My First Love is Dainese.....

A loyal fan of Dainese, Trish, posted this picture of herself and her husband on their wedding day to our Dainese Motorcycle Gear Facebook Fan Page. It was too great to pass up and our fan page went berserk. I shot her a line and she said I could post it here on our RevZilla blog.

Her caption was something along the lines of "I asked god for a crazy motorcycle racer, I guess Valentino must have been busy".... the best!

Long live the demon.

BoochZilla

2010 Gear: Sidi Fusion Boot

I love it when brands step up and manufacturers listen regarding new products. Just like the need for a mid range adventure touring boot which SIDI covered in the new Adventure Rain, for some time we have seen the need for a mid range beefed up sportbike boot from SIDI at a lower price. For 2010 we are very happy to offer the SIDI Fusion Boot, a motorcycle boot designed for the sprited street rider who does not need all of the functionality of the track but wants some of those elements.

The SIDI Fusion, at $200, replaces the popular SIDI B-2 boot (was $235) and includes many of the same features. A reinforced track style upper for protection and support and track style sole as well as a plastic replaceable toe-slider round out all the wealth of tech features to be found here. In our opinion SIDI has a large and loyal following for a reason, and this boot allows that following to be able to get better bang for the buck. It gives a shot at affordability for even more riders desiring the SIDI level of quality.

The B-2 is actually still in the line, but for 2010 you can only get it in a full-scale GORE-TEX version at $325 which is fully weatherproof. Check out the SIDI B-2 GORE-TEX Boots here.





The SIDI Fusion Boot is now shipping.

Looking foward to beating on a pair when the weather changes a bit here in Philly....

Rubbin's Racin...

BoochZilla

Indy Show Conclusion -> Back to RevZilla HQ

We convinced Travis Pastrana to make bad decisions...

Rip-roaring and back in Philly as of noon yesterday, my eyes are bloodshot beyond belief. The three of us also took off from Indy and flew back to Philly out of 3 inches of snow with another proposed 7 falling during the course of their presidents day.

Truth: In the cab on the way to the airport at 9:30 this morning I thought there was no way in hell that we were going to get remotely close to Philly today. I thought yesterday was going to be the day of playing terminal man charades and leading old-timey singalongs when the airport went to reserve power. (quick aside: I don't even know what that means. I am really that tired)

But alas - we made it home. They let us leave. Bon Voyage Indiana! We win.

Last weekend was an adventure as it always is; we met with everyone; bulls-eyes all around. We even hung out with some of our competition and to my delight got along quite nicely. Although one great guy and new friend who shall remain nameless, took his pants off at the bar. Hilarious. He will always have a special place in my heart with such a ridiculous display in the spirit of proving his point in our conversation.

As I mentioned on Friday, we live blogged the best and funniest of what we saw... we posted everything, moto and non-moto to our RevZilla Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/revzilla) - some of the posts are pretty funny with the commentary they spurned. If you would like to see just the candids and the captions check out our RevZilla Picture Blog.

More to come in the next few days as I digest the best of what I saw and the best of the rest and share it. We have some pretty cool tricks up our sleeves post Indy.

BoochZilla

Live Blogging the Indy Dealer Expo 2010 on Facebook.com/RevZilla

 We leave for the airport at 4pm today to trek to Indianapolis to meet with our fellow moto industry compatriots and take over the town. Between tonight and our arrival back on Monday afternoon we will be meeting with everyone as well as seeing a lot of gear and bikes for the first time.

The hope is always to meet great industry folks and stumble across the next big thing for us to carry... we also spend a fair bit of time drinking and running about town. It's inevitable. Part of the allure of the industry, I guess.

This weekend I will be taking tons of pics and video. I will also be live blogging the best of what I see on RevZilla's Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/revzilla) so feel free to check it throughout the weekend and leave us your feedback.

"Courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody's looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you're misunderstood."

You gotta love a city that's quote on courage includes an Indy 500 reference. See you on the other side.


BoochZilla

VIDEO: New Olympia X-Moto Jacket Review at RevZilla.com

In the last few weeks we have reported on the new Olympia X-Moto Jacket and put our X-Moto Hi-Res photos out to the web via this blog. In the last few days Olympia put out their new X-Moto Jacket Video Review recently, we thought it prudent to inject some of our high-resolution images into it. Let us know what you think.



It's Kevin from Olympia with awesome pics of the "chin man" in the background breaking down the features of the new all season jacket offering. Personally I am a fan of the Mega Vent System and the new armor.

Let us know what you think -

Rubber side down,

Anthony

2010 Icon Jacket and Gear Roundup - The Best of The Rest

Booyah, son. Booyah!

