Big_Book_of_Kit.pdf

36 exhausts 

BIGKIT 

under pressure 

11 brake pads 

frazzled 

64 boots 

wrecked 

28 helmets 

destroyed 

113 gloves 

torn apart 

1053 PRODUCTS ON TEST FROM RUCKSACKS TO ONE-PIECE LEATHERS 

PLUS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET THE BEST DEAL THIS SUMMER

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Top brands 

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Great prices 

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Winter suits worth £13,000 tested 

£23,000 of leathers destroyed 

£7870 o f locks attacked 

£6350 of helmets bashed 

INSIDE... 

4 Trust RiDE 

This is why you can believe our verdicts. 

6 Summer gloves 

Make a good fi st of buying your gloves. 

10 Helmets 

Use your loaf when choosing a lid. 

12 Summer boots 

64 pairs tested to destruction. 

16 Two-Piece leathers 

You’re booted. Now we’ll get you suited. 

20 One-Piece leathers 

The best one-pieces. Suits you. 

22 Waterproofs 

Never get wet again. 

26 Exhausts 

Come on feel the noise. 

28 Winter gloves 

Warm, dry, safe hands. Yes, please. 

32 Winter boots 

Stay well-heeled when the rain kicks in. 

35 Chain lube 

To avoid a mess, stick with our advice. 

36 Winter suits 

Comfy, year-round riding. Here’s how. 

40 Security 

Locks, alarms, anchors and covers. 

44 A-Z 

Bike to bike intercoms 

Bolt on screens 

Back protectors 

Brake pads 

Chain breakers and riveters 

Cleaning products 

Hard luggage 

Headlight bulbs 

Neck warmers 

Panniers 

Pressure gauges 

Puncture repair kits 

Socket sets 

Steering dampers 

Tailpacks 

Tankbags 

Thermals 

Torque wrenches 

2001-2006: Everything we’ve tested. 

THE RIDE BIG BOOK OF KIT 3

OUR TESTING 

It’s taken six years and 

£280,000 to test this 

kit. So you can trust us 

IN THE last six years alone we’ve spent £150,000 on 

testing products so we can cut out the marketing bluster 

and give you the real story. In that time, we’ve got 

through kit worth £130,000. 

Every RiDE product test is a thorough investigation of 

how a product will perform in the worst-case scenario. 

Our tests usually leave us with a pile of destroyed kit as 

we leave no stone unturned to work out which are good 

and which are crap. 

We’ve been at it since RiDE started back in 1995 and 

our tests have changed motorcycle kit for the better. As 

riders, we’re all much better informed about what works 

and what doesn’t. Sounds cocky, but RiDE’s product tests 

over the last 11 years take much of the credit for that. 

So this guide pools together the last six years of 

product tests, to help you with your shopping for kit. 

We’ve listed every product we’ve tested, told you how it 

scored, how much it cost at the time and whether it 

picked up a RiDE Best Buy or Recommended triangle 

(see right to fi nd out what one of those means). 

So why only the last six years of tests? When you’re 

shopping this year we don’t reckon you’ll fi nd any decent 

kit on sale that’s more than six years old, even in the 

dustiest bargain bin. 

So, fi nd a pair of race gloves on sale and within 

seconds, you’ll be able to see if we’ve tested them and 

4 THE RIDE BIG BOOK OF KIT 

how they scored. If you can’t fi nd the exact product in 

the list, you might decide it’s still worth punt if the 

manufacturer has a good record overall. If nothing is 

listed at all, neither the product nor the maker, then our 

guides will help you make an educated assessment of 

the product’s quality. We’ve learnt lots of lessons about 

what works and what doesn’t and we’ve distilled them 

into our quick guides. 

If something brandishes a Best Buy or Recommended 

tag, you know it will be a quality piece of kit. RiDE tests 

not only tell you which product does an OK job, but also 

which really is the best. It’s not a simple pass or fail with 

RiDE. And why should it be? You want the best you can 

get for your money; why accept anything less? 

In the next 40 pages of results you’ll fi nd performance 

fi gures for 38 different types of bike kit and more than 

1000 individual products. Everything from leathers to 

luggage and ground anchors to steering dampers. And, if 

you can’t fi nd exactly what you want, you should be able 

to glean enough 

from our tips to 

make an informed 

choice without 

getting dazzled by 

sales patter. 

Happy shoppping. 

Tony Hoare 

product tester

Since 2001 we’ve tested... 

■ £10,700 of one-piece leathers 

■ £12,600 of two-piece leathers 

■ £3400 of alarms 

■ £1950 of bike-to-bike intercoms 

■ £1300 of covers 

■ £700 of bolt-on screens 

■ £2130 of back protectors 

■ £200 of brake pads 

■ £3400 of chains and locks 

■ £345 of chain breakers and riveters 

■ £100 of chain lubes 

■ £100 of cleaning products 

■ £1300 of disc locks 

■ £10,200 of exhaust cans 

■ £2300 of ground anchors 

■ £2500 of hard luggage 

■ £640 of headlight bulbs 

■ £6350 of helmets 

■ £340 of neckwarmers 

■ £2600 of panniers 

■ £180 of pressure gauges 

■ £90 of puncture repair kits 

■ £885 of rucksacks 

■ £2840 of socket sets 

■ £6800 of summer gloves 

■ £1900 of steering dampers 

■ £8300 of summer boots 

■ £735 of tail packs 

■ £1850 of tank bags 

■ £700 of thermals 

■ £1070 of torque wrenches 

■ £870 of U-locks 

■ £975 of waterproofs 

■ £4700 of winter gloves 

■ £3360 of winter boots 

■ £13,000 of winter suits 

Why you can 

trust the triangle 

The testing system 

RiDE tests are devised by bikers and carried 

out by bikers. Where necessary we draft in 

expert help and even create special testing 

rigs if they are needed. We ensure that every 

test is fair and that products are rated on 

their merits. We’re not interested in trendy 

brands, just whether something does a 

decent job. 

What the tags mean: 

ONCE we’ve conducted a test and worked 

out the scores, we work out which products 

are worthy of an award. If something meets 

our standards we give it a RECOMMENDED 

triangle. If one of those products represents 

particularly good value for your money, we 

will award it a BEST BUY triangle. 


SUMMER GLOVES 

We’ve wrecked 113 

know a thing or two 

Put your fi nger on a good pair 

ventilation 

ventilation 

■ Many gloves now feature cooling 

vents. In reality, few make much 

difference and are mostly there for 

looks. You’re not going to get a blast 

of wind shooting through the glove 

but some air is good on hot days. 

seams seams s 

■ Poorly-designed gloves will come apart 

at the seams in a crash – either because 

they burst or the stitching is damaged. 

Ideally there should be concealed stitching 

so the glove doesn’t just come apart if the 

fi rst layer of stitching is ground away. 

high high high high techtech- tech tec 

materialsmaterials ■ There might be posh labels 

claiming there are modern 

materials inside, like Kevlar. These 

should be sandwiched between 

two layers of leather at the heel of 

the palm for extra protection. 


golden rules for gloves 

■ Hold on to some handlebars when 

trying a pair on. This is where they 

need to be comfy. 

■ Check there's a non- 

elastic wrist strap to 

keep them on in a crash. 

■ Check the cuffs go over 

your riding jacket.

pairs, so we 

armour armour 

■ Hands don’t just slide along the 

road in a crash, they also fl ail 

around. Gloves have a combination 

of hard and soft armour to protect 

joints and knuckles. 

lining lining 

■ Lining is mostly for comfort or 

waterproofi ng. Make sure the 

lining is fi xed and doesn’t pull 

out when you take the gloves off. 

wrist wrist straps straps 

■ Vital for making sure your glove 

stays put in a spill. Do up the strap 

and trying taking the glove off. It 

should be a struggle. If it comes off 

easily, buy something else. 

cuff cuff ss 

■ Cuffs should be long enough to 

overlap your jacket sleeves and 

have adjustment to keep them 

securely in place. 


SUMMER GLOVES 

Best of the best 

Summer gloves 

Alpinestars GP Pro 

Alpinestars GP Pro 

Clover RS-3 

Exero Solar 

Held Phantom 

Spada Carbo Race 

Spidi 3 Composite 

Swift Viper 

Texport TX1 

Texport Veloce 

Triumph Hard Carbon 


OVERALL 

45/52 

RATING 

OVERALL 

16/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

14/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

14/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

46/55 

RATING 

OVERALL 

43/55 

RATING 

OVERALL 

44/55 

RATING 

OVERALL 

47/52 

RATING 

TOTAL 

107/127 

RATING 

OVERALL 

15/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

45/55 

RATING 

Every glove 

Summer gloves 

Tested Glove name Price Score 

2003 Akito Rage £20 23/52 

2003 Akito Sprint £40 30/52 

2003 Akito Supervent £30 23/52 

2003 Alpinestars GP Pro £120 45/52 

2005 Alpinestars Alloy £50 36/55 

2004 Alpinestars GP Pro £120 16/20 

2005 Alpinestars S-MX 2 Air Carbon £55 38/55 

2005 Alpinestars S-MX 3 £40 32/55 

2003 Alpinestars S-MX Air Carbon £50 31/52 

2004 Alpinestars SMX-5 £60 10/20 

2004 Alpinestars SP-1 £80 13/20 

2003 Arlen Ness 747 Storm £75 31/52 

2003 Belstaff Airfl ow £90 39/52 

2004 Belstaff Ladies Pantha £30 13/20 

2004 Belstaff Rapido £50 12/20 

2003 Belstaff Super Sport £100 39/52 

2005 BMW All-round £35 35/55 

2005 BMW Summer Rain £60 30/55 

2005 Busters Triplevent £20 28/55 

2005 Chequered Flag Evolution £50 32/55 

2005 Clover RS-3 £90 36/55 

2004 Clover RS-3 £90 14/20 

2005 Dainese SLAM £96 35/55 

2005 Dainese Speed Knuckles £132 28/55 

2003 Dannisport Stealth £60 39/52 

2003 Dannisport Steel 3 £45 25/52 

2004 Exero Solar Gloves £35 14/20 

2004 Fieldsheer Positano Race £90 11/20 

2004 Fieldsheer Race Claw £70 11/20 

2004 Fieldsheer Sonic Air £30 8/20 

2004 Filedsheer Race Grip £40 9/20 

2003 Frank Thomas Air Rage £100 39/52 

2004 Frank Thomas Air Rage £100 12/20 

2003 Frank Thomas Edge £40 29/52 

2005 Frank Thomas Sabre Sport GL £100 41/55 

2003 Frank Thomas Spectre £60 33/52 

2004 Frank Thomas Strike Race £80 10/20 

2004 Hein Gericke Gore Sports £70 15/20 

2003 Hein Gericke Gore Sports £70 40/52 

2003 Hein Gericke Hard Edge £50 32/52 

2005 Hein Gericke HG Racing £75 39/55 

2003 Hein Gericke HGR Racing £70 35/52

we’ve tested since 2001 


2005 Hein Gericke Race Vent £40 37/55 

2004 Hein Gericke Race Vent £80 12/20 

2005 Hein Gericke Sports GTX £70 34/55 

2004 Hein Gericke Twin £40 11/20 

2004 Hein Gericke V1 Vento £50 6/20 

2004 Held Akira £104 13/20 

2003 Held Akira £99 29/52 

2005 Held Akira Tex £130 38/55 

2004 Held Ceramic-Tex £77 14/20 

2003 Held Krypton £110 34/52 

2005 Held Phantom £130 46/55 

2005 Joe Rocket GPX £70 36/55 

2004 Joe Rocket Highside £50 7/20 

2004 Joe Rocket Nova £50 10/20 

2004 Joe Rocket Phoenix Gloves £50 12/20 

2004 Joe Rocket Speedmaster £100 13/20 

2005 Joe Rocket Speedmaster 5.0 £110 40/55 

2004 JTS 786 £35 7/20 

2004 JTS CK33 £35 12/20 

2003 JTS CK44 £30 38/52 

2004 JTS CK44 £35 9/20 

2004 JTS Dyno £12.50 4/20 

2004 JTS Moon £30 13/20 

2004 Lewis Speed Race £60 10/20 

2003 Motomod Basics £20 19/52 

2003 Motomod Biarritz £21.50 16/52 

2003 Motomod Mallory £40 33/52 

2004 Motomod Toulous £27.50 7/20 

2004 Nankai NRG-31 £130 11/20 

2003 Prexport T Race £60 25/52 

2005 REV’IT PX2 £70 39/55 

2005 Richa Blade £30 31/55 

2004 Rider Model 2 £20 8/200 

2005 RS Enduro £30 24/55 

2005 RS Falcon £40 31/55 

2005 RS Hawk £20 21/55 

2005 RS Rapier £50 34/55 

2005 RS Supernova Plus £50 27/55 

2004 R-Sport Active £20 10/20 

2003 Spada Air Con £35 37/52 

2005 Spada Carbo Race £40 43/55 

2003 Spada Mid Summer £30 36/52 

2004 Spada Race Carbon £40 13/20 

For back issues please call 0845 121 4000 

2003 test: Issue 98 (On sale 20 June 2003) 

