Weise Airspin tested on 2700 mile scooter ride

Freelance Writer & Photographer Martin ‘Sticky’ Round has just completed what he describes as a “silly scooter trip to Istanbul”, covering 4,350km [2700 miles] on 3 vintage scooters carrying three adults and two children. Here’s his verdict on the  Weise Jackets that they used.

Our ‘raid’ visited 9 countries by scooter including Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and a very brief visit to Albania. The highlights were probably riding the Transfagarasan Pass in Romania (one of the world’s greatest roads according to Top Gear) and a 5am sprint across the Bosphorous bridge from Europe into Asia to avoid the worst of Istanbul’s nightmare traffic.

The Weise Air-spin and Air-spin Evo jackets we had made all the difference, enabling us to ride in blistering temperatures in Greece and Turkey while still maintaining a sensible core temperature due to the air-flow through the mesh panels. It threatened rain twice but never delivered more than a few spots (what a shame so never got a chance to properly test the waterproofing liners though we did use them occasionally in the mountains just to stave off the wind-chill. The only problem with the Air-Spin is that Sam managed to melt holes in the arm of his by letting it rest on Tracy’s hot exhaust pipe when he took it off but this was quickly cured with some sew-on patches. Kids – you can’t trust ‘em…
 
Their trip will be featured in Scootering Magazine if you want to read more about it – available from all good newsagents.

Weise K-Shield Gloves Review

Sometimes here at www.inter-bike.co.uk we get sent motorcycling products for review that you know immediately are good, and this is definitely so for Weise’s very stylish K-Shield gloves. Forgive the pun but they really do fit like a glove. These have got to be some of the most comfortable motorcycle gloves we’ve had the pleasure to test.

we can confirm that we used the gloves in several hours of hard rain riding across France and they remained waterproof and we have used the gloves down to almost 0°C and they kept our hands warm. You can use them in warmer temperatures as well, we used them happily up to about 20°C.
They really are a “glove for all seasons!”

Read the full review here.

RiDE recommends Weise Daytona gloves

RiDE magazine has recommended the Weise Daytonai n its comprehensive summer gloves test.  The Daytona came top of the short gloves on test and was awarded the coveted RiDE triangle.

"These well made gloves broke in quicklyand have very comfortable armour" noted the tester.

All of the gloves were tested by independent laboratory SATRA to the CE standards for impact and abrasion resistance, both of which the Daytona passed.

Weise Daytona gloves come in sizes S - 3XL (XS - 4XL in Black).Colour options are Black, Black/Red, Black/Blue, Black/Orange, Black/White, Black/Yellow. Click here for details. 

PSYCHO II from WEISE

WEISE® have updated their popular textile and leather Psycho jacket with a new venting system and use of modern reflective materials for enhanced visibility in low light conditions. 

Manufactured from genuine Cordura®, the shell of the jacket offers superior tear and abrasion resistance to regular fabrics and long-lasting durability too.  Reinforced with leather panels over the shoulders, elbows and across the back, the Psycho II also has CE approved armour fitted to the shoulders, elbows and in the back as well.

With a waterproof and breathable Reissa® drop liner and a removable quilted inner jacket, the Psycho II is suitable for most weather conditions. For extra comfort in hot conditions, there are zipped vents over the shoulders, to the torso, back and lower arms. All of the zippers used are authentic YKK® items.

The leather panels on the shoulders and across the back are trimmed with reflective piping and there are reflective stripes in the upper arms too. In addition to the two external pockets there are two internal pockets as well. 

The WEISE Psycho II Jacket is produced in black in sizes Small – 4XL priced at £189.99.  Contact 0117 971 9200 or visit www.weise-clothing.co.uk

RiDE Best Buy for 2-piece rain suit

RiDE magazine has given its coveted Best Buy award to the Weise 2-piece rainsuit in its latest product test (July 2013 issue). Scoring top marks for time to put on, waterproofing and build quality/features, RiDE's tester concluded;

"It's quick and easy to put on and it easily passed the waterproofing test. And best of all, the price is reasonable too."

Ho Chi Mission Complete

After 3000 km, three countries and a significant amount of mechanics, Ants has finally completed her Ho Chi Mission, riding 'The Pink Panther' along the legendary trail. Here's her report;

"The Pink Panther and I set sail from Hanoi seven weeks ago and clunked south over the Annamite Mountains into Laos, Cambodia and finally, Saigon. Despite my efforts, it turns out that 25 year old Honda C90 mopeds really aren’t built for mud, deep sand, rocks, mountains, rivers and jungle. In the space of three weeks, the poor bike had to have three engine rebuilds, and took to chewing through cam chains like candyfloss.

In Cambodia, on what’s affectionately known as the ‘Mondulkiri Death Highway’, both the Panther and I nearly met our makers. To read the full story you’ll have to buy the book when it comes out next year....

Aside from mechanical issues, it was an an amazing journey and even more than before I was astounded by the amount of UXO people have to live with all along the former Trail. During a fantastic day spent in the field with MAG (read about it  here) I met a mother whose son had been killed by a cluster bomb only months before. And whilst walking on a path through the jungle in Laos, with two former US pilots, we nearly stood on a cluster bomb ourselves. The tennis-ball sized explosive was lying a foot off the path: small and innocuous, yet able to kill anything within a 15 metre radius.

