Founded in 1872 by Giovanni Battista Pirelli, the company we now know for its expansive range of tires got its humble beginnings in a different industry: telecomms. Back then several new technologies and industries were emerging, including energy and telecommunications. Throughout Europe, kilometers upon kilometers of power cables and phone lines were being put into the ground and into the ocean. All of them needed protection. Enter Pirelli and his expertise in another emerging field: rubber. Pirelli founded a limited partnership, “G.B. Pirelli & C.”, in Milan to produce elastic rubber items – primarily sheathing to protect all these wires buried in the ground. According to Pirelli’s corporate history website, by 1873, only a year after its foundation, Pirelli already had a plant in Milan. Production of carriage bands (they weren’t exactly tires) started in 1885, and by 1894 the first velocipede tire was born.

Adventure riders know that choosing a jacket and pant that will offer versatility in a wide variety of scenarios is paramount to enjoying the ride. Fortunately for us, most manufacturers now make matching jacket and pant combos to offer suits that integrate seamlessly from a fit and function standpoint. It’s always a good idea to be realistic of your intentions when considering new gear, but thankfully with adventure gear, like adventure bikes, most are designed to do a little bit of everything. Below is our list of the best adventure suits on the market today.

Finding a balance of protection, ventilation, and versatility can be difficult when looking at summer jackets; however, the Super Speed textile jacket from Dainese does a pretty good job at the balancing act. While it is not new in Dainese’s line-up, it is year-after-year a bestseller that will keep you calm, cool, and collected on your summer rides.

The chin bar. Quite literally, it’s what defines a full-face helmet. However, in the case of the Arai Defiant-X that we have here, it’s a bit of a departure from the rest of Arai’s full-face lineup. We’ll get into the specifics in a minute, but let’s take a step back and look at where the Defiant falls into line. 

In our Best Sportbike Tire series, we compiled a list of sportbike tires primarily suited for spirited street riding. In this, our Best Motorcycle Racing Tires series, we’re catering to the hardcore track rider, or even club racer, who still fancies the odd street ride. If you fall in that category, this list is for you. Here we’ve compiled some of the best track rubber you can find while still being approved by the Department of Transportation. In case you didn’t get the subtle hint, you won’t find any slicks on this list, but what we have here are nearly as good. As with many things in life, there’s a catch – some of these tires you’ll have to get through your local track vendor and can’t necessarily buy online. To put a positive spin on this scenario, at least you can feel good knowing you’re supporting a local business. Better still, your local track vendor will have the best advice as to what tire pressures to set for your local riding areas. Where possible, we’ve linked to Motorcycle.com staff member reviews of said tire(s), so here they are.

In addition to being the largest tire manufacturer in the world, Michelin is also one of, if not the oldest tire maker, with a brand that’s known worldwide for much more than tires, and a mascot, Bib, who’s also instantly recognizable (even though he quit smoking cigars some years ago). Michelin’s road maps, travel itineraries, and hotel and restaurant guides have told people where to go ever since the miracle of internal combustion made it possible for them to go there. The fine dining industry lives and dies by the Michelin stars its Red Guide awards to restaurants for their haute cuisine. In fact it may have been Michelin that coined the phrase so many motorcycle riders have taken to heart: “Eat to ride, ride to eat.”

Motorcycling and eye protection go hand in hand. Heck, even most states without helmet laws require eye protection. When riding off-road, good goggles are an absolute necessity. Everything from bugs and sticks, to roost and rocks are coming toward you at warp speed just hoping to put your eye out. Sure, goggles are first and foremost about protecting your eyes, but as technology has advanced, so have the features of modern day off-road motorcycle goggles. There are now options such as: the best tint for the terrain or time of day you’ll be riding, dozens of anti-fogging solutions, and flashy colors with equally flashy reflective lenses.

Adventure boots are designed in a similar vein to adventure motorcycles, ready to handle the rigors of off-road, yet still be comfortable enough to use day in and day out. Adventure boots are made to be protective, but not as stiff as a motocross boot so that you can comfortably walk around the interesting places you may find along your way. Our list of the best adventure motorcycle boots shows what adventure riders have to choose from with but one click of the mouse.

