Arctic Adventure

I've been resting and relaxing in Atlanta the past week with the Boss (Mona) and not posting. Tonight is the last night of my Arctic Adventure. The Boss and I drove from Atlanta to DC and are having dinner with a old friend. I'll arrive back in Philly tomorrow - 32 days since the beginning of the adventure.

What do we live for; if not to make life less difficult for others. - George Eliot

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Forcefield Armor is Here

Since Forcefield landed in the US market in 1999, their protective gear has started to gather serious steam. And the reason is simple: Forcefield creates the most innovative and technologically-advanced armor on the market. With their roots in equestrian protection all the way through to their newest venture into the motorcycle armor world, their protection is proven to keep you safer than the competitors. At RevZilla, we're proud to have brought this product into our lineup.

With a lot of armor available on the market, only the actual impact areas will be CE approved. That is to say, in a back piece, only the back will be CE rated; in Forcefield armor, every single item used to manufacture the product is CE approved. From the straps to the rivets to the lining to the armor itself, it is all CE-rated. This stuff withstands the test of time, bottom line.

Another aspect of Forcefield that sets it apart is its ability to withstand repeated impacts. In other words, you crash once in this gear and its not "bye-bye old armor, time to buy something new." Instead of using technology that absorbs the blow of an impact and crushes, rendering it unusable, Forcefield's Armourflex engineering basically slows the rate at which the impact is transferred to the rider, minimizing the damage, rather than directly absorbing all the blow. The energy is slowed and dispersed, and the harm to the rider and armor is minimized.

The Forcefield gear is comfortable as well. Every piece of armor, from limb tubes to strap on protectors, is lined in the area that contacts your body with BeCool™ fabric. This polyamide fiber offers breathability and comfort superior to basic lining. It's essentially constructed with a four-channelled thread weave that creates a surface area 3x greater than cotton. In layman's terms, the fabric forces hot and humid air from your skin and through the membrane while letting cool and dry air circulate from outside through the fabric and to your skin. Again, this is next-level.

In 2005, RIDE Magazine selected the Forcefield Pro Sub 4 back protector as a "Best Buy." The Pro Sub 4 transmits a mere 3.38 kN of energy to the body, a staggering number when you consider that the CE requirement for back protection is less than 9 kiloNewtons of energy transferred to the body. If you don't know, RIDE conducts rigorous tests when comparing products. To receive this designation, your apparel has to seriously hold up. Forcefield did. Their pro back protector alone, cuts the CE requirement in more than half. That's serious.

To compare with other products, visit the motorcycle protection and armor section of RevZilla.com.

Stay safe. Time after time.

-RetroZilla

Dainese Hellfire EVO Gloves: Stylish Sport Touring

At a reasonable price point of $159, the Dainese Hellfire EVO Glove is a remarkable contribution for the rider focused on sport riding and sport touring. Constructed from top-grain Italian leather and offering the protection of a full gauntlet, the Hellfire is an entry-level glove from Dainese but really falls into the mid-range of sport touring gloves in terms of how it stacks up to other manufacturers.

First thing's first: style. Dainese's leather motorcycle gear excels in this department with its classic Italian design. The leather is soft and the attention to detail is extraordinary. We all know The Doctor is wearing this brand. I think that's about the biggest endorsement you can get: the guy with 9 MotoGP championships swears by your brand.

Protection on this glove is paramount for a sport touring glove. You have injected temperfoam panels in the back of the hand and on the first knuckle. Thermoplastic Resin inserts protect the last three knuckles as well as the finger knuckles on the ring & little fingers. The pinky is wrapped and reinforced for protection in the event of a get-off. It's a helpful assist in the prevention of a bone dislocation or even break. Reinforced leather and padding lives in the first two fingers as well in the heel of the hand.

An elasticated wrist panel and a velcro adjustment strap ensures tight, proper fitting and maintains proper placement of hard parts. The single cuff velcro wrist closure is large enough to allow the jacket to be worn inside or outside of a jacket, depending on your style. The neoprene lining on the cuff provides a soft feel to the skin and features the Dainese logo. The smartly placed stitched Dainese logos round out this excellent sport touring motorcycle glove.

To compare this glove to its competitors, visit our motorcycle gloves section at RevZilla.com.

Also, don't miss the Dainese Womens Hellfire EVO Glove.

Ride in style.

-RetroZilla

Shoei Multitec Modular Helmet Review

As most people know by now, modular motorcycle helmets have taken the industry by storm in recent years. Interest in the Sport & ADV Touring and versatile gear continues to grow, and more and more manufacturers are rolling out their offerings in the modular market. Introduced in 2006, the Shoei Multitec Helmet continues to dominate the realm of modulars much like its predecessor, the Shoei Syncrotec, did.

As with every product Shoei releases, the Multitec has excellent aerodynamics, low wind noise, and superb airflow, especiall for a modular. With the same shell construction (Advanced Integrated Matrix) as the Shoei RF-1000 and Shoei X-11, the Shoei Multitec can offer all of the great features as those helmets: airflow designed to keep you cool and your shield fog-free, interchangeable cheek pads for accurate & snug sizing, and the QRBP system. The Quick Release Base Plate makes shield changes tool-less and simple; it also ensures a snug, air-tight fit. It's also one of the lightest modular helmets we carry at RevZilla.com, so there's no concern that long riding will result in discomfort.

