Helmets
Bell Qualifier Review: A Season of Touring Miles on the Gold Wing
Real-world notes from 4,000 miles on the Bell Qualifier, ridden by a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider out of Bend, Oregon.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider's honest notes on the Bell Qualifier after a surprise hailstorm on the way home from Santiam Pass.
Real-world notes from 4,000 miles on the Bell Qualifier, ridden by a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider out of Bend, Oregon.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider from Bend, Oregon compares the Bell Qualifier and HJC i10 after a full season of touring miles.
Real-world notes from a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider near Bend, Oregon, after thousands of miles in a Bell Qualifier.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider's honest notes on the Bell Qualifier after a surprise hailstorm on the way home from Santiam Pass.
A step-by-step walkthrough of getting a full-face helmet right, using the Bell Qualifier as the example. No guesswork, no gimmicks, just the method I use with every helmet I own.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider in Central Oregon spent a season in the Bell Qualifier. Here is what impressed me, what annoyed me, and what I would tell a friend before they buy.
Eight months, 8,000 miles, rain, hail, and one 90-degree afternoon in the Cascades. Here is what the Joe Rocket Atomic 5.0 actually did.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider compares the Joe Rocket Atomic 5.0 and the Alpinestars Andes V3 after a season of Central Oregon miles.
After 30 years of riding, I finally switched from leather to textile. Here is why the Joe Rocket Atomic 5.0 changed my mind.
Real-world notes from a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider near Bend, Oregon.
Five steps for staying warm on 30- and 40-degree mornings, built around a textile touring jacket that layers the way it should.
Three years and 14,000 miles with the Joe Rocket Atomic 5.0. The fit, the armor, the venting, and the things the five-star reviews leave out.
Six months and 4,000 miles with the Alpinestars SP-8 V3 gloves on a 2017 Gold Wing. What held up, what didn't, and who should buy them.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider compares the Alpinestars SP-8 V3 with a classic sheepskin touring glove after a season of Central Oregon miles.
Real-world notes from a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider near Bend, Oregon, on why the right pair of Alpinestars gloves earns its keep on an 8-hour day.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider in Central Oregon shares what 300 miles in the Alpinestars SP-8 V3 actually felt like: the hot spots, the break-in, and whether he'd buy them again.
A soft tape measure, five honest steps, and thirty years of riding. How I size motorcycle gloves, including the Alpinestars SP-8 V3, without a store.
A plainspoken look at the Alpinestars SP-8 V3 after a season of Central Oregon miles: what the marketing gets right, what it glosses over, and who should buy something else.
Six months and 4,000 miles of two-up riding with the Cardo Spirit. What worked, what didn't, and whether it's worth the money for a couple who rides together.
Two helmet communicators, one long road. Here is what I found after a summer of swapping them on my Gold Wing.
Real-world notes from a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider near Bend, Oregon.
A plainspoken account of riding two-up with the Cardo Spirit, from a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider outside Bend, Oregon.
A plainspoken walkthrough from a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider who has paired the Cardo Spirit with phones, GPS units, and a pillion headset more times than he can count.
Six months with the Cardo Spirit on a 2017 Gold Wing. What works, what doesn't, and what the product page doesn't tell you.
Fourteen months and 6,000 miles with the Nelson-Rigg Stormrider. What held up, what did not, and who should buy it.
Two rain suits, two very different jobs. Here is which one I would pack for a week on the road.
Real-world notes from a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider near Bend, Oregon, on why a Nelson-Rigg Stormrider rain suit lives in my saddlebag year round.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider's honest field notes after a cold, wet afternoon on the Cascade Lakes Highway.
Ray Holloway, 58, rides a 2017 Gold Wing out of Bend, Oregon, and has crossed the Cascades in more downpours than he can count. Here is how he sets up his Nelson-Rigg Stormrider rain suit so the gear actually works when it counts.
Six months and 4,000 miles in Central Oregon rain, hail, and one genuine Cascades downpour. Here's what the Nelson-Rigg Stormrider does well, what it does poorly, and who should buy it.
Real-world notes from 4,000 miles on the Bell Qualifier, ridden by a 58-year-old Gold Wing rider out of Bend, Oregon.
A 58-year-old Gold Wing rider in Central Oregon spent a season in the Bell Qualifier. Here is what impressed me, what annoyed me, and what I would tell a friend before they buy.
Eight months, 8,000 miles, rain, hail, and one 90-degree afternoon in the Cascades. Here is what the Joe Rocket Atomic 5.0 actually did.
Three years and 14,000 miles with the Joe Rocket Atomic 5.0. The fit, the armor, the venting, and the things the five-star reviews leave out.
Six months and 4,000 miles with the Alpinestars SP-8 V3 gloves on a 2017 Gold Wing. What held up, what didn't, and who should buy them.
A plainspoken look at the Alpinestars SP-8 V3 after a season of Central Oregon miles: what the marketing gets right, what it glosses over, and who should buy something else.
Six months and 4,000 miles of two-up riding with the Cardo Spirit. What worked, what didn't, and whether it's worth the money for a couple who rides together.
Six months with the Cardo Spirit on a 2017 Gold Wing. What works, what doesn't, and what the product page doesn't tell you.
Fourteen months and 6,000 miles with the Nelson-Rigg Stormrider. What held up, what did not, and who should buy it.
Six months and 4,000 miles in Central Oregon rain, hail, and one genuine Cascades downpour. Here's what the Nelson-Rigg Stormrider does well, what it does poorly, and who should buy it.