Showing posts with label Motorcycle Clothing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motorcycle Clothing. Show all posts

Saturday, August 2, 2014

I've Been Reworking Some of My Touring Gear

I picked up a New Ultra Touring Bag from Kuryakyn about a week ago. Found it in the Beaver's Den Motorcycle Leather shop on a ride up Highway 34 west of Loveland...

*My New Kuryakyn Ultra Tour Bag*

There's been a bit of evolution over the years... for how I pack my gear.

*How I packed my gear on my Alaskan ride*


*Another evolution from a ride a couple years back*


*My current packing and gear arrangement*
I used to carry the tent up on the bars. Not a bad way... but there was some interference with the ignition key... so I'm trying out some new packing of that.

Also, I abandoned my old mummy bag. I just can't tolerate the confines of that thing... and I'm now carrying a cheapie walmart rectangular bag that seems to keep me as warm and a hell of a lot more spacious. But it is a bit more bulky. 

The Kuryakyn tour bag so far is proving out well. I took it on a "Test ride" up a twisting mountain canyon and into Rocky Mountain National park the other day. I thought it a good idea to test it and the way I've got everything packed now on a real world hundred mile ride... before I take off on a weeklong trip hopefully later this week... and it all rode without a hitch.

The bag is something I'm becoming real happy with. It carries actually more clothes than I took to Alaska... and does it without having to stuff and punch to get it in. The quality of the bag seems top notch...


This is what I put in it... and still have a bit of space if I DID feel like stuffing... Likely I don't need that much... you just stop at a laundry a bit more often. :)

 ... and this pic doesn't include the drinking water bladder I'm testing out in the top road side pocket... a convenient place for drinking water on the road (one of the bigger mistakes people make on long hot tours... they fail to drink enough water) Make it convenient to get a drink... It should improve that... which makes you a safer rider. (dehydration is going to slow down your thinking/reaction time)

Likely one of the biggest improvements for me is that it attaches rock solid. I've tried to cheap out for a while, (not a good choice really) using "other" gear and not bags designed explicitly for bikes. That left me always having to conjure up ways of strapping it on secure.

This bag locks onto my seat with two built in straps from the bottom front and a wide, velcro strap that wraps around the back rest.

Combined with two straps from D-rings on top of the tour bag that I use as anchor points to secure the tent...which is also secured to the sleeping bag below it... which is secured to the luggage rack... it is a rock solid load.

It does come with a heavy duty rain cover... but with all my other gear, that doesn't look like it's going to fit. The bag itself seems like it should be pretty water resistant... but I'm scouting for a rain cover that will cover the whole load... thinking maybe a light nylon tarp sized right and a lil' bigger net to secure it... always some sort of gear to fiddle with...

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Itchty and Antsy... I'm Ready For The Road...

Wednesday morning I'll swing a leg, twist the throttle and put it in the wind.

Yesterday Sonja got her fresh oil to ready her for the road. I hope she appreciates it. At better than $10 a quart and needing better than five quarts (more than my old 390 cubic inch V8 Hot rod from years ago!!)...

... Oil changes are a pricy bit of maintenance!

Especially when you move away from Dino oil and go full synthetic... This is my first full syn run... buuut it's supposed to be better on your machine. Since I seem to be a lil' hard on 'em... I finally decided I should go with some of the more modern technology.

That's not an easy task with a Raider neither!


That bike has THREE drain plugs! and of course, they're set right where the jack needs to be to lift the bike high enough off the ground so you can swing a wrench... since two of 'em are on the side tucked in between the crankcase and the frame...

So... you have a bit of a balancing act to get the bike up straight... and just high enough to clear for the drain pan and wrench access... which puts it kinda far back...

It be a bit spooky workin' under near 800 lbs as it teeters and wiggles balanced up on that jack. :) Her tires are barely touching the ground. Only lift a couple inches... But I got her done with no great excitement so she's ready to roll!

Finished up checking and rechecking my gear... almost couldn't stop just swinging a leg and leaving early!!!

*Sonja be like; "Le's go dude!"

Though I'm only rolling for a week... That load is actually sufficient for a run to Alaska! ;) I've distilled it again after all these years... I carried too damn much clothes to the Yukon... Three/Four days of changes is plenty... you just hit a laundry a lil oftener. ;)

Oh yeah... I found a bit of special gear that is, so far, pretty cool.

