Apparel

Bought your first motorcycle? Congratulations: you have many years of fantastic freedom ahead of you, but only if you look after yourself and wear the right gear on every ride.

It’s all very well making a helmet aerodynamically efficient but helmets also have to offer protection against environmental factors, such as cold and rain. Shoei’s new wind tunnel can now replicate those elements as well.

Back in 2018, the MotoGP organizers Dorna and the FIM made a new call to make it compulsory for riders to wear a suit under the riding jacket that would expand with air upon impact. Just like the airbags in your car.

Much before that, the top tier safety gear manufacturers, Alpinestar and Dainese have been at it to develop safety equipment for riders across the world, including such airbag systems. For 2020, Alpinestar has released its brand new "Tech-Air 5", which is a “slim, self-contained wearable airbag vest” that can be worn under just about any riding jacket. Dainese, however, debuted its “Dainese Smart Jacket” system in 2019 itself.

The history of Ducati is driven by unique talents that have always generated motorcycles of unmistakable design and the most profound sporting spirit. Featuring exclusive Desmodromic timing engines, innovative design, and state-of-the-art technology, Ducati’s 90 years of passion, emotions, and excellence put in between two wheels have made us sing gaga’ over beautiful machines.

Now, the Ducati Memorabilia project has been christened by Ducati and Ducati Corse to give us enthusiasts another reason to make saliva bubbles. For the first time, one can purchase certified parts from Ducati machines used in an actual MotoGP and Superbike Championships, ones that have helped legends like Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow beat everyone else to the chequered flag.

Icon Motorsports teamed up with professional stunt rider, Kyle Sliger to adorn their brand new Street collection of clothing and helmets and rip apart on a Kawasaki ZX-10R through city streets, car parks and even a public fountain at one point.

The result was this Gymkhana styled video where Kyle rips around the empty streets performing stylish wheelies, tail drags, leah stands, crossovers, side slides and what not. There is also a moment where Kylie attempts to perform a stoppie but fails and loses out on his balance. But his luck or what, he manages to slide his leg along with the half-fallen bike, to make it look like another stunt performed well.

Inspired by Honda liveries of the ‘80s and ‘90s, US high street chain Forever 21, teamed up with the Japanese manufacturer to bring about a fresh new collection of clothing and apparels priced between $3.90 and $ 58.00.

The Forever 21 x Honda capsule collection is probably our most unexpected collab to date! Taking inspiration from motorsports, the collection features bold primary colors and powerful statement graphics.

Triumph has been the oldest British motorcycle manufacturer that has a rich 115 years of heritage. Expressing this to the world, the Hinckley firm has built a brand new Factory Visitor Center for £4million ($5.3 million) spanning across eight distinctly-themed areas that combine to create a full Triumph experience.

Showcasing the brand’s achievements in design, engineering, racing and popular culture, the visitor center will allow fans to get behind the scene through both historic and modern era of motorcycles and legends riding them.

What was said to be a paradigm-shifting helmet technology, Skully came crashing to the ground in July 2016 after the management became incompetent to keep the fundings afloat. Valued partners, vendors, employees and customers were left hanging dry with the company filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case.

After more than a year now, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the helmet company. From where Skully, Inc. left off, a new company called the ’Skully Technologies’ are taking over the mantle straight from the dead and are reviving the technology and the AR-1 helmet to be called as ’The Skully Felix’.

As a franchise, Star Wars™ is on its third or fourth generation, and has become a veritable cornucopia of pop-culture references. Our culture has seen a turnaround from a time when sci-fi fandom was more of a don’t ask-don’t tell situation to the main-stream as evidenced by some whimsical helmet art by HJC Helmets. I mean sure, they’ve got their sugar skulls, Marvel-licensed images and other really cool products, but the Star Wars-themed buckets trotted out at the Cleveland IMS have got to be enough to make anyone’s inner geek squeal with delight.

Continue reading for more on the Star-Wars inspired helmets.

This week saw the 93rd annual Motorcycle Week in Laconia, New Hampshire kick off with the usual pomp and circumstance. The world’s oldest bike rally runs from the 11th of June through Father’s Day this year, nice timing for dad/kid activities even if it does fall on the last day of the rally. As with all such events, lodging can be a real pain to secure, so if you missed it this year you’d best go ahead and make your reservations now for next year’s event that will run from June 10th through the 18th, 2017. To all of you heading home from the event, be ye careful on the road.

