One of the first things most riders do to a new motorcycle is modify the exhaust. Sometimes it's to get more noise, sometimes it's a fashion statement, sometimes it's to get more power, and occasionally it's all three. In the process of deciding what modifications to do, we are confronted with the choice of slip-on mufflers or a complete exhaust system. What is best?

'Best' is, of course, a pretty subjective term at best. One man's 'best' is another mans 'bad'! So how about if we stick to the facts and let you decide what's best to the facts and let you decide what's best for you? And since most sportsbike owners replace the exhaust system than any other motorcycle style, let's assume more power is your goal.

If you're on a tight budget, slip[-on mufflers might be your only choice because, by and large, this is the most economical route to take. This is not to say that slip-on are not an effective solution. Slip-on mufflers are designed to – you guessed it – slip on to stock header pipes, and they can make a substantial horsepower increase. It should be noted, that most motorcycle build after 2007 have catalytic converters in the header pipes. From an emissions standpoint, slip-on mufflers do not constitute tampering since you are not removing the catalytic converters. As far as the noise is concerned, should you decide to risk riding a motorcycle with modified exhaust on the street, a little discretion goes a long way toward not having problems with the law.

Lightweight mesh motorcycle jackets are growing in popularity, but even those kit firms like Alpinestars who do make them tend not to offer much variety. The Alpinestars T-GP Pro Air jacket is the top-spec mesh motorcycle jacket from Alpinestars, at a price (around 10,000 THB) that doesn't sound like a lot of money for a range-topping jacket. And yet it feels so good you wouldn't be disappointed if you'd paid twice as much.

The Alpinestars T-GP Pro Air motorcycle jacket is a proper good-quality riding jacket, with all the features, you've come to expect from Alpinestars, plus mesh to make it cooler for the Thai tropical climate. It's got plenty of pockets, quality zips that are easy to use when wearing gloves, and the cleverly placed stretch panels are sporty cut make the fit spot on.

The armor in the shoulders and elbows is really comfortable too.

Why do you need a motorcycle boot? You might think that the feet do little on the motorcycle apart from changing gears and operating the rear brake. But the truth is, if you're riding right, your feet are holding you to the motorcycle, creating stability and more. When you fall off the motorcycle, the boot has the unenviable job of protecting a vital, complex but fragile arrangement of joints and bones.

It goes about this in three ways. Impact protection saves your feet when impacting the road or whatever you are crashing into. Some kind of armor is needed to reduce the force that your foot has to deal with. Abrasion protection prevents the loss of skin and tissue that happens when your skin and flesh slide along the road at speed – some – things human bodies clearly aren't designed to do. The motorcycle boot must have materials that resist abrasion as well as closure systems that keep the motorcycle boot on your foot. Sneakers are singled out because even leather sneakers, which maybe give some abrasion protection, have problems staying on the foot meaning the overall abrasion protection is effectively zero.

Finally, there is hyperextension prevention. Hyperextension implies a joint being forced to move in a configuration it isn't designed to handle. Example could be your toes stuck under the motorcycle while you keel over backwards. Or an impact that forces your instep up so that it comes into contact with your skin. Both are unnatural movements that are sure to cause structural damage. Motorcycle boots feature a number of systems that are designed to prevent motion in the usual direction but not in other orientations. This can also make them uncomfortable for anything but riding a motorcycle...

For just over 40,000 THB you can have the latest in wearable technology - a smartHUD motorcycle helmet. The Skully AR-1 helmet augments navigation, incorporates a ultra wide angle rear view camera and displays riding info on the visor itself. Voice activated commands and smartphone sync means your hands never leave the handlebars.

The Heads Up Display, or HUD, has been slowly evolving beyond gaming and entertainment into real-world applications, including health and safety. As safety features for products become more aligned with technology, they’re looking into ways to make safety smarter. The idea is to let the technology focus on the little things while you pay attention to the road ahead.

BMW introduced Race ABS for street-legal motorcycles back in 2009 on the BMW S1000RR, and at the time it was easily the most refined ABS package that BMW had ever produced. With the BMW S1000RR now five years old, the German automotive company has released the retro-fitable ABS Pro.

The ABS Pro was initially reserved for owners of the BMW HP4, but with plans for it ft filter down to regular SS and R models, the ABS Pro unit allows cornering and ABS activation at the same time. For a long time, the key difference between car and motorcycle ABS was exactly that, cars were able to brake and steer at the same time, while motorcycle ABS could only cope with the demands of stopping a motorcycle in a straight line.

