Strooof
Is it just my old bones or has winter hit harder than normal? It certainly feels like it, maybe it just started so abruptly. The glass half-full person would point out that we've passed the Winter Solstice so it's all up from here. Sales of Thermalz have gone crazy so I expect it's the latter catching lots of people by surprise. To those who've had to wait a few days, Soz... We're making them as fast as we can.
There's a bit of pride and smug 'told ya so' feelings wrapped in that dilemma. Our customers might have to wait a few days while we catch up and make their gear but it's not stuck on some wharf in some far off land. Supply chain issues from our over-reliance on OS made stuff is coming home to roost... Go Made in Oz!
In fact most of the gear we make has gone off like a frog in a sock, as fast as the team make it, we are dispatching it. The shelves are empty of Andy Strapz gear and we are playing catch up. As I said earlier, at least it's only a few days wait as we make yours for you.
There's little doubt that we've all experienced a few changes in our lives in the last few months? Those working from home seem to have a strong position to prove that it can be the way to go. Others who spend hours flying from place to place to sit in meetings and the like will get more time at home and riding. Maybe it will be the beginning of a reduction in commute times and the thin edge of the wedge that starts to reduce the ridiculous congestion in our cities.
I can hear you yelling "Tell 'im 'e's dreamin'", but hey, we are being encouraged 'not to waste a crisis'. |
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Come the revolution! Computers and those who foisted them on us will be the first to face the ire of the people I'm sure.
How on earth have we allowed these unreliable pieces of crap to take such a pivotal role in our world? All our money, utilities, transport, health, food and fun have been innocuously tucked under their cheap plastic skins.
I don't know about you but I spend a fair bit of my working day spitting my chippies at some program or other. Imagine if our bikes performed like our devices! When I started riding, bikes did indeed work very similar to computers.
They were often difficult to start, shat themselves at inopportune times, stalled regularly, needed coaxing along to get somewhere. Bikes sometimes needed a bit of crafty lateral thought to get where we needed to go. Now it's called a 'work-around' and is supposed to all be part of the rich fabric of computing. At least when Lucas, The Prince of Darkness let go, we had some blue smoke to show for it. With frustration boxes we just have blank screens and an empty, sinking feeling.
Can you imagine your new 1250 GS performing the way your PC does! It stalls at the lights, ABS suddenly stops working and it needs to be turned off and back on again to fix it. You pop out into the shed to find it running. You can't leave it to pop in to the shops as it's downloading a stuff-up-date and would fry its brain if you tried. Tip into a corner and get a 'not responding' message pop up on the TFT screen as the ride-by-wire thingo goes missing. Turn on an indicator and for no reason it doesn't work or turns on the headlights, the only solution is to turn it off and reboot the system to get it to indicate again.
The dealership would be administered a rather large, horizontally opposed twin suppository!
Geez, bikes used to actually behave like that but that's because they were old and clapped out, not festooned with more technology than ASIO. Struth, imagine getting the pride and joy hacked by some faceless mongrel with a mouse in one hand, todger in the other, somewhere in Rushinastan.
...Don't get me started about those Oxygen wasters! |
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This bloke has the right idea. |
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Product of the Month
Last time we looked at the Shoei Neotec ll. This month we'll compare and contrast the C4 Pro from Schuberth, a sliver of background first. Schuberth are a German company that date back to the 1940s, owned these days by one of those Venture Capital mobs. They developed (if not invented) the original flip front helmets in conjunction with BMW, supplying the Systems helmets until a few years ago. Maybe they fell out of love or something as it's not happening anymore.
While I've done a lot more kays in the Shoei, I've still racked up around 2,000 klicks in the C4Pro. I reckon that's enough to be able to give a fair review.
The big difference between the C4 and the C4Pro you ask? The short answer is that the C4Pro is what the C4 should have been from its release! Simple, the lining is better in shape and fabric, the microphone has been moved to a place it will work properly and the glitches with the comms holding ports has been sorted. |
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So, to compare the two.
