This week’s Gear Guide features a stunning retro carbon fibre lid and Red Baron style aviator goggles, some lovely burgundy bobber style gloves, Firestone tread iPhone 6 covers and a beautiful recreation of the iconic 59 Club Highwayman jacket.
PRODUCT REVIEW – GPA CARBON SOLAR OPEN FACE HELMET
GPA are a French helmet manufacturer that have a rich motorsport legacy. Formed in 1972 their helmets have been worn by car racers Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, René Arnoux, Jacques Laffite, Gilles Villeneuve, Jean-Pierre Beltoise to name a few, and bikers such as Patrick Pons, Bernard Fau, Thierry Tchernine Gerard Choukroun, Christian Sarron, and Michel Vaillant.
The Solar is a true 100% carbon shell helmet, with a leather and velvet liner with removable and interchangeable cheek pieces. It has a retractable ‘solar screen’ with an optional long screen. It’s fastened with a a double D ring. It’s certainly at the quality end of the open face spectrum.
This a very light and well fitting lid, that has pretty good sound insulation, so I’m not constantly distracted by the mysterious rattles that emanate from my various cycles. Although not to everyone’s tastes, I like the retractable half visor, it sits well just above the nose, protects the eyes, and looks pretty cool too. It’s a useful alternative to goggles or shades and can be easily unclipped and removed. They’ve done a great job of streamlining the profile of the lid considering the visor needs to retract into it. The fit is snug so it doesn’t lift at speed.
If I have one criticism it’s that it’s a little over branded, however, they’ve been very thoughtful about this as the gel logos are very easily removed to leave a great looking minimalist lid.
The Carbon Solar is DOT and ECE safety approved.
PRODUCT REVIEW BY THE BSMC’S GARETH CHARLTON – CED MOTORCYCLE GLOVES
As I look out of the window at the glorious sun beating down and attempt to design an excuse for a swift hop on the bike I remember my lovely new gloves that require a review for the BSMC Gear Guide. Done, I’ll be back in half an hour…. Maybe longer.
Cëd by Cëd is an artisan leather company based in Buenos Aires, where they are clearly familiar with the joy of a scorching day. Their gloves are refreshingly simple, un-lined supple cowhide in large panels with a ruched elastic cuff and blanket-stitching around the base. The colour is what makes them catch the eye, cerise, plum and burgundy would all be valid descriptions, a definite point of difference to the ubiquitous black and brown. Butted up against a dark jacket they make me smile every time I glance in their direction.
On the bike they performed completely as expected, light and simple with more feel than any other gloves I own, The caveat being that grinding them down the road would inevitably see you through to skin quicker than a double layered or armoured alternative. But you make your choice and you ride accordingly. I am certain they will see much use as the summer takes hold and they mould and age to and with my paws. A lovely, simple piece of kit.
PRODUCT REVIEW BY THE BSMC’S ROSS SHARP – DELUXE CHAMPION IPHONE CASE
Novelty phone cases aren’t really my thing. I don’t need a pair of cat ears or a bunch of diamantes to signify that I have successfully transitioned from the analog world of Nokia push buttons to the super efficient Apple way of being. But with one’s life revolving around 150 or so grammes of computing wizardry, going for a ride without protection is more than slightly churlish.
If like me, you use your iPhone as an office, media centre, torch, metric to imperial conversion calculator, broken part search tool and occasionally a telephone, then you’ll have definitely dropped, dunked or thrown your first world appendage at some point. Personally I like the feel of rubber and, touch wood, have never broken a screen to date, added to which, the gripping properties of rubber reduces the chance of a high-speed slip from a pocket.
Whilst on a trip downunder I caught up with Geoff from Return of the Café Racers, who not only runs a longstanding and successful blog, has opened a motorcycle bar and workshop space, and somewhere along the line found time to develop a range of accessories. One being this Firestone inspired phone case. The tread pattern of the Deluxe Champion hasn’t changed in decades and is perhaps the most recognisable tyre within the custom scene. These phone cases are a true recreation of this pattern, the grooves perfectly matching those you’d find on your bike, the injection moulding teat bits are even present.
The design has been tweaked countless times to ensure the 100% silicon rubber is a tight fit around the phone. Those of our crew with Apple’s latest model have been complimentary about the fit compared to cheaper rubbers used in budget cases. Power and volume buttons are covered but remain fully functional. Cameras, headphone jack and power ports are exposed for quick access and aren’t partially covered by annoying flappy bits that end up tearing off. The back of the case is curved, replicating the inspiration and fitting the hand more comfortably.
We tried the iPhone 6 case but for those of you dragging a 4 kicking and screaming through the latest iOS upgrades, there’s an option for you and everyone in-between.
AERO HIGHWAYMAN 59 JACKET
Aero’s 59 Highwayman is a modern re-interpretation of the Rivetts 1950 and 1960s original classic cafe racer style jacket. It’s named after the famous 59 Club. It is made from a soft but thick British steerhide. In fact, the leather is very similar to the Connolly hide that, sadly, is no longer produced.
As with the original, Aero uses genuine ball and chain zippers on the pockets and cuffs. The zippers in the cuffs have been sewn into the seams for a neater look, and the waist adjustment uses the pronged side buckles that were a popular feature at the time. The lining, of course, is a Royal Stewart tartan.
Many of the traditional British tailoring techniques that have been employed in the construction of the ’59 Highwayman will not be discernible to the untrained eye, but you can rest assured that no corners have been cut. This is one of the most authentic Ace Cafe style biking jackets you will find anywhere. The fact is that they don’t make them like this anymore. Well, except for Aero, who do.
Aero Leather Clothing Ltd, based in Scotland, is a family buisness which was founded by Ken & Lydia Calder in 1981, who still help to run the company and are still the major shareholders. Every Aero garment is individual – a classic in its own right – each made by one highly skilled leatherworker taking a pride in his or her finished garment, not made on a time and cost saving production line.
The jacket comes in array of colour. If you want the jacket in brown and black, look to Motolegends, who have a ‘two jackets a week’ contract with Aero, so if they don’t haver your size in stock, are likely to get it quicker than the 6-8 week wait if you order from Aero direct.
This is a very tough jacket that will protect you ell in the event of an off, but it’s not armoured. It, won’t however, disintegrate if you have the unfortunate slide up the tarmac.
EMGO ROADHAWK RED BARON GOGGLES – PRODUCT REVIEW BY FRIEND OF THE BIKE SHED SABRINA NOVA
The EMGO Roadhawk Red Baron are a very reasonably priced classic retro aviator style goggle that work well with open face lids. They have a comfortable black, extra-soft, close-fitting face cushion that insulates the eye sockets against the wind and debris.
The flat black metal or stainless steel frames have replaceable, lightly tinted acrylic lenses, that are scratch-resistant and have an anti-fog coating to give you a clear view of the road. They’re big enough to be worn over prescription glasses if needed. They also offer UV400 protection, and when riding on long sunny days is a critical.
They have a three-position lens adjuster, with air vents and fully adjustable elastic headband that’s long enough to wear over the helmet. Test riden by friend of the Bike Shed Sabrina Nova she says:
“These awesome vintage feel goggles are really comfortable, even riding in the Florida heat. These sit snug on my face without ever pinching. They fit neatly in the Gringo, and have more cushion for the pushin’ Love them. ” Whatever must she mean?
