Categories
Clothing/Protection

New Leather Jacket & Trousers From Alpinestars

Alpinestars-Leather-Jacket-Pants-1I recently picked up a new set of Alpinestars leather pants and jacket, perfect for the coming summer. I have been wearing the Alpinestars Bat Pants for over a year now, however, the second-hand set I had were starting to show their age, but a knackered lower leg zip drove me to finally replace them. Jacket wise, I’ve been wearing a Hein Gericke textile affair, which although good in cold and wet weather, is a bit warm in the summer and doesn’t really suit the leather trousers.

After completely failing to find any trousers at the MCN show that fit me around the waist (I wear 30″ waist Levi’s, but all 30″ leathers were huge on me and nowhere had any smaller), I opted to get another identical pair of Bat Pants (labelled size 30 and fit perfectly). There weren’t many pairs this size on eBay, but those that popped up received few bids, so I was able to blag a pair in top nick for a measly £25 – epic bargain!

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Categories
Riding

Biking Videos, Sixth Sense Skills

Throughout my riding in London I constantly witness a multitude of situations unfolding on the busy roads, that make me cringe and say to myself ‘knew they were going to do that!’ As a biker, you need this kind of sixth sense to remain upright and safe. For seasoned bikers it will be instinct and an unconscious reflex, however for new riders it will be a skill that may need developing.

Please watch my videos, see if you can predict what is about to happen and spot the tell tail signs that give it away. I hope you find them interesting and possibly learn something that may help you on the roads.

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Watch videos on YouTube

Categories
Videos

Sixth Sense Skills – Tip 11 (Expect the Unexpected)

On the bike, we have to continually keep our wits about ourselves, be ready for whatever surprise pops up. This was a bit of a close call, a bit higher and it could have screwed up all visibility.

Categories
Riding

Another Good London Bikers Meetup at Borough Market

BoroughMarketLondonBikerMeet-April14-2

Wednesday night means one thing – London Bikers Borough Market meetup or LB BM as it’s often more succinctly known. With all the chaos on the roads due to the prevailing tube strike, it was a welcome opportunity to chill out for a bit and let the carnage dissipate a little before undertaking the commute home.

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Categories
Motorcycles

Spotted: Kawasaki KZ1100R

Kawasaki-KZ1100R

Spotted out and about, this funky ’83 Kwak KZ1100R, a replica ‘Steady’ Eddie Lawson super bike from an by gone era. Great to see nice bike out and ridden.

Categories
Riding

Fazer Owners Club Ride Out April 2014

Fazer Owner Club Unofficial Rider Out April 14Had a great ride out yesterday with the Fazer Owners Club (Unofficial). The weather was a bit grey and rain was hinted at, but luckily we escaped it all and had a great ride. Starting out at the Silver Ball Cafe on the A10 just South of Royston, we made our via some back roads to Finchingfield in Essex. A picturesque village with a super little cafe and a popular pitstop for lots of bikers. Once sated, we set off South down to High Beach tea hut in Epping Forest.

Overall a chilled out ride, with some good company, top stuff all around.

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Categories
Clothing/Protection Gear Reviews

URAD Mr JoJo Waterproofing Wax Review

URAD MrJoJo Waterproofing Wax

URAD MrJoJo Waterproofing WaxThere’s very little question about it, when it comes to protection on a motorcycle, leather is where it’s at. Which is all well and good, until it rains, and that happens an awful lot here in the UK. Leather just isn’t very waterproof and soon becomes water logged, heavy, cold and pretty miserable to ride in. This is where this little tub of wax named Mr JoJo comes in.

I picked up this Mr JoJo wax up at the MCN show a couple of months ago, cost me a tenner for a 200g tub, with a few sponges thrown in. The sales chap demonstrated it on our boots with a spray can of water. Seemed worth a punt. It’s name, Mr JoJo, doesn’t seem to have any relation to a certain Madame JoJo’s of Soho fame, but is a leather waterproofing and conditioning wax from URAD, which contains Jojoba oil. This oil comes from the little Jojoba shrubbery that grows around Mexico, Arizona and California, and is a popular alternative to Whale oil. The wax is white in colour and has a distinctive sweet smell.

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Categories
Clothing/Protection

Childrens Motorcycle Gear

Childrens-motorcycle-clothingMy daughter has been dying to ride on the back of my motorbike for ages now. The legal requirement being only their feet can reach the foot pegs and the wearing of a helmet. Since my daughter is rather tall, there’s been no problem there, however from a maturity point of view we have held off for some time. With her 8th birthday later this year, we have decided she is now old enough to ride on the back of the bike and hark back to the days when she was a nipper and would ride on the back of my bicycle.

Of course, safety is a paramount concern, so we have been keen to kit her out in some decent gear to protect her. A tricky prospect considering the price of motorcycle gear and the rate she will grow out of it, and so we hit ebay with a vengeance to find decent gear without breaking the bank.

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Categories
Videos

Sixth Sense Skills – Tip 10 (SMIDSY)

Did you manage to guess what happened? A classic SMIDSY, that just leaves you wondering how on earth they didn’t see you, your headlights, hi-vis, or anything past their nose. Thankfully, they braked at the last second and I resisted the urge to panic brake and managed to swerve. Breaking those panic reactions is not easy, it takes time and is something that new riders often struggle with. It’s all too easy to grab a fistful of front brake, lock up and hit the deck. Of course, it helps a lot if you have ABS.

Categories
Videos

Sixth Sense Skills – Tip 9 (Booner Racer Dodging)

Another example of some fine driving by a young man in a small hatchback with his companions. Happily enjoying a quiet drive and making best possibly use of all lanes of the carriage way.

Maybe. See if you can spot where the reality deviates a little.