Riding Gear
Cardo Spirit Review: A Full Season of Riding With a Bluetooth Intercom
A full season of Pacific Northwest miles with the Cardo Spirit on a Road King. What worked, what didn't, and who should buy it.
A Cardo Spirit Story. Real-world notes for cruiser and touring riders, with pros, cons and who it fits best.
A full season of Pacific Northwest miles with the Cardo Spirit on a Road King. What worked, what didn't, and who should buy it.
A real-world comparison of the Cardo Spirit and the Sena 10S for touring and cruiser riders, with honest pros, cons, and who should buy which.
Ten practical reasons a two-way motorcycle intercom earns its spot in your helmet, from a rider with nine years and a lot of Pacific Northwest miles on a big cruiser.
A Cardo Spirit Story. Real-world notes for cruiser and touring riders, with pros, cons and who it fits best.
A plain-spoken guide to pairing up, setting volume, handling wind noise and actually hearing each other at speed, all with the Cardo Spirit.
Nine months with the Cardo Spirit on a Road King, in rain, wind and Saturday-morning traffic. The sound, the battery, the app, and the things that will actually annoy you.
Long-term notes from a 58-year-old Road King rider: how these gel palm gloves held up through a full Pacific Northwest riding season, where they shine, and where they come up short.
A practical side-by-side for cruiser and touring riders who want real palm protection without giving up feel for the controls.
Ten honest reasons a cruiser rider keeps gel palm leather gloves on his hands, plus the downsides nobody mentions at the gas stop.
A Milwaukee Leather story from a retired lineman who spent nine years shaking out a numb hand at every stop. Real-world notes for cruiser and touring riders, with honest pros and cons.
A step-by-step routine that ended the dead-finger feeling on my cruiser, with the honest caveats included.
A straight talk review of the Milwaukee Leather Cruising Gloves from a rider who has put a full season on them.
Three wet seasons with the Nelson-Rigg Stormrider rain suit on a big cruiser in the Pacific Northwest, told by a rider who keeps it in the saddlebag.
A straight comparison between two rain suits riders actually buy, based on a season of Pacific Northwest riding.
Real-world notes from a rider who has been caught in Pacific Northwest downpours more times than he can count.
A Nelson-Rigg Stormrider Story. Real-world notes for cruiser and touring riders, with pros, cons and who it fits best.
Five steps that keep you dry from the first drop to the last mile, learned the hard way on nine years of Pacific Northwest rain rides.
Two seasons of Pacific Northwest rain on a Road King. What the Stormrider does well, what it does not, and who should buy it.
Months of real miles on the ILM Open Face 3/4 Helmet: fit, comfort, wind, rain, and the honest tradeoffs of open-face riding on a big cruiser.
Side by side after a season of weekend rides around the Puget Sound area: which helmet actually works for a cruiser rider who wants wind protection, a clear view and comfort on a two-hour loop.
Real-world reasons an open face helmet fits the way cruiser riders actually ride, with honest notes on who should skip it.
A plain-spoken account of why a 58-year-old Road King rider traded his beanie for an ILM 3/4 open face, and what nine months of Pacific Northwest miles taught him.
Measure your head, try it on for 15 minutes, and do the roll-off test. A practical fit guide for cruiser and touring riders.
A season of real miles on the ILM open face helmet, with the wind noise, visor and fit details the five star reviews skip.
Twelve months, 6,000 miles, a rainy Pacific Northwest autumn and one very long day in the saddle. Here is how the Harley-Davidson Altman boots held up.
Altman Boots vs riding shoes: protection and weather versus comfort and walkability, tested over two Pacific Northwest seasons.
Why waterproof motorcycle boots earn their keep in a wet climate, with the honest downsides and who should skip them.
A Harley-Davidson Altman Boots story from a rider who got tired of cutting rides short. Real-world notes for cruiser and touring riders, with pros, cons and who it fits best.
A five-step routine that keeps feet dry on wet roads: check the waterproofing, fit the boot right, break it in early, maintain the seams, and manage moisture from the inside.
Real-world notes on break-in, wet-weather grip and all-day comfort from a rider who wears these in Pacific Northwest weather.
A full season of Pacific Northwest miles with the Cardo Spirit on a Road King. What worked, what didn't, and who should buy it.
Nine months with the Cardo Spirit on a Road King, in rain, wind and Saturday-morning traffic. The sound, the battery, the app, and the things that will actually annoy you.
Long-term notes from a 58-year-old Road King rider: how these gel palm gloves held up through a full Pacific Northwest riding season, where they shine, and where they come up short.
A straight talk review of the Milwaukee Leather Cruising Gloves from a rider who has put a full season on them.
Three wet seasons with the Nelson-Rigg Stormrider rain suit on a big cruiser in the Pacific Northwest, told by a rider who keeps it in the saddlebag.
Two seasons of Pacific Northwest rain on a Road King. What the Stormrider does well, what it does not, and who should buy it.
Months of real miles on the ILM Open Face 3/4 Helmet: fit, comfort, wind, rain, and the honest tradeoffs of open-face riding on a big cruiser.
A season of real miles on the ILM open face helmet, with the wind noise, visor and fit details the five star reviews skip.
Twelve months, 6,000 miles, a rainy Pacific Northwest autumn and one very long day in the saddle. Here is how the Harley-Davidson Altman boots held up.
Real-world notes on break-in, wet-weather grip and all-day comfort from a rider who wears these in Pacific Northwest weather.