Nolan’s N43 helmet is essentially six lids in one. It combines the best features of open-face and full-coverage designs. This is accomplished through quick-change accessories that allow you to customize the appearance and function of the helmet to suit your needs.

Tubeless tires are nothing new on streetbikes. But they have yet to be adopted by dirtbikes, which run old-fashioned tubes because their wire-spoke wheels aren’t air-tight.

Spurred by its success in the off-road market, Fly Racing has expanded into producing street gear by offering the Terra Trek adventure-riding jacket. Fly’s industry experience has translated well, and the Terra Trek is a value to be reckoned with. It offers a waterproof chassis, loads of pockets and CE-approved armor at half the price of similarly equipped garments.

Knee sliders are a consumable commodity, and if you frequent the racetrack they can become a significant expense. I’m long-legged and tend to press my knee against the ground in turns, so I burn through pucks in a hurry. Eager to get more than one track day out of a set, I stuck a pair of Chicken Hawk Racing knee sliders onto my leathers.

Choosing the right wardrobe for my recent ice-racing adventure (see Track Time, page 117) presented a unique challenge. I needed enough insulation for standing around in sub-freezing temperatures, enough wind protection for 90-mph speeds and enough ventilation to keep me from drowning in sweat while wrestling a 450cc motocross bike. I was ready to visit REI and see what snowboarding gear I could re-purpose when the man in the big, brown truck delivered an even better solution: an unsolicited selection of Bilt-brand Freeze-Out thermal accessories from Cycle Gear.

Any electric vest can keep your teeth from chattering, but Powerlet’s rapidFIRe liner serves up enough warmth to keep you smiling for hours.

The café racer scene is booming, and no one wants to show up at their local Ace Café looking like a poser. Retro gear completes the look, and dressing the part is easier than working on those finicky old bikes. Good-looking, well-preserved vintage gear is not necessarily cheaper than new retro-styled stuff, and it’s definitely not as protective.

The neck is the most vulnerable part of a motorcyclist’s anatomy. Cowhide, Kevlar and polycarbonate protect every inch of a rider’s body except his neck, which is ridiculous when you consider that it’s impossible to ride with a severed spinal cord. Dr. Chris Leatt, a South African neurosurgeon-turned-inventor, created his revolutionary neck brace for motocross racers in 2006. Now the Leatt brace has been adapted for road use, offering streetbike riders similar protection against potentially catastrophic neck injuries.

Suomy’s Vandal helmet was a favorite of three-time World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss, but that doesn’t mean it’s only suitable for the racetrack. I’ve been wearing mine for nearly 1000 miles and it’s proven to be an excellent street helmet as well.

Changeable weather conditions offer a serious challenge to glove-makers. Can a motorcyclist’s hands be warm and dry when heading out in 45-degree fog yet not be sweaty when returning home in 70-degree sunshine? I hoped that Alpinestars’ WR-V Gore-Tex Gloves would answer this question with a resounding “yes.”

Occasionally the products we test don’t just get used; they get hammered. Such is the case with Sidi’s ST boots.

My original waxed-cotton Belstaff jacket was purchased during a visit to the Isle of Man some 30 years ago. That garment offered breathable all-weather comfort, and I’ve long wished for an updated version with padding, ventilation and reflective panels. Aerostich’s Falstaff jacket provides exactly that.

In the lexicon of thrifty Americans, any two-for-one proposition is a killer deal. Killing two birds with one stone is even better. That’s the story with the ReadyRamp—a motorcycle loading ramp that doubles as a pickup-truck bed-extender.

There was a time, not too many decades ago, when everyone wore a Bell. Way back in 1966, the Southern California-based company pioneered the first full-face helmet, christening it the Star. Bell went through some growing pains in subsequent years—its auto-racing, bicycle and motorcycle divisions going their separate ways—but recently got back on-track. The newly renamed Bell Powersports is now headquartered in Northern California, and one of the first things the reborn brand did was bring back the Star.