2004 test: April 2004 issue 

2005 test: June 2005 issue 


2004 Spada Race Tech £30 13/20 

2003 Spada Ultima Race £40 26/52 

2005 Spada Ultima Race 2 £45 32/55 

2003 Spada Ultima short £35 20/52 

2005 Spidi 3 Composite £120 44/55 

2003 Spyke Arrow £55 24/52 

2003 Spyke G-SR1 £60 22/52 

2005 Spyke HP Tech 2 £95 31/55 

2004 Spyke Network £42 9/20 

2003 Swift Triplevent £40 20/52 

2003 Swift Viper £80 47/52 

2005 Targa Vulcan £30 30/55 

2003 Texport Devil £70 26/52 

2003 Texport Free Spirit £80 35/52 

2003 Texport Sport Grip £44.50 22/52 

2004 Texport Sports Grip £45 9/20 

2003 Texport TX1 £90 46/52 

2005 Texport TX1 £100 43/55 

2004 Texport TX1 £100 18/20 

2005 Texport Veloce £50 35/55 



2005 Triumph Hard Carbon £90 45/55 

2004 Triumph Hard Carbon £90 13/20 

2004 Triumph Raptor Vented £25 10/20 

2004 Triumph Speedking £45 13/20 

2003 Weise Ladies Race 2 £40 29/52 

2005 Weise Race £60 36/55 

2004 Weise WSG-1 £30 10/20 

Best and worst 

■ Top score: The £100 Texport TX1 scored 

90% in 2004. 

■ Worst score: 20% from the JTS Dyno in 

2004. They were cheapest though, at £12.50. 

■ Most expensive: The £131.90 Dainese Speed 

Knuckles scored 50.9% in 2004. 


HELMETS 

The safety sticker 

28 lids worn, bashed and rated 

standards 

■ All helmets have to pass the 

European test, called ECE 22-05, or 

the British Standard, BS6658. 

Most lids that pass the British 

Standard, which will have a blue or 

green sticker on the back, will be 

older helmets. Whatever the mark, 

it only tells you that a helmet 

passes, not if it’s any better or 

worse than the next lid. So we 

tested for impact protection, 

penetration, chinstrap 

protection and, of course, 

hundreds of miles 

road testing, and 

scored them 

accordingly. 

outer 

shell 

■ Made from injection-moulded 

polycarbonate or resin-bonded 

fi bres such as glass, carbon and 

Kevlar. It should be free of any 

visible knocks as it possibly 

indicates damage to the crucial 

inner shell. 


inner 

shell 

■ A moulded polystyrene 

shell crushes on impact 

and slows your head 

gradually, reducing the 

chance of injury. 

Shouldn’t deteriorate 

with normal use. 

strap 

■ Fasteners are either D-rings, 

slide bars or quick release (like 

seat belts). A popper fi xes the 

loose end of the strap and stops it 

fl apping around. The soft fabric 

fl ap is for comfort. Straps are 

riveted to the helmet 

outer shell and must 

not be tampered 

with. 

padding 

■ Soft foam is for comfort only 

and doesn’t provide crash 

protection. Over time this foam 

compresses and loosens the fi t. 

Some helmets have removable 

linings, which allow them to be 

cleaned easily.

just isn’t enough 

AGV GP-1 

Arai Condor Arai SV 

Dainese Casco Airstream 

Corse 

Nitro N311 

Schuberth Concept 

Shark S500 

Suomy SPEC 1R 

OVERALL 

46/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

56/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

54/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

54/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

52/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

52/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

40/65 

RATING 


2005 test: May 2005 issue 

AGV V-Flyer AGV XR2 Arai Astro Race 

OVERALL 

45/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

59/65 

RATING 

BMW System 4 Craft RXX 

FM Sabre HJC AC-11 HJC CS-12 

OVERALL 

56/65 

RATING 

OGK Aeroblade II OGK FF4 Roof RO10 Diversion 

OVERALL 

32/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

42/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

44/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

61/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

42/65 

RATING 

Schuberth S1 Shark RSF2 Shark RSX 

Shoei Raid 2 

Takachi TK-30 

OVERALL 

59/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

61/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

51/65 

RATING 

Shoei XR1000 

Vemar VSX 

OVERALL 

56/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

60/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

44/65 

RATING 

Shoei Z-One 

X-Lite X-902 

OVERALL 

59/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

43/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

57/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

47/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

45/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

51/65 

RATING 

OVERALL 

53/65 

RATING 


SUMMER BOOTS 

Kick bad boots 

into touch 

Get the best you can 

armour armour 

■ Plastic shields and foam 

padding dissipate impacts to 

protect vulnerable ankle bones 

and shin. 

upper upper 

■ Usually made from leather or 

man-made Lorica. The latter is 

easier to colour than leather, is 

more consistent, lighter and more 

economical. But quality leather 

tends to offer better protection. 

reinforcement 

reinforcement 

■ Constant wear against the gear 

lever can easily damage boots. 

Reinforcement is better overlaid 

than stitched in to form part of the 

construction. If it’s stitched in and 

the seams wear through, the boot 

could begin to open up. 

heel heel 

■ A rigid, pre-formed heel gives 

support and boosts protection. 

Some boots are hinged at the 

ankle so you can have protection 

and better ease of movement on 

or off the bike. 

12 THE RIDE BIG BOOK OF KIT

zip 

■ A three-quarter length zip 

and a Velcro covering fl ap gives 

plenty of calf adjustment. 

Leather fl aps underneath should 

insulate muscles and bones 

from hard metal zips. 

the golden rules of 

buying boots 

■ Check they will be comfortable 

when worn with your normal riding 

kit before you buy. 

■ Make sure sliders are secure and 

check how easy it is to get new ones. 

■ Feel inside boots for any intrusions 

by toe sliders etc that could irritate. 

■ Remember boots will ‘give’ a bit 

and mould to the shape of your feet 

with use. Boots that are too loose 

from the start will chafe, with the left 

big toe a regular culprit. 

lining lining 

■ There for comfort. 

Perforated leather linings 

are generally cooler and 

more comfy. Some fabric 

linings can get hot and 

sweaty on summer days. 

sliders sliders s 

■ Replaceable plastic blocks that 

wear instead of boot materials 

during hard cornering. They’re 

seen at toes and sometimes 

calves. They can be held on by 

Velcro, clips or screws. Take care 

not to grind the screw heads 

against the road. 


SUMMER BOOTS 

Best Buys & Recommendeds 

Summer boots 

Hein Gericke PSXT1 

■ Superb test result and great 

value. Excellent fi t and support 

with durable sole. Toe sliders and 

Velcro-on calf sliders too. 

Sidi Vertebra Race Carbon 

■ Highest-scoring boot in 2003. 

Excellent fi t and great support 

along the entire outer foot. Toe 

and calf sliders included. 


OVERALL 

60/87 

RATING 

OVERALL 

67/87 

RATING 

Hein Gericke Supersport 

■ Impressive protection and road 

testing scores and won’t break the 

bank. A bit short, so check they’ll 

work with the rest of your kit. 

StylMartin GP Sonic 

■ Great performances in impact, 

cut and crush testing, plus a good 

score from our road tester. 

OVERALL 

38/50 

RATING 

OVERALL 

43/55 

RATING

Summer boots tested since 2001 

Tested Boot name Price Score 

2003 Akito Miami Max £50 36/87 

2003 Akito Monza Plus £70 37/87 

2003 Akito Octane £100 48/87 

2003 Akito Viper Max £60 33/87 

2003 Alpinestars Supertech £230 59/87 

2004 Alpinestars GPS-3 £110 31/50 

2005 Alpinestars SMX Plus £190 33/55 



2003 Alpinestars SMX-Plus £190 48/87 

2004 Alpinestars SMX-Plus £190 27/50 

2004 Alpinestars Supertech £230 33/50 

2005 Alpinestars Supertech V £230 32/55 

2005 Altberg Roadster Mircrolite £135 33/55 

2005 BMW Pro Race £190 37/55 

2003 BMW Rider Boots £120 45/87 

2005 Bullson Peak £70 25/55 

2003 Dainese D-Axial Light Out £300 55/87 

2003 Daytona Evo Sports £300 54/87 

2005 Diadora Eagle £100 31/55 

2003 Frank Thomas Pro Vent Rep £120 31/87 

2005 Frank Thomas Sabre £130 29/55 

2004 Frank Thomas Scorch £80 32/50 

2004 Frank Thomas Strike £100 25/50 

2003 Frank Thomas Talon Vent £100 44/87 

2004 Gianni Falco Astral 937 £90 30/50 

2004 Gianni Falco Zeus 313WP £130 25/50 

2005 Hein Gericke HG Race £100 34/55 

2003 Hein Gericke PSX T1 £90 60/87 

2004 Hein Gericke PSX1/1 £90 25/50 

2005 Hein Gericke PSX-T1R £90 32/55 

2004 Hein Gericke Superbike GTX £100 32/50 

2004 Hein Gericke Supersport GTX £130 38/50 

2005 Held Hunter £107 35/55 

2003 Held Via £94.50 49/87 

2003 JTS 1811 £40 38/87 

2003 JTS 212 £80 42/87 

2004 JTS 517 £69 26/50 

2004 JTS 717 £79 29/50 


2003 test: Issue 99 (On sale July 18, 2003) 

2004 test: June 2004 issue 

2005 test: July 2005 issue 

2003 JTS 717 £75 39/87 

2003 Journey motorcycle boots £50 51/87 

2004 Komeni AK1 £60 25/50 

2004 Komeni Imola £50 24/50 

2003 Oxtar Evo £180 50/87 

2005 Oxtar TCS Evo RX £190 36/55 

2003 Oxtar TCS Sport £140 56/87 

2003 Prexport Hi Sport 603 £120 46/87 

2005 Rainers 925 £130 28/55 

2005 REV’IT Ergo £120 33/55 

2005 REV’IT Freestyle £90 20/55 

2003 Sidi Champion Air £95 36/87 

2003 Sidi Excape £90 46/87 

2004 Sidi Vertebra 2 £160 32/50 

2003 Sidi Vertebra Race Carbon £200 67/87 

2004 Sidi Vertebra Race Carbon £225 33/50 

2005 Sidi Vertigo £165 34/55 

2005 Sidi Vertigo Corsa £230 40/55 

2003 Stylmartin 211 Veloce £110 55/87 

2005 Stylmartin GP Sonic £165 43/55 

2003 Stylmartin Matrix 2 £130 48/87 

2003 Swift Tourismo £99 43/87 

2005 Triumph Expedition £150 33/55 


2004 Triumph Tritech £100 22/50 

2005 XPD VR-5 £110 27/55 

2005 XPD XP-5R £180 24/55 

Best and worst 

■ Top score: 78.2% from the £165 

Stylmartin GP Sonic in 2005. 

