There is a real struggle between choosing a dedicated navigation unit and just using a smart phone. Many people use both. They choose a Garmin of some sort, paired with a smart phone right next to it. I did that for a while, the garmin would be my backup, but the phone would do the heavy lifting. The problem is the phone isn’t as dependable and fails in certain scenarios. The Garmins problem is that its so much less useful than a smart phone. There is a need for a hybrid device, and they exist right now. The options are slim but are there. Here’s my experience so far….

A great watch to keep you busy during the off season…

A list of great off-road accessories for your BMW R1250GS

I last used the tarp on a 5 day trip on the MABDR with 7 other riders, starting in Tennessee and headed north through George Washington and Jefferson National Forest then farther north, MD and PA. The poles held the tarp open for porch mode with such ease by just letting out some slack on the line tensioners. Closing up on the colder nights was just as easy while the poles kept the tarp wide enough around the spreader bars to get in and out without putting pressure on the tarp at all. There’s enough tie out points to do just about anything…

I decided to give up my BMW NAV a while ago, and just use phone based apps. I was frustrated with how slowly the BMW NAV advanced. the NAV 6 was such a minor upgrade over the NAV 5, it was disappointing. I used REVER and waze on my iPhone and it worked pretty well. The thing is, the BMW NAV was still more advanced when it came to tracks and waypoints.

I recently found Galileo…

Some products make it easier to ride longer distances, some give you more storage, some protect your bike, and some protect you. This product is one that literally protects your ass. This is a rear brake light, loaded with features. There are several on the market that do something similar, this one is my pick. Read on...

This isn't complicated, if you off-road your GS, you need protection. If you're not falling, you're not having fun. This is why crash bars are hugely important, but that's not the end of the story. On a boxer GS, your engine is sticking out waiting to hit something. The engine itself is actually super strong, but the cylinder head covers can be a weak point. It's another point of protection you should really consider.

was researching the 595LM to replace my NAV 5, and couldn't find any decent interface walk through videos on youtube. I made something quick in case it benefits others. I ended up returning it soon after. The Nav 5/6 both feel archaic, while the 595LM is a bit more modern yet still old world. I understand the need for a dedicated GPS device for some, i'm not going to argue that. For me though, I ended up choosing a jailbroken iPhone as my main device. I have it set up so I can run two apps side by side. Click on for the video ....

Where are you on your motorcycle journey? It's what you've been through to get to the rider you are today. If this was a video game,what level would you be at?  If you've read my Joining the Boxer club post recently, you'll have an idea of where I was on that journey. That was BEFORE my recent trip to California. Going to Raw Hyde was like warp zones from mario brothers, allowing me to quickly get through levels in a very compacted amount of time. The short version is, I bought a used bike from raw hyde, then went to them for a 2 day Intro to Adventure course, followed by a 2 day adventure in the desert (BCA). Read on for more detail....

Woo! I got the new NEXX XD1. Its a helmet that seems to have all the boxes checked, with all the features. It seems to be a little low on some quality finishes, but overall it looks really great. I wore it for a few hours around the house, and got to installing my SENA 20S in it. I'll write a little review after I go for a few rides in it. This post is all about installing the 20S in to the XD1.

I bought this months ago, and finally got around to installing it. Having a garage really helps, and since I'm now garage equipped, it was easier to work on the bike. I bought the power hub because I have too many electrical devices hard wired directly to my bikes battery. That and my aux lights could be turned on at any time because of the way they were wired, key in or not. 

Or, Everything you ever wanted to know about Vario cases, but were afraid to ask.

One of the beautiful things about BMW's Vario cases is that they can be repaired part by part. My case was recently damaged while parked. I ordered the one part that broke and replaced it. It wasn't easy, i made a bunch of mistakes, but I now know how to take apart the entire case and put it back together. On top of that, I also added Bungie Buddies to the top of them. This post is going in to good detail on how to repair them, and touch on modifications you can add to them.

This is a boring post. Just a simple bash plate bolted on with 3 screws. The only bit of valuable information that you can get here is that the bottom of the bike has three pre threaded screw holes just waiting for a bash plate. So nothing needs to be unscrewed to install this.  

I love my bike. If anyone f**ks with it, I want to know, right away. If someone is trying to steal it, or the city is trying to tow it, the sooner i know the better. I've owned and tested the Spot Trace, and I've looked heavily at the Scorpio Ride system. I recently stumbled upon the Trackimo system, and i was intrigued. Trackimo agreed to send me a review unit. I've had it for a few weeks now, How does it compare? Read on..

At first I didn't wear ear plugs at all. Then I found NoNoise which were pretty cool. I recently misplaced them and a friend gave me an extra set of Laser Lites he had on him for our ride together. Funky pink and yellow foam ear plugs... 

I'm not bright enough on the road. Its becoming more obvious to me this winter as its dark out early, and because my friend Yoshi has an R1200GSA with LED headlight and aux lights, he's bright as hell on the road and i want that. It feels like a safety issue. 

Added gear, just in time for the denver trip. I just received the Kelty Noah's Tarp, and two 6ft REI Tarp Poles, just in time to test them out during yesterdays overnight in Staten Island. This is key camping gear for the unexpected rain. You can set it up first, and then set up your tent under it. The inside of your tent will stay dry while you put it up. You can also pitch the tarp over your picnic table so you have a place to hang out in the rain as long as your tent is safe under its rainfly.

I've been researching more dirt friendly tires for a while. I'm not a dirt rider but when I occasionally get off the road it's really nice to have. Recently my stock rear tire got a screw in it. It was plugged, then the plug failed. Long story short it was plugged three times in the same spot. Time for a new tire. Why not two? Decided on the heidenau K60 tires.

Before the summer I bought an inflating full size air mattress for camping. It just fit inside my tent with no extra room. I bought it mostly to make my wife comfortable coming camping for the first few times. I knew I would need something smaller eventually. I got this great air pad on Amazon. $50 each. Two of them are way smaller then the full size mattress, and I don't need to rely on a motorized pump. Key criteria for our Denver trip. Click on for photos.

Ok so this one isn’t much of an install, since the bike came pre-installed with the mounts. Thats usually the install portion of it, but to my surprise, the cases had brackets that needed to be installed on them.

I never thought about adding these to the 650, but with the 700 being taller and heavier, i sometimes feel like i could drop it. Its still easy to hold up, but not as easy as the 650. After a lot of research, i found the set that i think is a good balance between cost, protection, looks, and features.