The modular aspect of the helmet is on point as well. A large single button release lives on the chin of the helmet and is easily operable with or without a glove on. Pull up to a red light wanting some fresh air? Two seconds and the helmet is wide open.

This helmet, as with all modular helmets, is only DOT certified due to the hinge on the front. That eliminates the possibility of a Snell rating. However, the shell construction coupled with the liner system, ensures safety.

Check out the Multitec at RevZilla.com. It comes in 11 different colors and is reasonably priced for the quality that Shoei consistently delivers; they rarely disappoint.

-RetroZilla

REV'IT! Jerez Race-Level Glove Review

Turning to REV'IT! is always a good decision when you're on the hunt for track gear. MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet knows. So do MotoGP's Alvaro Bautista and BMW's Nate Kern. They are all wearing REV'IT! Jerez Gloves, the pro-level gauntlet offering from the Dutch manufacturer for this season.

The REV'IT Jerez Gloves utilize a combination of high-quality materials such as Superfabric (a ceramic material 14x more abrasion-resistant than Kevlar) and the always supple and tactile kangaroo and goat leathers. For protection, they utilize REVIT's proprietary dual-comp slider that's used in the REV'IT! Victory race suit. It is a honeycomb hard-part that's topped with an aluminum slider; it's utilized across the knuckles and at the side of the wrist for serious impact protection. TPU hard parts across the finger knuckles for protection, and breathable 3D mesh lining to wick moisture away from your hand and maintain a comfortable microclimate within the glove. Finally, the stitching. Every racer and trackday rider knows that the seams are what make and break motorcycle gear in the event of a crash. REVIT! Jerez gloves utilize external Kevlar safety stitching. After his crash, Nate Kern said that the seems were what most kept him from severe injury. He promptly called REVIT and asked them for another suit and gloves. That's a serious cosign.

Check out the REVIT Jerez Gloves to match up with the rest of your gear for your next race. A great feature set at a reasonable price point. Also, check out all of the motorcycle race gloves we carry at RevZilla.

Two wheels on the track..

-RetroZilla

Here are some related posts:

http://blog.revzilla.com/2010/03/revits-motogp-victory-suit-jerez-glove.html

http://blog.revzilla.com/2010/07/revzilla-interviews-nate-kern-at-njmp.html

http://blog.revzilla.com/2009/07/tex-mawby-gentleman-generous-tipper.html

Puma Desmo: Road Riding in Style

When you think Puma, the first thought that comes to mind is style. For years Puma has cemented their name in the world of athletic footwear as a high-performance and stylish manufacturer. Their recent dabbling into the world of motorcycle boots is no different. The Puma Desmo boots, available in a brand new color scheme, remain true to Puma's trend of creating standout products. 100% developed in-house at Puma, the same R&D went into these boots as all of their other standout products.

The Puma Desmo is a performance boot constructed to be versatile, durable, and stylish for the motorcycle rider who keeps it sport and street. The Desmo has impact protection features that compete with all high-end sport touring boots: internal nylon ankle cockpit; TPU shin, heel, forefoot, calf & toe protection; Zinc sliders on the toe and back of ankle; Flex inserts in the heel & forefoot; a rubber gear shifter; a comfort sock liner that is pre-molded and offers excellent vibration absorption; and finally, that superior Puma sole: high density and built for stability, grip and oil/abrasion resistance. Whew. That was a lot on the feature set. But these boots are really impressing us.

If you're a rider who focuses mostly on the sport road riding aspect of the motorcycle world, these boots are worth a good hard look. They go head-to-head with any of the high end road riding boots we carry at RevZilla.

And they surely aren't going to stay on the shelves for long, so take a look before they're all gone!

-RetroZilla

REV'IT! Victory Race Suit Video Review

Worn by the likes of Randy De Puniet & Alvaro Bautista in MotoGP, Simone Corsi in Moto2, and by RevZilla-sponsored BMW S1000RR Ambassador Nate Kern, the REV'IT! Victory Racing Suit is the mountaintop of REV'IT! suits. Loaded with a feature set that dazzles at a reasonable price point for a pro-level suit, the REV'IT Victory is a must-have for the serious trackday rider.

As you might already know by now, we had a chance to sit down with N8! and discuss a variety of race-related topics with him, one of which was the REVIT! Victory Suit. After crashing in the suit a few months back doing 120mph and being knocked unconscious, to say that Nate was impressed by the way the suit held up would be a massive understatement. From the external Aluminum/Honeycomb hard parts all the way down to the safety stitching and taped seams, the REVIT Victory Race Suit saved Kern from major injuries he could have suffered. Instead, a few weeks of recovery from the impact and Nate is back on the racetrack again! If that doesn't speak volumes about the quality of a product, I don't know what does. You can check out Nate's glowing endorsement of the suit by clicking here.

