Thinking about loading up your motorcycle and hitting the open road to freedom? Or perhaps just taking a long weekend ride to independence? Either way, you'll most likely need to bring a few things with you. And whatever you cannot fit in the motorcycle will need to be attached to it.

Over the years, we've seen a number of methods for securing one's wares to a motorcycle, with mostly limited success. Long ago, the best option available was the traditional or narrow nylon rope. This meant riding with the constant fear of finding just a dangling end of cordage after scattering the road with your precious cargo.

To make matters worse, lashing extra luggage or camping equipment to your motorcycle meant the strap was usually either much too long or just a tad too short. No so with the infinitely adjustable tie-down straps from Rok Straps, which combine a stretchable natural rubber-core strap and non-scratch polypropylene cinch strap with loop ends. All of this is then connected with a plastic, shatter-resistant buckle.

Look at the switchgear of a modern motorcycle and marvel that so many functions can be controlled by so few buttons and sliders. This is evolution for you and in this instance the ubiquitous microchip will probably be doing its but unseen somewhere. Yet progress is an iterative process and occurs in step changes.

Around 10 years ago the Thai small motorcycle industry was only just waking up to the idea that customers wanted ease of use and not nasty cheap stuff. Switches had historically been of questionable quality, badly made, poorly sited and only semi-reliable. The Japanese big bike industry had shown the way; even the smallest Japanese made motorcycle was beautifully equipped with cast alloy switches that the rider could access with little or no thought. Even better they were well made, reliable and weatherproof.

As per every electrical switch ever made the ones on your motorcycle do one of two things; they either make or break a circuit. They are a modest combination of pivots, levers, springs and contacts yet it's their design that gives them their longevity. Most Japanese switches are uncomplicated but robust, functional in operation yet sophisticated engineered.

I feel in love with the Dainese Zhen Yun Leather-Textile Vintage jacket because of its 70s/80s vibe, and it is truly retro, the jacket has some textile inserts, but have to do without thermal lining or venting like modern textile jackets. But is it any worse for it? Not really. This is just a simple, cool jacket that incorporates CE-approved armor at the elbows and shoulders and a pocket for back protector.

I've used both a Forcefield and a Dainese item and both fit well in the jacket provided back protector pocket.

Owners of smaller motorcycles often struggle for tire choice when it comes to fitting new tires, but Pirelli have introduced a new tire for leisure and commuter riding.

The Pirelli Angel CiTy is based on Pirelli's Angel GT sports touring tire, which explains the mix of capital letters and small to hint at a pronunciation of 'CT'.

It's designed for machines like the popular Honda CBR150R, Yamaha YZF-R15 up to the Honda CBR300R, CB300F, Yamaha YZF-R3 and MT-03, and the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and Z300.

Pirelli used the popular Angel GT tire, launched in 2013, as the starting point and created a tire designed to work with the lighter motorcycles. It's crossply construction to give the flexibility required on lighter motorcycles and Pirelli have aimed for durability and braking performance to suit younger, less experienced riders.

The Touratech Aventuro Mod motorcycle helmet s an adventure helmet with the convenience of a flip-up helmet. Built with the help of German helmet manufacturer Schuberth, the Touratech Aventuro Mod uses the same basic structure as the Schuberth C3Pro but features numerous detail differences.

The Touratech Aventuro Mod shell is made of special glass fiber-reinforced plastic that combine high strength with low weight. As well as an anti-fog, distortion-free visor and a continuously adjustable sun visor, it has a washable Coolmax liner.

The peak has a memory function so when the chin section is flipped up, it remembers the position it was set to and then rebounds to the rider's chosen position when the helmet is closed. The large face opening means enduro goggles can be used, and there is even a goggle strap holder.

Continental has chosen the 37th Vienna Motor Symposium to present an innovative emissions control solution for small size turbocharged engines. The introduction of more strict exhaust emissions legislation, which requires vehicles, to meet ever lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels at all rpm in the rev range. This poses new challenge by demanding efficient NOx reduction across a very broad spectrum of engine operating conditions, and not 'just' in the current test cycles.

