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Law Abiding Biker Podcast

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Living with the Empire by Patron Member Brad Johnston

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Harley-Davidson Empire CollectionHarley-Davidson Empire Collection

Let me start by saying I am blessed. When Lurch offered up a raffle in the private Facebook group I didn’t think that I had a chance of winning. I just don’t have that great of luck. I think the last thing I won that way was a set of tickets to go see the B-52s at the Yakima Sundome along with a copy of the Love Shack album. That was a hot minute ago.

In case you haven’t listened to the podcast or watched the video (seriously, what rock are you living under), I was gifted an entire Harley-Davidson Empire Black Machine Cut collection for my 2017 HD Road Glide Special (that identifies as an ultra). In May of 2022 I rode up to Yakima (I live here in Central Oregon) delivered my bike to the LAB crew and borrowed one of theirs. They kept the bike for a week and I rode back up a week following to grab the bike and do a podcast.

Since then, I have put almost 7,000 miles on the bike using the collection and I have some thoughts. 5,000 miles was in a single 11-day trip to Sturgis and Wisconsin from Madras OR. I’ve put some highway miles on, scraped some floorboards on Iron Mountain Road, and had a heck of a time doing it.

Foot Controls

Rider Boards

I was a little worried about the shape of the Empire boards. They look fantastic. However, I have big feet. Size 14 and I wear public safety duty style boots which are anything but thin profiles. The shape is similar to the Defiance boards. I had tried the defiance boards on a demo bike and found the rear of the boards way too narrow to consider. It felt like it took too much attention to keep my heels from slipping off the boards.

With the Empire collection, I had no such worry. In fact, with the new highway pegs, the new shape is a net benefit. Harley does not advertise their dimensions so you can’t compare on published specs. Holding the stock boards next to them the Empire boards look slightly longer. Psychologically, knowing they were open in the center made me feel like maybe my feet were not getting as hot as they might in the 100+ temperature days I rode in this summer.

The rubber still helps isolate you from the vibrations of the motor and keeps your feet firmly planted. Even in torrential downpours and after a flash flood I found the rubber to keep my feet well planted.

I love these boards and would never consider going back to the stock version.

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Highway Footpegs

When I first got my road glide special one of the very first upgrades was putting passenger floorboards on the back for the wife. That meant I had a set of foot pegs available for highway pegs. I put these on using the Engine Guard Footpeg Mounting Kit from the Motor Company (PN 50964-98). These put the footpegs close to the bar. It worked pretty well for a long time. I didn’t have any idea it could be this much better.

The Empire Highway Footpegs are almost mini boards. Even using the same mounting hardware, you get a good purchase on them when you put your whole foot on them. Equally as important, they are very comfortable when you just put your toes up on them and leave the heels on the floorboard. This is where that new shape of the Empire Floorboards pays off. The wider front gives good purchase to your heel as you ride down the road with your toes up on the highway bars. These were a big improvement.

I had thought about buying different mounts for my highway pegs because I just never quite had it right with the old pegs. The upgrade to the Empire Highway Footpegs solved everything I thought I might be able to make better and they are now my forever (As much as anything on a Harley is ever forever) highway pegs.

Rider Floorboards

This is the one place where the collection may be a miss. It is a narrow miss but it is a miss. For me, they are fantastic. They look 100% better than my old plain floorboards but as with most things, function matters. Since I don’t ever put my feet on them except to zip up my rain gear I trust my here to give the evaluation. She can put some miles on back there so I asked her to evaluate them.

Above I mentioned that one of the first upgrades I did was put on Passenger Footboards. What I put on was the Harley Passenger Footboard and Mount Kit (PN 50379-07B). My wife has put a lot of miles on the bike with me using these floorboards and a few years ago we added the Kuryakyn Adjustable Passenger Pegs (PN 7059 in black). She was very satisfied with the setup.

The new Empire Passenger Footboards have a very different shape and sit slightly forward from the position the old footboards sit. If my wife had never experienced the other boards she would probably be just fine with the new ones. However, that movement slightly forward puts her feet in a different place and makes the Kuryakyn Adjustable Passenger Pegs less useful. Her riding boots for big trips are Z1R Women's Savage Black Leather Boots. For these boots, all is good with the new floorboards.

If we were going out, sometimes she likes to wear what we would call her “hooker boots.” These would be a more fashion-forward boot with a narrower and taller heel. I know, they aren’t very protective but darn, she looks good in them. That boot and these boards are a no-go. The cutout is going to play havoc with them.

To be clear, day in and day out, the Empire Passenger Footboards are staying on the bike. If we take a multi-day trip? I will pull off the Empire Passenger Footboards and put back on the basic Passenger Footboard. It is a quick job and worth it for her to be comfortable.

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Large Rear Brake Pedal Pad

I like this Brake Pedal Pad. It is oversized and easy to find. The rubber perimeter makes it a positive experience and it is a big improvement. The only worry I have is that the pad is already starting to wear at the outer lower corner. This is a piece that looks good and functions well. I am a little worried about that wear and the replacement cost is $83 so it isn’t chump change. Still, I like this pad and can see replacing it if the wear gets too bad.

Shifter Pegs

Just to be clear, this is reviewing the touring version of this part (PN 33600333). A new version has been released for models with the Revolution Max Engine.

This is the part I was most worried about liking. It is a substantial departure from the old style and is a rubber top surface with the machined metal lower. I liked the look but wasn’t sure how I would feel about it in use. I use a heel shifter so I bought a second piece so that the front and rear shifter matched. From the minute I started using it I never noticed these. They look much better than the old ones and I don’t notice them at all. A net plus.

Hand Controls

Heated Grips

I had the Kahuna Heated Grips on my bike. I liked these grips a lot and they got a lot of attention. In fact, that makes me realize that no one has commented on the Empire stuff except the people who know how I got it. It is kind of an odd thing. It changes the look of the bike quite a bit for the better. I think that the unified look is so good that the individual parts kind of get lost.

The grips are comfortable and hot as hell! In normal use, they are comfortable on the hands. I don’t ride often without gloves. On the few occasions I have with these grips I noticed that in extremely warm temps (think 115) they get a little tacky to the touch. Otherwise, they have been very comfortable with or without gloves. The metal strip is a nice reference point to where your hand is positioned related to the grip. I am not sure that helps but I like the certainty of it.

When turned on, Harley advertises that the grips are “thermally mapped to provide a more uniform heat and are designed to achieve a maximum operating temperature approximately 20° Fahrenheit warmer than previous accessory heated grips.” I believe this. I have yet to turn them to 10. At 41 degrees, just this week, I turned the grips on to 5 with no gloves on (I was just riding to work I said, it will be fine I said). They were too hot to keep on just moments after I turned them on.

These are keepers. I would fight you for them if you tried to take them off my bike.

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Mirrors

I was very happy to be getting these. I had wanted a pair of contrast-cut mirrors a couple of years ago. When I couldn’t find anything I wanted to invest in. I ended up buying a cheap China pair off Amazon. They were ok for a year or so but they were starting to get loose and surface rust was showing up here and there.

The Empire mirrors are a long way north of the pair they replaced. These are much more substantial. They are well-designed and well-finished. The mirrors sit solidly on the bike and the glass is extremely clear. The shape allows a wide field of view and adjustments stay where they were put.

These mirrors have a permanent place on my bike. I really like them, except for the fact that they collect bugs. This is the only downside. The contrast-cut pieces provide great places for bugs to collect and it is a little difficult to get them out without intentional work. Grasshoppers in particular are very difficult to clean off.

Other stuff

The last two pieces, the derby cover and timing cover both deserve mention but not much focus. They are very well manufactured, and they are substantial for what they are. Other than that, I don’t have much to say other than they look awesome.

I was a little worried about the Derby Cover from the appearance side. You see, my bike is a blend of black and chrome. It started all chrome just like all of the 2017 bikes and I was working toward blacking it out. Then in 2018 all the Specials came blacked out and it no longer seemed like a murdered out bike would be nearly as special. That's why in 2018 I started trying to find that balance of chrome and black on my bike. It's one of the reasons that I was so happy to get contrast-cut parts. My primary is chrome and I thought it might be weird with the black contrast cut against the chrome primary case. I didn’t need to worry. It looks awesome and adds to the blending of black and chrome pieces on my bike.

