Just last week, a couple of us went to Johor Circuit to have a little fun. I was the designated photographer, no thanks to my recent fracture. The weather was actually pretty good, but there is a notorious patch at the exit of turn one which was always wet when we went there.
Little did we know, or little did Edwin know in this case, that the wet patch actually has algae growing within. Algae is slippery. Rubber tyres and algae don't mix. Unfortunately, it took Edwin a minor lowside to find out. He escaped unhurt except for a sprain on his left ring finger and left ankle. His Suzuki GSX-R750 wasn't so lucky as you can see from the photos below.
The broken off tail panel.
The poor Leo Vince slip-on.
The scratched side fairing.
The frame slider that took most of the damage.
The broken off clip-on balancer, torn throttle grip, and scratched brake lever.
The broken side mirror.
The torn tank bra, which didn't protect the tank panel underneath from scratches.
And finally, the offending algae which caused the front end tuck.
Track riding is fun, only if your pockets can handle it. There is no where else safer than the track to learn about your own riding limits, and the limits of your bike. But be prepared to have some spare cash, when accidents like this happen. Crashing is part and parcel of the learning process. Just suck it up, heal your injuries, fix your bike, and get back on the saddle.
I took a truckload of photos during during the track session. Here are some of them.
Last week, I wanted to get some new levers for my R6, and I have been eyeing the ASV line of levers. There are many other brands out there but it seems to me that the ASV F3 series seems to give the best bang for the buck. They do have a higher end series called the C/5, but it seems to me that they are just made slightly stronger than F3s, and have a longer warranty of 5 years.
So why the ASV F3s? Because of 3 simple reasons.
1. They have infinite adjustability.
2. They are made of forged aluminium, which means that they are very strong.
3. They are marketed as unbreakable levers, which also come with a 3-year warranty.
Let me sneak in a 4th reason; they look great haha. And to show you my point; here are some photos.
The brake lever.
The clutch lever.
The levers came in these sleek looking packaging.
Along with these set of bike manufacturer-specific custom adapters.
Installation is extremely easy, as shown by this video.
Let me re-emphasize my point on infinite adjustability. Notice the red knob in the photos. By turning it towards you, you bring the lever closer to you and vice versa. Technically, you can turn the knob either way infinitely, therefore you can adjust the lever to the perfect distance for your individual riding style.
The way the levers prevent themselves from breaking during a crash is their ability to bend forward. It is pretty hard to illustrate them with just words, so take a look at this video instead.
The ASV F3 levers cost me SGD$240, and I love them. So, before you go buy new levers for your bike, do check ASV levers out.
It has been 8 weeks after the highside that gave me a right radial head fracture, an open wound on the ulnar side of my right forearm, and a right elbow dislocation. Rehabilitation has been tough, but the fear of not being able to ride again is enough motivation to persevere through the pain.
Last week, I collected my R6, and took it out for a spin. Check out the following video to catch a glimpse of the AGV GP-Tech Elements and Dainese Guanto Scalpel.
Happy Chinese New Year everyone! It is a good start to the new lunar new year because I am slowly getting back to riding full time. Still recovering slowly from my injury; every day is a better day. And what more to welcome the lunar new year than to buy yourself a spanking new helmet?
Went down with the missus to Regina Specialities to do a little shopping, she is somewhat becoming my motorcycle apparel advisor. Asked around for the price of a AGV GP-Tech Elements and I was quoted SGD$900 for it. Okay, screw that, decided to get another Arai RX-7 RR5. Walked to Chiap Lee which was just beside, and to my disappointment, they did not have what I want. They were out of stock for the Haslam replica and according to them, they won't be bringing in any more Crutchlow replicas.
I was about to give up buying a new helmet until I went back to Regina and tried to haggle for a lower price for the AGV GP-Tech Elements. Seeing that I was really keen on the helmet, they promised a lower price but did not tell me what the price was until I tried the helmet on.
