By the specs Twisted Throttle’s Denali D2 LED light kit is a tempting proposition, especially with a 70% increase in effective brightness (higher luminous flux) over the Denali D1 kit we ran on our Baja Adventuring Honda Varaderos.  Given the D1s made a nighttime ride into Mike’s Sky Ranchero more feasible, and on and off road the D2s are an appreciable improvement.

The downpour is torrential, and within minutes there is the cold creeping dampness seeping into my underwear of a waterproof promise broken. At a moderately premium price, I expected more out of the Olympia Moto Sports X Moto All Season Transition Pant purchased 10,000 kilometers ago, but those expectations haven’t borne out.

Let’s go out on a pretty thick limb here, Photographer Kevin Miklossy’s Honda Varadero wouldn’t have survived the Baja intact without Twisted Throttle’s Adventure Kit. The silver ’08 from Honda Canada’s livery took the majority of the abuse, in large part due to the nature of photography.

The rain is falling in sheets as we pull out of San Luis Obispo, ditch the 101 and its stutter-step panic braking traffic, and head for the Pacific Coast Highway. Pre-Christmas 2010, these are the worst rains to lash California in recent memory. It’s the right day to break out the heavy weather gear, but in the name of science I’ve refused instead relying on Alpinestars’ Frontier Gore-Tex Jacket and Apex Drystar Gloves to resist the onslaught.

Fuel; complain about paying for it, but not having enough is when it becomes a real pain. Especially in backwoods BC, where choosing the fun routes means gas stops are few and far between. By far we mean further than a KTM 690 Enduro R’s 12L stock tanks will carry you. Enter the Rally Raid Products UK Tank Kit, or the 9.5 litre solution for extending the range of our KTM 690 Hard Adventure R project.

The name says it all, really, “waterproof”… or in this case not in the slightest. Spotting a deal on Axo’s entry level “Waterproof Touring Boots”, I read the reviews, pay-pal’ed up and received a set of Q6’s.

Some things you love to death, wearing them relentlessly until the bitter end. So it was the case with my Five Stunt Gloves, but 65,000km of adventure and street riding have taken their toll. …

It’s a debate as contentious as oil, octane or tires… the ultimate luggage question, soft or hard bags. ‘Round the World traveler Andrew Lord weighs in as he reevaluates the option 50,000 miles and fifteen countries into his trip thanks to an accident and Giant Loop.

The Teiz Motorsports’ Ventura is a 5/8th length motorcycle touring jacket, so where are we putting it though it’s paces? The Baja and neighborhood, which should evaluate this handsome garment’s touring and adventure credentials.
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Some bikes were never designed with a tank bag in mind, my own KTM 640 Adventure for example. A narrow seat runs most of the way up the tank, and that leaves very little room for mounting or fitment. Enter the Giant Loop Fandango, a tankbag near perfect for your problem child bike.

The MoJavi Saddlebag from Giant Loop is a smaller day bag version of the Oregon based company’s already popular Great Basin and Coyote Saddlebags. The Mojavi was designed to lighten the load off your back by placing the essentials needed for your ride on your dualsport or dirt bike.

The Klim Adventure Rally Suit is the off-road and snowmobile gear manufacturer’s first foray into a serious adventure rider’s suit. The jacket and pants boast a feature list longer than some modern cars, and some of the highest tech materials we’ve seen here on OWD.

Icon’s latest Halo-as-you-want-to-be “Urban Assault Helmet” offering, the Variant, is targeting the street market, but adventure riders looking at this lid will recognize cues from the Arai XD and Shoei Hornet DS. So taking the Icon Variant beyond the urban, how does it measure up? Over 8000kms of adventure riding from Northern California to the southern tip of the Baja and back is provides the answers.

Boots are a bit of a funny thing, at least for me. They never seem to appear at the top of my gear wish list, in fact I don’t even pay much attention to them until the ones I’m wearing develop an ache, a sharp point, tightness, or don’t support me when getting into some nastier terrain.

It’s hard to get anywhere when a your Ducati Hypermotard 1100 is sucking fumes after 110 kms (70 miles) of full-on frolic. Luckily, California Cycleworks offers a solution, the 22.2L (6.4 US Gal) HM69 fuel tank, and if you invest in one accessory to transform your Hypermotard from “toy to tool”, this is it.

16 days on the road, 5051 miles and a 1994 Honda VFR 750 – OWD contributor Jake Moritz crossed the continent putting the latest camping gear to a motorcycle specific test. This week, the MSR Hubba Hubba 2-person tent gives us shelter.

16 days on the road, 5051 miles and a 1994 Honda VFR 750 – OWD contributor Jake Moritz crossed the continent putting the latest camping gear to a motorcycle specific test. This week, putting the squeeze on your gear with Sea to Summit eVent Compression Dry sacks.

The GSI Pinnacle Dualist camping cookset was a bit of an impulse buy the day prior to Jake Moritz’s departure on a 16 days on the road, 5051 miles trip across the US and Canada. Here’s how it faired.