Power, Control and Safety. This is the theme for fast-guy Atlas this Holiday season… So what are SteveO’s top picks from his 2009 gearbag?
Leo Vince's full titanium exhaust impressed on the ZX-6R Project Bike we built!
Adding oomph to an already amazing machine is never an easy task; especially in the middleweight sportbike world. Gains are usually small and insignificant unless mated to some intense internal motor work. This is why the full titanium Leo Vince Factory Corsa system off our
2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R really impressed. Not only did it add several horsepower, it did so with style and grace – i.e. it looks hot like fire and fit like a glove. Ours even took things to the next level with a blazed MotoUSA ‘M Sprocket’ logo etched on the canister with a carbon fiber end cap. This is World Supersport-spec quality and power available to the consumer at a relatively reasonable cost. And that trick etched logo we got? Don’t go thinking that’s just because we’re special. You can have the same thing, too, though for now only on stainless end cans. Santa, I want one… wait; make that one for every bike in the garage!
CONTROL
Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa Tires – $199.99 – $228.99 (front); $234.99 – $301.99 (rear)
Pirelli's Diablo Supercorsa rubber provides loads of grip mated to feel and feedback that allows the rider to push the available with ease.
As one of the top tires from our recent
2009 Tire Shootout, and having ridden every top rubber available during said comparo, I’d have to give my nod to the Pirellis as my personal favorite. Their mix of great outright grip and an utterly awesome shaped front tire made for buns that begged to be pushed and pushed hard, giving the rider the loads of feel and feedback to do just that. They may have tied with several others in the Shootout for top dog, as with today’s tire the performance is so close that it really comes down to rider preference. But in my book I’ll take a stack of Pirelli’s all day. That’s not to say I wouldn’t nearly equally love stacks of the others, but the Italian rubber and me mesh like the mafia and manicotti. Not to mention they provide some of the best race and trackday support across the nation to back up their product. Fantastico!
SAFETY
Shoei X-Twelve Helmet – $584.99 – $692.99
Tagger Designs Paint – Starting at $600
Riding Michel Fabrizio's World Superbike factory Ducati, Atlas sports the Shoei X-Twelve lid and Alpinestars GP Pro gloves. At these speeds one can never be too safe!
If ever there was one piece of rider protection that shouldn’t be skimped on, it’s unquestionably the helmet. And in the world of lids, there are two brands that continually sit atop as the benchmarks for which all others strive. Both are Japanese, and one is Shoei, who has just released a new top-of-the-line street and roadracing helmet: The X-Twelve. And while it may weigh slightly more than the previous X- Eleven to meet Snell 2010 standards, in every other way it’s better. More air flows through better ventilation while improved aerodynamics reduces buffeting greatly and an improved liner is both more comfortable and wicks away additional sweat. Available in sizes XS-XXL in a variety of different solid and paint schemes, it truly is worth every penny and is the best helmet I’ve even put on my head, bar none. And to finalize mine I had Tagger Designs throw a slick coat of custom paint on top to set it apart from the crowd. Be sure to check Tagger out for great work at a good price and on time.
Alpinestars GP Pro Glove – $229.95
In the event of a fall one of the most vulnerable places on the human body is your hands. You use them to brace yourself and they are filled with small and thin bones, making it extremely easy to break them. This is why no matter what the situation is, having good gloves is paramount. And in the road racing world very few come close to the Alpinestars GP Pro. Fit and finish it top notch, providing the rider high levels of control and dexterity with also having the right mix of plastic and leather to keep on protected in a fall. They also one of Alpinestars technological trademarks, its webbing of the pinky and third fingers on each hand, to keep them from easily separating and breaking, which is one of the most common injuries in racing. It takes a little to get used to, but after a ride or two you’ll never even notice. In fact, I now prefer it to other gloves. It’s for these vary reasons that when I load my gearbag there’s always at least one, if not several sets of GP Pro gloves in it!
KEEPIN’ SANE
Got the Wintertime Blues? Try a dose of MotoUSA Magazine!
If you haven’t seen the latest issue of MotoUSA Magazine, you’re just plain missing out. Eye-peeling photography mated to a mix of bike tests, travel features and technical breakdowns, not to mention coffee-table quality thickness, makes for a must-see. Now I’m a little basis, for sure, but trust me when I say there’s nothing else in the motorcycle industry like it. And I’d know as I’ve worked at several other magazines before coming on board here. MotoUSA Magazine is expanding to five issues for 2010, with subscriptions running $19.99, or pick up a single issue for six small. So when it’s too cold to ride, rid the two-wheeled blues this winter with a new copy of MotoUSA Magazine.
