MotoReview- SENA Outrush 2 Helmet

MotoReview- Sena Outrush 2 Modular Helmet

Hello my loyal MotoReaders! I'm back from Daytona and today I'm bringing you a fresh new MotoReview- the new Sena Outrush 2 Modular communication helmet! Grab a snack, settle in and get comfortable... because this is going to be a comprehensive review!

Full disclosure

For starters- as you all know by now, I believe in full disclosure when I review any products. I want you to know how I decide to do a review on a particular product, or products. It's pretty simple, really. I'm not a spontaneous buyer- I have to work for my money, so I'm pretty discerning with how I spend it. With that said, most of the products I review are products that I've already done a fair level of research on before I bought them, so I'm naturally predisposed to give a good review of them. Typically, I end up reviewing overall quality and will make a recommendation based on that, but today's review is a little different- I didn't buy this one.

When I connected with Sena Communication as a brand ambassador, I thought it was going to be like the others- a simple agreement and a discount code with a small percentage of each sale kicked back to me as an incentive to advertise their product on my website. I was more than a little surprised to see that this collab actually required some formal documentation, but in return, they sent me a helmet for free. 

The terms of agreement were pretty simple, really- use the product, review the product, don't bash the company or any of it's representatives. That's about it. Pretty straightforward and some parameters that I can definitely work within. So, notwithstanding the fact that I got a new helmet out of the deal, I'm going to give my MotoReaders a full and honest review of this helmet. While the helmet was free initially, I look at it like this: the helmet was pre-payment on a product that I'm offering- my full and honest review for all of my MotoReaders worldwide to read. That's a fair trade, in my opinion, so I can assure you that I'm not being influenced by Sena or any representative of Sena (or anyone else, for that matter). 

What is the Outrush 2?

Sena has been making communication helmets for several years and the "Outrush" name is not unfamiliar to most folks that have been in the market for a new comms helmet. A lot of you may recognize it as a Harley-Davidson helmet, which you can check out here. Here's a newsflash for all of you MoCo brand fanatics though- Harley-Davidson Motor Company doesn't actually produce their own helmets. If they did... they would probably call themselves the Harley-Davidson Motor and Other Products Company... which doesn't really roll off the tongue as easily, or sound as cool for that matter. Common suppliers of helmets to H-D is Sena, HJC, Bell, LS2 and maybe a couple of others. That means that when you go into your local H-D dealer and buy that Harley-Davidson Outrush R Helmet... you are actually buying a Sena Outrush R with a H-D logo. The same goes for their helmet comms- they simply rebrand Sena and Cardo products as their own. Rebranding is a very common practice for many companies- including the company that claims to have been around for a few more years than H-D.

So, what is the Outrush 2, well... according to my rep at Sena:

"The Outrush 2 is a mid-price-point modular helmet." Sena wanted to create something that was accessible but also has some of their staple features. A couple things to note are: 

- The Outrush 2 does not have bluetooth intercom, it only has bluetooth connectivity. You should be able to pair it to your phone to listen to music, take direct calls, and listen to your turn-by-turn navigation.

- The Outrush 2 only has Mesh intercom. 

- This helmet is "backwards" compatible, but only with other devices that run the Sena mesh network, 2.0 or 3.0.

- The Outrush 2 also has Wave Intercom which requires each user to use their own phone/app and comm device. Each comm device must be bluetooth paired to the corresponding phone and, when opening the Wave Intercom app, the user should see their bluetooth device paired on the screen. This technology uses the phones to connect, instead of the mesh network created by Sena. 

Now, again, full disclosure here... I made a video review of the Outrush 2 helmet before I knew any of this. That was a little foolish on my part, but I reached out to my rep at Sena before writing this and have decided not to post the video review... at least not until I have a chance to revise it.

What does all of the aforementioned tech stuff mean? Simple- in order to use the Outrush 2 helmet- make sure that your riding buddies are running comms with more modern tech than the ole MotoWriter was using (a 20S EVO). 

The Test(s)

When I first received the helmet, I was eager to try it out. The day before, I had taken a pretty decent ride on the MotoWriter Road King Special, wearing my Nolan N100-5 modular helmet outfitted with my 20S EVO, so I decided to do a back-to-back comparison of the same trip, same roads, same distance (just over 200 miles with speeds ranging from 30-65mph), same length of time using the Outrush 2. After that, I decided to put the Outrush 2 to the test on a few more rides... one being a big one. My judging criteria for each ride was simple:

• how comfortable is the helmet? 
• how heavy is the helmet? 
• how noisy is the helmet? 
• how are the comms? 
• how is the audio quality for music?
• how long can I comfortably wear this helmet?

The next ride was a bit longer- just over 230 miles, again, on the Road King; after that, a 3rd, much shorter ride (less than 25 miles) on the Janus Halcyon 250. The next, and final (for this initial review) test for the Outrush 2 helmet was a trip from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to Daytona, FL for a visit to Bike Week and, more importantly, the Daytona 200 and King of the Baggers races. The last ride was over 1,450 miles in 4 days and consisted of a variety of rides, roads and speeds. Overall testing miles for the Sena Outrush 2 Modular helmet so far, is just under 2,000 ridden miles. So, how did it do? 

