Mid-Life Rider

I just returned from a 2500 mile ride from Seattle to Death Valley and back on my FJR1300. Weather ranged from 38 to 105 F. Following is a miscellaneous gear report.

Madco. I fitted the Madco Rider at the same time I installed the ergo2. Together or separate, they make a big difference. The Madco is bone simple to install and use and a great convenience. Ditto the ergo. I would rate these at 99% for effectiveness, value, and utility. Note: Both of these mods are specific to the FJR. Madco makes gear for Harley’s and some other bikes. Ergo primarily makes throttle tubes for dirt bikes.

MCL Risers. I’m 6 2″ and been pining after risers for the last year. I finally put in a set of Motorycylce Larry risers. An inch here or there makes a big difference. I don’t think I have it exactly right yet, but felt like it was an improvement over stock. YMMV. Nicely made and straightforward to install. I would rate these at 90% +.

V-Strom Handguards. Not everyone loves the way these look, but they’re easy to install on the FJR (they won’t go on all bikes by any means, so check) and extend the temperature range of your non-winter gloves by 10 to 15 degrees easily. I would rate these at 99% for effectiveness, value, and utility.

Garmin Zumo 550. You could wear yourself out reading threads on whether this is better than the 28xx series, or drinks smoother than Bowmore 16 or whatever. Save yourself the brain cycles and buy one. I installed mine on a 5 inch Ram stalk hitched up to a motorcycle larry triple clamp mount. It puts it in front of the overly optimistic speedometer . . . a distance away I need given my near sightedness. There is a very accurate speedometer visible in a small window in the lower left hand corner which can be expanded with a touch. Great unit, great mounting system, great location for the great unit on the great mounting system. You can tell I like it. If you think GPS is for sissies, don’t buy it. I would rate it at 99% for effectiveness, value, and utility.

Avon Storms. I love the way the handle, don’t mind the slight dodginess in comparison to the Metzlers, and don’t care about the mileage. YMMV. I would rate these at 90%.

Cooling Vest. I bought an evaporative cooling vest for the trek across Death Valley. It works like you think it does . . . you soak it or pour a couple of liters of water on it, let it soak, put it on under your riding jacket, and close it up. In 100 heat it kept my trunk temperature in bounds and still had some retained moisture after 100 miles. I also used the evapodana from aerostich. Same concept but it goes around your neck. It dries up pretty quickly but does the trick. I would rate them at about 90% but I don”t know of a better solution.

Motoport. I wear the air mesh kevlar which gives you lots of options. I traveled with the outer, the gortex layer, and gerbings and had it all covered. Like the ’stich, it’s stiff as a baptist preacher. I rate this gear at 90%+ for comfort in a wide range of temperatures.

Lee Parks Gloves. I’m a big fan of the man and the gear. I have his new turbo-expensive gloves and was happy in them from around 50 degrees to 85. Not bad for full gauntlets. I rate these gloves at 95%.

Pinlock. I came to hate this system as the miles piled up. The idea is that the pinlock insert creates a thermal barrier behind your face shield and thus minimize fogging. The company makes shields for Shoei and HJC. I can”t speak for the later, but my experience using three different pinlock inserts is that they are optically awful. Real crap. The glare in the afternoon sun in particular was frightening. I rate the inserts at 50% or less. I hate their website as well for what it’s worth. YMMV.

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Tags: MadcoRider, MCL, Garmin, Zumo 55, Avon Storms, Motoport, Lee Parks, Pin Lock, Evapodana, Shoei, HJC