Here at MO we’ve become fans of the new kid in the action camera room – Insta360. As the brand name implies, its specialty is 360-degree cameras which allow the user to capture all the action surrounding the camera, and decide after the fact which elements of the action they’d like to feature in their video. The beauty of this is that you never miss the action because the camera was mounted or pointed in the wrong direction. We’ve previously tested Insta’s One X, One R Modular 360 camera, and the tiny GO 2 pocket action camera.

Reader, as you likely know, we here at Motorcycle.com test a lot of bikes. It’s kind of our job. As such, there’s always a continual rotation of motorbikes coming and going from our respective homes. Naturally, where would you put a motorcycle at your home? In your garage, of course. The cars can live outside, hun. The garage is reserved for motorbikes. 

It’s simple really, the Doubletake mirror setup. A handlebar mounted ball connects to a Ram Mount arm on one end and an “indestructible” mirror on the other. That’s it. There are, of course, different sizes, shapes, and configurations based on your application, but that’s the gist of Doubletake’s core product line. And, as the simplest solutions often do, they just plain work.

The message came in from my favorite group of moto friends; there was a space in the upcoming three-day adventure to Death Valley and back. It would be all on dirt bikes, sort of: my KTM, one CRF250L and a pair of Africa Twins. Staging from Tehachapi, over the Sierra to Bishop, then up the White Mountains to Death Valley. This presented the perfect opportunity to test my new gear from the English company Adventure Spec.

If you haven’t heard of the Dutch motorcycle gear company REV’IT!, chances are you live under a rock or in your mom’s basement – not that there’s anything wrong with that. Founded in 1995 by Ivan Vos in the Netherlands, REV’IT! made the hop across the pond to North America in 2002. Since then, the company has grown at an impressive rate, now offering a comprehensive range of motorcycle gear from race suits that can be found protecting MotoGP athletes, to a wide swath of adventure and off-road gear. REV’IT! has also produced licensed products for major brands such as Touratech, Ducati, Husqvarna, Yamaha, and Harley-Davidson, to name a few. 

Customization is a key tenet of motorcycling. As the object of our desire, we love our motorcycles. And while the manufacturers do a great job designing these bikes, it’s up to us to personalize them and make them our own. Shouldn’t the same mentality go into the gear we wear? First Manufacturing thinks so. Which is why its custom jacket/vest builder is so cool. 

We know that this won’t come as a surprise to you, but there are bad people out in the world, people who think that they should have your motorcycle. While we probably all agree that these dirtbags should be strung up by their thumbs with their toes ever-so-lightly touching a fire ant hill, we’re not here to think about retribution. Instead, let’s try to keep our motorcycles in our own possession. Here at MO, we’ve written about the importance of locks when it comes to keeping your bike safe. However, you can go even further in to protect your ride by using a motorcycle alarm.

After brick-and-mortar stores began introducing special sales on the Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, online retailers extended the concept into the following Monday with another day of deals, now known as Cyber Monday which has, of course, spiraled into cyber week for many retailers. For 2024, Cyber Monday falls on Dec. 2.

First available in October 2014, the Arai VX-Pro4 has been around for quite a while, but that doesn’t mean that the premium helmet, hand made by trained technicians, is any less effective than it was when it was introduced. After all, the basis for all of Arai’s helmets, the R75 Shape, has been around for much longer.

When is a pair of street motorcycle gloves worth $240? When you know they’re going to last a good long time, that’s when. If these new 4 Stroke 2’s are going to hold up as well as the 4 Stroke Evo originals I’ve been wearing for about the last decade, then 240 bucks is probably a bargain. I’ve got more than a few pairs of cheaper gloves that grew holes or fell apart over that ten-year interim – including some lesser Daineses – but then I’ve also got some cheaper ones that have held up really well.

