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Sweet jumping Jehosephat! $550+ for the Signet-Q. When I was trying helmets, they did have me try a Shoei - it felt like a Lay-Z-Boy for my head, but the sticker priced me out of it. I was hoping for sub $300. I can mute my hearing aids (they have a remote), but even with them effectively off, I hear a constant woooooooo that changes to a full on blast/rumble if I lean my head forward at all in my LS2 (at speed). I attribute part of it to the mediocre fit - too much room around the sides/ears. I want quiet, but with swampy SW Ohio summers, ventilation is important. All I want is a magnificent helmet that fits perfectly, is quiet, has great ventilation and is cheap. And it must make me irresistible to the ladies while filling my bank account. Is that too much to ask?

I looked at the webbikeworld link a while back - it seemed a bit out of date. I intend to try helmets on somewhere, but that doesn't tell me how noisy they are. Information seems sketchy in this regard. Thanks

I have an LS2 full face helmet, my first. After having a minor "traction disability", I figure it's time to upgrade. Not because the helmet took a hit, but because I'm pretty attached to my brain. Since I can't rely on good looks, I figure I need to keep the noggin working. I have a "long oval" head and had a hard time finding anything that fits when I was looking. The LS2 is pretty good, but it shifts up and down too much. Also, since I wear hearing aids, wind noise is a real problem. Any idea what brands / models to look at? Long oval, better than DOT, reasonably quiet, reasonable ventilation, mid range price? I heard the ICONs are pretty good, but maybe noisy. Thanks in advance.

How's that Nabi working out?

FWIW, I lean less in right hand turns. I call it, "The Mailbox Factor", as in, "the mailboxes are closer to my head in right hand bends than lefts". It's mental for sure.

The 4k mode is a gimmick for sure, but you can down sample to to time lapse. It also takes less memory space than the full time lapse mode. The the other higher rez modes like 1440 and 2.7k are useful for editing down to 1080P at higher quality. FWIW, I researched the hell out of action cams trying to find a bargain and came away with the conclusion that the gopro is king. The Hero 3 Black does the best job at low light, has the most video modes, does the fastest slowmo frame rate, has the best built in audio, has the best bitrate, the most accessories... That Nabi looks pretty cool, especially for $50. Found a review that says it sucks at low light, but hey, $50! http://www.bckfc.org/showthread.php?14796-Nabi-Square-HD-vs-GoPro-3-Black/page2&s=df7c1266abb997210f6212ec2eb217c3

Ah, but what *kind* of wave? One finger down? Two fingers down? Whole hand down? Hand up, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" wave? Hand up, one choice finger extended? People don't wave because they can't figure out which wave to use in time or are simply frozen in panic from the decision.

Here's the review vid I was talking about:

I have a GoPro Hero 3+ black and love it. I'd be wary of the Sony depending on how you plan on using it - it has a great sensor, but I've seen side by side comparisons revealing the optics aren't too hot -soft at the edges. Last I checked, the Sony completely lacks anything like the GoPro's HQ "ProTune / CamRAW" mode that enables a higher data-rate and far more control. Both the GoPro Hero 3 and Sony and AS30 use the Sony Exmor-R family sensor. I'll try to hunt down the comparison video when I get home

Hahfzr - when I had my 15 mph excursion (damned oil), the elbow armor on my Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 rolled right over and left the thin Cordura to burn through to my arm. I'm really happy with my JR Comet (leather on elbow/shoulders, better fitting arms with better elbow straps, heavier cordura), but I will not own another JR mesh jacket. The elbow protectors are useless without a something positively holding them in place - the Phoenix 5 utterly fails with the silly fold over snap system at the elbow. I'm looking for something with actual straps at the elbows like a Tourmaster Intake 3.

Hmm, this was about 10 years ago. Have the laws changed in that time? Or perhaps the cop who took my statement was incorrect? The "different in Ohio" bit came from his mouth. I do know KY is a "no fault" state and Ohio is not. Either way, there are idiot drivers everywhere.

Having recently been in a low speed low side, I can tell you I'll never ride without gear ever again. I've made excuses in the past, but never again. My gear (mostly) did its job and saved me from anything worse than a few minor friction burns, a sore shoulder and a fractured pinky. On a semi-related note, why is it that every decent textile jacket I've seen has CE elbow/shoulder/back protection, but the leather equivalents, often from the same manufacturer usually do not? I'd like a full leather jacket for the better abrasion resistance w/o settling with the likelihood of a shattered elbow if I go down again (knock on wood).

"Following too close" and fault / no fault are bullshit concepts. Go ahead and try to maintain a proper distance in rush hour traffic - some idiot will immediately jam in front of you, ruining the safety zone you're trying to maintain. About 10 years ago I was driving I-471 towards DT Cincinnati on my way to work after dropping my son off at daycare. Heading down the hill with the city in sight, traffic came to a quick, but manageable stop, leaving about 4 feet between my car and the Firebird ahead of me. Unfortunately, the woman behind me was messing with her lipstick or phone and never touched her brakes. She drove her minivan into the back of my *BELOVED* 1985 Audi Coupe GT, hitting it with such force that I totalled the 'bird in front of me. The GT's trunk had visible beams/channels in the floor I never quite appreciated until that day - the trunk was smashed flat and the engine compartment lost about a foot, but aside from having to give the door a kick to get it open, the passenger compartment was fully intact. I stumbled out of my car to the median in (mental) shock - the full extent of this woman's concern over the carnage she created was to say, "Damn, I broke my coffee mug". Had I not been in shock, I would have given her the verbal equivalent of a savage beating, but as it was, I just sat down in a daze. Because I was in Kentucky, she was found liable for both my car and injuries as well as the car in front of me. If this same accident had happened across the bridge in Ohio, I would have been liable for the totalled Firebird, despite having left reasonable distance and being at a *complete stop*. That accident is why to this day, I always glance up in the mirror when caught in a sudden stop situation; the tactic has saved my bacon multiple times over the years. It's also why the extremely modest forward leaning position my Nighthawk 750 creates is enough to start neck pain. Moral of the story? There are bloody morons around you every second you're on the road and every driver is a potential accident waiting to happen. Drive and ride as such. Or to put it a different way, never, ever underestimate the power of stupid.

