From: Metal Mule
Price: £94.00
Contact: 01273 842094
Web: www.metalmule.com

This thick aluminium plate could well be called a 'sump-guard',
if it weren't for the fact the XT660R is a dry-sump, oil-in-
the-frame design... so I'll call it a 'bash plate' because it gets
bashed instead of the underside of the engine. Just as with
the exhaust system from the same company, this was an
indispensable modification for our bikes and the plate and
pipe should be seen as an essential pairing for off-roaders.

Many, many times we ran out of ground clearance when
riding through rock fields in the Himalaya and when hacking
through Romanian forests. There have been some huge,
gut-churning bashes and my plate now pretty much
conforms to the underside of the engine it's been
protecting. There is no chance the engine cases - and
especially the water pump-housing - would have survived
without this modification.

The plate now has several fractures (it should be understood
these were prototypes and Metal Mule say they'll use thicker
material for future production), but considering all the vibes',
miles, crashes and bashes, it has done very well to still be
there and doing its job. Without these we would still be
sitting in Romania somewhere, waiting for new engine cases
to arrive, before beginning a huge engine-rebuilding job.
Damon

From: Metal Mule
Price: £319.99
Contact: 01273 842094
Web: www.metalmule.com

To do any kind of serious off-roading with the Yamaha
XT660R's standard exhaust system in place is pretty much
impossible. Running under the engine, the pipes severely
limit ground clearance and would simply be torn asunder by
rocks and major potholes. The answer to giving the XT
some serious off-road credibility is to fit this exhaust made
by Scorpion in conjunction with Metal Mule, who also
supplied our luggage systems.

On the rolling road dynamometer the change from the
standard twin-exhaust/catalyser set-up meant the loss of a
horsepower or two at certain revs and a little less crisp pick-
up at the bottom of the rev-range, even when the fuel
injection was tuned using a Dynojet Power Commander and
Lambda sensor. I'm sure this could have been regained if
we'd detached the silencer's baffle (removable with an Allen
key), but we didn't want the extra noise this would entail.
Even with the baffle in, this exhaust sounds way fruitier than
standard, but does pop and bang a lot on the overrun.

The slight loss of poke and missfires are, however, more than offset by the
fact we simply could not have done this trip, or scaled the
high mountains, without fitting this exhaust. No way. And a
saving of nearly 10kg from the extremities of the bikes'
chassis has also greatly improved manoeuvrability.

Looks-wise the stainless pipe has also turned the bike from
a road softy to a mug-plugging thug. The finish has stood
up really well and we are hugely chuffed with the overall
performance. If you're fitting this pipe for road use, then it's
a simple, 20-minute job to change; if you're going to use
the XT on the rough, however, then you're also going to
need another 20 minutes to bung on a bash plate...
Damon

Pac-safe Stuffsafe kitbag
From: Motohaus
Price: UKP 49.99
Contact: 01256 704909
Web: www.motohaus.com
This piece of kit has been a real boon on our trip. It will carry huge amounts of equipment and can be strapped to the bike where a pillion would sit, meaning the bike stays pretty well balanced. If it's safe to leave the hard luggage on the bike, we can just unstrap these and have all our overnight kit inside. It is also, thanks to a PVC-type coating and an over-folding opening, entirely waterproof - even in hours of torrential downpours.

If you look at the pictures, you will doubtless notice the 'chicken wire' over the surface of the bag. This is high tensile steel netting and is designed to stop potential pilferers from slash-and-grab action. We've found it useful for running straps through so the bag doesn't shift around.

The neck of the bag locks closed (padlock supplied) with a steel cable and there is a loop so it can also be locked to the bike. There is also a carry roll, so the Stuffsafe can be easily carried in compressed form. This is presently finding a new job as an excellent tool roll.

This was a brand new market entry when we were supplied with one for testing, so there's no retail price available as yet. We'll let you know when we do.

Damon

Sidi Courier boots
From: Feridax
Price: £176.00
Contact: 01384 413841
Web: www.feridax.com
These boots come with a very good reputation and, as the name suggests, are widely used by couriers. However, there are some strange anomalies going on with our footwear. In the catalogue it says that they're made from leather, but these are constructed of Lorica - a synthetic leather substitute. This would be no bad thing as Lorica is a perfectly suitable material, breaks in very quickly and has a degree of 'breathability'. But it also has less water-resistance than cowhide.

This shouldn't be a problem, because these boots have a 'membrane'. What sort of membrane isn't stated in the bumf, but whatever is it ain't waterproof and our feet (in both pairs) are wet after about 30 minutes of rain. We are resorting to plastic bags over our socks.

