6f 6in tall? No problem

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KIT REVIEWS
BUYING&SELLING
24.07.2013
WEDNESDAY
41
6f 6in tall? No problem
Specify when you order and BMW will supply your TourShell riding suit with extra long arms & legs
BMW TourShell suit, £425 (jacket) and £340 (trousers)
BMW HP Race tyre warmers: £765
Tester: Michael Neeves
Time used: Three race meetings and
two track days
What’s good? They’re light and
beautifully made with heating coming from
a patented carbon-fibre mesh that gives a
uniform spread of temperature compared to
conventional tyre warmers with filament wires
running through them. BMW says they put 15%
more heat into the tyre shoulders and they’re
big enough to cover the rim. A switch lets you
set the warmers for ‘dry’ or ‘wet’ tyres.
What’s not? They come at a price… a big one.
If you want the best of the best warmers, these
are the ones to have, but most cheaper versions
will do the job perfectly well (see right).
Contact: www.bmwmotorradparklane.co.uk
Quality rating: ★★★★★
Value rating: ★★★★★
Tester: Ian Jubb
Time tested: 5270 miles/four months
What’s good? This suit oozes quality
and even the BMW labelling makes it
feel special. Then wearing it adds further to the
sense of occasion, because the fit is like that of a
bespoke suit and for my 6ft 6in frame the extra
leg and arm length (available on ordering) was
just what I needed.
On the bike, it gets better still as the thermal
liner keeps me warm on the coldest of days (4°C
so far) and with the liner removed the large front
and rear vents can easily circulate enough air to
keep me suitably cool at anything up to the 30
degrees I experienced riding in Italy.
The real trump card for the suit though has
been the wet weather protection, even when
riding through nine hours of torrential rain across
Europe the suit kept me completely dry. Literally
not a drop got in. It’s just a shame that I forgot to
pack waterproof gloves!
What’s not? The price is a little on the spicy side
– but I figure the quality means it will last and with
5000 miles of use it still looks brand new. Own it
for five years and that’s £150 a year for kit, which
I wouldn’t regret investing in, as I really can’t put
a price on comfort when touring. It could also do
with an external, fully waterproof pocket. Oh, and
I look a little like a Thunderbirds puppet (though
not as much as I would if I’d have opted for the grey
version instead).
Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.com
Quality rating: ★★★★★
Value rating: ★★★★★
Motrax tyre warmers, under £200
(in 2003)
Tester: Adam Child
Time tested: Ten years
What’s good? These well-used
warmers are around 10 years old,
cost less than £200 new and still work like
new. What a bargain. I’ve used them at the TT,
North West 200, Oliver’s Mount and countless
club race meetings and they’ve never let me
down. They’re not fancy, but they do have
a thermostat so they won’t cook your race
rubber if you leave them on all day.
What’s not? Motrax is no longer trading, so I
can’t find any for sale. I would like more, just in
case, as there can’t be much more life in these.
Contact: www.bikeit.co.uk (for £185 BikeTek
tyre warmers, similar to the old Motrax model)
Quality rating: ★★★★★
Value rating: ★★★★★
Top 3 details
1. Built-in scarf with its own pocket,
genius for cold days!
2. Extra length means I can finally get a
suit to reach over my boots.
3. The huge vents allow maximum airflow
for summer riding.
1
Abus Trigger 330 Lock, £61.99
Furygan Must IV Evo gloves,
£79.99
2
3
JACQUES PORTAL
Tester: Richard Newland
Time tested: 20 months
What’s good: Abus has a large
range of disc locks ranging from
the extremely lightweight through to the
alarmed and seriously hard to nobble Detecto.
The Trigger falls somewhere in the middle on
price and protection. It’s one-hand operable, is
small, neat, durable, and is visually arresting in
fluro yellow (other colours are available). The
carry case is a useful addition, allowing you to
pack the lock away in your bag without getting
everything covered in brake dust and dirt.
What’s not? It’s not the most meaty of visual
deterrents, and not the strongest Abus disc
lock, either. But it’s dramatically better than
nothing!
Contact: www.feridax.com
Quality rating: ★★★★★
Tester: Andy Calton
Time tested: 2500 miles/nine
months
What’s good? These gloves are a
good year-round option. In the coldest of the
cold days the tips of my fingers get a little
chilled and in the height of the summer hands
can get a bit sweaty, but for the majority of the
time they’re spot-on. They offer good knuckle
protection and the double velcro fastenings
work well to get a good fit.
What’s not? After about an hour in
temperatures of -3°C my hands got cold and
the cuff could be a little longer to properly go
over the jacket, but they do the job.
Contact: www.nevis.uk.com
Quality rating: ★★★★★
Value rating: ★★★★★