Kawasaki ZX 11 - Gear Box

MC Tested:
Triumph SP Carbon/Kevlar Gloves
From the "when's the test?" dept. comes this year-old pair of gloves from Triumph. Sometimes we're waiting until something goes wrong, but these comfy, precurved, cowhide, finger-ventilated Korean-made SP C/K gloves have simply plugged along, absorbing 10,000 miles of photo shoots, rain and sun with nary a whimper. Carbon/Kevlar abrasion panels (and double-thick leather in the palm, upper hand and fingers) show no signs of abuse after a low-speed FNG street crash, and sun-fade resistance has been stellar. (The fact that the black leather never stains our hands in the rain is also a huge plus.) The Kevlar stitching has remained intact, and the SP's leather shows only slight-to-medium wear from the clutch, brake and throttle-intensive areas. Even the Velcro on the wrist strap/gauntlet still sticks like new. And kudos to Triumph for a subtle logo that means we can continue to wear these no matter what we ride.

Price: $89
Rating: HHHHH
Verdict: Top glove from Triumph, let down only by the presence of some sexier new styles on the market. Subtle "T" logo may still be too blatant for some.

Triumph
Available from your local Triumph dealer. Call Triumph directly at (770) 631-9500 to order a catalog or to locate a dealer nearest you.

HJC AC-10 Pridmore Replica
In a big move away from its midpriced positioning, HJC has developed a new Snell approved top-of-the-line race lid for street or track. This Jason Pridmore replica (approximately $310-$330 at press time) features everything you'd expect from a quality lid: fiberglass/Kevlar composite shell, flow-through ventilation system, removable DuPont Coolmax liner and UV-protected quick release face shield. Due for release in late summer. Dial up HJC at (562) 407-2186 for a dealer near you.

Alpinestars Gear
Christmas in July? Do yourself a favor and don't wait until December to get your hands on Alpinestars' new armored, lined, 1.1 mm-thick leather Eight-O jacket ($449), full-on waterproof/leatherpalmed Twist Gore-Tex gloves ($119.95) or the mighty/tasty/comfy armadilloed S-MX race/tour boot ($229.95). What, no eggnog? Visit your local dealer or get in touch with Alpinestars at (310) 891-0222; www.alpinestars.com.

Sidi Waterproofs
It's no secret that we love Sidi's waterproof stuff, so naturally we had to order a pair of its new GT Sympatex boot ($275) to see if the top-grain Italian leather, inner-lace closure system and thick nonslip rubber sole is as comfy and durable as the breathable Sympatex inner liner is waterproof. It is. Order from (877) 789-4940 or www.motonation.com.