■ Worst score: The Frank Thomas Pro 

Vent Replica, costing £120, scored 

35.6% in 2003. 

■ Most expensive: The £300 Daytona 

Evo Sports scored 62.1% in 2003. 


TWO-PIECE LEATHERS 

Practical 

protection 

Spotting a good ’un 

collar collar 

■ Must be comfy when done right 

up with you sitting on 

a bike. Check the back of the collar 

doesn’t clash with your lid when 

tucked in behind your fairing. 

double double layers layers 

■ Look for extra layers of leather 

in vulnerable areas, such as the 

backside. Make sure there are 

actually multiple layers 

and not a panel just stitched in and 

made to look like an 

extra section. 

stretch stretch s panels panels 

■ Corrugated leather has elastic 

stitched inside. This allows the suit 

to expand when you move, but 

only stretches in one direction. 

pockets pockets p seams seams 

■ Must be secure and easy to get 

at. Great for wallets and credit 

cards, but watch where you put 

change and keys. You’ll regret it if 

you land on them. 


■ You want several rows of 

stitching with at least one row 

protected by the outside leather. 

This holds the suit together if the 

outer stitching is worn away.

lining lining 

■ Makes the suit easier to get on 

and, more importantly, stops it 

gripping and tearing your skin in a 

crash. Removable linings are 

handy for washing, but they must 

fasten securely so they don’t come 

out when you take the suit off. 

armour armour 

■ Absorbs impacts, reduces 

bruising and may stop you 

breaking bones in a spill. Check 

for the CE mark on armour at the 

shins, knees, hips, elbows and 

shoulders. Even if a garment tag 

says “CE armour inside”, ask the 

shop assistant to remove the 

armour and show you. The CE 

mark says the armour will provide 

an adequate level of protection. 

Armour can be damaged in a 

crash – don’t rely on it giving the 

same protection twice. Check it’s 

comfy with your back protector. 

zips zips 

■ These connect the jacket and 

jeans together, to stop them 

riding up or down in a crash. 

Some suits only have a half zip at 

the back which is less secure. 

fabric fabric f 

panels panels 

■ Soft, fl exible and will stretch in 

any direction. Used under arms, 

behind knees and between legs 

to let you move easily. 


TWO-PIECE LEATHERS 

Suits, jackets and jeans 

Two-piece leathers 

BKS GP200 

OVERALL 

65/73 

RATING 

Hein Gericke Tricky Hideout Extreme 

OVERALL 

51/73 

RATING 


Two-piece leathers 

Tested Suit name Price Score 

2003 Alpinestars Venom £800 46/73 

2005 Alpinestars SX-1 £830 5/21 

2003 Bering Thunder £400 41/73 

2003 BKS GP200 £1400 65/73 

2003 Clover Matsue £550 30/73 

2003 Dainese K Suit £700 34/73 

2005 Dainese Monza £650 6/21 

2005 Denim suit £35 0/21 

2003 Dannisport Avanti £560 50/73 

2003 Frank Thomas FTL206 £400 43/73 

2003 Hein Gericke Tricky £380 51/73 

2005 Hideout Extreme £1115 21/21 

2005 Frank Thomas Sabre £500 9/21 

2005 Frank Thomas Strike £350 12/21 

2005 Hein Gericke Celtic £380 11/21 

2005 Hein Gericke PSXR £260 10/21 

2003 JTS Sim2 £260 40/73 

2003 Lookwell Viper £325 43/73 

2003 Prexport Aria £550 31/73 

2005 REV’IT PX2 Combi £515 13/21 

2005 Richa Warrior £450 7/21 

2005 Spada Warrior £200 13/21 

2003 Spyke 4 Race £749 24/73 

2005 Spyke Golem £625 8/21 

2003 Texport Podium £620 36/73 

OVERALL 

21/21 

RATING 


2003 two-piece leathers test: Issue 97 (On sale May 23, 2003) 

2005 two-piece leathers test: August 2005 issue

Retro leather jackets 

Alpinestars Alloy Bering Chrome 

Bering Rockingham Spidi G Balance- 

Leather jeans 

Belstaff Vega 

BKS 

OVERALL 

54/70 

RATING 

OVERALL 

52/70 

RATING 

Hein Gericke Space 


Leather jeans test: June 2002 issue 

OVERALL 

52/70 

RATING 

OVERALL 

57/70 

RATING 

■ Double leather and 

CE armour at the hips, 

knees and 

shins. Long 

and short 

jacket zips. 

OVERALL 

25/30 

RATING 

■ CE Armour at the 

hips, knees and shins. 

Well constructed, but 

no pockets 

or patches 

for sliders. 

OVERALL 

27/30 

RATING 

■ Clever construction 

with seams moved 

from vulnerable areas 

and plenty of 

concealed 

stitching. 

OVERALL 

24/30 

RATING 

Retro leather jackets 

Tested Jacket name Price Score 

2005 Alpinestars Alloy Leather £300 54/70 

2005 Belstaff Turbo £200 50/70 

2005 Bering Chrome £250 52/70 

2005 Bering Rockingham £230 52/70 

2005 BMW Streetster £355 36/70 

2005 Hein Gericke Flyer Bomber £150 35/70 

2005 Hein Gericke Hurricane £140 27/70 

2005 Held Dexter £152 41/70 

2005 RS Brando £80 39/70 

2005 Spidi G Balance £300 57/70 

2005 Spidi G Factory £310 52/70 

2005 Spyke Genius £150 47/70 

2005 Triumph Curzon £260 43/70 

2005 Triumph Redline £275 48/70 


Retro leather jackets test: January 2005 issue 

Leather jeans 

Tested Jeans name Price Score 

2002 Akito G Force £100 15/30 

2002 Akito Mercury Mega £140 19/30 

2002 Alpinestars Bat Pants £170 15/30 

2002 Belstaff Matrix £170 19/30 

2002 Belstaff Rebel £130 12/30 

2002 Belstaff Vega £170 25/30 

2002 BKS £400 27/30 

2002 Dainese Keep £280 19/30 

2002 Euro Mira Jeans £98.50 16/30 

2002 Frank Thomas Rico £170 13/30 

2002 Hein Gericke April £150 20/30 

2002 Hein Gericke Space £180 24/30 

2002 Just Bikers Monza £110 16/30 

2002 Komeni Blade £120 19/30 

2002 Richa Slider £150 20/30 

2002 Riossi Racing SCS £200 21/30 

2002 RS Sirius £249 22/30 

2002 Spada Atlanta £140 18/30 

2002 Spyke Raptor £260 14/30 

2002 Triumph Sport £225 21/30 

2002 Weise Action £140 11/30 

2002 Weise Rider Raptor £130 12/30 

2002 Wolf Nimbus £350 22/30 

2002 Wolf Spirit £270 16/30 


ONE-PIECE LEATHERS 

Kit to help you stay 

What to look out for 

fi fi fit/function 

t/function 

■ Regardless of how protective a 

suit is, it must still be comfortable 

and functional. In our test, each suit 

was worn to check everything from 

ease of getting it on, to practicality 

while riding and walking around. We 

also checked all armour was held 

firmly in place. 

seams seams 

■ Seams which are vulnerable to 

abrasion in a slide (at the elbows, 

shoulders, hips, knees, back and 

bum) should be protected with reinforcement 

panels to hold the seam 

together after any exposed 

stitching has been rubbed away on 

the road. The suit should be made 

from large panels of leather with 

any graphics stitched over the top, 

not patchworked in. 

abrasion abrasion 

■ Knees and shins should have two layers 

of leather to boost abrasion resistance. 

There should at least be one layer of leather 

plus some man-made protection such as 

Keprotec or Kevlar fabric as these are the 

areas you’ll slide on in a crash. 

slider slider s patches patches 

■ Should be big enough to let you move 

the slider around to suit your style. 


in one-piece... 

Akito 

Imola 

Dannisport 

Pro Racer 

Nankai Fuji 

SDHP-104 

OVERALL 

34/60 

RATING 

Alpinestars 

Racing Rep 

Frank Thomas 

FLT205 

Spada 

Toursport 

OVERALL 

33/60 

RATING 

Bering 

Radical Pilot 

Frank Thomas 

FLT208 

Spada 

Warrior 

OVERALL 

45/60 

RATING 

BKS 

3000 RX 

Frank Thomas 

FLT216 

Spyke 

Big One 

OVERALL 

47/60 

RATING 

Carrera 

Superstar 

Hein Gericke 

Racing 

Swift 

Podium 

OVERALL 

48/60 

RATING 

Dainese 

T-Bora 

£250 £1500 £450 £1400 £999 £1000 

OVERALL 

46/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

38/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

34/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

33/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

40/60 

RATING 

£349 £350 £300 £350 £400 £200 

OVERALL 

33/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

40/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

40/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

34/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

33/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

31/60 

RATING 

Hein Gericke 

Tribal Evo 

Texport 

Podium 4 

£700 £350 £350 £660 £400 £700 


One-piece leather suits test: August 2004 issue 

OVERALL 

40/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

37/60 

RATING 


WATERPROOFS 

There’s nothing 

funny about a 

damp crotch 

Here’s how to avoid it... 

body body zip zip 

■ Prone to leaks so must have an 

easily-sealed fl ap to protect them. 

In 2002, we jet-washed a tester for 

two minutes to fi nd leaks. In 2006 

we did the test again, but subjected 

suits to a tougher fi ve-minute jetwasher 

attack. 

wrists wrists 

■ Must be worn outside your 

gloves (or water running down 

your arm will fi ll your glove) and 

must easily adjust to fi t snug to 

your wrist. 

velcro velcro 

■ Quick and easy to use with lots 

of adjustment. Too much, though, 

and it’ll stick to slider patches, 

carpets and friends. 

pouches pouches p 

■ One-piece suits are unlikely to 

fi t under your seat, so a pouch 

makes it easier to lug around. 

Some suits have the pouch built 

in so you can’t lose it. 


collar collar 

■ Look for lots of adjustment to 

ensure a close fi t. Soft material 

can aid comfort but can also feel 

like a damp sponge when wet. 

seams seams s 

■ They’re either taped or 

welded and are a potential weak 

spot so the fewer the better. 

Beware multi-coloured suits as 

they’re often a patchwork of 

panels with lots of seams. 

waist waist 

■ A belt will stop the suit 

ballooning at speed. Elasticated 

waists do the job, but can make it 

awkward to put the suit on. 

fi fi fit/lining 

t/lining 

■ A lining stops the suit gripping 

your leathers and can make it 

easier to get on. In our test, suits 

were worn for hundreds of miles 

checking comfort, mobility and 

how easy they were to get into. 

ankles ankles 

■ Must open wide enough to go 

on over boots and then do up 

easily with a gloved hand. Putting 

a plastic bag over your boot makes 

it easier to get on and stops you 

dirtying the inside of the suit. 


