#AdventureTour

Off-road boots are typically quite stiff to offer maximum protection in the rough and tumble world of dirt riding. Generally, they are good for riding dirt bikes and little else – especially walking. Why, then, would I decide to wear a pair of off-road boots for a 2,000 mile six day adventure tour? The simple truth is that my Sidi X-Power Boots were so comfortable while I was breaking them in that I didn’t have a second thought about it. 

At first blush, the upgrades for the base 2019 Ducati Multistrada 950 were mostly centered around the 6-axis Bosch IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), translating into better traction control and cornering ABS, but Ducatisti in the United States don’t have the option of buying that plain Jane Multistrada 950. Instead, Americans are forced to enjoy the premium componentry and electronic upgrades of the Multistrada 950 S. Oh how will we ever endure the slings and arrows of Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) continuously adjusting the damping while Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) renders the clutch obsolete after you pull away from a start? After riding the 2019 Ducati Multistrada 950 S for a couple hundred miles of the twistiest Spanish tarmac I’ve had the privilege of sampling, I can answer with certainty that the North American market will get along just fine.

Motorcyclists can be divided into two groups: those that love tank bags and those who don’t. Personally, I’ve had at least one tank bag for every bike I’ve owned. So, you don’t have to guess which camp I fall into. However, the trend towards tanks that slope sharply towards the rider has made using tank bags a challenge. Throw in the need to stand up on the pegs when riding an adventure bike in the dirt, and the sizing of a tank bag becomes even more difficult. Wolfman, a manufacturer long known among the adventure and off-road set, has come up with what I think is the optimum tank bag for the style of tank most commonly found on the current generation of adventure bikes. The Blackhawk tank bag offers a good compromise of carrying capacity and the need to move freely when standing.