I was watching a movie just last week; "Lone Survivor"... The tale of Marcus Lutrell and what I think is a pretty awesome movie. One lil' thing caught my eye... which has nothing to do with that story...

All of those guys, Warriors in the Finest Sense of the word, were all wearing Mechanix  brand gloves. I did a lil snooping and discovered they have a style that they call "Tactical"... that has good finger and knuckle protection for soldiers/sportsmen etc.

Then being textile, they should be a lot more comfortable in summer weather. You can find 'em in cammo prints too, not just black.

I've seen MECHANIX gloves many times before... made for mechanics... but those were bright blue and such... never gave 'em a thought...

But these... they call the M-pact style.



Fit like a "Glove" :) are comfortable and even have a vibration absorbing pad material on the palms...




The two pads are a "Poron" material under the synthetic "leather" that are supposed to soak up vibration and impact...

... and it don't hurt that they look Bad Ass ;) and are priced at Sportsman's Warehouse at just $25 bucks.

Even us poor boys can afford that!

... So now it's watch the clock... watch the calendar... and get ready to put my knees in the wind again.

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

Monday, June 9, 2014

She May Have to Ride on the Truck Between Camps... But... A Trailer Queen She Ain't!

 I Believe People Think; "That Boy is Brain Damaged"

A biker has a choice. He/she can ride, paying little attention to the weather, or you can lose those days.

You can sit inside waiting for those sunny days... or you can just ride and take what comes...
 
*Consequence of forgotten rain gear*

If you do plan on taking what comes... I'd suggest you don't ride off and forget your rain gear... after pulling it from a saddle bag while you were rewiring your charging dock... Bwahahahahaha...

I remember pulling into the hardware I used to toil at. The thermometer on the sign board would be flashing 10 degrees as I pulled off my helmet and balaclava walking inside. The cashier would always just look at me and shake her head.

Me? I'd be grinning. I was ALIVE!

I don't care to ride in those temps any more... but... I've no idea why... rain makes me goofy.

Yesterday I rolled though the downpour... and music was swingin' through my head, helmet bobbin' to the rhythm. 

I glanced at the dad and soccer mom in their mini van as I passed, the water just pourin' off me and the bike... the look on their faces said it all; "No wonder this country is goin' to hell! So many people are NUTS!" ... Bwahahahahaha.

Some riders lay out big $$$ for exquisite paint and acres of chrome...

I've thought about it. Thought how cool it would be to ride one of those "show" bikes...

... and then thought about all the sleep I'd lose what with the work to clean and polish all that fancy four times a day...

Nah... for me... the finish I prefer, that fits this rider is the patina of miles. I'll wash off the grime once in a while when I pass a carwash...

... but worryin' any length of time 'bout bugs, dirt and rain splatter... well... that's just a waste of time.

Clean it all off and twelve miles down the road it'll all be right back on there... unless a fella leaves the bike parked under an awning waiting on a sunny day...

Screw that... I'll just remember the rain gear next time ;)

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Stacking Up A Biker's Wish List Faster Than I Can Check 'em Off

A fella with my finances has plenty of time to drool over gear catalogs, and build lists. He's got lil' fear of emptying the list faster than he can add to it! But I can hope!

I've got motorcycle wish lists that run from bikes themselves to Riding and Motorcycle Camp gear to a bucket list of Long Rides in the Wind I'd like to get done before I get too old and feeble to keep the scooter upright.

My Motorcycle Wish List; I'd really like to be able to add two scooters to my bike garage before I'm too decrepit to ride 'em;

*The first is a step out of the comfort zone; I'd like to build a mix of a mechanically correct military matt finish - sand colored? chromeless, metric, back roadable, bobbed, semi knobbied, bagger, rat ride, dual purpose, 650+- give 'er hell and let-the-chips-fall scooter with an attitude!

Starting from maybe a Yamaha Seca core? ;) ... yup... twist the imagination a touch.

I've just found a representative pic that gives a flavor of the vision I have in me warped brain... ;)


...just shave the teeth and such. ;) make the bags bigger 20mm. cans use a 650-750 for enough juice to get deeper into trouble a lil' quicker ;) ...THIS just looks like a fun ass hoot of a project to me!