WATERPROOFS 

The dry... and the not so dry 

Alpinestars EL Nino 

£80 

Frank Thomas Aqua Furygan Armor 

£49.99 

Held Mistral/Aqua 

£35 

Ixon Glide 

£39.95 

OVERALL 

35/40 

RATING 

Triumph Chevron 

£90 

OVERALL 

37/40 

RATING 

OVERALL 

18/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

18/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

35/40 

RATING 

BMW Pro Rain 

£65 

£72.50 

Ixon Fog 

£35 

Spada 406 

£50 

Weise 2pc 

£40 

OVERALL 

18/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

18/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

34/40 

RATING 

OVERALL 

19/20 

RATING 

OVERALL 

34/40 

RATING 


Tested Suit name Price then Score 

2006 Alpinestars El Nino £80 37/40 

2002 Belstaff Expanda £90 11/20 

2006 Bering Iwaki £40 22/40 

2006 Bering Maniwata/Houston £40 26/40 

2006 BMW ProRain 2 suit £70 24/40 

2002 BMW ProRain £65 18/20 

2002 Dainese Storm £60 13/20 

2002 Euro Weatherbeta £39 9/20 

2006 Frank Thomas FTW145 BP £70 20/40 

2002 Frank Thomas Aqua £50 18/20 

2002 Furygan Armor £73 18/20 

2002 Hein Gericke Flash £30 14/20 

2002 Hein Gericke Basic £20 17/20 

2006 Hein Gericke Basic II £33 33/40 

2006 Hein Gericke Blizzard £64 29/40 

2006 Hein Gericke Celtic suit £50 26/40 

2006 Held Mistral/Aqua £35 35/40 

2006 Held Collin £53 30/40 

2002 Held Collin £61 15/20 

2002 Held Wave £57 14/20 

2006 Ixon R8.5 £25 28/40 

2006 Ixon Fog £35 34/40 

2002 Ixon Glide £40 18/20 

2006 Oxford BoneDry £40 30/40 

2006 Proof Rain £40 27/40 

2006 Rev’It Titan £40 19/40 

2006 Rev’It GTO £70 18/40 

2006 RS Performance Cougar/Weatherbeta £32 31/40 

2006 RS Performance Hydra Suit £35 25/40 

2002 RST Scarpa £50 9/20 

2002 Spada 406 Oversuit £50 19/20 

2006 Spada 406 Oversuit £55 21/40 

2006 Spada Eco Oversuit £30 31/40 

2002 Spyke Rainsuit £76 14/20 

2002 Swift Storm £44 12/20 

2002 Triumph Chevron 1pc £80 11/20 

2006 Triumph Chevron 2pc £90 35/40 

2006 Triumph Chevron one-piece £80 17/40 

2002 Weise Economic £30 10/20 

2002 Weise Integra III £60 11/20 

2006 Weise 1pc £40 33/40 

2006 Weise 2pc £40 34/40 


2002 test: August 2002 issue 

2006 test: June 2006 issue

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END CANS 

Exhaustively tested 

Here’s what we know 

baffl baffl es es 

■ This reduces noise levels and 

most make your can road-legal. 

Many are removable and taking 

them out is usually a two-minute 

job. We dyno-tested each can to 

measure its effect on performance. 

Cans that gave the biggest power 

increase score highest. In the latest 

test, we also checked the effect on 

the engine’s fuelling performance. 

materials materials 

■ Aluminium is light, but will 

tarnish and corrode. Titanium is 

slightly heavier, but much stronger 

and more corrosion-resistant. 

Carbon-fi bre is the lightest material 

and won’t corrode, but it’s more 

prone to damage. Chrome-plated 

steel is heavy and may corrode 

depending on quality. Stainless steel 

should last, but weighs loads. 

fi fi fitment 

tment 

■ Some cans attach by bolts or studs to 

a mounting fl ange. These are the easiest 

to install. Others require a link pipe and 

it’s important that this is a good fi t, 

or it may leak gas or foul moving parts. 

It’s good to get all the bits you need, too. 


Akrapovic 

Blue Flame Titanium Bos Grade 2 titanium Bos Oval Bos T-six aluminium 

Carbon Can Company Carbon Can Company Devil Magnum Devil Ovo 

Devil Trophy 

Laser Hot Cam 

OVERALL 

15/30 

RATING 

Art Race Series II (steel) Art Race Series II (Ti) Blue Flame Blue Flame Evo Tri-Oval 

OVERALL 

34/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

22/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

16/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

24/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

26/45 

RATING 

G-Force Carbon Oval Ixil Titanium Laser Hot Cam 

Laser Hot Cam Leo Vince SBK Micron Delta + 

Micron titanium Mivv Titanium Quill T3 Powerfl ow Remus Genesis (Ti, race) 

OVERALL 

41/45 

RATING 

Remus Genesis (Ti, road) Remus Revolution 

OVERALL 

22/45 

RATING 

Akrapovic oval titanium Arrow Arrow oval titanium 

Remus Revolution Scorpion 

Scorpion stainless race Scorpion stainless road Venom aluminium Yoshimura Tri-Oval 

OVERALL 

32/45 

RATING 


2001 test: November 2001 issue 

2004 test: July 2004 issue 

2006 test: March 2006 issue 

OVERALL 

27/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

35/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

33/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

21/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

24/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

23/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

23/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

15/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

21/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

10/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

30/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

14/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

11/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

30/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

14/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

9/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

20/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

36/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

21/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

20/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

30/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

29/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

16/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

16/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

35/45 

RATING 

OVERALL 

22/30 

RATING 

OVERALL 

18/30 

RATING 


WINTER GLOVES 

Keep your 

pinkies perky 

Our handy hints... 

wrist wrist straps stra 

■If you fall off, the wrist restraint 

should keep the gloves in place. A 

good rule of thumb is that 

restraints on the underside of the 

hand will do a better job than ones 

on the back of the hand. Before 

buying, try the glove on, secure the 

restraint tightly and tug on the 

glove. If it just slides off, think 

carefully before you buy. 

membrane 

■ In our latest test, fi ve came 

with a Gore-Tex waterproof/ 

breathable membrane and four of 

those were leak-free. If you’re 

buying gloves that aren’t in our 

tests, look for Gore-Tex as our 

results back the widely-held belief 

that it’s the most effective brand. 

construction 

construc 

■ You have a right to just as much 

protection from winter gloves as you’d 

get from summer ones. Look for signs of 

concealed stitching so the glove doesn’t 

come apart if the fi rst layer of stitching 

is ground away. Reinforcement panels at 

the heel of the palm are good news, too. 


visor visor wipe wipe 

■ A rubber strip on the index fi nger 

helps wipe your visor clean. Suedeeffect 

pads quickly become 

saturated and aren’t as effective. 

top buyin g tips 

■ Always take your all-season jacket 

with you when buying gloves. You 

should be able to get the wrist area of 

the glove inside the jacket cuff, so water 

won’t run between jacket and glove and 

make your hands wet. 

■ Claw-style gloves, which group your 

fi ngers together, keep you warm, but play 

havoc with your one fi nger braking. 

knuckle 

armour 

■ Hard armour is new on 

all-weather kit. Our latest test 

proved good armour will 

absorb, or defl ect, much of the 

energy of an impact. Check for 

padding between your hand 

and the armour as this protects 

you from potential harm by the 

armour itself. 

insulation 

■ Wadded material, such as 3M 

Thinsulate, is there to trap as much 

heat as possible rather than letting 

it escape through the glove. 

Insulation on leaky gloves will soak 

up water and soon make your 

hands feel like blocks of ice. 


WINTER GLOVES 

We’ve tested 97 pairs. But 


2002 Akito Carbon SP £40 26/40 

2002 Akito Commuter £20 25/40 

2002 Akito Mercury Mega £35 18/40 

2002 Akito Rainmaster £20 22/40 

2002 Alpinestars Jet Road £70 28/40 

2005 Alpinestars Jet Road £68 44/50 

2005 Alpinestars Tech Road £85 42/50 

2004 Alpinestars Tech Road £85 65/80 

2002 Belstaff Atlas £35 27/40 

2002 Belstaff Bora £40 28/40 

2004 Belstaff Pathfi nder £45 61/80 

2002 Belstaff Patrol £40 33/40 

2002 Belstaff Thermo Sport £100 22/40 

2004 Belstaff Thermo-sport £110 58/80 

2005 Bering Volga £55 39/50 

2002 Dainese Cloud £80 28/40 

2002 Dainese GPW Gore-Tex £70 28/40 

2005 Dainese Sprog £80 35/50 

2002 Euro DB5 £29 24/40 

2004 Fieldsheer Highway Grip £60 52/80 

2004 Fieldsheer Tour Claw £60 46/80 

2002 Frank Thomas All Season £40 19/40 

2005 Frank Thomas Aqua Rage £70 28/50 

2004 Frank Thomas Aqua Rage £100 60/80 

2004 Frank Thomas Aqua Roo £60 39/80 

Recommendeds 

Alpinestars Jet Road GTX 

OVERALL 

44/50 

RATING 


Belstaff Patrol 

2002 Frank Thomas Indianapolis £80 20/40 

2002 Frank Thomas Laguna £80 19/40 

2005 F Thomas Multi Strada Aqua £45 32/50 

2002 H Gericke Classic Cruiser £70 28/40 

2002 Hein Gericke Gore Eco £45 24/40 

2004 H Gericke Gore Sport II £70 59/80 

2005 Hein Gericke Master IV £70 33/50 

2004 Hein Gericke Master IV £60 64/80 

2004 Hein Gericke Pathan £33 62/80 

2002 Hein Gericke Pathan £30 32/40 

2005 Hein Gericke Pathan leather £40 29/50 

2005 Held Ice Breaker £62 36/50 

2002 Held Magic £49 28/40 

2002 Held Narvik £60 26/40 

2004 Held Pushkin £31 49/80 

2005 Ixon Pro Speed £33 25/50 

2004 Ixon Pro Speed £44 49/80 

2004 Ixon SP One £25 45/80 

2002 Ixon SP One £20 18/40 

2002 Ixon SP Race £30 24/40 

2004 Ixon SP Wild £37 56/80 

2002 Ixon SP Wild £50 25/40 

2002 Joe Rocket Ballistic £35 28/40 

2004 Joe Rocket Blizzard £45 51/80 

2004 Joe Rocket Radiant £60 58/90 

2002 Joe Rocket Radiant £60 26/40 

OVERALL 

33/40 

RATING 

Hein Gericke Pathan 

OVERALL 

32/40 

RATING

only six get a triangle 

2004 JTS CK2K £45 55/80 

2004 JTS CL11 £19 47/80 

2004 JTS CL98 £25 46/80 

2002 Komeni Kestrel £40 19/40 

2002 Komeni Kiwi £60 24/40 

2002 Komeni Swift £50 28/40 

2002 Kushitani Dangan GTX £60 23/40 

2004 Lewis LWG006 £30 45/80 

2004 Lewis LWG008 £30 52/80 

2004 On2wheels Tour £25 48/80 

2002 Prexport Winter £40 24/40 

2002 Rayven Neon £40 27/40 

2004 Rayven Vogue £30 53/80 

2005 REV’IT Celcius £80 35/50 

2002 Richa Atlantic £35 25/40 

2002 Richa Carbon Winter £35 29/40 

2002 Richa Igloo Polar £30 31/40 

2004 Rotosport Avalanche £35 50/80 

2004 Rotosport Diablo £15 50/80 

2002 RS Apex £38 25/40 

2004 RS Apex Plus £42 62/80 

2004 RS Panther £30 64/80 

2004 RS Trojan Sports £40 66/80 

2005 RS Trojan Sports £40 32/50 

2002 RST ATC £45 27/40 

2002 RST GSB £50 19/40 

Spada Force 

OVERALL 

33/40 

RATING 


2002 test: February 2002 issue 



Texport Defender 

2005 Smug Voyager £20 19/50 

2004 Spada Blizzard WP £15 56/80 

2002 Spada Force £50 33/40 

2005 Spada Force 2 WP £45 40/50 

2004 Spada Force WP £50 58/80 

2005 Spada Polar £34 34/50 

2002 Spada Zest £40 17/40 

2002 Spada Zone £30 28/40 

2002 Spyke Ice £60 30/40 

2002 Swift Hurricane £70 27/40 

2005 Tech 7 Tourismo £30 25/50 

2005 Teknic Cyclone £50 38/50 

2004 Texport Defender £80 71/80 

2004 Triumph Sympatex £60 57/80 

2002 Triumph Sympatex £60 30/40 

2005 Triumph Sympatex Sport £75 31/50 

2004 Triumph Sympatex Sport £75 55/80 

2002 Weise leather-nylon £30 32/40 

2005 Weise Pro race £50 28/50 

2005 Weise WRS £37 24/50 

worst glove: Smug Voyager, 

scoring just 38% in 2005. 

