I have taken my hobby
seriously.
After buying Benelli Imperiale
400 I thought of buying some gadgets, equipment and accessories needed for my bike
ride. Some accessories under serious consideration are:
1) Mobile holder
2) Magnetic tank bag
3) Leather gloves
4) Action camera
5) Saddle bagI have not allocated any
specific budget for these items. However, I thought of buying the items one by
one now and then. So I am on constant
search for items and have identified a few.
1) Mobile holder: Though there are mobile holders available today
with chargers, I don’t want to tamper with the electrical system of the bike.
So, I prefer an ordinary one without charger. After scanning many reviews, I
have zeroed in Claw-Grip Aluminum Phone Holder Motorcycle Mobile Mount. I bought it and its solid, the material is aluminum. Hope it will last longer.
2) Magnetic tank bag and scratches? or side hook to hang bags: Whenever I go for small shopping in the motorcycle the hardship, I have is the carry bag. Unlike the car, motorcycle has no provision to carry goods. I also felt that carrying the wallet in the pocket or a mobile phone in the pocket becomes a burdensome if we really look for comfortable ride. So, I prefer a small bag in the tank which
can offer some space for carrying some essential goods as well as space to keep
some goods, if I buy anything on the way. I had one big magnetic tank bag in my old bike. However, I dropped the idea after buying the saddle bag. Also, I am weary of scratches in the tank. I fit two extra side hooks to carry a side bag.
3) Leather gloves: I remember I had leather
gloves when I was riding a Honda TMX 155 motorcycle in the Philippines in 1997
to 2002. It was a wonderful performer, and I never had any problem. I change oil
regularly and that is the only thing I did in the bike. It has zero breakdowns
and is an excellent bike I had with 100% reliability and problem free. Though I
had many trips in the bike all over Luzon island in the North, I remember
one long solo trip on the first week of January in 1998 around Lacuna de Bay. I started
after breakfast from New Manila, Taytay, Morong and had my lunch at Pila. After
a small break, in the afternoon came to Calamba and reached Mandaluyong for tea in my friend's place and
reached back my room in New Manila. It was around 200 plus kms and I cherish
the trip even today.
Coming to
the leather gloves I had, it was not motorcycle gloves rather black golf
gloves, made of pure leather. Today, more than protection from wind or harsh sun,
the motorcycle gloves is preferred by driving enthusiasts for accident
protection. Therefore, in the gloves, special padding for palm area and
protection for knuckles given preference. Also, gloves that offer
ventilation is preferred by many. It could be half finger or fingerless
bike gloves, semi gauntlet gloves (short ones that don’t cover forearm) and
full gauntlet gloves that covers halfway up the forearm. There are many
websites that could offer better advice from many professionals. I was looking
for some beautiful looks, some protection and also made up of leather.
Though fill leather gloves are expensive, from my search, I need to
sell-out 3000 to 5000 Rs. for a good pair. I bought one and it was very comfortable with strong knuckle protection. While riding in the rain, the hands absorbed some colour from the gloves, otherwise it is fine. 4) Action camera: This comes fourth in my list and searching the net to know various details. The websites categorically glorify the GoPro models. However, I am afraid of the big price tag attached to it. I am not a professional rider to buy such an expensive camera for my occasional trips. Since I have a DSLR for my semi-professional photography, I want to sacrifice the big-budget action camera. However, essential features in an action camera are: 1. Stabilization, 2. Full HD quality, 3. remote control, 4. extra battery, 5. some kind of quality video. The features that raise the price tag are GPS, WIFI, easy transfer of files without cables, good microphone which recording video etc. I bought one FitSpark that serves my purpose. Its excellent in timelapse videos which I take with tripod. In the motorcycle, I use it in the handlebar. I also bought one chest strap for fixing the camera. I felt the chest strap is a burden sometimes as it gives a feeling that you are carrying something extra while driving. But while mounting the camera in the chest strap, it has lesser shake and easy to control. 5) Saddle Bag: I have one Golden ridders saddle bag which I used in my trips. Since I am not a very frequent rider did not think about buying an expensive bag. It serves my purpose and gives a relaxed feeling. It sits at the backseat, and one gets a feeling of not carrying anything in your body while driving. It can contain few days trips things. It needs to be tied (with the body of the vehicle with an attached rope). It comes with a fluorescent cover to protect from rain. I drove more than 150kms in rain and the inner goods were dry. it has many containers for holding water, and one keeping papers, tolls etc.
