Say you are the most legendary roadracer active in the sport today. You are a global favourite. There are suppliers falling over themselves to get you to wear their clothes, riding suits, boots and helmets. Last year’s – maybe even last week’s – helmet is old news. Devoted fans are going to want to wear a replica. What to do? You do the same thing that NHL teams do with uniforms – keep making new special versions. For Rossi’s new look, how about a snow globe? Amid the gearing up and practices that will inevitably lead to the start of the 2017 MotoGP season, Valintino Rossi’s helmet sponsor has revealed his new helmet design – a wintery depiction of Rossi home town Tavullia within a snow globe – although how one would paint the transparent glass of a snow globe is a bit of a mystery. The helmet is the “Winter Test” edition although the nearest snow to the winter test sessions that are taking place in Malaysia would be a 1000 miles away. Like any good snow globe there are little messages inside for those in the know.
Beneath all the fancy paint the AGV helmet does have some interesting features including a internal hydration system that allows for fluids (florescent yellow Gatorade?) on the go.
You may not have even seen the Africa Twin you have on order from your local Honda dealer and it seems as though much if not all of Canada’s allotment of the big new adventure bike have been spoken for, you can however start planning your aftermarket goodies. If a recent ride on a little Honda CB500X with an aftermarket Hindle pipe is any indication of the improvement to the visceral feel of a motorcycle is any indication, putting some brand of aftermarket pipe would do similar wonderful things to the Africa Twin’s sound system. Akrapovic is out of the gate with titanium slip on system. Attempting to make their point the company claims: Akrapovič’s sound engineers have created a deeper more enriching sound for the Slip-On Line, which uses the best characteristics of the Honda’s 270° twin-cylinder engine. Enhancing the engine’s pulsating beat, the Slip-On Line will deliver a rewarding and enjoyable feeling no matter what landscape the rider is tackling. This beautiful and rewarding exhaust is a simple plug-and-play easy installation – without any need for remapping – and comes with full instructions.
You had us at “beautiful and rewarding” but really sold it with “plug and play”.
Before Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta was in a tear-jerker about a teenager who had to live in a plastic bubble. It was far larger that the plastic bike bubble called the Bike Capsule in which you can store your motorcycle with nothing touching it but the ground. The company CarCapsule states that the bubble will protect your machine from “dings, dirt, dust, corrosion, mildew, musty odors, rust, rodents, and even fingerprints” (none of which John Travolta would have like to have within his bubble either). It does not claim that you can either 1: pick-up up the entire unit, shake it and have snow flakes floating around, or 2: fill it with water and add goldfish. However if you wish to admire your bike while it is stored for the winter this may be the way to go.
This fellow has pockets! The pockets are courtesy of Indian Motorcycles’ new apparel line. Clothing is a big business in the motorcycle world so the size and breadth of the collection is not a surprise. Included in the fashions are new t-shirts in the “Mark Wahlberg” collection ( perhaps he will sport one in Ted 2) and new nostalgia style sweaters in the “Munro” collection aka World’s Fastest Indian. Shop away on the Indian Motorcycles website. Pockets!
When Harley-Davidson pulled the plug on the man who lived by the “mass centralization” mantra it was a sad moment. Buell Motorcycles until that fateful day seemed to have been relentlessly driven forward by the will of Eric Buell himself. The Thunderbolt, the X1, the Ulysses and finally the more modern 1125 bikes were all unique products – perhaps even a little too unique. Eric Buell’s drive to build motorcycles didn’t end with his relationship with Harley-Davidson but was reborn under the EBR Motorcycles moniker – with financial support from India’s Hero Motorcycles – as he again began building both street and race motorcycles. Sadly yet again, Erik Buell faces another challenge now it has been reported that EBR has closed its doors. Is this last we will see of Erik Buell? Doubtful. A man with this kind of passion for motorcycles isn’t going to just walk away.
What a lid worn by Ben Young at the Circuit of the Americas this past weekend in a support race for the MotoGP event. Aboard a RoadRace Factory prepared Yamaha R6, Ben placed 4th (a double double?) in his MotoAmerica Supersport race. Amid sprinkles (presumably the water kind rather than the multi-coloured candy kind), torrential rain and almost zero visibility Ben rolled up rim and bear clawed his way from a starting grid position of 10th to finish with points. The helmet that is so intriguing is a Bell painted to represent a cup of Tim Hortons coffee. That is about as Canadian as it gets. Way to go Ben! Where can the rest of us get one of those?
If you were in Chicago back in February and visited the big motorcycle show you could have jumped on a motorcycle, put a big goggle thing on your head and ridden to Sturgis courtesy of Victory Motorcycles and Oculus – a VR developer. Yes, virtual reality is here – kind of…. With the help of headphones playing motorcycle noises and tactile sensors – or as we would probably refer to them “vibratin’ whatchamacallits” – attached to the stationary but leaning Victory Gunner you could ride to a simulated Sturgis. Unlike actual Sturgis there doesn’t seem to be any traffic on the road making it seem more like wishful thinking reality but it does allow for virtual speed and acceleration. The scenery doesn’t look up to par but what the heck, it is the ride that counts. There is no word on whether there will be a follow-up featuring a virtual hangover and really expensive virtual hotel rooms. According to the video it is more fun than a barrel of virtual monkeys …..
Another way to look after that striking mug of yours.
Here is a interesting product takes the idea of face masks to another level. Forget the fearsome skulls, zombies and giant teeth prints found on many neoprene face masks (why are there no happy faces, penguins or Minions from Despicable Me?). If those aren’t your style now you are in luck – go leather, go vintage and certainly go …. different. The company is Boken and their handmade leather masks are sure to get as much attention as a manically grinning zombie. Classic on the outside, supple on the inside with a mesh to stop the bird feathers and such. There seems to be three styles available and they are all just a little different.
The company’s website is www.boken-style.com
Keeping Canadian riders informed and entertained since 1980.
Say you are the most legendary roadracer active in the sport today. You are a global favourite. There are suppliers falling over themselves to get you to wear their clothes, riding suits, boots and helmets. Last year’s – maybe even last week’s – helmet is old news. Devoted fans are going to want to wear a replica. What to do? You do the same thing that NHL teams do with uniforms – keep making new special versions. For Rossi’s new look, how about a snow globe? Amid the gearing up and practices that will inevitably lead to the start of the 2017 
MotoGP season, Valintino Rossi’s helmet sponsor has revealed his new helmet design – a wintery depiction of Rossi home town Tavullia within a snow globe – although how one would paint the transparent glass of a snow globe is a bit of a mystery. The helmet is the “Winter Test” edition although the nearest snow to the winter test sessions that are taking place in Malaysia would be a 1000 miles away. Like any good snow globe there are little messages inside for those in the know. 
You may not have even seen the Africa Twin you have on order from your local Honda dealer and it seems as though much if not all of Canada’s allotment of the big new adventure bike have been spoken for, you can however start planning your aftermarket goodies. If a recent ride on a little Honda CB500X with an aftermarket Hindle pipe is any indication of the improvement to the visceral feel of a motorcycle is any indication, putting some brand of aftermarket pipe would do similar wonderful things to the Africa Twin’s sound system. Akrapovic is out of the gate with titanium slip on system. Attempting to make their point the company claims:
