BACKROADS •• DECEMBER DECEMBER 2021 2021 BACKROADS
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TONY LISANTI Santa, seems as I’ve been doing much more dirt and mountain bike riding this year, but this would be a great addition for any of my bikes. The Slacker Digital Suspension Tuner V4 from Motool is the only purpose-built system designed specifically for setting up motorcycle and mountain bike suspension. Not only does it allow you to take your own measurements in real-time using the remote display, it is much faster, more precise and it eliminates the human factor! And you know how things can go when the human factor gets involved. $159.99 from motool. Keeping with my penchant for dirt, a pair of Fox X Comp Boots would keep me quite safe should things go sideways on the trails. Their durability, comfort and flexibility, along with the improved traction for riding rough conditions will help me come home in one piece. $219.95 from foxracing.com.
HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS and READING SUGGESTIONS DENALI DIALDIM LIGHTING CONTROLLER
The new DENALI DialDim lighting controller allows you to turn on/off and dim two sets of auxiliary lights via a multicolor halo handlebar or dash mounted dimming wheel. The LED halo switch displays light intensity settings, blue halo for set one and green for set two. The DialDim also features intelligent flash signal and horn connections for added attention grabbing safety. You can cancel auxiliary lights with your turn signal, flash lights as a turn signal, or strobe the lights when sounding the horn. Battery monitor and fuse value settings are also accessed through the new DENALI DialDim Lighting Controller. $189.99 • www.DenaliElectronics.com
EATSLEEPRIDE CRASHLIGHT SERVICE
EatSleepRIDE’s Crashlight service turns smartphones into digital guardian angels for riders. Using your smartphone’s sensors and a complex algorithm that was born out of an enormous amount of testing and R&D, the Crashlight service can automatically detect motorcycle crashes. If a crash is detected and the rider isn’t responsive, their coordinates are automatically sent to a predetermined emergency contact(s) who can then summon emergency medical services. While this is a premium feature, it only costs $15 a year, which comes out to less than a nickel per day. And considering that Crashlight has already saved real lives since its launch, we’d argue this is a well-worthwhile investment that every motorcyclist should make, whether they commute on a daily basis or only ride a few times per year. The smartphone app also automatically detects every time you get on a bike to go ride and tracks your journey, recording your GPS route, speed, elevation, and lean angle at any given moment during your ride. Furthermore, you can also share routes with other ESR app users, or checkout rides and routes others have posted — a fantastic resource for discovering some of the best riding roads in existence. Log onto app.eatsleepride.com for more information.
HJC RPHA 1 RED BULL AUSTIN GP HELMET
HJC had a big surprise for the Red Bull Moto GP at Circuit of the Americas last weekend. The RPHA 1 Red Bull Austin GP helmet launched on October 3rd at COTA, coinciding with the date of HJC Helmets 50th anniversary. This marks the first time the energy drink company has licensed its rampant bull logo to any helmet company. Until now, any helmet sporting a Red Bull graphic has been exclusively available to sponsored riders. “We can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 50th anniversary than with the launch of this very special Red Bull licensed helmet,” says HJC America head honcho George Hong. “HJC Helmets has released several successful licensed helmets in the past, but the RPHA 1 Red Bull Austin GP helmet is one of a kind… It only makes sense that two top companies would join together.” The relationship began with HJC supporting the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and becoming the official helmet partner for the series. From there, the relationship evolved leading up to the release of an exclusive helmet collection that will be available to all motorcycle riders, something that has not been done before with any other brand. HJC will release the highly anticipated RPHA 1 Red Bull Austin GP race helmet to the public in December 2021.
TIRX TIRE CHANGER
While attending MotoGP in Austin a few months back we came across a very cool addition to anyone’s garage. The TiRx tire changer is a newly invented and designed tool. It is made of steel box tubing, plate and round bar stock with plastic rollers and an organically shaped tire bead guide. The machine weighs less than 20 pounds and has three moving parts and is typically mounted on a wall by securing the base of the tool to the underlying wood 2x4 wall studs and allows riders to
