11.29.2013

The Cure For Motorcycle Vest Envy

Note: This is a sponsored review; however, the opinions I’ve expressed are my own and were in no way influenced by the fact that I got free swag in the form of a motorcycle vest. I hope you find the review informative and entertaining. ~Curt

When I became a member of the Gruene Chapter Harley Owners Group (HOG) one of my first purchases was a motorcycle vest. I was amazed at how expensive they could be and looked for the cheapest vest I could find. I was relatively new to riding and wasn’t sure if I’d like being part of an organized group so I didn’t want to invest a lot of money in a vest. As it turns out, I really enjoy riding and participating in HOG activities. Therein lies my problem.

Motorcycle Vest Envy...I Got It Bad
My cheap ($20) vest isn’t wearing well and I haven’t been happy with it for a long time. It’s made of leather but I don’t know what animal it came from. It was supposed to be buffalo, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the American Indian type buffalo I pictured when it was ordered. Truth be told, I seriously believe it might be some sort of Chinese water buffalo. I thought maybe with some wear it would soften-up but in two years that hasn’t happened. It’s pretty thin, it’s hard, and it feels a little like cardboard. Bottom line…my vest sucks and I want a new one. I really wish I had invested a little more to get a better quality vest. Lesson learned.

Fortunately, the motorcycle gods have been looking out for me because  I was recently contacted by motorcylehouse.com. They told me they’d send me some gear and that I could keep it in return for posting an honest review of the product on my blog. I ask if I could pick out a vest, and to my surprise they said, “Sure.” I was impressed with the selection offered on their website and ended-up picking out a First Classics Prima Leather Motorcycle Vest listed for $99. I placed my “order” and waited anxiously. Turns out, I didn’t have to wait too long. I received a UPS Tracking Number via e-mail within 24 hours of placing my order. I quickly clicked the enclosed link and discovered my vest had already been shipped via UPS from a warehouse in Uniondale, New York and was scheduled to arrive in four business days. Cool!

The vest arrived right on schedule. I was excited to see the box on my porch when I pulled into my driveway after work. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I made a beeline for the package and quickly tore into it. As soon as I opened the box and removed the vest from its plastic protective bag a sweet familiar aroma permeated the air. This was a “real” leather vest, no question about it. I carried the vest to my kitchen table to take a closer look. The leather seemed thick and supple and had a nice amount of heft to it. The vest appeared to be solidly constructed and the stitching was impressive as was the cotton and polyester lining. I examined the metal snaps, all eleven of them…five up the front, two on the scooter collar, two on the outside pockets, and two on the inside pockets. They looked and felt solid, snapping and unsnapping with just the right amount of force. My initial reaction was, “This is a nice vest!”

I Found The Cure!
About that time my wife walked over, looked at the vest, looked at me, and said, “Looks a little small, what size is it?” I replied, “It’s a large,” as I slid the vest on to check the fit. I admit it was a little snug on my 5’7” 195-pound frame but an x-large would have been much too big. I definitely won’t be wearing it over a jacket without vest extenders, but hey, now I have some additional motivation to lose those 10-15 pounds I’ve been trying to get rid of. I wore the vest around the house for the rest of the evening and did my best “Magic Mike” impression before going to bed. At the end of the day, my wife admitted the vest looked good on me.

The next afternoon I wore the vest on a short ride and was pleased with its performance. It got a little chilly as the sun was setting but the vest kept me nice and warm. I did decide that although I liked the looks of the scooter collar, it wasn’t practical for me…I’ll probably never ride with it snapped closed. Fortunately that shouldn’t be a problem. Over the next week or so, I wore the vest everywhere to get a better feel for it. Hell, I even wore it to work. The vest is comfortable and stylish. For riders who like to listen to music, you can put an MP3 player in the left pocket and run your ear buds through a buttonhole in the pocket flap. From a real estate perspective, the vest offers plenty of space for patches and pins; however, the back is made-up of multiple panels so a club or chapter patch will overlap a few seams. Overall, I’m very impressed with the looks, feel, and yes, even the fit of the First Classics vest. Only time will tell how well it wears but I have high expectations that it will look great and last a long, long time. I’m already looking forward to putting some new HOG patches and pins on it. Best of all, that nagging case of motorcycle vest envy I caught from my old vest is gone...I’ve been cured. Thank you motorcyclehouse.com!

Coming Soon
To see the First Classics Prima Motorcycle Vest up-close and personal watch for the upcoming Live Free and Ride Hard Product Review Video. It’ll debut sometime in December…don’t worry, “Magic Mike” will not make an appearance.


11.26.2013

It’s Official…My Iron Butt Bun Burner 1500 Has Been Certified

I was surprised when I checked my mailbox yesterday and found a big envelope from the Iron Butt Association (IBA).  I wasn’t expecting anything from them for at least another month, so you can imagine how excited I was (or maybe you can’t).  Well, I was more excited than a malnourished tick on a large longhaired dog.  I thought I’d hit the mother lode!   I surgically cut through the envelope taking care not to harm the contents and then eagerly removed the letter, certificate, pin, and stickers.  My wait was over after six short weeks. 