Summary

I love these parts. Every one of them is solidly built. The fit and finish is outstanding. These parts are substantial. There isn’t one of them that is not as good as stock and most are quite a bit better. The only miss for me (actually my wife) is the passenger footboards and that is a very small nitpick. They were still comfortable for her on our 600+ mile trip to Seattle and back right after we got the parts. She isn’t asking for me to switch back but given her feedback, I will pull them off and put the old ones on if we are going for longer trips.

Aesthetically, the look is unified and not over the top at all. With all the parts on there, it looks like they were part of a coherent plan to upgrade the bike. You probably need to have an educated eye to know they are aftermarket because they are so clean.

A huge thank you to Ryan and Law Abiding Biker. The cost of these parts is the one downside of this collection. If you were to put on all the pieces together at one time it is going to cost you about $2200. That is a lot of cash to lay out. Is it worth it? I don’t know that I would have spent it all at one time but I sure do like the pieces and after having them now, It would be easier to justify the cost. I love the fact that Ryan’s first thought when we got all of the parts from Harley was to give back to the community that supports the efforts of Law Abiding Biker. It's just one more way he is proving he is aligned with their mission of “Bikers Helping Bikers”

Ride Safe, Ride Often

“Chief”

 

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Ditching the Harley-Davidson Plastic Intake Manifold

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Why I Decided to Replace my Plastic Intake Manifold

So. It all started when I heard a story about a podcaster upgrading his engine.  The dealership that put in a 131 engine told him there is an ongoing problem with the plastic intake manifold on the Milwaukee 8 (M8) warping. Yes, you read that right. Plastic! Who would put a plastic intake manifold on a motorcycle? This just seemed like a stupid idea.

I started to worry.  Not big “W” worry but kind of a nagging though.  I started wondering about how my bike was performing. An unexplained deceleration pop here and there, my mileage hadn’t been great and there was a morning where it acted like it was a carbureted bike. It was kind of a random issue here and there and none of it was consistent. Just every once in a while you would notice things weren’t right. I am coming up on 50k and I don’t baby my bike.  This possible issue had me thinking about the stupid plastic intake manifold when I woke up at night.

I came across an S&S manifold for under $200 and decided to pull the trigger and just go ahead and swap it out. S&S is about as trusted as you can get and the video on S&S’s youtube channel looked pretty simple. I thought about reaching out to Law Abiding Biker again and seeing if they wanted to film the installation but I thought that S&S had a pretty good tutorial video and that I might be just wasting time on suggesting a new video. Here’s the thing though; the Law Abiding Biker crew has said a bunch of times, they are going to show us “step by step without skipping any steps.” The S&S video skipped more than a couple of steps. But that is getting ahead of the story.

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Disassembly 

Saturday morning, coffee brewed, cup filled, and out to the garage, I go. Back the wife’s car out, set up my folding table for parts, and strip off the seat and tank. Air filter off, wait, what's this? My breather bolts were loose, not even hand tightened. Well, that explains why I have been getting intermittent oil blow-by on the front of my bike. It started this week after I cleaned my air filter between service intervals.  I  parked my bike after I noticed it knowing I would be taking the tank off and getting better access to things this weekend.  Now that I know the why on that issue. The air cleaner backplate comes off and it is on to new territory.

This is where I started to notice the issue with the S&S video. They were time lapsing on all the disassembly. I ended up pulling out my manual and looking at the printed process. There was no doubt there were going to be gaps in this disassembly process I would have to figure out myself.  I started to pull off the throttle body and found things pretty loose. Like the entire manifold was moving around pretty well. I knew that wasn’t right. I pulled the throttle body off the manifold, I got to the point where I had everything disconnected, and went to pull the manifold off. The video instructions didn't bother to mention the rear manifold bolts. 

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Missing Bolt?

Things were moving well on the front cylinder but not at all on the rear cylinder. I ended up pulling my horn off to see better and saw that there was only one rear intake manifold bolt. There was no bolt holding the front cylinder manifold on the clutch side of the bike. I loosened the rear manifold bolt and things came right out.

I found it very surprising to only have one bolt here. No one has done any work on this part of my bike. Ever. Not me, not a shop. Not even anything close to it. Manifold bolts are not on anyone's inspection sheet. The exhaust manifold is on there at every service interval but not intake. This is not a part anyone is paying attention to.

OK. So now I know. It was a good idea to tear into my intake, even without the part replacement. It is good that I am in here right now. I was apparently overdue. Once I had the manifold out I put the two manifolds next to each other. Holy cow, how can you even compare the two? Let’s take a minute to talk about the S&S manifold. Cast aluminum and CNC machined it is something of an art piece next to the stock plastic unit.Plastic Intake Manifold

For reference, the manifold I installed is part number 160-0241. It is listed as fitting 2017-2021 M8 engines and is specifically applicable to replace the OEM plastic intake manifold in 124 and larger big bore builds. My installation is a simple 2017 107 CI motor that has a Stage 1 tune and kit. You would want to talk to your builder if you were going to a big bore kit, I am guessing there would be a change to the injectors and possibly even the throttle body.

Once the OEM plastic intake manifold was removed it was time to pull off the fuel rail and injectors and the MAP sensor.

Installation

The instructions and several other videos said to put the new manifold in loose and bare; then to put the map sensor, fuel rail, and injectors in after it is loose fit. Man, putting that little Torx 30 and 25 screws in there is a tight fit. In fact, there isn’t enough room to get an L-shaped key into the Torx heads until it is completely seated and you are finishing up on the tightening. I ended up using Torx bits from a driver and a ¼ box-end wrench to tighten it up. It was one of the tightest installations I have done in a while.

The oil lines to the rear cylinder go straight over the top of the manifold above the screws and there is zero clearance. This is another place where the S&S video failed me. I wasn’t quite sure how far the injectors set into the manifold and there was no image to help show it. The video is almost completely shot from the other side of the bike and there is no detailed look at this step. I ended up pulling them out, fitting them in the old unit and when satisfied I understood how they fit returning them to the new unit. It turned out I had them just fine for the last half hour while I tried to get them to seat just a little better. 

After the MAP sensor, fuel rail, and injectors were installed it was time to put the throttle body and backing plate on the still loosely fitted manifold.  Connecting the backing plate while the throttle body is loose positions the manifold to ensure that the interface is perfectly positioned between the engine and other intake systems.

Here is where another video shortcoming came in. I didn’t know it yet but there is a wire harness that plugs into the bottom of the throttle body. This wire harness has to go on the inside of the backing plate where it connects via the breather bolt on the rear cylinder. The instructions didn’t mention this and I ended up revisiting this step again later.

The backing plate is attached and the manifold location is firmed up it is time to tighten the manifold down. A huge shout out here to my independent mechanic Doug Morgan at Red Wrench Cycles, I texted him asking if he had manifold bolts in stock. He didn’t but told me he certainly had one he would give me. Love this guy.  He continues to pull my fat out of the fire time after time.

Now that I had all four manifold bolts I tightened it up. The manifold bolts are another set that doesn’t give great access. You are going to want a long ball end Allen for the throttle side. Even then, put an extension on it with a wobble and you are probably gonna be ok but it is tight. The clutch side is even worse. I ended up grabbing the 1/4 inch bit from the same driver set, putting it in there, and using an end wrench to turn it. Even then, getting that bit in there was a pain.

All tightened up and it is time to reconnect the wires. Or it should be, instead, it is time to take the air cleaner backing plate off again and run the wire harness where it should have been run, to begin with. Now that I got that settled, it was the backing plate back on and the air cleaner installed.

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Results

Tank on, the seat on, and it is time for a test ride. First, I fired it up while my Vance and Hines FP3 was live to see if I had any error codes. There were a few related to losing connection to the throttle body which was interesting since I hadn’t switched the engine on while I was working. However, they cleared the minute the bike started up. No new codes, no problems running. Sounds strong, stronger maybe, or maybe it is my imagination.

