review

May 16 2021

Viking Cycle Ironborn jacket

I tested a NON expensive jacket and was surprised.

What is the easiest solution to any problem? Well, you make it somebody else’s problem! My problem was the weather in Southern California being unpredictable this spring and none of my motorcycle jackets was good enough to ride with, my expensive leather jacket was too hot, my other expensive mesh jacket was too cold, so I needed a mid-season jacket but I didn’t want to spend a fortune.

vikingcycle Ironborn jacket, albesadv, albe's adv, motorcycle jacket This is when I contacted the guys at Viking Cycle and passed my problem to them, since I was reviewing their Viking Axe Saddlebags, and they came up with the solution, the Viking Cycle Ironborn textile jacket, warm enough for cold mornings with the removable sleeveless liner and flowing a ton of air in the hot mid day sun with the multiple, zipped open vents.

Surprisingly enough I found myself preferring this jacket when I need something low key that doesn’t make me look like a Power Ranger and protective enough not to worry while riding around.

On top of that I think it looks great!

The Viking Cycle Ironborne textile jacket turned out to be a great surprise, costs a fraction of my other jackets and I end up using it more, now, let’s be real, I will not go to the race track with it, because that is not what the Ironborn is made for, the Viking Cycle Ironborn jacket is a technical yet casual textile jacket to ride your bike safely and in style.

vikingcycle Ironborn jacket, albesadv, albe's adv, motorcycle jacket

Let’s take a look at what is this jacket made of.

vikingcycle Ironborn jacket, albesadv, albe's adv, motorcycle jacket

The Ironborn is built with durable PU coated Cordura, is well protected with armor on elbows, shoulders, and there is a place holder for a back protector. The Ironborn has an ergonomic, reflective design with water resistant outer layer, a removable, sleeveless inner liner, reinforced elbows and adjustable side straps. Offering 2 external zippered pockets and one internal pocket, this durable biker jacket will easily store essential on-the-go items such as wallets, phones, glasses, etc. The jacket is a mid-season motorcycle jacket with high adjustability and a outstanding airflow system for ventilation. The jacket is extremely high quality with durable construction, easy-to-use pullers, and zippers. The Viking cycle Ironborn is one jacket that every rider should have in their closet.

Let’s take a closet look at the Viking Cycle Ironborn textile jacket and see the main characteristics.

vikingcycle Ironborn jacket, albesadv, albe's adv, motorcycle jacket, Viking Cycle Ironborn jacket — protected zipper

Unmentioned on the Viking Cycle description of this jacket is the adjustable sleeves size, via a 2 position strap, the industry standard short zipper inside for riding pants and the elastic leash sewn into the right pocket.

In the end I use the Ironborn a lot, it’s well made, certainly up to the competition and best of all, you get a lot for the price. So, check them out at VikingCycle.com and you won’t be disappointed.

https://www.vikingcycle.com/collections/mens-textile-motorcycle-jackets/products/viking-cycle-ironborn-black-motorcycle-textile-jacket-for-men

https://www.vikingcycle.com/collections/mens-motorcycle-jackets

May 1 2021

Viking Bags Viking Axe medium sportbike saddlebags

I found some great soft side bags for my bikes.

When I sold my BMW F800GS, I soon realized that would take some time before I found the perfect replacement and I might have to go the summer without a touring motorcycle, so I rolled up my sleeves and started looking for an alternative that wouldn’t break the bank.

Luck wanted that the guys at Viking Bags got in contact with me and offer me the perfect solution. Their Viking Axe Medium Sportbike Saddlebags, those are semi soft panniers perfectly shaped to suite a sportbike, easy to put on and remove, expandable and very well built.

I ended up fitting the bags on a variety of bikes, from Sport to Cafe’ to Adventure and to my surprise, they ended up working great with all of them in multiple occasions.

The installation of the Bags is very easy, they are provided with front and back straps to secure the bags to the motorcycle, it literally takes 5 minutes.

