Tested or reviewed

Just simple words about things I have purchased and bikes I have rented but honest reviews not fake bullshit that fills YouTube.

Resurgence Gear cargo pants review

I continue replacing my riding gear stolen by Australia post and came to choose Resurgence gear cargo’s for my new summer rider pants. I lost three pairs of rider pants, My Macna Fulcrum pants with a two liner system – well suited to cool and wet weather in Japan. My […]

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Shark City Cruiser Helmet review

Continuing shopping for motorcycle gear stolen by Australia Post I sought a replacement for my Nolan N43 Air helmet. To understand why I would seek this style of helmet I need to help you understand how hot it is living in the tropics. It’s actually too hot to ride here […]

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Gaerne G-Air GTX Boots review

I am replacing all my rider gear which was stolen by Australia Post and am starting from the bottom up. Thinking about boots I was going to buy the very same as those lost. My TCX Explorer EVO GT boots I wore for the last decade have been excellent. Used […]

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Apple Carplay or Android Auto on any motorcycle

I have chosen Garmin for my motorcycle navigation since 2008 and have tried various phone navigation apps and Google maps in recent years but found the experience inferior. Unable to see the phone screens in sunlight, unable to operate phone tiny menu items with gloves. Curious about Apple Carplay/Android Auto […]

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Japanese Speaking Curtain Maker

Some book reviews and a personal update I have been spending a lot of time in hospital so have read a few motorcycle travel books while there. Great Australian Motorcycle Stories is a paperback sold at Australian post offices. It was gifted to me to read while getting treatment in […]

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The Moment Collectors

While I am not able to ride I am delving into books about riding and came upon this gem. Sam Manicom has gathered twenty stories from motorcycle authors, overland riders and bloggers. It presents many different styles of story telling but remains a good read all the way through. It […]

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Hit-Air Airbag Vest

I’ve never considered an item like this really necessary, and my opinion hasn’t changed so how I ended up trying one is a bit of a long story. Before that if you have not seen this video from Fortnine then I suggest to watch it. Ryan explains in a very […]

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Rough & Road helmet liner

Because summer in Japan is so humid I decided to look at ways to stop my new Nolan N70-2GT helmet from turning into a swamp. The Nolan helmet already has a liner designed to wick away perspiration and has excellent ventilation from its upper air intakes but no helmet is […]

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Rough & Road Summer Gloves

Covid-19 might appear to have me at risk of ‘gear creep’ but so many of my rider items were overdue for replacement. I had been foolishly hanging on to poor quality old gear much of which was not even CE1 rated. Since Covid I’ve thrown out my 20 year old […]

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Rough & Road summer jacket

Summer in Japan is crazy humid. I’ve been using mesh jackets but got fed up with how the nylon clings and has no breathability so decided to try a different approach. The Rough & Road cloth summer jacket is constructed of a heavy weight material similar to riding pants and […]

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Tricepuot summer rain gloves

You might think waiting a year to test an item would be a negative – but not when talking about rain gear. I found these gloves in Naps motorcycle accessory shop Yokohama over a year ago and got them for my 2020 touring but last summer was very kind and […]

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100,000km review Yamaha FJR1300

A milestone reached. I’ve clocked 100,000km touring Japan on my 2014 Yamaha FJR1300. A few notes on the experience so far and my evolving views on what I might ride next. Long Term Ownership Experience The FJR1300 has been a very reliable motorcycle. Problems have been minor but one item […]

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