I threw on my helmet and took it for a spin “around the block.” It felt good, better in fact. Lots of front suspension extension on acceleration. I like that. Hard fast shifts and it is breathing well. Better. Is it the 3-5 HP that S&S promises? Who knows and who cares. I think it is better and I know long term it will be more reliable so… mission accomplished. This is one upgrade I highly recommend to anyone who is running an M8 engine. It just makes sense, especially for the price. Looking back, I probably should have done it with my air cleaner 30,000 miles ago.

I Need a New Air Cleaner Cover

Now, I kind of think it's a shame that I have that OEM football air cleaner cover on. It blocks the view of the manifold. I may need to get something with a smaller visual footprint. Alloy Arts was talking about a new translucent air cleaner they were developing that was supposed to be revolutionary. Maybe one of the bagger racing teams will develop something cool. We will just have to keep watching.  There is always the next upgrade.

If you ever find yourself wondering what it is that separates the Law Abiding Biker video products from other how-to videos this is the list.

  • Step by step without skipping any steps
  • Multiple camera angles when necessary
  • 4k video so you can really see the details
  • Detailed narration
  • No time lapse If you have to do it they are going to show it or have already shown it in another video.

Ride safe. Ride Often.

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The Surprising Motorcycle Progressive Jacket I Chose

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Harley-Davidson Ridgeway II JacketWell, I listened to LAB Podcast Episode 283 and realized I was behind on my writing.  I laughed at Ryan’s surprise. I can’t blame him, I  surprised myself too.   It was the result of a long process of narrowing down progressive motorcycle gear to a final selection. I looked at nearly every waterproof jacket available.  You would have never convinced me after looking at that many jackets that I would have ended up with something marketed by the Motor Company (Harley Davidson).  I wrote about the process in the article “Shopping for Progressive Motorcycle Riding Jackets & Gear | My Journey.” What I never got around to writing though was a review of the jacket.  The bottom line is, I am still happy with the Harley-Davidson Ridgeway II Jacket.  There are a few things that I noticed along the way that may be helpful but overall, I would say it was a successful selection process.  Even better for this purpose, the jacket is back in stock in many locations.  

Here is the surprising thing, the traditional jacket is still in the Motor Company’s heavy rotation but believe it or not, there are some pretty progressive pieces on the website and at some dealers.  Especially after the release of the Pan America and the co-branded RevIt gear.  I stopped at a lot of dealers this summer in the west.  One thing I noticed is that some of them are very traditional and full of leather, others understand that a purpose-built motorcycle jacket does not have to be black and leather.  Of course, they haven’t quite figured out how to index their website. 

When you search for waterproof as a feature, it only lists five jackets even though I know there are at least five that are not featured which are also waterproof.  You can’t even search by textile.  Of course, you can search by leather though.  It always seems like the Motor Company almost gets it but never quite closes the loop.  

Enough background, let's talk about the Jacket.

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Men's Ridgeway II Waterproof Jacket

In general, the jacket is a basic textile jacket.  It is a basic color-blocked jacket medium grey below the chest and black above the chest.  The color blocking continues in a straight line onto the arms with the outside of the arms being black and the underside continuing the grey from the body of the jacket.  The front has black waterproof zippers on the chest, pockets, and for the opening. 

The jacket has a zip-off hood and has exterior padding on the shoulders and elbows.  The padding looks like tuck and roll from a hotrod and is highlighted top and bottom with grey reflective piping.  There are zippered vents that go from the armpit to the mid-forearm hidden on the underside of the jacket. 

The front of the jacket has a name tag that says “Harley Davidson”.  The collar is a relatively tall stand-up.  The back of the jacket has a large reflective bar and shield logo. To me, this is a good-looking riding jacket.  Like Ryan (Why don’t we call him Scrappy)  and Lurch both said on the podcast, pictures don’t do this jacket justice.  It is a heavy, in a good way, jacket that is built for the slide as well as the ride.  

Pockets

The jacket has pockets for armor in the back, shoulder, and elbow but does not include the armor.  The armor pockets are not adjustable.  The inside of the jacket is smooth nylon that is obviously part of the waterproofing.  Seams are taped around the armor pockets and the seams are inverted so that it is completely smooth inside.  There are two internal pockets.  One is a zippered waterproof pocket with a cord passthrough for your corded electronics.  The other pocket is a patch pocket that is open on top with velcro closure.  

Zippers

The front of the jacket has two zippers on it that create a tunnel that would be nearly impossible for water to penetrate.  This is one of those very substantial storm flaps that should, and in fact, does work to keep things dry.  There is a single front chest pocket that has what looks like a waterproof zipper.  There are two zippered handwarmer pockets.  The material is windproof and to date has been waterproof.  There is a zip-off hood that is in a bin since the day I brought it home

Sleeves

The sleeves are narrow but comfortable.  There is no zipper to close them and there is no fold-over gusset with a closure.  They are very slim. If your gloves have a gauntlet this is the style you want.  No extra bulk.  There is a lycra-like inner cuff that seals off the sleeve and continues down the wrist onto the hand with thumb holes. 

Now, about the thumb holes.  I generally like thumb holes, but these thumbholes do not play well with any of my gloves.  The stitching around the edge of the thumb holes feels just fine when you gear up but 20 minutes into your ride it feels like someone is sawing off my left thumb.  Only the left one, which I found surprising because of my arthritis and thus inflammation, usually means my right thumb joint is usually larger than my left one but on this particular jacket there is something wrong with the left thumb hole in my setup. 

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Collar

The collar on this jacket has a soft lining material and when zipped up creates a nice tall wrap around the neck.  I’ve never been accused of having no neck but I don’t have a really long neck either.  This jacket zips up nicely to create a barrier in cold weather that snugs up against the very top of my neck and creates a very comfortable waterproof seal.  In fact, this comes up high enough that I have learned I better put my head back while zipping up because it hurts like hell when my beard gets stuck in the zipper.  You don’t always notice much more than a tickle while zipping up but damn it, the first time you turn your head to clear an intersection, that hurts.  

Fit

The fit of the jacket is comfortable, it is roomy through the shoulders and the sleeve length is adequate for someone who is going to have their hands on the bars all day.  It has a nice heft to it which is one of those surprising things.  The pictures of the jacket, like Ryan and Lurch said, make it look cheap.  Like it is no more than a light windbreaker or a hoodie.  This jacket has substance.  The fabrication choices are nice throughout, they feel good on the hand, and over seven months and lots of miles I can say it is a quality jacket.  

Testing

This is the only jacket I have used since the Spring of 2021.  I picked up a riding shirt that I used some at the end of the summer.  Living in a travel trailer this summer, we had to make choices about what came along and what went to storage.  This jacket made the cut and if it hadn’t been for Ryan’s review of the Speed and Strength True Grit, I would have been just fine without a second riding jacket.  

I’ve now ridden this jacket in weather from 101 – 37.  I was uncomfortable at 101 but cozy with my heated liner at 37.  I have ridden on sunny days, and in sleet, rain, and wind.  It has not failed me in any condition.  The waterproofing works well.  There are no places the water sneaks in.  It took a long time this year to find rain.  Probably because we spent the better part of the summer months in the Southwest.  When I finally found rain it was a happy day to know the jacket stood up to the test.

Heat

I wore this jacket on the way to SoCal for the Patreon meetup.  I met up with our very own mileage machine Chuck Wilburn in Redmond, Oregon the day before the meetup and we rode down to pick up Terry McDonough in Medford.  It was in the mid-40s when we left Redmond and Chuck and I were bundled up. I took off my liner, which I had not bothered to turn on when we stopped in Chemult.  Going over the mountain the temperatures continued to rise but Chuck and I didn’t stop anywhere so it was open vents and ride on. 