OVERALL 

71/80 

RATING 

Weise leather-nylon 

OVERALL 

32/40 

RATING 


WINTER BOOTS 

They don’t have to be 

We’ve come a long way 

since the derri boot 

height height 

■ They should be tall enough to 

provide protection and a decent 

overlap with your waterproofs. 

material material m 

■ Usually leather or man-made 

Lorica. Lorica is less protective than 

quality leather, but has good waterresisant 

properties. 

reinforcement 

reinforcement 

■ Wear against gear levers can 

damage boots. Look for boots that 

have extra layers on top of the main 

upper section. 

armour armour 

■ Vulnerable anklebones and 

shins should be protected by hard 

shields and foam padding to 

dissipate impact forces. 

ankle ankle cup cup 

■ A rigid, preformed heel gives 

support and adds to protection. 


like wellies, wellies we you know 

buying winter 

boots: the rules 

■ Make sure the shin sections will 

fi t inside your waterproof 

trousers. This stops water 

running in the top of the boots. 

■ Wear thicker socks when 

you’re trying on boots, so you’ll 

have room for them in winter. 

■ Make sure you’re buying the 

waterproof model as some are 

available in summer or winter mode. 

You’ll see a grey fabric lining inside a 

waterproof boot. 

■ Buy a waterproofi ng treatment to 

keep the upper in tip-top condition. 

quick qqq 

quick lace lace 

fastening fastening 

■ Like ordinary laces except you 

don’t have to tie them. A plastic 

clip ensures a secure fi t. 

Gusset Gusset 

■ This is there to hold back any 

water that gets through the zip. It 

should have a waterproof 

membrane of its own. 

Sole Sole 

■ Soles should fl ex 

lengthways for walking but be 

rigid widthways to protect 

your feet from crushing if the 

bike falls on them. 

sliders sliders s 

■ They’re available on some 

waterproof boots, which mean you 

can wear them all year round 

instead of buying summer boots. 


WINTER BOOTS 

31 pairs, only one recommended 

Akito Intra 

£50 44/90 

Akito Viper Max 

£35 48/90 

Alpinestars GPS-3 WP 

£130 69/90 

Alpinestars S-MX3 Gore-Tex 

£180 64/90 

Alpinestars Vertex Gore-Tex 

£170 64/90 

Altberg Clubman Roadster 

£120 59/90 

BMW Contour Plus 

£160 66/90 

Frank Thomas H20011/BZ 

£90 45/90 


£100 61/90 


£100 51/90 

Hein Gericke Bullson Trace 

£100 43/90 

Hein Gericke Rhino GTX 

£133 64/90 

Hein Gericke TRG Rallye 

£135 64/90 

Lewis LBW001/BZ 

£100 52/90 

Lewis LBW002/BZ 

£100 53/90 

Nitro 20 

£70 48/90 


Nitro NB-30 

£30 31/90 

Oxtar Infi nity GTX 

£170 59/90 

Oxtar Stealth GTX 

£150 56/90 

Oxtar TCS Sport GTX 

£170 60/90 

Prexport Indy Boot 

£100 58/90 

Prexport Model 500 

£80 49/90 

RS Hawk Plus 

£60 46/90 

Sidi Black Rain Evo 

£135 60/90 

Sidi Vertebra 2 Tepor 

£200 66/90 

Spada Element 

£55 37/90 

Swift Race 

£70 35/90 

Swift Tourismo 

£60 31/90 

Tech 100 

£40 53/90 

Triumph Expedition 

£150 55/90 

Triumph Explorer 

£115 63/90 

Buying the Alpinestars GPS-3? 

Be sure it’s the black WP model 


Winter boots test: December 2004 issue

Well oiled 

Pump our 

knowledge nozzle 

fl ing 

■ To do its job a lube must stay on 

the chain, not fl ing off all over your 

freshly-washed back wheel. To 

measure fl ing we lubed sections of 

chain and spun them on a 

sprocket, simulating 70mph, for 

one minute. Using scales accurate 

to 100th of a gram we weighed the 

sections before and after the test 

to determine how much lube was 

lost (as a percentage of what was 

there to start with). The lube that 

clung on the most was the best. 

corrosion 

■ The biggest threat to a chain is 

corrosion and lube should help 

protect it from rust. To see which 

was best we took the chains from 

the fl ing test, sprayed them with 

road-salt water, and left them for 

fi ve days. We then assessed the 

chains for visible corrosion. 


Chain lube test: January 2006 issue 

CHAIN LUBE 

25 tested 

Tested Lube name Price Score 

2006 Bel-Ray Chain Lube £6.25 10/20 

2006 Bel-Ray Super Clean £7.50 12/20 

2006 Castrol Chain Wax £5 15/20 

2006 Ipone Racing Chain £8 16/20 

2006 Ipone Spray Chain £9 14/20 

2006 GT85 £3.50 6/20 

2006 Kal-Gard Clear Chain Kote £6.80 7/20 

2006 Kal-Gard Original £6.80 10/20 

2006 Motrax HP £6 7/20 

2006 Muc-Off Chain Lube £6.80 16/20 

2006 PJ1 Label £6.50 13/20 

2006 Putoline DX11 £7.50 7/20 

2006 Putoline New Tech Chain £7.40 10/20 

2006 Rock Oil Chain Lube £5.19 10/20 

2006 Rock Oil Chain Wax £6 13/20 

2006 Shell Advance Chain Ultra £5 11/20 

2006 Silkolene Chain Lube £7.53 8/20 

2006 Silkoline Pro Chain £5.83 7/20 

2006 Silkolene Titanium £7 12/20 

2006 Tecfl ow Ceramic £8 15/20 

2006 Weldtite TF2 £3 10/20 

2006 Wurth HP Dry £7.50 17/20 

2006 Yoshimoto Kin Good £5 9/20 

2006 Yoshimoto Chain Wax Gold £7 6/20 

2006 X-Tech £4 7/20 


WINTER SUITS 

Whatever 

the weather 

Ride all year round 

waterproofi waterproofi ng ng 

■ The outer layer of most jackets will let water through 

as waterproofi ng relies on a separate layer underneath, 

which is made from synthetic materials like 

Gore-Tex, Sympatex or Hipora. Try applying a 

waterproofi ng spray to the outer shell to increase 

water-resistance. 

armour 

■ Look for CE-marked armour at 

the shoulder and elbows. Some 

will have it at the back, too. Soft 

foam is for comfort only and 

offers little protection. If the 

armour comes out you can wear 

the jacket over leathers. 

thermal lining 

■ Micro-fi bres trap warm air escaping from your body 

and insulate you from the cold. Having a removable 

lining means the jacket can be worn year-round but 

check the fasteners. Linings should stay put when you 

take your arms out. We tested the insulation by fi tting 

sensors to a test mannequin and placing it in a 

temperature-controlled chamber. 


collars 

■ Should have plenty of 

adjustment and stay done up 

with or without a neck 

warmer. Should not be bulky. 

zips 

■ Check they are easy to use 

and don’t snag. If there’s a 

storm fl ap behind the main zip, 

it will help keep water out. Allround 

connecting zips for 

trousers are the best option. 

ventilation 

ventilation 

■ Jackets for all-season use 

benefi t from zip-open vents, 

preferably in the front and back 

of the garment. 

seams seams s 

■ Vulnerable seams on the 

shoulders and elbows should have 

at least one row of concealed 

stitching to hold the jacket together 

after the exposed stitching has been 

worn away in a crash. 

Buying winter 

suits: golden rules 

■ Take your gloves and check there’s 

enough cuff adjustment to let you 

wear them under the jacket cuff. 

■ Make sure lining stays put when you 

take your arms out. Try this a few 

times and check your watch doesn’t 

snag and undo lining fi xings. 

■ Move around in the suit and check 

that armour stays in the right place. 

Knee armour that rolls round to your 

calf is no good at all. 


WINTER SUITS 

Best Buys & Recommendeds 

Winter suits Winter jackets 

Hein Gericke Cruise Spada Circuit/Podium 

OVERALL 

51/55 

RATING 

Teknic Sequola/Sprint Halvarssons Safety 

Womens 

suit 

OVERALL 

43/55 

RATING 


OVERALL 

51/60 

RATING 

OVERALL 

54/55 

RATING 

Weise Dynastar 

■ Nearly top marks 

in almost 

everything. 

Completely 

waterproof and a 

top performer in 

abrasion and seam 

burst. Good impact 

result but average 

thermal results. 

OVERALL 

56/65 

RATING 

Hein Gericke 

Master III 

■ If dry and warm 

are your top 

priorities, you can’t 

get much better 

than this. Protection 

results were also 

promising. Tester 

found the cuffs a tad 

narrow and tricky to 

get gloves under. 