Comfort Level

I've worn a few different helmet brands- HJC, Nolan, Shoei, Super Seer, "Harley-Davidson", Fulmer, Thor and probably a few others that I'm forgetting. The Sena is just as comfortable to wear as the most comfortable I've ever worn. If you're confused by the wording- simply put- it's a comfortable helmet to wear. It's relatively lightweight, has an appropriate amount of wind noise as any modular helmet that I've ever worn (more on that later, though) and I can wear it all day without any fatigue. The shield is wide and offers a clear view and the flip down sun visor is easy to use and offers just enough tint to take the edge off the sun, without being so dark that you go blind in the shadows or when the sun starts going down. Ventilation on the helmet is good... no, better than good. You can actually feel the air moving in the helmet when you open the vents, which has not been all that common in most of the full face or modular helmets I've worn. The Sena Outrush 2 has several vents- 2 adjustable and 5 non-adjustable. The two adjustable are located on the chin bar and on the top and both control the flow of air into the helmet to cool your dome while you're riding. The 5 non-adjustable are laid out as such- 2 on the chin bar that act as defrosters for the face shield, and 3 on the back of the helmet to act as exhaust vents for your hot breath. All of the vents work, better than expected, but the two adjustable vents are especially nice. When open, even behind a small windshield, I can actually feel the air flowing through them. The only problem that I've noticed with the top vent, is that it does tend to increase the noise level a good bit. But... if given the opportunity to choose between trading out the wind noise of the open vent for airflow- I'll take the airflow all day long. I can tolerate the noise, but as many of you can attest- riding with an itchy, sweaty head just plain sucks, so I'd rather have a cool head and turn up the volume a little higher. Speaking of sound quality...

Sound Quality

While I will have to update my wife's comms to a mesh compatible device, and get my buddies to update theirs (which they can do AND save 10% off their order, by clicking my affiliate link here- hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge), I mostly use my helmet comms for listening to music or answering calls while I'm out riding solo. My 20S EVO is a good device and has great sound quality on phone calls. The sound quality for listening to music is just okay,  though, and it gets noticeably worse as speeds increase. The Outrush 2, however, offers a vast improvement. The highs, midrange and bass are significantly better and I've noticed that I actually need to turn it down some while I ride, as the music sounds great anywhere from slower city riding, all the way up to much higher interstate speeds. The trip to Daytona consisted of a good mix of city riding, beach road speeds and jamming on the interstate. On each ride, the Sena Outrush 2 speakers did a fine job of keeping the beats. My music tastes are pretty diverse... I'll listen to everything from heavy metal or Indie folk music, instrumentals to '80's Pop and Rock. The Outrush 2's design, or maybe the speakers themselves, offer a great overall sound quality. I was able to go from having some music playing in the background while cruising down Main Street Daytona, to having a full-on concert going down the highway. Adjusting the volume is easy- simply push a button. Compared to the toggle dial on the 20S EVO, it did take a little getting used to, especially with gloved hands. Since the Outrush uses the volume controls of the paired phone, instead of a separate volume control on the device, though, I mainly used the phone controls since I use a Quad Lock and my phone is easily accessible, right in front of me, near my hand.

Answering calls is simple and easy, too. A simple push of the button on the helmet controls, or as I mentioned before, pressing the "button" on my phone. The sound quality for calls is exceptional, too. My wife said my voice was nice and clear, even though I was on I-95 keeping up with the Florida traffic. That tells me that the microphone on the Outrush 2 is obviously a high quality, noise filtering device. The only issue that I found with the mic, though... is that it's a boom mic. It's not adjustable (that I could tell, anyway), so it does tend to rest on my face. It should be noted that I'm currently sporting the thickest beard I've ever had though, so I'm sure that some of that could be me. Maybe if I shaved it would be less noticable. 

Fit, Finish, Color and other Features

Not everything in this world is black and white- but this helmet is. Gloss White or matte black to be precise. Those are your only two color options, for now, at least. I went with the gloss white because, well, truthfully I don't have (and can't remember a time when I did have) a white helmet. It was different and I liked the "gloss" part of it, too since my last several helmets have all been black or mostly black with a matte finish. The mattes are nice, but for this one (especially since I wasn't buying it), I wanted to do something a little different, and I'm so glad I did. The finish on the Outrush 2 is really nice- it's gloss white with some very tastefully designed silver-gray stripes. The Sena logos are simple, and not obnoxious, on the front and back, and since the only criteria that I was given for adding my own decals was that I couldn't cover their logo, I was able to throw in a couple of nice, reflective "The MotoWriter" decals on the side and back that I think compliments the design of the helmet very nicely. The gloss finish makes the Outrush 2 very easy to clean, too.

The fit is right on the money. I normally wear a medium so I ordered a medium and it fits very well- not too tight and not too loose. I do get a little vertical line on my forehead after a few hours of wearing the helmet though, due to the way the front padding is designed. That's nothing more than a minor inconvenience, however, and fortunately, it goes away pretty quickly after taking the helmet off. The flip-up chin bar is easy and simple to operate, with a quick lift of the button. The chin bar lifts up high, and out of the way. It locks quickly and securely when brought back down, but you do have to make sure the boom mic is inside though, which is such a minor detail that I wouldn't even call it an annoyance or inconvenience, but rather a barely noteworthy detail.