I've done it a couple times, which is why I now use those silly, "Remove before flight" key rings for my motorcycle keys. It's hard to miss a 4 inch long, bright red ribbon hanging from the ignition.

BTW, the song is, "As the Rush Comes (Gabriel & Dresden Chillout Remix)" by "Motorcycle"

I often take that ride when the weather is nice. Downtown and surrounding areas on a clear summer ( or fall ) night or early morning is one of my favorite quick rides - I live right up then hill from the city center. I happen to love the old architecture and the lights on a crisp evening are amazing. Much better than staying in the house and watching some crap rerun on the boob tube. Traffic was heavy because of a suaree on the square I was unaware of. I usually try to pick a weekday night late enough so it's mostly deserted. I just decided to strap the GoPro on for some fun.

Trust me, DT is not. The bike was wandering around so much I looked back to see if my rear was going flat.

https://vimeo.com/99935387 Whaddaya think? Thanks

So how does one reconcile picking a good line through a given curve, bend or corner with lane position. The two often seem to conflict. Slow down even more and avoid the center scum?

Also, I did find Keith Code's "Twist of the Wrist" video online. Though it's clearly more about track day riding, there's a lot of great info in it. Once you get past that he seems like a slightly psycho, rock-a-billy Colonel Sanders, that is.

Thanks for the great advice and encouragement! I've been on the Vulcan 500 several times since my last post, including a ride with a buddy around North Bend, OH and up into Indiana (Dearborn Rd. is great), another ride to work which was much better and general tooling around. I'm feeling pretty comfortable again, but still catch myself overthinking sometimes, which indeed immediately causes problems. Remembering back to flight training has helped too. Just like an airplane, the motorcycle seems to reward a light touch and smooth commands while quickly protesting if "manhandled" at all. Despite being a small cruiser with an ancient suspension design, the '500 really seems to respond to activly moving one's body weight around and "swooping" through a series of curves, for a lack of better terms. I'm sure other motorcycles will come and go in my garage that are technically superior machines, but I can't imagine selling the little Vulcan. I've collected all the parts I need to get the Nighthawk back on the road, just need to find the time to fix her up *again*. I have a nagging feeling that getting back on the bigger machine that "threw" me will be harder - it'll just have to take it easy and have patience. FWIW, I've changed my mind about the next MSF course and am thinking I could really benefit from a good dirtbike / offroad course. Learn how motorcycles feel at traction limits in a more controlled environment and lower consequences than the street. Again, thanks for the advice and please keep it coming, Doug

So the ride to work was fine. The ride home however, I got stuck in rush hour traffic. Yeah, I feel like I've regressed to when I had only been riding a few months. It's going to take some time to get comfortable again. I know the Vulcan's limits pretty well, but leaning causes puckering. What a surprise!

Thanks for the bookmarks! I have the Joe Rocket Phoenix in red: http://www.joerocket.com/catalog/index.cfm/236/103/Textile%20Jackets/Phoenix%205.0%20%5Bmesh%5D It seemed like a nice mix of features and performance, but that Tourmaster looks to solve the Phoenix's weekness, namely the baggy, straight arm cut and insufficient elbow pad control. CE armor is useless if it doesn't stay put! Maybe it's the brand of kevlar jeans I have, Sliders, that are too warm. I think a road trip to Iron Pony is in order.

Those pants you posted look interesting. Honestly, I should probably see if Joe Rocket has anything that matches what I have. Yeah, I know they're loved by some, hated by others. My Phoenix 5.0 summer jacket *seemed* great with full elbow/shoulder/back armor and excellent ventilation, but as it's designed, the elbow is too loose for me even when snapped as tight as I can get it - the elbow protector rolled away and left my sharp elbow to burn right through the surrounding cloth. My other jacket however, a Comet, is great. Leather on the shoulders and outer arms, heavy cordura everywhere else and cut much better. It vents well enough, but not for 80F+ riding. I need to look for a better hot weather jacket too. I should take my Vulcan to the west of Cincinnati, around North Bend / Harrison's tomb. I know that area quite well, having ridden the Vulcan there extensively. That could be a good confidence re-booster. Thanks

I rode the Vulcan 500 in to work today. I was a little squeemish in some curves, but just let the bike do what I know it can do. And yes, there's a big patch of scum on the road right where I beefed it on the Nighthawk. I picked a bad line on a "new" bike and paid for it. I do have a pair of Kevlar lined jeans, I'm wearing them right now. The problem is that in 80-90F weather, I'll die of heat stroke wearing them. Thick denim with kevlar reinforcement strategically placed doesn't breath. Plus, they really don't do anything to protect against impact like the pads in my jackets. These jeans do have pockets for knee pads, but with the loose cut, there's no hope they'd stay in place when you need them. It seems there are many more options for protecting one's upper body, with not much in an equavalent level of protection for the legs unless one jumps to full on riding pants or a suit. What is available to protect the legs that can be quickly removed or is cool and wearable all day? Are there quick donning overpants? I can't walk around the office looking like Speed Racer; I've considered getting a pair of Kevlar khakis, but I suspect I'll have the same heat problem. I'm thinking of taking the next MSF class (beyond the BRC). If I can get BeaterHawk fixed up in time, it'd be a good machine to take the class on and a way to get reaquainted with it. Thanks