Maybe it’s the millennial in me, but I’ve always appreciated Arai helmets for the privately owned company’s history and the fact that the lids are handcrafted in Japan. Use the word “heritage” and/or “handmade” and you’ve got the attention of my generation. The thing is though, with Arai, they don’t need to rely on hip marketing to entice interested parties. The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and Arai has been serving it up thick since the 1950s. Arai lids can be found on the heads of the world’s most elite racers from MotoGP to Dakar and even in the less interesting four-wheeled sports like F1 (I kid, I kid).

Listen, you know how it is. When you gotta hear Free Bird, you gotta hear Free Bird. Or Coltrane. Or Bach. Or Keith Urban, or whatever music you roll to. When you’re rolling on your bagger at freeway speed, you’ll need a little volume. Correction: You’ll need a lot of volume. Since you’re the kind of rider that insists on high performance from anything that touches your bike, that sound had better be super-clean, tight and accurate.

Regular readers of Motorcycle.com know that I am a huge fan of wireless headsets, and one of the biggest reasons is my use of turn-by-turn directions. Since I have been very skeptical of many of the moto-mounts on the market up until now, I’ve been content to keep my phone safely tucked inside my jacket pocket. One of the issues has been that the safer-looking mounts utilized cases that simply didn’t look comfortable to carry on a daily basis. However, carrying the phone in my pocket comes with two big drawbacks. First, I can’t glance at the map to make sure I understand the verbal instructions. Big five-way (or more) intersections can usually be deciphered at a glance when the instruction to “take a slight right turn” leaves me with multiple options. Also, running navigation software for long periods of time will take its toll on a phone’s battery (an even bigger issue as my iPhone XS’ aging battery diminishes in capacity). So, wireless charging is a perfect addition for folks like me who hate to fiddle with dangly cables on a motorcycle. This is where SP Connect and its wide array of mounting components enters the picture. 

I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but the Sedici Acqua hydration backpack is the first hydration pack I’ve owned specifically for motorcycling. Don’t get me wrong; I own a hydration pack and the associated gear for outdoor activities like hiking, but all this time I’ve simply relied on hoping I can grab a drink of water when I stop at, say, a gas station or oasis. Or in the case of our photoshoots for MO, we’ll simply carry bottles of water in the camera car and drink up at photo stops.

In motorcycles, we frequently see tremendous loyalty in consumables like brake pads and tires. Because of their long life cycle, riding gear isn’t usually thought of as a consumable (except, perhaps, from crash damage), but if you use something long enough, it will eventually wear out. Boots and gloves suffer the stresses of everyday use more than other riding gear and, consequently, fall into this category. 

I know I’ve written many times that the advancement in motorcycle tire technology in the past decade is staggering, but the statement is – and continues to be – quite true. Case-in-point, I’ve spent the last couple of months putting about 2,500 miles on my 2019 KTM 790 Duke shod with a set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires. In those miles I’ve used the bike as I normally would: short urban rides, occasional freeway jaunts, frequent weekend canyon rides, and even a track day. As such, I feel I can now adequately address the characteristics, usability, and longevity of these tires. Essentially, I used these tires for the tasks for which they were designed. (Unfortunately, as is typical in Southern California during the summer, I did not get to conduct any wet weather testing.)

Let’s get this out of the way right here: The Cardo Packtalk Headphones are an extremely niche product. However, for riders who have already bought into the Cardo Packtalk system of communicators and also fall into that niche, the Packtalk Headphones are a tremendously useful tool. Also, just for the sake of clarity, the Packtalk Headphones do not come with Packtalk Bold or Black communicators; they are simply an accessory. 

While many of us enjoy riding motorcycles because of its solitary nature, group rides are also a source of great riding memories. Once you’ve ridden with a group of friends and been able to talk to each other during the ride, you’ll understand why Bluetooth helmet communicators have gotten so popular. You can remind everyone of an upcoming turn or give a warning about a road hazard. Or, if you’re riding with John Burns, be serenaded with an endless list of song snippets. Never a dull moment here. But there’s more to these gadgets than that. How about touring and actually being able to hear music without frightening the horses in the nearby fields? Or maybe it’s just something as mundane as having Siri whisper directions in your ear. Parents can adjust their child-rearing logistics on the fly. After a while, a helmet communicator will become an essential part of your riding kit. 