I penned a few blogs whilst on the road. If you’re interested in seeing them then head for www.theitinerant.co.uk. And if you want to look at a few photos, there are some here.

I’m still raising money for the excellent MAG, thank you to all those who have so kindly sponsored me already. If you fancy sponsoring me then all you have to do is head to my Virgin Money Giving Page and click a few buttons.

Finally, a massive thank you to all my brilliant sponsors: Explore Indochina, Weise Motorcycle Clothing, The Adventurists, The Visa Machine, Stanfords, Puncturesafe, Boxer Gin and Snugpak without whom I would have been Panther-less, gear-less, gin-less and generally clueless".

NEW Motorbike range from WD-40

WD-40, whose Multi-Use Product has been used to maintain and repair motorcycles for generations, has developed a motorbike-specific range of high performance solutions under the WD-40 Specialist brand for those more demanding jobs around the motorcycle where there is a  specific requirement.  The new range covers all the most important areas of motorcycle maintenance from cleaning and lubricating through to protecting the motorcycle.

•     WD40 Chain Lube - quick-drying with outstanding anti-fling properties and compatible with O, X and Z ring chains.
•     WD40 Chain Wax - provides lasting lubrication and protection and is O, X and Z ring compatible. Its exceptional long-lasting action makes it particularly suitable for dry conditions.
•     WD40 Chain Cleaner - compatible with O, X and Z ring chains the formula blasts off contaminants and dries in minutes.
•     WD40 Wax & Polish - contains Carnauba Wax, one of the hardest naturally occurring waxes, which provides a wet-look finish and long lasting shine.
•     WD40 Silicone Shine - designed to give an all over great shine to your bike with no need to buff.
•     WD40 Brake Cleaner - removes brake dust, dirt, oil, and brake fluid from brake and clutch systems, dries in minutes and leaves no residue.
•     WD40 Total Wash - an all-purpose cleaner that cuts through traffic film and road grime. Safe to use on paintwork, plastic, rubber, aluminium, chrome, carbon fibre and disc pads – basically all over the bike!

The new WD-40 Motorbike range is available exclusively from The Key Collection, telephone 0117 971 9200 or visit www.thekeycollection.co.uk.

NEW WEISE Thruxton leather jacket has style and substance

The new Thruxton leather jacket from WEISE® offers all the features riders expect from a high performance 'modern' riding jacket, combined with a subtle vintage styling.

Made from 1.2mm cowhide (the same thickness required by the ACU for racing leathers) and with CE approved armour at the elbows, shoulders and back, the Thruxton offers high levels of protection, but creates a vintage look with its distressed finish and padded and ribbed detailing on the shoulders together with brass zippers.

A removable 100-gram thermal quilted lining means that the Thruxton can be worn in chilly conditions and a leather strip under the main zipper helps to keep out the breeze.

Four external pockets with zipper closure and one internal pocket for valuables add a dash of practicality. Reliable YKK zippers are used throughout.

Available in chest sizes 40"-50" the Thruxton Jacket retails for £259.99. Like the complete WEISE collection it's covered by a two-year, no-quibble warranty for complete peace of mind. For details call 0117 971 9200, or visit www.weise-clothing.co.uk

Tickets for Day of Champions 2013 are now on sale from www.silverstone.co.uk. One of the best days out in British motorsport, this year it takes place on Thursday 29th August, before the British MotoG at Silverstone. There are only a limited number of paddock and pit-lane tickets, so make sure you don't miss out by ordering yours today. 

Ticket prices start at just £15 – the same price as in previous years – and with children 15 and under going free, it is a great day out for the whole family. For more information about Day of Champions or Riders for Health visit www.riders.org.

K-Shield – a glove for all reasons

The new K-Shield gloves from Weise® bring together a range of innovative technologies,  combining the strength of Kevlar and modern construction techniques with the traditional values of leather.

Manufactured from an outer layer of Keshield®, a hybrid fabric mixed with Dupont Kevlar to offer exceptional resistance to abrasion, puncture and tearing, combined with a double layered leather palm, the K-Shield provides the rider with a light but protective glove that is soft to the touch.

Utilising the mcFit© system, a patented process that assembles the 120 gram Thinsulate© lining, a waterproof membrane and the outer shell in one smooth stitch-free process, the K-Shields are not only comfortable but the lining won't twist or detach either.

With the addition of a TPU shell over the knuckles and fingers, the K-Shield provides not only impact, abrasion and tearing protection, but is also waterproof thanks to its mcTex© waterproof, windproof and breathable lining.

The K-Shield is also fitted with an elasticated wrist feature plus a Velcro strap for a snug and secure fit.  Available in  black in sizes: small to 3XL the K-Shield retails for £79.99 including VAT.

