2014
Product Review: Skidmarx hugger for Yamaha FJR 1300
09 May 2014 by
Skidmarx hugger for Yamaha FJR 1300, £84.95 Time tested: 2300 miles/three months What’s good? I rode a Yamaha FJR1300 in 2013, through all weathers, so the bike was used to getting a bit clarty...
Product Review: Rev’It Oceanus gloves
07 May 2014 by
Rev’It Oceanus gloves, £99.99 Time tested: Five months/2000 miles What’s good? The Gore-Tex certainly works on these gloves – they’ve kept every drop of water out in the five months I’ve been wearing...
Product Review: ARMR Moto Hirama jacket and Katsura trousers
07 May 2014 by
ARMR Moto Hirama jacket, £119.99 and Katsura trousers, £109.99 Time tested: Three months/2000 miles What’s good? I wore this suit when I joined the MCN team for a journey to eastern Germany for the...
Product Review: Shoei X-Spirit II
07 May 2014 by
Shoei X-Spirit II, £524.99-£639.99 Time tested: Three years What’s good? I believe the Shoei X-Spirit II saved me from a serious head injury. After a mechanical failure caused my front wheel to...
Product Review: Europat Vizibleed brake and clutch bleeding kit
07 May 2014 by
Europat Vizibleed brake and clutch bleeding kit, £5.99 Time tested: Six years What’s good? The fact this device turns a job that competent people regularly inform me is muppet-level easy into a job...
Product Review: Kriega R30 Rucksack
07 May 2014 by
Kriega R30 Rucksack, £139 Time tested/miles: Four years/ 45,000 miles (approx.) What’s good? I love this rucksack. It’s a constant companion and has seen me through four years of use in all weathers,...
Product Review: Bering RX19 gloves
30 April 2014 by
Bering RX19 gloves, £109.99 Time tested: Four months What’s good? These gloves are made from supremely soft goat leather and when combined with the solid feel of the knuckle and finger protection this...
Product Review: Oxford Aqua 30-litre roll bag
30 April 2014 by
Oxford Aqua 30-litre roll bag £50 Time tested: Four foreign trips What’s good? Roll bags are the simplest form of soft luggage, and for me that’s important. I care little for compartments and don’t...
Product Review: Scott Dual Raid TP suit, jacket and trousers
30 April 2014 by
Scott Dual Raid TP suit, jacket £349.95, trousers £219.95 Time tested: Seven months, 3000 miles What’s good? This suit means business. It’s packed with nifty features and has a distinctly off-road...
Product Review: EDZ Merino wool socks
30 April 2014 by
EDZ Merino wool socks, £19.99 Time tested: 6000 miles/ 5 months What’s good? Cold feet on a long ride will have you wincing and curling your toes in no time. It’s always worth spending a few extra...
Product Review: Arc-on Competizione gloves
23 April 2014 by
Arc-on Competizione gloves, £140 Time tested: 16 weeks What’s good? This is a substantial glove with intimate feel and sensible design. It has a mountain of catalogue-topping spec – kangaroo hide,...
Product Review: Oxford Lithium Battery Hot Vest
23 April 2014 by
Oxford Lithium Battery Hot Vest, £149.99 Time tested: 3000 miles / 12 months What’s good? This is the only item of heated clothing I’ve ever owned, so my frame ofreference isn’t as strong as it could...
Product Review: Casey Stoner, Pushing the Limits
23 April 2014 by
Casey Stoner, Pushing the Limits, £9.99 Time used: One week What’s good? From his domination of Aussie flat track to MotoGP, Casey Stoner’s autobiography is fascinating. His hero growing up was Mick...
Product Review: Halfords three assorted finishing pads
23 April 2014 by
Halfords three assorted finishing pads, £2.99 Time tested: Two years What’s good? A paint sprayer friend of mine first showed me the many uses of these pads. Strictly speaking they’re for preparing...
Product Review: AGV GT Veloce helmet
23 April 2014 by
AGV GT Veloce helmet, £349.99 Time tested: Eight months/2000 miles/one big crash What’s good? I’m sat here writing this, with no apparent sign of a head injury, five days after throwing myself...
Product Review: Dainese T Avro race suit
16 April 2014 by
Dainese T Avro race suit, £960 (now superseded by Aspide) Time tested/miles: Six months/2500 miles What’s good: The quality and fit of these leathers has been brilliant; even from the first time I put...
Product Review: MT Le-Mans helmet
16 April 2014 by
MT Le-Mans helmet, £54.99 Time tested: Six months/ 400 miles What’s good? This is a quality open-face lid for a pretty amazing price from Spanish firm MT. The excellent, faux-leather lining is...
Product Review: Abus Detecto 7000 RS2 disc lock
16 April 2014 by
Abus Detecto 7000 RS2 disc lock, £120 Time tested: Three years What’s good? As long as I have a little bit of room available in a bag, pannier, under the seat or in a topbox this disc lock goes with...