First put the Viking Bags Viking Axe medium sportbike saddlebags over the pillion seat and adjust the Velcro straps that that run across, most bikes do not have a square seat, so you can adjust the length of the cross straps to fit any shape seat you can think of, after that secure the front straps to the passenger pegs or another anchoring point, as long as it is part of the rear sub-frame and not the swing arm, if you secure them to something that is not stationary (the swing arm moves up and down comparatively to the rear sub-frame) they will loosen up when the bike starts going, at this point just secure the rear straps to the license plate holder or another sturdy point in the very back and you are all set and ready to go.

Let’s take a closer look at the Viking Bags Viking Axe medium sportbike saddlebags and see the main characteristics.

Unbeknown to me Viking Bags and Viking cycle have been around for a while, but who are they, well, in their own word: “Viking Bags was conceived the same way almost every great idea is conceived; out of frustration with the current state of things & out of a desire to change things for the better. In our case, the frustration was with the sub-par motorcycle luggage in the market at that time. Our desire was to create something that was just as beautiful as it was useful. Thus began the journey of a thousand miles. One pile of carefully chosen leather and one extensively thought-out saddlebag design at a time. Ever since then, we have not looked back. To this day, we only look back only to gain inspiration from our original spark.”

In the end I use the Viking AXE bags a lot, they are well made, certainly up to the competition and best of all, you get a lot for the price. So, check them out at VikingBags.com and you won’t be disappointed.

https://www.vikingbags.com/vikingbags-axe-medium-motorcycle-backpack

https://www.vikingbags.com/motorcycle-sissy-bar-bags.htm

https://www.vikingbags.com/motorcycle-saddlebags.htm

April 14 2017

Scotts steering damper

Scotts Steering Damper on a BMW F800GS

When it comes to steering dampers, Scotts steering damper is nothing but top of the line, they make handlebars stabilizers for most if not all the motorcycles on the market, obviously that includes the BMW F800GS.

Scotts product is a compact, fully adjustable hydraulic shock absorbing damper that mounts right under the F8ooGS handlebars and it helps control the unwanted wobble (tank slap) of the front wheel.

The advantages of a stable front wheel are, a more precise steering, less fatigue due to arm-pump and an easier to control bike on rough terrain or sand. While the bike’s own suspensions take care of the vertical movements the Scotts damper helps control the unwanted lateral movement. This is not just for off-roading, the benefit of having a stabilizer while riding on the asphalt include, a more stable bike under hard breaking and the reduce chance to incur into the infamous “tank slap” at high speed.

The design of this damper makes it a breeze to transfer between bikes, equip all your bikes with the proper bracket and you can move the damper itself around with minimal effort eliminating the need to own multiple dampers for multiple bikes.

Main features

The main features that elevate the Scotts Steering Damper above the competition are:

– 3 fully adjustable circuits.

– 25 clicks of adjustability of the dumping.

– allows to adjust the amount of damping degrees you want from the centerline.

– has adjustable high speed valve to absorb sharp edged jolts.

– can be easily moved from bike to bike

– the F800GS kit raises the bars 20 mm and moves them forward by 3mm for increased comfort and clearance.

– the off-road version has no rebound damping to allow for quick corrections during the slides.

– the sub-mount is made out of one piece anodized aluminum to resist the elements and the bracket is made out of stainless steel for strength.

How hard is it to install?

Scotts says :” if you can change a spark plug you should be able to install a Scotts Steering Stabilizer”

Scotts gives you step-by-step instruction specific to your bike, in the case of the F800GS the installation is pretty straight forward, remove the seat and the center cowl, free the handlebars and lay them forward out of the way. (Pay attention not to scratch anything)

Remove the lower bar mount, set aside the lower cupped washers. (note the torque on those nuts before removing, you will need it later)

Install the new sub-mount. Pass the long bolts through the sub-mount, through the new bushing, through the stock rubber bushing, the cupped washers, the flat washer and the supplied nut.

Tighten the nuts evenly, the rubber mount needs to flex slightly. Remove the bolts on the key switch, install the steel bracket with the stock hardware and leave it hand tight for now.