After months of planning Ants Bolingbroke-Kent made it to the Start Line in Hanoi, ready for her journey along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. She'll be wearing a Weise jacket and riding the Pink Panther Creatored by Explore Indochina,  Before leavibng the garage Ants asked Phu, one of the mechanics who’d built her, whether he thought the Ho Chi Minh Trail was possible on a Honda C90, ‘Yeah, easy’ he replied, ‘as long as you don’t forget to put oil in’. The bike started life as a 1989 green Honda C50 and is now the hot-pink C90. ‘It’s had new everything – new pistons, valves, spokes, chain, exhaust, suspension – everything. Look, its the best bloody Honda C90 on the planet’.

The big issue facing Ants is how to cross the border into Laos. Although there are numerous border crossings between the two countries, and backpackers frequently hop across, rules about foreigners driving bikes across the border are notoriously tricksy. The the best chance of getting across the border is at Na Meo, only a few hundred km from Hanoi. However, it wasn’t on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The two main Trail-related crossings are much further south, at Cha Lo (Mu Gia pass) and Nam Phao (see below map – Cha Lo is the bottom one). The risk is that the border guards will turn her back.

Follow Ants' progress at http://www.theitinerant.co.uk/

Off on the Ho Chi Minh Trail....

Adventure-traveller Ants Bolingbroke-Kent is loading her panniers and setting off on a solo trip down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. And she'll be wearing Weise clothing and Ugly Fish eye-wear.  Here's her latest update;

For the next seven weeks It’ll just be me and my trusty Honda C90 moped: no back-up, no translators, no medics, no crew. Just me and the familiar hum of 90-cc of raw moped power.

My moped mission will kick off in Hanoi, head south over the Truong Song mountains into Laos, bump through lots of remote jungly places, pootle through Cambodia and finally end in Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam’s far south. Whilst I am a relative veteran of ridiculous adventures in unfeasible vehicles, this will be the first time I have gone solo. For someone who barely knows a spanner from a mole grip and is terrified of spiders, snakes and the dark, it could be quite a challenge. I’ll have to learn to survive on my wits, fix the bike when it grinds to a halt in the middle of a large river and sleep in a jungle inhabited by elephants, Very Large Spiders and even the odd tiger. Help.

If you’re wondering what the heck the Ho Chi Minh Trail is, the long version is explained by those clever people at Wikipedia here. The short version is that it was how the Vietnamese won the American War. And it’s the reason Laos, which hosted much of the Trail, retains the deadly accolade of being the most bombed country on the planet. Even today, several hundred people die every year from unexploded bombs, and 25% of the land there remains unfarmable due to contamination by UXO. The areas of Vietnam and Cambodia which the Trail passed through were hammered equally mercilessly.

When I was working in the region last year I was staggered by the amount of UXO people have to live with, and how little the US are doing to clear it. There are bombs everywhere. In one village I travelled through, a whole family were blown up by UXO two days after we were there. It really is tragic. To get an idea of it have a gander at a photo album I’ve uploaded here. These photos were taken in Laos in the Spring of 2012.

Hence I’m using this mission as a means of raising a chunk of cash for Mines AdvisoryGroup (MAG). MAG are a fantastic UK-based charity who work to clear mines and ordnance all over the world, with Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam being one of their key areas. If you’re interested I’ve attached an update on MAGs very recent work in Laos and Cambodia...

If you fancy donating to MAGs splendid work, I’ve set up a fundraising page here. All you do is click on the Donate Now button, pop the dosh in and Sam’s your Uncle. I’ll be absolutely cockahoop if I can raise £1000 for them.

If you’re interested in seeing what sort of pickles I get into, I’m social media’d up to the eyeballs so you can follow my ride in a number of ways. Firstly, I’ll be penning the odd blog on my website www.theitinerant.co.uk. If you’re a Tweep I’ll be tweeting as @AntsBK. And for those who prefer Facebook I’ll be adding the odd bit of news and photos at facebook.com/AntsBK. If all goes to plan I’ll also be writing a book about the journey, to be published by Summersdale in the Spring of 2014.

That’s all for now...

Tally-ho!

Ants xxx

Double award for Weise clothing

Weise® motorcycle clothing has been voted "Brand of the Year" by British motorcycle dealers. 

Product Manager Steve Phillips, who is responsible for the design and development of the Weise range of motorcycle jackets, jeans boots and gloves, collected the award at a ceremony during Motorcycle Expo, the UK's biggest business-to-business exhibition for the motorcycle trade.  Awards are made based on the highest number of votes by readers of British Dealer News, which is distributed to more than 10,000 people working in the motorcycle industry.

"Launched in 1987, the name Weise means 'wise' in German and was chosen to convey the brand's commitment to quality and durability", explains Steve, who has worked with the brand since the 1980s.

Distributed to hundreds of motorcycle dealers throughout the UK, Weise opened a distribution centre in Connecticut last year and is now making inroads in the USA.

There was extra cause for celebration for the team at Weise, as long-serving sales representative Dave Mathers picked up a Certificate of Merit during the awards ceremony.  Dave started his career in the motorcycle industry back in 1971 and worked for racing legend Percy Tait and Rickman, before joining the company that produces Weise in 1988.

For details on the complete range of WEISE® visit www.weise-clothing.co.uk.