END OF SUMMER SALE // Speaking of great deals, our end of summer sale is going on now with lots of new mark downs and end of season deals on clothing, tires, accessories, electronics and more.  Check out the sale section in the back corner of our main showroom as we'll be adding new sale items daily.  Sale items are limited to supply on hand. 

» FEATURED PRODUCTS 

BMW RIDER'S APPAREL // If you're still looking for that perfect riding suit that "does it all", you haven't seen the TourShell Riding Suit by BMW.  Its strong exterior shell, energy absorbing armor, bonded in waterproof membrane and thermal liner will keep you comfortable in the worst of conditions.  Yet by removing the thermal layer and taking advantage of the direct ventilation, you'll stay comfortable even on our warmest of days.  This true 4-season suit of armor is heads and tails above the rest when it comes to functionality, protection, fit and style.  The new, modern styling of the TourShell comes in both men's and women's sizing, including men's tall and women's petite! 

Another great new addition is BMW's new SportDry Boots.  Similar in protection to the over-the-top Double R race boots, complete with toe sliders and ankle support, but is now fully waterproof via the GORETEX insert.  All this adds up to a seriously aggressive, 4-season sport rider boot suitable for the street or track.  

SCHUBERTH S2 FULL FACE HELMET // The next big thing in full face helmets is the S2 full face helmet, complete with some of the same big features as the C3, including the drop down sun visor, buckle type strap, Pinlock anti-fog face shield insert, and an optional Bluetooth neck roll (coming soon).  This helmet has all the build quality you would expect from Germany, in a full featured, super quiet, sport touring, road racing, daily commuter lid.  If your current helmet is over 5 years old, too loose of a fit, or simply smells rotten, it's time to upgrade!

HELMET REPLACEMENT // Why do we say "replace your helmet after 5 years"?  Well, I can tell you it's not just a marketing scheme or for helmet manufacturers to get more money out of you.  Helmets simply wear out, and even helmets that look like brand new on the outside may have a different story underneath the surface.  As most of you know, every helmet has one thing in common:  EPS foam (expanded polystyrene).  This thick, dense foam is at the core of head protection.  It acts as a "crumple zone" (in harmony with the shell) to absorb shock in the event of a crash.  When helmets are new, the foam is at its thickest and has the most "loft".  However as helmets age, this foam becomes compact.  With each ride your helmet bounces along on top of your head, all the while the EPS becomes more compact.  As this happens, this foam becomes harder and harder and consequently, the helmet becomes looser and looser, reducing it's ability to absorb impact.

Another factor is sweat.  It also takes its toll on the EPS foam but instead of compressing it, it simply eats it!  Old helmets, or a helmet that sees 20k miles a year for 5 years, usually show signs of this deterioration.  When this occurs, particles or even chunks of foam will regularly fall out of the helmet. 

"If you drop your helmet you need to replace it".  We've all heard this and in many cases it's a great idea.  Why?  Since the shell works in conjunction with the EPS, even the smallest cracks or chips in the shell of a helmet can weaken the helmet's ability to protect you and ultimately affect the outcome of a crash.  Point is, inspect your helmet regularly for signs of damage to the shell.  The thought of replacing a helmet you just bought because it fell off your seat is painful, we know, but consider the alternative.

"How tight should a new helmet be?"  Think of a helmet's fit like a new pair of shoes.  First and foremost new shoes should fit the shape of your foot.  Secondly, they should not be too loose.  Like helmets, shoes only get bigger over time so you wouldn't want to buy them too big.  Thirdly, you should be able to wear your new shoes all day without much discomfort.  There's nothing worse than a new pair of shoes that dig into your ankle.  It becomes all you can think about the entire day.  Similarly, a helmet that is too tight or the wrong shape for your head will have you cursing all the way down the road, which is not safe.  So when choosing a helmet, or shoes, make sure you get measured, and try a few styles on before you decide.        

» Ask MotoAdventureGal » By Alissa Clickenger

Dear MotoAdventureGal:

Alisa Clickenger is MotoAdventureGal. On a motorcycle, she's crossed the USA multiple times, ridden up to Alaska, all over Europe, and traveled solo to Argentina in 2009. She rides and writes for a living, and leads a women's motorcycle tour that teaches and empowers women to tour in groups or alone. 

» WomensEmpowermentMotorcycleTour.com 

» Alisa@WomensEmpowermentMotorcycleTour.com

» A Message From Our Owners » Phoenix Heat!

It is mid-September and we are in the Phoenix area.  It is 6:30 PM.  The temperature is 97 degrees, and today has been a little below normal for this date.  Now, ok, we understand that those who live here say that the heat is tolerable until it gets above 105, which it was this afternoon, but damn, it is still hot.  We happen to be in an air conditioned car this trip and occasionally, but not often, we see a motorcycle fly down the road.  We think that some of these riders feel the faster they go the cooler it gets.  Seems to us the hotter it gets; it is like driving through a blast furnace.  And we have been watching the temperature here for the past month or so, anticipating our journey here.  Seems like it was 115 degrees for about three weeks.  We have tolerated these temperatures before on a motorcycle and it just plain is not fun when it gets above about 95 degrees---and that is just tolerable.  We remember getting stuck on the Hoover Dam a few years ago (before the new bridge was put into service).  The traffic was just crawling along and it was 111 in the shade, and of course we were stuck under the blazing sun, naturally with all of our riding gear on.  And then there was five weeks through the Australian Outback with temperatures reaching 114 which seemed to remain for the entire day.  But you know what?  As long as were were on two wheels we would rather be there and just about anywhere else.  But none-the-less, these types of temperatures are physically taxing.

So we try to avoid these extreme temperatures, both hot and cold (anything below freezing).   We try to do most of our long range traveling in this country during the months of May and Mid-September to mid-October.  The kids are in school, roads are relatively free of vacationers and the temperatures throughout the Western United States are delightful.  And as we have said many times before in these articles, our favorite traveling anywhere is within about a 1000 mile radius of Seattle.  Western Canada, Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and East to the Sawtooth Mountains have enough great roads that we will probably never get them all under our belt.  But we are trying.  With half a million miles on two wheels (Ann has 300,000 as a passenger) we figure we are going to run out of years before we run out of destinations and our allotment of miles (not sure who makes the allotments but with any luck, he/she/it will spare us for another decade or two).  And so we motor on, always in the quest of that next perfect road.  Hope you enjoy your journey, where ever it may take you.