Sometimes, no matter how good a product is, a writer just runs dry trying to think of interesting ways to write a review. While being dry in the creative department is not good for a writer, being dry in the body department is great for a rider.
Too often I have worn raingear here in “sunny” Florida only to find that I get almost as wet as I would have had I ridden without the rainsuit. This usually happens for one of two reasons; 1) The raingear isn’t built very well (no matter how much it cost) which allows moisture to seep in through the seams; and 2) The raingear doesn’t breathe very well thereby causing you to sweat profusely. Either of those scenarios, in a word, suck.
In the first scenario you can end-up looking like you peed your pants (1-piece rain suit + cruiser = wet crotch: trust me on this one) while the second option leaves you smelling like you just ran a marathon. Sometimes you get really lucky and get a rainsuit that doesn’t breathe AND leaks – those are the moments that make you question your decision to ride a motorcycle.
Put not thine bike up for yet my fellow 2 Wheel Freaks for Nelson Rigg has a solution….and a reasonably priced one as well if you value your odor and dryness – The Nelson Rigg Volante VTL-700 2-Piece rainsuit. Or as it says on the front of the hang-tag, “Rainsut”. I’m glad their QC department was on the ball more than their Spell Checking department.
http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/product-reviews/riding-gear-menu/962-nelson-rigg-volante-rainsuit-and-wprb-100-boot-covers
Imagine dragons, flames and tribal images. No, I’m not talking about Dungeons and Dragons, Mr. Dungeon Master but rather HJC’s new RPS-10 Mugello helmet. If you’ve read my other review of HJC’s FS-15 Air then you already know most of the basics surrounding what features HJC incorporates into their helmets. If you haven’t you really should. It’ll tell our world renowned EIC that “You like me. You really really like me!”
For those of you who aren’t familiar with HJC you certainly should be as they’ve been around since 1971. Since that time they’ve been producing high quality helmets at an affordable price. As a matter of fact, from 1992 to the present, HJC is the #1 helmet brand in North America. With consistent growth HJC now offers a wide variety of helmets in the mid to high price range. This is where the RPS-10 comes in.
The RPS-10 is a full face helmet that is chock full of features, such as its light weight shell, patent pending center locking mechanism and an advanced channeling ventilation system. Since Ben Spies is wearing this helmet while competing in MotoGP, you just know that this helmet has gone through a tremendous amount of R&D to withstand the rigors of racing. So much so that if “Elbowz” trusts putting his noggin’ in it so shall I.
http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/product-reviews/helmets-menu/946-2011-hjc-rps-10
Four score and seven years ago (at least that's how it feels) a plan was hatched. A plan that would shake-up the motorcycling community. A plan that was so bold it had motorcycle industry insiders diving under their desks to escape the fall-out.
What you are about to read had nothing at all to do with that plan.
Two years ago, while drinking Tequila and watching a donkey show in Tijuana, we thought "she's pretty cute....I wonder if she'd come to our hotel room?". So inebriated were we that we were talking about the male donkey and not the girl. The next morning we awoke to mercifully find that the donkey apparently declined our offer of a midnight tryst.
While stumbling back to bed from worshiping the holy trinity of bowl, tank, flush lever - some of us blearily looked at each other and thought "hey why don't we take an 05 FJR1300 and make it a bike that can be seriously ridden at the track?"
Like most ideas that come from ingesting large amounts of fermented substances this one didn't pan out as planned.
What you see before you is the culimination of two years of emails to manufacturers, calls to our local techs, and many, many hours of looking at porn on the internet.
Read more: http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/product-reviews/miscellaneous-menu/943-project-fjr1300-completed
AMA Pro Racing Announces Divisional Breakdowns and Additional Information Regarding AMA Pro SuperSport for 2011
East /West Doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway Will Open Season
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (January 25, 2011) - AMA Pro officials announce more details on the reconfigured SuperSport class for 2011 including the divisional breakdowns and event configuration. It was earlier released that the class will undergo some subtle changes for the 2011 season including the elimination of the segregated Top Gun and Young Gun classes within the overall class structure. The class will continue to feature two divisions, East and West, but the overall champion will be the highest scoring divisional champion.
The actual number of divisional races has now been established with an equal number of points scoring opportunities in each division. There will be combination events with East and West Divisions competing together, beginning with Daytona International Speedway (March 10-12).