OVERALL 

55.5/65 

RATING 


Winter jackets test: Issue 92 (on sale January 3, 2003) 

2004 winter suits test: October 2004 

2005 winter suits test: October 2005

92 tested winter warmers 

51 WINTER JACKETS 

Tested Jacket name Price Score 

2003 Akito Cobra £100 39.5/65 

2003 Akito Python Plus £130 40.5/65 

2003 Alpinestars Edge Drystar £240 47/65 

2003 Alpinestars Lead £330 47/65 

2003 Aprilia Touring £200 41/65 

2003 Army Combat Jacket £50 24/65 

2003 Belstaff Celsius £300 37/65 

2003 Bering Beverly £120 44/65 

2003 Bering Boost £140 47/65 

2003 Bering Warm Up £220 37.5/65 

2003 BMW Streetguard £425 48/65 

2003 Buffalo Blytz 2 £90 33/65 

2003 Clover Torreon £150 49/65 

2003 Dainese G.T-Age £300 49/65 

2003 Dainese G.Universe £190 41.5/65 

2003 Dainese G.X-Tech 2 £400 48.5/65 

2003 Dainese Tallin £200 44/65 

2003 Euro Despatch £146 46/65 

2003 Fieldsheer Highland £100 40/65 

2003 Frank Thomas Aqua Express £130 37.5/65 

2003 Frank Thomas Aqua Guard £150 39/65 

2003 Furygan Akron £110 35.5/65 

2003 Hein Gericke Master III £300 55.5/65 

2003 Hein Gericke Voyager GTX £200 46/65 

2003 Hein Gericke Voyager Lady £150 46/65 

2003 Held Catinga £182 38.5/65 

2003 Held Cortona £212 41.5.65 

2003 Ixon Bumper 2 £120 47.5/65 

2003 Ixon Trapper £170 35/65 

2003 Ixon Twister £85 37.5/65 

2003 Joe Rocket Revolution £250 44.5/65 

2003 Kawasaki Apex £100 41.5/65 

2003 Nitro N35 £100 26.5/65 

2003 Prexport Highland £220 46/65 

2003 Rayven Serpant £90 31.5/65 

2003 RSR Patriot £149 50/65 

2003 RST Shield £99 35/65 

2003 RST S-Tex £99 24.5/65 

2003 Rukka RVP Pro £450 46.5/65 

2003 Shoei Lab £145 45/65 

2003 Shoei Thiron £195 44.5/65 

2003 Spada 506 £68 39.5/65 

2003 Spada Apex Evo £100 37.5/65 

2003 Spada Blade £100 37.5/65 

2003 Swift Discovery £179 42.5/65 

2003 Swift Speed £140 48.5/65 

2003 Triumph Evolution £300 43/65 


2003 Uvex Speed £175 43.5/65 

2003 Weise Dynastar £215 56/65 

2003 Weise Fusion £125 41.5/65 

41 WINTER SUITS 

Tested suit name Price Score 

2004 Alpinestars Apex/ST5 £200/£150 35/60 

2005 Alpinestars Jet Road Gore-Tex £280/£220 40/55 

2004 Alpinestars Recon/Jet Road £260/£200 40/60 

2004 Belstaff Explorer/Pioneer £200/£150 47/60 

2004 Dainese Atlas/Galverston £300/£200 34/60 

2004 Frank Thomas Edge £130/£100 35/60 

2004 FT Force Ten/Aquaguard Advanced £130/£130 36/60 

2005 Frank Thomas Full Force Aqua £100/£90 36/55 

2005 Halvarssons Safety* £500/£400 54/55 

2005 Hein Gericke Cruise £250/£200 51/55 

2004 Hein Gericke Master IV Gore-Tex £300/£250 48/60 

2004 Hein Gericke Taylor/Diasz £40/£30 25/60 

2004 Hein Gericke Voyager Gore-Tex £200/£150 36/60 

2004 Hein Gericke Voyager III £160/£120 47/60 

2005 Held Azuma/Nelix £138/£92 38/55 

2004 Held Lenox/Lewis £146/£138 45/60 

2005 Ixon Nirvana/Luna £105/£79 31/55 

2005 Lewis Lady Kate £100/£80 36/55 

2004 On Two Wheels Textile Tour £75/£40 35/60 

2004 On Two Wheels textile/leather £110/£90 39/60 

2005 REV’IT Cayenne/Ultimate £280/£190 40/55 

2004 Richa Lion/Monza £180/£110 35/60 

2004 Rotosport Apollo/Meteor £45/£70 28/60 

2004 Rotosport Celcius/Meteor £90/£70 39/60 

2004 Rukka A-Tech Suit £629/£500 31/60 

2005 Smug Vanquish/Dragon £130/£80 41/55 

2004 Spada 940/Ravine £45/£70 37/60 

2004 Spada Circuit/Podium £100/£90 51/60 

2005 Spada Salerno/Pablo £100/£100 36/55 

2004 Spidi Netstep/Range £260/£140 37/60 

2004 Spidi Roadway/Range £280/£140 35/60 

2005 Spyke Typhoon WP/Spin £175/£130 31/55 

2004 Targa Strada/Raptor £90/£80 37/60 

2005 Tech 7 £100 23/55 

2005 Teknic Sequoia/Sprint* £130/£120 43/55 

2005 Texport Tecnica/Pant1 £200/£180 33/55 

2005 Triumph Sympatex Evo II/Tornado £200/£160 37/55 

2004 Triumph Tornado £180/£160 39/60 

2004 Triumph Voyager/Frontier £200/£150 45/60 

2005 Weise Nimbus/WTP-1 NRG £100/£70 35/55 

2004 Weise WBJ-1/Westport II £130/£130 43/60 

Note: Halvarssons is toughest suit 

ever, but very bulky. Teknic 

Sequoia/Sprint is a womens suit 


SECURITY 

Lock it 

or lose it 

Over £11k of security kit trashed to 

fi nd you the best 

chain chain & lock 

■ Chain your bike to a ground 

anchor, lamppost or railing and a 

thief has to really want your bike to 

nick it. That said, you must still use 

it intelligently. Casually chain your 

bike to the anchor, such that there’s 

slack chain lying around, and the 

theif will delicately arrange the 

slack chain/lock on the nearest 

choice surface and belt it with a 

sledgehammer. You MUST secure 

your bike so there’s no slack chain. 

Make sure the chain (or the bike) 

can’t be moved to create slack and 

that the lock body is high off the 

ground as well. 

ground ground g anchors 

■ Bolt-down anchors are quick and 

easy to fi t but to be at their best 

they must be fi tted in good quality 

concrete fl ooring. Concrete-in 

anchors are usually the most 

secure, but are more work to fi t. 

Fit the anchor so it’s diffi cult to 

attack with tools (between the bike 

and the garage wall on the 

sidestand side). But don’t make it so 

tricky to get at that you rarely 

bother to use it. Any anchor raised 

above fl oor level leaves you at risk 

of tripping over it. 


disc disc locks locks 

■ A disc lock is never going to deter the professionals (who’ll just lift your 

bike into a van, lock and all) but it will put off the ride-away chancer who 

fancies they can force your ignition barrel. 

Most will store under your seat (better than your pocket, in case you 

fall on it) and are quick to fi t without getting your hands grubby. 

Unfortunately it’s easy to forget it’s in place, leading to the most 

humiliating accident you’ll ever have (swap a piece of 

rubber tube from the lock key to your ignition key 

to help you remember). 

U-locks U-locks 

■ If used through the front wheel 

and around the forks, or through the 

back wheel and around the 

swingarm, a U-lock is just a heavier 

disc lock (no more security and 

much more aggravation). But use it 

to secure your bike to a ground 

anchor or a bike-park rail and, it can 

be more effective than a chain and 

lock and more manageable. But 

they’re not very versatile. What 

neatly fi ts around your current bike’s 

frame rail and ground anchor may 

not fi t your next bike. 

alarm/immobilisers 

alarm/immobilisers 

■ Decent alarm/immobilisers offer peace of mind and many 

insurers insist you have one, but don’t think of it as you’re only line 

of defence. We’re all guilty of ignoring alarms and, as an organised 

gang will simply hoist the wailing bike into a van, you’ll still need to 

chain it down. Alarms are rated for how long they take to silence, 

how long to bypass the immobiliser, waterproofi ng, build quality, 

sensitivity and what they are like to live with. Look to fi t your alarm 

under the tank as it’s more secure and waterproof, compared to the 

easy option of under the seat. 


SECURITY 

Alarms, disc locks, ground anchors, 

Alarms 

Alarms Tested Alarm name Price Score 

2001 Acumen 911 £75 21/35 

2004 Acumen CAT1 £270-350 41/47 

2001 Bikewatch £100 12/35 

2001 Chatterbox £40 14/35 

2001 Datatool Veto Evo £310 30/35 

2001 Laserline 860Ti2 £299 24/35 

2004 Laserline 862 £250-£330 36/47 

2004 Meta Legos 3 £135-£175 32/47 

2001 Meta M355 £169 26/35 

2001 Meta M357T £300 33/35 

2004 Meta M357T-V2 £270-£340 43/47 

2004 Spyball AB6527 £270-£340 40/47 

2001 Spyball Patriot AM8510 £335 

2004 Taurus T3-120 alarm and 

25/35 

T3000 immobiliser £270-300 37/47 

Disc locks (Dec 01, Apr 05 issues) 

Tested Lock name Price Score 

2001 Abus Granit £66 5/10 

2005 Abus Granit Quick £69 7/10 

2005 Abus Granit Victory £55 3/10 

2005 Abus Strada £48 6/10 

2001 Abus Strada £49 4/10 

2001 Abus Vari £61 4/10 

2001 Abus Victory (full pin) £50 3/10 

2005 Disc Doctor £20 2/10 

2001 Halfords disc lock £8 2/10 

2001 Kryptonite EV £35 8/10 

2001 Kryptonite EVXL £50 4/10 

2001 Kryptonite New York £50 5/10 

2001 Lih Jaw Cable £25 2/10 

2001 Luma Solid Disk £50 6/10 

2005 Luma Solido Access £50 5/0 

2001 Luma Solido Access £50 10/10 

2005 Luma Solido Disc £50 8/10 

2001 Ming Tay £10 2/10 

2005 Motrax Ardon £20 5/0 

2005 Motrax Guvna £30 4/10 

2005 Motrax Vishas Forged Lock £30 9/10 

2001 Oxford Boss £45 5/10 

2001 Oxford Magnum £20 3/10 

2001 Oxford Omega £50 7/10 

2005 Oxford Titan £15 2/10 

2001 Squire ML2L £44 5/10 

2005 Squire ML2L £44 5/10 

2001 Trelock Blocker £18 1/10 

2001 Trelock Phantom £44 9/10 

2001 Ultimate disc lock £25 5/10 

2001 Xena scooter £30 1/10 

2001 Xena sports £40 1/10 

2005 Xena XE-S12 £60 7/10 


Ground Anchors (issue 88) 

Tested Anchor name Price Score 

2002 Boltedbiz Rhino (B) £80 6/10 

2002 Kryptonite Super Stronghold (C) £60 6/10 

2002 Kryptonite Stronghold (C) £60 10/10 

2002 Luma Solido (B) £45 10/10 

2002 Motrax Ground Hog 3 (B) £80 4/10 

2002 Motrax Ground Hog 4 (C) £90 3/10 

2002 Motrax Ground Hog 5 (C) £80 10/10 

2002 NWS EV (B) £23 3/10 

2002 PJB Bike Mate (B) £150 10/10 

2002 PJB Chain Anchor (C) £80 10/10 

2002 PJB Lockit Anchor Post (C) £136 10/10 

2002 PJB Titanic (B) £65 10/10 

2002 Plum Defender (B) £19 3/10 

2002 Plum Retractable (C) £65 10/10 

2002 Propa-Lok Gorilla (B) £106 9/10 

2002 Rhino Defi ant (C) £120 10/10 

2002 Rotalock Capstan (B) £87 10/10 

2002 Rotalok Mark 1 Inturn (C) £47 10/10 

2002 Rotalok Mark 2 Inturn (C) £47 10/10 

2002 Roy Collins Rota Head (C) £49 10/10 

2002 Security Hardware Capstan (B) £59 2/10 

2002 Security Hardware Gladiator (B) £48 4/10 

2002 Spitfi re Colossus (B) £75 6/10 

2002 Spitfi re Extreme (B) £70 4/10 

2002 Squire Defender (C) £40 3/10 

2002 Stand Enterprises Student (B) £60 6/10 

2002 Taurus Bull Mate (C) £52 10/10 

2002 Taurus Bull Point (B) £14 6/10 

2002 Taurus Bull Ring (B) £57 5/10 

2002 Trulock Ground Anchor (B) £175 8/10 

2002 Yamoto Type 1 (B) £80 9/10 

2002 Yamoto Type 2 (B) £60 4/10 

B - Bolt-down 

C - Concrete-in 

what thieves advise 

■ If you don’t lock your bike to a fi xed object, a 

thief will have it away. 

