LS2 Arrow C - Helmet Review

Helmets are something we all use, and often skimp on when it comes to spending money. The amount of guys I see riding expensive bikes with a R500 helmet to me is slightly confusing. Now I’m not saying everyone needs to go out and spend R20000 on an AGV Pista, but shop around and look for a well-priced, and more importantly well spec’ed helmet. This includes the safety rating. You will actually be shocked at how an expensive helmet does not necessarily mean it is a good helmet.

After years of service my old AGV, which I loved, had done some serious mileage and accumulated some wear due to daily use. I contacted the suppliers of AGV and was shocked at the cost of replacing mine. The same went for the other brands I looked at. These included the big names, Arai, Shoei, etc. I looked at the Shark helmets and tried a few on, but they did not seem to fit me properly and also did not draw me to them. I gave up and thought I would look over seas for something I really wanted. Something that spoke to me… and of course, my wallet.

I’m a fussy customer and wanted something light, good looking, comfortable and of course safe. I had seen LS2 helmets being advertised online but put them aside as I did not know the brand, which is something we all seem to do. Luckily I got a call from a friend saying he has one and I need to come see it. I popped over to him and was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality. The most impressive part was the raw carbon fiber weave. When I returned home I started doing some more in depth research and was impressed to see guys on the MotoGP circuit using them. Yonny Hernandez, Loris Baz, Anthony West, Simone Corsi, and Isaac Vinales all use them. 

I contacted LS2 South Africa and got pricing on the one I really wanted. The LS2 Arrow Carbon. It is their top of the range helmet and when you get to have a good look at it you see the racing inspiration behind it. It is lightweight at 1300g, and is a long oval shape. It comes in three different shell sizes which is nice as it will not be over sized according to the fit. It had space for pin-locks which is something I would use in winter, and had tear-offs for someone wanting to use this helmet for racing. I also enquired about tinted visors as my eyes are sensitive to light, and we all like the stealth look. They had various options so I bit the bullet and ordered the helmet. I also opted for a dark visor as well as a gold iridium visor. LS2 sell their helmets and include a tinted visor and a pinlock insert in the pricing. 

A few weeks later I got a call to say that my helmet was ready. Redewaan, the distributor, met me one evening at a place that was convenient and the whole transaction was effortless and included everything I asked for. Once home I was able to have a good look at the helmet and was super impressed. The overall design is race orientated, and the internals and overall quality are those of a far more expensive helmet. The visor allows for a huge range of view, and is able to be locked in place. The visor is thick and is easy to release for cleaning or swapping. The carbon weave is also stunning once in the sun, and the helmet allows for great ventilation.

I cannot recommend this helmet enough. This is a MotoGP spec helmet for a very good price and punches well above its weight. For more information check out the LS2 Facebook page and message Redewaan. You will not be disappointed.

Alex

2015 Ducati 1299S – Red Rocket

Ever been strapped to a rocket? Well swing your leg over a Ducati 1299 Panigale and you’ll know the feeling. It’s blindingly quick in any gear at any speed. Crack the throttle open and it’s like you’re going into hyperdrive… your surroundings pass you in a blur. I’ve had the opportunity in the past to ride both the 899 and 1199, and have fallen in love with the Panigale. The whole bike has always felt comfortable to me and the razor sharp handling is addictive. I found the 899 lacked outright grunt, but I enjoyed the fact that I could really thrash the bike without the worry of landing up in too much trouble. The 1199 that I spent some time on lacked as a road bike, but came alive at the top. It was honestly like a two stroke (most manufacturers are sadly going this way) which made it terrible, unless you were giving it your all. The 1299 was a way for Ducati to make the big Panigale a great road bike by adding more midrange and feel.

The looks department can’t be faulted, it is after all Italian. The 1299 gets some cosmetic tweaks on what was already a gorgeous base to start with. The bike I had the opportunity to ride was an “S” which comes with full electronic suspension. Unfortunately I didn’t get much time to play with the suspension, but the ability to change settings is always a plus for someone who takes their motorcycle riding seriously. The gold Ohlins bits also look the business, and add to the overall presence of the bike, not to mention the light weight, forged Marchesini wheels which are wrapped in Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres.

The L-twin motor makes 205hp, which I can easily believe. This bike will devour pretty much any of the other superbikes in a roll on. The 1285cc motor allows for a huge amount of torque, and Ducati claim a 15% increase in torque from 5000rpm to 8000rpm. The twin nature does make the bike feel slower than an inline four, but the numbers flashing past on the colour screen really show that this bike isn’t sticking around.  I found the fuelling rough between 0-10% throttle which could be due to it actually being rough, or because I’ve been spoilt with perfect fuelling on my daily bike. This did make pulling away from a robot a bit tricky, and stalling is not an option if you’re being noticed. Which you will be, because it’s a Ducati. To ride around this I was having to give it quite a bit more throttle input on pull away from each robot, but I soon got used to it. The fuelling on the fly was however smooth and consistent, which adding to my confidence in the bike. 

It must be noted that this bike isn’t meant for town riding. At the start I compared this bike to a rocket. This can also be used to explain the amount of heat the huge motor makes. Having the exhaust right under your ass doesn’t help either. I rode the bike in warm weather and felt like I was being roasted. I really wasn’t feeling it after the first 20 km, but then I got onto a mountain pass and everything was forgotten…

I can’t explain how this bike turns in and brakes. The big Brembo M50’s make this bike stop at a rapid rate, while the ABS (Also cornering ABS) keeps everything in check. The turn in is razor sharp and comparable to a 600cc supersport bike. Coming out of the corner and hard on the gas I could feel the traction control keeping the rear wheel in check. Once the bike was stood up and the throttle was opened 100% the bars lifted and hovered. The wheelie control is something I thought was a bit of a silly idea to keep accountants and doctors that ride on a Sunday out of the dirt, but it works. I liked how you are able to set it up. How high would you like to power wheelie? The front wheel comes back to the ground with a wiggle as the steering damper works its magic. How did we previously ride bikes without all these gizmos? Once you ride a bike with them, it’s difficult to go back.

