We heard through the grapevine that stunt-friendly riding apparel company Speedrag switched to a new vendor for 2005 and, as a result, its latest gear lineup offered even higher quality and better value than before. Anxious to check this out, we got on the horn and ordered up one of their top-of-the-line Avenger Leather jackets and a matching set of Crusader Leather Gauntlet gloves for evaluation. An initial inspection of the $275 Avenger jacket proved satisfying-the 1.2-1.4mm full-grain leather construction gave the jacket a very substantial feel, the stitching looked clean and competent and the piece was ripped with high-end features, including steel zippers, EVA armor, molded TPR logos, and a removable, full-length quilted liner. Slipping the jacket on, we continued to be impressed. Speedrag jackets feature an "American-style" cut, which means they are slightly roomier than traditional riding jackets to better fit our bigger bodies and give a more casual look. The available range of motion was excellent thanks to the near-360-degree accordion stretch panels around the shoulders and under the arms (stunters take note). Our only substantial criticism of the Avenger was extra bulk at some key contact points: The leather loop-and-strap attachments that connect the liner's sleeves to the jacket shell at the wrists are almost comically oversized and bunch up uncomfortably when paired with gauntleted gloves, and the multiple zipper pulls (nine!) are also bulkier than they need to be, with oversized metal tabs coupled with molded rubber pulls that flap annoyingly at speed. Aside from these minor complaints, the Avenger offers plenty of style and protection for a very friendly price. The well-made Crusader gloves are likewise an impressive value, featuring full leather construction, genuine carbon-fiber knuckle protection and more-than-ample ventilation for a measly sixty bones. Our only gripe here was an unfinished opening in the liner around the vents on the back of the hand that occasionally snagged our fingertips when putting the gloves on, but this was easy to avoid with a little forethought. Overall, the latest Speedrag kit represents very good gear at a great price.
Speaking of very good gear, at the same time that we were sampling the Speedrag hides we also had the opportunity to put some miles away while wearing AGV's top-of-the-line, BSI/DOT-approved TiTech helmet. This is the same helmet model that MotoGP wunderkind Valentino Rossi races in, so you know it's good stuff. It features super-light carbon-Kevlar construction and genuine titanium hardware. Although the TiTech is available in a rainbow of color patterns (including Rossi replicas, of course), AGV sent us the "Industriale" version that is unpainted to allow you to see the carbon/Kevlar construction up close. The naked finish is definitely an attention getter, especially with the techno-geek crowd, though if we had our choice we'd go with an actual color-from anything more than five feet away the Industriale is an ugly manila-colored blob. As an extra bonus, though, the lack of paint saves a few ounces, contributing to a minimal overall weight. The double-vented EPS liner with a Cool Max covering ups the comfort ante even further, though it should be noted the eyeport on this helmet is noticeably smaller than other brands, which takes some getting used to. No complaints whatsoever about the easy-to-swap visor (visors, to be more precise, as we used both a clear and optional Iridium-mirrored pieces depending on time of day) with its very effective anti-fog treatment. Good stuff, as you would expect for $630 ($570 for solid colors; $650 for the Rossi reps). www.speedrag.com(800/854-6440), www.agv.com
Respro Foggy Anti-Fog Helmet Mask
Now that the temperatures have cooled around the country, those of us who are still riding find ourselves confronting the age-old problem of fogged-up helmet visors. If you aren't lucky enough to have one of the newest-generation helmets with an effective anti-fog visor (the Vemar helmet visors are especially good, as are the AGVs), you are left with few good choices to mediate the mist. Most of the anti-fog potions on the market work about as well as the erection-enhancing potions you read about in your spam email everyday (that is to say, not at all), and most of the anti-fog inserts are equally useless, often causing more optical problems from dirt and distortion than they relieve. Thanks to Respro, then, for creating one of the simplest, cheapest and most practical anti-fog devices we've tried. The neoprene Foggy mask attaches via hook-and-loop fasteners to the chinbar of most any full-face helmet and provides a fool-proof physical barrier between your breathing parts and the visor-no hot breath on the cold visor and no fog. It's just that simple. Selling for $19 and machine washable, the Foggy features an adjustable nose bridge that allows you to form the mask to precisely contour to your face-after a minimum of fiddling it's a perfectly comfortable seal that doesn't interfere at all with either the fit of the helmet or the view out the front, allowing you to effectively eliminate a fogged visor with virtually no downsides. A wonderfully effective product and a good value, too. Available exclusively through Street & Competition.
