New Ideas
NEW IDEAS
Alpinestars Sportswear
Get The Look in the latest sportswear from Alpinestars. With its spring/summer collection, the Italian apparel-maker has the entire family covered kids included. Choose from hats, belts, dress shirts, sweaters, pants, shorts and even shoes. Prices start at $20. Alpinestars USA, Inc., 2780 W. 237th St., Torrance, CA 90505; 310/891-0222; www.alpinestars.com
Omar’s Ice Fender
Save yourself-and your buddies-from a potentially painful run-in with the razor-sharp screws commonly used to up traction on ice racing tires. Omar’s universal Ice Fender ($69) fits conventional forks where the space between the legs is 5 to 7 inches. Best of all, because the fender is fiberglass, crash damage is easily repairable. Sold with black gelcoat finish. Instructions and heavy-duty plastic tie-wraps included. Omar’s Dirt Track Racing, Inc., 14475 23rd Ave. N., Plymouth, MN 55447; 763/745-2255; www.omarsdtr.com
Aerostich Sport Bike House Slippers
Cute and cozy, these $23 padded slip-ons are fully homologated for ’round-the-ranchhouse running. Reinforced sole enhances traction. Two warm men’s sizes: 7/8/9 and 10/11/12. Hey, race ya to the fridge... Aero Design & Mfg. Co. Inc., 8 S. 18th Ave., W. Duluth, MN 55806; 218/722-1927; www.aerostich.com
Mean Street Forks
Go big! Designed to fit most custom cruisers, Harley-Davidson Softails in particular. Mean Street and Street Smooth billet inverted forks boast beefy 56mm cartridge-equipped stanchions and oversized triple-clamps. And dig the hidden axle! Choose from a brilliant-chrome ($2144) or mirror-polish ($1599) finish in standard or extended lengths. Stainless-steel hardware included. Mean Street Products, 8785 Castner Dr., El Paso, TX 79907; 915/592-6887; www.meanstreetproducts.com
Goldfren Brake Pads
New to the U.S. market, Goldfren produces brake pads and discs for a broad range of street and off-road motorcycles. Featuring the Czech Republic manufacturer’s long-lasting HAD compound, the sintered-metallic pads are said to enhance the feel and stopping performance of any original-equipment brake system. Prices start at $27 per caliper. Euroline Inc., 16 Manchester Rd., Carmel, NY 10512; 845/228-0145; www.eurolineusa.com
Avon Azaro AV45/AV46 ST
CW SPOT LIGHT
WE'VE ATTENDED A LOT OF TIRE INTRODUCTIONS OVER THE years. And while each event is unique, the end result is usually the same: performance that is nothing short of impressive. Without the benefit of a head-to-head showdown, then, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pinpoint how one tire differs from another. Avon shook things up recently when it introduced not one. not two. but three new Azaro radials, which led to an interesting comparison opportunity for Road Test Editor Don Canet. Both the SP (for "street sport”) and more track-oriented SP Pro-Series delivered all of the grip, stability and light, predictable handling that he’s come to expect from current sport-spec radials, even when pressed beyond their traction limits. It was the sport-touring AV45/AV46 ST, however, that impressed him the most. This particular tire features a longer-wearing, silica-enhanced compound and a more extensive tread design for added confidence in wet conditions. Nev-
ertheless, it offers really good grip and stability during dry running. Canet's pace around the 2.2mile Spring Mountain Motorsports Park located outside of Pahrump, Nevada, was decidedly faster than he would dare to ride on the street, yet the STs proved sure-footed, making a Yamaha FZ1 and even a Ducati ST4S feel cornering-clearance challenged. It wasn't until the end of the day, though, when aboard an ST-shod Aprilia Mille, that he was able to gain full appreciation for the tire’s high level of performance. The point is, not everyone, including repli-racer riders, needs the enhanced grip provided by soft-compound race tires. For a lot of riders, mileage and value matter, too. It sure is nice to have so many good choices these days. Prices start at $124 for fronts, $156 for rears. Avon, P.O. Box 336, Edmonds, WA 98020:800/624-7470; www.avonmotorcycle.com