The 1299S has three riding modes. Wet, for when your friend wants to take it for a spin. Sport, which is the middle of the road setting, and Race which is balls to the wall with everything cranked up to 10! I found riding the bike in sport mode during the “commuting” sections the best, as race was a bit too snappy and wild. Once I got to where I wanted to be, I select Race mode on the fly and the bike transformed! The suspension stiffens up, and the bike becomes very angry. The clocks turn into a laptimer and the RPM readings become dominant. 

The gearbox on this bike was silky smooth and featured a quickshifter up, and down. The bike makes a nice pop going up the gearbox and blips on the way down. It’s much nicer and more bolt-action than the BMW’s sloppy setup. For the downshifter to be engaged, the bike needs to be totally off the power and you just stomp down on the shifter. It takes some getting used to but works very well. I did however find the location of the gear shifter just a bit too low, but I’m sure that can be adjusted. The pegs have also been changed to more grippy items, which are great. The old pegs were slippery numbers that made you question your foot location mid corner.

For a standard exhaust this bike sounds the business. Aftermarket exhausts are sadly incredibly expensive, but to be honest I doubt anyone would want a bike much louder than this. On the fly coming through a mountain pass this bike growls and pops… It’s spectacular. The fairings are a bit bigger on the 1299 than the 899 and 1199, but I found the screen to be too low. This isn’t an uncommon issue for me, especially with my 2.01m frame. 

Now for the million dollar question… would I have one in my garage…? It is a definite yes. The pricing however means it’s something I’ll only be able to afford if I won the lotto. The base model comes in at under R240 000, while the S version is just shy of R280 000. Comparing that to the BMW and R1 means it’s not far off the modern high tech bikes. It is also important to remember when you buy a Ducati you’re buying exotica. These bikes are very special.

Thanks once again to Anston Collins and Ducati Cape Town for letting me loose on one of their machines, it’s a great privilege. 

Thanks to Helderberg Bike Blog for the pictures.

BMW S1000XR – The Bahnstormer

All I can say is POWER!!!! This bike does what it says on the tin. I’ve been very excited to experience this bike since I started seeing reviews of it. Baron Von Grumble, who’s Vlogging I enjoy watching, seemed to have a total hoot on the bike. I made a booking with Donford BMW and popped around for a quick 40 minute ride around Stellenbosch and up Helshoogte.

Climbing on the bike it’s nice and high, which is great for me. BMW do offer a lowering kit from the factory, but the standard was very comfortable. Start the bike and it barks into life. It has a nice exhaust tone, and the styling isn’t too bad either. Its obvious competitor is the Ducati Multistrada. These are big, powerful touring bikes with superbike motors modified for more mid-range grunt. Both bikes are jam packed with technology and comfort features.

The motor pulls hard and you’re quickly in speeding fine territory. However, to me the motor lacks emotion compared to the Multistrada's L twin. The BMW motor is stonking, but clinical. I also found the bike buzzing between 4-8k rpm which on the road will become irritating. This bike has serious induction noise and you can hear it while riding. Some people have remarked that this was a huge turn-off of the XR, but it didn’t bother me too much on my short test ride.

Flicking through the gears using the quickshifter (up and down) sounds good with a pop coming from the exhaust, but doesn't feel as "bolt-action" as other bikes. It felt to me like there are too many rubber links in the gear-shifter which takes away from the good mechanical feel. It was the first up and down quickshifter I have used and once I got my head around it, it allowed for more concentration for braking and cornering. Personally I prefer a simpler, more connected gear shift even if this means removing the auto-blipper and downshifter. 

Using the clutch for gear shifts is also not as smooth as it could be. The bike is obviously adjusting for the shift but this results in a jerky change going up and down the gearbox. This almost forces the rider to use the quickshifter as opposed to having the use of it when you want.

The brakes lacked feel which messed with the confidence I had in them. It almost felt like they weren’t consistent. The braking was strong and good although I struggled to judge where to add more or less braking force. The traction control did a god job to keep things in check while bombing into and out of corners. You can really feel the traction control working out of corners. I rode the bike in Dynamic and Pro-Dynamic modes which are the two “faster” settings. Dynamic is for good road conditions (Sport mode), and Pro-Dynamic is for track conditions (Race mode). The bike has wheelie control which gets the front up and hovers it just above the ground. Depending on the rider settings, the front will allow for higher lift.

The bike handles well and has a great electronics package. The suspension on this bike is electronic and it felt more planted that the Multistrada on all road conditions. The switch gear is better on this new BMW, the switches feel like better quality but I still get a bit confused about their layout from time to time. To me this is still not up to standard, but that is my view.

Wind protection and riding position are great on the S1000XR. This is a great road bike, and I have a feeling that most riders would be faster on this bike through a tight mountain pass than on most superbikes. It has plenty low down grunt and pulls smoothly all the way through the rev-range. The high riding position and wide bars make it easy to chuck around.

The issues I had with the bike were once again, lack of space for my feet. This is more my problem than the bike's though. I disliked the finish of the bike. The rear sub-frame, like all the BMW’s, looks like scaffolding which someone has temporarily welded in place. On a R200 000 plus bike I expect more. 

Overall a great experience and a difficult choice between the 2015 Multi and the S1000XR. They both have their own pros and cons. A perfect bike seems to be sitting somewhere in between.