturers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the rest of the earplugs out there. Earos, with their Earos One acoustic filters (what the manufacturer calls them), have found a feature that, in my testing, makes an attractive option for motorcyclists that are interested in being able to hear their surroundings and protect their hearing at the same time. The feature is that the shape of the outer body of the earplug actually holds the earplugs in place in your ear while you wear them.

There are a dizzying array of options when it comes to dirtbike tires. From tread patterns, to compounds, to the brands themselves, it’s difficult to decipher what is the best tire. That’s mostly because deciding on the best tire requires a lot of input from the rider themselves. What kind of dirtbike are you riding? What kind of terrain are you riding on? Are you looking for longevity or for the most traction possible just to get through a hard enduro race? These are just a handful of the questions you need to answer for yourself before embarking into the deluge of different off-road tire choices. 

Updated November 2020

Once upon a time, many generations ago, motorcycle tires were in limited supply. You wanted them black, round, and capable of holding air. Well, the technology has changed to the point that there is no universal best motorcycle tire. Rather, the motorcycle tire industry developed the capability to create carcasses and tread compounds to handle very specific conditions. Hence, we have the fragmentation of the motorcycle tire market. Let’s take a look at the differing categories, but if you want to jump straight ahead to your type of motorcycle, click on the link at the top of each section.

Nothing beats the convenience of an open-face helmet for cruising, light touring, or just commuting through your town. If you happen to be riding a scooter while wearing an open-face helmet, you’re just living in the lap of convenience and pragmatism. Like any other helmet, open-face helmets come in all shapes and sizes (though not a whole lot of colors), so here we’ve gathered a few to tell you about. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

Updated November 2020

Writing a Crash Tested review is never something we want to do, but if I’m going to write one, then this one is especially important. If you weren’t aware, a couple months ago while comparing the Triumph Speed Twin and BMW R nineT, I was hit by a car. I flew over the hood of the car, did a flip in the air, landed on my shoulder, and rolled to a stop. It sucked, but thankfully I was able to walk away, injury-free albeit pretty sore. 

Why is it that OEM lighting too often seems subpar? That’s not to say every brand or model on the road these days has a headlight that comes up short, but in my experience, on two wheels or four, manufacturers rarely put an emphasis on their vehicle’s ability to provide ample lighting. Thankfully, there are a handful of companies out there making great auxiliary lighting options for motorcycles. Some are new, and some have been well-tested over time in rigorous conditions. If you’re looking to add some lumens to your stock setup, here are some of the best LED lights for motorcycles. 

Dainese has long been a purveyor of innovative safety equipment for riders, claiming the first knee sliders in 1979, back protector in 1981, and carbon/Kevlar knuckle protection in 1995. In 2012, the Italian company made another first, becoming the first manufacturer to offer airbag protection in an off-the-rack (or custom) leather racing suit in America, the D-Air Racing. We are now seeing the third generation of D-Air technology used in the current race line-up as well as road applications available in multiple styles of jackets for both men and women.

Updated October, 2020

Here in the States, most people treat scooters nearly the same as motorcycles. The utilitarian conveniences of the scooter have never really caught on over here, and scooters are still generally seen as a luxury item. Like motorcycle owners, the folks who spend their hard-earned money on these practical two-wheelers want to keep their machines looking good and also away from the prying eyes of opportunistic thieves. 

In the previous century, the manufacturers didn’t want us to call their motorcycles “cruisers,” because they were afraid to be associated with the 1980 Al Pacino film “Cruising,” which was about a serial killer preying on gay men cruising for sex. Today, that plotline could be a selling point, who knows? Things change. Anyway, as you know, cruisers in the motorcycle idiom refers to laid-back American style bikes which tend to be ridden less aggressively than sportbikes, which sort of lessens the need for titanium toe sliders, calf pucks, and Crayon-box color schemes. In other words, these are the kind of boots plenty of normal motorcyclists on cruisers, touring bikes, sport-tourers and standards, don’t mind wearing every day, on the bike and off. We selected a few of the Best Cruiser Motorcycle Boots.

What makes for the best motorcycle jacket comes down to a lot of different variables, not excluding rider preferences. So rather than tell you that the following jackets are unequivocally the best, we’ve decided to highlight offerings that we’ve previously included in our more focused jacket lists (textile, leather, winter, women’s etc.) to give you a smattering of what Motorcycle.com sees as some of the best jackets currently in production. 