*The second would be a normal KLR sort of good and proper dual purpose back roader that I could explore with while NOT getting so many stares of What-the-hell-izzat?" from folks. :)

Then there's the Motorcycle Gear Wish List;

Lux Lite cot; This has been recommended to me by several riders as the cat's meow for aging bones that still admire to sleep under canvas motorcycle camping on their touring rides... I want one!

Bohn Armor;

I've wanted a full set of this gear for a while. It'd be nice to allow a lil' less weighty and cumbersome motorcycle safety gear on those 90 degree summer runs...


Being able to wear full impact and skid protection under my jeans and shirt would be a nice change I believe.







Yamaha Parts;

First, the Yamaha Tail rack in the black powder coated version. It's my intention to add this to my existing Yamaha back rest in the very near future. I lost the rack when I swapped out my back rest last year. I truly need to find the dinero to complete that change!


and second, the Yamaha Tank Bag designed specifically for my Roadstar Raider...

Having a convenient place for cameras, maps, and all the miscellaneous bits and pieces you want quick access to on the road is a big improvement on those long rides.



Gear Dry Bag;

 I like the look of this bag from Wolfman luggage by way of Revzilla.

There's nothing worse at the end of a long wet day in the saddle and you pull gear out of your bag, hoping to change into something dry... only the waterproof tail bag wasn't... and you have no dry socks to put on. arrrggggghhhh.

A true DRY BAG is a change I'm gonna make and forget the failed but flashy cruiser bags and covered duffles I've used and seen in the past.

If they keep a rafters gear dry on a river... they should keep a bikers gear dry on the asphalt.

LED Camp Lantern;

Reading at night in the tent on the road is problematical for motorcycle touring. But now-a-days with the rapid improvements in LED technology... the problem's been solved!

...and they've got 'em at my favorite motorcycle camping gear provider; REI. They sell the lux lite cots too!



A better camp chair;


 While this isn't really on my list any more... 'cause I already got one! ;) I thought I'd include it here 'cause it is a big improvement in a small saddle bag suitable package... for more comfortable camp sitting.

It beats the old, flat, sit on the ground stadium seat I've been using ... by a pretty wide margin.


Semi Rectangular Sleeping bag

I've changed a mite in the past few years and the mummy bag I've used for a long, long time is now just way too tight for comfort. I just can't stand being that snugly wrapped any more.

I want to change out to a lil' roomier sort of bag that can still compact as needed for packing on the bike.


Somewhere soon I need to replace my stolen motorcycle helmet cam... I'm leaning toward the Drift Ghost video camera

 My HD 170 predecessor was one of the camera's that got stolen.

I liked the way it fit far more compactly and aerodynamically than the Go Pro arrangement... against my helmet or bike... buuut the new Go Pro's still look pretty good too! ;)

Then of course, there is the seemingly unending search for Truly Waterproof, comfortable and functional Touring Gloves... since I can't say I've found anything that's really impressed me... I'm still looking for them...

... as well as a few ideas I have for a custom, removable, fuel bottle rack mounted under the yamaha tail rack using Quick fist clamps to hold fuel bottles for my Auxiliary fuel... and the fuel bottles to go on it...

 I'm leaning hard there toward replacing the thin walled, backpacking MSR bottles I've been using with something like these from Tour Tank.

I've got a "Design" rattling around in my head of a poly plate with those quick fist clamps mounted to it that could be strongly zip tied under the tail rack; for those trips in places where the distance between fuel stations are stretched out to make a rider like me a lil' nervous.

Yup... I just keep adding wishes to my list faster than my anemic earning ability can add 'em to the bike! :)

Keep tuned in... the next bit of my wish list is the Motorcycle Touring Bucket list of Rides...

Grab Your Handles and Ride.
Brian


Monday, April 9, 2012

Lessons Learned Riding the Alaskan Highway

Ok... It's been a while... :)

I've had the page mostly written for a long time. Then, You know how it is... you get diverted for a day... then the day runs into a week and pretty quick things just get forgotten as you spin your wheels tryin' to keep your head above water...

So... a couple of folks have asked me about it recently, which prodded me to get off my kiester and get the page about some of the Lessons I Learned riding the Alaskan Highway finished up and published.

They're lessons I intend to use when I make my next ride up that Great Motorcycle Road... and a NEXT there is gonna be! I've been stymied this year it looks like... but... the planning is goin' strong for next...