Product Review: Facom J.161 3/8in ratchet
16 April 2014 by
Facom J.161 3/8in ratchet, £37.37 Time tested: Four years What’s good? The smooth operation of this dinky 3/8in Facom ratchet is a delight, and the fact it has 72 teeth in the ratchet means it will...
Product Review: Holroyd Race-Tech tyre warmers
16 April 2014 by
Holroyd Race-Tech tyre warmers, £99 Time tested: Two years What’s good? Holroyd tyre warmers are certainly robust. Tyre warmers can really get put through it in the heat of a race weekend – torn off...
Product Review: Forcefield Tornado+ shirt
09 April 2014 by
Forcefield Tornado+ shirt, £50 Time tested: Three months/2000 miles What’s good? This windproof and thermal layer has been a brilliant addition to my winter riding kit this winter and hugely...
Product Review: Arlen Ness 5908 leather suit
09 April 2014 by
Arlen Ness 5908 leather suit, £395 (new old stock) Time tested: 5 years What’s good? It is with great regret that I call time on this – my favourite leather suit ever. I got the smallest size I could...
Product Review: HJC RPHA10+ Carbon helmet
09 April 2014 by
HJC RPHA10+ Carbon helmet, £399.99 Time tested: Six months/2000 miles What’s good? HJC’s top-of-the-range sports helmet boasts a carbon-fibre shell, keeping it light, and it’s the most comfortable...
Product Review: Alpinestars Toucan GTX boots
09 April 2014 by
Alpinestars Toucan GTX boots, £349.99 Time tested: One year, 10,000 miles What’s good? These bad-boys are tough, robust and waterproof thanks to a Gore-Tex membrane - exactly what you want from an...
Product Review: Laser Fuel Transfer Hose
09 April 2014 by
Laser Fuel Transfer Hose, £15 Time tested: Six months What’s good? Anyone who has ever tried to siphon fuel by sucking on a length of hose (do your own jokes) will know that it leaves a rather...
Product Review: Racer Stratos Gore-Tex X-Trafit
01 April 2014 by
Racer Stratos Gore-Tex X-Trafit, £139.99 Time tested: 4000 miles / eight months What’s good? Gloves are an essential piece of riding kit; dare I say that their comfort is even more crucial for me than...
Product Review: Interphone iLink Bluetooth adapter
01 April 2014 by
Interphone iLink Bluetooth Adapter, £53.99 Time Tested: Two years What's good? Like many people I have an iPol with all my music on, but mine doesn not come with Bluetooth. I have a crash helmet with...
Product Review: Oxford Aquatex bike cover
01 April 2014 by
Oxford Aquatex bike cover, £25 Time tested: Eight years at least What’s good? I use this outdoor cover when my own 1998 Honda CBR600F-W is stored in my garage during the times when I have use...
Product Review: EDZ Innershell shirt
01 April 2014 by
EDZ Innershell shirt, £50 Time tested: Three years/3000 miles What’s good? This super-thin inner liner goes with me almost everywhere I ride. Thanks to its tiny dimensions when rolled up, and minimal...
Product Review: Overboard large phone case
01 April 2014 by
Overboard large phone case, £13.29 Time tested: Two months, 4700 miles What’s good? I’ve been using Overboard products for around five years and they don’t disappoint. Rucksacks, map cases, dry...
Product Review: Draggin' K-Legs
25 March 2014 by
Draggin' K-Legs, £159.99 Time tested: Four months/400 miles What’s good? For shorter trips where I absolutely need to wear my regular jeans, these Kevlar and Dyneema lined long-johns are excellent.
Product Review:Dainese Avro Div Lady two-piece suit
25 March 2014 by
Dainese Avro Div Lady two-piece suit, £694.99 Time tested: Four years What’s good? In terms of surviving everyday wear and tear, this is one robust, well-built suit. It’s done touring, commuting and...
Product Review: Shark Race-R Pro Carbon
25 March 2014 by
Shark Race-R Pro Carbon, £499.99 Time tested: Three months / 3,500 miles What’s good? I’m not known for swapping helmet brands on a regular basis, but after nearly 20 years exclusively wearing one...
Product Review: Keis heated jacket and gloves
25 March 2014 by
Keis heated jacket and gloves, £169.99 and £149.99 Time tested: Four months/3000 miles What’s good? I hate bulky gear in winter. That annoying, sweaty, claustrophobic feeling after 20 minutes of...
Product Review: Bering Brannigan leather jacket
18 March 2014 by
Bering Brannigan leather jacket, £359.99 Time tested: Six months/2000 miles What’s good? I absolutely adore this jacket. The vintage styling of the leather – 1.5mm cowhide - harks back to the trendy...
Product Review: Dainese D-Air Racing suit
18 March 2014 by
Dainese D-Air Racing suit, £2409.99-£3239.99 Time tested: One year/2000 miles What’s good? This is a one-piece racing suit, with an electronically-activated airbag that is inflated in the event of a...