I am a huge fan of Noriaga Haga, he is one those riders that keeps it really interesting on the track. Very quiet when you see him, but very intense when he is riding a machine. One of the Arai helmets I have is a Haga edition, and now this one just came out for 2008. I didn’t see it before, and I called to check if they have it in stock and bought it right away, its never wrong to have too many helmets. Its called Haga “Fire & Ice”, it is selling for $700 which is 30% cheaper then buying it from Europe or the Middle East, so you can add some shipping to that, and its still cheaper. I can’t wait to try it on when I’m riding but this heat is just ridiculous.
I was looking for a good motorcycle back pack and their a few in mind. It would have to be extremely durable and can carry any weight comfortable on my back. After a little research I’m surprised to find this back pack to be ideal for my needs, and an added bonus to be a certified CE back protector, meaning if you fall it will not only protect the items in the back pack but your pack as well.
Price: 199 Euros
Link: Boblbe-e
I always look into the latest J.D. Power Associates study for helmets and other items. They have a very clear criteria when it comes to motorcycle helmets, its based on a 1000 point system and owners of these helmets are surveyed. 11 key areas which affect helmet scoring:
- quietness
- ventilation/air flow
- de-fogging
- face shield ability to keep wind out
- face shield ability to resist scratching
- ease of replacing face shield
- scratch resistance of shell
- color/graphic design
- weight
- ease of fastening the strap
- comfort/fit.
Arai has been the number one for the past 10 years in a row. I have to say that I am one of there very satisfied customers. Arai comes in first at 819 points, and Shoei in second with 816 points. I always recommend both Arai and Shoei, and I also recommend Scorpion as an alternative to the usual brands.
Ranking:
- Arai
- Shoei
- Icon
- Scorpion
- Harley-Davidson
- Nolan
- KBC
- Bell
- Fulmer
Link: Clutch&Chrome
The best thing when you come home is when you get a package you aren’t expecting. I ordered these t-shirts a few weeks ago and I forgot about the order since it was taking some time. I came back home to find this fedex package which is all in soft packaging.
I remembered what it was and ripped it open to find the cool Jack Bauer t-shirts. To say that I was smiling is an understatement, the first thing I would do is wash the shirts before wearing them.
We were walking in Carrefour on Friday morning, and I was shocked to see this. I’m used to seeing this in the Emirates, and even in the Emirates some how Emirates women pull this off without the need for yogurt cups or other forms of support accessories. Seeing this in Kuwait just pushes the fashion statements even farther south, I just found out that some women use coke cans in their hair or under the covers which is even more shocking then the first time I found out about the yogurt cups, how high do they want to go? Someone needs to inform them that the raccoon eyes doesn’t look good either, and more make up doesn’t mean better, in their case it has formed into a colorful layer of cement.
Having the right protection when riding is essential for your long term health. A life threatening injury can be reduced to a bruise or a recoverable broken bone just by having the right type of protection. Those who ride without any protection are putting themselves at risk thinking that nothing will really happen. Minimizing that risk even if its a small amount is the main reason to be wearing this kind of armor.
Going into the product itself, Forcefield are known to be one the best manufacturers of rider protection in the market. I picked up their Limb Tube Armor for my knees since the Alpinestars I had felt very uncomfortable around my knees and would get itchy after a while.
The design of the armor itself is very smart, you slip it on like a sock so it is around your knee the whole time. It does move around slightly when you are walking but you can strap it even tighter to make sure that doesn’t happen, but I prefer to use it without the strap since the back of my knee might get itchy. Right now it I wear it everytime and I have gotten used to its comfort around my knees.
The protection is made from an impact resistant honeycomb design which spreads the impact so that your knee takes the least amount of damage. The protection is from above your knee, half way down your shin and it fits snugly on to you. The is one of the highest quality armor I have seen used and it is well worth it.
Price: £45
Link: Forcefield
Rating:
Since arriving in London the temperature has dropped and it has started snowing, I haven’t seen snow in over 4 years, I haven’t seen snow in London in over 18 years. This has had an adverse affect on my bald head, it was cold and my head was freshly shaved. I went to Harrods the first day to get something to eat, I was thinking I would probably find one there, we went to the basement to the ground floor and asked everybody, Harrods does not sell beanies, they sell hats, caps, top-hats, golfing hats, but not beanies which is strange.
I was walking around trying to take some pictures before meeting up with the family the next day. Then it started snowing as if I was in the middle of a blizzard, it felt like hard rain or something sticking to my head. I had a scarf which I wrapped around my head just to make sure my ears don’t freeze and fall off, I had my sunglass on so that I could walk without anything getting in my eyes. I was looking for a taxi but couldn’t find one, it took about 20 minutes to find a taxi to head home. After a day in a half I only managed to find a beanie at an unexpected place, it was an expensive beanie but it was worth every penny, it kept me warm throughout the rest of the night.
I’m a fan of Under Armour products and they are now coming out with trainers. If their under clothing is any indication of the quality work that they produce then I am very much interested in getting these trainers. I don’t usually buy trainers but I’m interested in these trainers and they seem to have a lot of features making it seem comfortable.
Price: $80 – $100
Link: UnCrate
Riding is risky business but it doesn’t mean you can’t take precautions when you ride. One of these precautions is having the right type of protection, that lessens the affect of an impact during an accident. Knox is a specialty company that makes protection apparel for riding, and one these products is the new Chest protector. This Chest protector integrates with the Contour Back Protector so that you can wear both as a combination for front and back protection. There are very few companies that make this type of protection for the chest, and it is designed to spread the pressure from the point of impact. I think that this is a very important product to have with the back protector. I will be picking one up when I have a chance to try it with the back protector.
Price: $60
Link: STG
Since last year I had the Polar Buff which would keep me really warm in the cold weather, and it would block the wind when I’m riding. I somehow lost the one I had, and I remember it smelt like burnt wood and grilled food because I took it camping for a couple of days. I just remembered how great it was when I was riding or when I was outdoors, and since it got really cold this year I wanted to use it again but I couldn’t find it.
So this time I ordered a few for the cold and a for a friend so that I can enjoy the ride without feeling the cold hit my face.
- 3 Polar Buff (For the Cold)
- 1 Cyclone Buff (For the Very Cold)