The daily commute to work can be a drag, even on a motorcycle. Today we’re looking at five items that will immeasurably improve your daily ride by providing not only protection from the elements but also functionality and peace of mind that's hard to beat.
Even the best riding jackets and trou’ have their limits when it comes to how weatherproof they are and there’s nothing worse than arriving at work looking like you pee’d your pants with a damp crotch...
A dedicated set if wet weather gear, like the SCOTT Ergonomic DP Pro line simply pulls over your regular riding gear and provides protection from not just the rain but the cold wind as well. Add into the mix a buff along the lines of the Rev’It! Urbano Windcollar and you’re guaranteed to arrive at your destination dry and snug.
While we’ll always state that you’ve got to have your wits about you while navigating city traffic if you’re the type of person who arrives at work to several missed calls then grabbing a Cardo communication unit could be the go for you.
The only completely waterproof comms unit on the market, Cardo’s systems start at an affordable $259 with the Freecom 1+ and allows you to listen to your favourite tunes and answer calls all handsfree while on your commute to work.
Plus if you go for the more premium units like the Freecom 4+ or Packtalk Bold (Listen to Ray's Packtalk Bold review on the Kiwi Rider Podcast, it's a neat bit of kit) you get the full experience with the added addition of dynamic mesh connection, meaning on the weekend you can pair them with your friend's units and shoot the breeze while you carve corners on your favourite backroad loop.
Going hand in hand with the Cardo is a favourite of ours, the Quadlock system. Quadlock allows you to easily and securely mount your phone to a chosen point on your motorcycle (We have ours above our speedometer on our CRF250L Rally) which allows you access to the utility of your phone while out on the road.
Our favourite function this allows for is navigation, but it also opens up other handy features like call screening (do you REALLY want to talk while you’re riding home?) and the ability to easily control the tunes playing in your helmet.
Unless you have access to a secure off-street parking space once you arrive, there’s no time your bike is more vulnerable than when you’re stuck at your 9-5.
While nothing will likely stop a group of burly men from picking your bike up and running off with it, a disc lock alarm like the ABUS 345 Trigger Alarm is a good deterrent for casual criminals.
Simply clipping on to your brake caliper and featuring a 5 mm steel bolt the bolt, lock body as well as supporting elements of the locking mechanism are made of ABUS’s special temper-hardened steel. With a simple one-handed and quick operation to lock and remove, plus a 100DB alarm built-in, thieves will think twice if they try to knick your ride off the street.
It's a lot of peace of mind for its sub-$140 price point, particularly if your bike is not fitted with a standard immobiliser.
If there is one universal truth to commuter bikes, it’s that they don’t offer much in the way of storage for, well, anything really.
Panniers are great, as are tail bags, but for the daily commute, we reckon you can’t go past a decent backpack to cart your work clothes, gym gear or anything else you need for your day to the office.
Kriega’s top of the line Max28 caught our eye not just for its stylish design but also its large number of quality features and an even larger 28-litre capacity. It's big enough to fit your full-face helmet, so it'll easily fit your laptop and lunchbox for the daily grind.
Sure, at $429 it costs a fair whack, but with a guaranteed waterproof laptop pocket and 10-year warranty it is up to the task of even the hardest daily commute.