Motorcycles seem to invite their owners to tinker with them. Maybe it’s the fact that often the components are easy to get to once the bodywork has been removed. Regardless of the reason, we, as motorcyclists, tend to maintain and modify our own machines, leaving only the most highly technical items to the mechanics at our local shop.

Like most things in life, we can’t always have everything we want. The same principle holds true with motorcycle helmets. For ultimate protection, full-face helmets are the way to go. But sometimes the ease and convenience of an open-face is really hard to pass up. What’s a motorcyclist to do if he or she wants both? Thank goodness modular motorcycle helmets exist. Offering both full-face protection with open-face convenience, modular helmets are a compromise everyone can live with. Here, we’ve gathered some of the top modular motorcycle helmets available today from a variety of manufacturers.

The longer you ride the more your seat matters – in both years ridden and distance traveled. Air bladders and rubber donuts and bead seats can take you so far; past there it might be time to bite the bullet and replace your factory seat with something upscale, something more befitting your two-wheeled station in life. Here’s a smattering of what are widely regarded as the best motorcycle seats on the market for a wide range of bikes, from Goldwing to sportbike, but be aware that people come in so many shapes and sizes, what’s right for one person may not be what’s best for you. Be sure to perform your due diligence as you figure out what the best motorcycle seat is for you, to keep you riding farther, longer, and happier.

Evans: Writing about oil is like discussing politics, guns, abortion, and religion all rolled into one. You’re sure to offend a few people, from the “any oil is fine as long as it’s changed regularly” set to the “I only use the most expensive stuff on the planet” types. Then the interval will raise hackles, too. I wish you luck, Ryan.

In essence, an internal combustion engine is just a big air pump. Air comes in, then air goes out again. In a perfect world, engines wouldn’t even need air filters, but as we all know, there’s a ton of dirt, grime, and other airborne crud on the roads (or off the roads!) which, if ingested by your engine, could spell terminal damage. Or at least a lofty repair bill. Many of today’s motorcycles have well-designed intake paths and airboxes, but in many cases the stock paper filter element restricts the amount of air your engine could be breathing, robbing power in the process. Here we’ve gathered some aftermarket air filter options to help your motorcycle breathe as best it can. Of course, the most obvious plus side in doing so includes gaining more power, but in some cases you can achieve better fuel mileage. You can even save money in the long run, too, as some aftermarket filters are designed to be washable and reusable. See our top picks for best motorcycle air filter below, and remember, the prices will vary depending on the application.

I know we’re supposed to remain neutral as motojournalists, but we’re people too, and when it comes to protective gear that could potentially save life or limb, when you find something you really like it’s hard to let it go. Such is my case with roadracing boots. I’ve tried a lot, and there are many good ones, but the boot I always come back to is the Supertech R from Alpinestars. When I’m wearing them it feels like I’m wearing my favorite pair of sneakers – that also happens to be able to protect my feet and ankles if I were to get separated from a motorcycle at ridiculous speeds.

The AGV Pista GP-R is about as premium as it gets when it comes to motorcycle helmets and its design, materials, finish, and price all reflect that. The full carbon fiber helmet’s retail pricing begins at $1,400 and continues up to $1,600 for race replicas making it one of the most expensive helmets on the market, second perhaps only to Arai’s ultra-exclusive $4,000 Corsair X RC. Is it worth it? Read on and decide for yourself.

Congratulations. You’ve made the decision to go to a trackday (or even a race). We think that’s one of the best decisions you can make with your motorcycle. Not only is track riding fun and addictive, but it’s also a great environment to improve your skills. But there’s a lot to do to get ready, like getting all your gear in order. Most important, of course, is your helmet.