The Outrush 2 is pretty light for a modular helmet. It's about the same weight as some of the more expensive modulars that I've worn, and a good bit lighter than some of the less expensive ones. The weight of a helmet will make a big impact on comfort, especially the longer that you wear it and the Outrush 2 isn't bad, at all. Even though I could have (legally) removed my helmet once I entered the "Free State of Florida", Mrs. MotoWriter has a strict rule that I don't die, so I always opt to wear my helmet to protect this ole noggin of mine as much as possible. My son and I took our time getting down to Daytona, so it took us about 11 hours on the road, with several stops and a few helmet removal breaks. On the way back, however, we pushed pretty hard and only stopped for fuel, shaving off a few hours on the return. My head and neck never got fatigued from the weight of the helmet, going to, or coming back from, the East Coast.

I'm not sure if replacement shields or sun visors are available for the Outrush 2, yet... as I haven't been able to find them and I haven't contacted Sena about them. The shield comes Pinlock ready, although, the helmet does not come with a Pinlock insert and, again, I haven't found one specifically for the Outrush 2 helmet yet (and I'm not sure if the insert is interchangeable with other Sena helmets like the Outrush R). I do recommend that, once available, you get one though... as the Pinlock inserts work incredibly well to keep your hot breath from affecting your visibility, especially during adverse weather conditions. 

The fastener is the easy to use, modern, ratcheting buckle with a quick-release pull tab. I can tell you that if you've never worn a helmet with one of these- they are a game changer. No more fumbling with the D-rings or side-push "buttons". The mechanism is well made and features metal-on-metal components for a secure fit and solid retention if, God forbid, things go bad. 

The liner on the Outrush 2 is soft and comfortable, but, like I said previously, there is a relief gap between the forehead pads that will make a weird, vertical indentation on your forehead after a few hours. 

The battery on the device is incredible. As in... surprisingly so. I left the house for Daytona with a less than full battery and, 11 hours later, when I finally turned it off for the night, it was still saying "battery level medium." I charged it that night, then rode the rest of the weekend without plugging it in again, using it for several hours each day, and over 8 hours the last day, and when I got back home and turned it off, it gave me the "battery level high" notification. That was constant on, several hours of playing music and several phone calls worth of use on a single charge. As a matter of fact, as I write this today, I still haven't charged it and the battery level is still "high."

Pros and Cons Summary

Pros: 

• Finish is nice, looks awesome and is easy to clean
• Chinbar and sun visor controls work as expected... better actually
• Nicely designed shell that looks stylish and is comfortable
• Comfortable inner liner
• Airflow is fantastic
• Awesome sound quality
• Battery life is outstanding
• Background noise filtering (not sure if this is in the electronics or the helmet design, but it works and works well)
• Intuitive controls- only 3 buttons
• Overall fit and weight of helmet
• Pinlock ready
• Ratchet buckle 

Cons:

• Wind noise (but only when top vent is open)
• Limited selection of colors and finishes (which I'm hesitant to even call this a con, but I know that some of you like to be more colorful than me)
• Limited connectivity to older, non-mesh, devices and NOT backward compatible with all Sena products- ONLY Sena Mesh products. It can connect to other non-Sena products via open mesh or wave mesh, but will not connect to bluetooth comms like the Sena 20s and other Bluetooth-only communication devices.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really like this helmet. While I initially just quickly threw my decals on the Outrush 2 for the trip to Daytona, since I was planning on taking them off after I got back anyway, I've since decided to reposition them and leave them on. Mainly because the Outrush 2 looks as good as it does, and the color and graphics design lends itself nicely to the task of representing my little corner of the interwebs. I think I'm going to use the Outrush 2 whenever I'm out doing MotoWriter stuff and keep my other helmets for when I'm just doing me stuff.

The Outrush 2 has a retail price on the Sena website for $379, but you can get it for $341.10 by clicking this link and using my discount code. As for my thoughts on the price- most modular helmets sell between $150 for the lower end of quality, up to $950, according to the current offerings from Revzilla, with the majority of them fitting in the range of $300 and $400 USD. Keep in mind that those prices reflect the helmets only and no comms. Comms typically range from $98 for the old stuff, to well over $400 for the newer stuff. The mid-range mesh comms sit right in the middle, around the $200-$300 range. So, with consideration to the fact that this helmet has the mesh comms already installed, you could easily make the argument that the package deal is well worth it, especially since it's ready to go, right out of the box (especially when you buy it through the MotoWriter link).

Look, I know that some of you don't like to wear helmets, and I know that some of you don't care about listening to music and that you don't want to answer the phone while you're out riding... I get it. This helmet (or any helmet, for that matter) isn't for you. But I've seen first-hand what happens to the human head when it hits a solid object like the side of a car or the pavement and I'll tell you this- your old pal, the MotoWriter, will always wear a helmet. I'm also a husband, father, son, brother and uncle and I have a family that loves me, and that I love... so if they call, I want to be able to answer. Lastly, I've tried it, and I personally don't like my motorcycles to have big fairings with dashboard-mounted stereos, but I do like to listen to music sometimes, especially on long trips. Having a good set of speakers to listen to my favorite singers and bands, belting out their best music is pretty dang nice. 

You might be asking, though...would I buy it? Before seeing it and trying it out myself, I can honestly say that I would have been hesitant- after all, a comms company making a helmet? But after seeing how well this helmet is made- it has a good quality shell, a nice design, good aerodynamics, good quality materials and hardware and has a really nice finish... I can honestly say that I would be willing to pay up to $250 for the helmet itself, and for the comms- I'd easily pay another $200. That's a total of $450+ and would require me to install the comms, so for the asking price of $379 (or $341 with the MotoWriter discount), I think this helmet is a bargain, and I'd absolutely buy it, without hesitation.

Until next time, MotoReaders... 

