Sharing space at the top with some of the best motorcycle helmets you can buy today, the Schuberth C4 redefines the flip-up helmet and represents the new benchmark for touring and sports riders with the highest demands.

The Schubert C4 is unmistakable German engineering. Radical, compact shell design. Schuberth has again redefined the standards for premium modular touring helmets with the introduction of the Schuberth C4 motorcycle helmet.

The lean form of the Schuberth C4 Helmet has been extensively tested and aerodynamically optimized for both stability at speed and low weight to minimize fatigue on long tours.

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When it comes to motorcycle luggage, my preference is usually a set of soft saddle bags; you can throw them on and off easily, and they make sense whether you’re packing for a day trip or a months-long adventure. This was all good and well, until I tried to install my trusty old saddle bags on a modern sportbike; it just doesn’t quite work. The narrow and sloping tail, and the minimal strap points can make it all a bit difficult, so I looked for something else.

Having bought their stuff in the past, it wasn’t long before I found my way to the Thai re-seller of Kriega luggage. Kriega is an English brand that specializes in tough motorcycle bags for the road and adventure. They make all kinds of stuff, but I was drawn to their Tailpacks because they can sit over the pillion seat and have been designed to work with modern sportbikes.

I settled on a 40-liter combo, which consists of the 10-liter bags and one 20-liter bag (which I already owned). The bags strap together in a variety of configurations, or you can just use one depending on the application and need. I find that the 20-liter on the bottom and a 10-liter on top works well for me, but it’s nice to know that I have more space if need be.

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Do you travel a lot on your motorcycle? Do you want to transform your motorcycle into a completely new riding machine? Do you often ride with a pillion passenger? Do you often carry luggage? Are you looking for refined technology with advanced functionality and durability?

It you answered yes to any of these questions, then Touratech suspension is just what you’re looking for. Touratech suspension will transform your motorcycle into the ultimate adventure riding machine, providing enhanced rider comfort and a more sensitive response than the standard units.

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Some people zig while others zag, and it’s no different for companies. Vozz Helmets, an Australian company, is one that zags and is taking a different approach to designing what it claims to be a safer motorcycle helmet than the traditional pull-on, pull-off full-face helmet.

Let’s face it, in its most basic form, the traditional full-face helmet has not changed in several decades – you pull it on and do up the chin strap until it’s tight, then reverse the operation to remove it.

Starting from a clean slate, Vozz Helmets has redesigned the full-face helmet in a staggering way by creating a rear-access, dual-locking helmet, and hopes to make the chin strap-equipped, pull-on, pull-off motorcycle helmet history.

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KTM have done many things for motorcycling since emerging in 1953 with a Rotax-engined two-stroke enduro motorcycle. The biggest off-road manufacturer by a good amount of units, KTM are fast becoming a giant in the road legal motorcycle industry, if they aren’t already.

Despite booming adventure bike sales and MotoGP projects, at their core is off-road, at the core of off-road is enduro, and at the very core of enduro is the two-stroke. Without the two-stroke engine, enduro is half cut.

The problem for two-stroke engines is emissions laws that are putting the thumb screws on smokey engines. Off-road manufacturers have been working hard to design more lean-burning carburetor engines but ultimately they are doomed.

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While we are all aware of slipper clutches, a lot of confusion comes with a slipper-assist clutch. So what does a slipper-assist clutch do?

A slipper-assist clutch’s main purpose in life is to reduce the weight of the lever action. It achieves this through using fewer springs to push the clutch plates together – the fewer the springs the lighter the action required to pull them apart and disengage the clutch.

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Poorly manufactured motorcycle parts have long been a problem for motorcycle owners. Now counterfeit bearings and spark plugs are an issue.

Swedish bearing manufacturers SKF recently seized and destroyed 1.5 tons of know-off bearings with a export destination in Europe and the problem is world-wide: 15 tons of counterfeit bearings were seized in a port in Europe.

Passing off fakes is both damaging for manufacturers and dangerous for end users. SKF’s brand protection manager Saim Manto said, ‘Counterfeit industrial products are present in all markets across the globe and we see cases from all sectors, from power generation to high-performance motorcycles. We have had cases in all markets around the world.’

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Load as little as possible. Clothing is almost always the biggest overpacking culprit. Remember, you don’t need seven outfits on a seven-day trip – you’ll be in your motorcycle gear all day. Pack as if you’re hiking – how much would you take knowing you’d have to carry it on your back?

Some motorcycles already weigh more than 200 kilograms so you won’t notice the extra weight, right? Wrong. Every junction, every time you lift it off the sidestand and every time you push it into a parking space you’ll be feeling the load. Plus you’ll waste time packing and unpacking your bags when you should be drinking in the atmosphere.

On multiple – week trips, pack for a week and wash stuff. Don’t try to carry six weeks’ worth of underwear. Apart from anything else, imagine the smell of 42 pairs of sweaty socks…

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Certain big, black, round, rubber things can make a real difference in life. In fact they can make a real difference to life itself.

Yes, our tires are what keep us going where we want to and prevent us from careening into a tree and certain death. Each contact patch is about a few square centimeter – not a lot considering how crucial it is to keeping us alive.

Here’s a fun trick: Have a look at the tires on the motorcycle of your friends and see how much tread they have. The old matchstick test is one of the most reliable – the head of the match is the minimum depth of tread you need for your tires to be effective – and it’s amazing how many motorcycles don’t pass.

I had a chat at a local motorcycle tire shop last week and just that morning a lady came in and asked what the furry stuff on her scooter tires was. The tire fitter went out and had a look, thinking it sounded a bit strange. But, upon inspecting the tire in question, he was incredulous. The furry patch was the canvas – yes, the tread had completely worn through. He explained the situation to her. Her question? ‘So, is that bad?’

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Michelin has released its all-new Power RS sport road tire that is said to be 3.5 seconds faster per lap than its Pilot Power 3 predecessor while offering better dry-weather grip and stability than its rivals. These include the Bridgestone S21, Continental Sport Attack 3, Dunlop SportSmart 2, Metzeler M7RR and Pirelli Diablo Rosso III.

Developed over two-year period and featuring two new patents, the Michelin Power RS is a premium sport tire that is primarily intended for road use while handling the occasional track day. It is positioned below Michelin’s track-focused Power Cup Evo and also replaces the SuperSport Evo tire.

The Michelin Power RS features dual-compound technology whereby soft and hard compounds are overlaid – including on the front tire for a quicker turn-in – with a softer compound on the shoulders for more grip when leaned over.

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