Like Ol' McArthur said; "I Shall Return!" :) but unlike him, I won't be wading in the surf... I'll be straddling that big Red Raider that took me the first time!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
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Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share...  Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your...  Great Motorcycle Roads

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Um... NO... You WILL Take a Break!

Saw an Ad pop up on another site... I couldn't believe I really saw what I thought I think I saw...

I had to go investigate it... just had to...

Tell me it ain't so? You weren't really hoping for something like this were you? Sorry... but if this is a marketable product for the reasons stated? SOMEBODY has Truly Screwed up Priorities!

When you are riding up the Alcan... or over Beartooth... or down the Pacific Coast Highway...

Or whistling across Hwy 50 in Nevada... think and prepare... Please! :)

Because... NO... You Can't just Pee Anywhere!

This is how do they say it? ... WRONG, on sooooo many levels...

I'm seldom at a loss for words... but I gotta tell you, if these folks actually succeed at sellin' this stuff... profitably... 'cause someone at a football game or leaning through the twisties can't take the time to go find an outhouse? ... it says something 'bout the society I live in...

... That I don't want to know about...

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Visit our sister site goin' RV Boondocking

Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share...  Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your...  Great Motorcycle Roads

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

New Motorcycle Boots for the ALCAN Ride

Bought some new boots... and of course... went to my Favorite place for Outside kind of gear... Bass Pro.

Been looking for some sort of a compromise boot. Something that would work well for riding... and still do a good job, for when I pull in somewhere and want to take a hike up the mountain.

Well... they sell a boot called the Iron Horse... sounds a bit right for a biker don't it? :o) ... they're built with one of the waterproof membranes, are lace up... and have the side zipper... one of the varieties of what some folks call "Duty Boots"...

These look a lot like those from Bates, and Danner... and other Brands well known for making the Duty Boot style... But... they're the Redhead Brand from Bass Pro... so they leave a lil' more in your pocket...

Been wearin' 'em now for about a week... and so far... They're doin' the job... haven't got the boots real wet yet... but I expect they'll keep me dry, as they were built to do... and they're un-insulated... so summertime wear shouldn't be an issue.

The only thing I can say... having never worn a side zipper boot before... It sounds good... but I don't think the reality measures up to the expectation. I was thinkin' that I'd be able to leave the boot laced up... and simply take 'em on and off, using the zipper...

Well... ain't gonna happen... I end up using both... which is ok... and still a lil' quicker, as I don't have to loosen the lacing near as much... otherwise, what with the good price... I'm happy with 'em... and actually, I'm thinkin' of buying a second pair... so I can alternate wearing them, letting the other pair "Dry Out"... significantly extending their life span...

So... Zip up your Biker Boots...

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Visit our sister site goin' RV Boondocking

Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share...  Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your...  Great Motorcycle Roads

Friday, June 18, 2010

Frogg Toggs Rain Wear Should be Just Right For A Raider Rider Heading for Alaska!

Shouldn't it?

 I mean... Froggs oughta know 'bout gettin' wet... Don't ya think? :o)

... and I wonder... how many other Star Raiders... have made the ALCAN journey? Doubt it's so... but it would be cool... to be the first to put my knees in the breeze on the ALCAN... on a Star Raider!

anyhoo... I've been using my old hiking/packing rain gear... 'cause it's lite and will pack down pretty tight... but it does have some failings...

The pants keep me dry... but are split full length on the outside of each leg with zippers...

Considering that I usually wait 'till it's already raining hard, and I'm already soaked 'fore I stop to suit up (hoping it will be 'just a short lil' shower)... and I find myself tryin' to climb into those light pants... as they're flappin' six different directions in the wind...

...I often look like an old lady who's had the elastic in her drawers fail... walkin' down the aisle in church...

... and finds herself trippin' an' dancin'... tryin' to get 'em pulled back up 'fore ever'body gets a look at her 'treasures'!

Add in that they're just a lil too snug to fit decently over my chaps... plus the jacket has a hood too heavy to slide under my helmet... and you'd agree... I needed new Motorcycle Rainwear...

Before... I pull out headed for the Great, Wet, North!

OK... yeah... I Do... I ride -GASP!- A Jap Bike... and Wear a - OH LORDY, The boy's A Girly Man Too!! - HELMET!

