Quality Leather Vest Review

It is time for another motorcycle gear review.  This time I will be reviewing a leather vest.  I love the feel and smell of new leather.  The leather vest is part of the classic motorcycle rider apparel.  Finding a leather vest that fits and looks good is not always easy.

No longer is the traditional cut vest the only option.  There are numerous options for vests for riders today.  Leather, textile, denim, high-viz, black, brown...  Viking Cycles has numerous options.

My friends at Viking Cycle recently sent me a Gardar Leather vest to wear, test and review.  The Gardar leather vest features include a Mandarin collar, an evenly finished hem, two chest pockets with snaps, two slit hand pockets and covered front snaps.  The leather vest snaps are strong and will last.  This would be a great buy for a new motorcycle rider.

I love the feel and smell of new leather.

The inside of the vest include a zippered pocket, a chest slit pock and a phone pocket on each side.  I love the pockets!  The extra pockets provide for organization of items I usually carry.

The leather has a high grade feel and look.   Due to the caliber of the vest I believe it will be very durable.  The snaps are sturdy and easy to manipulate, even when wearing gloves.  The zippers are sturdy and worked perfectly.

Three inside pockets on each side of the vest!

The lining is comfortable and is made from good quality nylon.  The finish of the entire vest is well done and stylish.  All materials used are of good quality.
I really liked the "feel" of the vest when wearing it.  It is substantial enough I could feel the weight, but not bulky or uncomfortable.  When riding,  the collision with a big bug will be absorbed by the vest and you might not even feel it.

The back of the vest is a great area for large patch or numerous patches, depending on your style.

The sizing/fitting of the vest is in line with the majority of vest sizing, so no need to adjust your sizing when ordering.

Now a word about Viking Cycle and Viking Bags.  I have had numerous communications with the company and they have always been friendly, respectful and timely.  The shipping department gets orders out quickly.  I have never had to return anything, but I suspect they handle returns quickly also.

Ride carefully and prayerfully!    

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* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 

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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

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Arai Profile Helmet Review

 Do you wear a helmet?

Once a rider gets past the debate of to wear or not to wear a helmet if the decide to wear a helmet there are still many more helmet questions to answer.  There are half helmets, full-faced helmets, 3/4 helmets and modular helmets.

So many helmets

There are a numerous helmet manufactures each with dozens of models.  A motorcycle rider can find a helmet for less than $100 or up to over a $1,000.  So many choices.

This can be overwhelming for a new rider.  Making a good decision and keeping the cost in a budget can be difficult.  New motorcycle riders will have friends giving a lot of advice and opinions. Probably the hardest and yet the most important decision revolves around cost.  Does a higher price make that big of a difference?

I have owned six full face helmets made by four different manufacturers over the years as well as multiple half helmets and one 3/4 helmet.  I have been very budget-minded when purchasing gear.  I had to be careful and not spend too much.

I had friends who did not wear helmets, some only half-helmets and among those who wore full-faced helmets there was a wide range of brands and cost.  I would look at the helmets of riders who wore more expensive helmets and I wondered if the money spent was really worth it.  Of course they thought so.

Time for a new helmet

In July 2016 I decided to increase my budget on gear.  So after some shopping around I made a purchase and spent the most I ever had for a new helmet when I bought the Bell Qualifer DLX.  The helmet came with the  Transitions® Adaptive Shield which intrigeud me .

In November 2016 I wrote a review on the Bell Qualifer DLX.   I was very pleased with the helmet and the visor.  The full review gives more details.  You can find the helmet at the Motorcycle Gear Superstore.

Bell Qualifier DLX

Upgrade opportunity

As luck would have it I attended a friend's event called the Martin Hootenanny in October of 2016.   At the event there was a silent auction benefiting CMA Run For the Son.

I noticed a pre-owned Arai helmet up for auction.  I examined the helmet and asked some questions.  I decided to bid on it and I won the silent auction for the pre-owned (worn about 5 times) Arai Profile Hotrod helmet (Hotrod graphics).  The helmet had no signs of usage and reports were it had been worn very little.  For $85 I thought "how can I go wrong?"  This was an inexpensive way to get first hand experience and knowledge about a high-end helmet. The graphics are not what I would have chosen in a perfect situation, but the yellow stands out and probably is more visible to automobile drivers. 

Arai Profile - Hotrod

 hime to wear the Arai

I did not start wearing the Arai helmet until January, after I secured a second Sena 20S helmet mount.  I could now transfer the Sena 20S from Bell helmet to Arai helmet without having to move the mount and speakers.  You can find Arai helmets at the Motorcycle Gear Superstore and
if you make a purchase I get some gas money.