Quick feature breakdown: X-Lite Top-Grain 1.2-1.4mm Cowhide, ProLife CE Rated Armor, Dual-Comp Aluminum/Honeycomb Sliders, Dual-Compound Knee Sliders, Safety Stitching, Plumbed VCS Airflow Speed Hump with 3D Mesh AeroCool Liner, Safety Stitching.. and much more.

Check out the video above for all the details and a look at the suit that Nate Kern crashed in.

We like this suit. We think you will too.

-RetroZilla

Arctic Adventure

I’m ahead of schedule so I decided to take a small detour and see the Boss who’s currently in Atlanta for School.  I’m trying to get there asap so I haven’t been stopping for many pictures.

The one below is me helping out another rider (I forgot his name) who ran out of gas only a mile or so before his exit in North Dakota.  My spare gas can (2 gal) was full so I gave it to him.  He’s from Alberta, Canada and he’s off to tour the east coast of both, the US and Canada.

Today is my 22nd consecutive day of riding and I’ve covered about 10,000 miles so far.  The past few days have been uneventful, I’m just trying to cover as much ground as possible so I have as much time with the Boss as possible.  I’ve done 600+ miles for the past 4 days.  I’m tired, my body is aching all over and I’ve stopped listening to my music since I’ve heard all of it way too much by now.

My third skype interview is online if you haven’t seen it.  I’ll do one more skype interview next week and then a live, in studio one when I get back (should all go as planned).

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Sport & Street Summer Gear Picks

In the fifth installment of our 2010 Summer Gear Guide video series, we took a look at some of our favorite choices for the urban rider in the summertime.

From the subtle look of the Dainese Air 2 Jacket to the boldly aggressive graphics of the Icon Hooligan 2 Jacket, one factor remains constant: this gear will keep you cool. It's the gear for the guy on his Gixxer, ripping down the highway on one wheel. It's the gear for the R1 guy, hair on fire, tearing down the road in the summertime.

The Icon gear is top of the heap as far as aggressive style is concerned, and performs exceptionally well in hot weather. Slightly more subtle, the Alpinestars gear stays in line with the theme of aggressive riding, and performs great in the heat of summertime, offering that classic A-Stars look to match. Finally, the Dainese/REV'IT! combo outfit provides you with that sleek Euro look when you're doing some spirited riding of your Triumph or Ducati in the summer. All of this gear can also stretch out to the warmer parts of Spring & Fall.

Featured in this video are the following outfits:

Icon Hooligan 2 Mesh Jacket & Icon Arc Mesh Pants

Alpinestars T-RC 1 Air Flo Jacket & Alpinestars AST-1 Pants

Dainese Air 2 Jacket & REV'IT! Rotor Pants

Stay tuned for the next installment.

-RetroZilla

Summer Gear Guide for Touring Riders

Another installment in our Summer Gear Guide video series, part 6 focuses on RevZilla's picks for multi-season touring.

This gear is designed to get you through multiple seasons of ADV touring and all variants of weather, from dry heat to torrential downpours. It will feature enough ventilation to maintain the necessary airflow during the extreme heat of summertime, but with the use of removable liner systems, adds the versatility of waterproofing.

Every rider knows that summertime is the pinnacle of long touring rides. This is the gear we think is most suitable, due to its versatility, for the rider seeking multi-season apparel that is going to perform exceptionally in warm weather.

Don't miss the other six parts of our Summer Gear Guide video series over at RevZillaTV.

Outfits featured in this video:

Olympia Airglide 3 Jacket & Olympia Airglide 3 Pants

REV'IT! Sand Jacket & REV'IT! Sand Pants

Olympia AST Jacket & Olympia Airglide 3 Pants

Arctic Adventure

Among other boby parts, my hand and wrist are really starting to hurt, despite a liberal use of cruise control!

As most of you know I’m doing this ride not only for myself, but also to raise money and awareness for Native American women who are the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; and their children.

One use of the donations will be simply to provide a change of clothing for the women who’ve been sexually assaulted.  Often, being that most reservations are quite remote, the women who’ve been assaulted have to travel for hours just to get to a hospital for an exam and treatment.  Can you imagine not being able to shower or change for hours after being sexually assaulted?  And then having to put the same clothes back on to travel hours back home?  Our donations will provide a modicum of comfort to these women after the horrific trauma that’s been afflicted upon them.

As part of my effort to get the word out, I’ve been leave a trail of flyers behind that I printed before leaving.  Every time I stop to get gas or stay somewhere I try to drop one or two off so that random people find them and, hopefully, check out the blog.  Below are a few that I remembered to take pictures of (as well as a few random shots from the past few days).

Also, if you’ve been contemplating donating, nows a perfect time.  If you’ve been wondering, any amount works, $5 or $500 or anywhere in between.

My trip is getting close to it’s end.  I’ll need more than a few miracles if I’m gonna reach my goal of $10,370 - which is $1 per mile.

You can make a donation form my Arctic Adventure blog or directly at the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault's webpage.

How ‘bout it?

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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