The Business! Must-Have Gear for You And Your Motorbike
Scorpion EX0-900
Helmet
By
Ben Friedman
The brown box was moving at maybe12 mph as it careened into my middle aged
Buddha gut and fell to the pavement. “Your new brain bucket, Grasshopper” came
the booming vocal of six foot something Mike Seate doing his best Kung Fu
instructor imitation. We were on our way to one of the most revered and
possibly the most challenging stretches of pavement in America:The Dragons Tail. (go ahead. Take this
opportunity to make a gong sound) Being a sentimental retro kind of guy, I had
brought along my dad’s old 1970’s Gant, red, white, and blue, Easy Rider
helmet. It looks cool and has a combination ventilation, and storage compartment.
It works like this, the faster you go the more the helmet rises up off your
head and creates room for a small pet and allows a swirling mass of wind that
thunders across what’s left of your hair. Having a wife and kids back home I
opted to wear something that could save my life or at least give the undertaker
a face to work with. So, out of the box came the 4 pound 2 once Scorpion
EXO-900 Transformer Helmet. Giving it the once over, I noticed more widgets
that go up and down than a mattress sees on prom night. Man oh man how high
tech we have become. This thing is the Unabomber’s worst nightmare. And there
it sat tightly strapped to my grape. I found the fit to be nice and snug and
the medium size I chose was dead on. There’s also the patented Airfit pump
system built into the helmet so you can customize the cheek pads and neck
cover. The Scorpion ExO-900 is a modular helmet which means that it transforms
into a couple of different styles. These buckets have become popular with the
sport/ touring crowd and also the folks with fairings who like a ¾ helmet. Like
I mentioned earlier, these helmets had never been my style until the
Transformer 900 transformed me. I really became a fan of the flip up chin
guard. For instance, when we stopped to have a quick chat about the views,
speed, our cycles, and chicks, my friends all had to take their helmets on and
off while all I did was give a pull of a tab and within seconds my two cents
was heard. Ventilation was a must on this 80+ degree day, and even though the
ride was intense, not one drop of moisture formed on my head thanks to the
Scorpion’s washable Kwickwick material and front air vent. Quietly the dragon’s
breath rolled into the helmet and the rear exhaust vent released the hot air
without a whimper. Visibility was excellent through the outside clear plastic
and don’t miss the habit forming push-button, helicopter pilot, tinted drop
down visor, hidden within the helmet I loved that stupid thing. I’d still be
playing with it, except my neighbor started giving me odd looks when I took the
garbage out in the helmet. We did run into a few rain showers at the end of the
day and my Scorpion started to fog a bit but it was my fault because I forgot
to open my mouth vent. Don’t follow my lead; put your gloves on and get to know
your equipment before the wheels start to turn.All this said, I’ve saved the best for last. I was able to ride
better in the Scorpion helmet because I simply felt safe. As we broke the ton
around sweeping turns on the way home, I never once was bothered by wind noise
or the old man thoughts of “if I lose it, my chin is gonna hurt !!!”
Considering all the features, and a price tag of less than 300 beans, the
Scorpion EXO-900 Transformer becomes one easy helmet buying decision that
doesn’t sting. I’ll wear mine any time I go hunting for dragon’s tails and so
should you.
Tough enough for road use...and domestic chores...
Real Garage Music
We've got a garage here at CR headquarters that's really nothing special. Room for about a dozen running and disassembled project bikes; a mini-fridge stocked to the ice cube trays with Boddingtons and a case of Iron City, which is actually good warm-weather beer. There's a 300-watt stereo in the narrow mud room adjacent to our little Man Cave that has four speakers hooked up, which is more than enough to create enough volume to hear some timeless, high-intensity rock and roll over the roar of motorcycle engines.
Though we keep our ears open for new sounds, lately, we've been gravitating back to a couple of the first early rock and roll records (that's MP3 to you digital-age youngsters out there!) we ever bought. Back in 1982, when we first heard the Stray Cats as part of the initial rockabilly revival that brought is acts like Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers, Shakin' Stevens and Robert Gordon, we also got busy delving into as many old and new rockabilly sounds as we could find. Pickin's were slim in them thar days, with radio ignoring rock and roll and MTV, well, what can we say good about MTV? Fortunately for us, we tracked down the two marvelous, floor-shakin' discs on your left, both of which are still, miraculously available. The first, "Why Don't You Just Rock," is by British neo-rockabilly trio Restless and has more energy and pluck than the Red Bull factory during a double production run. This is rock and roll as it was meant to be- raw, stripped-down and bereft of any pretensions. Plenty of slap bass and manic guitar riffs matched wit Mark Harmon's hiccupy vocals that truly sound a if they were recorded in 1957.
Of course Restless would not have thought of recreating 1957 if there hadn't been a 1957, a year that brought the world unforgettable acts like Little Richard. 25 of his original foot-stompin,' gospel-singer-from Hell hits recorded on the Specialty label are on offer on a single disc, and one listen to this will have you kneeling before the altar of boogie-woogie like a true believer. In a world of manufactured pop stars, Richard Penniman's soul-searing vocals, barn-burning back-up band and songwriting filled with more clever sexual innuendos than a whole season of "The Dean Martin Show" will make you wonder where it all went wrong. Click on either image for a quick link to sites where you can purchase these must-have discs. Buy both, Turn up the volume. Dance until you're sweaty. Repeat.
Triumph Lawford Jacket
The name Lawford brings to mind a cool Rat Pack guy who could handle his booze and his women with equal aplomb, but more recently, it's been used for this unbelievably stylish jacket from Triumph. A classic, three-quarter length motorcycle jacket cut in the same vein as the timeless Barbour coat and the Belstaff Trialmaster, the Lawford, however, is made from 1mm antique-look leather, with a nice, chocolate brown tone that almost looks like something from that was designed in the 1950s. Four snap-shut outside pockets handle anything from maps to extra gloves or an iPod while inside, there's CE-approved elbow and shoulder armor for safety and a zip-out liner for those cold, foggy mornings. The Lawford can zip into a pair of Triumph's riding pants and even comes equipped for a neck-warmer if need be. A good-looking, functional piece of kit that can serve as year-round riding gear, we tried this baby out in both rain and dry and it's airtight, fits well and looks, well, the business. Available in U.S. sizes 38 to 56 for $449.95 from www.pure-triumph.com
Classic styling with modern protection- Triumph's lawford jacket is the real deal.
Clean face or face shield, just add water.
Bikemaster Compact Towelettes
OK, how many times have you started out on a ride on a beautiful, sunny day only to find that after 30 minutes in the saddle, your goggles or face shield resembles a close-up from one of those bad, insect fear films of the 1960s. Sure, some of us enjoy riding around with greasy green bug-splat covering our faces, headlights and bodies, but not the crew at Cafe Racer. When Ma Nature decides to lay one of her abstract paintings all over our person, we turn to what has to be the coolest new product we've seen in some time; Bikemaster's compact towelettes may sound like a feminine hygiene product for lady bikers, but dig on this: these tiny, nickel-sized discs are actually compressed, full-sized towels. Dunked or dribbled with a small amount of water, and they unravel into large, 9x14" clean, durable towels that are capable of wiping away everything from spilled Marmite (I know- our taste buds have suffered from decades of cheap cigars and even cheaper scotch) to suicidal grasshoppers and even dried-on road grime. A pair of ten-pack tubes of these babies fits inside even the smallest on-bike storage spaces and sells for just $10.95 at most bike shops. One ride through a gnat gathering in mid-summer and they've paid for themselves.
Tourmaster Coaster II Jacket
Like many folks who've been riding for more than a few years, we here at CR tend to find ourselves favoring the same-old, same-old when it comes to riding gear, choosing the timeworn leathers we've grabbed from the closet for every ride. manufacturers are often kind enough to lay some new gear on us which he tend to sit on until the old stuff is so worn, it wouldn't protect us from a fall from a barstool. Such was the case with the Coaster II Jacket we hooked up from the good people at Tourmaster. Facing a long, hot weekend's test ride in New York, we knew a traditional leather jacket could leave us overheated and weeping sweat. However, I've still not grown to fully trust textile riding gear as much as we probably should. The Coaster, which is well-ventilated thanks to six large, zippered vents on both the sleeves, chest and back section, proved the perfect fit. Tourmaster also manufactures a fully-perforated version of the Coaster II called the Coaster Air which is perfect for city riding and those days when the mercury rockets to the stratosphere, but you still need to ride. A convenient inside breast pocket held cell phone and keys, while two outer pockets held all other essentials while not creating those uncomfortable bulges against the belly frequently found on other riding jackets. The leather is soft to the touch with a cool, matt black finish which bends well with the body despite its 1.2mm to 1.3mm thickness. Padded back, shoulders and elbows provide a sense of security, though this is soft, street-level padding, not the sort of stuff I'd trust on a racetrack. If there was one complaint it was with the main zipper which requires a strong pull to engage during the first few wearings, but after that, it's all smooth sailing. Available with brown, off-white of black-on-black detailing for about $230 from www.tourmaster.com
Joker Machine Clutch Upgrades
Out in California, where they know a thing or two about custom motorcycles, Joker machines, a fine purveyor of custom bits for your Hinckley Triumph Thruxton and Bonneville, is offering up a smart-looking and purposeful billet aluminum bracket that's designed to refine your stock Triumph's looks and improve overall clutch action. According to Joker machine, their part, which retails for just $49.95...
Eliminates
the stock semi-flexible "stamped out" steel bracket.
CNC
Milled out of a block of 6061-T6 billet aluminum, which gives it superior
rigidity over the stock piece, which makes for more solid clutch
actuation.
Cool
"Gold Tone" alloy mounting hardware is included.
Available
in your choice of our "HARD BLACK" or clear anodized finishes.
Easily
installs in a matter of minutes.
MODEL
FITMENT: Late model Bonneville, T100, and Thruxton 865cc motors.
Check out www.jokermachine,com or call (909) 596-9690
Warm, dry and cheap- all the things we want in a beer and winter riding gear.
