Muc-Off cleaning solutions
Hello, my fellow riders! Whether you’re a Moto guy/gal or bicycle rider, I’ve got some awesome cleaning supplies to introduce today!
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been keeping things “old school” with liquid soap and water when it came to my vehicles or two-wheeled machines. I was never one of those guys that went out and thought about a soap specific cleaning aid. If soap and water were good enough for my old man, then they were good enough for me… right? Well, yes and no. Over time, companies like Muc-Off developed specific products which help clean up and protect our most prized possessions.
I was given the opportunity to review Muc-Off’s snow foam and high performance waterless wash and I have to admit I was skeptical at first.
Video of product in action – Youtube
The snow foam is a PH neutral pre-wash solution. Yes, you heard me right: You spray it on over the mud and grime, wait about five minutes, and spray it off without having to scrub the bike. I actually have a high pressure sprayer of my own, which I used for this, but they do have a compact portable unit, which I will discuss in a later review. The formula is designed to significantly reduce the possibility of damage to paintwork and protects wax treatments.
Now, for the waterless wash, this is your go to spray-on/wipe-off for those in-between heavy wash days. If your bike is dusty or lacking that shine, spray this on and wipe off with a microfiber cloth for a nice, quick and easy clean. I’ve used this on my truck, moto, and mountain bike and it works great. The price is pretty comparable to what you would spend in a automotive store and if you sign up on the website, they send out a coupon code for 15% off.
Keep checking back, as I will be testing the full range of their products in the coming weeks, along with the specially designed portable pressure sprayer.
Until next time, ride safe and I will see you on out there!
Posted in Gear Review & Thoughts and tagged #adventure, #bmwmoa, #bmwmotorrad, #camping, #campinggear, #explore, #klim, #klimgear, #klimlife, #madeforadventure, #makelifearide, #motorcycle, #mucoff, #outdoors, #review, #spiritofgs, #tires, #travel, #xladv, CRF250L, R1200GS by admin with comments disabled.
KLIM Teton Merino Wool Base Layers
The most overlooked pieces of riding gear, in my opinion, are the base layers. We focus so heavily on purchasing the highest quality jacket and pants that we can afford, but forget all about one of the key ingredients to keeping our ride comfortable.
You can have a jacket with 3 vents or 20, but without proper layers underneath, you’re either going to sweat your ass off, cook inside it, or get pretty darn cold. I have personally tried a multitude of base layers from big names like Under Armor, Nike, etc. over countless miles. You would think that since these companies focus on athletes, their products would work for us, right? Wrong. Those tight fitting shirts and underwear might wick away some sweat, but they are not what is truly best for us adventure riders. I did not realize this until I had a chance to test out the KLIM Teton Summer Weight Merino Wool Base Layers. I bet that some of you are thinking, “Wool for heat gear? This guy must be crazy or getting paid to write the article.” Well, crazy depends on who you ask, and I am surely not getting paid to write. All I can say is what I experienced on my recent trip, including how these items performed.
I recently had the pleasure of riding for three straight days in beautiful, sunny California. I was there as the honoree for the Rever Track Your Story Challenge, and explored a variety of terrains with Shawn Thomas from BMW Mottorad and his brother, Lance. I wore the Teton Merino Wool long sleeve shirt and underwear as my base layers. My jacket and pants were the KLIM Badlands Pro, Gen 3.
On the first day, we rode in temperatures ranging from 70-78 degrees. It was great weather, so no complaints. We camped out and the next morning (Day 2), rode into the Mojave Desert. We rode for hundreds of miles in temperatures ranging from 98-115 degrees! At one point, we stopped at Trona Pinnacles to walk around and I left my Badlands jacket on. Obviously, it felt hot but manageable, and I did not seem to be dripping sweat like I normally would be with my normal heat gear on. After returning to the motorcycle and heading back into town, a cool sensation came over my body as the wind entered the jacket and passed through the base layers. This is something that I have previously experienced using my other heat gear, but I am typically drenched in sweat, which is what normally causes the cool sensation. After checking into a hotel and removing my jacket, I was expecting to see my shirt and underwear completely soaked in sweat. To my surprise, the shirt had a very small section of sweat build up near the shoulders, but the chest and back were completely dry! I hung up the set and went to bed.