I promised a rundown of what we consider the standouts in the rest of the 2010 Icon Jackets and Gear lineup in our New 2010 Icon Helmet post late last week. This is that post. Interested in hearing your opinion and whether you think we nailed it or missed the mark. So here is what got us hot n' bothered right now... (besides the 2010 Pirelli calendar)

2010 Icon Sub Stealth Glove - Short-cuff low profile motorcycle glove with knuckle plastic hardparts and a full goatskin palm at $45 bucks. Winner. The Icon Twenty-Niner was a homerun last year for riders wanting something basic to rip around in. Consider this glove the "Forty-Fiver"; its the dad in the "rip-around" glove family. The Sub comes in 4 flavors which include some color options, a Sub Sacrifice glove, Sub Etched glove as well as a Street Angel women's glove version.

2010 Icon Hooligan 2 Etched Mesh Jacket - Based on the wildly successful original Hooligan mesh jacket, for 2010 Icon is pushing an Etched version to match the new Variant Motard Helmet as well as the Sub Etched glove. The Icon Hooligan 2 Mesh Jacket also comes in a plain version. Compared to the previous version this new chassis has an upgraded line to it along with upgraded armor, a back pad and a removable thermal liner. $165 for the plain, $185 for the Etched - 4 colors and sizes up to 4XL (black). This will be a staple and an easy choice for the serious sport riding Icon moto-vigilante.

Icon Mil-Spec Field Armor Vest - It's the same Field Armor Vest from 2009, but now meets Mil Spec PPE hi-visibility requirements on top of the already offered CE protection to both chest and back - with a pocket for creds no less. $120. We think this one was low hanging fruit and are surprised it took this long for someone to nail it.  Go Icon, it's your birthday.

Icon Hella Street Angel Jacket - At $240, a sexy new take on the original Icon Hella Jacket in 3 colors. Icon also released a new set of matching Hella Street Angel Chaps  and Hella Street Angel Boots for the ladies. - unleash the inner vixen, baby. unleash it!






Ride or die, son. Ride or die.... and will someone make it warmer in the northeast or I am going to lose it, call Wayne Brady and go on a crime spree.

BoochZilla

NEW VIDEOS: 2010 Alpinestars Jackets and Gear Firstlook

A week back we posted our Alpinestars LA Adventure post and a few days ago when the new Alpinestars Gear went live on RevZilla we posted about our first pass at favorite new Astars 2010 gear here on BlogZilla... today all of the new 2010 Alpinestars Gear Video is live, organized and happy in its own RevZillaTV playlist.

If you feel like veggin' out on a Winter Wednesday and perusing the new products check out our Alpinestars 2010 Gear playlist.

On a side note, I want a Ducati with a side-car with a machine gun on it - I have no idea what that has to do with Alpinestars, though. It must be a snowy Wednesday thing - or a byproduct of 4 cups of coffee by 2pm.

BoochZilla

Sidi Adventure Rain Boots Hi-Res Photography

For the last couple of weeks the new for 2010 Sidi Adventure Rain Boots have been tough to keep in stock. For those just seeing them for the first time now they are a beefed up dualsport cross-over boot which is completely weatherproof, relatively light and reinforced with a good mix of MX style armor on the exterior. These Sidi Boots are a different approach than the Sidi Discovery Rain Boots but are not nearly as heavy or MX focused as the Sidi Crossfire SRS Boots.

I dragged a pair of the New Adventure Rains into the photo studio today and shot the hell out of them. It seems that there were no hi-res shots floating around on the internet - so I decided to fix that. ;-) You know the video is on its way shortly, but for now check out the Sidi Adventure Rain Boots photo gallery and the highlights below.

 

And for those of you wondering, yes, I had them under some pretty intense florescent lights, they look a bit brown in a few pics but in reality are completely jet black.

Two wheels down,

BoochZilla

REV'IT! Race Suits & Race Glove Overview for 2010

With the Spring riding season coming up, we have been getting a lot of calls about comparing race suits. Based on the questions we are getting it makes sense for us to provide some overviews of key race suit brands that we carry in the hopes of educating anyone looking for more information on race suits. Check out this MotoGP Ad (below) we have had on the shelf for a while.

Last year Randy de Puniet wore the REV'IT! TT Race Suit in the 2009 MotoGP season - and crashed in it - a lot. For those of you new to REV'IT! They do a ton of R&D and are continually improving their product. REV'IT! makes three high end Race suits, the REV'IT! Victory (left), REV'IT! TT & REV'IT! CR Suit. In our opinion they offer a ton of bang for the buck.