Ride safe and make good choices!

 

  

  

 

 

  

 

   

Let's get DIRTY....

Let's Get Dirty!

I recently picked up a bit of a project bike; one unlike any of my other motorcycles. Now, I've been riding street bikes since the 1990's... but like many of you, I didn't start there. I got my start in the dirt and on the trails and it's been almost 30 years since I sold my last off-road bike. Take a quick ride down the memory "trail" with me, and let's get into the "brush" with this one, shall we?

Ya Gotta Start Somewhere

The year is 1980-something and your old pal the MotoWriter is still just a kid. A kid with a couple of fishing poles and a $10 bill burning a hole in his pocket. A few miles away, a classmate's dad had been to the auto auction and picked up an old Honda XR200 for his son. The bike was a beater and had been painted by someone with nothing better to do with himself but ruin a motorcycle with, what I can only guess was some kind of epoxy spatter paint (it was the 80's, after all), so my classmate's dad got it for a steal. 

Now, back then, I did a lot of fishing, but after ripping around on a mini-bike that my dad picked up for me from a neighbor, nearly breaking my neck on my cousin's Honda ATC and flying low on my buddy's motorcycle engine powered go-cart... my interests had shifted from peacefully standing on the bank of a bayou wetting hooks, to high-octane powered speed! On a school bus ride home one fateful afternoon, a couple of adolescent entrepreneurs had struck a deal! He would get two of my best fishing poles and that crinkled up $10 bill, and I would take delivery of his dirtbike... that didn't run. 

If my memory serves me correctly, I think I was still in middle school and I had no knowledge of motorcycle repair, and no experience turning wrenches on anything more complicated than a lawnmower engine and a BMX bike. After getting that ugly-ass Honda home and spending a few hours tinkering around with it, though- I got that old dirt bike running! It didn't take long for me to figure out how to ride it, and ride it, I did! I couldn't sand the paint down, and I definitely couldn't afford to buy a new gas tank and new plastics, so I did what any budget-restricted adolescent would do, and I got some red rattle-can paint and some cool looking "Mr. Horsepower" stickers (you know, the angry, cigar smoking woodpecker logo), and dolled her up. I ran the roads on that bike for months, much to the chagrin of the neighbors, and my parents. 

A Kid With Grown-up Money

Retirement has a way of, as my lovely bride has jovially commented, "de-adultifying" a person. Now, the best way I can describe this is, as I've previously stated... we only have 75 good years. The problem is, between age 5 and 18, you have to go to school (and many of us had to start working a part-time job for the last two to three years of those). The next 2-4 years might be college for some, or full time jobs for the rest of us. By our mid-20's though... we're pretty much all working and we'll do that for the next 25-30 years, at least. We don't usually get into the good years until we're in our 50's or 60's, and by then, most folks that never learned that motorcycles are basically the closest thing to a fountain of youth for the minds, are basically too tired to really do anything other than sit around, golf, fish or travel in an RV (which, I'll admit that a couple of those don't sound too bad). So, if you are lucky enough to retire in your "middle-age", you might find yourself in just the right spot to enjoy a time when you don't have to go to school, you don't have to go to work, and you have a little extra jingle in your pocket to get some cool stuff. Basically, you kind of get to be a kid again, but with grown up money.

My Last Dirtbike

I sold the last of my dirtbikes, a 1973 Suzuki TC100 Enduro bike, decades ago. I was married, working a full time job and Mrs. MotoWriter and I were expecting our first child. I hadn't ridden the old 'Zuki in a couple of years and it was just taking up space at my parents' house, so I figured I'd make a few bucks off of it and buy some groceries, instead. Over the next few years, I worked, paid bills and tried my best to make a decent life for my little family. 

Years later, as I was getting established in my career, I was finally able to get another motorcycle- an older model Honda cruiser- but that's a story for another day- and with it, my dirtbike days were over, or so I thought. 

In my younger days, I never raced or rode motocross, I was a trail guy. I loved getting into the woods and riding among the trees, along river banks and over sandy berms and along fire trails. After years of riding two lane highways, interstates and back roads on my street bikes, a long dormant fire was reignited inside of me. It was the call of the forest beckoning me, offering the tranquility of her trails for a chance to reconnect with nature the way I used to do as a kid. So I started looking for another off road bike. I toyed around with the idea of an ADV bike, like a Triumph Tiger or a Pan America. I still haven't ruled that out entirely, but I didn't want to drop over $15k on a bike that I was going to thrash on in the woods, so I figured I'd start with a simple little off-road bike, instead. 

Introducing, The "Leg Breaker"

I knew that I wanted a four stroke, since the last big two stroke I had was a Yamaha YZ250 that was a "retired" race bike that I nearly broke my back on during a failed attempt at a jump. I really like the Hondas, so I set out on finding a used XR250. What I found though, was that, apparently, everyone else likes the same bikes, because the only XR250s for sale were so overpriced that I could have bought a new bike for just a few bucks more. I had given up looking, for the most part, until I just happened to come across a deal that looked too good to be true. I found an 1989 XR600R, in 90% original condition and very well-maintained, for a price so good that I had to go see it. What I found was a super cool guy who was just ready to move on from riding, selling what would be my next bike. We struck a deal and I brought her home that day. 

After getting it home and on the lift, I starting doing some research on it to learn more about my new project. I learned a few things, but the most ominous was that the XR600R was nicknamed the "leg breaker." These bikes are kick-start only and, if you aren't careful, the kick start lever can kick back, and cause you to have a real bad day. I also learned that these bikes are still very popular and that parts availability for them is still pretty good, considering the age. 