Back in 2016, I reviewed the Innovv K1 dashcam and really liked it with one exception, a lack of weatherproofing. Next, we tested the Innovv K2, finding it much improved. Well, the Innovv K3 dashcam is here, and it has reached what I consider to be peak functionality as a motorcycle dashcam. Regular commuters in urban areas should consider this as an option to use to protect yourself from false claims in the case of a mishap. 

Updated April, 2021

Updated April 2021

Updated April, 2021

Just because we’re California weenies doesn’t mean we don’t get rained on now and then. In fact, our arid lifestyle makes us even more sensitive when our dogs get dampened. You don’t have to be a veteran of trench warfare to know your feet are happiest when they’re dry. Especially if it’s not particularly warm, and especially if you’re whipping up a nice wind-chill factor for yourself at the same time. Now that Gore-tex and copycat breathable waterproof membranes are here, the days of plastic bags over your feet are over. Though that’s still an option. Naturally, these all come in various sizes to fit most feet, and many come in womens’ sizing as well. Here’s a light sprinkling of our favorite waterproof motorcycle boots.

Updated March 2021

Updated March 2021

Updated March 2021

Updated March 2021:

Updated March 2021

Updated March 2021

Insta360 appears to be the first action camera company that has a real possibility of disrupting the giant action camera gorilla in the room that is GoPro. There have been other companies over the years that offered a quality video image and image control sometimes even surpassing GoPro, but none of them could compete with the ease of mounting and presence in the marketplace that GoPro has enjoyed. Perhaps this will change with the release of Insta360 second iteration of their tiny “GO” camera, the Insta360 GO 2.

Updated March, 2021

Updated March 2021 

We’ve all been there. The forecast was “possibility of scattered showers,” but the horizon is a gray freight train of wetness, it’s getting dark, and you have 300 miles left to ride. Now’s not the time to realize you’re gonna need some waterproof motorcycle gloves; yesterday was.

Before we get too far into this, let’s face it, smartphones have come a long way and are capable of doing things most don’t understand and some can’t comprehend. Navigation, however, is one of the features people from all walks – and levels of technological literacy – use on a daily basis.  A smartphone works quite well for nav among dozens of other things, occasionally at the same time. So are standalone GPS units even worth having around anymore? As phones continue to advance – as well as GPS units – the lines between the two continue to become more blurred. Let’s have a closer look at the pros and cons of both. 

Winter can be a tough time of year for motorcyclists – particularly those who live in northern states. While nothing outside of screwing studs into your bike’s tires and going ice racing can help you scratch the two-wheeled itch once the white stuff hits the ground, there are still plenty of opportunities for riding if you are prepared with the right cold weather motorcycle gear.

Picture it: you’re having the motorcycle adventure of a lifetime; you’re somewhere new, traveling down roads and paths you’ve never seen before, and just around every bend is a view more picturesque than the last. The scenery is gorgeous, the roads (or trails) are twisty, and you and your motorcycle are one. By all accounts, this ride qualifies as epic. There’s just one problem: you haven’t documented any of it. Once the ride is over, you’ll only have memories to refer back to, save for the few shots you took on your cell phone camera.

As mentioned in our first installment of adventure bike upgrades, tires are one of, if not the, easiest ways to transform the handling of your big adventure bike. As adventure bikes have grown in popularity, so have tire offerings for them. With the plethora of tire choices to choose from these days, one can almost pinpoint exactly how much dirt versus road you plan on doing and choose a tire that meets your riding expectations.

Now that we can use our phones for so many things, they rarely leave our side – or hands in many cases. You can use your phone to pay at the grocery store, to hook up with randos via dating apps, and, of course, for GPS. Other bits of info you might want access to while you ride may include your music or seeing who’s calling/messaging or perhaps some cool new app from your motorcycle manufacturer. Other motorcyclists don’t want to have anything to do with their phone while riding, but even those Luddites need directions from time to time. With Rokform’s rugged case and universal mount, you get a solid mounting option that will connect to any Ram Mount-style ball receiver, and a stout phone case that attaches to it. 

Sure you know Harley-Davidson is the goliath among motorcycle manufacturers. And in the back of your mind you knew The Motor Company has a huge apparel line. But have you ever stopped to think about how big the apparel line actually is? Probably not. It’s so big, H-D has its own Amazon store dedicated to just footwear. Yep, that’s more that just Harley-Davidson boots.