As motorcycles become more reliable and maintenance intervals get more spread out, one consumable remains on a fairly frequent interval for motorcycles. Tires have made tremendous advances in the last decade, but they are still the most frequent maintenance items for motorcyclists. With the rates for mounting and balancing tires going through the roof (My local shop charges $60 for a pair of tires with the wheels off the bike.), buying a tire changer makes a lot of sense. I’d been eyeing No-Mar Tire Changers for quite a while before pulling the trigger and installing one in my garage. In less than a month and after changing a dozen tires, we’d have already spent about 35% of the cost of the No-Mar Classic HD Motorcycle Tire Changer at our local motorcycle shop, but what’s most important is how convenient it is having a tire changer in my garage available when I need it. I no longer have to load my wheels into my truck, drive to my local shop, wait an hour (or more) for them to be ready, and finally take them home to reinstall on my bike. 

As I write this, Southern California is under an excessive heat warning, with the next three days bringing temps that can soar up to 110ºF (that’s 43ºC for you non-Americans) in my area. Honestly, when the temps get that high, I’d rather hop in a pool than ride a motorcycle. But even if you’re riding on a nice day, engine heat can radiate right to your feet. No matter how the heat gets to your toes, it’s times like these when a highly breathable shoe is a godsend.

Updated September 2020:

Back in the day, when a proper sport-tourer was an 1100 Katana or an FZR1000, the tank bag was indispensable for weekend blasts to San Francisco or Reno or wherever. The FZR in particular had a flat-topped steel tank that was the catbird seat for my old magnetic bag. If you packed soft t-shirts and undies on top, it was purrfect to lean on and unweight your wrists. Magnetic was good for me, since I was always riding different bikes. If you have one bike, an old-fashioned strap-on bag, invented before the magnet, is a bit more secure on windshieldless motorcycles. 

From Z900 to S1000R to Street Triple, we love our naked bikes and even the ones that leave a little to the imagination with what we once called bikini fairings – especially when it’s hot. When it cools off a little, though, maybe you’d like a light wrap. A jacket. A flyscreen, a windbreaker, as it were. Especially if you use your naked as an everyday bike to ride even when the weather’s brisk, or if you spend more than a little time at freeway speed. At the same time, you don’t want to be duct-taping some ill-fitting piece of tacky plastic onto your darling. There are probably some decent “universal-fit” windscreens and other bargains, but the best ones are going to be bike-specific. We asked around for naked bike windshields people like the best, and this is them.

The perfect solution for being able to ride year-round would be to have gear that can handle all four seasons. Wait – we do! That’s exactly what this list is about. Well, at least your upper half, anyway. What you’ll find below are our picks for four-season motorcycle jackets. You’ll notice as you scroll down that most of these jackets are touring-oriented. The reason is pretty simple: those are typically the riders that will face the gamut of weather extremes on just one ride. So, if a jacket will work for them in extreme conditions, chances are they’ll handle your ride to work in December just fine. Assuming you’re not working from home, that is.

As motorcycle technology has advanced, the tolerances to which they are manufactured have gotten ever tighter. While torque wrenches have always been important, modern motorcycles, and particularly their engines, depend on the exacting tightening specifications allowed by a torque wrench. Every motorcyclist should have one to assist them in their home-mechanic efforts.

It’s all fun and games riding around in your Chuck Taylors or work boots, until Old Granddad turns left across your bow or you come up short on a double. Sometimes, even the most talented among us wind up layin’ `er down – and if you lay her, or him, down on top of your ankle, well, then you might suddenly and painfully appreciate what a wondrous and complex organism the human body is; things like ankles and wrists and knees, once mangled, take a lot to put back together again. Good boots aren’t always going to save your underpinnings, but motorcyclists who’ve been around the block a few times like our chances much, much better with some serious soles and ankle protection – and a little (or a lot) of protection over the easily-injured tibia is never a bad idea either.

Have there been any great motorcycle movies lately? Maybe some cameos and probably some documentaries that I can’t think of at the moment. What is certain, is there have been many great (and not so great) motorcycle movies over the past seven decades or more. Movies depicting the Hell’s Angels in the late sixties, documentaries following travelers around the world and riders racing at the ragged edge, and even some light-hearted comedy make up our 17 movie list. So grab your Rolos, Junior Mints, popcorn, or whatever it is you like to enjoy with a movie. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Okay, maybe it’s not the last dirtbike tire you’ll ever need, but they last a heck of a long time and perform great as they wear. The Bridgestone Battlecross X40 caps off the hard end of the Battlecross lineup and is meant for drier rocky terrain like we see in much of the western United States. 

Any lock is better than no lock – including your bike’s built-in steering lock, which might prevent the average drunk from rolling it down the alley. At the same time, not even the burliest, most expensive lock is invincible if it’s up against an angle grinder in a forest where there’s no one to hear it scream, or a tree fall. Some locks, however, are way better than others. There’s an entire continuum of convenience and security, price and peace of mind.