Install the stabilizer, the tower pin needs to be centered into the link arm, you can adjust the height of the tower pin, but if you do, use Loctite on the jam nut and check for tension occasionally. Now tighten the key switch bolts, re-install the handlebars and tight the nuts evenly.

Check the clearance by rotating the bars left to right full lock and verify freedom of movement, then start the bike and do it again before riding. Now trim the plastic key-cowling and you are done.

It’s very important to periodically check the tension of the jam nut, it might have the tendency of shaking itself loose. At first set the dumper at the softest setting and work your way up from there. Give the dumper the same attention you give your bike’s suspensions, after many hours of usage it might need some TLC, at this point you can take it off and ship it to Scotts, who will give it a 10 point inspection and send it back to you.

Note

The BMW F800GS kit is not designed to be used with bar risers, they could be mounted to the sub-mount as long as the bolt as enough tread to hold tightly and the cables do not become too tight at all look.

I bought mine @

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March 4 2017

Altrider skid plate

The BMW OEM skid plate is excellent if you drive your F800GS on roads only, but if you bought a BMW F800GS is most likely because you feel the need for adventure and you want to venture out in the wild, at this point the OEM skid plate is not enough anymore and the need for a more protective and sturdy plate arise.
The aftermarket scene is full of well designed and strong bash plates, even BMW itself has its own sturdier plate if you would like to stick with the manufacturer option, if not among the myriad of skid plates I chose the Altrider one.
My reasons for the choice were, 1) this skid plate is one of the thickest on the market, 2) it attaches to the engine via the OEM vibration isolation mounts, that reduces vibration and unwanted noise, 3) I wanted it to be black, all of that coupled up with a reasonable price did it for me.
When we take a look at the specs we find that the Altrider plate is made of 3/16 inch (4.75 mm) anodized aluminum, weights approximately 5 lbs and offers coverage to the oil filter, heat exchanger and header pipe while leaving enough room to install most of the available crash bars on the market. The skid plate dimensions are 19 inches in height, 14 inches in width, and 8 inches in depth, still managing to closely conform to the underside of your bike without sacrificing ground clearance.
One of the features that everybody should pay attention to is the attachment points the plate uses to mount on the engine, and because nobody can say it better than Altrider did I will quote them here,
“This skid plate installs via use of OEM Vibration Isolation Mounts. Vibration Isolation Mounts are designed to fail before any damage is caused to the bike. These mounts allow for compression from impacts up to a certain load, at the maximum point of compression they will shear in order to save the motor from damage.” (Altrider website)
In conclusion, the Altrider skis plate is one of the best plates money can buy, I had it since I got the bike and I’m incredibly happy with it, it looks great and performs even better, so until the next review, DIRT ON and SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

Here are some of the best skid plates on the market.

Alt rider skid plate, bmw f800gs — ALTRIDER SKID PLATE

Givi SKID PLATE, BMW F800GS — GIVI SKID PLATE

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October 16 2016

BMW F800GS Off-road review.

August 20 2016

BMW F800GS Arrow Maxi race tech exaust install and review

Arrow Maxi Race-tech exhaust.

The Arrow Maxi Race-tech exhaust is a pretty good bang for the buck. I installed this aftermarket exhaust on my 2015 BMW F800GS and it wasn’t only a quick install (under 30 minutes) but the end result is pretty spectacular for a sub $500.00 exhaust.

The tools required for this installation are minimal, you will need a T45 torx ratchet, a 6mm ex key, a pair of needle nose pliers and a rubber mallet, as I was saying the installation was very quick, one bolt and two springs to be exact. Remove the OEM bolt, unhook the springs and just slide the exhaust right out. Once you have prepped the new Arrow maxi race-tech exhaust by forming the provided bracket around the silencer (by tapping it with a rubber mallet) just slide it on, align it properly put the provided springs on and install the new bolt and the spacers, DONE!

This exhaust does not require a re-flush of the ECU or any other modification of your precious BMW F800GS, just slip it on and enjoy, If you find yourself in need of more power, Arrow actually makes headers that can be added at a later time, obviously at this point you might also want to add a new air filter to provide a higher flow of air to the engine and either re-program the ECU or add an inline fuel controller like a power commander, bazzaz or similar.

