MOTORCYCLING : Road-Tested Accessories, so You’ll Look Really Good Riding to the ATM
I used to have money, a small nest egg even. Then I took up motorcycling.
Like homeownership, sailing and day trading, riding motorcycles often starts as a simple pursuit of a passion and evolves into a full-fledged money pit. True, you could get by with the safety essentials--quality helmet, protective outfit, boots and gloves--but at least part of the fun (and comfort) is in the accessories.
The following is a list of road-tested items sure to enhance your riding experience, all the way to the ATM.
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Aerostich Wind Triangle. The best $23 I ever spent. This triangular scrap of Gore-Tex, which easily tucks into a jacket pocket, has saved me many a shivering trip home when the weather turned colder than expected.
Unfolded, the brilliantly simple windproof, waterproof accessory wraps around your neck to prevent chilly air from invading the gap between jacket and helmet. It comes in seven colors and in either fleece ($15) or Ultrasuede-lined ($23).
I splurged on Ultrasuede and love its silky texture. My first Wind Triangle was just breaking in when someone mistook it for a rag and tossed it in the garbage, making my current one the best $46 I ever spent.
From Aerostich Riderwear: (800) 222-1994; https://www.aerostich.com.
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Ventura Bike-Pack System. Saddlebags have long been the preferred method for carrying several days’ worth of gear. Yet not only do they compromise the sleek lines of a motorcycle, they also can complicate lane splitting. And even worse, the constant rubbing from the soft variety can often lead to scratched plastic side panels.
Now comes a clever solution, the Ventura pack, from Dold Industries of Hamilton, New Zealand.
Instead of hanging off the sides of a bike, this pack sits upright behind the rider. When riding solo, you can use both its full-size bags for an ample 90 liters (a bit more than 3 cubic feet) of packing space. If you are riding with a small friend aboard, or someone with whom you want to be cozy, a large-small bag combo still offers considerable storage. Or you can attach just one bag to the Ventura’s cargo rack, leaving the passenger seat free.
Installation of the model-specific system takes less than 30 minutes, once you decipher the instructions. Slipping the bags on and off takes seconds.
You can invest in the basic setup for about $299 or go full-bore for about $400.
The system is distributed by HSI, (800) 688-6439. For more information, visit the manufacturer’s Web site, https://www.ventura-bike.co.nz.
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Hair Glove. Riding along with your hair flowing in the breeze paints a romantic picture, but the fact is that long locks twisting in the wind add up to one thing: knots that require painstaking, painful effort to remove. My attempts at braiding to solve the problem were pathetic at best. To the rescue comes Hair Glove.
Now I just cinch my hair into a ponytail with an elastic band. The “glove” wraps around the length of the ponytail to hold it in place.
Hair Glove comes in neoprene or slightly more expensive leather in 4-inch and 8-inch lengths and is priced from $7.95 to $14.95.
I’ve received comments ranging from “fashionable” to “just plain silly.” I find it functional as well as better-looking than any braid I can weave.
From Head Gear Inc.: (877) 685-0630; https://www.hairglove.com.
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SunSwipe Towelettes. Covered in leather and exposed only through my helmet’s clear face shield, I’ve returned home from many a daylong ride with sunburn splashed across my nose and cheeks. No more. I now keep a SunSwipe Sunscreen Towelette under my seat for such occasions.
The 12-inch-square, individually wrapped towels come saturated with a waterproof sunscreen formula that smells sweet but isn’t sticky. (They look like big Wet-Wipes.) They come in SPF ratings of 15, 25, 30 and 45 and are available at drugstores and mass merchandisers for 99 cents to $1.49 apiece.
From Atico International: (800) 327-7238; https://www.sun-swipe.com.
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The BarPack. This handlebar-mounted map holder with a 9-inch-by-5-inch clear pocket on top is perfect for days when you don’t need a full-size tank bag. Install its quick-release plastic buckles on your handlebar, and the nylon pack clips on and off in seconds.
The pack folds out once to reveal a mesh pocket big enough for a note pad, wallet and sunglasses, and then again to display a 12-inch-by-18-inch map. The system fits a wide selection of bikes, some more smoothly than others.
The price of $40 includes the basic-fit kit. Additional mounting options cost $5.95.
From CycoActive Products: (800) 491-2926; https://www.cycoactive.com.
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Dispatch Rider Bag. With the Dispatch Bag over my shoulder, I feel like a big-city motorcycle delivery person. Measuring 12 inches by 7 inches by 12 inches, the bag swallows legal-size files, several books and a tape recorder and pens in its inside pocket.
The bag, from Aerostich Riderwear, closes securely with a wide hook-and-loop fastener and quick-release plastic buckles. A wide strip of reflective material practically glows at night.
But the bag’s best feature, which has me lugging it everywhere, is its plush foam shoulder pad. Cost: $60.
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Bike Balls. Measuring just 2 1/2 inches long, this barbell-shaped lock, which slips through a motorcycle’s brake disc, makes up for its tacky name by being less cumbersome than most similar products on the market. The casehardened, chrome-plated steel lock employs a stainless-steel, seven-pin circular tumbler for its pick-resistant locking mechanism.
Unfortunately, pint-size convenience comes with a hefty price: a suggested $59.95. And Bike Balls don’t fit all motorcycles.
Distributed by Custom Chrome: (800) 729-3332; https://www.customchrome.com.
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Freelance writer Marry Sorensen, whose work has appeared in Motorcyclist and Motorcycle Consumer News, can be reached at canyoninc@att.net.
