This season brings us some motorcycle street apparel, as well as other hot motorcycle bolt-ons, gear, and accessories.
SSB Tested: Shift Racing Street Apparel
Photos by Brian Ebner
If you follow motocross, specifically freestyle motocross, you're no doubt familiar with Shift Racing. Shift was one of the first gear makers to get behind FMX, and now the company is planning a big-time entry into the extreme street scene with a new line of gear designed specifically for street riders and stunt monkeys. Shift's primary objective is comfort, both on and off the bike.
For example, its M1 Leather jacket features stretch Kevlar inner arm panels and articulated arms, which allow non-binding movement whether you're tucked into a sportbike crouch, busting combo wheelies or kicking it aprs ride in the club. Unlike some "comfort" riding gear, though, Shift stuff doesn't sacrifice protection--the $329.95 M1 Leather is made from 1.2-1.4mm full-grain leather with combo plastic/foam armor at the shoulders and elbows. And as you can see from the pics, styling is hott.
Shift also offers a Superstreet (love that name...) one-piece suit for riders who want a similar look and fit with added lower-body protection. Priced at an affordable (for a full suit) $599.95, the Superstreet is one of the most comfortable full suits we've worn thanks to accordion panels above the knee, on the lower back and behind the arms that allow excellent freedom of motion.
Curiously, the Superstreet suit doesn't come with replaceable knee pucks. Shift says this is because its gear is designed for street riders who don't drag knee (contrary to our experience...), but this might limit the usefulness of the suit for someone who wants to partake in the occasional track day. Just something to keep in mind.
We also had a chance to play with two gloves by Shift, the leather Streetfighter and textile Hybrid Delta. The Streetfighter is a straight-up street glove with nice features, such as precurved fingers and TPU armor at the knuckles and palm heel, selling for just $39.95. Rough seams and thin-looking "chrome" plating on the armor hint at the glove's budget price, but it looks like it offers plenty of protection. The Hybrid Delta is an interesting piece, combining the fit and features of a traditional roadracing glove with the comfort and construction of a textile MX glove. Very cool and comfortable thanks to full Spandura material with plenty of flex and vent panels, the $59.95 Hybrid Delta gets the job done with a goatskin-reinforced palm, long gauntlet, molded knuckle and palm guards and increased padding on the fingers and wrist. It's a great choice for stunters who want the responsiveness of an MX glove without sacrificing too much protection. www.shiftmx.com
--Aaron Frank
Breaking Zone
Crunched collarbones, fractured fibulas, tweaked tibias--who here doesn't have a place for a Go For Broke patch? Developed by a Portland, Oregon, roadracer as a way to show off your battle scars on the outside of your riding gear, the small, inexpensive ($4.50) patches are intended to be sewn over the location of each break or fracture you've endured, advertising that you've been body-slammed by your bike and still managed to bounce back. Hardcore. www.brokenbonepatch.com
Locked and Loaded
The stock Suzuki Hayabusa clutch might be acceptable for an average street rider, but if you want the consistent lever feel and improved launch pro dragracers demand, the MTC billet inner clutch hub and two-stage lockup is your answer. We like this setup so much we are adding one to the 2004 Suzuki Hayabusa project bike we have in the works right now. The billet clutch hub ($436.75, including heavy-duty springs) replaces the stock ratchet assembly with a nearly indestructible one-piece unit, and cuts a pound of weight as well. For a maximum performance upgrade, combine this hub unit with MTC's two-stage lockup ($377.95). The unit relies on the centrifugal force of the lockup arms in place of springs, greatly improving clutch lockup and performance even on 550-hp turbo bikes. Since the lockup includes shims allowing static pressure adjustment, some engine-case modification is required for installation. www.mtceng.com
Kung-Fu Grip
Stunters and street riders looking for a more attractive alternative to skateboard grip tape to provide traction against the fuel tank might consider these new traction pads from Stomp, developed in conjunction with the staff of the California Superbike School. Adapted from the traction pads Stomp already makes for snowboards and motocross applications, these latest grip pads, which retail for $39.95, are cut specifically to fit sportbike gas tanks and will help stunters stay on during sit-down no-handers, as well as assist corner carvers with body positioning during aggressive sport riding. www.superbikeschool.com
Behind the V.A.L.E.
The tuner aftermarket just can't get enough of obscure acronyms, the latest of which is "V.A.L.E." from Two Brothers Racing--referring to its new variable adjustment locking exhaust. This is just a fancy way to say these dual underseat exhaust canisters for Kawasaki's 2005 ZX636R attach to the midpipe using locking bolts on an adjustable inlet plate instead of traditional spring mounting for a better, more secure fit and reduced vibration. In addition to the trick V.A.L.E. inlet, the exhaust features an innovative outlet with Teflon-coated, cast magnesium tips (with either polished or gold-anodized rings) that allow various silencer inserts to be fitted--including an optional stealth "diffuser tip" for extra sound damping. Available in various polished aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium or X-metal constructions for anywhere from $799.98-$999.98, the midpipe and a license-plate relocater are included--as is a 5-hp/2 foot-pound power increase. www.twobros.com