By the time we got into Medford we had to get across town, which involved a lot of stop and go, to where Terry was, it was hot.  Until that hot stop and go, the jacket did ok as long as we were moving.  Venting was good and I could have lived with the heat.  We were in the high 90s and low 100s.  It was past time to get the jacket off but we knew we were close.  When we met up with Terry, coats came off before gas went in.  High 90s is definitely too warm for this jacket and 100 causes sweat to drip down my back and I am not a fan of that.  We rode the rest of the day in long sleeve shirts.  

Rain

I had to drop my bike off the first weekend of November here in Central Oregon for some warranty work.  It was 37 and raining when I pulled out.  Jacket on, liner turned on, heated gloves gauntlet over the sleeves.  I pulled into the dealer and the wife asked if I needed the heat cranked up in the Jeep when she picked me up.  Nope, I was just fine despite an hour in the cold rain.  The top of my things were cold and that was it (my rain pants aren’t much more than a shell). 

Those two examples cover the extremes with this jacket.  It handles them, and everything in between. It also doesn’t feel like you are wearing a jacket that screams “I rode my bike here, look at me” when you wear it around.  As I said, we have been living with a very small closet space since June 2021.  This is the only coat I have out of storage.  Despite that, I have not been wanting.  I have worn this as a casual jacket a few times since September when it got cold.  It works just fine as a casual jacket.  

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Final Thoughts

Overall, it is a solid jacket that is a good choice for a medium weight jacket comfortable for riding up to mid-80s and down to relatively low temps with assistance from a flannel, sweatshirt, or heated liner.   I have never regretted its choice and hope to enjoy many seasons with it.  

Ride Safe, Ride Often

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ODIN Manufacturing – Motorcycle Glove Review

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ODIN Manufacturing Motorcycle GlovesI'm Patreon Member Brad Johnston and I have a problem.  Apparently, I believe there is a perfect glove out there.  I keep searching for it.  It has led me to purchase a drawer full of gloves that seldom make it onto the bike much less onto my hands.  Last summer when Patron Member Matt Haywood was in my neck of the woods I noticed a pair of gloves hanging off of his tank, magically. I thought it was cool, but I was busy playing host and forgot about them.  A few weeks later he posted a picture and I noticed those gloves again.  When I reached out he told me about Odin Manufacturing. 

If you know anything about me, you know I am a fan of Norse mythology.  I’m 25% Norwegian and consider this one of my primary histories.  My dogs have been named Thor and Baldr.  My last two bikes were named Mjolinir and Heimdall.   If I have named my dogs after Odin’s sons I certainly am interested in a company named Odin.  

About the Company

Odin is a small manufacturing company located in Alberta Canada that was founded in 2016 by two brothers.  They say that commitment, dedication, and patience have brought them to where they are today.  Their designs are influenced by their roots in snowboarding, motorcycles, mountains, and music.  Starting as a bootstrap company they have outgrown their garage and basement but continue to carry forward their family values.  They are a company built by riders that test their innovative products only one way, giving them seat time.    

Products

Odin features gloves, anoraks (that look very interesting for an alternative to regular rain jackets), vests (which can be custom-built) rain gear (which looks innovative), and a variety of casual clothing. There is a variety here that is likely to appeal to a broad category of riders.  It is worth looking over the entire website. 

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Pricing

One thing to make sure of, while shopping, is that you select the correct currency as you are browsing the site.  Pricing is displayed in either United States Dollar (USD) or Canadian Dollar (CAD), depending on your selection.  When I was shopping, I went back one day and found pricing had increased substantially.  It had not, My denomination had changed though.  At this writing, the CAD is worth 79 cents so it makes a difference. 

Gloves

There are two features common to all of Odin's gloves.  The tank grabber magnets hold your gloves to the tank and the flip-top fingers.   They have a variety of gloves available.  MX-style gloves have a super light leather palm and fabric backs available in a variety of printed themes.  The Originals and Heavy Hitters are both available in solid or perforated leather.  Their gauntlets feature a 75-gram Thinsulate liner and long leather cuffs with a zipper to cinch them down.  It’s safe to say that there is a glove for everyone in their lineup.  

I ordered the model called The Originals.  The Heavy Hitters and The Originals are very similar in design with the exception of the hard knuckles and padded wrist of the Heavy Hitters.  The rest of the design appears the same.  I haven’t had good luck with hard knuckles.  I have an old injury on one hand that resulted in a misplaced and malformed knuckle.  As a result, it doesn’t play well with a lot of gloves with firmly placed knuckles.  I opted for the originals.  Both Heavy Hitters and Originals are available with perforated and solid leather.  I have a good pair of mesh gloves so I went with the solid leather.  

First Impression

The first thing I noticed was the packaging and quality of the leather.  The packaging was attractive but not overdone.  The cardboard hangtag has a Valknut on it (a Norse rune associated with warriors and Valhalla), this spoke to me, but probably won’t to everyone.  The glove has a nice thin cowhide that is supple and preformed to the natural curvature of your hands.  Not all gloves are created equal here and while most will eventually form to be shaped like your hand starting there is an improvement. 

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Palms

The palms are reinforced with a double layer of leather and quilted.  The palms retain a good feel without being bulky.  Looking at the palm construction and thinking about past spills I am pretty sure the palms could save me some significant road rash on the palms.  There is no other scaphoid protection or palm sliders but, if that is the glove you are looking for, this isn’t the style for you.  

Seams and Cuffs

Odin designed these gloves with many seams where the fingers and sides are sewn together creating a slim profile.  This is certainly not the cheapest way to make these gloves and it is noticeable to the end-user.  The inner seams are smooth and non-offensive.  The back of the glove has a short cuff that does not interfere with my apple watch (a problem with some gloves) and has an elastic gathering of the fabric to keep it taught while still allowing an easy-on and off.  A rubberized velcro tab tightens the wrist nicely.  The bottom side of the cuff has a large tab that extends down with a magnet inside of it.  The leather on this tab is soft and not likely to cause any scratching on the tank when used.  The magnet grabs the tank firmly and has held, even in pretty stiff winds.  I don’t think I would trust it while riding though.  

Branding

There is a lot of branding on these gloves.  However, it's the type of branding that you don’t mind.  A small red tab that says ODIN, embossing on the back of the middle finger that says ODIN a Valknut on the back of the glove, and the velcro strap has the company name on it as well.  Personally, I am ok with the branding.  My favorite gloves, which I have had for about 20 years, have no visible branding on them and I have no idea who made them.  I wish I knew so I could buy another pair.  That won’t be a problem with these gloves.  

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Easy Flips Fingers Glove

I’ve tried a lot of different gloves that promised to be touch screen friendly.  Most are nothing but a failure. These gloves are gimmick-free.  I was pretty skeptical when I saw the fingertips.  They look pretty bulky and even a little sloppy.  When on, you forget they are there.  You forget they are there till you need it that is.  A slight tug, frequently with my teeth, and your finger is free, no fabric covers your fingertip or thumb.  The freed digits make it easy to deal with your D-ring, your phone, grab your card to pay for gas, and other things you would normally need to take off your gloves for.  I was a little worried about how this would wear over time but four months and a thousand miles or so and it seems to be wearing just fine.  

My Overall Review

These are quality gloves that I like a lot.  Sizing is solid and in keeping with the information on the website.  Follow their guides and you should be spot on. My gloves allow me a great deal of dexterity with gloved hands which is awful nice.  I am kind of a glove snob and these gloves make the grade. 

I only have one downside that I found.  It is also pretty specific so not likely to affect many others.  My primary riding jacket has extended cuffs that have thumb holes on it.  I kind of like it because it does create a nice seamless transition between coat and glove.  When used together the seam on the jacket thumbholes and the inner seams of the gloves overlap.  This causes extra bulk right on the inside web of one thumb.  The fact it's only one thumb makes me think it may be a “me” problem.  Like I said, my hands are kind of weird.  It's a little annoying.  It's not like it causes you pain, just annoying and unlikely to be something I’d want to live with on a 600-mile ride.  The seams may settle in, I may develop a callus there.  We will see.  Right now, I tend to not use the extended cuffs from the jacket with the gloves and it's all good.  One more lesson about how all your gear interfaces together and how strengths may become weaknesses.  

