New Ideas

NEW IDEAS

Bates Fast Lane Sport Racer boots

A peg-dragging backroad frolic can make a rider toe-dance in ways Baryshnikov never dreamed of. To that end, Bates contoured its leather-lined, 13-inch-tall boots to provide better cornering clearance than other footgear. Plus, there are triple layers of leather for the shift pad and the outer part of the foot, and padded ankles, too. For $135, you can dance into a pair, which come in black, black-white-and-red, and red-white-and-blue in men’s half-sizes 7-13 from Bates Industries Inc., P.O. Box 240WP, Long Beach, CA 90801; (213) 435-6551.

Ferodo brake pads

Ferodo—wasn’t he the hero in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”? Not hardly; this Ferodo is already well-known for its brake pads in Formula 1 car racing. And now the firm also makes pads for a wide range of dirt and streetbikes, and they’re available in different compounds, with prices ranging from $18.73 to $23.48 a pair. To find out more, stop by your dealer or contact Ferodo U.S.A., P.O. Box 15368, North Hollywood, CA 91615.

Vetter BagMan Red-wing saddlebags

The red-wing blackbird is an avian indigenous to North America. BagMan’s Redwing bags, on the other hand, are indigenous to Vetter, with red patches on the flaps of their external pockets. Constructed of urethane-coated, 1000-denier nylon, a pair of the bags offers a claimed capacity of 13 liters; foam stiffeners help them keep their shape when empty. They’re available in black with gray pockets and red, blue or burgundy flaps for $89.99 each. For more information, contact Vetter Products Inc., Rantoul, IL 61866;(217)893-9300.

Wiseco piston/rod kit

Wiseco and Carillo are piston and rod makers; your Yamaha FZ or FZR750 shall want. They maketh forged high-silicon-aluminum 69mm pistons with a 13:1 compression ratio to lie in your cylinder barrels; the forged steel rods will leadeth the pistons to righteousness. Yea, though you flog your engine, you should fear no evil: thy rod and thy pistons they comfort you. Wiseco preparest its kit with rings, wristpins and clips, for $939. Your wallet better runneth over. For more information, get the word from Wiseco Piston Inc., 7201 Industrial Park Blvd., Mentor, OH 44060;(216)951-6600.

Metzeler ME33 Comp K

There’s a hard wind blowing through the ranks of middleweight production roadracing classes: Honda’s 600 Hurricane. And for riders of that two-wheel storm, Metzeler offers its ME33 Comp K front tire in size 110/80V17. Outwardly, the DOT-approved tire resembles Metzeler’s Laser, but features wider, shallower tread blocks and ungrooved shoulders. Plus, Metzeler says the ME’s rubber compound provides better traction and resistance to heat build-up. Suggested retail price is $112.95, and you can find out more by contacting Metzeler Motorcycle Tire, 4520 107th St., Everett, WA 98204;(206)348-4000.

Color Rite OEM paints

Fighting Red, Pearl Cosmic Grey, Space Blue or Urushi Black. No, those aren’t possible titles for the next Husker Du album; they’re names of OEM paints for certain Hondas, Kawasakis, Suzukis and Yamahas. And you can get them— along with more than 80 other hues—from Color Rite Distributing Co., 2210 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90403;(213)4512991. They’re available in 1/2-ounce bottles (with brush) for $3.95, 11-ounce aerosol cans for $8.03, and 1-quart cans for $44.