You’ve already got the jacket, and hopefully it’s a nice, warm one as Fall will once again begin reasserting itself across the land in a month or two. Or, we hope Fall reasserts itself. Now that you’re sophisticated enough to have gotten that far, maybe it’s time to think about completing the ensemble with one of our picks for best motorcycle overpants. You can get them to add warmth and protection your jeans can’t provide. Or you can get overpants that flow air to keep your lower body cool while adding protection. Or you can get both, via the miracle of removable liners. We rounded up a quick assortment of some nice ones.

By Peter Jones

I think I’m always going to think the one-piece Aerostich suit, be it R3 or Classic, is the best combination of protection, comfort, and convenience for people who ride their motorcycle a lot. But not necessarily for people who stop riding their motorcycle a lot, which is what the MO crew winds up doing since the invention of the Youtube. We find ourselves stopping along the side of the road to shoot video and photos. When you’re rolling, Aerostich airflow is good. When you’re stopped, it gets hot in there in a hurry. Whipping the suit off isn’t usually the answer, since most of the time we’re shooting in sun-blasted SoCal, where there’s not much shade.

Airbags are kind of a big deal around here, ever since I had the unfortunate pleasure(?) of putting one to the ultimate test. Since that fateful day, however, I never hop on a motorcycle without wearing an airbag, and I’ve been an advocate to anyone willing to listen that they should wear one, too – no matter who makes it, and no matter how it’s activated.

Hydration packs for motorsports have come of age. In the not-too-recent-past, our options were largely repurposed daypacks built for hikers. Now, we have packs designed for many active sports, and the motorsports field has been gifted with varieties of packs designed for differing motorcycle activities. To that end, I have spent the better part of the last six months researching and acquiring three different hydration systems. For the street, based upon Ryan’s recommendation, I bought a Kriega R15. Because I can’t carry a hydration backpack when I already have camera gear strapped to my back, I strap a Hydrapak Hydrasleeve onto my camera bag, and while not an ideal solution, it sure beats not having water on hot summer shoots. For my off-road excursions with my daughter, I have come to depend on the USWE Raw 8 Hydration Backpack, and quite frankly, it is my favorite of the three. If I could, I would use it for all my motorcycling hydration needs. 

Aerostich’s story is one of the people. The people in Duluth handcrafting Aerostich products, and the people around the world who’ve turned the Roadcrafter one-piece suit into a cult icon. It’s about people like Andy Goldfine who staunchly believe motorcycling is inherently good for the human race, “a social good,” he says. 

I don’t know how this new Sa1nt gear made it past the actual hipsters at MO who snap up all the good stuff first, but when the Shearling jacket and jeans arrived on my doorstep I felt 30 years younger immediately and briefly considered resigning from the Gray Ponytail Brotherhood.

We’ve previously reviewed the Insta360 One X action camera. The One X was launched in October 2018 and is capable of shooting 5.7K 30fps 360 video, with features such as Flow-State Stabilization, slow motion at lower frame rates, Bullet-Time video, and more. The camera comes with an easy-to-use and elegantly-designed phone app and desktop app which gives the user absolute control of what portion of a 360 view around the camera they would like to highlight.

As a long-time truck guy, I fell into that trap as a sort of default to convention. When you hang around motorcyclists long enough, and when the job calls for transporting multiple bikes at a time, you get a truck. The two go hand in hand. Pretty quickly, however, you realize some of the downsides to truck ownership when it comes to hauling bikes: high load heights, and having your stuff exposed to the elements – and prying eyes when you’re not around. In my particular case, I had drilled my truck bed to accept a chock system specifically for securely loading and strapping two motorcycles without having to thread a strap through the other bike’s front wheel.

Reax is a relatively new name in motorcycle apparel, but most riders are probably familiar with the company behind it: retailer RevZilla and its parent company, COMOTO. Reax was only founded in 2018, but it’s been able to establish itself relatively quickly, thanks to RevZilla’s large online presence, along with its sister brands, J&P Cycles, and Cycle Gear.