I like the looks of all the Odin products and will probably end up buying another pair of gloves at least.  Their rain gear looks off the hook too.  I mean one can’t have too much gear, can they? Please, no one tell my wife I asked that question.  

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My Day with Law Abiding Biker-Film & Podcast-Behind the Scenes

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Law Abiding Biker

Matt Couchman (left) & Brad Johnston (right)

First, let me make this clear.  I am not part of the Law Abiding Biker (LAB) crew.  Yes, I am a patron member.  I have been hanging around as a patron member for a couple of years and I have met a few of the guys more than once.  A few of them are in the contacts on my phone because we have talked once in a while.  It's not because I am part of their corporate life though as anything but a customer, and now a website article contributor.  I reach out to them when I have ideas.  That’s how the West Coast Patron Event happened.  It's also how I ended up spending a day in the studio.  

Everyone who follows Law Abiding Biker Media knows that Ryan Urlacher is one of the hardest working creators in the industry.  What you may not know is that Matt Couchman “Lurch” is right there with him. He’s not just the pretty hands in the videos. He's part and parcel of the success at Law Abiding Biker Media, but I digress.  

FILM DAY

So what is a day at the Law Abiding Biker Media studio like? I arrived at 8:30 am rolling up on my Harley and wondering what the day would be like.  The first greeting was not from Ryan or Matt but it was from Ryan’s dog.  The dog barely waited for my bike to stop before she was at the throttle side looking for attention.  Here is a word of advice.   If you don’t want to keep throwing the toy don’t start throwing the toy.  I am a dog lover so I knew what I was getting into when I started but I had a new friend developed right there.  Ryan and Matt were there but occupied by something else.  

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Ryan, or his wife, had a treadmill delivered on Friday, so the first order of business was getting the treadmill into the old studio (AKA bonus room).  While I started to help out, the stars ended up aligning and Ryan and Matt did it themselves.  You can really get a feel for how long people have been friends by the ball-busting that goes on at a moment like this.  These two have been friends for more than a minute.  

Once the treadmill was in place the bike shuffle began.  One bay in the Media studio/shop has four LAB bikes, a Kawasaki KLR,  a police Harley Electra Glide, a Harley Dyna Low Rider S, and a Harley Night Train. Ryan's Street Glide Special was on the lift in the next bay and we needed to get my Harley onto it.  Because it was going to be raining soon we wanted all the bikes inside.  One bay now had five bikes in it to make room.  My bike went on the trusty Titan Motorcycle Lift that LAB sells right in the Law Abiding Biker Store.

Ryan was kind enough to ask if I had ever ridden a bike up onto a lift.  He said it was a bit tricky and asked if I wanted him to go ahead and do it.  I have more sense that my mom gave me credit for early in my life.  Ryan hopped on my Harley Road Glide to put it on the lift.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of this.  My bike is set up to be comfortable for me.  Ryan and I are about a foot different in height.  Ryan choked up on my bike quite a bit. He was practically riding on the tank because my mini apes are pushed forward quite a bit.  He probably had 3” between his back and the back of the Mustang  Summit Touring Seat that advertises moving the rider back 1.75 inches.  

This scene told me two things, Ryan knows his way around bikes and the ability of the Harley Davidson platform to fit different riders' needs is phenomenal.  With the amount of conversation this model year, it is worth mentioning he needed no time to figure out the clutch.

FILMING AND THE NEW STUDIO

Once the bike was locked in the chock and strapped down on the lift we started to work. The goal this day was to install rear Rockford Fosgate speakers and pods to the tour pak on my Harley Road Glide. 

We didn’t need to film the tear down since they've already released plenty of videos on that so Matt and I started tearing off the fuel tank, seat, and front fairing.  It was nice working with a competent partner and we had it done pretty quickly.  Always a sad sight though seeing your bike stripped down to the backbone. 

A quick word about the studio.  We were in the garage portion but there was no doubt that we were also in a film studio.  There was more sound dampening than you are likely to notice in a high school auditorium.  Just about every flat surface on the ceilings and walls is covered with acoustic foam.  The ceiling is full of lights.  When it came time to set up to shoot Ryan brought out a camera and small light array along with a step ladder.  Because he is in a studio, the setup time for him was about 2 minutes.  There is no doubt that this shop/studio adds to overall productivity. 

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Having watched the YouTube Channel for a few years now, I saw a lot of videos produced in the old garage that's attached to the home which we carried the treadmill through.  You can see that the old system would have required an hour, if not more, to get ready to film and on a rainy Saturday you might have been tempted to give it up as you had to drag all of your yard tools, kids bikes, wife’s car, and everything else we all have in our garages, out into the driveway.  The new studio by contrast is always in a state of readiness.   

THE WORK

Matt Couchman Drilling into Brad's Bike

Matt started laying out parts and I cleaned out the tour pak on my bike, we talked a little about strategy, including what kits we had, and then started on the install.  Then we encountered the first hurdle. The kit doesn’t tell you where to plug in the rear speaker harness.  Matt and I both pulled out our maintenance manuals and started looking through plug lists and electrical diagrams.  We were both convinced we were looking for a gray molex plug. Turned out the description was misleading and we were looking for a black plug with a grey terminal probe.  The manual said it was a 6-way plug even though it was clearly a 4-way plug.  

Because of the lack of clarity, we plugged in the rear speaker harness and a speaker to see if we got sound.  All was good!  With the harness now run, we started mock-up of the pod install.  This all went according to plan.  It was time to drill so we drilled the small holes for the bolts but needed a hole saw for the portholes.  The three of us hopped in Matt’s truck and headed to the hardware store that's about five minutes away. If only this had been our last trip.  We decided it was time for lunch and LAB was kind enough to buy us lunch at a nice sports bar in the area.  

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We got back to it and got the holes drilled in the tour pak.  We did not miss the opportunity to make it look like we didn’t know what we were doing via a photo and for me to tease my wife that we now needed a new tour pak.  Matt did most of the work while Ryan filmed.  Sometimes Matt stood around and waited for Ryan and me to finish talking about whatever topic we’d found to crawl down the rabbit hole of.  I mostly stood back and kibitzed at this point.  It was pretty much like any other day hanging with your boys in the garage wrenching on a motorcycle.  The only difference was every once in a while Ryan would have to tell us to do something again or slow down the wrench, speed up the wrench, or similar directions.  

WHEN THE MOMENT CAME

Then we got to that point in the project that will make everyone want to buy the video.  We figured out that the instructions suck.  The instructions have you putting the hardware in places the hardware can’t possibly hold the pods to the tour pak.  We tried it and filmed it several ways, while Ryan introduced each shot with “edit edit edit”.  We did this part more than twice but less than twenty times.  The jack nuts that were supplied in the kit just kept pulling out no matter what we did.  Then we got our Google on.  We figured out that the jack nuts required a special tool to expand.  It is kind of like a rivet tool.  It all made sense.  

Back to the hardware store.  We found more jack nuts but no jack nut tool.  Instead, we bought a couple of dollars worth of hardware, fender washers, lock washers, and nuts.  Back to the shop/studio and more filming, this time with success.  Of course, we just finished tightening things down when we realized that we forgot my wife’s cupholder.  We loosened up the throttle side pod and installed the Ciro 3D Passenger Mount Big Ass drink holder (Part of the reason we decided to go with speaker pods instead of saddlebag lids).

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With the project all buttoned up a little before 5:00 pm we cleaned up the shop, shuffled the bikes, and sat down to make notes about the install and discussed that night's podcast episodes.   We went into Ryan’s house for dinner.  Buddy the Studio Dog made an appearance. He’s now blind and deaf but tough as nails.  Ryan’s family were gracious hosts and had picked up Vietnamese take out for us.  Turns out Matt is a little bit of a light weight on the heat.  Ryan’s wife kicked up the heat level from their usual 5 to a 6.  I got a little sweat on the brow but Matt was truly uncomfortable.  It didn’t stop him from getting seconds, but we had fun giving him a bad time.  