Each Division will comprise six events with the East Division visiting Daytona, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Virginia International Raceway, New Jersey Motorsports Park and two additional events TBD.
http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/topnews/936-ama-pro-racing-announces-divisional-breakdowns
Drift Innovation Cameras Unleashes the HD170 Stealth
Drift Innovation Unleashes the New Stealth and Raises the bar in Action Sports Helmet Cameras
01.25.2011– Boyne City, Mich. – The escalating noise about wearable point of view cameras in action sports just got louder with the release of the Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth. The Stealth has everything action sports enthusiasts want in high definition point of view video camera: an integrated LCD screen, wireless remote, slow motion technology with 60 frames per second (fps), 170 degree field of view and intuitive operation.
The Stealth (pictured to the right) features the same high quality HD video and easy-to use functions as the Drift HD170, such as the LCD screen, RF remote, and 170-degree rotating lens. New features include:
- All black color in response to consumer requests
- Slow motion recording options: frame rates include 25,30,50 and 60 fps in 720p or 25 and 30 fps in 1080p.
Read More: http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/topnews/937-drift-innovation-cameras-unleashes-the-hd170-stealth
Bill introduced to exempt kids' dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles from federal 'lead law'
Kids Just Want to Ride Act introduced in Congress
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- With the deadline fast approaching that would effectively ban the sale of kids' dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) has introduced legislation to end the ban, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
On Jan. 25, Rehberg introduced H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act, which would exempt kids' off-highway vehicles (OHVs) from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 that effectively bans their sale beginning May 1.
"Here again, a law meant to improve children's safety is actually being enforced in a way that puts kids in more danger than ever, while destroying jobs to boot," Rehberg said. "It's critical that we put to rest any confusion once and for all so kids can just get outside and ride.
"There's no excuse for continued bungling that only stops kids from using the very youth-sized off-road vehicles that are intended to keep them safe," Rehberg added.
Read More: http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/topnews/939-kids-just-want-to-ride-act-introduced-in-congress
Our Project FJR1300’s seat was starting to look a little rough from spending time in the Florida sun so we contacted the folks at Sargent about a replacement. Sargent has been in business since, well long enough that by this time they should be a General (was that lame or what?). Anyway, they’ve been in business long enough to know how to build a quality motorcycle seat.
Our World Sport Performance Seat arrived with a CarbonFX insert and metallic silver welt which will tie in nicely with the Black/Red/Silver paint job we have put on the bike.
I was first impressed by the weight of the seat as it didn’t seem to weigh much more than the stock seat even though it was wider and looked more substantial. Sargent has a 
lightweight PolyTech seat pan that is used along with Super Cell Atomic Foam in the construction of their World Sport Performance Seats. I’m sure this all means something really important in the “scientific and engineering” circles but to be quite honest I didn’t care enough to find out what the molecular make-up of the seat was. All I cared about was how it felt when riding and how it looked when my butt wasn’t in it. I know I’m shallow but I’ll bet most of you feel the same way about seats so don’t judge me.
Read more: http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/product-reviews/miscellaneous-menu/938-sargent-world-sport-performance-seat
2011 MotoGP Provisional Grid
N. RIDER NATION TEAM MACHINE
1 JORGE LORENZO SPANISH YAMAHA FACTORY RACING YAMAHA
4 ANDREA DOVIZIOSO ITALIAN REPSOL HONDA TEAM HONDA
5 COLIN EDWARDS USA MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 YAMAHA
7 HIROSHI AOYAMA JAPANESE SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI HONDA
8 HECTOR BARBERA SPANISH ASPAR TEAM DUCATI
11 BEN SPIES USA YAMAHA FACTORY RACING YAMAHA
14 RANDY DE PUNIET FRENCH PRAMAC RACING TEAM DUCATI
17 KAREL ABRAHAM CZECH CARDION AB MOTORACING DUCATI
19 ALVARO BAUTISTA SPANISH RIZLA SUZUKI MotoGP SUZUKI
24 TONI ELIAS SPANISH LCR HONDA MotoGP HONDA
26 DANI PEDROSA SPANISH REPSOL HONDA TEAM HONDA
27 CASEY STONER AUSTRALIAN REPSOL HONDA TEAM HONDA
35 CAL CRUTCHLOW BRITISH MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 YAMAHA
46 VALENTINO ROSSI ITALIAN DUCATI TEAM DUCATI
58 MARCO SIMONCELLI ITALIAN SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI HONDA
65 LORIS CAPIROSSI ITALIAN PRAMAC RACING TEAM DUCATI
69 NICKY HAYDEN USA DUCATI TEAM DUCATI
Read more: http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/topnews/933-2011-motogp-provisional-grid
Official Yamaha YZF-R6 back on the grid with the Yamaha ParkinGO Team
The 2011 World Supersport Championship will witness the welcome return of the championship winning Yamaha YZF-R6 to the grid with the Yamaha ParkinGO Team. In 2009 the Yamaha YZF-R6 was the track weapon of choice, dominating the World Supersport Championship in the hands of
2011 rookie MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow. The pairing proved unbeatable with Crutchlow using the full potential of the Yamaha Supersport machine to score ten pole position starts and ten podiums, including five race wins, on his way to the title. The Yamaha World Supersport Team was withdrawn by its owner Yamaha Motor Europe from the championship during 2010.
