Avila Beach Concours D’Elegance (ABCDE)
October 29, 2009
These car guys are beginning to get it…motorcycles are an asset to any automotive show. First those Pebble Beach fellows allowed motorcycles in earlier this year, and now the Avila Beach crowd has done the same. On Sunday October 25th some two dozen magnificent examples of motorcycle art rolled on to the 18th green at California’s Avila Beach golf course, ranging in age from the truly antique to the heyday of the classics in the sixties and seventies. [Read more]
VholdR ContourHD1080p Helmet Cam
October 28, 2009
SHOOT LIKE A PRO. VholdR has released the ContourHD1080p, said to be the world¹s first helmet camera to shoot 1080p video and enable you to share it online. Four HD settings (1080p, 960p, and two at 720p), two frame rates (30 fps and 60 fps) and four configurable settings (metering, contrast, exposure and microphone gain) give you plenty of options. Use the provided software to upload and share your 1080p video with others. Easy to use with single button operation and dual lasers for alignment, the lightweight, water-resistant unit records up to 3 hours of 1080p video on a single charge. Yours for $329.99.
For more information, visit www.vholdr.com
Safe Ride LED Warning Light
October 28, 2009
STOP! Motorists failing to recognize when motorcycles slow down in traffic can lead to dangerous collisions. Visibility is greatly increased with Safe Ride, a lighted early warning system for the back of your motorcycle. Its patented microprocessor-controlled G-force sensor activates a bright, strobing red LED to warn following vehicles that the motorcycle is decelerating before the brake light goes on. It works for any reduction of speed, including downshifts and throttle roll-offs. Safe Ride draws minimal power (170 milliamps), its LED can last up to 100,000 hours and it is fully water-, shock- and vibration-proof. Easy to install, prices start at $159.99.
Powersport Innovations, 17683 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers, Florida 33908; (239) 481-0274; www.powersportinnovations.com
Moto Mask Anti Fog Coating
October 28, 2009
CLEAR AS A BELL. A fogged-up face shield is annoying and dangerous. Bike Brite¹s Moto Mask Anti Fog Coating fights fog on face shields, windscreens, goggles and glasses. The coating causes the fog to spread out and absorb into the invisible film. Moto Mask comes in a 4-oz spray bottle and is easily applied with any cloth. It can be applied to a dry or wet windscreen and be used on Plexiglas, Lexan, polycarbonate or acrylic. Price is $7.99; available in early 2010.
For more information, visit www.bikebrite.com or call (800) 927-4833
Klim Dakar Pants
October 27, 2009
Crossover gear is what I c
all motorcycle accessories that are designed for one kind of riding, but work well for another type as well. Klīm (pronounced clime) Dakar pants are a perfect example. Designed for off-road adventures, they make an excellent touring pant, too. [Read more]
San Luis Obispo Classic Motorcycle Rally
October 16, 2009
With the Half Moon Bay Legend of the Motorcycle concours gone, and no really big vintage venue left in California Coast, the Central Coast Classic Motorcycle Club (CCCMC) decided to take up some of the slack and put on a major show October 8th through 11th. It began with a gathering on Thursday evening at the San Luis Obispo farmers’ market, which always attracts a big crowd. Over a hundred motorcycles showed up at the parking lot venue, with Craig Vetter of fairing fame and Bonneville record-setter Marty Dickerson (who just set a new record at this year, at age 82, on a 55-year-old Vincent) in attendance. [Read more]
Goldie and Me
October 15, 2009
For Christmas last year, I got a shiny new motorcycle: a dark red 2009 Honda Gold Wing GL1800. Like any excited kid, I played with my new toy almost nonstop and I wasn’t inclined to share it with anyone else. But since it was a test bike, I did have to share it, and eventually I had to give it back. We shared some good times, Goldie and me, with the odometer climbing from 837 to 10,500 during our 10-month friendship. [Read more]
Ride for the Cure
October 14, 2009
October has been National Breast Cancer Awareness Month for 25 years, and for the last three of those years a Ride for the Cure fundraising event has been held at Rynoland—the Ryan Hughes Elite Motocross Facility in Anza, California. The event took place on Saturday, October 3, and proceeds went to Michelle’s Place, a local breast cancer resource center. Gates opened on Friday for overnight camping, and they opened again early Saturday morning for a full day of riding on the large and mini tracks. [Read more]
HJC CL-16 Helmet
October 1, 2009
LIGHT MAKES RIGHT. HJC’s all-new CL-16 is 100 grams (3.5 ounces) lighter than the model it replaces and is one of the first helmets to have Snell 2010 approval. It has new multi-layer foam padding for a better fit and new SpeedCool interior fabric for moisture-wicking comfort. Every CL-16 comes standard with a Pinlock-prepared faceshield and a Pinlock anti-fog insert. Other features include: advanced polycarbonate composite shell; optically-superior faceshield with 95% UV protection; RapidFire tool-less faceshield replacement system; and “ACS” (Advanced Channeling Ventilation System). Sizes XS-XXXL (XXXL DOT only); prices are $139.99 MSRP for Hellion graphic (shown in photo), $144.99 for Carnage graphic, $129.99 for solid (black, white), $134.99 for metallic (silver, wine) or matte black. For more information visit hjchelmets.com.
Old School
October 1, 2009
Last Saturday, September 26th, I was invited up to Roseville, California, where A&S Powersports, peddling Vespas, Ducatis and BMWs, was having an open house and vintage show. In typical Sacramento Valley weather for the first week of fall, the temp went to over 100, but A&S had a huge supply of cold sodas on hand, and free burgers and dogs.
I bored the attendees with a 60-slide vintage presentation, starting with an 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmueller, ending 70 years later with a Ninja 900 — all done in air-conditioned splendor. Then I had to go out in the heat and judge 80 vintage bikes, ranging from a 1912 Indian racer in original paint, to a Mike Hailwood Ducati. I judged on unusuality, bikes I would not expect to see, like a 1937 Triumph single and a 1950 Imme R100. I wasn’t threatened with a lynching, so I presume the losers took their loss well.
