New Ideas
NEW IDEAS
Pit Bull SS Rear Stand
Removing the rear wheel on your latemodel sportbike as well as adjusting and lubing its chain needn't require the servic es of a circus strong-arm act. Pit Bull's tig welded, zinc-coated tubular-steel SS Rear Stand is now available with grooved swingarm supports that adjust across a 4inch span to fit a range of bikes. Further, because the supports are reversible, the $140 SS accommodates both spooled and non-spooled swingarms.
Pit Bull Motorcycle Stands, 620 Pearl Ave., Huntsville, AL 35801; 877/533-1977; www.pit-bull.com
Motion Pro Four-Stroke Spark Plug Tool
Reaching past the cambox into the knuckle-nipping confines of your dirtbike’s cylinder head to loosen and remove its sparkplug shouldn’t be an exasperating experience. Priced at $20, Motion Pro’s Four-Stroke Spark Plug Tool is specifically designed for water-cooled Thumpers with 5/8-inch plugs, and includes a nifty fixed/swiveling extension.
Motion Pro, Inc., 867American St., San Carlos, CA 94070; 650/5949600; www.motionpro.com
Top of the Line H-4 Adapter Plate
Here's a simple way to do away with expensive Honda-specific headlamp bulbs commonly found on dual-beam VFRs. ST1100s and Gold Wings. Simply snip the two lower tabs off an ordinary 55/60w H-4 bulb and attach Top of the Line's laser-cut, stainless-steel H-4 Headlight Bulb Adapter Plate. The combination replicates the original's Honda-style tab positions. Now. low-cost replacement bulbs arc as close by as the nearest auto-parts store. Yours for $12.
CBT Imports, 2500 Old Middlefield Way #E, Mountain View, CA 94043; 800/7824686; www.cbtimports.com
Sidi Minitorce Boots
Betcha your dad wishes he had boots this cool back when he was learning to ride. New for '02, the MiniForce combines many of the high-end features-cam-lock buckle system, injection-molded hinged upper and top-grain leather construction-found on Sidi's top-of-the-line Force, but at nearly half the price. Get 'em in blue, red or white in youth sizes 12 through adult 6 for $150.
Motonation, 14168 Poway Rd. #205, Poway, CA 92064; 877/7894940; www.motonation.com
D&D Design Moto-Tote Sport
Okay, SO YOU need to transport your strcetbikc somewhere, hut riding it is out of the question and you don't have a pickup truck, van or trailer. What to do? (Get yourself a Moto-Tote Sport bike carrier Designed by the folks who gave dirt riders the original Moto-Tote, the Moto-Tote Sport slips into any Class III hitch receiver, and features a rail that tapers to 8 inches wide in the rear to accommodate fat-tired streetbikes weighing up to 600 pounds. Cost including a steel loading ranip is $479, and an optional lighting kit is available for an additional $68. lote away!
D&D Design, Inc., 402A W. Palm Valley Blvd. #309, Round Rock, TX 78664; 888/333-4621; www.motototote.com
Alpinestars SM-X Jacket and MK-2 Hightop
Urban hipsters needn’t look any farther than Italian apparel-maker Alpinestars when gearing up for a two-wheeled night on the town. The armor-equipped, cordura-nylon SM-X jacket (blue, red, yellow, green and gray, in XS-XXL sizes) and hidden-lace, leather MK-2 Hightop shoe/boot (black, sizes 4-14) make a great match around town. Fashionably cool and suitably protective, the pair retail for $199 and $140, respectively.
Alpinestars USA, Inc., 2780 West 237th St., Torrance, CA 90505; 310/891-0222; www.alpinestars.com
Groundhog Scooter
No weedwacker, this fold-up runabout! Said to be bigger and faster than similar designs, the $899 Groundhog displaces 41 cc from its air-cooled two-stroke Single and produces a turf-twisting 3 horsepower. Cable-actuated disc brakes, 10-inch knobbies and a 40-ounce gas tank are standard, while a bolt-on bicycle-style seat costs extra. Weight capacity is 300 pounds. A snow-going ski-equipped version is planned, as well.
Funnovations, Inc., 38 Courtright Ave., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702; 570/830-4060; www.groundhogscooter.com
CW Lie; I IT
Rust-Oleum Epoxy Shield
WHAT MOTORCYCLIST wouldn’t delight in a showroomquality garage floor on which to park his pride-andjoy? Problem is, most do-ityourself floor treatments call for back-breaking prep and lots of downtime between coats. And commercial jobs are pricey. Well, RustOleum’s non-toxic, waterbased Epoxy Shield offers an affordable, easily applied, low-maintenance alternative. Said to provide 250 square feet of coverage, each $58 kit includes a mop-on cleaner/degreaser, two-part "epoxy," decorative chips for a non-slip finish, stirrer
and instructional video. Best of all, a single brushor roller-applied coat (gray or tan) is all that’s needed. Downsides? The rest of the house may appear shabby in comparison.
Rust-Oleum, 11 Hawthorn Pkwy., Vernon Hills, IL 60061 888/683-5667; www.rustoleum.com
