Tourmaster - Textile Overpants (M) Black

Tourmaster Textile Overpants

 I purchased a pair of Tourmaster Overpants on eBay from a dealer out of IL. The MSRP for the pants is $139.99 and they had them on sale for $45.00 with free shipping. I was looking for something lightweight as an over-pant but these were such a good deal I went with them. The knee armor was nice but the hip armor was just closed cell foam so I replaced it with some nice Dianese hip pads I had around.

Specifications:
• Constructed with a 600 Denier Carbolex® Plus shell and 1680 Denier Ballistic polyester knee panels
• Overpant designed to be worn over street clothes
• Rainguard® waterproof/breathable barrier
• Phoslite® reflective piping for increased nighttime visibility
• Waterproof zippered thigh vents provide ventilation
• Double-stitched construction throughout
• Dual-elastic panel waistband with adjustable waist belts
• Waterproof, accordion-style expansion panels at the rear waist and above knees for increased flexibility
• Two zippered hand pockets
• Removable CE-approved knee armor with Tour Master's Three Position Knee Armor Alignment system as well as removable soft (closed-cell foam) hip armor.
• Full length, waterproof side entry leg zippers and zippered side entry allow for ease of dressing
• Features 8" pant/jacket zipper attachment with the jacket sides included

The hip pad on the left is the original ones provided by Tourmaster. The hip pad in the middle are Dianese soft thermoformed hip inserts. The knee armor on the right is the knee protection provided with the pants.

 My Comments:
The Overpants are well constructed with expansion panels at the knee and at the waist which makes them fit in riding position. I bought the medium to fit my 32" inseam and 32" waist. Tourmaster recommends the medium for 32"-34" waist and 31.5" inseam. Tourmasters sizing chart is very accurate for an overpant. The Phoslite® reflective piping is in fact very reflective and runs the whole lengt of the leg. The only improvement that could be made is to the zippered thigh vents that could be larger to allow more airflow. An upgrade option of the hip pads would be nice also. Otherwise the Overpants are NICE.

Brake Light Strobe Module: LSC-100A from SuperBrightLEDs.com

The Ulysses has a nice and bright LED tail/brake light.  However, that doesn't seem to stop people from ignoring the blast of red light into their smartphone numbed eyes.  After a recent close call with a lady in a BMW land yacht on my way to work, I decided that I needed to make my brake light more noticeable.

After some quick web browsing, I found a few different solutions ranging in price from $4.95 to $39.99.  Being on the cheap, I mean frugal, I went with the $4.95 option from SuperBrightLEDs.  The LSC-100A flashes 4 times within 0.4 seconds, followed by 4 more flashes within 2.6 seconds followed by constant light until the brake pedal/lever is released.

There are other modules that flash different patterns but this seemed to be best for what I was looking for.  The module itself is small, about the size of 2 x AA batteries.  

Following the factory lighting wiring diagram, I tracked down the R/Y wire (the Orange wire feeds the tail light).  When I split the harness, I found the two R/Y wires (wait two? yes, two), cut them and soldered the module in place.  The red wire on the side with the ground is connected to the power feed, the single red wire goes to the brake light.  I crimped a ring connector to the ground and connected it to the negative battery terminal.  With the R/Y wires soldered together, it was time to test before wrapping it up.  With a successful test, I covered the wires in heat shrink tubing and then wrapped the harness in adhesive free wrap.  

Total installation time, about 20 minutes.  

(Stock pictures of the LSC-100A are property of SuperBrightLEDs.com)

Technical difficulties...

We are experiencing technical difficulties with the Blogger interface.  The side bar, graphics and all manner of  widgets have been deported to the bottom of the blog.  I have a support request into Google.  

Maybe it's time to move to a real domain? 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway might "opt out" of 2014 MotoGP!?!

According to this article on Asphalt and Rubber, the IMS might "opt out" of the 2014 MotoGP race.

For some reason, I never went until last year.  I had a complete blast and feel like a turd for not attending the previous races.  Let's make sure we show the IMS how much we love having the GP here in Indy!  Don't be a turd like I was, attend the race this year.  

Aerostich AD1 Pants Review

Last December, I picked up a pair of Aerostich AD1 Pants from eBay.  I wanted a pair of over-pants that were actually waterproof, not pants with a waterproof under layer like the AGV Telluride Pants.  The AGV pants are great but when it rains, your butt still feels wet even though it's dry.

 The AD1 are made with HT600 Denier Nylon with three layers of GORE-TEX fabric.  Just like good quality backpacking gear, the seams are pre-taped to hold out the elements.  The pants I purchased were used on one short trip and they didn't even feel broken in yet.  They don't include a hanger because you just stand them up on their own.  

Full length two-way zippers on each leg makes putting on and taking off the pants super easy.  No more fighting over the tops or soles of your boots.  The zippers feature a good set of storm flaps to keep the wind and rain out.  At the ankle, the pants snap together and have a large reflective Velcro patch used to tighten the pants around your boots.  This helps hold in body heat, especially on the few 19 degree days we were out this January.  On the contrary, forget to tighten those adjusters and you'll feel the breeze blowing in.  This is very beneficial on hot days.

(clearly, I have no butt)

Inside the legs, the armor attaches to a wide patch of Velcro, with plenty of room to adjust the positioning up, down or even side to side a bit.  There are also patches of Velcro in the hips for the optional hip armor. The armor it self is the TF3 Hard Shell and as long as the temps aren't dipping into the frosty range, it conforms to your knees and is very comfortable.

The pants are covered in pockets.  Two normal jean style front pockets with velcro closure flaps, one butt pocket on the left, a waterproof zip pocket on the right thigh and a fold over waterproof pocket on the left leg with velcro above and below to add the Aerostich map pocket.  I've ridden through a few rainstorms and the thigh pockets have always been dry.

The fit is slim but loose enough to go over regular pants.  The waist features an elastic section on the rear and a set of snaps at the hips to help customize the fit.  The waist does ride a bit low but wearing a 3/4 length jacket easily solves that "issue".  The crotch features a gusset flap to help keep rain from sneaking in and giving you wet crotch.  Just like the pockets, it's kept me dry.  Wrapped around the waist is a nylon belt with a plastic buckle.  This is no normal belt, slide it out and you'll see a zipper running down the middle to stash your cash.

Overall, I think the AD1 pants are worth every penny, even at full price.  The fit is amazing, the construction is damn near bulletproof and the included features are great.  They perform great in cold, cool and warm weather.  However, once the temps hit the mid 80's, they're a bit toasty.  However, with the leg cuffs left open, you do get some airflow up the legs.  I plan to take the pants to a seamstress/tailor to have a second zipper head to the top of the zipper.  That way, I can zip them down with the top and middle heads, then zip up the top head to create a vent.

(Click here for a review of the Belstaff Adventure Jacket from British Motorcycle Gear.)

One step closer to a more motorcycle friendly Indianapolis!

On May 10th, I submitted an official proclamation request to the Indianapolis Mayor's Office to make the third Monday in June Official Ride to Work Day.  The request was approved and I received the declaration today.  I plan on contacting a few dealerships and local groups to see if they would like to organize some sort of gathering to celebrate.