Shinko isn’t as well-recognized a motorcycle tire brand as the likes of Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli or Dunlop. Part of that is because the company is relatively new to the game. The Shinko Group was founded in Japan in 1946, producing bicycle tires and tubes as the country emerged from the Second World War. Shinko didn’t really get into motorcycles, however, until 1998, when it acquired the tire technology and molds from Yokohama.

The whole point of an action camera is to put the viewer in your seat. In our case, it’s to bring the viewer along for a ride with us and to see all the things we see in the moment. From close passes to stunning scenery, recording your ride allows you to relive those special moments over and over again. Not to mention it gives you proof when your friends say video or it didn’t happen.

When the time was drawing near for our big middleweight adventure shootout in March, I had the feeling it would be a good time for me to up my foot protection. I didn’t wanna wear big clonky motocross boots because they’re big and clonky. But I was afraid the Sidi Canyons that have been my go-to Adventure boots for longer than I’d like to admit might not be up to modern adventuring. More accurately, maybe my ankles, which are three times older than the Canyons, might not be up to it. How about a little more protection eh? Just in case.

In a perfect world, you’d probably park your motorcycle in your bedroom, where it’ll be nice and cozy, and well out of harm’s way. But, as we know, the world is not perfect, and many of us are left parking our beloved motorcycles outside, exposed to the elements and even the prying eyes of those with bad intentions.

AGV is as Italian as bocce ball and torta di mele; it is to motorcycle roadracing as cheese is to tortellini – and its premium helmets could, and still can be found on the heads of such racing greats as Giacomo Agostini, Barry Sheene, and now Valentino Rossi. Not that you need to be a professional racer, now that the company produces helmets for touring, offroad, and urban riding as well.

Way back in October, we previewed Shoei’s RF–1200 while we waited for our samples to arrive stateside. Well, we’ve logged a couple thousand miles with Shoei’s latest lid and can offer a full review.

Manufacturers like to tease the press a little to keep us interested. So, naturally we were more than a little curious when Shoei announced a “top-secret press event.” Even without all the subterfuge, we would’ve been excited to learn that Shoei was replacing its popular RF-1100 helmet with the all-new RF-1200.

Most motorcycle riders know of Shoei Safety Helmet Corp. as being a manufacturer of premium motorcycle helmets and one of the most popular helmet brands in the world. What many riders don’t know is that Shoei began producing helmets in 1960. Prior to that, the company’s helmets were primarily directed towards the construction industry. In 1962, the company provided helmets for the motorcycle racing market, and racing remains a key component of Shoei’s helmet development to this day. You don’t think that talents like Marc Marquez would use just any helmet – no matter the sponsorship payment – do you?

Your motorcycle’s battery is one important piece of equipment. Without a healthy battery, you’ll be stranded.

For ages, we didn’t think much about the batteries in our motorcycles. When you only have one option, the traditional lead-acid battery, there’s not a lot to think about. As long as it cranks the starter over and fires up the bike, you’re good. If not, time to shell out for a new one. But like all components on a motorcycle, eventually, new technology emerges to improve the breed. The battery is no different. With the emergence of the lithium motorcycle battery the consumer now has more options.

Has it really been six years since the Shoei GT-Air helmet was released? Well, it has, and that means the lid was due for an update – even though, when Troy tested it back in 2017, he said, “[T]he Shoei GT-Air really impresses when it comes to all-day touring comfort. It’s got all the features you’d want from a helmet, with the fit to match.” Using the previous generation as the starting point, Shoei’s designers set out to improve on the already top-notch lid. The result is the brand new Shoei GT-Air II, which ups the ante when it comes to premium touring/sport-touring helmet comfort and utility. To make the helmet even more enticing, Shoei partnered with Sena, as with the Shoei Neotec II, to create a fully-integrated Bluetooth communication system, the Sena SRL2.

UPDATE 2/7/2023: We’ve since published a huge three-part motorcycle denim buyer’s guide that features 34 different pairs of denim, with selections for both men and women. Some of them are featured in the story below, but you can see them all by clicking over to the Buyer’s Guide.