Continue reading for my look at the week ending June 17, 2016.

Ducati’s drive for innovation has manifested itself once again in the form of Ducatisumisura, a new website the Italian motorcycle brand has launched that caters to the personalization and customization of riding suits.

It’s admittedly not as ground-breaking as developing a new motorcycle, but riding suits are just as important for riders. Being able to customize them to suit your taste and safety preferences not only makes this new business endeavor that much more important, but it also gives customers a chance to style these suits themselves. That means having the opportunity to choose the colors of each panel that will be used in making the suit. We all know how important that is to other riders too.

As part of the site’s initial launch, Ducati will be offering no less than four riding suits that can be personalized and tailor-made: three one-piece racing suit models and a more casual two-piece one. One of these one-piece suits, the Corse C2, is also available as a lady-fit option.

These suits are top-of-the-line quality, developed in collaboration with riding gear company Dainese. That means that the latter’s D-Air airbag system will be available, although for now, availability is still limited to a handful of markets. Still, the mere fact that Dainese is involved makes the project that much more intriguing.

For riders who are looking for a steady mix of style and technology in their riding suits, Ducatisumisura provides that option. It’s another example of the Italian brand’s mission to be an innovator in the industry.

For what it’s worth, it’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from Ducati.

Continue reading to read more about Ducatisumisura, Ducati’s new riding suit customization website.

French motorcycle clothing brand Furygan has launched its summer collection for bike riders who are desperate to get into a new set of riding gear and leave the cold of winter and spring behind.

Furygan is known for being one of the best European motorcycle clothing brands in the world. I actually know some people who anxiously wait for the company to launch a new line of bike gear. True story. That’s the kind of cache Furygan has earned in its time in the business.

The company’s latest line reflects that earned reputation. The full body kit is as comprehensive as it’s going to get for riders looking for something to fresh to suit up once the summer riding season commences.

The black Discovery Mesh textile jacket, in particular, looks pretty enticing, even for someone like me who has never approached the price range of Furygan’s merchandise. The $440 to $630 range is still admittedly steep, but this new line of gear is thawing my previously chilly apprehension of purchasing these items and steering me into abusing the new catalog.

Apart from the jackets, Furygan also launched a new line of jeans, gloves, and even protective motorcycle shoes. It really wasn’t kidding when it said it’s got riders covered from head to toe. There are so many interesting choices in the new collection that I wouldn’t be surprised to run into someone decked completely in Furygan gear. If budget wasn’t an issue, there’s a good chance I might even be that person.

For now, though, I’ll stick to leafing through the catalog until the pages fall off. That’s not to say that I’m getting a lot of Furygan gear anytime soon, but a first purchase could be in the cards. Here’s to hoping my credit card agrees.

Continue reading to read more about Furygan’s new motorcycle gear collection for the summer of 2015.

The Ducati Scrambler has turned out to be Ducati’s golden cow and when you have something like it at it your disposal, you milk it for everything it’s worth. That’s precisely what Ducati has done after launching a new line of Scrambler-exclusive apparel and accessories.

It’s a pretty diverse collection that includes t-shirts, bags, and knapsacks. Male buyers will have the option to choose from nine different designs with various color schemes while women have three different versions to choose from, including one made from malfilé cotton, considered as one of the softest types of cotton in the market today.

If t-shirts aren’t your thing, the Ducati Scrambler summer collection is also offering a wide range of bags that include messengers, saddles, and tank bags. These items where dressed up in either brown or dark green shades, highlighting the outdoor qualities that are consistent with the Scrambler’s riding ethos. Even if you don’t use them when you’re riding, the neutral colors make these bags versatile enough to be used in casual or even business settings. That’s hitting multiple birds with one stone, or in this case, one bag.

The collection also has other knick knacks that might be of interest to a casual buyer. How does a new Utah picnic rug made of 100% cotton sound? It’s admittedly not for everybody, but for those who enjoy a nice lunch with Mother Nature, this picnic rug could prove to be mighty useful, don’t you think?

With summer fast approaching, now’s the best time to score some items from the Ducati Scrambler summer collection. They’re new, fresh, and most importantly, unique enough that you can be easily identified as a Scrambler fan - or owner - just by hustling in the streets wearing them.