Motorcycles seem to attract dirt. Even sitting still in the garage for a couple of days, they attract dust, but out on the road, bikes ride plow right into all kinds of sticky substances (mostly a wide variety of bugs). Also, they’re not immune to the dreaded water spots of the afternoon shower. So, naturally, since motorcyclists have a great affiliation to their machines, a cottage industry of motorcycle cleaning products has grown to a remarkable size. Here, we’ve listed a selection of the top cleaning products that we have personally used over the years. While there are many great motorcycle cleaners out there, you can also stumble onto some snake oil. With these cleaners, you’ll know you’re getting the good stuff.

I’m a gear nerd. Have been, and hope to always be. I nerd out on unique materials, armor, and the latest and greatest of motorcycle gear. That makes me a sucker for KLIM’s heavily researched and developed garments. Toward the end of 2019, I had the chance to join the folks at KLIM for a 2020 product launch and an inside look at some of the materials technology that was being developed and tested at the Gore Labs in Maryland. It was akin to touring Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. 

What makes for the best motorcycle gloves? That’s a loaded question, we know. How could we at MO possibly know what the best motorcycle gloves are for you and your situation at any given moment? Well, to be honest, it’s because we’re moto-wizards. Ageless beings that hold the secrets of the universe among our homes offices. We know all, what has been and what will be. Including what’s best for you, same as your parents.

The first wave of motorcycle airbag systems largely involved built-in components within a suit or ones that required that they be installed in airbag-specific gear. Although there were some outliers, most notably the Helite Turtle Airbag Vest that requires being worn over the jacket with a tether to the bike, the airbag era is entering the phase where the safety system is garment-agnostic. These systems from Alpinestars, Dainese, and Klim take the form of vests that can be worn inside or outside a rider’s regular gear. While we’ve had the opportunity to wear the first wave of airbags in their specific jackets/suits from multiple vendors, the Dainese Smart Jacket is our first shot at a second wave airbag system. Although I’ve been lucky enough not to crash in it during my time testing the Smart Jacket, it has very quickly become part of my regular riding kit. 

A long-term tire test is hard to do these days. With the internet’s insatiable devouring of content, it’s hard to be away from the desk while still managing to deliver enough fodder to appease an entire world wide web of curious readers.

Every time it comes time to write one of those “Great Motorcycle Developments of the Future” deals, some form of cooling tech always makes it to the top of the list. Usually it’s an air-conditioned helmet. Indian decided to attack the heat problem from the other direction with its ClimaCommand Classic Seat, retro-fittable onto all Thunderstroke models back to 2016.

The new FLY Formula helmet sits atop the company’s helmet line up in terms of safety, materials, and price ($649.96). FLY’s Conehead EPS technology, Impact Energy Cells from Rheon Labs, and the helmet’s 12k carbon fiber shell all come together to make a substantial lid that FLY claims is its safest yet. 

As it does every year, Father’s Day is coming up fast (it’s June 21 in case you didn’t know), and if you’ve got a moto-loving pops you care about, a moto-themed gift will undoubtedly put a smile on his face. Let us help with this collection of gifts for all the moto dads out there. With prices running on the gamut on the affordability chart, there’s bound to be something here for any budget. So, without further ado, let’s get started:

The Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns have given us a lot of time to wrench on our motorcycles – good thing riding motorcycles on the open road is about as socially distant as you can get. Still, the fact remains that turning a wrench on your bike, whether to perform basic maintenance or even a complete teardown, is a part of the ownership experience many of us enjoy (or at least tolerate). While a good set of basic hand tools is an essential part of anybody’s garage, when you’re ready to step up your game then it’s time to get some power tools.

One of the essential ingredients of any home mechanic’s toolbox is a set of combination wrenches in all the common sizes for your bike. After a while, many motorcycle mechanics find they need a stubby set of combination wrenches to get into a tight spot. With that first step down the rabbit hole of wrench variations, they begin a long and interesting journey toward adjusting fasteners that previously were unreachable. Here are some of our favorite styles of combination wrenches for your perusal. And remember, if you happen to buy any of these wrenches MO gets a small infusion of cash to keep the doors open and the motorcycle articles coming. 

Many, many moons ago, I club raced for five years, and one of my favorite stories from that era involves a high-speed crash in Turn 7 of the big track at Willow Springs. Every Saturday, at the end of the day, expert riders had the chance to sign up for practice starts. Novice racers had these required as part of their school day. So, on the first of the practice starts, during the warmup lap, where we’re trying to get heat in the tires, a novice racer commits the cardinal sin of abruptly chopping his throttle on the back straight where everyone is WFO heading for the ultra-fast Turn 8. He went from motoring away from me on his much larger displacement bike to essentially dropping a high-compression anchor. The result was that I barely had time to cut my throttle before I plowed into him.