HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

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 speci cally 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 exibility, 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 ash signal and horn connections for added attention grabbing safety. You can cancel auxiliary lights with your turn signal, ash 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 rst 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 of cial 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

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Page 25 Page 25 change their own motorcycle tires. Quickly and easily. This tool “breaks” the tire bead free of the wheel rim and slides the old tire off and the new tire on to the wheel rim. Additionally, the tire changer is used to perform a static balance of the wheel and tire after mounting by identifying the heavy point on the radius of the wheel. We watched the creator of the TiRx, Chuck Tornga, as he demonstrated just how easy his tire changer works. We were more than impressed. If you are looking to change your tires by yourself, the TiRx Tire Changer may be the perfect investment at around $500. Check their website at tirxmoto.com to watch their videos and for more information.

HOLIDAY BOOK CLUB The months after the Holidaze are usually long, dreary and drab. Make them pass a bit more quickly and enjoyably with a great book. Here are four that are worth the time and effort.

THE RIDERS • MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURERS, CRUISERS, OUTLAWS, AND RACERSTHE WORLD OVER The Riders explores and celebrates the differences and common bonds among motorcyclists around the world via Henry von Wartenberg’s engaging and inviting documentary photography. Motorcyclists feel a kinship with fellow riders that is not easily explained but runs deeper than choices like bike brand or riding focus. You see it sometimes with a wave of the hand from one lane to the next, with an appreciative nod at a stoplight, or in a U-turn to check on a rider stranded on the roadside. Motorcyclists make a conscious decision to ride an inherently dangerous device, a machine open to the elements and vagaries of nature. A motorcycle demands a level of attention far greater than a car and consequences for inattention are much graver. On the ip side, riding a motorcycle offers an unmatched sense of freedom, adventure, and involvement. Simply put… we have more fun than everyone else on Santa’s list! Von Wartenberg, a long-time rider himself, has traveled the world on a variety of assignments, some motorcycle related and others not. But wherever he was on the planet, he always found a way to connect with fellow riders and document their culture and machines. Over the course of his travels, he has photographed riders in more than 30 countries. What emerges on the pages of The Riders is the amazing breadth of the motorcycling world, from clubs to adventurers to racers to boulevard cruisers to those for whom a motorcycle is the only form of transportation as well a means to make a living. Along for this ride and adding words to the great images are the likes Paul D’Orleans, Peter Egan, Aerostich’s Andy Gold ne and Dave Nichols. The foreword is by Emilio Scotto, author of The Longest Ride, and one hell of a nice man. Available at bookstores and Amazon for $28.

TON UP! A CENTURYOF CAFÉ RACER SPEEDAND STYLEBY PAULD’ORLEANS This excellent book traces café racer history from the late nineteenth century to today, telling the story of the machines, the riders, the builders, the style, and the culture of the café racer world. Ton Up! focuses on the story of the ton-up boys and their café racers. But it’s much more than just that. Illustrated with historic and modern photos and featuring a text by one of the world’s motorcycle historians, it’s really the story of motorcycle speed and style evolved from the early 1900s right through today. Today, ton-up culture is more popular than ever and recognized worldwide with a following of young and long-time riders alike. With Ton Up!, enjoy a scenic ride through the history of this vibrant scene. Preview the book here: http://bit.ly/33mjww5

THE MOTOLADY’S BOOKOF WOMEN WHO RIDE: MOTORCYCLE HEROES, TRAILBLAZERS & RECORD BREAKERS Written and curated by Alicia Mariah Elfving, The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride subverts all the tired women-and-motorcycle tropes, offering the true stories of the women past and present who ride and wrench as well as anyone, proving every bit as indispensable to maintaining and growing a positive motorcycling culture. Elfving presents more than 70 gures in the motorcycle world, from the Americas to Europe, the Middle East and South Asia—stunt riders, racers, builders, customizers, organizers, and more. Elving links today’s women motorcyclists with those of the past and illustrates the freedom represented by two wheels, and how motorcycles allow women to transcend cultural expectations con dently. You’ll meet riders such Sofu Tsingos, Brittany Morrow, the Van Buren sisters and the late Jesse Combs. Overwhelmingly positive, Elfving instills con dence and can-do rather than providing an echo chamber of common complaints among women in motorcycling. In addition, The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride is illustrated throughout with contemporary and historical photo of the author’s subjects comprising a beautiful as well as inspiring package. Available from bookstores and Amazon $20

GASTRO OBSCURA • AFOOD ADVENTURERS GUIDEBY CECILY WONGAND DYLAN THURAS If you have been reading Backroads for a bit, or receiving our weekly The Backroads Report then you might recognize the name Atlas Obscura. These people really dive deep to bring the most interesting, unusual, and sometimes just plain crazy people, places and things on our planet. Their new book is truly a feast of wonder: This superb guide transforms our sense of what people around the world eat and drink. Covering all seven continents, Gastro Obscura serves up a loaded plate of incredible ingredients, food adventures, and edible wonders. Ready for a beer made from fog in Chile? Sardinia’s “Threads of God” pasta? Egypt’s 2000-year-old egg ovens? But far more than a menu of curious delicacies and unexpected dishes, Gastro Obscura reveals food’s central place in our lives as well as our bellies, touching on history–trace the network of ancient Roman sh sauce factories. Culture–picture four million women gathering to make rice pudding. Travel–scale China’s sacred Mount Hua to reach a tea house. Festivals–feed wild macaques pyramid of fruit at Thailand’s Monkey Buffet Festival. And hidden gems that might be right around the corner, like the vending machine in Texas dispensing full sized pecan pies. Dig in and feed your sense of wonder. If you are an intrepid eater and are willing to try something different then dive into Gastro Obscura. It’s a delicious book! $30.95 from Amazon.