Continue reading to read more about Ducati’s Scrambler apparel and accessories summer collection.

BMW Motorrad has partnered with Alpinestars to develop a new airbag-equipped jacket that will provide riders with new layers of safety and convenience. If this kind of partnership sounds familiar, it’s because other motorcycle companies have ventured into similar collaborations with apparel makers. Dainese actually has two similar partnerships in place, one with Ducati and another one with Peugeot.

But the BMW-Alpinestars alliance hopes to take the technology to the next level with a product that makes full use of the latter’s patented Tech-Air technology. A BMW Motorrad jacket will be the first fruit of this collaboration, followed by a waistcoat containing Alpinestars’ Tech-Air airbag technology. More items are expected to follow suit although an announcement on what they’re going to be has yet to be made.

The new products will also use Alpinestars’ integrated computer systems so instead of linking the jacket to the motorcycle’s system, the rider can just put on the jacket and get on the bike without having to worry about any manually syncing the jacket to the bike.

This is a smart business move for BMW, even though it puts into question a similar arrangement it has with Dainese. From how it looks, though, BMW appears to be leaving behind Dainese and moving forward with Alpinestars as its new safety tech partner. The inclusion of the word "exclusive" in the BMW press release is a good indication of this particular scenario.

Pricing details haven’t been released, too, but I suspect an announcement to come shortly.

Continue reading to read more about BMW’s technology partnership with Alpinestars.

One thing you can always count with famous watch brands and motorcycle companies is the frequency by which these two worlds join forces to create products designed to capture their respective markets. These collaborations happen far too often these days and for as long as their’s a market for these products, don’t expect these marriages to end anytime soon. Ducati, for instance, has a partnership with Swiss timepiece Tudor that began in 2011 and only seems to grow stronger by the year. That much was evident when the two companies launch a unique edition of Tudor’s Fastrider line that’s inspired by the new Ducati Scrambler.

It’s fitting that Tudor would go with the Scrambler as the inspiration for its latest collaboration with Ducati. The bike, after all, is the latter’s new pride and joy, and what better way to promote it than to have people wear Fastrider watches that are heavily inspired by the bike. Pretty cool, right?

Tudor’s first order of business was to create a watch that relies heavily on the Scrambler’s design ethos. That played a big part in the creation of different dials, each reflecting the different colors of the various Ducati Scrambler versions. Depending on your taste and preference, the Fastrider Scrambler Edition comes in ’62 Yellow and Ducati Red for the Icon version and Wild Green for the Urban Enduro version.

Colors aside, the Fastrider also has a brushed steel case that’s waterproof for up to 150 meters. it also has a bezel made out of matt black ceramic, as do the push pieces and the crown, creating a look of class and continuity on the chronograph that fits in nicely with the spirit of the Scrambler. A self-winding mechanical movement is another important component of the watch, specifically with a power reserve that can last close to 50 hours.

On the technical side, the Fastrider Scrambler Edition makes use of Tudor’s renowned technological wizardry in the watch industry. It’s only fitting that both companies have this new collaborative timepiece to remind all of us and reinforce the belief that when it comes to partnerships between watch companies and bike brands, no two do it better than Tudor and Ducati.

Continue reading to read more about Tudor’s latest collaboration with Ducati.

Indian motorcycle company Royal Enfield has launched its official online store. The increasing popularity of online shopping in countries all over the world made the decision to open its own online retail store a slam dunk for Royal Enfield. It’s still in its launch phase, so expect a few kinks and bugs as you enter, but for the most part, the new online store should be up and running in full capacity in no time.

The concept of online shopping isn’t new in the US, although I’m not actually sure how prevalent it is in India. That said, Royal Enfield’s new online store is a great way for the company to extend its reach in the country and provide fans and riders a chance to deck themselves out with official company merchandise ranging from clothes, shoes, accessories, and riding gear.

Despite being in the launch phase, the online store can already accommodate purchases from customers located in 126 cities and towns spread all over the South Asian nation.

The usual modes of payment apply for the new online store, as is access through a wide variety of electronic devices ranging from smartphones to tablets and laptops.

It’s unclear when Royal Enfield will broaden the store’s reach as far as paying customers are concerned, but since it’s still technically a start-up enterprise, it’s probably prudent to exercise a little patience as far as our expectations for the site are concerned.