There are many reasons why motorcycles (unfortunately) get put away to storage: repairs, restorations, and sometimes life in general means you have to put the bike away for a while. For most of us though, winter is the most obvious reason motorcycles get put away, and as we type this winter has begun to rear its ugly head in the way of snowstorms and bitter cold in many regions of the US. Unfortunately, for many motorcyclists, that means a long depressing few months of storing away your beloved two-wheeled friend from the elements. For long-term storage, it’s best to get yourself a smart battery charger to maintain the optimum voltage level to be sure your bike’s battery voltage doesn’t drop to potentially damaging levels, leaving you unable to ride when that first nice day comes around. Remember, you want to avoid the cheap chargers that continuously charge your battery without any regard for its current voltage. These “dumb” chargers can actually damage your battery and should never be used.

Updated January 2021:

What better time to take a closer look at the Dainese Alger Nomad jacket than now while the 43rd running of the Dakar Rally is underway. Inspired by rally racing of the ’80s, the Alger jacket is part of the Dunes collection, a subset of Dainese’s Settantadue vintage-inspired line. This jacket was specifically styled after Edi Orioli’s late 1980’s Dainese rally gear (pictured below). With vintage style and off-road adventures in vogue, Dainese looked back to its own history when creating the Alger jacket. 

Updated January, 2021

Shoei has produced motorcycle helmets since 1958. More than 30 years after Shoei’s first helmets made their way into the marketplace, I bought my first Shoei, an RF-200, during the initial year of it’s production in 1989. Before the end of its production cycle in 1995, thanks to saving me in one crash, I owned a couple of them. Since that time, I have owned at least one of every single RF model that Shoei produced. To say that I am a fan of the model line would be an understatement. A Shoei RF helmet was my most worn line of helmet until the Neotec convinced me that it was the perfect helmet for daily around town rides. Still, on most sporting rides, where I’d don a non-modular helmet, the RF-1200 was still at the top of my list. After living with the newest version for about a month, the Shoei RF-1400 continues that trend with its further refinement of the company’s popular and versatile helmet.

I’ve made no secret of my love for musician’s earplugs for hearing protection out on the road. They minimize the potential damage to my hearing while still giving close to full frequency response – not muffled frequencies, like with traditional foam plugs. Back in April, after testing a set of EarPeace earplugs, I switched to them as my go-to noise protection of choice, ending a multi-years’-long devotion to Etymotic plugs. The EarPeace earplugs stayed put more than 95% of the time while offering similar protection. So, I made the switch.

Getting a flat while out riding sucks. Whether you’re on a tour or running errands, getting a flat on a motorcycle is not only inconvenient, it can be downright dangerous. It’s even worse when you decided to pack your plug kit at the bottom of your cases and have to sprawl out all of your possessions along the side of the road like some wandering gypsy in order to find it. The only thing worse than that is not having one at all.

If we were presented with a rider and were told to guess which Shoei helmet that they wore, selecting an RF model would be a smart choice. The RF line has been one of Shoei’s best sellers for a generation. In fact, the first RF helmet was introduced in 1984, and the Shoei RF-1400 continues the path of incremental improvement to this ever-popular line. In the press materials below, the idea of Kaizen, a Japanese term for continuous improvement, is mentioned. Each new release in the RF family has layered new features on the previous model while still retaining the essence of the family. The same features that have made the line popular with riders also apply to the MO staff, which has collectively owned most, if not all, of Shoei’s RF line and can vouch for it being a sweet-spot helmet. The value delivered by this line of helmets has captured the hearts of riders ranging from bagger fans to track day riders and every kind of rider in between. The Shoei RF line of helmets has traditionally hit the Goldilocks price vs features point of this premium helmet, and the RF-1400 appears to be no different.

Just like anything else, motorcycles are continually evolving and getting lighter, faster and more powerful with each passing year. Despite improvements to how well bikes handle and perform, having an accident and crashing is always a looming threat that can never be eliminated, only mitigated – especially off-road. Fortunately for us riders, there are engineers working hard to keep our heads and bodies as safe as possible so we can continue to enjoy riding motorcycles – both on- and off-road – with confidence in knowing that we have the best chance in decreasing the amount of damage a potential crash can cause.

