The Simpson M30 Bandit Carbon is one of those helmets that hasn’t needed to change since the 1970s. The original Bandit shape earned its reputation across motorsport.
This contemporary version brings that same profile to the street with a carbon fiber shell and modern DOT certification. Here’s what the Bandit Carbon actually delivers.
Continue reading “Simpson M30 Bandit Carbon Helmet Review – Everything You Need to Know”Summer is the best time to ride and also, depending on where you live and when you’re riding, genuinely uncomfortable.
The heat that feels great in the morning can turn into something you’re managing hard by early afternoon. Getting this right is mostly about preparation and timing, not suffering through it. Here’s how to handle summer motorcycle riding well.
Continue reading “Summer Motorcycle Riding: How to Actually Enjoy It When It’s Hot”The Alpinestars S-R7 A Core is a premium full-face sport helmet built on the same carbon composite platform as the S-R7 Zeal, sharing the core shell architecture while offering a different fit and feature configuration. It’s positioned for serious street and occasional track riders at a premium price point.
The S-R7 A Core shares that shell platform but adds Alpinestars’ patented A-Head fitment system, which lets you adjust both the height and angle the helmet sits on your head. Here’s what that means in practice.
Continue reading “Alpinestars S-R7 A Core Helmet Review – Everything You Need to Know”If you’ve purchased a jacket or set of riding jeans in the last decade, you likely have D3O or a similar reactive armor (like SAS-TEC) in the joints. It’s the closest thing to magic in the gear world: soft and flexible until it’s hit, at which point it instantly turns into a hard, impact-absorbing shell.
This magic works because D3O is a non-Newtonian, rate-sensitive polymer. It’s a chemical cocktail.
Continue reading “How to Deep-Clean D3O Armor (And Other Reactive Viscous Polymers) Without Ruining the Chemistry”The gents at Cycle World reviewed 2026 Yamaha YZF-R7. While it has been a staple in the “Blue Crew” lineup since 2021, the 2026 model introduces critical refinements to the chassis, engine, and electronics package that address previous criticisms.
In this article we’ll take a look at the Cycle World video and outline the specifics of the review, and then I’ll provide my take on the new R7.
Continue reading “Video Analysis: 2026 Yamaha R7 Review”This crazy custom motorcycle puts together a Norton bike with a Kawasaki two-stroke. Meet the Norsaki.
The “Norsaki” is a custom motorcycle built by David of Davmomoto for his client, Richard Aspery, who wanted a unique machine for his annual trips to the Texas Hill Country.
Continue reading “Custom Norton Dominator and Kawasaki Two-Stroke by Davmomoto”The Merlin Renegade AAA is a CE AAA-rated riding shirt built for riders who want protection in something that looks like regular clothing. It sits at a premium price point for riding apparel.
The AAA certification puts it at the top of the CE protection scale for garments, which is worth understanding before writing off a riding shirt as a compromise. Here’s the full breakdown.
Continue reading “Merlin Renegade AAA Riding Shirt Review – Everything You Need to Know”There’s a moment most riders know. You’re moving through a stretch of open road, conditions are right, the bike is doing exactly what it should. And the song playing in your helmet lines up perfectly with what’s happening around you. It’s one of those small things that’s impossible to forget.
Motorcycles and music have been tied together for a long time. Not in a forced, marketing-campaign way, but in a real, culturally embedded way that shows up in the songs themselves, in the events built around both, and in the way riders talk about what the road actually feels like.
Continue reading “Motorcycle Riders and Music: Why the Connection Runs Deep”The RST Moto Tractech Evo D3O race suit is built for track day riders who want a single piece suit, CE AAA certification, and D3O armor without spending on a flagship suit.
It occupies the mid-range of the race suit market. This RST suit is serious protection at a price that doesn’t require a sponsor. Here’s the full breakdown.
Continue reading “RST Moto Tractech Evo D3O Race Suit Review – Everything You Need to Know”Few people buy a motorcycle and think carefully about what it’s actually going to cost them per year. They think about the purchase price, maybe the insurance, and that’s usually it.
The rest, things like maintenance, tires, registration, gear replacement, depreciation, show up later, one expense at a time, in a way that never quite adds up to a number you anticipated.
The cost of owning a motorcycle in 2026 is real, manageable, and significantly lower than owning a car, but it’s also higher than most new riders budget for when they’re standing in a dealership parking lot trying to justify the purchase.
Continue reading “The Real Cost of Owning a Motorcycle”
