Parts & accessories (Jan - Dec 2013)

FastPack Tail Bag, $69.99 (approx. £58.35 including import tax and shipping) Time tested: 8000 miles/ 8 months What’s good? Some of the best ideas are the simplest ones. This tail pack simply fits...

Gear Gremlin Hurricane lock and chain, £25.99 and Nimrod lock and chain £54.99 Time: Nine months What’s good? Both locks offer a good, visible deterrent. The Nimrod is a lot sturdier than the...

Clymer Honda CBR600F manual, £23.45 Time tested: Two years What’s good? I have seen many experienced and professional mechanics at work in my MCN working life. I am nothing like these people. For me...

Oxford Products Stormex Bike Cover (medium), £69.99 Time tested: Nine months What’s good? The cover has a soft inner lining which is kind to the bike it’s protecting. It slides over the bike pretty...

Ammo Nitro Power bike cleaner, £5.99 Time tested: One month, three cleans What’s good? It’s a spray-on, scrub and rinse off bike cleaner that leaves a satisfying sheen on a bike once it’s done, and...

Forcefield Base Layer shirt and pants, £55 (shirt), £33 (pants) Time tested: Six months/5500 miles What’s good? The benefit of a decent baselayer is something that can barely be appreciated until you...

Halvarssons Shield L2 back protector, £119 Time tested:  Six months What’s good? I always make sure my daily riding gear has back protection built-in as I find it less bothersome than having to...

Austin Vince, Mondo Sahara, £18.50 Time tested: 1h 31min What’s good? From the moment the soundtrack kicks in – a mix of spaghetti western and Arctic Monkeys at their most whimsical – this filmic...

SDoc100 Chain Cleaner, from £10 Time tested: one application What’s good? I recently gave my bike a ‘big clean’ in readiness for winter proofing and needed to give the chain a going over. I’ve used...

Oxford Tyre Gauge Pro, £19.99 Tested for: Two years What’s good? Investing in a decent tyre pressure gauge has encouraged me to save money in two ways – firstly, it’s made sure I don’t lose the thing...

Osram Night Breaker Unlimited bulbs, £24.99 Time tested: 300 miles/2 weeks What’s good? With winter setting in, and me still not being too experienced as a rider, I was after some brighter bulbs to...

Telferizer sat-nav mount Time tested: 2000 miles/ four months What’s good? The flexibility of being able to mount a sat-nav in seconds, and remove it again in just as short a time, means I can choose...

ABBA Superbike Stand, £91.95 (stand) + £18.50 (fitting kit) Time tested: Four years What’s good? The first time I saw an ABBA stand in use was a real surprise. Not only was the action of lifting the...

Oxford Boss Alarm disc lock, £74.99 Time tested: Five months What’s good?  Bright, chunky and clearly marked as alarmed, this ticks all the boxes as a visible deterrent for thieves, and with its...

Clarke Mechanic’s chair, £26.99 Time used: 2013 racing season What’s good? This has got to be one of the best racing accessories I own – so much so that when I asked someone to pack it in a van for a...

Alpinestars Roving Backpack, £74.99 Time tested: 2000 miles/four months What’s good? It’s compact enough to cause no interference while riding, yet just about big enough for the essentials on the...

The Triumph Bonneville Bible, £35 Time tested: Three months What's good? The world probably doesn’t need A N Other book on Triumph Bonnevilles, but this fell on my desk at the right time (I was...

Draper Lockwire pliers, £28.95 Time tested: Over four years What’s good? Manufactured from chrome vanadium steel, you’d have to be a certified heathen to break these Draper lockwire pliers. They’ll...

Givi V47 top box, £225 and adaptor plate £115.14 Miles covered/time: 3500 miles/6 months What’s good? Top boxes never make a bike look really cool, but they are so bloody practical. They save running...

SDoc100 Technical Fabric and Leather Wash, £9.99 for 250ml Time tested: One wash What’s good? I was disgusted and embarrassed when I realised how filthy my Alpinestars summer riding jacket had...

Ortlieb Moto 49-litre rollbag, £74.70 Time tested:  3500 miles/four months What’s good? I don’t think I’ll ever need another bag again. This rollbag from Ortlieb is absolutely cavernous and no...

Pass the Bike Test (and be a great rider too!), by Sean Hayes & Rupert Paul, £10.99 Time tested: Four months What’s good? One thing that studying for my bike test has taught me is that the test...

Alpinestars Magnesium Toe-sliders, £11.95 Time tested: 5,000 miles / 3 months What’s good? Until recently I’ve been doing a good job of keeping my tootsies proud of the road surface, thanks to many...

Ultra Shine Wash £5.99 (500ml) Time Tested: three washes What's good? Spray it on, wipe it off, grab a micocloth and give the bike a buff. There's no water or any other product involved. And to me...

Storm Buff neckwarmer, £28.99 Time tested: 8000 miles/three years What’s good? Even the depths of a British winter can’t combat this tough Buff neckwarmer, with its combination of Gore Windstopper...

Ugly Fish sunglasses Price: £39.99 Time tested: 3000 miles, three months What’s good? I wanted to wear shades when I rode Route 66 in America. I tried a few different pairs before choosing these. A...

Furygan Phantom rucksack, £99.95 Time tested: Three months/600 miles What’s good? I chose this rucksack because of its generous laptop pocket. It’s got a deep, well-padded pouch that holds two...

Ion Air Pro 2 video camera: £299.99 Time used: Six months What’s good? I’ve been using this to create footage for MCN videos and long termer blogs. It’s a solid, well-made waterproof unit and very...

VentureShield paint protection film, £120 (£220 fitted) Time tested: Four months/1000 miles What’s good? VentureShield is a transparent, barely visible vinyl wrap designed to protect bodywork from...

Gunson thread gauge, £9 Time tested: 12 months What's good? I'm (still) working through an old Kawasaki KR-1S, fixing the bodges I made 20 years ago and replacing the worst of the abuse. Before I...

Bags Connection Baracuda 30 litre rucksack, £108.36 Time tested: 400 miles/two months What’s good? Sublime build quality with thick, lined nylon, 100% waterproof (even the zipped external pocket) and...

Oxford Aqua50, £59.99 Time tested: 500 miles/one month What’s good? The Aqua50 - the 50 designating its 50-litre capacity, is one of a new range of simple, 'roll-top' bags from Oxford designed to...

Held Moto-Flash rucksack, £69.99 Time tested: 2000 miles/two months What’s good? There’s loads of space – 30-40 litres – and the roll top means I’m not as limited as I would be with a zip closure.

Bags-Connection Quick Lock Evo Daypack with Quick Lock Evo tankring, £105 Time tested: One month/ 1200 miles What’s good? I tried a Ducati official tankbag for my Multistrada 1200, but it was too tall...