Motorcycle Articles ~ The Riding Obsession

Robin Dean Sep 8, 2020 M. Ash, FlickrLeave a Comment

Motorcycle Camping: A Pandemic Vacation

I've written a few motorcycle camping articles in my day but this year is a whole different bag. With a pandemic in play, moto-camping is one of the few remaining combination activities we can easily reach for as a getaway. With in-depth articles popping up everywhere, this writing aims to keep you both safe and sane while you're off the beaten path.

Not all camping trips are created equal! There's planning, packing and two mindsets to keep track of. One is on the bike, the other off. Coordinating both can be a challenge for even seasoned riders. As far as social distancing is concerned, let's just agree that it's a planned default.

Now, our route and gear are only as useful as our tolerance for the unexpected. Planning and testing are the closest thing to pre-ride certainty we'll ever see. With that, let's get right to it: routing, gear selection and packing for the Covid-19 dodging motorcycle camper.

Robin Dean Jul 14, 2020 Leave a Comment

The Best Summer Motorcycle Jacket Is ...

In a previous article, I take aim at the word "best" where summer riding gear is concerned. Six components from helmet to boot including "best summer motorcycle jacket" are broken down until a handful of unique products remain. Each target a different kind of rider but all grip safety with a certain paranoia, the kind that only motorcycle riders can relate to.

The jackets mentioned include Sedici's Alexi, Scorpion's Optima, Olympia's Hudson, Revit's Defender Pro as well as Wind and Joe Rocket's Velocity. Each bring to the table some viable combination of armor, appeal, reflection, stitching and lightweight function over form ... over function. I own two of these jackets, so deciding what's right for spontaneous summer riding is a bit easier.

This time around, however, I'm faced with that 3rd or 33rd motorcycle gear purchase. You know, the one among many that screams from a shelf so high that you can see condors circling below it. It's gotta be not just a "great" motorcycle jacket but the best summer motorcycle jacket money (*ahem* the limited but easily exacerbated funds in my bank account) can buy.

Robin Dean Jun 15, 2020 Leave a Comment

Hot Weather Motorcycle Riding Gear

Enter Spring, the most confusing season for anyone who's ever ridden north or south as an inaugural opener. My midwestern friends tell me it's rainy and cool where I'm headed. Here in Texas, however, I'm already exploring hot weather motorcycle riding gear for summer's eventual heatwave.

The riddle in finding summer riding gear lies in the balance between ventilation and protective armor. Being an ATGATT subscriber, I prefer riding attire that offers both without compromise.

Without fueling the argument of armor versus ventilation, let's look at some of the better motorbike riding equipment on the market. We'll build from the ground up: boots, pants, cooling, jacket, gloves and helmet. Any combination of the following will help you stay chill under pressure.

Brian Wringer Apr 4, 2020 1 Comment

Safe, Efficient Tire Bead Breaking

You can break any motorcycle tire bead quickly with three short tire irons, with no damage to the tire or rim, no excessive force, no jumping and no farting around with kickstands, giant levers, titanic forces or disaster. This works on any tire, tubed or tubeless, car or motorcycle.

Let's Break A Tire Bead!

1) Deflate tire completely, if that hasn't already been handled for you by, uh ... external factors.

Jordan McDowell Apr 2, 2020 Leave a Comment

Why Hire A Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

We all know the dangers of riding. In the unfortunate circumstance where you've crashed your bike, it's good to know how attorneys can help out. Subsequently, a motorcycle accident lawyer can give you the straight answers you need to important questions such as:

Which insurance company is responsible for paying for the damage?
Will the insurance company pay for my medical treatment?

Robin Dean Nov 25, 2019 Leave a Comment

Power Up! An SAE/USB Port Comparison

Electronic motorcycle accessories are the norm among sport touring enthusiasts. While that might seem to validate just about any motorcycle USB port install, reliable performance is still key. That's especially true while in transit, riding at speed.

The list of available SAE to USB products is blindingly long. Five motorcycle USB ports we're honed in on are each worth buying for their individual features. The rest are a bit of a fog show, so let this article serve as a filter for the best.

Which brings me to criteria. Keeping our motorcycle USB port options diverse and worth their weight in scratch means a few specifics. Size, performance, reliability, installation and cost covers it. Let's look at which small, easy-install motorcycle USB ports kick the most butt on a light dime.

Patrick Mogavero Sep 5, 2019 Leave a Comment

Hillbilly Triangle: A KY Motorcycle Ride

The American Heritage dictionary defines "hillbilly" as a person from the backwoods or some remote mountain area. Wikipedia says that Red River Gorge is a canyon system on the Red River in east-central Kentucky. It lies within the Daniel Boone National Forest, next to what's commonly referred to as "Hillbilly Triangle", covering about 29,000 acres.

Backwoods? Remote mountain areas? A canyon system? "Tell me more!" you say. Well, okay ...

This is what happens when you combine 200+ miles of twisty, smooth roads that go into the forest, winding around the back woods and mountains before plunging into the depths of the Red River Gorge. Only then does it finish with an exciting run across the fabulous ridge top roads of north-central Kentucky. If you're a motorcycle sport touring rider (and I assume you are or you wouldn't be here), you end up with one of the best days of riding anytime, anywhere! This is the Hillbilly Triangle ... Red River Gorge route!

Robin Dean Aug 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

Dry Bag Ditty: The Waterproof Duffel Deal

Waiting in the eye of a hurricane work week, on that day off that just screams "boss gonna needja", a motorcycle dry bag sits idle. It's hidden well enough to forget about, but with the right amount of adrenaline ... you won't.

In it lies everything necessary for a great motorcycle trip.

Morning arrives. The alarm goes off. Your smartphone gets itchin' to spell out "Do Not Answer!" while some musAc version of Darth Vader's theme bellows from it's tin can speaker.

Robin Dean May 20, 2019 Leave a Comment

This Isn't Just A Motorcycle Helmet Lock

It's a bit more than that. A retractable motorcycle helmet lock recently stole my "KISS" (keep it simple, stupid) prize for some duration, offering enough cable length to secure my ATGATT riding jacket as well. Smaller than a bar of soap, the product I'm growing savvy to gets easily overlooked for all of the right reasons.

Years back, my first helmet cost me just shy of a hundred bucks. While today I'm not hemorrhaging disposable dollars for whatever Schuberth aims to rake, I do enjoy the quiet, comfortable protection offered by higher shelf brands like Shoei and Arai. With bigger price tags than entry-level noggin' cradles, I prefer said investment not walk off in someone else's hands.

That's why I ordered something that can secure all of my riding gear to the bike at once. I figure it's better to tick multiple boxes with one purchase where possible. Many go the "lock helmet to motorcycle seat" route (D-ring to mechanism). I'm now able to secure my riding attire using a motorcycle helmet lock that, well ... wasn't intended for motorcycle helmets.

Brian Wringer May 8, 2019 T. Clarke2 Comments

Ten Commandments For The ST Ride Leader

Riding motorcycles is pretty much the most fun and interesting thing you can do while wearing waterproof pants, and it's even better with other people. For both group riders and ride leaders, nothing beats grinning and babbling like idiots with like-minded motorcyclists after railing a particularly tasty tangle of twisties.

But a sublime shared riding experience doesn't just happen.

I don't want to get all zen here, but it takes a conscious, continuous effort to create an environment or culture that maximizes and balances enjoyment and safety. You need the proper doses of velocity and lean angle without harshing the mellow with stuff like groupthink, bad vibes, and impromptu dirt sampling.