■ Don’t leave your lock lying around. It could 

get tampered with overnight by a thief, who’ll 

come back the next day for an easy theft. 

For back issues please call 0845 121 4000

ike covers, chains and U locks 

Bike covers (issue 90 & February 06) 

Tested Cover name Price Score 

2002 Black Sable £50 9/12 

2006 Black Sable £60 41/54 

2002 Blue Label All Weather £26 7/12 

2006 BMW motorcycle cover £55 42/54 

2006 Covercraft ready-fi t £87 41/54 

2002 Feridax cover £75 5/12 

2006 Held Art 9003 £46 48/54 

2006 Lintek heavyweight £50 39/54 

2006 Lintek lightweight £25 34/54 

2006 Louis International £80 45/54 

2006 Moltex Outdoor £55 46/54 

2006 MotoGP £40 39/54 

2002 Motorhoods £70 7/12 

2002 Motrax heavy-duty £40 7/12 

2006 Motrax heavy-duty £40 47/54 

2002 Motrax Lightweight £25 7/12 

2006 Motrax Lightweight £25 38/54 

2006 Oxford Rainex £50 39/54 

2002 Oxford Rainex £40 9/12 

2006 Oxford Stormex £90 50/54 

2002 Oxford Stormex £75 5/12 

2002 Proctectorl Shaped Weather £60 4/12 

2002 Super Weatherwaka Light £35 7/12 

2002 Travis Perkins tarpaulin £9 4/12 

2002 Tyvek Breathable hable ha 

£50 9/12 

2006 Tyvek Breathable thable h 

£50 37/54 

what ‘s a cover got to 

do with security? 

■ If a thief can’t see what’s under the covers, 

he’s more likely to move on to another bike, 

rather than stop and attack yours. For added 

protection, put the lock around a covered bike. 

U-locks (July 2002 issue) 


2002 Abus Granit Classe £64 8/12 

2002 Abus Granit Extreme £95 11/12 

2002 Abus Granit Power £86 10/12 

2002 Kryptonite New York 3000MC £65 11/12 

2002 Luma Dogo £60 6/12 

2002 Magnum Dynamite £10 3/12 

2002 Magnum Rock £30 11/12 

Chains & locks (issue 103 & Sept 05) 


2005 Abus City Black X-Plus £113 20/25 

2005 Abus Granit Black £182 17/25 

2003 Abus Granit City Chain £105 3/15 

2003 Abus Granit Power Chain £162 6/15 

2005 Almax Immobiliser Series I £99 14/25 

2005 Almax Immobiliser Series II £150 22/25 

2003 Almax Immobiliser Series II £135 15/15 

2005 Datatool Portable Python £80 13/25 

2005 Datatool Python £120 12/25 

2005 Doberman DBS1 £80 20/25 

2003 Doberman Security Chain £60 3/15 

2003 Luma Dogo Shackle Procombi £90 4/15 

2005 Luma Procombi XR £90 14/25 

2005 Luma Solido Chain £132 19/25 

2003 Luma Solido Chain £144 11/15 

2005 Luma Solido Kit Duo £115 23/25 

2003 Luma Solido Kit Duo £148 4/15 

2005 Motrax Chromo £50 11/25 

2005 Motrax EC Quadlink £65 14/25 

2005 Motrax EC Superlink £95 14/25 

2003 Motrax Quadlink £65 5/15 

2003 Motrax Superlink £95 10/15 

2003 Oxford Boss £130 8/15 

2005 Oxford Hardcore £60 12/25 

2005 Oxford Monster £165 17/25 

2005 Oxford Patriot £100 12/25 

2003 Squire HS3J4 £40 4/15 

2005 Squire SS50 MC4 £80 23/25 

2003 Squire Stronghold SS65 £200 10/15 

2005 Stone 69 Disc Lock and chain £88 12/25 

2003 Xena XCL-150 lock-alarm £140 10/15 

2002 Magnum Ultimate LS £18 4/12 

2002 Motrax Viper MV1 £35 4/12 

2002 Motrax Viper MV2 £30 2/12 

2002 Oxford 385 £90 5/12 

2002 Oxford Magnum 2000 £65 4/12 

2002 Squire Scooter Lock £25 6/12 

2002 Squire Stronghold Paramount £54 9/12 

2002 Squire UBX16 plus £77 10/12 


THE REST A-Z 

A-Z Bikecoms-Torque Wrenches 

Tested Product name Price then Score 

Bike to Bike intercoms (issue 101) 

2003 Acumen KTX 800 £120 23/40 

2003 Autocom Kit 21-TK £286 33/40 

2003 Autocom Kit 6 (inc optional parts) £472 35/40 

2003 Chatterbox PMRX2 £359* 29/40 

2003 Nady MRC11 £140 16/40 

2003 Oxford Bike 2 Bike £125 23/40 

2003 Tecstar Starcom 1 £245 29/40 

2003 Vixen £205 24/40 

* Price is for two units. Other prices are for one unit. 

Bolt-on Screens (issue 107) 

2004 Fabri Race £50 11/20 

2004 Fabri Standard £50 13/20 

2004 Givi D253BL £55 10/20 

2004 Givi DH253 £59 14/20 

2004 M&P Direct Aerofl o £43 8/20 

2004 MRA Double Bubble £59 12/20 

2004 Powerbronze Airfl ow £54 16/20 

2004 Powerbronze Standard £49 16/20 

2004 Pyramid Double Bubble £65 14/20 

2004 Pyramid Standard £43 12/20 

2004 Skidmarx Double Bubble £50 9/20 

2004 Skidmarx Standard £36 6/20 

2004 Zero Gravity Double Bubble £65 15/20 

Back protectors (issue 89 & Feb 05) 

2002 Acerbis Net Defl ector £118 7/20 

2005 Alpinestars Tech Back £90 26/30 

2002 Alpinestars Tech Back £90 11/20 

2002 BKS Suprofl ex £79 12/20 

2005 BMW Motorrad £95 21/30 

2002 Clover 6 Piece £70 12/20 

2005 Clover Back Pro £60 19/30 

2002 Clover Pro 1 £50 13/20 

2002 Dainese Back Space 1 £80 15/20 

2002 Dainese Folding Back £80 19/20 

2005 Dainese Wave £90 24/30 

2005 Davies Odell Forcefi eld £80 29/30 

2002 Davies Odell Forcefi eld £90 18/20 

2002 Giali CK Wil £90 15/20 

2002 Gimoto Eco £30 11/20 

2005 Hein Gericke Armour Vest £60 21/30 

2005 Hein Gericke Back Shock £20-£24 24/30 

2005 Hein Gericke Hiprotec £33 22/30 

2002 Hein Gericke Prot’Xu £60 11/20 

2002 Hein Gericke Prot’Xu Vest £50 18/20 

2005 Held ART9380 £61 21/30 

2002 Knox KC2000 X1 £100 17/20 

2005 Knox Ricochet £80 26/30 

2005 Knox Stowaway £60 25/30 

2002 Spidi Airback £100 9/20 

2005 Spyke Back 7 £80 27/30 

2002 Spyke Thermo £75 12/20 

2002 Spyke Titanium £95 13/20 

2002 Zak Suitbake £59 13/20 


Brake pads (issue 96) 

2003 AP Racing - SRR £19 29/30 

2003 Braking - CM55 £20 26/30 

2003 Carbone Lorraine - A3 £18 30/30 

2003 Carbone Lorraine - SBK-3 £25 27/30 

2003 DP Brakes - HH+ £25 27/30 

2003 EBC - HH £17 27/30 

2003 EBC - Kevlar £12 14/30 

2003 Ferodo - platinum £15 21/30 

2003 Vesrah - Green pad £16 4/30 

2003 Vesrah - Sintered metal £20 27/30 

2003 Yamaha - Original equipment £27 28/30 

Chain breakers & riveters (issue 96) 

2003 DID - Chain cutter & riveting tool £86 12/20 

2003 Hein Gericke splitter & riveter £61 16/20 

2003 Motrax 3 in 1 chain tool £50 11/20 

2003 Mr Fastner chain cutter & riveter £50 12/20 

2003 Whale No 50s cutter & riveter £98 20/20 

Cleaning products (December 2005) 

2005 Autoglym Motorcycle Cleaner £7 31/34 

2005 CarPlan Triplewax car shampoo £5 22/34 

2005 Crystal Glo Acrylic Total Wash £5 24/34 

2005 GP Products Bug Off £5 21/34 

2005 Hein Gericke Gel Performance £5 28/34 

2005 Hein Gericke Motorcycle Cleaner £3 28/34 

2005 Hippo bike cleaner £6 33/34 

2005 Moto X-Treem £6 33/34 

2005 Motorex Moto Clean 900 £9 30/34 

2005 Motul Moto Wash £8 28/34 

2005 Muc-Off £7 25/34 

2005 Rock Oil Bike Bio-Kleen £5 23/34 

2005 Silkolene Fuchs Off £6 26/34 

2005 Silkolene Pro Wash £8 27/34 

2005 Tesco Wash and Wax £3 22/34 

2005 Wurth Motorcycle Wash £6 28/34 

2005 Yoshimoto Gleem-O-Wash £4 22/34 

Hard luggage (May 2001) 

2001 Givi E45 Junior top & E36 Junior Pan £485 16/20 

2001 Givi Monokey E450 top & E21 Pan £371 13/20 

2001 Givi Monokey E52 top & E360 panniers £654 16/20 

2001 Kappa K48 top & K961 panniers £581 14/20 

2001 Nonfango 848 top & 840 panniers £400 16/20 

2001 Shad SH90 top box £197 13/20 

Headlight bulbs (issue 106) 

2004 Bosch BLB472 H4 £6 16/25 

2004 Bosch BLB499 H7 £9 21/25 

2004 Halfords All Weather H4 £10 19/25 

2004 Halfords All Weather H7 £17 16/25 

2004 Halfords Brilliance H7 £17 20/25 

2004 Halfords Brilliancs H4 £10 18/25 

2004 Halfords Laser Blue H4 £10 18/25 

2004 Halfords Laser Blue H7 £17 23/25 

2004 Halfords Standard H4 £5 19/25 

2004 Halfords Standard H7 £9 15/25 


2004 Halfords Super Brilliance H4 £13 19/25 

2004 Halfords Super Brilliance H7 £18 24/25 

2004 Max Power White H4 £20* 16/25 

2004 Max Power White H7 £25* 22/25 

2004 Max Power Xtreme H4 £20* 19/25 

2004 Max Power Xtreme H7 £25* 23/25 

2004 Osram All Season Super H4 £22* 20/25 

2004 Osram Cool Blue H4 £16* 18/25 

2004 Osram Cool Blue H7 £30* 23/25 

2004 Osram Halogen Bilux H4 £11* 18/25 

2004 Osram Halogen Bilux H7 £11* 23/25 

2004 Osram Silverstar H4 £16* 21/25 

2004 Osram Silverstar H7 £22* 22/25 

2004 Osram Super H4 £22* 20/25 

2004 Philips Blue Vision H4 £21* 21/25 

2004 Philips Blue Vision H7 £26* 22/25 

2004 Philips Vision Plus H4 £20* 21/25 

2004 Philips Vision Plus H7 £25* 25/25 

2004 Ring All weather H4 £14* 17/25 

2004 Ring All Weather H7 £24* 14/25 

2004 Ring Halogen H Lamp H7 £10 22/25 

2004 Ring Ice Blue H4 £18* 13/25 

2004 Ring Ice Blue H7 £26* 19/25 

2004 Ring Ultra Xenon H4 £19* 16/24 

2004 Ring Ultra Xenon H7 £26* 25/25 

2004 Ring Xenon Plus H4 £15* 21/25 

2004 Ring Xenon Plus H7 £19* 21/25 

* Denotes price for a pair. Other prices are per bulb. 