I do hope that the company begins offering its online merchandise to other countries, especially the US and Europe. That is, after all, good for business, right?

To say that Ducati has high hopes for the Scrambler is a massive understatement. As one of the company’s newest models, Ducati’s strategy of making the Scrambler more attractive to younger demographics is largely tied into its latest enterprise. Judging by these photos, you probably know where this is going. To coincide with the Scrambler’s entry into the market, Ducati has launched an apparel and accessory line devoted entirely to the new model.

Obviously, this kind of cross-promotional marketing strategy is a staple in the motorcycle industry. Other manufacturers like BMW, Brough Superior, and Indian Motorcycles all have some kind of apparel line dedicated to expanding their brand’s exposure. Heck, Indian Motorcycles even has a partnership with Mark Wahlberg these days. Remember that?

Ducati, though, isn’t banking on a celebrity to help sell the Scrambler. It’s relying on the model itself to do the selling on its own, albeit through the tried-and-tested merchandise route that includes t-shirts, mugs, hats, keychains, jackets, watches, shoes, lighters, bags, and helmets.

I’m not blaming Ducati for taking this route to help promote the Scrambler. If I was a decision-maker in Ducati, I’d do the same thing, too. There’s nothing quite like merchandising that can help drum up interest in a new motorcycle model, even if it the Scrambler will likely do well on its own without the help of merchandise. But hey, if it means more exposure for the model, there’s no shame in making the most of out of what Ducati now has.

Click "continue reading" to read more about Ducati’s new merchandise line for the Scrambler.

So you thought car manufacturers are the only ones that can get dibs on getting watches built for them? Think again, ladies and gentlemen, because the Honda CBX1000 Speedometer is here to prove you wrong. Inspired by the iconic 1979 Honda CBX1000, the wristwatch is the perfect complement to the lucky few in this world who still have a functioning CBX1000 inside their garages. But even if you don’t have the bike itself, that doesn’t mean you can’t own the watch.

The CBX1000 Speedometer comes with a simple layout. The leather straps are about as classic as it gets while the black face and the orange and white numerical displays evoke images of the speedometers Honda used on the actual CBX1000 models. The watch also comes in two configurations depending on the region. Those who are more familiar with the km/h measurement unit can opt to get the version that uses the system for its markings. Likewise, those in the US who recognize the mph measurement unit can get that style of the watch.

Either way, the classic styling of the timepiece, which is what you could expect from a watch inspired by one of the classiest bikes Honda has ever built. It might be a little confusing since the traditional 1 to 12 numbers have been replaced by kmh and mph markings (the kmh version runs up to 240 km/h while the mph version runs up to 150 mph).

Other notable details about the watch include the odometer, which has been set to 1047, representing the displacement of the CBX. The watch also comes with a Swiss part quartz movement and is water resistant for up to 5 bars, or 72 psi if you’re more familiar with the latter measurement.

The watch only costs €119, plus €10 in shipping fees. That converts to a total of around $150, which isn’t really as expensive as some of the more opulent collaborations we normally see from Italian automakers and Swiss watchmakers. I’m referring to you, Ferrari and Hublot.

Click past the jump to read more about the Honda CBX1000 Sppedometer watch.

When it comes to looking for a place to get your motorcycle gear and apparel stores in the US, you’d be hard-pressed to find a shop that has as many of your needs as Cycle Gear. The nationwide retailer has been a pillar of the motorcycle industry in this country so when news came out that private equity firm J.W. Childs Associates, L.P. had swooped in and purchased a controlling interest in the company’s stock from previous owner Harvest Partners, LP, we had to come out and bring it out of the woodwork.

A lot of us have had dealings with Cycle Gear in the past, some not going past the mailboxes where the store sends their annual catalogs. But for those who have been to Cycle Gear or bought some bike parts and accessories in the store, this transaction is interesting to take note of, if only for the fact that the new owners could change the makeup of the company.

We already know that a major shakeup is in order in Cycle Gear’s upper management, most notably William E. Watts, a partner at J.W. Childs, assuming control as the new chairman of the company. Hopefully, the new owners don’t change a lot about the company from its current iteration. It’s not immune to issues, but for the most part, Cycle Gear has lived up to its status as one of the country’s premier motorcycle shops.

