This weeks Gear Guide features new colour ways on the Premier Trophy helmet, something to safely hang it on, a lovely tool roll, a toasty neck and face warmer and some clever all purpose boots from Rev'It.
PRODUCT REVIEW BY ALI LATIMER - REV’IT GINZA BOOT
The Ginza boot is the latest addition to my rather expansive footwear collection, I love a good boot and when I find a stand out pair of boots that have multiple uses, I pretty much live in them. Prior to the arrival of my Ginza boots, I lived in my Timberlands, they are comfy, a great fit and are well made, but they lacked the ‘on bike’ ability that I wanted from my main boots, the Ginza gives me everything my Timberland boot did, but with extra protection and usability when it comes to riding.
Firstly they look pretty similar to my old Timberlands, so as a casual boot they work effortlessly, they have an extra layer of leather over the front for shifting and this is on both boots, so if you ride an old English classic that shifts on the opposite side you’re sorted, but this also adds symmetry, which when you’re OCD like myself is important.
The toecap and heel cup are thermoformed and reinforced for added protection, an anatomical footbed ensures a great fit with sublime comfort, which for me is a must, I’ve had many a ‘biking’ boot over the years, but they seldom give you the comfort to wear them incessantly, these are definitely all day boots.
The leather is Apache Batido Cowhide which offers supreme abrasion resistance and is coated to be water repellent, this coupled with the gusseted tongue have kept my feet dry both on the bike and out walking the dogs, and with the weather we’ve had these past few weeks has been a must.
So to summarise, if you want a boot that has biking protection, great looks, all day every day wear-ability, weather protection and great grip on wet muddy woodland walks; these have to be a boot to consider, I highly recommend them.
http://www.revit.eu/
PREMIER TROPHY HELMET
Premier have added a number of retro inspired colour ways to their Trophy collection. The Trophy is a classic full face helmet that conforms to modern safety standards. It is fully ECE homologated (both helmet and visor). The shell is made from Premier DCA (Dyneema, Carbon and Aramidic fibre) and the visor is 2mm polycarbonate.
Premier were made famous protecting the head of seventies racers such as Phil Reed. The red/orange/green combined with gold and white take you back to the glory years of Nortons bumping fairings with the Japanese upstarts and when disc brakes were considered revolutionary. No traction control or ABS in those days!
The Premier Trophy is a basic lid that is faithful to its 1973 design, no air vents, no wind gussets, and very little in terms of sound proofing, but as the guys down at Motor Legends correctly point out, “This is a helmet for proper men, that kind of hairy chested man who rode over-powered, under-braked superbikes 40 years ago. This helmet's the real deal for proper geezers.”
http://www.motolegends.com/helmets/full-face-helmets/premier-trophy-helmet-red.html
SANKAKEL MASK NECK WARMER
Paris based Shinya Hirota has come up with a great solution to face freeze in these winter months. No longer will your chin stop working or your beard sport icicles. No longer shall the will to live slowly ebb away as you ride home with your face battered by the seemingly arctic gales.
These great looking masks protect you from the cold and wind, covering from the bridge of your beak to the top of your chest. They eliminate nasty little gaps that appear whenever you move your head when wrapped up in a scarf, and allow you to fasten your jacket secure over the fabric.
The masks are hand crafted in a number of different fabrics including brown and grey herringbone tweed, and selvedge denim. They all have a felt lining, and have antique brass anti-fog vent holes. It has a fast, adjustable and comfy fastening system, flat elastic straps (you can easily put your helmet over it) and velcro in the back of the neck. It is also has an adjustable nose fastener.
These are handcrafted in France from quality fabrics. A pattern cutter by trade, Shinya migrated from Japan to work in the fashion industry. He formed Sankakel to combine his professional skills and his passion for motorcycles. “Sankakel was born from my experience in clothing and my interest in motorcycles. Sankakel is about handcraft for classic/custom motorcyclists.”
http://www.sankakel.com/
ELLASPEDE HELMET AND GEAR HANGER
Ellaspede, the Australian bike builders, has just launched a Kickstarter crowd funding campaign for the Helmet and Gear Hanger, a purpose designed and versatile device for riders, drivers and racers to hang their essential gear like helmets, jackets, keys and gloves.
Tired of balancing helmets on handlebars (and no doubt knocking them off) and throwing jackets across seats, they used their experience in industrial and furniture design to “spec up the perfect hanger for the modern home, man cave or work shop.”
With Kickstarter help they’re hoping to produce one of the most useful products for the riding or driving enthusiast, keeping gear organised and helmets damage free.
“We know that this product will be useful for all riders, especially those with an eye for product aesthetic. With design cues taken from modern furniture, these hangers are also ideal for showing off prized helmets and riding gear in an interior environment.”
They also offer a pledge option for special edition branded hangers should you wish to use them as prizes, gifts or giveaways in the future.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/ellaspede/the-helmet-and-gear-hanger
MONDAY MO.CO TOOLWRAP RAW & AUBURN COLLAB
Monday Mo. Co. don’t just build tasty bikes and run a cool retail hangout, they also make some neat gear too.
Their Smoked Fish Tool Wrap is a product of their collaboration with Raw & Auburn, A small leather company based on the South Coast of England. “We admire Katie at Raw & Auburn’s attention to detail and simplicity with which she puts her pieces together.”
Each wrap is individually hand made, each compartment section is hand stitched in two neat areas to keep the design simple and the wrap rolling up efficiently.
The hide is a soft but hard wearing choice in a beautiful dark brown and like quality leather products will only look better once it’s been chucked on your bike a few times.
“This tool wrap will hold everything you need for that emergency pit stop.” Spanners, screwdrivers, allen keys and more all have there very own place and the addition of a pop closure compartment allows you to stash some zip ties, spark plug or a bit of extra cash if you don’t ride with a wallet. There is also room for sticky plasters and super glue to fix yourself up.
The product is finished off with two buckled leather fastening straps and a stamped smoked fish emblem.
http://mondaymoco.com/