The Shoei is a real 'Stormtrooper' look and shape, it has a plusher lining which although it feels great initially on cold days, the C4 has a more summer friendly feel inside. Both are removable and washable so no biggie there really. Both have the same ovalish shape, so comfortable fit for my bonce is about the same, the Pro having the slight edge maybe.
The real difference, immediately obvious, is the field of view. The C4 has a much wider peripheral vision and a little less claustrophobic view out the looking hole. Having said that, in the real world I got used to both.
Sena make the comms for both but the Shoei SRL is a bit easier to use and is positioned slightly more ergonomically by the left ear rather than under the left rim of the hat.
Shoei back up is better than Schuberth, mainly as I'm in charge, the others have to be sanctioned by Germany. Colour choices are limited in both but Shoei has slightly better supply. No surprises there, Mcleods, part of the Repco group run Shoei while a new independent player runs Schuberth. Both use matt finishes on their graphic designs which everybody needs to get over (in my humble) as they get grubby and stay that way without a fair bit of elbow grease.
In the end, there's bugger all in it and from my point of view, the C4 Pro looks a bit better but the Shoei has better stock availability.
Come the new financial year I'll be getting C4 Pros on the shelves, email of you'd like one in the meantime, I need to clear the C4 stock I have left. Grab a cracker bargain, if your head is the right size. |
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Adults Only Congrats to Jim Scaysbrook who bagged an AO in the Queens Birthday Honours list this year for his services to Motorcycling. How good is that!
Officially the gong is - MEDAL (OAM) OF THE ORDER IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
Onya Jim!
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 | T Shirt of the Month Just a joke, not for sale unless we get inundated with requests
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Testing Times As you know it's part of my remit to test everything and evaluate it to see if it meets the standards I expect before it is offered for sale. Here's the C4 Pro, Held Carese Jacket, Cloudburst over-pants, Held Air n Dry gloves and of course Rain-Off overgloves. What you can't see are Thermalz, and a pair of Icebreaker undies (not so sure about them yet). It rained at least 70mm that day, at that level of pissing-it-down the water wicks upward from any small crack or opening it can find. All in all I did ok... considering.
Sometimes it's a bugger of a job, but hey, it's not a computer!
And, oh the shame, that's someone else's bike and occy straps! |
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Borrie's New Tome
A bloke who has a snowball's chance in hell of an AO, larger than life motorcycling personality Boris Mikhailovic has released his third book. A series of tall tales and (sorta) true yarns he describes as:
Hilarious, brutal, insightful, and remorseless, his tales delight and appall – often at the same time. A deeply flawed creature carved from wicked stubbornness, you’re invited to join him in a series of quite terrible, but equally side-splitting, tales of his exploits and confessions.
Ever a divisive character, Boris, never-the-less has an uncanny ability to string words together. I'm working my way through it and yes, I have been appalled and entertained so far and I'm only just inside the cover!
Click here to grab a copy
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 | Clearance Items.
The last few of the ultra light, ultra compact pillows need to find a new home.
Xl down from $65 to $45
Large down from $60 to $40
Click here to grab yours while there are still a handful left. |
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Compass Lost
This month we've had the bad news that Compass Expeditions have taken the tough and heartbreaking decision to shut up shop and return all deposits while they still could. I've only had the pleasure to ride with them once (more's the pity, work continually gets in the way of a good lark). They ran a really tight ship and didn't deserve the ignominy of fizzling out like that.
This bloody MBV claims more good people's livelihoods through no fault of their own. I guess that when we pop out the other end there will be new opportunities as travel starved bikers will be itching to bugger off OS.
All the best for the future mates, maybe we'll see Phoenix Bike Travel rise from the ashes. |
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Take it Easy Take it eeeeasy, take it eeeeasy.... don't let your wheels drive you craaaazy.
As we all venture out into the brave new world don't forget to take that bit of extra care. Most of us have had a long break from riding and are likely to need a few klicks to settle into the 'groove' again.
Keep it smooth and clean, keep your head up.
Copyalater.
Andy |
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