Getting Her Ready 

Getting her ready for the trails was easy enough, thanks to the meticulous maintenance that the previous owner did. The plastics were in decent shape, albeit a little ugly due to some old decals and some abrasion transfers. The first order of business was to replace the Chinese Keihein knock-off carburetor with a proper Mikuni replacement kit from Speed Moto Co.. Next was a minor repair to a broken bolt boss on the engine case. After that, I cleaned up the plastics, replaced the headlight straps, grips, chain mud guard, seat cover, tank strap, tail light, fender bag, fork boots, trip meter cable and added a new headlight shroud decal and some aftermarket "XR" decals. She looks almost as good as she runs now. Since I didn't have any off-road gear, I figured I'd hit up Rocky Mountain ATV & Motorcycle and grab some riding gear. I had to do some research, but thanks to the good folks at Rocky Mountain (and after reading a lot of reviews and talking to some friends about what gear they were using), I landed on a pair of MSR Adventure boots, an MSR helmet with "MIPS" (Multi-directional Impact Protection System), and a pair of VSN goggles. I'll be doing some MotoReviews of that gear in the coming weeks after I've had a chance to beat it up a little. I've also been told that I need to consider getting some specialized off-road pants, a jersey and a chest protector, too... so if I do, I'll do a MotoReview of that stuff, too.

Time To Ride

While I'm not giving up riding my street bikes, I am excited to get back to my roots (pun intended) and reconnect with nature on a motorcycle. I learned a lot about riding, and a lot about myself, on trails deep in the woods. From exploring the wilderness behind my grandparents' house as a youngster, to riding dirtbikes and simply hiking on trails with my family, I've always been drawn to the outdoors. 

It's safe to say that I'm more than a little excited to jump back on a bike with knobby tires and, who knows, when I start adding some content about my off-road adventures, we might even add a few more folks to the MotoReader family. For now though, it's time for me to get this hoss out of the garage, loaded up and hauled out to some local trails. 

If you happen to see me out there on the trails, don't be too mad if I'm riding too slow in front of you... just say hello as you pass me by! 

Until next time, MotoReaders...

Ride safe and get Dirty!

         

New Collab-Sena

New Collab!

Hello, hello my loyal MotoReaders! The last few months have been a whirlwind for me and my little corner of the interweb. The site blew past 200,000 views worldwide and if I'm being completely honest with you (and I always am)... I'm not sure why these folks want to collaborate with me, but I'm sure glad they do because that means that I've got discount codes to offer to my readers! By clicking the links from my site- you can save anywhere from 10-25% off your orders from these places. If you're gonna buy the gear anyway (and let's be honest- you are)... why pay full price? 

Today... I get to offer you another one, and this one has me super excited!

Reading, Writing and... Saving

I recently hooked up with a representative with Sena Communications, who apparently reads and LOVES my blog (I might be exaggerating a tiny bit). They are sending me a product (I'll leave it as a surprise for now) to try out and review and in the meantime, they gave me a sweet discount code for YOU!

So, you may be asking, "Moto, what's in it for us?" 

Well don't worry baby birds... 'cause papa is gonna feed you guys a code right here, worth a tasty 10% off your order! If you know anything about motorcycle comms, then you know that good comms aren't cheap, and cheap comms aren't good. Sena has been a leader in motorcycle communications systems for years and if you read my review on the 20S Evo a couple of years ago, then you know that I've been a fan of their products for a while. Back then, I had to wait until they went on sale, but for you- they are on sale, right here, everyday!

New stuff coming

Being "retired" has been pretty challenging for me, but I'm throwing myself into my writing my book, keeping up with my blog, and riding as much as I can. I recently picked up a new motorcycle project that I've been working on in the MotoGarage over the last few weeks that I'm pretty excited to share with you guys, and with it, I had to pick up some new gear. So you can expect to see some upcoming reviews of it after I've had some time to beat it up a bit. I even pulled out the ole GoPro and dusted it off the other day, so I might even make another terrible video... you'll have to wait and see!

In the meantime, go check out the Sena Website at www.Sena.com and pick up some cool gear for yourself or your favorite rider. Click any of the links in this post or hit the link on the right side of this page and keep a few extra bucks in your pocket.

Until next time, MotoReaders...

Ride safe and save some money!

Old Skool Cool

2026 Indian Chief Vintage

A bold and badass move by the company formerly owned by Polaris, or a makeshift attempt at a new bike by scrounging through the parts bin? To each their own, but in my humble opinion, the new 2026 Chief Vintage is a win. In a cultural climate that has been focusing on "do all" types of bikes and reducing the equipment offerings by platform (I'm looking at you Harley-Davidson for killing off the Electra Glides and Road Kings... among many others), the guys over at Indian doubled down and said, 'let's take one of our most popular models and make it a true vintage-inspired time machine'. Personally, I think they hit the "old skool cool" mark beautifully. 

What they did

What they did, essentially, was take a current model that has been in production for 12 years- one that has amassed an almost cult-like following, and stripped it down to the basics of what made it so desirable in its original heyday of the 1940's. But obviously, large motorcycle manufacturers can't go back to 1940's tech, and the mass buyers don't want that, so it is a modern iteration of the classic. Ok, I'll be honest enough to say that the biggest changes are wire spoke wheels, a solo seat and some trimmed down bodywork from the 2014 and up Chief Vintage models. This new Vintage is basically just a hybrid of the first generation Vintages, the later model Chiefs and some Scouts. BUT IT WORKS. 