However, the existing close-coupled catalytic converters of today offer little margin for any further improvements in lambda distribution.

In order to meet future exhaust emission legislation on NOx emissions, a 3-way catalytic converter must achieve a conversion rate close to 100%. That is only possible, if efficient NOx reduction is maintained uniformly in all operating situations. The innovative ring catalyst in combination with Continental's LS microstructured metal foil will be an important part in meeting the future emission requirements.

Forever in search of the perfect combination of longevity, off-road grip and confident on-road cornering, I was pleased to hear Mitas Tires is in the working to set-up business in Thailand. Mitas was established in 1933 in the Czech Republic, and the E-07 dual-sport tires I received for testing are made with the same 'function-first' approach as tires from other eastern bloc countries are famous for.

No single tire is perfect for every situation. There are too many factors to consider, including off-road grip and on-road longevity. However, the Mitas E-07 is the closest thing I've found to a true 50/50 tire for adventure bikes.

The appearance of the Mitas E-07 is decidedly narrow and aggressive, something to consider if you're into the aesthetics of a fat tire – but don't be fooled, these tires are real performers. On-road handling is noticeably lighter and more responsive than the Pirelli Scorpions that I currently use on our adventure bike. In the dirt, the narrow tires cut through soft surfaces to grab hold, and give an excellent overall grip. This narrow-tire approach rules in most situations off road and is consistent with the advantages sought in dedicated dirt bike tires – a solid win in both traction and off significant protection to the rim and help prevent pinch flats in the case of a hard edge impact.

Sometimes it's hard to accept that ailments of age are creeping up to you. After noticing that I was forced to squint my eyes six different ways to read the standard eyesight chart when I was renewing my driver's license last year, I finally bit the bullet and went to see an optometrist to get my eyesight checked. And just as I expected, the optometrist said that I'll need glasses to correct my distance vision, even though my eyesight with nearby objects is fine.

U used to wear glasses from age five, so I'm no stranger to them. But then soft contact lenses made their debut, and I marveled at how much better they worked overall than the comparatively heaver and cumbersome glasses. That is, until I tried to ride with contact lenses on the racetrack. There I was, barreling down the front straight at around 200km/h, when the lens in my right eye decided it wanted to hit the eject button – right when I was getting ready to hit the brakes for turn one.

Thankfully surviving that harrowing incident swiftly made me realize I'd need to wear glasses when racing. Wearing glasses inside a motorcycle helmet turned out to not be as bad as I thought it would be, though it was somewhat disconcerting to deal with your whole world seemingly bouncing around along with your glasses as your helmet was getting knocked about by wind buffeting or harsh bumps. I got used to it though, and the ritual of switching between contact lenses and glasses became second nature.

Sharks as sea creatures have a pretty bad reputation around the world. Shark motorcycle helmets' Race-R Pro, on the other hand, has a first-rate reputation. Even current MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo puts his head inside one.

That's because Shark Helmets take what's good about sharks – their aggressively streamlined bodies – and apply it to design. The result is what Shark calls Computational Fluid Dynamics technology. In other words, the Shark Race-R Pro is very aerodynamic. But unlike real sharks, the helmet also does a good job of protecting your head.

I have lost count of the number of times a customer comes in asking for fully-synthetic oil for a regular motorcycle. Manufacturers specify, for arguments sake, a 10w40 semi-synthetic oil from their recommended oil supplier, be it Honda with Castrol or Yamaha with Yamalube, etc... It'll have a specification dictated by country, pollutants and additives in oils, designed specifically for that motorcycle. So why would you make the rash decision, and more expensive option to change to fully-synthetic after 15,000 kilometers running faultlessly?

People do some strange things, Their friend on a online forum syas, “I've got this in my motorcycle,” and they haven't actually thought that this motorcycle may be a KTM, for example, and requires a certain oil. Most manufacturers recommend a 10w40 to cope with a wide parameter of working temperatures and abuse, and work with this oil consistently as a base.