Accessories really do make the outfit, and depending on what the outfit is, this is a hugely broad category. The things you need for touring on pavement are quite a bit different than what you’ll need on an off-road adventure, but there’s still plenty of crossover. Blah blah…

“Competition” is all relative. These gloves aren’t competition like your latest $400 Dainese racing gloves or anything, but they are more competition-ready than the regular Elkskin Ropers Aerostich has been selling forever. The difference is simply that these Competition Ropers have a hook-and-loop wrist closure to positively cinch each one onto your wrist (instead of one snap), which makes them way easier to secure securely onto your paws. Secondly, there’s a nice strip of Aerostich’s excellent TF3 impact foam right where you want it most should you hit the deck, on back of yon knuckles.

For almost a decade, I rode with musician’s earplugs because I liked their flat frequency response. I could hear the sounds around me the way I always do – only quieter – without the muffled, muddied sound associated with lower-tech earplugs. Now, this type of earplug is all the rage in the motorsports world, and the manufacturers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the rest of the earplugs out there. Earos, with their Earos One acoustic filters (what the manufacturer calls them), have found a feature that, in my testing, makes an attractive option for motorcyclists that are interested in being able to hear their surroundings and protect their hearing at the same time. The feature is that the shape of the outer body of the earplug actually holds the earplugs in place in your ear while you wear them.

There are a dizzying array of options when it comes to dirtbike tires. From tread patterns, to compounds, to the brands themselves, it’s difficult to decipher what is the best tire. That’s mostly because deciding on the best tire requires a lot of input from the rider themselves. What kind of dirtbike are you riding? What kind of terrain are you riding on? Are you looking for longevity or for the most traction possible just to get through a hard enduro race? These are just a handful of the questions you need to answer for yourself before embarking into the deluge of different off-road tire choices. 

Updated November 2020

Once upon a time, many generations ago, motorcycle tires were in limited supply. You wanted them black, round, and capable of holding air. Well, the technology has changed to the point that there is no universal best motorcycle tire. Rather, the motorcycle tire industry developed the capability to create carcasses and tread compounds to handle very specific conditions. Hence, we have the fragmentation of the motorcycle tire market. Let’s take a look at the differing categories, but if you want to jump straight ahead to your type of motorcycle, click on the link at the top of each section.

Nothing beats the convenience of an open-face helmet for cruising, light touring, or just commuting through your town. If you happen to be riding a scooter while wearing an open-face helmet, you’re just living in the lap of convenience and pragmatism. Like any other helmet, open-face helmets come in all shapes and sizes (though not a whole lot of colors), so here we’ve gathered a few to tell you about. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

Updated November 2020

Writing a Crash Tested review is never something we want to do, but if I’m going to write one, then this one is especially important. If you weren’t aware, a couple months ago while comparing the Triumph Speed Twin and BMW R nineT, I was hit by a car. I flew over the hood of the car, did a flip in the air, landed on my shoulder, and rolled to a stop. It sucked, but thankfully I was able to walk away, injury-free albeit pretty sore. 

Why is it that OEM lighting too often seems subpar? That’s not to say every brand or model on the road these days has a headlight that comes up short, but in my experience, on two wheels or four, manufacturers rarely put an emphasis on their vehicle’s ability to provide ample lighting. Thankfully, there are a handful of companies out there making great auxiliary lighting options for motorcycles. Some are new, and some have been well-tested over time in rigorous conditions. If you’re looking to add some lumens to your stock setup, here are some of the best LED lights for motorcycles. 

Dainese has long been a purveyor of innovative safety equipment for riders, claiming the first knee sliders in 1979, back protector in 1981, and carbon/Kevlar knuckle protection in 1995. In 2012, the Italian company made another first, becoming the first manufacturer to offer airbag protection in an off-the-rack (or custom) leather racing suit in America, the D-Air Racing. We are now seeing the third generation of D-Air technology used in the current race line-up as well as road applications available in multiple styles of jackets for both men and women.

Updated October, 2020

Here in the States, most people treat scooters nearly the same as motorcycles. The utilitarian conveniences of the scooter have never really caught on over here, and scooters are still generally seen as a luxury item. Like motorcycle owners, the folks who spend their hard-earned money on these practical two-wheelers want to keep their machines looking good and also away from the prying eyes of opportunistic thieves. 

