Gear- Back/ Knee protection

When it comes to gear, often overlooked are a back protector and some sort of protection for the knees/ shins, when one is not wearing riding pants. When it comes to jackets/ pants and overall protective gear- I love the stuff put out by Dainese. It is well made (most of the time), provides great protection and just fits well, at least for me/ my medium build.

For back protection, I have the Wave Air protector. It fits nicely underneath jackets, covers the full length of the spine and is built in pieces so it moves with you, so as not to restrict your movement. Luckily (knock on wood), I have not road tested it, but seems like it would do the job. One issue I'm having with it after owning it for a couple of years is that the velcro is starting to wear out. So either I need to lose* or gain weight so I can close it at a different spot.

For knees/ shins, when I'm not wearing riding pants, I usually wear the Dainese Knee - V Protector underneath jeans (and I know, people say it's overkill, but hey, I kinda like my knees, no matter how knobby). These are made of hard plastic with padding underneath and three straps, one above the knee and two around the calf. Compared to what other manufacturers (Icon/ AlpineStars) offer, these are pretty streamlined, cover top of the knee and the shin and fit very nicely under jeans- inside boots without sticking out or being overly bulky.

*Really not gonna happen

And here are the pics

Fall riding

Have not had much of a chance to ride in the few weeks - gotta work as well to pay for the toys. We got a couple of dry, sunny days last week to took the 796 out as riding days in the NW are now numbered. Went west of Portland to one of the well know motorcycling roads and had a blast. Roads were still clear(can't say that after this weekend), weather in the 70's and hardly any traffic. Went down a side road into a camp ground and took some pics.





What roads looked like today.

Gear- Helmets

Pouring outside, so no riding today, instead some more gear reviews. This time it’s the helmets. I have two that I end up wearing most of the time - an Arai Vector and a Scorpion EXO 400. I bought the Scorpion about three years ago and have had the Arai for a little over a year now. The Scorpion, cost me about $160 and has been a great lid. It fits well, the lining can be taken out - so when I sweat and stink it up, I can just take it out and throw it in the washer (cold water and air dry). It is also not very heavy, hardly ever any fogging on the shield and most of all, it is really stable at high speeds, i.e. no bobbing of the head due to the wind. The other really positive thing about this is how easy it is to change the shield - just twist the shield holder on the side and it pops out. That said, I usually just have the tinted shield on this one and use it when it's sunny/ when I'm not expecting to ride in the dark, etc. In the three years I have had it, I have had no issues with it, other than the snap on the strap that melted because I hung it from my foot peg and it touched the hot exhaust - so completely my fault. Now the Arai. Cost about $400. The positives - great fit; a little more comfortable than the Scorpion, but I don't know I that is good or bad - helmets are supposed to be super snug. It is very "pretty" :), paint job on it is amazing, colors just pop. Venting is good so you get good airflow, however, it can get cold when the temps drop. The negatives (or as we say in the biz world, "areas of improvement"). It would be nice if I could take the liner out; even though the shield has air vents, it does not prevent it from fogging; noticeable headshake at speed and worst of all, changing the shield is a pain (that is why I only have a clear shield on it and wear it in the evening/ cloudy days, etc.). Also, in the year and a half, the side-pods that go over the shield have broken twice, for no reason whatsoever, i.e. I was not changing shields, taking it off or anything- it just broke off - the strap also frayed bad enough that I could not snap it shut. Now that said, Arai's customer service has been amazing. They have replaced the side pod twice and fixed the strap as well (although I had to send in the helmet for that to be done), but it was all very easy, I contacted them via email, they replied within a day and fixed the problem. But should the helmet really have had these issues in the first place?!? oh well. Needless to say, of the two, I would say I end up wearing the Scorpion about 70% of the time.

weekend rides..

Weather in the Pacific Northwest is unpredictable, especially in the fall and spring seasons, one day it can be beautiful, sunny, temps in the 80's and the next day it is raining (sometimes, snowing/ hailing) with a high of 50. And I am not fond of riding in the rain - I mean, what is the point of riding, when you are slipping and sliding around on the street.

Well, that is what the last week has been like- great during the week and cloudy and somewhat on the cooler side on the weekends. I did, however, get out for a ride or two. Took the 848 out, better wind protection, plus I have been neglecting it a bit since I got the 796 and was missing it. Great ride out in wine country and the bike just felt great, focused, power on demand and it just felt very connected.

I also continue to notice the differences . The seat, the 848 just has a plank after spending a few hours on it, the 796 feels plush- I would also say the same for the suspension, monster is akin to a grand tourer, it just soaks up the imperfections in the road and is much, much more forgiving on the family jewels. Both bikes have their pluses and minuses but again both are super fun machines.







Can't be a post without a Monster photo :)