Gaerne G-Adventure Boot Review

I've worn these Italian, leather, Gaerne G-Adventure boots for several months and it's time for a review. I spent the summer scraping and kicking through dirt, water, mud, and rocks with these boots and they are still in great shape. These are some tough, dependable, riding boots and I like them a lot.

The G-Adventure boots are full height, crossover style boots that give solid foot protection for on or off-road riding. They have a solid build that feels good on your foot, but are lightweight and comfortable enough for all day wear. They have some features that work well on the road or trail. Notice the shift pad over the toes, and the three individually adjustable buckles. The upper shin protector has saved me a couple of times when my foot has slipped from the peg.

Inside the boot is comfortably padded, with a built-in, one piece, waterproof membrane that keeps out water, and insulates in cold weather. This membrane is also breathable to wick moisture and sweat away from your feet during warmer weather rides. The membrane folds inside the the front of the boot when it is latched closed and the front flap has a velcro tab on top for a snug fit around your leg.

On the bottom, the G-Adventure boots have lugged soles for solid footing while standing on the pegs. They are also flexible enough to allow for shifting or for walking. The bottoms appear similar to many hiking or other outdoor boots, and are perfect for off road riding. The soles on my pair look good after a lot of time standing on my pointy and very grippy SW Motech foot pegs. These pegs are pointy enough to cut into the soles of some other boots.

There are no surprises on the back sides. The ribbed area lets your ankle bend when needed, but still maintains the boots' overall support and protection. These are quality boots that are rugged enough for enduro riding, adventure touring and going anywhere off of the tarmac. They also lightweight and comfortable enough for a cross country road tour, and claim to be waterproof.

Click here to see my waterproofing test on these boots.

When A Good Helmet Goes Bad

I was happy with my Scorpion EXO-700 for about two years. That changed recently when I was 70 miles into a 500 mile road trip and my trusty Scorpion crapped out. In hindsight, maybe I should have seen this epic fail coming before the helmet literally fell apart.

I was riding south on a narrow two lane, facing a lot of north bound semi traffic. Suddenly, the wind behind one these monsters ripped opened my face shield. My sunglasses deflected most of the 70mph wind and I pulled the shield down again. Weird, that's never happened before, I thought. But, it would happen again.

After the third incident, I was pretty unhappy with the helmet. I pulled off the highway and into a parking lot to see what was wrong. I removed my helmet and flipped up the face shield which promptly fell off, along with the shield pivots on each side of the helmet. Now, the problem was obvious.

The face shield pivots are mounted on each side of the helmet with two plastic screws. The heads of all four screws had broken off. Not good news since I was not in a place to fix it. So, I picked up the scattered pieces and parts, put on my sunglasses, and rode on without a face shield.

Back at home, I had replacement screws, but the broken screws were stuck in the helmet. The longer I messed with them, the less I cared about fixing it. Frustrated, I pulled out a spare helmet and chucked the broken one into the closet. I may mess with it again, later.

Here are a couple pics of an unbroken EXO-700 highlighting these plastic screws. The pic below shows the helmet with the shield installed.

When these screws break, the entire pivot assembly shown below (circled in red) falls off. On my helmet, all four failed and that is odd. This helmet was never abused and had little wear, since I use a couple of other helmets, as well. There is no reason the helmet should have fallen apart like this.

For those wearing the Scorpion EXO-700, pay attention to those plastic mount screws on the face shield pivots. Be sure to carry the spare screws with you and stash a pair of sunglasses or goggles on your bike. They can get you home again when a good helmet goes bad.

Gear Review: Powertye Tie-Down Straps

Tie-down straps are not the most exciting subject in the world of motorcycling. But, good straps are  important. I used cheap tie-downs once and I regretted it. That error in judgement led me to the Fat Strap trailer kit from Powertye. 

There are many other less expensive straps on the market, but "you get what you pay for" applies here. I have trailered everything from scooters to heavy cruisers with these straps and have never had a complaint with them. 

These are quality, heavy duty, and come with a sheep skin sleeve that prevents the nylon strap from ever touching your bike. When I tie a bike down with them, I am confident it is gonna be upright when I reach my destination.

Take a look at these pics and decide if these straps will work for you. I have the 1 1/2" strap kit, but they are available in in wider sizes and different colors. Visit the Powertye site for more details. 

Fly Racing Maverik ATV-Dual Sport Boots Review

In my innocence, I thought that buying new boots, would be quick and easy since my needs were simple. All I wanted was foot protection and ankle support in a comfortable boot. But, it was neither quick or easy because boot shopping combines a little bit of knowing what you want, with a lot of crossing your fingers and rolling the dice. I am a rotten gambler, so I depend on dumb luck to see me through most things. 

Yeah - that is my gambling problem!

This epic began with several frustrating evenings spent reading on-line reviews. Not a lot of help there. While many people like a specific boot for fit, comfort, and protection; just as many others hate the same boot for the very same reasons. Often, it's a 50-50 chance that you will like the boot - or hate it. Even a bad gambler wants better odds than those, so I went out and tried on some boots. Sometimes you gotta get your hands - or feet in this case - dirty if you want to get anything done.

I hate shopping, but visited several stores, tried some different boots, and found new issues. For example, once you get past the style thing, all new boots are the same - stiff, uncomfortable, and they hurt a bit. Yes, they all will improve with wear. But, after a few minutes of wearing them around a store, you can't predict how they will feel in six months. Too bad my crystal ball was at home in a Pelican case. My dumb luck had failed me. And there were other problems.

Everyone has some shame connected with their feet, from foot odor to those little nail infection monsters. Mine is a right foot that is slightly larger than my left. I am ok with that. It's not freakish or anything, and the other kids never made fun of me in school, but it complicates buying footwear. In this case, when everything else was good, the right boot was too tight. I was getting no where, and could not decide on a boot. Should I settle for Alpine, Fox, Thor, or keep looking?

This guessing and second-guessing ended when I tried the Fly Maverik ATV/Dual Sport boots. No worries about foot protection and ankle support with them. A dinosaur could step on your ankle, and in these boots you probably would not notice. The lower height and lugged soles seemed perfect for trail riding. I wear a size 10W shoe, but the size 11 Maveriks fit just fine, even on my right foot. I bought them and got out of the store, glad that my quest for boots had ended. But, rather than enjoy a ride with my new boots, my dumb luck was about to fail me again.

As luck would have it, the new Maveriks were really stiff and much more uncomfortable than I expected. It was a pain for several rides, but I stuck with them and after a few hours of wear they were fine. The Velcro closure keeps them snug around the leg and the three bindings have withstood some pretty tough wear. I have abused these boots and they clean up almost as good as new. They do everything I wanted and that is the best you can say about any of your gear. I am still a rotten gambler, but with enough time, dumb luck finally came through for me again.