At first I rotated between usig the Bell helmet and the Arai helmet.  By March I had decided on wearing the Arai for every ride.  The three major reasons for wearing the Arai full time were comfort, ventilation and reduced wind noise.  The fit and feeling of the Arai was so comfortable.  The material on the inside was smooth and soft.  The shape fit me well, although I know some motorcycle riders where the shape is not best for them.

The airflow was noticeably better.  My head did not get as hot or sweaty and I could feel the air flow over the skull.  The chin vent and forehead air vents allowed a good amount of airflow and they were easy to open and close.  With the amount of air flow provided I was surprised the road noise was not more intense.  The noise level was the least I had experienced with a full-faced helmet!

The Aria helmet is one of my favorite and best motorcycle gear buys so far!  I made a video review of the Aria helmet for my YouTube Channel and you can see it by following this link to Arai Profile Video Review.  You will find other reviews, ride videos and more on the Ordinary Biker Oz Channel.  Subscribe and you will get notice when I post new videos about gear, roads and more.

Ride carefully and prayerfully!    

 Top Five Oz Videos

  

Connect and follow Biker Oz on the following:

        

Ordinary Biker Oz YouTube Channel has video reviews and more

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Come Ride With Us 

Please visit the following great companies:

THE ESSENTIALS FOR MODERATE SELF-IMPROVEMENT

 

Awesome gear for every rider!

* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 

Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

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Thoughts on my first trip out of the USA

Texan flies across the pond!

In October, 2016 I announced I would be traveling outside of the USA for the first time ever.  I would be heading to Europe for a three part trip.  I would be attending a MotoGP race in historic Mugello, enjoying 10 days of WW2 and castle sites with some friends and end with 7 days of riding in the Alps, both in Switzerland and Italy, on a rented BMW.

I left on June 2, 2017 and landed back in Dallas on June 26, 2017 with some amazing stories, photos, videos and memories.  In one word the trip was AWESOME.  There were a few moments of stress, but it all turned out good.

Beautiful lake in the Swiss Alps

The moments of stress included: trying to find transportation to and from the MotoGP races, having an older (with no service) phone pick-pocketed while on the train in Paris (I was using it as a camera primarily), getting to my Airbnb lodging one day and the host did not respond to messages or show up and finally loosing my passport (yes, that is right - I lost my passport).  Each situation worked out in fine fashion.

Italian love their motorcycles and scooters - Florence, Italy

The six mile walk to find a train station after the race provided me the opportunities to burn calories (I then could eat more gellato!), see the Italian countryside and meet a very polite and helpful young man from the USA who was in Europe for six weeks by himself after graduating from college.

The MotoGP fans were awesome - great energy at the races

No valuable info was on the phone/camera (although I took precautions and changed passwords...) and I learned to keep my valuables in a secure pocket and stay alert.  Airbnb customer service was helpful and quickly resolved the issue.

Enjoyed a river tour around Paris

The US Consulate General office personal are very friendly, helpful and prompt.  It was on a Monday I discovered I had lost my passport (most likely as I removed my phone from riding jacket to take pictures in the Alps somewhere between Lucerne, Switzeerland and Bormio, Italy).  I emailed the US Consulate General to ask about getting a replacement and I received a reply in about 30 minutes.  I highly recommend having a couple of photocopies of your passport and drivers license stored safely in your luggage - that sure helped me.

The Lion of Lucerne was a very moving memorial in Switerzland

I have been asked "what was your favorite part of the trip?"  There is no way to answer the question because it was like I took three trips: MotoGP, WW2 and riding the Alps.  Each part had special meaning and moments for me.

The gates at Dachau concentration camp were haunting, humbling and saddening

I experienced the intense energy and excitement at a European MotoGP, the humbling atmosphere on the Normandy beaches , the thrill of riding Stelvio Pass, the beauty of the Swiss Alps on Grimsel Pass, the genius and talent in da Vinci's "Last Supper" painting and so much more.

I will share more reviews and comments about the trip in future posts as there is too much for one post.  The trip was great and I hope to visit and ride in Europe again in not too distant future.

The road between Furka Pass and Grimsel Pass, Switzerland

West side of Stelvio Pass, Italy

Pizza!

BMW R1200RS and the Alps, Italy

Formation in the Dolomites, Italy

Pistachio gelato!

Duomo di Milano

Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper

Ride carefully and prayerfully!    