Another strange thing is that the boots have different fastening systems and buckle-sizes.

On the plus side of things the boots have broken in extremely quickly and are very comfortable. They've also protected our feet in numerous off-road prangs. But if I'd payed me money for these I'd take them back for an exchange or refund over the wet feet issue.

I've had numerous items of Sidi kit over the years and it has performed well, so these leaky fellas are a bit of a disappointment.
Damon

Yamaha Brush Guards
From: Yamaha UK
Price: £60.99 (air deflectors £10.99)
Contact: 01932 358085
Web: www.yamaha.co.uk

BOY HAVE these lever-savers been put too the test, hitting the deck 18 times and counting. We're rather crazily carrying no spares, so these items have saved us a lot of bother. They are reinforced with big aluminium bars, thank Christ, and have been moved but never defeated. The add-on 'spoilers are designed to deflect cold air over hands, but could be bigger. They are also unconvincingly attached using self-tapping screws (one of which came undone on my bike). Still it's Pankaj who has put the guards to the real test and so far they're doing just fine.
Damon

WHO ELSE can say better than me about this bars I put them through ultimate test I dropped my bike how many times I forgot the count but they saved me every single time and we are not carrying extra spares my trip would have ended long back. In any of my trip this will be my first choice weather I am confident or not because I know they will save my trip.
Pankaj

Airhawk Cruiser saddle cover
From: Bykebitz
Price: £129.99
Contact: 01252 870900
Web: www.bykebitz.co.uk

WE HAVE just put these strange-looking seat covers to the ultimate test in the form of a single 34-hour ride and it has come up smelling of... Well never mind that, because it would be pretty much impossible to cover so much distance in a single stint without it.

The XT has a saddle that is better than most mid-weight trailies for covering a tank's-worth of petrol (about 150 miles) but after that things start to get decidedly achy. With this thing even the 1000 we raced through didn't give us any arse pain beyond the mildest discomfort.

It's basically a soft airbed for arses, comprising of rubber cells into which the backside sinks. Its construction means there are no pressure points and it doesn't get any more hot under-arse than a saddle - in fact I reckon it's a bit cooler as air can circulate under the rump.

Air can be easily introduced and removed (by mouth) via a valve under the non-slip cover, which is good because the amount the Airhawk is inflated makes a big difference. Too much air and you lose contact with the feel for what the bike is doing; too little and there's not enough cushioning. So, run it near-flat in serious twisties so it doesn't shift around beneath you, and with more air on the motorway. Or find the perfect balance, whereby shifting around a bit changes the seat's shape completely and stops pressure points.

Complaints? Yes, with this bike-model (with steep trail-type seat) the elastic attachments need regular fiddling to keep the cover in place. At £130 this is not cheap and I'd also like to see higher quality fastening-buckles.

Not a huge number of people want to cover many hundreds of miles in a day, but for those who do, and want to keep their butts sweet, this thing is in a class of its own. If you've a hard-arse sports bike and want motorway relief on continental forays, then it's certainly also worth a look. We weren't at all sure whether we really wanted to have these on the bikes, but now we are completely sold on them. And so are our backsides.
Damon


THIS AIR HAWK saddle when I saw first time I was not convinced why I need that and when I used it for first time I was not convinced weather I want or not but D told me it will be very useful. Now after put them for ultimate test of 34 hours of riding my butts r not hurting and not giving any complain to my mind. It was difficult to understand right air pressure in seat but once I got that it been fantastic. Now I cant see myself riding for long hours without it. I think it is expensive for me but if you want to do two trips like this than what is price of your new arse.....
Pankaj

Cat-skin seat covers
Available from: Yussef Bhai, Grant Road Market, Mumbai, India
Price: Rs225
Contact: The man himself

No, not real cat skin, but a highly representative reproduction by these masters of stretchy seat materials. A seat cover like this is guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd, raise machismo on the street and even increase one's sperm count.

The leopard skin version has now covered literally 1000 miles and is only just beginning to discolour and shed some fur. It also discharges a charming yellow dust that not only fools bees, but, being statically-charged by nylon trousers, coats the instrumentation of the motorcycle.

Perhaps the only downside of what is otherwise a style statement no motorcyclist can afford to ignore, is the way it absorbs airborne moisture (rain), soaking the discerning biker's arse the following morning. Hardly a large issue, though, when set against the admiring glances it is sure to elicit from the fairer, or indeed furrier, sex.
Damon