Once upon a time everyone who rode a motorcycle was intimately familiar with the mechanics of removing and replacing spark plugs, especially if they rode a two-stroke. Everyone carried a spare set of spark plugs, every motorcycle came with a spark plug wrench, and everyone knew how to 'clean the spark plug', as one old-timer of my acquaintance used to call it. Fortunately that particular Saturday morning ritual is long gone and little missed part of riding a motorcycle, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have at least a passing familiarity with the subject of replacing or cleaning your spark plugs.

First you start by locating the spark plugs. I know that sounds silly, but these days the spark plugs could be buried deep between the fins, stuck under the fuel tank, or hidden under multiple layers of plastic. The only sure thing is they're going to be located somewhere in the cylinder head.

Remove the coil's high-tension wire. Grasp the lead at the cap, impart a slight twist, or wiggle the cap to free it from the spark plug, and it should come straight up. In some instances the coils attach directly to plug; those might have to be unbolted before they can be removed.

To prevent dirt from entering the engine use a blast of compressed air to blow debris away from the spark plug. If you don't have a compressor, use a canned air duster or even a soda straw.

The Garmin Zumo 390 is a GPS navigation made for motorcycles. This handy electronic map in a box has a 4.3-inch glove-friendly touch-screen that can be read even in direct sunlight. The Garmin Zumo 390 also has a few cool settings just for motorcyclists, such as a 'Twisty' winding road mode that will map out some sweet carving scenery roads instead of the boring old highway.

Also, the Garmin Zumo 390LM has a Lane Assist setting with junction view where a brightly colored arrow indicates the proper lane needed for you next turn or exit. The Garmin Zumo 390LM has another feature known as TracBack so you can navigate right back to where you started, along the same rout. Another feature is Exit Services that lists gas stations and restaurants for upcoming exits.

The Zumo 390 is of course Bluetooth enabled, so if you wear a headset it will feed you any and all directions. You can also tell the Zumo 390 to look for points of interest through the Zumo Bluetooth interface for a last-minute change of plans or a quick pit stop for food and fuel.

We seen a few interesting products over the last few years, but most aren't that helpful and they become quickly gadgets we forget at home as we not need them. The Antigravity Microstart XP-1 is a gadget that we probably love to take on our road trips. Not only will it charge you mobile phone with ease, but it will also charge your Bluetooth headsets, tablets, and any other USB-charged device without any problems.

But you would probably say I have already a battery pack that can do that... But the Antigravity Microstart XP-1 is also capable to power up your dead battery in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road.

For this weeks helmet test we chose to check out the Bell RS-1 Solid-Black because the Bell experts reckon it is the sweet spot in the range, and it is also quietest offering. If utilities a lightweight Kevlar/fiberglass composite shell, and features Velocity Flow Ventilation – it breathes well – along with Bell's own ClickRelease visor system. Simply lift the visor to the fully open position and click the releases.

Off pops the clear visor and on snaps the smart Transitions alternative. This isn't an inexpensive option but it darkens in bright sun, clears up under cloud cover. Brilliantly functional, and worth every Baht of its 5,500 THB asking price, for it's a set-and-forget visor system, unlike the internal visor devices that you must lift and lower depending on the light. The Bell RS-1 without the Smart-Transition visor costs 13,900 THB what is not a bad price for what you get.

We all hear and read about motorcycle gearing, but what does it mean and how can it effect use? Gearing is a compromise. Speed, acceleration, handling, comfort and economy are all affected by the choice of final drive ratio. Motorcycle manufacturers spend huge amounts of money targeting each model to a specific market. But, no rider is average.

Most American cruisers are designed for long journeys on the open road in mind. Thailand too has a few long open roads, where low revs and comfortable cruising speeds could be important. But city riders have different needs. Street riders may want to move a vibration patch up or down the speed range, or gain better acceleration. Competitive riders alter gearing dependent on the length and design of a track to get the maximum performance from the motorcycle.

In simplistic terms, if 80km/h in sixth gear is 4,000rpm, fitting a smaller rear sprocket will make the motorcycle engine run at about 3,500rpm. With a smaller rear sprocket you can wind each gear out further before needing to shift. Your engine will work harder though, in a similar way to riding uphill. On a low powered motorcycle this will cost acceleration.