While preparing myself for Day 3, I was expecting the base layer garments to smell something wicked. I mean, I had literally gone through the desert in the peak of Summer. The base layer garments were dry, and had that “just washed” wool smell, which completely surprised me. I geared up and we pressed on for the day’s adventure. After doing some sweet twisties and amazing off-roading, we ended up just outside of Shaver Lake at Mushroom Rock to camp out for our final night.
The temperature dropped into the mid 40’s, so I ended up sleeping in the base layer garments. The next morning, I joked around with with the Thomas brothers and told them they should sniff my garments, as they still smelled good.
Upon returning home and conducting more research about the materials and their properties, I gained an understanding about how I was able to keep wearing the Merino Wool Base Layers without clearing out a room of people. Traditional heat gear is made out of polyester, which rapidly controls the moisture but stays damp and smelly. In comparison, the wool blend is mixed with a highly effective magical unicorn material. No really, the wool blend is anti-microbial and thus, does not retain odors. The Summer Weight line seems to be the most effective material for a motorcyclist riding in a hotter climate. Another huge bonus to using the Teton collection is that it significantly reduces your need for packed clothes, which saves room for other goodies in your panniers and less weight overall. I am looking forward to the increased cargo space during my future adventures and definitely recommend you check these products out!
Until next time, ride safe and see you out on the road!
Posted in Gear Review & Thoughts and tagged #klim, #klimlife, #motorcycle, #xladv, 2WheelAdv, Motorcycle accessories, motorcycle clothing, wool by admin with comments disabled.
KLIM TK1200 Karbon Modular Helmet
Hi there!
As Mrs. 2wheeladv, I am #blessed with the opportunity to travel the world two-up, and have also had the privilege to start testing out some gear of my own! What better time to do so than on the 2017 Arctic Circle or Bust Tour?
I traveled for a total of 2.5 weeks and spent 12ish days on the back of the Beemer. I took in the breathtaking sights, sounds, and smells of Alaska, The Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, and Montana. It went from freezing cold rain to hotter than the Canadian wildfires, so I had a wide range of experiences.
Rock climbed to the top of a glacier and ticked off a few friends in the meantime? Check.
Rode the Denali Highway in all its dusty glory? Check.
Saw a deer saunter through our campground? Check.
(Deer said, “No pictures, please!”)
Tested out the new Klim TK1200? Double check.
Not gonna lie, it was a bit daunting to test out a new helmet on such a long journey, but it worked out swimmingly with zero regrets.
Pros:
-Lightweight and did not get caught in the wind (thus, no sore neck). I did not experience wind turbulence as I have with other helmets.
-Great at temp control due to the easy to operate vent adjustments (kept cold air out and cool air flowing during hot days).
-Loved, loved, loved the transition lens (one less screen to have to finagle with and kept my fair skin protected from the sun, as well).
-Chin strap clasp was easy to hook and release in a jiffy, which was much more convenient for me when hopping on and off the bike to see the sights, as compared with the annoying traditional loop and lock strap on the Shoei and most other modular helmets which have cramped my style in the past.
-Quiet helmet when compared to my previous modular helmets.
-Reasonably priced at $599.99, especially considering all of the features that this helmet has to offer.
Cons (which were not really cons, but rather minor, personal preferences):
-Difficult for me to wear my cheap-o earplugs due to the snug fit around the ears/cheekbones when pulling the helmet over my head. It is unclear if the issue would have been improved had I brought along a pair of those fancy, schmancy custom ear plugs like the hubs wears.
-Fogging would have been a major, but fixable, issue in the cold rain if I had been driving (anti fog spray or pin lock would be needed, which I did not bring along on this trip).
Overall, it is a versatile helmet and is also good looking too. 😉
Till next time, ride safe!
With our new Colombian friend.
Posted in Gear Review & Thoughts and tagged #adventure, #bmwmotorrad, #klim, #klimgear, #klimlife, #klimwoman, #motorcycle, #TK1200, #travel by admin with comments disabled.
2017 KLIM Kodiak Jacket & Pant
Below, I have included specifications from KLIM for the Kodiak:
KLIM’s Kodiak: The Touring Survival System
Engineered to bring a more refined fit to the KLIM lineup, the Kodiak collection enters the touring world in a sleek and tailored style built for abuse. Featuring fully armored KLIM Technology to battle the weather, abrasion and travel’s most troublesome obstacles, KLIM’s Kodiak is the high-mileage touring king.