Here’s to seeing more of that success continue now that it’s under new management.

Click past the jump to read more about Cycle Gear.

Anyone who rides a motorcycle knows that it is always safest to wear a full set of leathers – jacket, gloves, pants and boots – when you ride. Believe it or not, leathers actually can be the only thing protecting your skin from nasty road burn, and can even save your life in some severe cases. Well, some people tend to forget, or just feel silly wearing them – myself included – and we need a little reminding that everything is better in leather.

Well, with England getting ready for national Ride to Work Day on June 18th, local TV stations are running ads reminding bikers of safety, including the importance of leather. Instead of giving us a graphic video about the dangers of road rash, one commercial goes exactly the opposite ways by using a double entendre to burn the need for leather in our minds.

The opening scene is bad enough, using key phrases like “doing it,” “leather,” and “wearing protection” at various points. Only to find out that [ha ha] we’re talking about motorcycle leathers protecting you while you “do it” [ride a motorcycle]. Well, at least somewhat… The last scene takes the entendre the other direction, and… Well, you’ll just have to watch the above video to find out.

Go ahead and have a few LOLs on us!

Believe it or not, Ducati has launched a Diesel Monster 1100 EVO. Trust us though, it’s not what you think. When we say Diesel, we’re speaking of the Italian clothing brand that sponsors the Ducati Team in MotoGP and has also launched a Ducati apparel collection so that riders can look fashionable on their new bike.

The 2012 Ducati Monster 1100 Evo was launched alongside the apparel collection on March 15, 2012 at the Diesel store in Soho, New York City. Ducati calls the bike "urban military chic." The exclusive ’Diesel Brave Green matte’ paint on the tank and rear fairing delivers a rugged military vehicle feel, especially while set against the black that covers almost every other part. To pay homage to the bike’s racing heritage, the shock and the Brembo calipers are painted yellow. Expect this bike to set you back a cool $13,795.

Leave a comment below and let us know what you think of the 2012 Ducati Monster Diesel 1100 EVO.

We recently made a post about the Alpinestars Tech Air Race motorcycle suit that features airbags as an extra protection system and while that is a viable solution for riders that plan on keeping the action mostly on the track and definitely using superbikes, this late airbag jacket that Brembo has created appears to be much more appropriate for daily use by commuters and mainly by those who also want to retain a fashionable and stylish note apart from the extra safety.

Called the Brembo Life Jacket, this very special motorcycle/scooter clothing item features an airbag system that deploys in just 80 milliseconds when the rider is suddenly separated from his/her machine. The immediate response is thanks to a new activator developed with Helite and Sabelt. These lasts are responsible for the inertial reel connection cable that is attached to the motorcycle that triggers the airbag.

Designed to protect the torso, chest, back and neck, the Life Jacket remains inflated for 60 seconds before slowly regaining its original size. Using Oxford nylon and Teflon fabric, this type of safety jacket is very light and comes in three models for men and two for women. Colors available are white, black, blue, red, silver gray and sand mélange. Hit the jump to see the demonstration video.

Alpinestars have today presented their Tech Air Race motorcycle suit, which was specifically designed and built to enhance the rider’s survival chances in case of a crash. In other words, the leather suit has airbags.

The safety gear manufacturer somehow managed to integrate the system into the Electronic Airbag Protection Suit and have it controlled through a high-tech electronic brain and we hear the process was a long and complicated one, but the breakthrough was worth the while.

The suit constantly monitors the rider’s movements and will only arm if the rider is moving and the engine is running. It offers five levels of programming and even works on electric bikes, so it seems Alpinestars thought at everything.

In the unhappy event of a crash, the safety system’s response is crucial, so the electronic brain determines the imminence of a crash in about 8 milliseconds, the airbags fully inflate in 50 milliseconds and they stay like that for 5 seconds before starting to deflate, process which takes 25 seconds.

Once used, the system can be rearmed in less than 60 seconds using two separate cylinders with a cold charge of nitrogen. The extra protection system will increase the price of the standard suit with about $2,500 when it is expected to hit production in June 2011. Also, the system will be adapted on all kinds of riding gear, from racing to off-road.

It all sounds good in theory, but nothing compares to actually seeing the airbag system being deployed on a rider, so hit the jump for a video showing just that.