1. Backpacks. City Bikers always need and use backpacks.  Whether they are tiny waterproof bags that fold into a little square, or square leather briefcase backpacks, aerodynamic hardshell packs, your biker can probably put it to good use.

2. Multi-tools. Whether it’s a swiss army knife with screwdrivers and pliers, or a Leatherman, or the tiny-but-useful key-multi-tool (in the picture), there are plenty of times when you need a tool and can’t get to the tool kit under the seat.  (Some sport bikes have tool kits that you need a screwdriver to get to.  Great thinking!)

3. Disc Lock Alarms. Like this one… Unless your biker has an alarm installed on the bike, he or she would love to have one of these… Not to use all the time, but in some areas it’s good to make a little noise to keep people off the bike.

4. If your CityBiker is a race fan, here’s something he/she probably won’t buy for themselves right away… The MotoGP Official Season Review.  I know it sounds kinda’ lame, and for $26.99 it ain’t cheap.  But this was a particularly interesting year for MotoGP – and the footage was good this year.  I guarantee your race fan would enjoy this!

5. An over-jacket. Good leather riding jackets are usually slim enough to wear in the winter underneath an outer layer… Also, City Bikers tend to stuff a lot of stuff into pockets.  So what’s to be done?  How about a jacket with like a gazillion pockets?  Check out their other styles as well!

Got any other good gift ideas?  Want to send your friends a hint hint?  Post it here in the comments section.

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2. Rev’it in the New Year
3. NYPD Hard on Bikers?

Biker gear and NYC sometimes don’t go together very well.  If you disagree, then good for you – wear what you like!  But if you feel a little, I dunno, flamboyant…in typical motorcycle gear, then I’d like to point you toward a relative newcomer in high end gear: Rev’it.  From what I can tell, they’re listening…  And most of their street jackets, even the non-black on black variety, is nicely designed and practical looking.

As always, this isn’t a paid plug – if you want to check out the rest of their 2010 lineup, you can take a look here, and here.

Related posts:

1. What to do with old gear?
2. Safety & Style…
3. Jackets for Summer ‘09

It’s no coincidence that the posts that get the most random traffic on this blog are the ones on motorcycle jackets: Let’s Talk Motorcycle Jackets, and Safety and Style.  Motorcycle inspired clothing is (still) in…for the time being.  Now most “motorcycle jackets” aren’t really (technical) motorcycle jackets.  It’s just the look, not the protection.  Well, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you’re not planning to ride in them.  Alpinestars has decided to make a fashion line of motorcycle inspired clothing for women: click here.  Not bad looking.  Now maybe they’ll take the next step and make women’s jackets that look this good, but with protective leather and armor…

Let us know what you think.

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1. Let’s Talk Motorcycle Jackets
2. Low Down on Leg Protection
3. Dress for Success the Cold!

[Brad Pitt on his Ducati Monster]

The saying goes something like this:

“You should only buy a cheapo $100 helmet if you have a $100 head.”

The implication being: Always buy the most expensive helmet on the market. Not surprisingly, many of the people who push for more expensive helmets are people who work at bike shops who benefit from the higher markups.

What they don’t tell you is that an $85 Snell (the premium US rating agency) rated helmet (like the HJC CL-15) will protect your head just as well as a $700 one. The same applies to ECE rated helmets (the European standard). That’s the purpose of these rating systems… Shockingly there is even evidence that “cheapo” DOT-only (the minimum US requirement) helmets can actually offer better protection in the majority of crashes (on the street), by transferring fewer g-forces on impact, than more expensive Snell and ECE rated helmets (read the article here). And of course, you know that when you pick you price point, you need to keep in mind that you will need to replace your helmet every few years, or if you happen to drop it …

But what about comfort? Aren’t the more expensive brands more comfortable? …For instance Arai has several different types of helmets to fit your head size…

Of course a helmet is no good if it’s uncomfortable and distracting to wear. And Arai makes good helmets… but you’d have to be a total biker princess to insist that only a $700 lid is comfortable enough. Some pricier models (cough AGV cough cough – some Shoei models) really aren’t known for being particularly comfortable…that’s not to say they are uncomfortable…they just don’t feel much different from some good lower-end helmets. I have a feeling that if HJC were an Italian brand, Rossi might wear an AC-12 (their race helmet) instead of a AGV Ti-Tech…

Now I have nothing against the premium brands – and they have nice helmets around the more affordable $200-$300 range, which I think can be reasonable depending on what that gets you. And I totally understand that some people might want to pay extra for other features… There’s more to a helmet than safety, you might like the style or the features, a limited edition paint job – or super light carbon fiber shell – or you just want the brand name that you see on celebrities or racers… And these things may be WORTH paying the premium prices for – but it’s NOT a safety issue.

Bottom line, if you get a helmet that is at least DOT, but maybe also SNELL or ECE certified – and that fits correctly – then you’re good as far as safety goes. It’s up to you how much you want to spend on other looks and features. Just because your head is worth a million bucks doesn’t mean you have to spend that much on a helmet.

