New Ideas
NEW IDEAS
Shoei Roberts' replica
Shakespeare wrote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” It’s a fair bet, though, that old Bill might have felt differently if he’d worn King Kenneth Lee Roberts’ crown from Shoei. The Roberts’ replica GRV hat features a fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon-fiber shell; vents at the brow and chin; a flush-fitting faceshield; and padded chin straps. It’s available in sizes XS-XL in the King’s own livery for $417.95. To find out more, contact Shoei Safety Helmet Corp. 2228 Cotner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064.
Ducati Superbike shirt
What’s the matter, Sparky? You say you don’t have a sufficiently glittering resumé to rate one of Ducati’s Eight-valvers? There, there; with this T-shirt, you can have the next-best thing. It’s cunningly designed with openings for your head and arms, and at $12.95 (in sizes S-XXL), it’s a mere fraction of the real thing’s $20,995 asking price. See your local Cagiva dealer to get yours.
Hindle Super Stand
You can build almost as many things with the deluxe version of Hindle’s Super Stand as with a box of Legos. Well, maybe not a model of the Washington monument, but you can assemble it into work stands that lift a motorcycle’s front or back end, then rearrange the steel and aluminum pieces to make a wheel-truing stand or even a dolly. And Hindle claims the stand fits all motorcycles and ATVs. It retails for $229 (Canadian) from Hindle Racing Products, 110 Heale Ave., Scarborough, Ontario, MIN 3Y1, Canada; (416) 267-0609.
Mikuni RS carburetors
Deal yourself a winning hand with four-of-a-kind of Mikuni’s RS carbs. With the horsepower gain the firm claims for the pre-jetted mixers’ smoothbore intake tract and radial flat-slide design, a rider might just feel the same calm confidence Mark Twain observed in a Christian holding four aces. Mikuni offers bolt-on kits for most modern inline-Fours, and the ante starts at $549.95. To get yourself into the game, see your dealer, or contact Mikuni American Corp., 8910 Mikuni Ave., North-ridge, CA 91324-3496; (818) 8851242.
Survival Bike
"Lost... no food . . . looks like this is the end, Bruce,” gasped Chuck. “Not yet,” said Bruce, unhooking a Survival Bike from a belt loop. Using the twine in the front wheel, they trapped a nutria, cleaned it with the multi-tool in the bodywork, and cooked it over a fire started with the flint in the exhaust pipe. The compass in the fairing helped them find their way out of the woods the next day, and they flagged a bus, paying fares with money from the helmet change-holder. They rode home and vowed never to go snipe hunting again. Suggested price is $35, from YAFA, 21306 Gault St., Canoga Park, CA 91303.
PJ1 Renew & Protect
For leather, plastic and rubber, there’s never a moment’s peace. Smog, heat and ultraviolet rays dessicate and deteriorate them with a relentless persistence. But PJl’s Renew & Protect can offer at least temporary respite from such bedevilment. Water-soluble and non-toxic, the silicone-based fluid contains no petroleum distillates, and is available in 8-ounce bottles for $3.98, 16-ounce for $6.66 and l-gallon for $36.98. To find out more, see your dealer or contact PJ1 Corp., 8340 E. Raintree Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85260; (602) 991-8002.
