MO Tested: In&Motion Airbag Vest

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.

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A Breath of Fresh Air: Introducing the Helite Turtle 2 Airbag Vest

We’re big fans of motorcycle airbag technology here at MO, especially our own Troy Siahaan who learned first hand how effectively an airbag can protect a rider in a crash.

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MO Tested: Dainese Super Speed Textile Jacket Review

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.

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MO Tested: Dainese Smart Jacket Review

The first wave of motorcycle airbag systems largely involved built-in components within a suit or ones that required that they be installed in airbag-specific gear. Although there were some outliers, most notably the Helite Turtle Airbag Vest that requires being worn over the jacket with a tether to the bike, the airbag era is entering the phase where the safety system is garment-agnostic. These systems from Alpinestars, Dainese, and Klim take the form of vests that can be worn inside or outside a rider’s regular gear. While we’ve had the opportunity to wear the first wave of airbags in their specific jackets/suits from multiple vendors, the Dainese Smart Jacket is our first shot at a second wave airbag system. Although I’ve been lucky enough not to crash in it during my time testing the Smart Jacket, it has very quickly become part of my regular riding kit. 

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MO Wrenching: How To Install Frame Sliders

Updated February 2020

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MO Tested: Racer High Racer Glove Review

When it comes to any kind of riding gear, comfort is key. This is especially true when it comes to gloves. Since your hands are pretty darn important to riding, if a glove doesn’t fit well, it doesn’t matter what sort of advanced materials or techno-farkles it has. It’ll just sit on the shelf, anyway. Now, there are plenty of comfortable gloves out there, but as far as race gloves go, I’ve never worn a pair that were instantly as comfortable as the High Racer Glove from Racer. Forget the old baseball analogy, now when I hear “it fits like a glove,” the High Racer is what I’m talking about.

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New Rider: What Motorcycle Gear Do You Need?

Welcome to motorcycling! Maybe you just bought your first bike or are about to do it. Either way, you’ve probably realized that you’ll need to buy more than just a motorcycle. Motorcycle gear can get really expensive really quickly, but you don’t need to spend a fortune (which you probably don’t have since you just bought your first bike) to keep yourself comfortable while riding or protect yourself in a mishap. While all motorcycle safety gear is important, there is a hierarchy of necessity. Since the assumption of this article is that you’re short on cash, we’ll work our way down the list.

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10 Great Motorcycle Gloves For Under $100

Yeah, we know that we constantly say that you should buy the best gear you can afford. We think it’s time to show you some  glove bargains. So, we’re gonna pull back a little and show you how nice gloves that cost less than a C-note can be. In fact, some of these motorcycle gloves are almost inexpensive enough to buy two pair without breaking our self-imposed ceiling. Our reason for undertaking this exercise is to illustrate the breadth of gear available to riders who maybe just spent all their scratch on a new motorcycle and don’t have much left for gear.

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How To Clean Textile Motorcycle Gear

When it comes to textile motorcycle gear, there’s a fine line between looking well-traveled and being just plain dirty. If you don’t notice when you’ve crossed that line, usually a riding buddy or someone close to you will let you know. For example, when I returned from my four-day Gold Wing Tour ride from Austin, TX, my wife wrinkled her nose and said, “That jacket’s filthy…and you kinda stink.” So, instead of ending up in a pile on the floor where I wanted to drop it after my 600-mile day (with a 102° fever), I carried my Spidi suit outside to my garage office and hung it up where it wouldn’t offend her delicate sensibilities. The things we do for love.

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Top 10 Reasons To Wear Motorcycle Gear

Regular Motorcycle.com readers know that we are big proponents of wearing proper motorcycle gear while riding. We think wearing anything else would be foolish. (Yes, we’re looking at you t-shirts, shorts, and sneaker-wearing riders!) Rationally, we all know that, in a crash, the best thing to be wearing is durable gear – if we want to minimize the potential for injury.

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A Little Trick To Help Your Battery Last Longer

If you’re meticulous about your motorcycle maintenance, your battery could last you upwards of a decade. However, battery manufacturers estimate most batteries have a useful life of anywhere between 2 – 5 years on average depending on type (lithium vs lead acid), care, and riding conditions, among many other factors.

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Church Of MO – Leather and Protection

Monday, June 20 marks the 25th Ride to Work Day, an annual event created to show the general public that motorcyclists are their friends and neighbors and that there are lots of us out there sharing the roads with them.

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Liberty Sport Pursuit Sunglasses

Most people don’t think too much about the sunglasses they wear when riding motorcycle. They cover my eyes? Check. They look good? Check. Then I’m good to go. Uh, no.

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Church Of MO – Z Leathers Custom Suit

If you’re reading this in the good ‘ol US of A, then Thanksgiving has come and gone, and you might still be sleeping off that food coma. As you look down at your stomach and regret all the turducken you just consumed, let’s be thankful there are still companies out there who will custom make leather suits exactly to your dimension. For this week’s Church feature we take a look at one of the early players in the custom suit market: Z Leathers. This article, written by Todd Canavan from 1996 is particularly special because: 1) Much of it still rings true today 2) Designs from the 1990s are hilarious and 3) Z Leathers is still in business today. 

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Alpinestars 2016 Collection Preview

No, sorry, replica Lorenzo leathers are not part of Alpinestars’ 2016 apparel collection, but the company is inextricably linked to the sport by protecting many of its participants. Many safety developments available to the public originate from knowledge gained at the track. And the above photo is much tastier than a logo or a studio shot of a new jacket.

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