If you have read my earlier post about the Arai RX-7 RR5, I mentioned some flaws of the GP-Tech. Well, I was wrong about the non-removable neck roll. Turns out that it is actually possible to remove it for washing, the video review by Revzilla is wrong saying that it is non-removable. And the issue about not being able to look out of the top of the visor at full tuck, it is because a lot of people (including myself) have been wearing AGVs the wrong way. Look at Rossi in this photo, the cheek pads are almost touching his eyes. That is the correct way to wear an AGV.
Well, the reason I'm writing this is because I bought the GP-Tech Elements, which came in this beautiful box.
Inside the box, you get the GP-Tech Elements helmet, a good quality AGV helmet bag, the owner's manual, a tool to assist in removing the neck roll, and a tear off visor.
The stitched AGV logo at the back of the head liner.
Different views of the helmet.
The noise level of the GP-Tech is similar to my Arai RX-7 RR5. As for ventilation, they are also quite similar, though the GP-Tech has cooler-looking rear venturi vents. I like the Arai for its renowned crash protection, but I'm sure the AGV can do as well, if not, why is Valentino Rossi still wearing them? AGV helmets do get an A+ for design though, especially Rossi replicas; loud colours tend to get you a few more envious looks at the traffic lights. Only if you like the attention, else get a plain black one.
I haggled the price to SGD$820 for the AGV GP-Tech Elements, and bought a tinted visor for another SGD$70. I'm sure if you're more persistent, you can get a better price, but I wouldn't do well if there was a haggling test. I would probably score 10 out of 100.
Here's the Revzilla video review I was talking about. Ignore the part about the non-removable neck roll. It is removable.
Do drop some comments if you have any questions or just want to know more.
Got the missus to accompany me to JR today to get myself a new pair of road riding gloves. This is in anticipation of me getting back on the R6 somewhere the coming week. When we arrived, we were the only customers there at about 2pm.
I headed to the gloves section immediately and began test wearing a lot of the gloves. I took so many gloves off the shelf that I felt sorry for the staff later haha. Initially I was looking for something in the SGD$200 price range but there was only one glove which was a long cuff glove that I liked. Sadly, the only size M that they had wasn't a colour that I could appreciate.
Long story short, I finally set my eyes on the Dainese Scalpel Gloves. It had a hefty price tag of SGD$437 but the staff said there would be at least a 20% discount, and he left to check on the final price. In the meantime, I tried on the gloves. Because of the big hard part at the back of the glove, it was quite difficult to fit my hand in. But finally, after tugging and pulling my hand into the glove, it felt very comfortable and safe.
The staff eventually came back and told me that the final price was SGD$330. Hmm, very tempting. I took it!
Here are some pictures of the Scalpel.
It came in the standard Dainese zip lock packaging.
In this awesome looking paper bag.
I love this nifty feature called the Distortion Control on the little finger. It basically prevents your little finger from dislocating in the event of a fall.
The protection on the back on the hand.
The protection at the wrist, below the little finger.
Copying word for word from the Scalpel's features list:
Composite inserts in stainless steel faced with carbon fiber on the knuckles and back of the hand
Inserts in thermoplastic polyurethane on palm, joints of the fingers, outside of the little finger and top of the ulna bone
Distortion Control on little finger
Goatskin leather
Palm in Pittards® leather
Reinforced palm
One single leather panel to the size of the hand
Elasticated inserts
Tightening strap
Pre-curved finger
Perforated back
Perforated on inner side of finger
Also, watch this video review by Revzilla.
That's quite a lot of technology for the price. The Dainese Scalpel is not an entry level road riding glove, it is very much a race gauntlet made shorter. But ever since my highside, I emphasize even more on getting the best I can for protection.
Little sidetrack, when I was paying for the gloves, I talked to this old rider who looked in like he was in his 50s. He saw my surgery incision scar, and overheard my conversation with the staff about my highside earlier; he then rolled up his right sleeves and showed me his surgery scars from his highside when he was 47. Broke both of his forearm bones, the ulna and radius, now having plates and screws inside, and still riding. We had a little conversation about how riders always get back on their bikes even after a bad crash, and agreeing that our wives or girlfriends would never understand our passion heh.
Remember, your passion for riding can only be complete with safety gear.