But that Raider hauls my lil' D.A.V. Butt down the road a whole lot faster than that Highway patrolman told me is legal... gets better'n 45 mpg most of the time... with reliability... few other builders can boast of...

and I look good doin' it... at something like 30% less Dinero... than its' only real competition...

So... ya'll ride what ya'll like... an'... I'll ride what puts a bug catchin' grin on my face. (if I didn't wear that helmet!) ... and I promise... I'll wait up for ya! :o)

... and as for the Helmet? ... makes me a girly man? ... well... I don't do the stuff that got me to bein' a Disabled Vet... any more... much...

and though I have been accused of bein' a lot of things (they just couldn't prove it!)...  bein' a wuss... ain't one of 'em...

Got the broke bones, scars and dislocated spine to prove it! :o)

The thing is... there's so many of you ugly muggs ridin' around gettin' the front end of your heads all chewed up on bugs an' asphalt... that I just felt it my American Duty... to keep my Bee-U-tiful self... as pretty as I could... for all the Gals ya'll been scarin'!

So... back to that Motorcycle Rain Gear...

I found a set of Motorcycle Rain Gear, built by Frogg Toggs... Named the "Road Toad Action Rain Suit" ... in the Classy Color of ... BLACK! at Bass Pro, down in Denver.. for the princely sum of $65. Don't know that, that is a really good price... but I went in expecting to have to pay something like twenty bucks more... so I won't complain... and Frogg Toggs has a pretty good reputation...

Now... unlike some folks that are into colors, that blind low flyin' pilots... I like, Outside of the paint on a Motorcycle... more subdued colors...

...Like the Black of this two piece Motorcycle rain wear outfit I bought today.

Some think those fluorescent, eye burning, colors make you safer... I hold with the idea that; if the cagers can't see the 80,000 pound semi... they T-Boned... They wouldn't see me if I had a million candle power, flashing red light... sticking out of my butt!

So... I ride like I'm invisible... I... depend on... ME... to keep me safe.

This set of rain gear was built by Frogg Toggs specifically for Motorcycle Riders on the Open Road. It's got the same reflective piping that my leather does (my mind ain't totally closed!)... has the zippers where you need 'em, to pull the gear on over boots and such... and is still light enough to pack down snug into the supplied stuff sack, making it an easy thing to tuck it into the top of a saddlebag or such, available for quick access...

... if the bug catcher behind the bars... gains enough sense to stop and gear up... before... he's wet!

But... the key question remains the same as in that old movie; "Who'll stop the rain?" :o) and will these Frogg Toggs stop it?... I'm confident... but won't know... till it's raining... and I've got my Frog Skin on...

I'll let you know how that turns out! With a road test... as my Raider runs the ALCAN!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Visit our sister site goin' RV Boondocking

Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share...  Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your...  Great Motorcycle Roads

Saturday, May 15, 2010

She Gets her Motorcycle Ticket... and First Thing She Does...

... is start movin' in on... MY... Motorcycle!!! Claims she's a licensed "Motorcycle Mama" now!














Stopped at the home of the Gal, who taught Heidi's motorcycle training class... She also does a lil' "sideline" selling of some Motorcycle clothing... and had shown Heidi a Touring/Cruising Jacket built by Teknic...

Looks pretty good don't it? The coat has armor in the back, shoulders and elbows for motorcycle riding safety... good ventilation, pockets to carry way too much junk... and the colors fit pretty well with her boots... but, it is... by God... MY... bike! :o)

Then... she started thinkin' 'bout head gear... She already has an HJC, Modular full face helmet...


But... you don't wear that at stops along the way... so she's been lookin' into more "Motorcycle Fashionable" headgear... We figure there's two options... a regular cap... or a Doo Rag...

Hmm...













... I'm kinda torn... Any Gals reading here? I kinda like the "Traditional" appeal of a Rag... kind of a balance with the "Modern" jacket... rather than the Traditional Motorcycle Leather... that I prefer... but... that Cap kinda shines a mite too, don't it? any opinions girls?... I told her she can keep the Rag on under her helmet, help keep the helmet cleaner... and... one stop shop for dealing with Helmet Hair!

One nice thing 'bout my current "Condition"... no hair to have any worries 'bout such things as "Helmet Hair!". :o)

...gotta go get the V Star in shape... before that Biker B_ _ ... uh... Mama!... Steals my Bike!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Visit our sister site goin' RV Boondocking

Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share...  Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your...  Great Motorcycle Roads