REV'IT! also makes a few model of track worthy gloves, the REV'IT! Jerez Glove (right), REV'IT! GT Corse & REV'IT! SLR Glove. Most people that know of REV'IT! know that their leathers are pretty solid. Most of our staff ride in TT suits on track days at this point.


The suits are structured good, better, best with best to be worn by Randy de Puniet and Alvaro Bautista in MotoGP in 2010. The TT suit was the top end in 2009 and they improved on it with the Victory in 2010 - so the pros will be wearing that one this season. Nate Kern riding the new BMW S1000RR is also sponsored by REV'IT! in 2010 and will be rocking the Victory in the staple Red, White and Blue color scheme to match the RR.

We have an overview video detailing the common features of the race suits as well as the differences between the models as you go up in features and price. Check it out below.

I could tech you all to death by breaking the models out, but the overview video speaks for itself.

This post is meant to get some good information out there and inform riders about another mid- to high-end motorcycle race suit options. Please don't hesitate to critique or ask questions about any of the REV'IT! Race Suits or other gear. Any and all feedback is welcome. Feel free to visit the REV'IT! Facebook page to join the discussion as well.

Two Wheels Down,

Anthony

2010 Alpinestars Motorcycle Jacket & Gear Overview at RevZilla.com

This time of year is always fun for TeamZilla. We love seeing the new motorcycle gear, testing it out and eventually getting it live on RevZilla.com. It's particularly exciting when it comes to new gear from some of our favorite brands. If you follow us on any internet channel it should be no surprise (yes we've been hitting it hard lately)  that after our Los Angeles Alpinestars Preview Adventure, we have been itchy to unveil the new 2010 Alpinestars Motorcycle Gear . We are equally excited to launch it on RevZilla.com as well as publish our newest videos on RevZillaTV.

Friday we got the green light. Finally. The product and videos are live for our following to devour after much ado. Also we have launched a good chunk of these new Alpinestars products with Video on RevZillaTV (so go leave some feedback)

We are excited to hear some feedback from the riding community on the new lineup - there are about 30 products in all with not everything in stock yet. Here's some of our favorites right out of the gates:

New Alpinestars Leather Jackets - New for 2010 all of the jackets have 360 zips and the Alpinestars Jacket standard funtionality including 1.4 mil cowhide unless otherwise noted.

Alpinestars Indy Leather Jacket - A new twist on the standard Astars sport leather with 1.1 mil cowhide for a softer more comfortable feel in warmer weather.

Alpinestars Drift Leather Jacket - New retro horizontal striped option in full grain leather with all the bells and whistles. We just love the style. It spoke to me an my Duc'

Alpinestars Velocity Jacket - More retro this time done with dual sleeved racing stripes in a few colors. Part of the Street Collection.






Other Notables from Alpinestars for 2010 - A mixed bag of non-jackets, some of the new Alpinestars boots, shoes gloves and women's gear were really interesting to us.

Alpinestars Track Protection Vest - A full temperfoam reinforced vest with a Alpinestars Bionic Back protector connected to it. It offers another option for Mr. Trackday, Mr. Sportbike and any posable action figure.








 Alpinestars Ransom Waterproof Jacket - A full textile shell with a semi-stealth look to it. The Ransom also has the waterproof breathable Drystar lining coupled with a thermal lining for full 3 season riding. At $259.95 its a great mid range versatile option.

 

Alpinestars Parlor Boot - Style with motorcycle funtionality on the bike or under dress pants. Part of the Street Collection. I already have a pair on order. Pimp.







Alpinestars Stella SP-1 Glove - A ladies redesign for an old standby the Stella SP-1 offers a wealth of comfort and features for the spirited female rider or trackday diva.







As usual we like what they have done as a whole from a high level, but it's not going to be until real riders get out there and start beating on this stuff that we see which new pieces rise to the top.


Two Wheels Down Town .....like Julie Brown... in an Astars jacket.

BoochZilla

GoGo Gear Coming soon to RevZilla.com

GoGo Gear is a new line of women's scooter and motorcycle gear that is coming soon to RevZilla.com. The newly produced line is aimed at providing fashion inspired jackets for women which are weather proof, abrasion resistant as well as CE armored - but you would never know at first glance.

We had the pleasure of meeting the founders at their LA HQ during our trip west a few weeks ago and needless to say, we were very impressed. Their initial lineup is focused, timeless and stylish with the technical guts to back it up.

Check back with us in the next few weeks to see more as we begin to breakdown the GoGo Gear lineup and compare and contrast the GoGo Gear jackets for the Spring launch.