Related posts:

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3. Helmets

“…The biggest news with this year’s model is the Suzuki Drive Mode Selector, or S-DMS, which lets riders choose between different engine power settings at the flip of a switch — while riding, at whim and as conditions warrant.” – Sue Carpenter, LA Times

We’re still at a cross-over age in motorcycles, in which a good number of riders still drive around without gas gauges or fuel injection. Instead many of us have to use the choke and remember to flip the fuel shutoff to ‘reserve’ for those last few miles before a fill up. The crossover point seems to be 2001-2003… God said “let there be fuel injected motorcycles” and there was, and we saw that it was good. Now even Harleys are fuel injected… FI has become ubiquitous in motorcycle factories, although not (yet) on the road.

With computer controlled fuel injection comes certain possibilities. Not only can you take a laptop and remap your FI computer for more power (or fuel efficiency)…now, Suzuki seems to have quietly opened the bag on mapping throttle response for riders… Check out the LA Times link above for a first hand review of the new Gixxer with its Drive Mode Selector (DMS). The Suzuki DMS has three settings:

• A-mode for the quickest throttle response,
• B-mode for softer response except at higher rpms, and a
• C-mode for all around softer response.

Now this version is designed for the race track – the reviewer didn’t notice much difference in the settings on the street – but this line of thinking opens interesting possibilities for street riders! It also shows that Suzuki isn’t just thinking about making bikes for championship racers, but for real people too.

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May kicks off motorcycle safety month, so it’s a good opportunity to take a good hard look at your gear.

Helmets

There are really only two words anyone needs to remember when it comes to helmets: full face. The good news is, if you’re willing to pay for it, full face helmets are comfortable, stylish and safe… The even better news is, even if you’re not willing to pay for the premium helmets (Shoei, Arai, etc) the lower end DOT approved helmets can offer just as much or even better protection (article from Motorcyclist). Many fans of shorty helmets will argue that full face helmets can be “less safe” than wearing short or no-helmets because: “they obscure your vision” and a full-face helmet “can cause your head to bounce on the pavement and break your back…and I’d rather take my chances with a bruised head than a broken neck…” But I’ll leave it up to you, the reader, to figure this out for yourselves.

Jackets

Belstaff Hero Jacket

Motorcycle fashion is big business… If you don’t believe me just check out the price tag that goes with that beat up tan Belstaff motorcycle jacket Brad Pitt wears, or the near $1000 price tag on the replicas of the jacket Tom Cruise wore in War of the Worlds. The good news is, as more designers take interest, there will be greater variety of motorcycle clothing. Already the top makers of racing leathers (Dainese, Spidi, etc) make numerous versions of basic black leather jackets to suit every occasion (that is, every occasion you can wear a black leather jacket to). The racer-look jackets ain’t too shabby either.

The Video: Here’s an informative review on a Teknic jacket that can help you see some of the features you can look for…

What to look for: find the fit and style that you can live with, but then look for CE-rated armor in the elbows and shoulder or chip in the extra $25 and get them as replacements for the soft and bulky foam kind that come with lower-end jackets. Now’s a good time to shop as retailers clear out ‘06 lines and bring in the ’07’s…you can find closeout prices for ’06’s or get first pick of the ’07’s…

[If you're just looking for a good "non-technical" motorcycle jacket (without the armor), and you live in NY - don't forget the original... Schott NYC - you can find some of their stuff at Canal Jeans]

Boots

How important are boots for motorcycle safety? While losing one’s feet in an accident probably won’t be fatal, it will probably be pretty annoying to say the least. So while it’s not on the same level as wearing a helmet, if you want to walk away from a crash it is highly recommended. Motorcycle boots usually have armor for shins and ankles… And while I don’t have first-hand experience as to why these are good things, I’ve heard numerous stories involving leg bones protruding from calves, etc… Motorcycle boots also have the right kind of rubber soles that are less slippery on greasy pavement.

So once you know you want boots, you just need to balance walking-comfort for the amount of protection you want. Race-boots provide the highest level of protection but feel like ski boots when you’re walking around. On the other extreme, Alpine Stars makes a street boot that looks and feels like a high top sneaker with just a little extra padding.

Gloves

The two criteria for street gloves are: will it offer abrasion protection? And will it stay on? Any of the made for motorcycling gloves sold by major brands will offer a good amount of protection for everyday street riding. The wild card is whether many of the popular gloves will stay on in the event of a crash. Check the glove’s fit around the wrist in conjunction with your jacket. It should be comfortable yet impossible to remove without unzipping or unhooking.

If you’re looking to shop for gear online, here are some good places to start: New Enough, Kneedraggers, Ridegear, Buymoto, or if you’re just looking for ideas…

Related posts:

1. Reasons to Gear-Up
2. Low Down on Leg Protection
3. Let’s Talk Motorcycle Jackets

One of the things that happens after you start riding is you start to notice helmets. Sure there’s little scientifically verifiable safety difference between the $55 helmet you get from Auto Zone and the $700 Arai, but it’s hard to resist the lure of a nice lid… It’s the difference between a $20k Rolex and a $2 Timex (which actually keeps time more accurately) – if you can afford the pricier status symbol, more power to you! For those who want to resist high priced status lids, good luck with that too! But you CAN have it both ways. Every now and then you can find older stock helmets for cheap if you know where to look. Check out this Shoei sale!!! Just so you know… Some I’ve heard some folks warn that older helmets (even if they’re unused) can be less-safe because the styrofoam can break down over time. Personally I don’t think that’s a real issue for 2 or 3 year old helmets that have been sitting in warehouses… So if you’ve been dreaming of a Shoei, happy shopping!

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