Under Armour- The World’s Best Non-Motorcycling Motorcycle Gear
Back in the old days, grizzled biking veterans tell us they used to stuff their leathers with wadded-up newspaper to ward off the worst effects of Old man Winter. Today, technology has made life in the wind more bearable with concepts like electrically-controlled riding gear and heated grips, but we’ve found the best way to stay warm is one of the simplest. A friend who played some college football hepped us to the wonders of Under Armour, a line of garments that may not have been designed with the motorcyclist in mind, but sure seems that way. These pants, socks and shirts come in both short and long sleeve versions and are made from some crazy new polyester micro-fiber that somehow manages to wick moisture away from the skin while keeping a rider dry at the same time. That means you can slip on a set of Under Armour gear and get aggressive on a track day and not end up with sweat-soaked leathers or ride in confidence on days when the Mercury dips without shivering like Rush Limbaugh on a guided tour of the Oxy Contin factory. Best of all, this stuff can be found cheap at discount clothing stores and sporting goods outlets and they even make a nifty skull cap that can prevent your helmet smelling like the laundry bin in the Pittsburgh Steeler’s locker room on a hot day.
The Business!
There’s enough choice gear on the market
these days to have a rider shopping like it’s Christmas Eve at Wal-Mart.
However, finding items that are genuinely choice is a tough job what without
first paying and testing them yourself. Well, relax, dear reader. The crew here
at Café Racer have taken up the challenge of trying out all the
best naked bike gear and accessories and passing along the inside skinny on
what works and what doesn’t. See you in the passing lane!
Race Tech Vintage Shocks
The stock shocks on most vintage Britbikes
will be as sloppy as the crowd at a Grateful Dead concert by now and in
desperate need of replacement. Corona, California’s Race Tech offers complete
bolt on shocks most bikes on the vintage scne, whether we’re talking European,
Japanese, American or British. Available in several feature levels from a
standard emulsion-type unit to models with full, race-ready damping
adjustments, you can also order shocks with custom ride-height adjustments. The
shocks will do far more to improve your ride than a loud exhaust and they come
equipped with a custom spring rate to suit the rider’s physique. The units are
modular so they can be upgraded with additional features such as damping
clickers, reservoirs, and even stiffer springs if you put on a few extra LBS
over the years.
These non-reservoir emulsion-type units run
about $699.99 per pair (costs can run as high as $1,299 depending on how
high-end your tastes and riding style) and are adjustable only for spring
preload. They were installed on our Project Road Atlas 650 Norton and come
complete with steel bodies and were custom built with custom spring rates to
suit our Guinness and burger-lovin’ frames! Fully rebuildable, fully
upgradable, and made in the USA.
Alain Bernard has always dug British bikes and harbored a
desire to build a chassis that combined the massive, big inch American V-Twin
engines he works with at his Gibsonton, Florida custom shop, Santiago Choppers,
with the sharp-steering and steady handling of the café racers he grow up
riding in his native France. Well, viola, as the French say- Alain has done it
again with a Big Twin chassis that looks, rides and handles like a classic café
racer. The frame, dubbed Café 1958, is available for $2,495 and will accept a
builder’s choice of front ends and wheels. It will accept everything from a Rev
Tech big twin engine to the thundering, 120 cubic inch neo-Panhead mill
featured here and features dual shock rear suspension mounts and a swingarm
wide enough to accept radial tires and disc brakes.
Contact:
Santiago Choppers
(813) 671-9097
www.santiagochopper.com
Adjustable Clubman Handlebars
Leave it to those crafty, ingenious Swedes to come up with a
solution to the limited ergonomics of the average set of Clubman handlebars.
These beefy, well-constructed bars hail from the engineering mastermind Sivert
Raask and are 220 mm between the stout, allen-head adjuster points. The bars
swivel independently to allow custom set-ups to suit your particular
motorcycle, riding style or type of lower back pain….
Made from high density chromed steel, these 7/8” diameter
babies are a great Leap Forward in café handlebar design offering an
alternative to the radical demands of traditional clip-ons, while allowing
freedom of adjustment in several planes at once. Better yet, no need to travel
to Sweden for a set of your own-Omar’s Rersets in Minnesota is offering Raask Adjustable
Clubman’s domestically for just $145 per set.
Contact:
Robert Ward of Omar's DTR www.omarsdtr.com
(925) 429-6277
Race Tech Vintage Shocks - Let Your Classic or Modern Cafe Corner Like a God!
At last, a cafe racer style chassis built to suit Harley-Davidson and other American Big Twin engines from Florida's Santiago Choppers.
Omar's adjustable Clubman bars take the pain out of Ton-Up riding.
Own a cafe racer or spotted one you think should be on display on our Website? Send us an e-mail (jpegs only and no larger than 4 MB each) to rockersrule@caferacermag.com and we'll check it out. All images are sole property of caferacermag.com except in cases where we stole them from someone else. Reproduce them and we will ride noisy motorcycles to your home and drink all your beer. Hic. Burp!