For the 2011 season Yamaha Motor Europe will provide the 2009 Championship winning Yamaha R6 race bikes along with Yamaha genuine racing parts to the privately owned ParkinGO Team, for 2011 to be named Yamaha ParkinGO Team. The race bikes will be refreshed and bought up to 2011 level at Yamaha’s racing workshop in Germany before being delivered. Yamaha technical staff will provide behind the scenes support on an ongoing basis throughout the season while the team itself will take responsibility for organization, rider selection and race entry. The Yamaha ParkinGO Team will continue partnerships with some of its own technical partners, although Yamaha Motor Europe will also support negotiations with it’s former technical partners and the team for the season ahead.
Read more: http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/topnews/934-official-yamaha-yzf-r6-back-on-the-grid-with-the-yamaha-parkingo-team-
Rome (Italy), Monday 24 January 2011 - The winter preparations for the main protagonists in the Superbike World Championship in 2011 are about to be boosted by another jolt of intensity, as the official IMS test sessions start at Portimao, between 26 and 28 January. There will be one more such pre-season test, at Phillip Island on 21 and 22 February, shortly before the first race of the year takes place on Sunday 27th Feb.
All seven competing manufacturers in the 2011 championship will arrive in Portimao for testing ready to measure their relative progress against their peers, in a series which once more will have no shortage of riders capable of winning races. In terms of potential world champions, every manufacturer has at least one ready to step up to challenge all the way.
The rider everyone has to chase in 2011 is the reigning champion Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia), not only because he will be running the Number 1 plate on his RSV4, but because he fully intends to keep it in 2011. He will be joined in the works Aprilia Alitalia team again this season by rapidly rising WSBK star Leon Camier. There will be three high class Aprilia riders in 2011, as the Team Pata entry Noriyuki Haga sets out on a full season on a machine his team feels confident will be fast enough to challenge for the title itself.
Read More: http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/topnews/935-ims-official-test-portimao-portugal
CASTROL HONDA RETURNS TO WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
The latest incarnation of an iconic team has returned to the World Superbike championship following today's launch of the new Castrol Honda team, with the global lubricants brand announcing title sponsorship of Honda's superbike effort for the upcoming 2011 title race.
The new team will feature riders Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus campaigning Honda's CBR1000RR Fireblade, with the squad being run by the Netherlands-based Ten Kate Racing outfit, who have led Honda's World Superbike effort since 2004.
Castrol's association with Honda's motorcycle racing activities goes all the way back to the Japanese manufacturer's first foray into the sport at the Isle of Man TT in 1959 and the two companies celebrated 50 years of racing together in 2009.
While Castrol has maintained support of Honda's annual World Superbike championship effort in recent years, its previous title sponsorship of the Castrol Honda team generated no fewer than three world titles, with John Kocinski in 1997 and then twice with fellow American rider Colin Edwards in 2000 and 2002.
For Jonathan Rea, 23, the new season, which opens on 27 February at Phillip Island in Australia, will be his third in the World Superbike championship. The Northern Irishman finished in fifth place in 2009, taking two wins, a tally which he doubled last season on his way to fourth place in the championship.
Read more:
http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/topnews/929-castrol-honda-returns-to-wsbk
Right after we published our review of the Delkin Fat Gecko Mini and Panavise 809 suction-cup camera mounts we got an email from Mark at RAM Mounts asking us if we'd like to review some of their products. We like it when companies contact us like this since it tells us that we're doing something right. I'm sure you've heard of RAM Mounts since they have been in business since 1995 and supply equipment mounting solutions to law enforcement, the military, and the private sector.