Brad Johnston

Back out to the studio and getting ready for the podcasts.  Ryan didn't tell me this was going to be the first live stream done in true high-def.  I definitely have a face for radio.  This high def thing. Not all of us are that pretty! We logged in, got running, and before we knew it the first podcast was in the can.  A few minutes, a few frustrations for Ryan getting ready, and then we were back recording podcast episode 2.

THE FALSE END

We wrapped the night at about 9:45 pm.  A little over 12 hours since we started up.  I headed out, tired, but feeling pretty good about the day.  I thought my day was over and I just needed to get back to the hotel to tuck myself in.  

It didn’t take long to realize that it was dark as can be and I forgot to switch out my dark tint face shield for my clear one.  Now I know better than this but I was feeling lazy.  I thought I would just pull my clear glasses out of the clutch side compartment and throw them on.  Bad idea compounding an already bad decision.  I felt something fall out of the compartment and hit my foot.  I pulled over and got the glasses out.  Assuming that whatever hit my foot wasn't important, I got back on the road.  It seems stupid in retrospect.  

Back at the hotel I grabbed my laptop and helmet, tucked away my gloves, and headed in for the night.  At 11:00 pm the fire alarm went off.  I was too damn tired and didn’t smell any smoke so I stayed put.  I heard the staff in the hallway saying it was a manual pull and false alarm.  15 minutes later the fire department showed up and started trying to reset the alarm.  The alarm went off three more times before they were done.  I finally dropped off to sleep around midnight waking with a start at 2:00 am Sunday morning. I realized that I had stuck my fob in the same compartment my glasses were in when Ryan rode the bike onto the lift.  I panicked thinking that the fob was what fell out on the road. I got up, dressed, and grabbed my coat and helmet.  I thought I was going back to Selah to find the fob, provided my  PIN worked.  

When I found the fob in the compartment it was a huge relief.  My guess is what fell out was ChapStick.  Probably well melted and over a year old.  Back to sleep, it was much relieved not to be riding at 2:00 am.  

I thought the story was over and it was just the trip home now but that isn’t how these things go.  I stopped at Starbucks for breakfast, eating outside since they weren’t allowing indoor dining due to COVID.  An old crusty biker called out to me as I was walking back to my bike remarking on my Oregon plates and asking what brought me to Yakima.  I told him I had lived there for a while and liked to visit from time to time but that this trip was about doing some work on my bike with friends.  

Of course, as these things go the conversation couldn’t end there.  He wanted to know who did the work and asked if it was Ogley Ray (a mechanic at a local Harley dealership).  I told him it was not Ogley Ray but was a friend who ran a YouTube Channel.  He asked what my friend's name was so I told him it was Ryan Urlacher.  He mentioned Ryan’s police agency he works for and asked if it was that Ryan.  I told him it was.  Of course, this guy knew Ryan and said that he’d had one of those moments where he had 30 seconds to make a decision about whether he was going to jail or staying free.  He said Ryan was there for that.  This guy apparently needed to talk.  I heard about his murdered brother-in-law, his wife that died, and his new girlfriend.  How weed had almost ruined him and how now it was a legal business that he just couldn’t understand. 

It was an interesting conversation, the type that only happens to guys who ride because people think they know what kind of person you are when you pull up on a bike.  I ended up being a bit of a therapist for him that morning before he drove home to his girlfriend and I got on my bike.  I was glad he made the connection and that I was there for him at that moment when he broke down.  I’ve had those moments by myself and they aren’t better alone.  

This proved it is a small world.  Evidenced by Ogley Ray’s friend, the fact that I know people that know Ryan’s sister, and that we in the Law Abiding Biker Community come from all walks, ride all makes and have never failed to have something to talk about.  

It was a great weekend. It was about 400 miles of rural interstate riding across a mountain pass, crossing the Columbia River Gorge, and riding through the high deserts of Washington and Oregon.  I got to hang out with a couple of good dudes, work on a bike, drink some beer and whiskey (no White Claw Tylar), and tell some stories.  It was never weird.  I was never star-struck.  We were just a bunch of guys hanging out together.  The only thing that would have made it better would've been if we would have needed to test ride something together so we could share the road.  We will just have to wait for June in California for the large Law Abiding Biker Patron Member Ride & Meetup Event to share the road.  Who knows though.  It is a small world and odder things have happened.  

Happy Wife Is A Happy Life | Biker Tested Harley Passenger Comfort Equipment & Riding Gear

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Recently, we did a Law Abiding Biker Podcast episode talking about my Road Glide Special and its transition to identifying as an Ultra.  The motivation behind many of those changes was comfort.  Not just for me, but also for my wife.  The saying Happy Wife Happy Life is well worn and has survived a long time for a reason.  It turns out in a study by Rutgers, it is also scientifically valid.  We love our bikes, we love riding. If we want those who love us to join us, we have to make it comfortable for them.  

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Early in my journey with my wife, this got driven home. We were on a trip and putting some miles on our Fatboy over a long weekend.  We stopped in Willamette Harley Davidson and she met two women in the bathroom.  She asked them if they were riders and they quite proudly told her, “no honey, we are backseat bitches.”  They then went on to tell her all the places I had gone wrong in giving her comfort.  We learned a lot from those women who were on the back of a couple of Heritage Softails.   Key comfort items that are now on my bike were identified by the “Backseat Bitches” and they set an attitude in my wife that she didn’t need to be uncomfortable on these long trips.  

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My wife is a trooper.  She has put in some long days on the bike, the longest just shy of 800 miles and has never complained, at least not any more than I have.  Part of that is we have made the bike progressively more comfortable for her and her more comfortable while we are riding.  

PERSONAL COMFORT

Getting gear that fits her style and her body shape is critical.   Don’t depend on the local Harley shop for this.  They seem to have a strong belief that all women need on a bike is rhinestones and some pink highlights.  There are good options there but you have to be very focused on what you are looking for.  

HELMET

Get her a good helmet, it doesn’t matter that she only rides once in a while.  She needs something that is quiet, provides wind protection, can accommodate sunglasses, and matches her style.  We started out with a Speed and Strength modular helmet, which has now been discontinued, that checked all of those boxes, and glowed in the dark.  That may seem silly but it made a difference in how she felt about the helmet.  It has huge vents, a wide visor and a drop-down sun shield she loves. Make sure she likes the helmet, she wants to look good on the bike.   

Harley PassengerShe has since decided she wanted to try a 3/4 helmet and we got her an HJC 3/4 (The HJC IS-33 II) helmet that has nice internal padding, good venting, and a drop-down sunscreen.  She likes the additional visibility and the ability to get better venting with the open front.  We have talked about the level of protection difference and in warm weather, it's a good balance of comfort and safety for her.  

JACKETS

Think about jackets from a different perspective than what you are doing for your own jacket.  She is sitting behind you.  She’s not getting much airflow on hot days, especially if you are a large guy like me.  She needs lightweight jackets that can add thermal layers when she needs them but isn’t overly warm on warm days.  The reality is, she probably isn’t going to ride on really cool days but having a jacket that is flexible is a good practice.  Again, Harley likes the rhinestones here and lots of pink and studs.  That’s not my wife’s style and she wouldn’t feel good in a jacket like that.  She likes leather so we’ve stayed there but there isn’t a rhinestone or stud on her gear.

We got stuck in some really cold weather coming home last year.  Whether she would have never chosen to ride in.  As a result, we looked at the next topic.  

HEATED  GEAR

There are times she is going to get stuck on the bike when she wouldn’t have chosen to ride.  She froze that night.  She would have paid anything to get off the bike when the temperatures dipped going over the mountain.  There just weren’t any hotels in the area. 

After the trip, I started looking at heated gear.  We decided she didn’t need long term (5-6 hours) that plug-in would enable.  We bought her a heated vest, the Gyde Khione Heated Puffer Vest by Gerbing (men version or women version), and two batteries.  She is good for 3-4 hours on high if we get stuck in super cold weather.  If we haven’t found a way to get off the bike by then we are in trouble.  The added benefit is that she can use the vest when she is at football, soccer, or softball games.  It looks just like any other puffy vest the soccer moms are wearing.  