Here at Motorcyclist, we usually get the first word on new models well in advance of the general public. But this time it looks like we’ve been scooped! Apparently, Kawasaki is considering a foray into the adventure-bike niche with the latest addition to its Ninja 650 family, and this spy shot is the first we’ve heard of it. From what we can see, a combination camping/bicycle rack bolts to the passenger seat and footpeg brackets. With room for sleeping bags and bungee cords, this addition is the answer to a sportbike rider’s prayers—especially a sportbike rider who just got kicked out of his girlfriend’s apartment! This prototype is clearly in beta testing, so loses points on its aesthetic appeal, but the position of the road bike is purely functional since it doubles as a wheelie bar should one get too hasty with the clutch.

From the complex compounds in your bike’s tires to the alloys in the engine and gasoline in the tank, your motorcycle is an excellent example of how 118 known elements can be combined to create an endless variety of substances. This month’s Gear spread contains a sample of the new products chemists have concocted for the greater good of motorcycling.

First things first: Just because you can ride Barbie’s Malibu Dream Scooter doesn’t mean you should. Sure, you live less than 100 miles from Malibu, and maybe the temptation to visit a real, live oceanside dream house got to be too much, but still... Some 10-year-old is sobbing into her fake plastic beer at the loss of that faux Piaggio. Do the right thing: Give it back.

Having a tough day? Consider the engineers who designed Dunlop’s new Roadsmart II radials. Sure, they get to ride fast motorcycles on fresh rubber all over the world, but after grinding countless knee pucks to dust coming up with the first Roadsmarts in 2008—tires that left little room for improvement as broadband sporting rubber—they had to outsmart themselves for the sequel.

Spurred by their success in the off-road market, Fly Racing has expanded into production of street gear by offering the Terra Trek adventure-riding jacket. Fly’s industry experience has translated well, and the Terra Trek is a value to be reckoned with. It offers a waterproof chassis, loads of pockets and CE-approved armor at half the price of similarly equipped jackets.

There are several excellent reasons to bleed your motorcycle’s hydraulic brake and clutch lines. For perform-ance-minded riders, there are the always popular braided stainless-steel or Teflon hoses to install. You might also be in the midst of replacing some brake or clutch component. Others, concerned with reliability in addition to performance, could be flushing out old fluid and replacing it with new.

Motorcyclists mostly focus on acceleration—horsepower figures, power-to-weight, quarter-mile times, etc.—but potent deceleration is nearly as important when it comes to improving lap times, and even more crucial on the street. This month’s Gear spread is aimed at improving your 0-60 and 60-0 mph times.

Not long ago, avoiding the slide-snap-splat of a high-side crash was entirely up to the rider. Traction control came down to a sensitive backside, fast reflexes and a seriously smooth wrist. Today, many motorcycles come equipped with sophisticated electronic traction-control systems that make riding at the edge safer and more enjoyable. If your sportbike wasn’t blessed from the factory, Bazzaz Performance has you covered.

We love slip-on mufflers. They're less expensive and easier to install than full exhaust systems, yet offer significant weight savings and respectable power gains.

Everyone made fun of Marco Simoncelli’s wild-and-crazy hair, but I’ve always admired it. Maybe it’s because my own hair also becomes an Afro when I don’t straighten it, so I can relate. Unlike me, however, “Super Sic” never tried to hide his curls. His hair was part of his charming, vivacious personality, and he wore it proudly. His fans were drawn to that.

Newport Beach, CA - Piston Driven Manufacturing added Motorcyclist Gear apparel, just in time to help celebrate the publication's 100-year anniversary. Designed for the two-wheel enthusiast, officially licensed Motorcyclist Gear apparel artistically incorporates the best elements of the magazine's history within a line of T-shirts, thermals, caps, jackets and work shirts. "We combined vintage and classic styling to make this apparel line appealing to just about anyone, but also showcases the passion for those who embrace the motorcyclist lifestyle," says Piston Driven Founder Tim Sousamian.