In the previous century, the manufacturers didn’t want us to call their motorcycles “cruisers,” because they were afraid to be associated with the 1980 Al Pacino film “Cruising,” which was about a serial killer preying on gay men cruising for sex. Today, that plotline could be a selling point, who knows? Things change. Anyway, as you know, cruisers in the motorcycle idiom refers to laid-back American style bikes which tend to be ridden less aggressively than sportbikes, which sort of lessens the need for titanium toe sliders, calf pucks, and Crayon-box color schemes. In other words, these are the kind of boots plenty of normal motorcyclists on cruisers, touring bikes, sport-tourers and standards, don’t mind wearing every day, on the bike and off. We selected a few of the Best Cruiser Motorcycle Boots.

What makes for the best motorcycle jacket comes down to a lot of different variables, not excluding rider preferences. So rather than tell you that the following jackets are unequivocally the best, we’ve decided to highlight offerings that we’ve previously included in our more focused jacket lists (textile, leather, winter, women’s etc.) to give you a smattering of what Motorcycle.com sees as some of the best jackets currently in production. 

As motorcycles become more reliable and maintenance intervals get more spread out, one consumable remains on a fairly frequent interval for motorcycles. Tires have made tremendous advances in the last decade, but they are still the most frequent maintenance items for motorcyclists. With the rates for mounting and balancing tires going through the roof (My local shop charges $60 for a pair of tires with the wheels off the bike.), buying a tire changer makes a lot of sense. I’d been eyeing No-Mar Tire Changers for quite a while before pulling the trigger and installing one in my garage. In less than a month and after changing a dozen tires, we’d have already spent about 35% of the cost of the No-Mar Classic HD Motorcycle Tire Changer at our local motorcycle shop, but what’s most important is how convenient it is having a tire changer in my garage available when I need it. I no longer have to load my wheels into my truck, drive to my local shop, wait an hour (or more) for them to be ready, and finally take them home to reinstall on my bike. 

As I write this, Southern California is under an excessive heat warning, with the next three days bringing temps that can soar up to 110ºF (that’s 43ºC for you non-Americans) in my area. Honestly, when the temps get that high, I’d rather hop in a pool than ride a motorcycle. But even if you’re riding on a nice day, engine heat can radiate right to your feet. No matter how the heat gets to your toes, it’s times like these when a highly breathable shoe is a godsend.

Updated September 2020:

Back in the day, when a proper sport-tourer was an 1100 Katana or an FZR1000, the tank bag was indispensable for weekend blasts to San Francisco or Reno or wherever. The FZR in particular had a flat-topped steel tank that was the catbird seat for my old magnetic bag. If you packed soft t-shirts and undies on top, it was purrfect to lean on and unweight your wrists. Magnetic was good for me, since I was always riding different bikes. If you have one bike, an old-fashioned strap-on bag, invented before the magnet, is a bit more secure on windshieldless motorcycles. 

From Z900 to S1000R to Street Triple, we love our naked bikes and even the ones that leave a little to the imagination with what we once called bikini fairings – especially when it’s hot. When it cools off a little, though, maybe you’d like a light wrap. A jacket. A flyscreen, a windbreaker, as it were. Especially if you use your naked as an everyday bike to ride even when the weather’s brisk, or if you spend more than a little time at freeway speed. At the same time, you don’t want to be duct-taping some ill-fitting piece of tacky plastic onto your darling. There are probably some decent “universal-fit” windscreens and other bargains, but the best ones are going to be bike-specific. We asked around for naked bike windshields people like the best, and this is them.

The perfect solution for being able to ride year-round would be to have gear that can handle all four seasons. Wait – we do! That’s exactly what this list is about. Well, at least your upper half, anyway. What you’ll find below are our picks for four-season motorcycle jackets. You’ll notice as you scroll down that most of these jackets are touring-oriented. The reason is pretty simple: those are typically the riders that will face the gamut of weather extremes on just one ride. So, if a jacket will work for them in extreme conditions, chances are they’ll handle your ride to work in December just fine. Assuming you’re not working from home, that is.

As motorcycle technology has advanced, the tolerances to which they are manufactured have gotten ever tighter. While torque wrenches have always been important, modern motorcycles, and particularly their engines, depend on the exacting tightening specifications allowed by a torque wrench. Every motorcyclist should have one to assist them in their home-mechanic efforts.