RAIN GEAR

Don’t skimp here.  You will be tempted because she doesn’t plan on riding a lot.  The problem is when you get caught, she needs quality gear that will hold up on the bike.  That is a special set of needs and if you get her garbage for gear, her experience is going to be garbage.  I bought her Harley rain gear because we found it in stock with a good discount using loyalty points.  If I were shopping today I would probably look hard at the Joe Rocket RS-2 Women's Rain Suit or the Icon PDX 2 jacket and pants. Getting a women’s cut rain gear is important.  They need a longer rise, and a jacket and pants cut for a woman’s figure.   

TECHNOLOGY

We use Sena Bluetooth headsets.  WeHarley Passenger chat as we are going down the road on long trips, make choices about where to eat, when to stop, and what is coming or what we see.  There is no yelling, we don’t have to guess, and I don’t guess wrong about what she needs and when she needs it.  It makes for a smoother trip.  We have seen other couples that don’t do this.  Their trips never seem to be going as smoothly as ours.  

I get questions a lot about what Bluetooth/mesh communicator to buy.  My answer is always simple.  Buy what the people you ride with use.  All of them say they play well with other brands and they all lie.  You can make it work but you can’t get full functionality.  We tried for a few trips getting my dad’s different brand to play with our Senas.  It never worked.  It would always look like it was going to work then failed.  My brothers and I finally bought him a Sena for Fathers Day.  

If you show up to ride with me and have another brand communicator I won’t even try to pair with you.  It isn’t worth the time. I would rather be riding than waste that hour knowing it will end in frustration.  Buy what the people you ride with are using and buy a model that has the features you want within that brand.  For a long time, my wife had an SMH 10 and I had a 20S Evo.  She didn’t ride enough to upgrade and it had all the features we needed.  I ended up finding a good price on the 20s Evo so I moved her to my old unit.  If you ride in large groups and are the first to buy, look at the new Mesh systems. 

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You aren’t going to go wrong with either Sena or Cardo.  Both are good companies making good systems.  I have experience with the Sena unit and have had excellent service from their support.  As a result, I skew toward them.  You also can find plenty of help on Sena here at Law Abiding Biker with videos and podcasts on installing units, pairing with the motorcycle and the capabilities and limitations of the systems.  Just go to the search box and type Sena.  You will find more than 7 pages of entries about the Sena systems.  

ON THE BIKE MODIFICATIONS

FLOORBOARDS

Floorboards and the adjustable footpegs were the first things the “Biker Bitches” told my wife about.  We had rear pegs and my wife had already melted the heel of her boots on the exhaust.  We knew there had to be a better way, even on the softail the floorboards made a big difference.  Rider footboards allowed her multiple positioning for her foot.  There is a reason there are footboards on all the touring and light touring bikes.  Let her get the same comfort you have.  

ADJUSTABLE FOOTPEGS
Harley Passenger

Ciro 3D Adjustable Passenger Comfort Peg Mounts

If you really want her on the bike for 6-8 hour days, you need to give her the ability to move her feet to different positions.  Adjustable footpegs fit the bill for that.  The two options that I seriously considered were the Kuryakyn Adjustable Passenger Pegs and the Ciro Adjustable Passenger Comfort Passenger Peg mounts.  While we ended up with the Kuryakyn pegs both are a good choice.  

One word about fitment.  The Kuryakyn fitment does not include specials and standards in the fitment because they require floorboards and these bikes come from the factory with pegs, not boards.  If you have changed from footpegs to floorboards you should be good to go with the same year’s ultra or limited fitment.  You will see a fitment note that says “also fits motorcycles equipped with H-D Accessory Board Mounts.” If you didn't use the HD parts, your mileage may vary.  If you want to keep using footpegs definitely stay with Ciro's product.  It can be used with either floorboards or pegs.  

This product is the same kind of comfort item as your highway pegs.  It allows your passenger to move their knees and hips avoiding locking up when they finally get off the bike.  This was a major change in her ability to be comfortable and have no real impact on me since they fold out of the way when she’s off the bike.  She loves these and they were worth every penny.  

SEAT

When you ride 2 up, you just have to have a good seat for both riders.  For us, that was Mustang.  We started with the Mustang Wide Solo Seat and the Mustang Solo Passenger Seat. It was good but when we upgraded to the Mustang One Piece Summit Seat was significant.  This is basically the Mustang Super Touring seat with a slight redesign for the Rushmore bikes.  The Summit seat gives her a 2″ wider rear seat designed to fill in the space between the tour pak speaker pods.  She got a seat that gives her room to shift and gives her a great platform for being comfortable.  I got a rider backrest that was a game changer for me.  

TOUR PAK

When I bought the bike I bought a King Luggage Rack and a Large backrest. It was good and things like the Rick Rack quick detach systems can take it to the next level.  She was clear she wanted her “queen seat.” What she meant was a Tour Pak.  We bought the Harley Davidson Color Matched King Tour Pack and Air Wing luggage rack.  We picked up the smooth backrest pad intentionally because it had the fewest number of seams that might cause her irritation.  The fancier stitching probably would be just fine but who wants to take a chance.  

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I knew the tour pak would be a good idea.  Then not too long after we bought the tour pak I heard Lurch in a podcast describing his being in a crash on a rental bike.  Long story short, minimal damage to the bike, major damage to the pickup that rear-ended him.  One more reason to have that box on the back.  I put it on with the quick disconnect kit thinking I would be taking it off when we weren't touring but it is so darn convenient I haven't taken it off in over a year.   

SPEAKERS

We have traveled together for several years.  My wife finally had enough of only hearing music through my microphone and the intercom.  She wanted her speakers on the back of the bike. While we could just add speakers I knew that wasn’t going to actually fix the issue because of the underpowered OEM system.  We upgraded the stereo with the Rockford Fosgate 4 channel amplifier and 4 speakers.  This is not the Harley Davidson Audio by Rockford Fosgate that was recently released.  It is the better quality amplifier and speakers that come from the Rockford Fosgate Power line.  I know that Big Daddy Kane has been talking about having this available through Rocky Tucker.  I'd highly recommend you send him a query at rick@lawabidingbiker.com.  

We installed the system in two halves (so that LAB could film the back speaker install to go with their Rockford Fosgate front install video).  I had no issues with the front install with help from the great how-to video from the Law Abiding Biker.  

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With only the front system installed we found was that it was now possible for her to hear the music from the speakers. However, I had to turn it up loud enough that it was uncomfortable for me to continue talking with her.  The stereo is clean and sounds great at that volume but it is just hard not to yell when the music is that loud.  

We had the option to put the back speakers in the saddlebag lids or buy pods and put speakers on the tour pak.  We chose the pods.  If you choose to do this go into it knowing that many Harley dealers don’t know how. Be careful here.  Aftermarket pods are available but some of them are designed for the older style tour pak yet don't make it clear.  I am not an OEM parts snob. Harley makes parts specifically for the new style king tour pak or the old style tour pak.  They are clear about which one they fit.    They also include the wiring harness that is invaluable on this project since otherwise, you will have to create or buy an aftermarket harness on your own.  Finding the correct harness in the microfiche is a challenge. I never did, I found parts of it but never the whole thing. 

The HD kit harness makes this a plug-and-play install on the electrical portion.  It also provides a quick disconnect that tucks under the seat. Installing the pods is another matter altogether.  There is no plug-and-play, and you are going to have to cut into that tour pak.  There is enough weirdness in this install that it is going to make sense to buy the install video.  Two words, Jack Nuts.  Seriously.  It was ugly.  Learn from our mistakes, it will be worth the cost.  The install video also lists parts numbers for the 2014 and up pods and the Rockford Fosgate speakers.

While the wife has not yet been on the back I can tell you the sound is significantly louder at the same volume.  It is a good upgrade, one that is well worth the time, money, and effort.