Lookit, Indian just took a page out of Harley-Davidson's playbook, here. Back in the 1970's when the MoCo was in desperate need of some new machines, Willie G. went to the parts bin and started building some new bikes out of what they already had. Mix in two parts big twin, with one part Sportster model and.. "bam!" you've got yourself a new bike! H-D learned that sometimes, a bike can be worth more in the sum of its parts, so they started building on that idea. Make the fairing permanent on the Electra Glide... then put the windshield back on and call it a "Highway King", then later... a "Road King" as a new model. Put a variety of different parts on the Dyna, Sportster and Softail frames, and you have three new families of motorcycles! It made for great business, and they sold a bunch of motorcycles and were able to offer a motorcycle for just about anyone looking to get on two wheels, or upgrade their current scooter. The problem was, that having different factories, machines and tooling for all those different models, became too expensive for the MoCo to maintain when sales started to decline. But, this post isn't about that... this post is about this "new" bike from Indian... so let's talk about what you get for the $19,999 price tag.

What you see, is what you get

Basically, this is the bike. What makes it so cool looking- the solo saddle- goes away if you start adding passenger pillions or other two-up features. The tech is the same as previous model Chiefs and the engine, aside from a super cool retro two-tone paint and finish, is the same mill that Indian has been counting their money from. The other feature that adds to its retro styling is the spoke wheels and, well, spokes are spokes... so there really isn't anything to talk about. But, it's the overall package that makes this bike so cool. It's the retro-inspired machine that has modern day technology like ABS brakes, three different ride modes and fuel injection. Sure, you can add saddlebags, a two-up seat, windshield and a laundry list of other features to this bike to make it more like it's Polaris predecessors, but why would you want to? At $20k, it's not the cheapest Chief you can get (that can be had for $15k), but it's definitely one of the coolest. 

Final Thoughts

Personally, I'm still a die-hard Road King guy, but if there has been any bike that has gotten my attention in this most recent iteration of Indian Motorcycles, this is it. I love that while other companies are consolidating models, Indian took a bold move to expand on one. Not to mention the fact that it is a damn good looking motorcycle. For the kind of riding I do, it wouldn't work for me, but for the guy or gal that wants to go for a ride after work, or meet up with some buddies on the weekend for lunch, then this bike is a top-notch head turner and one that will, inevitably, elicit the question of how old it is.

Till next time MotoReaders...

Ride safe and make cool choices!

*All images in this post are property of Indian Motorcycles

Wait, was that it?

The 2026 "Chapter 2" Reveal was a Flop

Well, Harley-Davidson's "Chapter 2" reveal of the 2026 models has come, and gone. But for those of us who have been waiting for something new... something truly new... it's safe to say that we are more than a little disappointed. 

For example, we've been waiting for the return of the Road King in models other than the Special, such as the Classic, Standard and maybe even a new take on the Custom, or maybe an actual Softail Standard (instead of a rebadged Street Bob). We've also been hoping to see some new models, like a sub $15k Pan America... or... oh yeah... the all-new $6k entry level cruiser they keep teasing us with. Yeah, we didn't forget about that one. But, after all the buildup over the past few months, all we got was more CVO models that most of us can't afford (or just don't want).

Let's look at todays numbers, shall we? 

Look, I love my Road King Special... and I have absolutely no plans to replace it, but it looks like the MoCo is still riding Jochen Zeitz's "premium brand" train and I'm here to tell you... it's a bad idea.

I bought my first Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a 2009 Road King Classic in my mid 30's. I bought it new, right off the showroom floor. It was expensive, sure... but by comparison to its Japanese competitors, it was reasonably priced for a "premium motorcycle." I don't remember exactly, but it was right around $19k for the upgraded "Classic" model. A base model was going for around $1500 less, I believe. An Ultra Classic Electra Glide in 2009 was just under $23k back then. By comparison, a 2009 Yamaha Stratoliner "S", which would be a fair comparison to the Road King Classic, had a price tag, just under $17k and the 2009 Honda Goldwing, similarly equipped as the Ultra Classic, was going for just under $24k. Since Polaris had not yet resurrected the Indian name in 2009... the only competing American machine was Polaris' Victory Vision Tour, which entered the conversation with an MSRP of just under $23k for the "Tour Premium" model. Opinions vary, but in my very humble one, the only motorcycle of these three big tourers that didn't look like it was beamed down from an alien mothership was the Harley.

The Ultra Classic name has obviously been sent to the archives, but the bike itself returns for 2026 as the Street Glide Limited. The MSRP of this machine sits awkwardly at $32,999. Meanwhile, the Goldwing Tour comes in at a smooth $29,500. Since Polaris has brought back (and recently sold) Indian since the '09 model year... their current competitor to the, fork-mounted fairing equipped, Street Glide, is the Roadmaster. The Roadmaster is offered with two, yes TWO engine options and five different models, with the MSRP ranging from $32k to $42k for the "Elite" model. Compare that to the Street Glide Limited, which only gives you two choices- $33k for the Limited, or a whopping $52k for the CVO.