Two wheels move the soul,

BoochZilla

New 2010 Icon Motorcycle Helmets Overview

It's that time of year again - time for New Icon Motorcycle Gear to DROP.. as the kids on the MTV say.

To me, it's always fun to see what the good old boys at Icon have in store for us. In years past they have always pushed the envelope of whats fresh in motorcycle helmets and gear and more than once in my opinion have gotten away with murder. Their catalog a few years back had plenty of edge for everyone on our staff ;-)

This year is no different. Icon comes busting out of the gates with over 25 new products for both men and women.You can see the full lineup of new 2010 Icon motorcycle gear at RevZilla.com.

As far as the Icon motorcycle helmet line is concerned for this year, we are looking at one completely new style in the Icon Variant Helmet as well as the standard handful of new colors and graphics for the perennial favorite Icon Airframe Helmet and Icon Alliance SSR Helmet. As for our favorites in the bunch.... here's out top 3 new helmet styles from Icon....

1) Icon Variant Helmet - Obviously we are a fan of Icon taking notice of the growing popularity of the super-motard and dual sport crowd. The Variant tweaks the shape of the standard sportbike helmet and adds the nice touch of the styled visor to the crown. Don't be fooled though, this helmet is built for stability and everyday riding on the street, despite its crossover good looks. The Icon Variant Etched Helmet comes in blue red and silver in the graphic style (pictured). It also comes in 5 solid Icon Variant styles including the rubberized flat "Rubatone" black.

2) Icon Airframe Helmets - The Airframe Carbon Lifeform Helmet (also available in black) is the most unique of the new line and in turn gets our nod for favorite new Airframe. At a mere 1450 grams - it's all the feel and venting of the standard Airframe with significantly less weight. As far as we know this is also Icon's first attempt at a fully carbon fiber helmet.

The Icon Airframe Sacrifice Helmet is the nasty new graphic pattern from Icon and it will fit right into the mix of the skull n' crossbones crowd. At this stage of the game, nobody does hell on wheels better than the boys at Icon.

3) Icon Airframe Street Angel Helmet - Also new to the party, built on top of the Airframe chassis this season and with the lady rider in mind is the new Icon Street Angel Helmet. This is the exact same Icon Airframe that is built in solids and other graphics, but this time around its getting new female oriented paint. If you're not into pink, there is also a black and white version which will turn just as many heads.



... The rest of the pack is solid....


There are also four new Alliance SSR Helmets for 2010, the Alliance SSR Ignitor, Alliance SSR Britton Ignitor, Alliance SSR Bonecrusher, and the Alliance SSR Zipperface. They are great medium range options and graphics for the Alliance SSR Helmet, but by not being a new material, model or target audience, to us they are not as excting as the three helmets above.

These new Airframe and Alliance SSR helmets are all certified with Icon's "World Standard". Meaning they meet the certifications of the major markets: DOT (US), ECE 22.05 (Europe), SAI AS1698 (Australia), and SG (Japan)

Let us know what you think and your opinions. Also we are always happy to answer any questions you may have and hear feedback.

Part 2 of the new 2010 Icon lineup coming tomorrow

Metal. Moto. Mania.

BoochZilla

Alpinestars Frontier Jacket Video Review - Another GORE-TEX Adventure Option

Recently we had the chance to get our hands on the Alpinestars Frontier All Season Jacket for a bit and we were pleasantly surprised with how it stacked up to its ADV focused competition. Besides having some great functionality for sport and adventure touring as well as coming in a High Visibility color option, the addition of GORE-TEX for weatherproofing was a much desired feature which really does set it apart.



At RevZilla we service the long distance and adventure touring riders on a regular basis and we frequently get asked about Gore-Tex among other wishlists of gear features. Aero-Stich has been using Gore-Tex for years, but those suits are tough to get a hold of. Also BMW had the Gore license for the last few years but just recently lost it to REV'IT! who will be launching their top tier GORE-TEX line in the fall of this year. For most manufacturers, including GORE-TEX means increased cost due to the fact that W.L. GORE gets involved in the manufacturing of the products using its materials and basically makes sure that the overall quality of the garment lives up to the GORE standard. This involvement in the process adds time and costs to new product development and sometimes can end up making the final product prohibitively expensive. Hence we usually see a lot of manufacturers with their own type of waterproof / breathable membrane to help keep cots down. In our opinion these proprietary membranes perform well but are ultimately not as good as the original GORE-TEX technology.