LIGHTING

Ciro 3D Fang LED Signal Light Inserts for Harley

One last upgrade that didn’t add to her physical comfort but certainly adds to her mental comfort.  The lighting on the Street Glide and Road Glide standards and specials is nearly criminal.  Two small incandescent bulbs provide turn signal and brake signal lighting to the rear.  The amount of light output is minimal and my wife, after following me in the car demanded an upgrade there.  We upgraded the rear incandescent bulbs to Ciro 3D Fang LED Signal Light Inserts and installed Ciro 3D Bag Blades-Harley Saddlebag LED Run/Turn/Brake Lights.  There are many options here to light up your back end and the investment is pretty small in time and money.  

My wife is happy with her comfort level these days and for the moment, I have run out of upgrades for her.  We all know that doesn’t mean that I am out of upgrades.  I have a long list for the bike and the gear still I’m just waiting for the budget.

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Confessions of a Former Michelin Man-Motorcycle Heated Gear

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Motorcycle Heated Gear I love to ride, people who know me think I am crazy, have for years.  I ride in most weather.  The only thing that will keep me from riding is ice.  I don’t play there.  I am fortunate enough to live in the Pacific Northwest.  The weather is generally pretty temperate, seldom extremely hot, seldom extremely cold. The other side of that though is the weather is also fickle.  One March day last year, it was 65 when I stopped for dinner with friends.  I left the restaurant two hours later and it was snowing and starting to accumulate.  I rode home in wind driven snow.  Till that day I said I didn’t ride in snow or ice.  Now it’s just ice.  I kept getting stuck in snow, so I guess I will ride in snow now.  I ride pretty often in the 20s (It's cold mornings and sunny afternoons here for two seasons) and once down to 12.  

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To facilitate that you have to have gear, lots of gear.  I was carrying the thermal liner for my coat, gloves that were good for 45-70, gloves that were good for cold weather, gloves that were waterproof, and gloves that were good for hot weather.  I bought at least a dozen hoodies when I got caught in cold weather.  One trip over Mt. Hood, I stopped and bought a Columbia Sportswear polar fleece jacket to put under my motorcycle gear.  That was a cold ride in mixed rain and snow for a couple of hours.  

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I always carry rain gear.  I also carried heavy overpants that had a thermal liner.  It was getting to be too much.  Thing is, I was still pretty cold some days.  I also bundled up so tight that it was hard to move fluidly on the bike.  I looked like the Michelin Man or Ralphy’s brother from A Christmas Story; not a comfortable way to ride.  Plus when you arrive, you have to take most of it off.  

This year everything changed.  At the end of summer last year, after a very cold trip home over the cascades from a Garth Brooks concert, I bought my wife a battery-operated heated vest.  She doesn’t usually ride in the cold with me.  She is a fair-weather girl and this trip pushed her way past comfortable.  This was my peace offering.  When I checked it out I knew I was buying heated gear for myself too.  

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I didn’t want her to be tethered to the bike but I bought myself a plug-in heated jacket liner and heated gloves.  It changed everything. I don’t carry extra layers anymore.  I haven’t had to stop and buy a layer since last summer (After riding in 100-degree weather for a couple of hours I stopped and bought a long sleeve t at Owens HD in Yakima).  I rode in 35 – 45 degree weather for five hours and I was toasty, not cold.  That’s the big takeaway.  I stopped being cold and now I am toasty, even with a light jacket. I have about 5,000 miles on my heated gear and feel like maybe I am finally able to give a good review.  

Hotwired EVO 12v Jacket Liner

Bottom line, I love this jacket liner.  It is primarily available through Cycle Gear, Revzilla and JP Cycles (It appears to be exclusive to the businesses owned by Comoto Holdings).  The details though are necessary for you to make your own decision. 

The liner is a wind-blocking and water-resistant light nylon liner. It is not set up to be worn externally.  It has a plush lining on the inside of the stand-up collar that is soft against the neck when zipped all the way up.  The controller is built in and drops under a waist-length jacket and sits at the front of the hip on the left side.  There are heating elements in the arms, each side of the chest, and the back.  It can get quite warm. The elements are pliable and do not restrict movement at all.  There is a male plug in the waist of the jacket that plugs into the female end of the included battery harness.  Male plugs tucked into pockets near the cuffs are there to connect to heated gloves.

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The jacket is a nice layer even without it being turned on.  It packs up tight and is easy to keep on the bike. It blocks the wind and insulates you well.  The built in controller provides a high, medium, low setting scheme that is pretty good.  Most of the time, low is good enough with extended trips or extreme cold bumping up to medium or high.  High is very warm. I haven’t been able to use it there for more than a few minutes.  A long press turns it on then a single press cycles to the next level starting at high then medium, and finally low.  One more press returns it to high.  A long press turns it off. 

The liner works best with a light undershirt.  The heat has to get through the layers to your skin and it will be muted going through the layers.  A t-shirt works great, the “tech” fabrics are great but cotton does just fine.  If you put it over a sweatshirt or a flannel you'll find it still effective, but you'll use a higher setting and it will be a very different, still warm, feeling.  The cloth heats up and then you are warmed by the cloth.  Kind of like putting on a hoodie straight out of the dryer.  

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There are two downsides I see.  One is where the controller falls. When the jacket is fully zipped it is on the front of the jacket putting it in the front left at the belt line.  It is in an awkward place that requires me to put my foot out on my highway peg to access it.  Instead, I generally leave it unzipped so that the controller falls more to the side where it is easily accessible.   The second downside is I think I might be getting soft.  I don’t want to be cold anymore.  

Hotwired 12V Heated Glove

Motorcycle Heated Gear

Paired with the jacket liner the gloves kind of complete the package.  Let's get this out of the way first.  While the gloves will provide some abrasion resistance they are not CE rated and have no real protection for a crash.  That’s not why I wear them though, so I am ok with that.  These aren’t for a track day, they are for touring or riding in extreme weather.  I’ve gotta think if you are taking long trips in sub 40 degree weather you have already accepted a risk level that allows for the wearing of gloves like these.  They have a Cordura outside, an undefined waterproof liner and a brushed fabric liner.  They are pretty comfortable and add some insulation for riding even unplugged.  

I was pretty skeptical of the waterproof liner.  No mention of what type of liner it is anywhere in the literature.  I carried my waterproof gloves with me for the winter, just in case.  Turns out, I could have put them in my glove drawer.  That’s right!  I have a whole drawer full of gloves.  Many of them promised waterproof.  Few delivered!  These gloves did.  I rode over three hours in rain recently.  It started to drizzle and hit everything from hail to a sideways coastal gale (literally, a gale warning). Not only did the Cordura exterior not load up, but the brushed lining remained dry as well.  Not even a little bit of moisture got through. The waterproof was good. 

The heating elements run on the back of the hand and down the sides of the fingers.  The palms are thin with a leather layer.  There is no heat on the palms.  It makes me happy  as I have heated grips.  Dexterity and feel is very good.  Built into the back of each hand is a controller.  The controller uses the same scheme as the jacket liner with a high medium low cycle.  Each glove has its own controller. They are 100% independent of each other.  They also come with a long Y adapter to use without the heated liner.  It sits in my glove drawer unused.  It is kind of weird, riding at night with the controller illuminated in your peripheral vision.  They are bright enough that you aren't going to forget they are there and on.

I’d call these gloves pretty fantastic.  The downsides are pretty nit-picky.    The velcro straps on the back of the hand are a little undersized.  They could use another half inch to allow the gloves to be put on without pulling the strap out of the D-ring it reverses through.  The other issue I have is that the gauntlet is very narrow.  It is not wide enough to put most jackets under and is too bulky to put under many jacket sleeves.  I would have liked to see a larger gauntlet with a bungee scheme on the end of the gauntlet to take up the excess.  

I haven’t tried the heated pants liner or heated insoles but feel confident in recommending them.  The pants liner is just a product I can’t see myself using, and I just haven’t gotten around to the insoles.  I’d love to try some heated overpants.  That would match my riding style much better.  The manufacturer appears to have good quality control and has designed a product that works well.  It’s price is very competitive, especially when you consider you don’t have to buy a separate controller.  Nor do you have to have something strapped on to control the units.  This is the opposite of the problem caused by the location of the jacket controller.  I highly recommend this gear.  My only regret is that I waited so long.  

Ride safe. Ride often. 

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