At first sight this exhaust system looks un-doubtly beautiful with the flawless carbon fiber end cap and the dark aluminum body, by taking a closer look you might also notice that the build quality is excellent with great materials and perfect welds, but, how does it perform? The performance of the maxi race-tech are second to none, you will be getting an increase in power of about 3 HP and 3.24 Nm of torque which associated with the 5.1 lbs of saving in weight it’s a pretty good result by any standard for a plug and play slip-on, and as a cherry on top you also increase the noise level by 2 dB with a deeper and growlyer tone.

In the end this Arrow maxi race-tech exhaust aluminum dark looks very good, provides a little increase in power, a good decrease in weight and most of all a great exhaust note that can be adjusted to your liking by keeping or removing the DB-killer. In my opinion a very good system worth every penny.

I bought mine @

June 1 2016

BMW Vario panniers review

BMW Vario panniers.

The BMW Vario panniers are an inexpensive (considering the competitors) way to get yourself a full set of panniers. This set of cases fits the BMW F800GS/F700GS/F650 and can be accessorized with backrest pads, inside nets and liner bags.

When it comes to functionality, the Vario series fares pretty well. These cases are a breeze to take on and off the bike in a matter of seconds and with a clever mechanism they can be expanded to increase their capacity and carry an incredible amount of goods. When retracted, the box volume is about 28 liters for the right side and 19 liters for the left one, but when extended by rotating the U shaped handle inside, they reach respectively 38 and 29 liters and are capable of holding a max load of 17.6lbs.

In the real world where you run around town or commute to work those black plastic bags look very appealing with their sleek and stylish lines, the ability to lock them with the same key used for the bike ignition is incredibly convenient as well. When the panniers are in the retracted position they are slightly less wide than the handlebars giving the driver the ability to split lanes or zip thru traffic (in those states that allow it) wile when extended they appear to be just a 1″ wider than the handle bars on each side and do not get in the way of your passenger.

The BMW Vario panniers, although a great product, have some faults. Only the right side bag can store a full size helmet, especially a dual sports one, although you might be able to store a half or an open face helmet on the left side, so if you carry a passenger with you there is a chance that one of the helmets will have to stay outside and endure the elements. The odd shape of the left case, to allow room for the exhaust, makes it difficult to utilize the full volume available, but if you are an expert Tetris player you should be ok. Last but not least, if you elect to go off-roading with it and trash it around, it cannot be banged back into shape like an aluminum case and I have the suspicion that if dirt or mud end up in the extending mechanism there could be some problems with it.

All and all those cases aren’t by any stretch of the imagination flimsy, they are a solid piece of luggage capable of withstanding a few hits, after all they are built with the legendary BMW quality and come with a BMW Motorrad 12 months/12000 miles warranty. For a complete set they can be paired with the BMW vario top case giving loads of carrying capacity and an incredible look.

March 13 2016

Essential accessories

BMW F800GS essential accessories.

If you are like me and you are planning to take your F800GS off-road a lot, there are a few things you might want to consider.
The base BMW is set up for the best possible performance on the road, hence there are no hand guards as standard, as there are no crash bars and the stock skid plate doesn’t really protect much. Some can argue that it is possible to add a whole lot of OEM accessories right when you buy it, but my question is, are those parts going to satisfy you 100%? Do you really like the way they look and feel? Because they are not really cheap and personally, if I have to spend that kind of money I want to be satisfied 100%.
That’s where the aftermarket industry fits in, but I digress, let’s see what is really essential to have.
The bike itself costs a pretty penny, I want to enjoy it off-road and explore, but at the same time I want to keep it in one piece as long as possible because I can’t afford to buy another one, since I just spent thousands of dollars for it, now I’m on a budget and can’t just buy a bunch of parts, so I need to choose the best bang for the buck, and I’m not just talking about the prize alone, I need to choose those accessories that give me the most for what I use the F800 for.
I gave it a lot of thought, and came to the conclusion that I absolutely need 3 components and the rest is going to have to wait until I can save some more money and buy it, in my opinion I needed a beefier skid plate, to reduce to a the chances to poke a hole into the engine (by the way, the oil filter right behind the front wheel is not optimal), a good set of crash bars to protect the upper side of the engine and somewhat the fairing, and hand guards, not because I have delicate hands and I want to safeguard them, but because if a branch catches your front brake lever, you might unwillingly perform a “superman” and fly off the bike.
Depending on your comfort level, skills and type of trail you want to tackle, a knobblier set of tires might be appropriate.
The three components I opted for to keep my budget within the $1000 mark are: HEED’s crash bars, the Altrider black skid plate and the Barkbusters hand guards. These accessories met my budget, my expectation (protection wise) and they look pretty good as well.