Bad Business

I don't know what demographic the MoCo's sales and financial analysts are looking at to decide the new motorcycle pricing, but they are obviously confused, or simply overlooking, the core demographic of motorcycle riders in the United States (and abroad). Apparently, they had lunch with Indian's analysts at some country club full of old rich folks and came up with the misconceived idea that most motorcycle riding Americans are making over $200k a year. The reality is, the median income of American households is just shy of $90k a year. in 2009, that number was around $50k a year. I know what you might be thinking... the 2009 motorcycle prices reflect around 40% of the median household income, which is about the same for today. The problem with that math, is that it doesn't figure for everything else. Things like mortgage rates, the price of gasoline and the cost of groceries has nearly doubled since 2009. That means that most American households have, significantly, less "disposable" income. From the simplest perspective- making a product less attainable for the majority demographic, is just bad business. 

Harley-Davidson has been teasing us with promises to lower prices on current models, bring back some of our favorites, and even offer new, entry-level motorcycles. From what I've seen so far, the curse of Jochen lives on. I really want the MoCo to be successful, but they aren't listening to me (and by me, I mean us, the working class folks that make up the bulk of their annual sales). They continue to try to appeal to the "McMillionaires" who are living off their daddy's money or earning a living by degrading themselves in front of a camera, but the reality is, those folks aren't buying motorcycles. The people buying and riding motorcycles and immersing themselves into the motorcycle culture are who they've always been- the blue collar, working class people. 

Mr. Starrs... can I call you Artie? Great. 

Artie... let's talk, my man. I know you did some great things for Top Golf, but you have your work cut out for you with H-D. Harley-Davidson isn't a fad. It isn't a passing cultural trend. It's a legendary American Company, built on the blood, sweat and tears of the very men and women that it is ignoring now. The founders would, no doubt, be impressed with the technology and designs, but I don't think they'd approve of the, apparently ongoing, plan to price this iconic machine out of reach of the working man. Your true core demographic is still out here. The bullshit idea that we are getting older and starting to die off is imbecilic. Those so-called "market analysts" are wrong. Most of us are getting older, sure... but guess what? Our kids are adults now, making their own money, and they grew up watching their super cool parents ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles... and now they are riding them, too. They are, and will be, the future buyers of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.... as long as the eggheads don't price them out.

Final Thoughts

I still believe that Harley-Davidson is the best motorcycle on the market. The tech is getting a bit ridiculous, but they have to change with the times and I get that. The reality is there are other options, though. The Japanese motorcycle makers have withdrawn a few of their big cruisers from the market, but the ones in showrooms are big, powerful, dependable and relatively inexpensive. With Indian being under new ownership, we'll have to wait and see what their future is, but for now... they have some competitive offerings. Let's not forget about the Brits, Germans or Italians, either. All of the Europeans are eyeing the, actual, middle class motorcycle demographic that the fancy pants executives in Milwaukee have been (and apparently still are) forsaking. 

I really hope that we see some new, mid-year releases of new models for 2026. I really, really, hope that if they ever do release the "entry level, $6k motorcyle" that has been leaked as being named the (new) "Sprint"... that it is not that re-branded Chinese atrocity that they're using for the Rider's Edge classes. 

For now though, while we're all waiting for the next page in Harley-Davidson's book to turn, I'm going to go log some miles while the sun is up and the gas prices are down.

Until next time, MotoReaders...

Ride safe, and make good choices (this goes for you, too Artie).

Thinning the herd

Thinning The Herd

My recent retirement from my payin' gig has initiated, yet another, move toward my overall well-being. Yes, my loyal MotoReaders, as you may have guessed by the title and the photo, I have decided to sell my beloved Janus Halcyon. It has been a great, really great, bike and it still embodies the sheer excitement and fun of riding a motorcycle for the very first time. But... as I've mentioned before, I have a couple of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, both of which are paid for, and the Janus, unfortunately is not... so with my recent retirement and going on a "fixed income" (as I wait for my next payin' job to come along), some difficult decisions had to be made.

Actually, the decision wasn't that hard. In the 3 years that I've owned the Janus, I haven't even put 1,300 miles on it, meanwhile, I've put that many miles on my Road King in a single trip, over just a few days. The Janus is awesome and, I fully support the company and what they are doing up in Goshen, IN USA. But, the reality is, the worst thing you can do with a machine is to let it sit, and I've been paying on a loan for a motorcycle that I've barely just gotten broken in. Before I retired, my paychecks were pretty decent and, with a few hours of overtime each week, paying the note didn't even cross my mind. As I navigate my new income limitations, however, I feel like I need to make the most of my "mailbox money." So, I've decided to let her go. 

I'm also making plans to transfer ownership of my little Honda (aka, Piglet if you remember this post) to my son. I'm making moves to clear out some space in the MotoWriter garage, because, quite honestly... it's time. Not to mention the fact that people keep bringing their motorcycles to me to fix and I'm running out of room (but that's a story for another day). 

Catharsis

"Catharsis" is defined as  "the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions."

As I've been processing this "new" me over the past few weeks, I've realized that I've needed a catharsis of sorts. Who we are, who we've become and who we want to be, is all relative to the baggage that we drag along with us. Baggage in the physical form, such as, motorcycles that we don't ride, or phone contacts that we don't contact, and even people that used to be, or we thought were, our friends.

We tend to hold on to these things, because we want to believe that they will, one day, be useful to us in some way. When I bought the Halcyon, I thought... "man, this bike will be perfect for when I'm too old to hold up a big bike." That day, if it ever comes, is years, or even decades, away. What was I thinking? Easy. I wanted it and I wanted to justify (to myself) why I needed it. The last time I checked, I'm a grown man who makes his own money... I don't need to justify anything. 