Looking through the RAM Mounts website (at www.ram-mount.com), you'll find a bewildering assortment of mounting solutions for just about any type of electronic device you want to stick somewhere; I'm sure I could find a way to mount a laptop to my handlebars if I really wanted to. What I was most interested in was RAM's suction cup base mount. I wanted this because; A) I wanted to see how it would stack up against the Delkin/Panavise mount (it is a completely different design), and B) it can be used not only as the base for a camera but the base for other RAM products as well; both on a bike and in a car; I like things that are versatile and can be used for multiple purposes.
The second thing I was interested in was a cradle for my Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS. RAM Mounts sent me their cradle along with a shorter arm than what comes on the suction cup base mount. The third thing RAM sent us was something called the "RAM Mount Adjustable Rugged Universal Finger Grip Holder Cradle for Cell Phone and Smartphone Mobile Devices (U)" which I shall call the "RMARUFGHCCPSMD(U)" from here on out for simplicity's sake; or not.
Read More:
http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/product-reviews/gadgets-menu/886-ram-mounts
When it comes to riding protection, what we want is pretty simple – good fit protection, style and price. Getting there can be more complicated.
There are many brands in the racing suit, glove and boot markets, so it can be tricky to navigate what you are getting for your money. Too often big distributors prey on the fact that many motorcyclists are not that educated about the technical side of the products and so they sell poor quality, flashy, cool looking products that afford them big profit margins.
Often these products don’t fit well or protect well since look and cost are the major factors.
Enter Sidi Boots distributed by MotoNation. Although MotoNation is not one of the giant distributors where every dealership in the USA is set up, the Sidi name is well known since it is one of the most popular brands amongst professional and amateur racers all over the world (you see many top riders on TV using Sidi boots).
This built in Italy footwear comes from a culture where motorcycles are major part of life – transportation, sport and racing. It is real gear designed for its intended purpose, not just for a look and price point.
Read more:
http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/product-reviews/riding-gear-menu/898-sidi-vortice-air
If you have ever ridden down International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach you may have noticed Robison Motorcycle Sales and Service. It’s a small shop with a long and rich history. The owner, Joe Robison, served as the local Harley dealer from 1962 until he sold the franchise to Bruce Rossmeyer in 1993.
Joe grew up in Warren, Ohio and at 15 years of age began racing a Harley WR45 with a hand shift. Around the age of 19 he raced in Michigan in the Jack Pine Sportsman and even raced on the beach in Daytona! Motorcycling was evidently in his family’s DNA as his brother owned a Harley dealership in Ohio where Joe worked.
In 1962 Harley offered him the franchise of his own in Daytona Beach, and since his wife was originally from Florida getting her to move was an easy sell. He first took over the dealership that was located on Bulow Road, but shortly thereafter he moved it to International Speedway Boulevard where he remains in business today.
During his 31 years as the HD dealer his shop was always active in racing. The factory team would prep their race bikes at his shop, and many nights were spent burning the midnight oil getting ready to race. It was common to see Joe in the pits during a race keeping things running smoothly.
http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/articles-menu/misc-menu/899-joe-robinson
My name's Shamus, Richard Shamus; I’m a private detective. I work the big city where it’s been hot; very hot. So hot that, on the way to work this morning, I watched Mr. Fielders toupee combust when he walked out the front door of his barber shop. Yeah it was that kind of hot. It was even hot when it rained.
I was sitting in my office, the small fan on my desk blowing the hot air around, wondering which horse to bet on during the races later today when she walked in; brown hair, green eyes, and legs that went all the way to the ground. I was mesmerized as she floated over to the cheap leather chair on the other side of my desk.
“Oh Mr. Shamus” she said with a voice that would make canaries cry. “I so need your help”.
“Well I don’t work for free toots no matter how nice your stems are” I said, trying not to show how dizzy I was about this dame.
“Please Mr. Shamus I don’t have a lot of money but I need protection. I have a beautiful motorcycle that my father left me when he passed away and I’m afraid that all this sun and rain are going to destroy the bike. You just gotta help me!”
http://www2.2wf.com/index.php/product-reviews/miscellaneous-menu/920-dowco-guadian-weatherall-plus
Sometimes, no matter how good a product is, a writer just runs dry trying to think of interesting ways to write a review. While being dry in the creative department is not good for a writer, being dry in the body department is great for a rider.