Heed crash bars:

I searched for the right bars a lot, some are great like the Touratech, but that would have depleted my founds in one sweep, some other are more affordable but they are very short, some look like you mounted moose handlers on the bike because they stick out so far, then I finally found the Heed’s bars. I looked for reviews and videos about them but I couldn’t find anything other than a bunch of people giving them a great feedback on EBay, and since the price was great I decided to risk it and buy them. So far the gamble paid off, they look good, they are the right height and they feel pretty solid (fingers crossed).
Installing them was a breeze, everything fitted properly and the instruction where ok too (considering they are build in Poland where English is not the main language), I believe it only took me half a morning from unpacking to completion, so they get a big thumb up from me.

Altrider skidplate:

This plate is great, it’s well thought, covers the important parts without adding too much weight, it’s about a quarter inch thick aluminum and the two channels on the bottom safeguard the attachment bolts while giving strength to the whole thing. Installation time was about 30 minutes, four bolts to remove the OEM plate and four plus two to install the Altrider one, construction and installation instructions are impeccable, just what you would expect from a solid manufacturer. So if you are looking for a great Skidplate that won’t break the bank, this is the one.

Barkbusters hand guards:

To be specific, the VPS hand guard kit. This kit includes 2 components, the aluminum frame/bracket and the plastic guards. The aluminum frame is well built and is a direct fit over bar ends, just remove the OEM bolt and replace it with the one provided, it takes a little fiddling to find the perfect position and they can be adjusted according to personal preference. The plastic guards screw into the bracket and provide just the right amount of protection, they come with a little spoiler that can be adjusted in 3 different positions or removed all together, so you can increase or decrease the protection from the elements you require. Installation time is about 1 hour, most of which is spent trying to find the perfect position. BONUS TIP: The top side of the inner clamps has about an 1/8 of an inch gap that I used to attach a crossbar made out of aluminum tubing, this bar can be used as a GPS mount or whatever else you want it to be.

In conclusion, the parts and accessories that I would like to add to the bike are almost an infinite list, but the very least you need to safe guard your precious baby off-road are those 3 main components. This point can be argued to oblivion and obviously this is just my opinion, but I’m not just saying it, I did it myself and so far is being working, so use this article to make an educated decision using my personal experience and let me know how it turn out.

February 7 2016

BMW F800GS, OEM vs Knobby tires!

OEM tires or Knobby tires on your BMW F800GS?

You have been drooling for month over the new F800GS, and finally you decided to pull the trigger and go get one, you know exactly what you want, the color the options and the accessories, you are a man on a mission, that salesman won’t know what it hit him, and then, after signing the papers and shaking hands the Dealer man asks you, “do you want the bike with the OEM tires (Pirelli scorpion trail) or do you want us to put knobby tires on it?”.
It’s your first adventure bike and you never thought about that, Panic!!!!!
Well, relax, maybe this article can be of help. I found myself in that exact predicament and I opted for the street bias Pirellis, I’ve always been a street rider and I choose what felt familiar to find myself buying a set of knobby just a few months later, two to be exact, and now I have a fairly new set of Pirellis hanging in my garage.
I’m not saying that everybody should go with the more off-road tires, I’m saying that for what I use the bike for, the latter choice was the right one, so let’s get cracking and see if I can help somebody to make up their mind before actually buying their first adventure bike.
First of all I opted for a Continental TKC80 up front and an Heidenau K60 scout for the back, I wanted the superior grip on dirt of the TKC80 for the front and the longevity of the K60 in the back, I can deal with the rear tire breaking loose a little more in exchange for few more thousands miles on the road.

