New Ideas
NEW IDEAS
Factory Effex Graphics Kits
If Junior spends more time under his minibike than on it, take heart A Factory Effex graphics kit will have his Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki or Yamaha looking like new in no time. The $50 packages include fork, fender and radiator-shroud decals, plus numberplate backgrounds. Seat covers and crossbar pads are also available. Factoiy Effex, 24922 Anza Dr. #D, Valencia, CA 91355, 800/866-0709; www.factoryeffex.com
Baker XL6 Transmission
Baker Drivetrain offers everything needed to convert the five-speed transmission in your Buell or late-model Harley-Davidson Sportster to a six-speeder. Sold bolt-on ready with a 6061-T6-aluminum trap door, Andrews gearset and laser-etched derby cover, the XL6 kit retails for $2350. Drag and roadracing enthusiasts may also opt for Baker’s $259 Reverse Pattern Drum Kit for one-up, five-down shifting. Baker Drivetrain, 16429 Upton Rd. 42, East Lansing, MI 48823; 877/640-2004; www.bakerdrivetrain.com
Yoshimura Signature Jacket
Here’s a racy alternative to traditional black-leather riding jackets. Produced for Yoshimura in Pakistan by Pilot, the 1.3mm-thick top-grain-leather Signature features a full complement of back, elbow and shoulder armor, a zip-out liner and doubleand triple-stitched seams. Yours, in men’s chest sizes 40 to 50, for $400. Matching $160 XI-R gloves are laden with molded knuckle protection, multitudinous wrist straps and requisite Yosh logos. Yoshimura R&D of America, Inc., 4555 Carter Ct., Chino, CA; 800/634-9166, www.yoshimura-rd.com
Wood Racing BMW F650 Performance Kit
Ron Wood Racing Products, longtime four-stroke Rotax importer and hopup parts source, has developed a performance kit for BMW’s F650. Said to up output by a whopping 48 percent, the $2300 kit includes more aggressive cams, a forged high-compression piston, nested valve springs with titanium retainers, an offset ignition rotor key, a megaphone-style exhaust system, 39mm Keihin flat-slide carburetors and a custom K&N air filter. Ron Wood Racing Products, 755 W. 17th St. #D, Costa Mesa, CA 92627; 949/645-0393; www.rotax.net
Suomy YZF Helmet
What to wear while roosting around the countryside on your YZF-R1 or R6? A YZF, of course. In fact, Suomy’s R-Series Gun Wind Replicas match Yamaha’s repli-racers to a tee. Boasting “bag-molded” fiberglass construction and perspiration-wicking interiors, the DOT-approved Italian-made lids come in blue or red in XS-XXL sizes with Fog City Anti-Fog Shield-equipped clear visors. Tinted visors are optional. Price is $400. Gearbox International, 2236 Mariner Square Dr. #200, Alameda, CA 94501; 800/799-9444; www.gearboxinternational.com
Alpinestars M6 Boots
If you crave the comfort, fit and mobility of an athletic shoe in an off-road boot, then slip your dogs into a pair of Alpinestars’ new M6s. Similar in feel to the popular Tech 5, the $250 M6 has a steeltoe-equipped, top-grain leather upper and a four-buckle closure topped with velcro and an extended gaiter. For enduro-types, there’s an all-black version shod with a treaded “all-terrain” sole. □ Alpinestars USA, Inc., 2780 W. 237th St., Torrance, CA 90505; 310/891-0222; www.alpinestars.com
CW SPOTLIGHT
Rocket Locker
HERE’S AN IDEA THAT’S SO obvious you have to wonder why no one thought of it before. An innovative spin on the traditional tail-type motorcycle travel trunk, the water-resistant, 1000-denier cordura-nylon Rocket Locker in-corporates a locking base plate that replaces the passenger seat or cowl on late-model sportbikes. Voila, no more bodywork-abrading bungee cords! The standard Sport model ($170) will ingest a full-face helmet, but we prefer the even more capacious Elite Zip-Pak ($197). In addition to a pair ot roomy zippered outer pockets, the latter’s perimeter zipper allows the upper storage area to be easily removed from the base. Consequently, you can take your stuff with you without exposing your bike's underseat contents to the elements.....or thieves. Neat. Rocket Locker, Inc., R0. Box 5315, Petaluma, CA 94955; 888/414-2903; www.rocketlocker.com
