Phat Rocket

I called in on Dodge today (yep, I am home for a week!!) to check out the progress he has made on his latest project - the Phat Rocket. Looking really good with the undertaker fender covering that huge slab of rubber at the back - he has only got a few more small jobs - pegs, seat, etc - to finish on it before he looks to sell.

If you know anyone who may be interested in a very sexy & grunty custom Rocket with less than 20 thousand kms on the clock, feel free to contact me and I can put you in touch with the man.

Great work Dodgey.

Motorcycle Parking In Brisbane

Looks like the Brisbane City Council has decided to get tough on us riders when parking in the city. The story below details how the council issued parking tickets to all bikes that were parked along the footpath in Turbot Street in late May. This is where I park my bike in the city when working back home.

Concerns about blocked footpaths?? Where, Mr Mayor??

To be quite honest, I think this move is an absolute load of crap - at a time when the council should be looking at ways of reducing the number of cars entering the CBD, these knobs have decided to turn on one of the best alternatives for some unjustified revenue. The footpath in question is not very often used by pedestrians, and most times, all bikes are parked so to allow ample room for pedestrians. For times where a bike is blocking access for pedestrians, fine, give them a ticket but why outlaw this number of parking spots for bikes without replacing them all??

Unbelievable......

SpotMotorcycle.com

I received mail from Ken at SpotMotorcycle.com regarding a post of his on 51 Celebrity Harley Davidson Riders - how many do you reckon you can name??. Ken even has a few caps to give away if you get all of them, so check it out.

Aside from this post, Ken's site actually provides some great riding gear reviews as well as links on where to purchase them. Whilst it covers a relatively small range of what is currently on the market, you can only assume that it will continue to grow and I am pretty sure that Ken would appreciate feedback, so go check it out!

MRAQ Mid Winter Rally

If you are looking for something to do this coming weekend and don't mind the cooler weather, then get along to the MRAQ Mid Winter Rally being held at the Dayboro Showgrounds. There will be live music, hot showers, raffles, bar, silly games and rally awards. The rally will be fully catered and the venue has a HUGE undercover eating and entertainment area to escape the cool.

Sounds like it will be a good weekend and it will provide an opportunity to mix with and discuss issues with some of the people who are helping to shape government attitudes/policies for motorcyclists here in Queensland. Get along and show your support to the MRAQ!!

Thanks to Cobb for the heads up!

New Gear

Whilst I have been working here in Almaty, I have had plenty of time to trawl the net and do a little research on some gear that I have been keen to purchase.

First up was a helmet. I currently have 2 helmets - a Nolan open face and a HJC flip up, but they are now both around 3 to 4 years old and I thought it was time to find something a little newer. I specifically wanted a solid full face helmet to provide some relief from the wind noise that I am subjected to with both of my current helmets. I started looking around for something a little different and finally found a brand, Craft, that I thought I would check out. I read quite a lot of reviews on their range and decided on the RX-6 in flat black - a streetfighter style helmet that not only looks the goods but according to the reviews that I did read, is very comfortable and very quiet. I purchased it over the internet from Kneedraggers.com in the US - even with a $70 shipping charge they are still cheaper than purchasing them in Australia. Obviously there is always a little bit of a worry on sizing when you can't try the helmet on before buying, but I was willing to risk that. Can't wait to try it out and provide a review!!

Craft RX-6 Helmet - may the force be with you!!

The next item on my little list was a pair of summer gloves. I wanted a pair of gloves that offered some protection but were not too bulky, especially in the humid summer months back in Brisbane. These were a little harder to find than the helmet as there is not a lot around that don't have lairy graphics or colouring on them - I just wanted a plain pair of short leather gloves in a single colour, but not black.

I found exactly what I was after in the Icon Pursuiit - a short, supple leather glove with knuckle armour and lots of holes for ventilation. There were a lot of good reviews about the airflow and the thickness of the leather, both of which were my main concern, and they were available in different colours - I ended up purchasing a tan pair off eBay. Another product review on the way when I return to Oz!!

Icon Pursuit Gloves

The final bit of gear that I needed was a weatherproof shoulder bag. Because I carry my laptop with me to and from work I needed something that it would fit into as well as protect it from the weather. I found exactly what I required on the AndyStrapz site - an oilskin shoulderbag that was not too big, but with enough room for everything I need to carry, the Scoota Bag. I actually ordered this a few weeks back and was able to bring it back with me from my last trip home instead of the bulky, heavy standard laptop bag, and so far it has been great. The big test for it will come when I am caught on the bike in the rain - I will provide a full review once it has been 'broken in'.

Scoota Bag, although mine is the oilskin version