New Ideas
NEW IDEAS
Taylormade MotoGP-Style Exhaust
“More power, less weight and maximum style” are the claims behind Taylormade’s new MotoGP-style slip-on exhaust system for the 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000. Claimed to be 18 pounds lighter than the stock setup, the stainless-steel, under-engine canister is coated with a heat-retaining Cool Ceramic Technology finish. Sculpted carbon-fiber panels come in a natural semi-matte finish that complements the stock bodywork. Muffler and carbon-fiber trim retail for $845; adding a premapped Dynojet Power Commander V ups the price to $1125.
Taylormade Racing, Inc.,
7712 Gloria Ave. #3,
Van Nuys, CA 91406;
818/781-8123;
www.racetaylormade.com
IASUS XSound 2
Turn the inside of your helmet into a bass-thumping mobile concert hall with IASUS XSound 2 speakers ($50). Less than 2 inches in diameter and just half an inch thick, these circular designs are claimed to fit comfortably in the ear pockets of most modern fulland open-face helmets. A detachable connection cable features a built-in volume control and is compatible with all devices that use a 3.5mm audio jack. IASUS also offers the lower-rated XSound Juniors ($30).
IASUS Concepts; www.iasus-concepts.com
Two Brothers Racing M7 and M2R Slip-On Mufflers
Are you looking for a lightweight, performanceenhancing replacement muffler for your 2010 Yamaha YZ250F or YZ450F? Two Brothers Racing offers two options: M7 ($370, aluminum; $530, carbon-fiber) and M2R ($450, aluminum; $600, carbon-fiber). The M2R features the company’s Ridiculously Easy Maintenance design that allows repacking without having to remove the muffler from the bike or resort to drilling out and replacing traditional pop-rivets. Applications for late-model Hondas, KTMs, Kawasakis and Suzukis are available, as well.
Two Brothers Racing, 401 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705; 800/211-2767; www.twobros.com
Love Handles Motorcycle Passenger Armrest
Provide your better half with the on-road security that a deeply padded saddle or even a sissybar can't offer. Machined in the U.S. from aircraft-grade aluminum, Love Handles feature outward-pivoting arms with a 50-pound, ball-detent release system. Bonus: Pivot the arms rearward 180 degrees and they double as a luggage carrier for lightweight items. Kits come complete with either anodized aluminum or powdercoated steel mounting brackets and chrome-plated-steel hardware. Choose from three widths (Standard, Small or Queen) in five styles (Rich Black, Studs, Flames, Fringe or Studs & Fringe) for most Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha cruisers equipped with sissybars. Pricing starts at $329.
Love Handles, 12231 Academy Rd. NE #301-310, Albuquerque, NM 87111; 505/414-9676; www.motorcyclearmrest.com
Puig Z-Racing Windscreen
Spanish windscreen-maker Puig has developed a Z-Racing screen for BMW's new racer-replica, the Si 000RR. Wind-tunnel-tested to provide improved aerodynamics and protection, the 3mm-thick, high-impact-acrylic screen ($90) follows the original design where it meets the fairing's ram-air intake. No cutting or other modifications are required for installation, which uses the stock mounting hardware.
Western Power Sports, Inc., 601 E. Gowen Rd., Boise, ID 83717; 208/376-8400; www.puigusa.com
HealTech Electronics SpeedoHealer
Rely on an original-equipment speedometer after a gearing or tire swap? Not a chance. HealTech Electronics claims its SpeedoHealer ($115) corrects factory speedometer and odometer error to within .0025 percent on any late-model motorcycle equipped with an electronic speedometer. Plug-and-play kits cover several hundred models; a universal kit handles the rest. Gear indicators and timing-retard eliminators are also available.
Cal-Sportbike, 589 Hart Ln., Sagle, ID 83860; 877/234-5150; www.calsportbike.com
Tissot T-Touch Expert Watch
CW SPOTLIGHT
Swiss watchmaker Tissot's Touch series wristwatches are more than timepieces. Want to know your current direction of travel, present altitude or the ambient temperature? How about the date? With the chronograph feature, you can even time your buddies at the racetrack. All of this information and more is available by pressing a central pusher and tapping lightly on the large, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. We spent a month with the dive-oriented, rubber-strapped Sea-Touch ($1095),
which features luminescent hands and graduated bezel, dependable quartz moment and bottom-of-face liquid-crystal display. The chunky, 44.4mm stainless-steel case is a tight fit under a snug riding jacket; the titanium T-Touch Expert (shown), T-Touch and PVD-coated Trekking are a bit smaller in diameter, weigh less and the latter two models have a lower retail price, to boot. All are certainly worth consideration by any two-wheel adventurer.
Tissot, 1200 Harbor Blvd., 7th Floor, Weehawken, NJ 07087; 888/293-9509; www.tissot.ch