With smart phones, it's easy to collect names and numbers... and it's easier to hold on to them for years and it's even easier to justify why- "this person might call me, and I want to know who it is if they call" or, "I might need to get in touch with this person." After I retired, I decided to go through the contacts on my phone. Good grief. That was a task. MotoReaders, when I tell you that I spent the next hour (or longer) deleting "contacts" out of my phone, I'm not exaggerating. I had contacts for people that were no longer alive, I had contacts for people that I met in a class ten years ago and haven't spoken to since, and I had several contacts for people that I couldn't even remember who they were. Simply going through and deleting those out of my phone felt so good. It was the same feeling as I got, when I was cleaning out my garage. Just going through the work benches, throwing stuff in the garbage and making room to work... that's what clearing those contacts felt like- making room to work and process more important tasks.

The same applies to many relationships that we hold on to in our lives. Life is, unfortunately, a lot like a certain social media platform (that I will not name) which has, literally, changed our world and how we live in it. We tend to collect "friends". As more and more people enter our lives and connect themselves to us, we eventually lose true connections with the majority of them. When I was growing up, there was no social media, there was no internet and there were no cell phones. We had long telephone cords that stretched from one room to another, bicycles, fishing poles, newspapers and sitcoms. Our "friends" were actually our friends. Most of us had a group of three or four people, at the most, that we referred to as "friends"- everyone else was just someone we "knew." Being a "friend" was a distinction that we reserved for people that were truly special to us in our lives. People that knew us and would, or did, crawl through hell with, or for, us. Being called a "friend" meant something and being called a "best friend" meant everything. Now, the word "friend" has been reduced to a meaningless list of people on a computer screen. The worst part about it, is that we often get the two mixed up. People that we consider friends in real life, turn out to be nothing more than a "friend" in the social media sense... just someone that is connected to you by their proximity to your life. What's worse than that, is that many times we don't see it until it's too late.

Cull the pack

The best way to find true happiness in life, especially for those of us that have a lot of years of "collecting" under our belts, is to cull the pack. Remove those relationships that no longer bring joy, peace, happiness or substance into your life. You know the ones- the people that only call you when they need or want something from you. The people that always say, "man I owe you one" but then never answer when you need a favor. The people who try to humilate you, then get mad when you respond appropriately. The people that you always make, or made, time for but who never seem to be able to make time for you. The people that never prioritize your "friendship" until it benefits them in some way. 

Look, I'll admit that I'm a bit of an over-thinker and anyone that knows me will confirm this. When seconds matter, I'll go with my gut and make an immediate decision right then and there, but when given the opportunity to reflect, assess and process any and all data... I'll often go deep, really deep. This trait has been cultivated for decades and, as a result, it has made me very introspective. This has given me a lot of insights on important topics, that I get to share with those of you who stop by my little corner of the interweb. I'm also a trusting, but suspicious, person. If someone is trying to be my friend, I'll keep them at a safe distance until I feel like they've earned a place at the "friend's table." This may sound callous, but it's a survival instinct. Many people over the years have made it to the "inner sanctum" but few, very few, have stayed there. Those that lost access to my friendship, did so by their own actions. 

Where I'm to blame, is that I'm too good of a friend, right from the start. I don't just offer to help, I actually do it. I give my time, energy, knowledge and effort to help people that I think are friends, to succeed and/or be successful. More times than not, I've found that my friendship and everything that comes with it, while eagerly taken, is often unappreciated and unreciprocated. The other problem is, I often don't hold these "friends" accountable on their first affront. It's in my nature to forgive, but it's also in my nature not to forget, so as my dad used to say, "shit on me once, shame on you; shit on me twice, shame on me." 

The Benefits

The benefits of cleaning up your life, both physically and emotionally, are magnificently cathartic. Seeing a clean, clear work bench, office or other work space is inspiring. It makes you feel good about getting back to the task at hand, without clutter and junk being in the way. The same goes for cleaning out junk relationships from your life. The mental health benefits alone are worth it. Regaining the time you spent on people who don't deserve your time, who don't deserve you, allows you to focus on yourself, and on those people in your life that do deserve your friendship- those that reciprocate it and embrace it, and offer theirs in return. The people that never ask anything of you, other than your friendship, and who give you theirs without any conditions except that you don't betray them. 

Clearing out bad relationships with shitty people gives you mental clarity. It gives you clarity of your own worth and value, not only as a friend, a husband, a wife, a parent... but as a person. 

Final thoughts

As I type this today, I know that there may be some people that will read this and wonder if I wrote it about them. To them, I'll say this- if you think it might be about you, then... you should probably reflect on how you have treated me, or how you are treating me. If you're reading this and you are wondering if you should thin your own herd, then you already have your answer. 

From time to time, you have to clean and clear superfluous things from your life, in order to better focus on the things that are most important. Cleaning up your work space, garage, finances, house, car... will give you a fresh outlook and will even inspire you to do more. Cleaning up your life- forgiving those people that have wronged you, apologizing to those who you've wronged, and getting back to having real, true, friendships again... will inspire you to be more. 

So go, my loyal MotoReaders... go through the contacts on your phones, go through your garages, your houses, your desks, and most importantly, your relationships, and ask yourselves- does this bring me joy, or give me fulfillment? If so, keep it... but if it doesn't... then let it go and move on with your life, so that you can live your best life, with the best people in it.

Always remember...

Ride safe and be a true friend.