Continental TKC80.

Spider Diagramm Enduro Segment

This is a “40/60” German made tire and a good option for the dual-sport rider that needs to ride a few highway miles to get to his favorite dirt trail. The TKC80 has very good grip off-road with high levels of side stability on soft surfaces, a self-cleaning tread pattern, while still giving a good amount of street handling and longevity. Proven and tested for long hauls and competition, incorporates all the technology and reliability of Continental tires.

Heidenau K60 Scout.

This is a German tire as well, a true “50/50” dual sport tire, this is a great option for the dual-sport rider looking for high tread longevity, that doesn’t mind a little slide here and there, the K60 Scout brings a proven balance of performance on- and off-road. With an improved tread and compound, the Scout delivers better cornering stability and wet weather grip on the pavement, while delivering off-road as well. The “chevron” style tread pattern is similar to full knobby designs which provides lots of open space between the tread blocks to route sand, while the solid center stripe reduces vibrations during long on-road commute. To note that every size as a unique tread pattern.

Pirelli Scorpion trail.

Contrary to the previous two, this is an Italian made “90/10” dual sport tire. This is a great option for the dual-sport rider that leans towards a touring set-up or with a very long commute to work with very little dirt in between. Sporty on the road, but capable of handling effectively even un-surfaced routes incorporates revolutionary tread pattern which combines high performance with a contemporary and innovative design capable of handling some hard packed fire roads. Carcass with steel belt at 0° ensuring greater stability and excellent handling on all types of road surface, even at full load. The compound has the latest generation components to enable the maximum traction in all weather conditions and the best possible ratio between performance and mileage.

In the end all 3 tires are great for what they are made for, you just have to be honest with yourself on what kind of riding you do. If you use your bike mainly to commute to work and zip thru traffic, but you are also dreaming about crossing the desert, do yourself a favor go for the street oriented tires, your body will thank you in the long run, and when you are ready for the never ending sands of the Sahara buy a set of knobby. On the other end, if you are a “desert rat” knobby tires are the only option, and if are anything in between, think about the 50/50. In my case I opted for the TKC80 up front for superior grip in the dirt and for the K60 Scout in the back for a little more longevity on the road, since I have to drive a while on the freeway to get to the trails, keeping in mind about the difference in traction between the front and the rear wheel, but who doesn’t like sliding around on dirt!

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January 22 2016

BMW Vario top case

BMW Vario top case.

The BMW Vario top case is an inexpensive (considering the competitors) and stylish option if you need a top case. This black plastic top case fits the BMW F800GS/F700GS/F650 and can be accessorized with backrest pads, inside nets and liner bags.

When it comes to functionality, the Vario series fares pretty good. The case is a breeze to take on and off in a matter of seconds and with a clever mechanism it can be expanded as well. When retracted, the box volume is about 25 liters, but when extended by rotating the U shaped handle inside, reaches 35 liters and it is capable of holding a total of 11lbs.

In the real world where you run around town or commute to work this bag can be a quite useful option, it looks sleek and can be locked by the same key used for the bike ignition. Being positioned on top of the luggage rack, does not impede the ability of the driver to split lanes or zip thru traffic (in one of the states that allows it) and can be used by the passenger as a backrest.

The BMW Vario top case, although a great product, has its faults. The first is the inability to store a full size helmet, especially a dual sports one. Depending upon the helmet brand and size it is possible to make it fit, but in my experience anything bigger that an M sized Street helmet will simply not have enough room and even then would be a snug fit. Second, if you elect to go off-roading with it and bang it around, it can not be banged back into shape like an aluminum case, if dir f800gs t and mud end up in the extending mechanism there could be some problems with it.

All and all this case isn’t by any stretch of the imagination flimsy, it is still built with the legendary BMW quality, comes with a BMW Motorrad 12 months/12000 miles warranty and can be paired up with the Vario side cases for a complete set and load of carrying capacity.