Designed for riders looking for the ultimate in precision fit, Kodiak is built on a base of GORE-TEX® Pro Shell GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY® main body fabric. Integrated perforated leather overlays in high-abrasion zones add functional style while muted corporate branding finishes the rugged and durable look. Functionality is the core of any KLIM product and the Kodiak has more than most. Each piece comes equipped with genuine YKK® zippers, D3O® CE-rated level two armor, intelligent ventilation ports and functional cargo carrying pockets. Each piece also features Black 3M™ Scotchlite™ reflective material.
Kodiak is a name that should be taken seriously. As one of the most remote regions of the American frontier, it has a wild and unforgiving reputation. KLIM built the world’s most functional and aggressively tailored touring apparel to honor this region. After all, in Kodiak, there is no pretending or hiding behind claims. Out there, it’s simply perform or perish. And KLIM is riding on.
KODIAK JACKET
WEATHERPROOF/DURABILITY
•GORE-TEX® PRO SHELL
•GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY®
•PERFORATED LEATHER OVERLAYS ON SHOULDERS AND ELBOWS
• MUTED TONAL BRANDING
•YKK® ZIPPERS
ARMOR
•D3O®CE LEVEL 2 ELBOW ARMOR
•D3O®CE LEVEL 2 SHOULDER ARMOR
•D3O®CE LEVEL 2 BACK PAD
•SPACER MESH CHEST PADDING
CARGO
• 2 EXTERNAL CHEST POCKETS
• 2 EXTERNAL HAND POCKETS
• 2 INTERNAL ZIPPERED POCKETS
• 2 INTERNAL OPEN STASH POCKETS
• 1 EMERGENCY INFO CARD POCKET ON FOREARM
• 1 HIDDEN PASSPORT POCKET IN LINING
• 1 GPS TRACKER POCKET ON CHEST
• 1 WATER RESISTANT NAPOLEAN POCKET
VISIBILITY
• BLACK 3M™ SCOTCHLITE™ REFLECTIVE MATERIAL
VENTILATION
• 2 CHEST VENTS
• 2 SIDE VENTS
• 2 BACK VENTS
• 2 BICEP VENTS
• 2 FOREARM VENTS
• SNAP BACK COLLAR
FIT/STYLE/COMFORT
• ACTION BACK TAILORING
• REMOVABLE INTERNAL KIDNEY BELT
• ADJUSTABLE ARM STRAPS
• JACKET-TO-PANT CONNECTION
KODIAK PANT
EXTERIORFEATURES
• GORE-TEX® PRO SHELL
• GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY®
• PERFORATED LEATHER OVERLAYS
• YKK® ZIPPERS
• MUTED TONAL BRANDING
ARMOR
• D3O® CE LEVEL 2 HIP ARMOR
• D3O® CE LEVEL 2 KNEE ARMOR
• SLIDER SYSTEM TO HOLD D3O® IN PLACE
• PORON® XRD® TAILBONE ARMOR
CARGO
• 2 CARGO POCKETS
VISIBILITY
• BLACK 3M™ SCOTCHLITE™ REFLECTIVE MATERIAL
VENTILATION
• 2 FRONT THIGH INTAKE VENTS
• 2 BACK THIGH EXHAUST VENTS
FIT/STYLE/COMFORT
• ELASTIC BACK WAISTBAND
• REMOVEABLE KLIM® SUSPENDERS INCLUDED
• JACKET-TO-PANT CONNECTION
About KLIM
KLIM® Technical Riding Gear is a global leader in designing, developing, sourcing and distributing the most advanced powersports apparel for the snowmobile, motorcycle and off-road rider. Utilizing the world’s highest technologies in waterproof, breathable, durable and comfortable materials, like GORE-TEX® products, KLIM® offers gear for the most demanding riders. Driven by the continual feedback and input from dedicated test pilots and passionate customers, KLIM® strives to do one thing above all – improve the riding experience without compromise. For more information, visit www.KLIM.com.
*All images have been provided by KLIM.
Posted in Gear Review & Thoughts and tagged #bmwmoa, #bmwmotorrad, #explore, #klim, #klimgear, #klimlife, #madeforadventure, #makelifearide, #spiritofgs, #xladv by admin with comments disabled.