 Top Five Oz Videos

  

Connect and follow Biker Oz on the following:

        

Ordinary Biker Oz YouTube Channel has video reviews and more

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Please visit the following great companies:

THE ESSENTIALS FOR MODERATE SELF-IMPROVEMENT

 

Awesome gear for every rider!

* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 

Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

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Heading to Europe!

I have been busy preparing for my first ever trip out of the USA and riding as much as possible.   Here are three of my latest video projects.

I fly out of Dallas on Friday June 2, 2017 and fly to Milan to start my trip.  (Post with trip details)  There are a few changes to the plan since my first posting with the biggest change being I will be riding in the Alps alone, although I suspect I will meet some riders and make new friends.

Updated details in the video.

Along with preparing for the trip I have been riding and enjoying the spring time in Texas.  Recently while riding the Honda VFR 1200 the odometer rolled over 35,000 miles and I thought it would be an appropriate time to do a "review" of the bike and give my impressions.

Review of VFR 1200 after 35,000 miles

This past weekend I had the honor of leading 20 bikes on a Memorial Day ride to a local small town veterans memorial and after some time of reflection and thankful prayer we rode to lunch.  Pilot Point, TX has a nice small memorial in the downtown area.  Just happens that my dad is from Pilot Point and his older brother was killed in WWII by friendly fire and his name is on the memorial.  It was after his death my dad decided to enlist (he had an agricultural exemption).  It is always humbling to take time to pay respects to those who gave all for our country.

Memorial Day ride, 2017

I have had a busy and fun spring and now looking forward to 26 days of traveling adventures.  I will be trying (no guarantees) to upload a video each day I am in Europe.  The videos may be "raw" and unedited, but hopefully they will show some of the great things I will see.  You can see the videos on my YouTube channel or search YouTube for Ordinary Biker Oz.

Connect and follow on social media

              

 

Please visit the following great companies:

THE ESSENTIALS FOR MODERATE SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Awesome gear for every rider!

Ordinary Biker Oz YouTube Channel has video reviews and more

* I have personally ordered from and/or visited this business and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with this business, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!

# Based on reviews, word of mouth and discussion with others I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with this business, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 

Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.

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Vist This Historic Bridge on the Red River

With progress or growth comes change and some changes are not always the most desired.  Some changes are sad, but necessary.  The population growth of North Texas has brought a lot of changes in the roads, highways and byways and there is no end in sight to this growth.  Increase traffic has stressed and strained the actual roads as well as the drivers and riders on the roads. 

Road construction has been and is large scaled and far reaching in our area.  Fun, curvy, low traffic Farm to Market roads are more difficult to find than just a few years ago. One particular casualty to the growth is a historic one lane bridge crossing the Red River between Texas and Oklahoma.

Bridge from Texas side

Bridge seen from the Oklahoma side.

The wear and tear can be seen under the bridge

 

Carpenters Bluff bridge was built in 1910.  Trains, wagons, horses and people paid a toll to cross over the bridge.  In the 1960's Grayson County was deeded the bridge and it was renovated for the modern automobile traffic.  Today one lane is for motorized traffic and a deteriorating wooden walkway on on the south side.  I have walked on it, but there are holes and missing boards.

Wooden walkway on the side of the bridge

VFR idling on the bridge for a quick photo

 

Part of the charm of the bridge is having to stop and make sure no vehicles were already crossing.  (See video below) The rusted iron bridge provides great views to the Red River while crossing; however, due to the age, condition and the increase traffic on the bridge the two states decided to build a new bridge near Carpenters Bluff bridge and close it to vehicle traffic while allowing pedestrian use.

One lane - two bikes - Honda VFR 1200 and Aprilia Tuono

 

New bridge under construction

The historic bridge is east of Denison, TX on FM 120 and west of Kemp, OK on Carpenters Bluff Road/Kemp Road.  FM 120 has multiple curves and is a fun road to travel.

FM 120 to bridge and ride on bridge

 

If you want to experience some history before growth and progress gates off the ride head to Carpenters Bluff soon.  Authorities have not release a date for the opening of the new bridge and closing of the historic bridge, but I suspect it will happen sometime this year (2017).

Update on Carpenters Bluff Bridge on Ordinary Biker Oz Youtube channel

Ride carefully and prayerfully!    

 Top Five Oz Videos

  

Connect and follow Biker Oz on the following:

        

Ordinary Biker Oz YouTube Channel has video reviews and more

Christian Motorcyclists Association

Come Ride With Us 

Please visit the following great companies:

THE ESSENTIALS FOR MODERATE SELF-IMPROVEMENT

 

Awesome gear for every rider!

* I have personally ordered from and/or visited these businesses and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with the businesses, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 

Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 

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