Neckwarmers (issue 90) 

2002 Buff Combi Tube £12 22/22 

2002 Buff Polar £16 16/22 

2002 Buff Standard £10 22/22 

2002 EDZ Extra Warm Necktube £10 20/22 

2002 EDZ Lightweight Necktube £10 21/22 

2002 Gybe Bandit £12 10/22 

2002 Gybe Chilla Killa £10 14/22 

2002 Gybe Chilla Killa Tech £13 13/22 

2002 Gybe Convertible £9 15/22 

2002 Gybe Convertible Ultra £12 14/22 

2002 Gybe Mini Mask £6 19/22 

2002 Gybe Turtle Neck £9 19/22 

2002 Ixon Collar Fleece £12 14/22 

2002 Ixon Grey Fleece £10 20/22 

2002 Knox Cold Killer £10 16/22 

2002 Lusso Neck Warmer £7 21/22 

2002 Motrax Neck Gator Plus £10 17/22 

2002 Motrax Neck Gator £8 21/22 

2002 Motrax Neck Warmer £5 21/22 

2002 Oxford Snood £6 21/22 

2002 Scampa Chestgaiter Short £18 18/22 

2002 Scampa Chest Shield £22 18/22 

2002 Scampa Neckgaiter (double) £10 19/22 

2002 Scampa Neckgaiter (single) £8 19/22 

2002 Scampa Scullgaiter £14 13/22 

2002 Spada Breeze Blocker £8 21/22 

2002 Sub Zero Factor 2 £10 22/22 

2002 Sub Zero Necktube £9 22/22 

2002 Superin Neckwarmer £6 22/22 

2002 The Tube Arctic Fleece £4 20/22 

2002 The Tube Supersoft Acrylic £5 19/22 

2002 Windskin £20 21/22 

Panniers (issue 94 and Spring 2005) 

2005 Baglux Clever £88 36/55 

2005 Baglux Sport £98 37/55 

2005 F Thomas Cargo Converti Cargo 21 £60 35/55 

2005 F Thomas Cargo Endurance 003 £90 43/55 

2005 FT Cargo Endurance Sports 002 £90 35/55 

2005 Givi Arrowbags £75 43/55 

2005 Givi T411 Expandable £75 41/55 

2005 Givi Scooter £70 51/55 


2003 Givi T411GN £75 24/29 

2003 Givi T421 £80 25/29 


2005 Hein Gericke Nylon £48 43/55 

2003 Hein Gericke Saddlebag Set £95 15/29 

2005 Hein Gericke Takai £30 41/55 

2003 Hein Gericke TK Saddlebag Set £30 21/29 

2003 Held Power 4440 £75 20/29 

2003 Held Tourgide 4231 £112 24/29 

2005 Held Voyage 4430 £107 43/55 

2005 Joe Rocket Saddlebags £110 46/55 

2003 Joe Rocket Saddlebags £99 25/29 

2005 Kappa Expandable £65 36/55 

2003 Motrax Cargo Endurance CAR003 £90 21/29 

2005 Oxford First Time £60 48/55 

2003 Oxford First Time £70 21/29 

2003 Oxford Humpback £100 27/29 

2003 Oxford Platinum Sports £125 24/29 

2005 Oxford Sports Humpback £100 51/55 

2005 Oxford Sports Lifetime £110 47/55 

2003 P&P Seating Viper Multipurpose £70 14/29 

2003 P&P Seating Viper Sports £80 18/29 

2003 Riossi Roadline £30 22/29 

2003 Weise Throwover Panniers £60 23/29 

Pressure gauges (issue 93) 

2003 Bickers Weldtite 05011 £5 26/37 

2003 Halfords Long Nose £10 30/37 

2003 Halfords Mini Digital £5 30/37 

2003 Hein Gericke Metallic 29000018 £19 21/37 

2003 Longacre 5040 £26 29/37 

2003 Motrax Digital £12 28/37 

2003 Motrax Stetho-gauge £15 22/37 

2003 Racetech TG2V £40 30/37 

2003 Snap-On Blue Point TPGF60 £21 32/37 

2003 Snap-On YA106 £6 24/37 

2003 Vigil Wonder 3007 £19 24/37 

Puncture repair (issue 95) 

2003 Hein Gericke puncture spray £4 9/11 

2003 Holts temporary repair £7 8/11 

2003 Progressive TRK-2 £35 9/11 

2003 Rema Tip Top £20 8/11 

2003 Weldtite tubeless repair kit £23 8/11 

Rucksacks (issue 91) 

2002 Belstaff Technical Sportsack £25 20.5/25 

2002 BMW High Speed £60 23.5/25 

2002 Cameron Hokitiba £10 93/25 

2002 Cameron Perth £30 21/25 

2002 Cargo Endurance Lid Lugger £50 18.5/25 

2002 Eurohike Weekender 35 £25 22/25 

continues over➧ 


THE REST A-Z 

2002 Givi T424 £30 19/25 

2002 Givi Voyager T412GN £44 19.5/25 

2002 Givi Voyager T416 £50 16/25 

2002 Hein Gericke backpack £20 19.5/25 

2002 Hein Gericke Tuareg £20 19.5/25 

2002 Held Art 4522 £58 18/25 

2002 Held Epco Art 4293 £36 17.5/25 

2002 Hump Rucksack £69 23.5/25 

2002 Knox Aero Pack £29 24/25 

2002 Kriega R25 £69 20/25 

2002 Kriega R35 £89 20.5/25 

2002 Triumph Large Techno £50 16/25 

2002 Weise Back Pack £50 14.5/25 

2002 Xover Speedmaster £70 17/25 

Socket sets (Mar 02, Mar 05) 

2002 Allied 586000W £5 8/25 

2002 Beta 910A/C10 £104 20/25 

2002 Britool SA36P £158 21/25 

2005 Clarke Pro23 £33 35/37 

2002 Clarke Pro23 £39 22/25 

2002 Clarke Pro80 £55 22/25 

2002 Draper Expert £74 21/25 

2005 Draper Expert 36889 £39 35/37 

2005 Draper Expert 69666 £36 35/37 

2005 Draper Expert 71244 Vortex £65 35/37 

2002 Draper Silverdrive £47 20/25 

2002 Facom J430A £151 22/25 

2005 Facom J430AP £79 34/37 

2002 Halfords Pro £80 18/25 

2005 Halfords Professional £150 35/37 

2002 Kennedy S30M £40 17/25 

2002 King Dick TKS679 £163 16/25 

2005 King Dick TKS683 £225 31/37 

2002 Koken 325M-00 £140 21/25 

2005 KS Tools 916 Triple Plus £94 35/37 

2005 KS Tools 918 Chrome Plus £62 35/37 

2005 Metrinch 525 £50 33/37 

2002 Metrinch MET05525 £62 20/25 

2002 MPS Gator Grip £20 14/25 

2005 Snap On £130 31/37 

2002 Snap-On 222AFSMP £287 22/25 

2002 Stanley 1-87-060 £36 19/25 

2002 Stanley 1-89-035 £69 22/25 

2005 Teng Tools Mecca Rosso £140 32/37 

2002 Teng Tools MR3824 £42 21/25 

2002 Teng Tools MR3839 £79 22/25 

2002 Yamoto YMT5826180K £52 15/25 

2005 Yamoto YMT582618OK £74 27/37 

Steering dampers (Sept 04) 

2004 Arrow £211 45/65 

2004 Bitubo £188 30/65 

2004 Extreme Tech £185 47/65 

2004 Hyperpro £303 34/65 

2004 Matris M3 £225 41/65 

2004 Matris M4 £299 38/65 

2004 Ohlins £210 39/65 

2004 Sprint £272 47/65 

Tailpacks (issue 102) 

2003 Baglux Whoppa £78 16/20 

2003 Buffalo Tail Bag £40 18/20 


2003 Cargo Endurance Monster Bag £80 18/20 

2003 Cargo Endurance Tail Bag £60 18/20 

2003 Givi T417G Voyager £50 19/20 

2003 Joe Rockets Tail Pack £50 13/20 

2003 Kawasaki Sports Tailpack £100 17/20 

2003 Oxford First Time Tail Pack £35 16/20 

2003 Oxford Humpback Sports £85 15/20 

2003 Oxford Sports Tailpack £90 18/20 

2003 Spada Quadra £27 17/20 

2003 Superbike bag £25 14/20 

2003 Yamaha R-Series Backseat £16 16/20 

Tankbags (issue 87) 

2002 Baglux Bagster £142 9/20 

2002 Belstaff System 2 £70 12/20 

2002 BMW Motorrad (BMW only) £111 12/20 

2002 Caverdale 2 tier £460 6/20 

2002 Givi T401NG strap £55 10/20 

2002 Givi T413 Voyager £65 12/20 

2002 Givi TA10G Voyager £70 17/20 

2002 Hein Gericke all round £61 13/20 

2002 Hein Gericke Nylon £30 15/20 

2002 Hein Gericke TK £20 10/20 

2002 Held Orion 4115 £30 9/20 

2002 Held Task £67 17/20 

2002 Joe Rocket Sports £90 16/20 

2002 Cargo Endurance £70 15/20 

2002 Oxford Platinum Humpback £93 11/20 

2002 Oxford Sports Compact £70 10/20 

2002 Oxford Sports expandable £100 13/20 

2002 Riossi Roadline £50 17/20 

2002 Sifact 24ltr small £55 7/20 

2002 Spada Zipmax £75 14/20 

2002 Triumph Sports £100 15/20 

2002 Weise Expandable £60 8/20 

Thermals (Feb 01) 

2001 Enigmatix suit £79 18/22 

2001 Frank Thomas T1 one-piece £60 14/22 

2001 Hein Gericke Aquator suit £40 17/22 

2001 Held Art 9575 Suit £65 17/22 

2001 Helly Hansen mid-weight suit £50 19/22 

2001 High Point Active suit £16 15/22 

2001 Lowe Alpine Dry-fl o suit £70 20/22 

2001 M&S Merino Suit £30 14/22 

2001 Patagonia Capilene Suit £60 15/22 

2001 Peter Storm Active Base Suit £34 17/22 

2001 Snow & Rock suit £54 16/22 

2001 Sub Zero ft2 all-in-one £60 17/22 

2001 Sub Zero ft2 turtle suit £75 16/22 

Torque wrenches (issue 104) 

2003 Clarke 1800204 Range 1.4-11.1KGM £22 18/38 

2003 Draper Expert 34570 Range 10-80NM £22 11/38 



2003 Halfords Professional Range 8-60NM £50 35/38 

2003 King Dick KST 2043 Range 19-110NM £101 27/38 

2003 MAC Tools TWX100NMF Range 10-100NM £174 29/38 

2003 MAC Tools TWX100NMR Range 10-1000NM £176 31/38 

2003 Snap-on Techwrench Tech2FR100 Range 7-135NM £230 26/38 

2003 Sykes Pickavant 80006000 Range 8-60NM £68 33/38 

2003 Sykes Pickavant 80010000 Range 20-100NM £68 30/38 


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