New Ideas
NEW IDEAS
Aerostich Courier Bag
Okay, so Aerostich’s $87 Courier Bag isn’t exactly new, but the myriad upgrades made to it during the past decade have made it even tougher and more versatile. Patterned after the document bags carried by bicycle and motorcycle messengers, the third-largest (12 x 7 x 18 inches) of the four-bag lineup uses a “rubberized” pvc/nylon lining that is not only stronger than the previous material, it’s waterproof. In addition, there are two inner pockets, a clip-on-type key loop, a wider and more durable closure and a nifty cam-lock shoulder-strap buckle for on-the-go adjustments. There are options aplenty, too, such as a Stabilizer Strap, Cell Phone Holster, Padded Computer Sleeve, Clear Zippered Pockets and much, much more.
Aero Design and Mfg. Co., Inc., 8 S. 18th Ave. W., Duluth, MN55806; 218/722-1927; www.aerostich.com
Roadrash Picture Frames
Display your favorite photograph in a Roadrash picture frame. Offered with a black or silver finish, the 5 x 7-inch wooden frames feature hand-carved motorcycle-theme molds affixed to their borders. Choose from Nac-Nac, Moto Apparel, Street Bike (shown), Dirt Bike and Quad Racer. Glare-resistant glass is supplied. Suggested retail price is $24.
Roadrash Picture Frames, 15921 Live Oak Springs Canyon Rd., Canyon Country, CA 91387; 661/250-4188; www.roadrashframes.com
Facom Ergonomic Pliers
Got the right tool for the job? Facom’s Comfort Grip Plier Line is a good place to start. Selling for $98, the three-piece set shown here includes a 10-inch Multigrip, 8-inch Long Nose with side-cutter, and 6.3-inch Heavy Duty Diagonal Cutters. All have non-slip handles and precision-machined cutting surfaces, and come with a lifetime warranty.
S-K Hand Tool Corp., 9500 W. 55th St. #B, McCook, IL 60525; 708/4854574; www.skhandtool.com
llium Works Sportboards
Now available for late-model BMW LTs and RTs, Ilium Works Sportboards take the place of the stock footpegs, and lower the rider’s feet l¾ inches. The $399 boards are CNC-machined from aluminum, measure 9 inches long and 4 inches wide, and use the stock brake and shift levers. Stainless-steel mounting hardware is supplied.
Ilium Works, 13241 Grass Valley Ave., Grass Valley, CA 95945; 888/431-6669; www.iliumworks.com
Griot’s Garage Air Blower
If you don’t have access to an air compressor to blow your bike dry post-wash, then you might consider this handy high-flow plug-in from Griot’s Garage. Less than a foot long and weighing only 8 pounds, the 4-horsepower unit is great for difficult-to-reach nooks and crannies, such as those areas between cylinder fins, under fenders and behind exhaust-pipe heat shields. The $229 price includes 10 feet of flexible plastic hose and four nozzles.
Griot’s Garage, 3500-A 20th St., Tacoma, WA 98424; 800/3455789; www.griotsgarage.com
MotaPsycho GP1 Exhaust
Fresh from the creative minds of British engineer Paul Taylor (Saxon-framed Triumph T595, TaylorMade Racing carbon-fiber wheels) and stylist John Keogh (Buell XB9R, Triumph TT600) come this underseat exhaust for 2001-02 Suzuki GSX-R600, 750 and 1000s. Ceramic coating keeps heat inside the aluminum muffler (no burned buns!), while spent gasses exit through twin MV Agusta-esque tips. A fiber-glass undertray relocates the battery and ECU, while an LED tail-light/license-plate holder does away with the rear fender. Yours for $1100.
MotaPsycho, 7712 Gloria Ave. #3, VanNuys, CA 91406; 818/781-8123; www.motapsycho.com
CruzTools Outback'r M14
WHAT WILL $20 BUY YOU THESE DAYS? AN OUTBACK'R M14, THAT'S WHAT! THE COMPACT FOLD-UP IS ONLY 3½ INCHES LONG AND weighs a mere 9 ounces, but it will handle basic roadside repairs. The steel-plate-backed plastic body houses four hex keys (3, 4, 5 and 6mm), slotted and Phillips-type screwdrivers, a ¼-inch socket driver with 8, 10 and 12mm sockets, 13 and 14mm open-end wrenches and three spoke wrenches (6.0, 6.3 and 6.4mm). All of the tools are either heat-treated chrome vanadium or carbon-steel, and manufactured to precision tolerances. An SAE version is under development.
CruzTools, 13645 Tuolumne RdSonora, CA 95370; 888/909-8665; www.cruztools.com
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