www.streetandcomp.com
Shinko 003 Stealth Sport Radials
Funny thing about high-end sportbike tires-they last about, oh, one-tenth as long as a set of skins for a high-performance car, but cost twice as much! That means anybody with a penchant for burnouts, backroad corner carving or drag racing soon finds themselves either dumpster diving outside the local motorcycle shop for race take-offs or racking up a king's ransom to keep themselves in rubber. That's why our ears perked up when we found out about Shinko Tires' 003 Stealth high-performance sportbike radials, which retail for the bargain-basement prices of $140 for 190-section rear and $90 for a 120-section front. Shinko's home office is in Osaka, Japan, but by manufacturing its tires in South Korea, the prices are a lot more wallet-friendly than many of their competitors. The DOT-legal Stealths are "W" rated (good for speeds up to 168 mph) and the sticky compound and great wear characteristics have recently made these the tire to beat with the drag racing set. In order to test the street characteristics, we lobbed a set of the Stealths onto our Suzuki TL1000S test mule and headed out for a day of backroad scratching. Unfortunately for us (but good for you), halfway through our street ride the clouds opened up and handed us a torrential downpour. Pressing on despite the rain, we're happy to report the Stealth's soft compound and unique dimpled tread pattern handled the rain admirably, without a slide or skid. These babies stick wet or dry, and now, 2,500 miles later, they're still showing plenty of tread even after hauling Seate's 275-pound carcass around for two track days at BeaveRun. So go ahead and do all the burnouts you want-with Shinko in the game, you won't be burning out your wallet as well.
www.wps-inc.com
Toy Time
In case you haven't checked the calendar recently, Christmas is coming up quick-might we be so crass as to suggest a few moto-oriented stocking stuffers for the bike nuts on your list? First, check out "Stunt Runtz," the latest round of SSB-branded toys from the mini maestros at Maisto. Featuring 1:64-scale (roughly) motorcycles topped with exaggerated, caricature-style riders, these manic minis really stunt-just rev them forward and away they roll! Six stunt styles are currently available for $6.95 each, including our favorite, the classic gangsta spreader. We've also been wasting way too much work-time lately playing with this remote-controlled Ducati 999 Superbike from Chicco. Operated via separate handlebars and able to move in four directions, the tiny twin outriggers do a good job of maintaining a motorcycle look and providing stability at the same time, even if a flat-out chicane will occasionally have you doing your best Reuben "Crash" Xaus impersonation.
www.maisto.com
www.chicco.com
Hot Licks
Taking a cue from the Custom Vehicle Operations division of parent company Harley-Davidson, Buell is now offering "custom" paint options as a factory accessory for Buell XB models, giving owners a quick and easy way to step up the appearance of their bikes. Two graphic designs are available for the Lightning streetfighter model: "Shifter" (blue mottled pattern) and "Voltage" (red energy pattern). The graphics on both kits are applied using a "Hydrographics Decorative Process" and then covered with an auto-grade clearcoat for max durability. Lightning kits comprise of four pieces, including the fly screen, intake cover, front fender and chin fairing, and the kits cost $799. The Shifter design is also available as a six-piece set to fit the faired Firebolt model and costs $1199 and adds the fairing and tail section/passenger seat cowl.
www.buell.com
Ready, Set, Draw
Looking for a unique way to decorate your office wall? How about a custom-commissioned drawing of your favorite ride? Jin Lukashkov, a Moscow-based graphic artist, can hook you up with said drawing based on any photograph that you supply him. Don't let the Russian address scare you off-simply email Lukashkov the image and he'll return to you a high-resolution artwork ready to be printed off at any high-end photo center and framed. To sample his services we sent off a shot of our GSX-R750 project bike to play with, and less than a week later we were looking at a photo-ready drawing full of color, with a warmth and character photography just can't match. Visit his Web site for more details and to view his wide selection of MotoGP drawings (including a great work of Rossi and Colin Edwards from this year's USGP) available for purchase and download.
www.siegarts.net