So I know I am rambling a bit here, but I will get right down to it - its impressive that Alpinestars, who does so many things well, would take the time to listen to its customer base and develop an extremely targeted all season jacket which lives in the same realm as the ADV focused REV'IT! All-Season Jacket line as well as some of the top end textiles from Dainese like the D-System Jacket.

Please see a full list of features below, but remember no expense was spared when developing the Frontier. Also I must say that after wearing it, I found it to be comfortable and have a nice athletic cut to it which is in tune with the European style Astars is known for.

Please watch the HD video of the Alpinestars Frontier Jacket for the full run down and remember this motorcycle jacket was not manufactured to be the everyday coat for everyday. The Frontier was built to be an apex product for the harshest of conditions.

If you can not tell already, I was impressed. I applaud them for taking a chance in segement of riding they are not known for and executing really well.

See the Full Product Details on the Alpinestars Frontier Jacket here

Looking forward to riding the Frontier a ton this Spring.

Two wheels move the soul,

BoochZilla

2010 AMA Helmet Certification and Rules

With the Snell M2010 Standard hitting the streets in various helmets this year there have been many questions raised.

To alleviate any confusion surrounding AMA Racing Rules of Helmet regulations, here are the rules from the 2010 AMA Rulebooks in regards to ECE and SNELL approved helmets.  If you read below, you will see that AMA accepts that the helmet must conform to “one” of the following standards.





============ = From the AMA Rules Book = ==============
 
AMA Pro RoadRacing Rule Book 2010

3.26 Rider Apparel
 
a. Helmet
i. Riders must wear helmets at all times when riding on track.
ii. Helmets must be of the full face type.
iii. The helmet must conform to one of the following recognized
standards and have a label affixed certifying its approval.


BSI: 6658 Type A

USA: Snell M2005 / Snell M2010
(The current Snell M2005 helmet standard will remain valid
until the end of 2011)

United Nations: Regulation ECE 22.05 P’
Japan: JIS 8133:2000 / JIS 8133:2007

(The current JIS 8133:2000 standard will remain valid until the
end of 2011)

iv. It is recommended that all helmets used in competition be
equipped with a commercially manufactured emergency helmet
removal device such as the Hats Off device. An approved list of
emergency helmet devices is available from AMA Pro Racing.

v. Face shields must be shatter resistant.

AMA 2010 Rule book for Track Road Racing:

1. A rider must wear a helmet at all times when riding on a
track or course. Helmets must be of the full-face or fullcoverage
type. In contests of speed, all riders must utilize
a shatterproof face shield or shatterproof goggles. The
helmet must conform to one of the following recognized
standards and have a label affixed certifying its approval:

USA: Snell M2005, M2010 or DOT FMVSS 218

Europe: Regulation ECE 22-04, ECE 22-05 P’

UK: BSI 6658 Type A

Japan: JIS T 8133:2

Any of the FIM SFI approved certifications.

===============

Hope this helps narrow your motorcycle helmet search!


BoochZilla

High Noon in West Texas

In an effort to bring you, our loyal customer the best deal coupled with the best service, we at RevZilla go to great lengths to maximize the efficiencies of our supply chain. We, in turn, always pass those effciencies on to our customers in the hope of measuring up to the ever increasing demands of the savvy online shopper.

Sometimes, however, I take a step back and look at the negotiations between RevZilla and it's vendors, where they breakdown and the eventual outcome; at times these negotiations take surprising turns. Today was no exception.

We have been having issues with a new for 2010 product which has been preordered at a high level and the wait and delays for its release have been stifling. Today I contacted the Texas based management and entered into a negotiation in the hopes of circumventing the standard product channels to potentially receive a stock replenishment faster than the typical schedule set forth by our normal distribution partner for this product.

After multiple attempts at a workaround, the last few attempts at a resolution between myself and their VP of Sales arrived here:

VP of Sales:  "Sorry but there is no way around it, Company X has chosen Distributor X, Distributor Y and Distributor Z to be the main distribution channels.  Wish I could help but my hands are tied."

My Response: "Steal them with a truck. Drive south to the border. I will wear a fake mustache and stylish western hat. I will make the exchange with you and promise not to double cross."

VP of Sales: "Sorry bud but I will help you all I can"

The exchange left me thinking two things. 1) Do I have an outside shot at robbing the stagecoach here? 2) I love being in the motorcycle industy. That was a completely absurd email response.

Most of this crap would never fly in any other industry I ever worked in (besides Casinos). God I love RevZilla and I love thinking of creative ways to serve or customers by being ridiculous to our vendors for my own amusement. It never gets old.

Rubbin's Racin'

BoochZilla