Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ --- - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - - PRODUCT e EVALUATION Ae ro st itch Roadcrafter II All motorcyclists, even those living in the mildest climates, eventually . encou n ter weather wh ich makes them wish th ey'd ta ken the car. Whether it's rain, cold or bo th , if a rider's not dressed fo r th e occasion he's in for a mi serable o uting. But how is o ne to kno w wh at the wea ther hol ds in store? You sure can't tru st the weatherm an . .. The answer is bei ng prepared to defend yourself from Mother Nature in all . of her g u ises. And short of towing a tra iler-load of various cold and wetwea th er riding su its, th e best one ca n hope for is a good compro mise. The Aerostitch suit, created by Andy Goldfi ne. is such a compromise. It's n o t a ra ins uit, but th e manufacturer claims it's 95% as effective. It's not a cold wea ther suit. bu t it is extremely windproof and whe n clothes are layered underneath it's th e eq ua l of most cold weather gear we've encountered short of an electric vest. It 's not a leather road raci ng su it, but th e stra tegicallypl aced ballistic padding and heavy Cordura nylon an d Core-rex lamiate cons truc tio n make it nearly as _abrasio n-resistant. And it's machinewas hable. When was the last time you tossed yo u r leathers in the May tag? The single most impressive aspect of the one-piece Aerostitch suit is the ease with which the wearer dons the garment. Two zippers, one running the length of the right leg and another the length of the left side of the suit, permit him/her to virtually step into the suit, even with heavy boots on. Hook-and-loop closures at the neck, wrists, waist and ankles, and on the storm flaps over the zippers provide a snug fit and resistance to th e elements. A free-floating nyl on taffeta lining in the su it and ul trasuede lining in th e collar do their part to in crea se co mfo rt. The o ther fascinatin g feat ur e is th e number of pockets, eno ugh to turn a mar supial green with envy. There's an insi de breast pocket with hoo k a nd loo p clo sure an d nine exterior pockets at the righ t fo rearm , right th igh. righ t ches t an d wai st, a ll of which fasten with zippers or hookand -loo p clos ures. Addi ti onal zippers at the back and underarms pro vide wa r m -weath er venti ng , while zippers at the sides ease access to pants pockets. Scotch lite reflectiv e tape across th e back vent, front pocket breast 'fla p and ankle adjustm ent tabs helps the rid er maintain his conspicu ity at night. Options include removable Temperfoam hip pads, which increase protection but impede access to pants pockets, and an accessory ell ipse which zips berween the jacket and pants (of the two-piece suit) permitmg more forward lean on modern sport bikes . Other ideas being considered by Goldfine are a detachable road race-style back protector. Southern California has been blessed (?) with a ra iny winter this year, so we were fortunate (?) enoug h to test th e Aerostitch suit in all weather conditions. Cold temperatures a nd win d were no problem with theAerostitch sui t (provided we dressed warmly under neath), and rain was similarl y nonthrea teni ng. Extended exposur e to either ,' however, did all ow cold air and/ or rain to snea k past the lon g en try zippers. On o ne particul ary cold , ra iny, windy da y (read monsoon ) a tradition al ra in suit worn over the Aerosti tch suit provided a greater degree of comfort th an we'd ever tho ugh t possible in suc h m iserabl e con ditions. The verd ict: If you 're an average street rider , be it a co mm u ter, spo rt rider or (especially) a tourer, th e Aerost itch Roadcrafrer II may well" be your best bet for versa tile allweather motorcycl ing atti re. Cu stomers ca n choose between fou r shell colors and three pad colo rs i n s izes 34-48 , regul a r or long lengths. Aerostitch promises they' ll ship stock orders th e same day they're received, and cus tom colors in five to seven da ys. There's a mo ney-back guarantee if not satisfied. The Aerostitch Roadcrafter II onepi ece suit sells for $467 (two -piece $497) fr om RiderW ea rH ouse, 8 South 18th Ave. West, Duluth, MN 55806,orcaI1218/722-1927 ,800/2232774 ext. 240. Brian Catterson -- I'~"AU --~ ------..--ftl ~~.I". --- - - - - ~ . -~- -.-..-~~-~-- ----- ~ with easy-off rem oval to preven t theft. The Motoclock retails for $37.80 andthe lighted version goes for $53.10. For more inform ation co n tact FTM & Associates, Dept. CN , 1240 Rancho En cin itas Dr., En cin itas , CA 92024, 6191756-9461. Bite Tire Softener makes you r tires stickier and softer fo r better traction and can be appliedas early as an hour before use. For more information co n tact VP Racing Fuel s, Dept. CN , 20846 Lamm Rd., Elmendorf, TX, 78112.512/621-2244. . . The Pirelli MT37 LagunaCross rear tire with paddle-tread design is claimed to provide incredible tractio n in deep sand or on tracks with a very soft surface, especially wet mud. For further information see your local dealer o r contact Pirelli T ire Corpora tio n, Dept CN , Suite 700, San J ose, CA 95110, 408/9956222. Yoshimura 's AMA h o mologated Mikuni RS-38 and 40m m Competitio n Ser ies Carburetors are specifically designed for Suzuki GSXR750 and I 100s for co mpetition in AMA Superbike and ' Unlimited classes . Yoshimura claims that th e carbs in crease midrange and top- end performance plus provide sub stantial horsepower and top-speed gains. Manufactured with specially anodized and machined aluminum slides; th e carb kits come co mp lete with all necessary hardware and accessories. Suggested retail price for th e 38m m carb is $995.00 and the 40mm version sells for $1015.00. For more information cont act Yoshimura Research and Development of Ameri ca, Dept. CN . 4555 Carter Court, Chino, CA 91710,714/628-4722. J T Racing's Trophy Design, th e same design worn by Ron Lechien at th e Motocross des Nations in France, is ava ilable on jT's Pro Tour ($35.95 ), Supercross ($ 16.95 kids, $19.95 ad ult) and Vented ($19.95/ $24.95) J erseys. For more information see yo ur local deal er o r co ntact JT Racing, Dept. CN , 515 Otay Valley Rd. , Chula Vista , CA 9201I , 619/421-2660. -- -- - The Motoclock and Motoclock with light feature a large LCD display, automatic calendar function, longlife lithium batteries', water resistance and three mounting options The hand-built Sudco /On tario exhaust system for the Honda XR250 features a tuneable silencer, spark arrestor and dual chambers for a retail price of $207.50. For additional information see your local dealer or contact Sudco International, Dept. CN, 1824 East 22nd St., Los Angelos, CA, 90058, 213/747-5173. eL and eL Accessories' All-in-One speaker/microphone headset for the Harley-Davidson integrated ·radio system features high-quality stereo speakers and boom microphone for CB radio or intercom use on a lig htweigh t metal headband which is easily disassembled for installation. Suggested retail price is $59.95. For more information see y:our local dealer or contact eL and L Accessories, Dep t. CN, 1726 First St., Highland Park, IL 60035, 312/4337464.

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