Fun fact: Metzeler, the company we now know for its motorcycle tires, used to be in the business of making sausage casings. Yeah, sausages. Like the things we stick between buns and eat at baseball games. This was just one of the many different business ventures under the Metzeler umbrella during its 158-year history.

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the lead-acid battery. Invented in 1859, the first rechargeable battery has been honed to an extremely high state of tune. In fact, it is so ubiquitous that almost every gasoline-powered motor vehicle on the planet uses them to start their engines. Lead-acid batteries are cheap to manufacture (and recycle), flexible in their application, and pretty dang reliable. They are the very definition of a known quantity. Unless you have one of the flagship hypersport bikes or one of a select group of dirt bikes, odds are, your motorcycle came with a lead-acid battery straight from the factory. Lithium-based batteries are, comparatively, new on the scene and, as is true of many nascent technologies, have gone through some growing pains. However, lithium batteries have developed quite quickly and are now on the cusp of a significant challenge to the lead-acid hegemony. Still, lots of riders are asking why would we want to mess with a good thing?

Many new motorcycles still use halogen bulbs in their headlights, which rarely pump out as many lumens as we motorcyclists would like. While some manufacturers have begun to make the leap to full LED systems, sometimes they still don’t cast enough light in the dark to warn you of the impending danger just out of that stock headlight’s reach. Time to turn to the aftermarket. We’ve put together a list of some of the biggest names in the game to replace your stock headlight with a brighter more powerful LED unit. Here is our list of the best motorcycle LED headlights. 

Updated May, 2021

Aside from honoring those who have fallen in service to our country, Memorial Day is also seen as the unofficial beginning of summer. For motorcyclists who live in parts of the country that experience cold weather, summer is prime time for riding our bikes. Just like the beginning of riding season tune up for your bike, sometimes the new season reveals items of riding gear we need, too. Take advantage of all kinds of deals on motorcycle gear.

Bell has got four new Star helmets: Pro Star, custom-fit Star Carbon, Race Star, and the one under review here, the plain old Star. They range in price all the way from $1299.95 for the most expensive Pro Star to $499.95 for the Pace Orange/Black Star pictured. Compared to the others, the Star’s eye port is more oriented to upright riding than to peering out the top while tucked-in behind the bubble at Daytona. Though it’s of course a tad heavier than the more expensive Stars, it seems no heavier than a comparable premium helmet.

Updated May 2021

There was a time when spark plugs required constant maintenance or replacement. With improvements such as electronic fuel injection, cleaner burning fuels and more exotic metals such as iridium and platinum, modern spark plugs can last much longer than they used to, with service life stretching to 80,000 miles or more. These technological advances mean these are the best motorcycle spark plugs ever manufactured, and we benefit in several ways when it’s time to upgrade.

Nexx helmets has been producing motorcycle helmets since 2001, in Portugal, and is proud of the fact that it’s still 100% located in Amoreira da Gândara, 160 miles north of Lisbon. Why? Because “we believe in having all our knowledge concentrated; this not only allows us to maintain our unique philosophy but also, as we develop and produce our helmets, we know them inside out and we can support and improve them better than anyone else. Plus, doing everything in-house allows us more flexibility while providing a higher level of Customization and Service.”

Learning about new products is always exciting here at MO. Testing and reporting on motorcycle-related products is an important (and fun) part of our job. When the new product in question is a makeover of one of our favorite pieces of gear – as is the case with the Shoei Neotec II – the excitement is even more pronounced. (There was even a little behind-the-scenes wrangling over who would be assigned the review.) Still, I’ve got to be honest. I was also a little bit worried about the update. What if Shoei changed my absolute favorite modular helmet – the helmet I wear almost every day – in ways that made me like it less? Given the popularity of the Neotec with the riding public, I’m sure I’m not the only one who may have wondered if the changes would all be good.

Updated May 2021

Updated May 2021