Tag Archives: riding gear

Yo, what’s the weather like in Ireland for biking?

Having ridden my motorcycle here through my first autumn-winter every day (almost), I think I can provide an outsider’s perspective to the question, “what’s the weather like in Ireland for biking?” If you want the TLDR version, it is bloody challenging.

When I started considering returning to motorcycling in Ireland, one of the factors I needed to consider was the weather. You can read what I think new motorcyclists in Ireland shouldn’t do. As a cyclist and a pedestrian, I have experienced it for over a year and was well prepared for what to expect. Ireland is well known for its unpredictable weather, with rain, wind, and misty conditions expected throughout the year.

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Himalayan on gravel – When in doubt, Gas it out.

The Himalayan on gravel has a bit of power to gas it out. Disclaimer: As long as you are not going overly fast already. It is a mild engine and you need to remember that if you are riding overly loaded up or two-up. This video shows how to get out of the situation if you are not too deep in shite already.

I was sitting and looking through some stuff for a particular photograph as O’Brien asked me for while discussing something. That is when I came across this post here in my blog, which I forgot to push the publish button a long time ago. And, it was incomplete, probably having been distracted by something else just as mundane as my lizard brain went haywire.

They say when you create something, put it out there in the world immediately. Now when I look back at it, it is a bit cringe, but hey what is life for, if older stuff does not make you cringe a bit.

3 to 4-inch diameter granite is what you see, which is in use for creating tarmac.

Why is the Himalayan on gravel?

Really? Do you ride yours only on the tarmac?

Then you are missing on a lot. But in this case, as usual, I was late, probably by a day, but I cannot recollect it at the moment. And I was trying to make up for the lost time while trying to meet up with pals in the Masinagudi area. The fine dust that comes up off this “jellykall” (as it is called in Kannada) creates a haze and coats everything. And, some of them can be as slippery as marbles if you hit them at the wrong angle. It’s granite ranging from the 1 to 7 or 8-inch diameter.

I know you’ll be quick to remind me about a lot of other things, but in a crunch situation, the Himalayan has never let me down. What really would make the comfort for a Himalayan on gravel better is the height of the handlebar. Would have made standing up and riding a lot easier than it is stock from the factory.

Let me know your craziest roads under construction story, while on a motorcycle in the comments below.

Oxtar TCS Sport Boots – Long term review

Having used the Oxtar TCS Sport Boots for about eight years, I think it’s time to retire them. And review them before I send them away. In this case, the long-term review has been redefined since you’ll see as you go further that I’ve used the boot till it literally fell apart.

I ordered this boot in November 2005 from MotorcycleGear.com. (If you have not seen that post I created long back when I got the Oxtar TCS boots, I suggest you read that first and then return to this.) It was carried back for me by a good friend, and I still remember the pleasure of finally owning a pair of motorcycling boots. It had never been a priority till then. Before I let them go, I would like to review how the boots worked for me over the last few years. Bought primarily for racing, this boot has been with me on incredible journeys on and off the road.

Oxtar TCS Sport Boots Review
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Oxtar TCS Race boot

I had an opportunity to try out an Oxtar TCS once and that convinced me to buy this Oxtar TCS Race boot. It is basically the same model, but with the Gore-Tex liner to make it completely waterproof. The boot is breathable due to a material called Airtex which allows the feet to remain relatively cool. You won’t feel like you have to jump out of them every time you stop riding. To help that, it has a couple of air inlets too.

Oxtar TCS Boots Image

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