When I submitted my ride documentation to the IBA in October I’d been told it could take three-months to process.  The IBA thoroughly reviews all submitted documentation to verify your ride.  If something in your documentation package doesn’t add up, then your ride doesn’t get certified.  It’s that simple.  The IBA keeps long distance riders honest and in doing so builds credibility within the long distance riding community. If a ride is certified by the IBA, you can be sure the rider met the qualifications and isn’t just telling a fish story. 

 At first glance, the documentation requirements for the Iron Butt SaddleSore 1000 and Bun Burner 1500 seem a bit daunting but when broken down they’re not that bad.  The key to documenting your Iron Butt ride is good organization.  You’ll need signed witness forms for the start and end of the ride, a log of all of your stops, a copy of your gas receipts with good date/time stamps, and a map that shows your actual route with all stops annotated.  I built a documentation package template for my Bun Burner 1500 ride that helped me stay organized and ensured that I didn’t forget something important.  Here’s a pdf version of the documentation package I submitted to the IBA, feel free to use it as an example.

With two IBA certified rides complete, I’m thinking I’ll do either a SaddleSore 2000 (2000 miles in 48 hours) or a Bun Burner Gold (1500 miles in 24 hours) next.  I’m leaning towards the SaddleSore 2000 because I can do an all Interstate route between Garden Ridge, TX and Louisville, KY…and get in a quick visit with my Dad.  I’m sure the 2170 mile roundtrip journey will be a challenge but I think I’m up for it.   Some might think I’m crazy, but I don’t.  What’s more crazy?  Living your life with regret over things you never did, or looking back and saying, “Damn, I did that!”  Life is for living and I want to Live Free and Ride Hard! 


I’ll keep you posted on my ride planning progress...

11.20.2013

Self Promotion Is Good, Right?

Over Veteran's Day weekend I rode to Lost Maples State Natural Area with the Gruene Harley Owners Group Chapter and had a great time. This week I had the opportunity to share the experience of that ride as a guest blogger on motorcyclehouse.com.

In an attempt at shameless self-promotion here's a link to that guest post. Hope you enjoy it!




Changing of the Seasons at Lost Maples SNA

11.08.2013

No Dinosaurs Here…HD to Build 500cc and 750cc Motorcycles

If you’re like me, you may have been a little surprised to learn that Harley-Davidson® will manufacture 500 and 750cc bikes starting in 2014. I mean it’s been 35+ years since the Motor Company sold a HD branded small displacement bike and even then it was from Italian subsidiary, Aermacchi. So why the revival now?  In a word -- DEMOGRAPHICS.

Middle-aged men like me are only getting older and let’s face it, one day we won’t be able to ride those big touring bikes we’ve grown to love.  What about the Motor Company then?  Visions of dinosaurs come to mind, and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs…they became extinct.  In order for the Motor Company to survive and thrive, they need to expand the brand appeal to a much more diverse demographic.  Over the past few years, they’ve worked hard to do just that and I applaud them for it. The Motor Company’s focus on the IronElite, the Harlistas, and women riders has already increased the size and diversity of the Harley-Davidson® family. However, there’s still more work to do in bringing in the next generation of Harley enthusiasts. The new HD Speed 500 and 750 should help by appealing to younger riders.

As a member of both the National and Gruene Chapter of the Harley Owners Group (HOG), I’m hoping these bikes will bring new and younger riders into our ranks. If we’re lucky, the launch of the Speed™ 500 and 750 will give us a tool to ignite the passion for riding and love of all things Harley in a new generation of riders.  I believe this will be good for the riding community and will help ensure Harley-Davidson’s next 110 years are as rich with mystique and heritage as the last 110 years. No dinosaurs allowed!

Check out the specs and pass the info along to a new/young rider…let’s welcome the new demographic these bikes will bring into the Harley-Davidson® family with open arms.

        Speed 500  (494 CC Liquid Cooled Engine) – priced at $6,700
·       Speed™ 750  (794 CC Liquid Cooled Engine) – priced at $7,500
  •      6 Speed Transmission
  •      Belt Dive
  •      2 Into 1 Exhaust
  •      Mid-Mount Controls
  •      Single Caliper Disc Brakes
  •      Specially Tuned Suspension
  •      2 Up Seat w/ Passenger Pegs
  •      LED Tail Lights and Bullet Signals
  •      V Twin 60° 4 Valves per Head
  •      Wheel Size: 17” Front, 15” Rear
  •      Wheelbase: 59.5”
  •      Weight: 480 lbs (Wet)
Learn more about the bikes at http://street.harley-davidson.com/en_US

To stay informed on whats going on in the biker community check out Biker News Online,  it was one of the first blogs to report on the unveiling of the new bikes in Milan, Italy on Monday.