HOLEY PADS? COOL
Ferodo Array Cooling Pads
Who would've thought some small amounts of negative space would have such a profound effect? The canny engineers at Ferodo, apparently. Working with factory-based roadrace teams here and abroad, they discovered a few well-placed holes in sintered brake-pad material - which Ferodo calls Array Cooling - resulted in not only a claimed 15 percent temperature reduction but also increased bite, greater friction and resistance to fading and fluid boiling, decreased wear and more consistent performance. Think of it as getting something from nothing. Imported by Brake Tech USA, the pads are available for a variety of racebikes and sportbikes, in XRAC compound for racing and STAC compound for track-day riding, with prices starting at $48.95 for one caliper's worth of pads.
www.braketech.com, (951) 471-3476
QUIET AND RIOT
National Cycle Peacemakers Exhaust System
This one's so simple in concept it's a wonder no one's thought of it before. Imagine being able to start your Big Twin for an early morning ride and not bother your neighbors. Or ride past a police officer or school zone without being aurally offensive. National Cycle's new Peacemakers exhaust system for Harleys allows you to do just that--and still enjoy the throaty roar and additional horsepower a good aftermarket system can deliver. Thanks to what NC calls a "diverter valve" positioned within the front end of its muffler assembly that's controlled by an actuator motor and bar-mounted thumb switch, riders can switch between loud and quiet modes; just thumb the switch and the valve re-routes exhaust waves through a more--or less--restrictive pathway in the muffler. Tested on a Harley-Davidson TC88B engine, the system is claimed to have made 10 more peak horsepower than the stock system (in the loud mode), and just 5 more dB than stock in the quiet mode (79 dB versus 74 dB).
www.peacemakersexhaust.com,(877) 972-7336
A NEW KIND OF INFLATABLE FRIEND
Hit-Air Airbag Clothing
Lots of creatures have the ability to inflate themselves when threatened, such as the puffer fish and certain chameleons. Seeing as how motorcyclists haven't yet evolved to that happy extent, we'll have to turn to garments such as Hit-Air's jackets and vests to blow up and help protect us in the event of a crash. Hit-Air offers more than a dozen garments with its CO2-powered "shock-buffering system." The system relies upon a coiled cord connecting the garment to the motorcycle; as the rider separates from the motorcycle in a crash, the cord disconnects and causes the CO2 to inflate the garment in just a fraction of a second. Prices range from $499.99 to $749.99; shown is the EU jacket, $699.99 for sizes S-XL, $749.99 for sizes XXL-XXXL.
www.airprotekgear.com, (877) 635-8731
STYLIN' SOUND BOYS, WITH A LOT OF LOVE, YEAH
Boz Bros Exhausts
The way Ben and Eric Bostrom saw it, there just wasn't enough style in the motorcycle industry. And, seeing as how the Bostrom brothers had style to burn, they decided to spare some to create a line of products that also would meet the high standards of racers like themselves. And the first items to come out of the Boz Bros' brainstorm are a pair of pipes, the Moira and the Gild. The Gild series slip-ons feature a 55-degree slash-cut tip with a 2-inch-diameter tip, while the Moira complete systems utilize a "slightly more urban-friendly" removable, re-packable silencer core. Prices for the two pipe lines--to be available for most modern sportbikes--had not yet been set at press time, but distribution had: Parts Unlimited will be handling that end of the Boz Bros' vision.
www.bozbros.com
THE BEST GEAR, ALL IN ONE PLACE
Moto Millennia
Alfred Kobacker, the man behind the exceptional Cycle Cat line of hard-part accessories, has started another venture, Moto Millennia, which he calls "America's distributor of the world's finest motorcycle products." Kobacker's not just spouting hype, either: Moto Millennia reps for such outfits as Alth, maker of top-shelf disc brake components; clutch and engine specialist Bucci; Matris of steering damper and suspension fame; MotoGP outfitters Dymag (wheels) and GPR (exhausts); and, of course, Cycle Cat.
www.motomillennia.com
JUST PUT YOUR X RIGHT THERE, NICKY ...
Autographed Collectables Signed Memorabilia
If you've ever pined for something--say, strangely enough, Alpinestars boots Nicky Hayden actually wore--signed by your biggest hero in MotoGP racing, Autographed Collectables has your heart's desire. AC offers artwork and collectable merchandise featuring MotoGP and Grand Prix stars such as Hayden, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Max Biaggi, Colin Edwards and much more. The company says everything is signed by hand, too--no 50,000 runs of so-called autographs fresh off the printing press here. What's more, the firm's owner, Miguel Ramos, told us Motorcyclist readers should contact him directly by e-mail to get special, low pricing. Most items should run in the $95 to $200 range.
www.air23.com.au
YES, YOUR ENTIRE LIFE
Cobra Lifetime Warranty
That's correct. Cobra Engineering offers a lifetime limited warranty on select exhaust systems in its product lineup. Not your dog's lifetime. Not your tabby's lifetime. Not even your cockatoo's lifetime. (Although, as some species of cockatoo live up to 100 years, that wouldn't be such a bad deal.) The exhaust's lifetime. Which might just be your lifetime.
www.cobrausa
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
Autocom Communication Systems
If you're the strong, silent type of motorcyclist--or just silent, never mind strong--you can skip to the next product right now. If, however, you want to communicate with your riding partner(s) or your passenger, listen to high-quality stereo sound, or hook up your cell phone, radar detector or GPS, then take a look at Autocom's sophisticated line of communication systems built for motorcycles. Autocom's latest systems include the Easi-Plus, the Active-Plus and the Super Pro Avi, and each one has more features than we can list here. Suffice it to say each system offers features that old-school riders never even dreamed of. Want proof of their superior function? Kevin Schwantz's riding school uses Autocom communications systems. Good enough?
www.autocomamerica.com, (888) 851-4327
QU
LeoVince Yamaha R6 SBK Exhaust
When it comes to pipe-building expertise, it's hard to beat LeoVince; the firm is a division of Sito Gruppo Industriale in Monticello d'Alba, Italy, Europe's largest exhaust manufacturer. LeoVince's expertise shows, too, in its latest offering, the SBK exhaust for Yamaha's newly minted YZF-R6. The pipe features TIG-welded stainless steel headers, a titanium canister (even the rivets are titanium) and a carbon-fiber end cap and mounting strap. Designed to work without the stock EXUP valve, but with stock fuel-injection settings, LeoVince claims specific power increases throughout the rev range. The R6 SBK pipe retails for $1299.
www.leovinceusa.com, (866) 610-4242
IMMINENT DOMAIN?
Icon Perimeter Domain
Ever since Icon hit the street, it's had the urban street scene styling gig down pat. The latest example of the company's expertise in that area is the new Perimeter Domain helmet. Available in three finishes--Solid, Rubatone Flat Black and black, blue, yellow, red or silver graphic pattern--the full-face helmet features a carbon-fiber/dyneema/aramid composite shell, a bottom-mount chin air-vent system augmented with a top-mounted vent and large rear exhaust vents, a fog-free visor that removes without tools, and a chin curtain to seal out noise and turbulence. Icon's latest hat comes in sizes XS-2XL starting at $340 for the Perimeter Domain Solid.
www.rideicon.com MC