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Dennis Kirk Review: Are They Any Good?

Have you ever ordered from Dennis Kirk before? Or are you on the fence after reading negative reviews? Let’s shine some light.

In our unbiased evaluation, we’ll share our honest thoughts with you. Note that we have no commercial relationship with this store. Frontaer just wants to share the facts.

Dennis Kirk Review

There are numerous online motorcycle stores and distributors nowadays. It’s hard to know who’s the real deal. Fortunately, Dennis Kirk have been around for many years.

They stock a full range of motorcycling gear for all budgets, but at the same time – quality gear. You won’t find the cheap eBay or Amazon stuff here.

Their main focus is on the older demographic (hence why Harley gear is featured) but there is also offroad and on-road gear for the under 35 crowd. We audited their website and found thousands of products available through their store.

The parts department is huge too and they often stock parts that we can’t find elsewhere. In fact, many people from other countries including Australia, England and even South Africa do order from Dennis Kirk, often for the first time. When you’re looking for that rare part, it’s wise to search globally.

What They Doing Well

Unlike many motorcycle stores who try to be all things to all people, Dennis Kirk focuses on the premium demographic of riders who enjoy high-quality products. You can see that from their online content and routine blogs, as well as their product lineup.

In addition, we’ve found their customer service team to be extremely helpful. If you have questions or aren’t sure which product to choose, they’re very experienced and can point you in the right direction. This is because their staff all ride motorcycles.

Reputation is a prominent target for Dennis Kirk and so they really do go out of their way to be one of the best in the business of motorcycle parts and accessories. That said – it’s hard to please everyone in this space.

Dennis Kirk Negative Reviews

Have you read those negative reviews and bad experiences by irate customers? Some of them are genuine, while others leave you curious. “Was it really that bad?”

In most cases, such experiences were either mild or beyond the control of Dennis Kirk. We noticed a trend is that products went missing through one of the 3rd party carriers that they use. It’s an unfortunate situation but does happen often.

Now keep in mind that most people who have had a great experience will never actually leave a review online. Yet those who have a bad experience are quick to tell the world about the issue. The motorcycling community is quite harsh, unfortunately.

Our point here is to take both negative and positive reviews with a grain of salt and make up your own mind. After all, if they stock your desired product, then it’s likely that it will both arrive on time and be exactly what you needed.

In Summary

The motorcycle supply world is a tough business and the hardest part is customer satisfaction. Across the board, negative reviews run rampant and Dennis Kirk is no exception.

Yet this represents such a small segment of the market. Almost everyone else has a positive experience and if you feel comfortable ordering online, then Dennis Kirk gets our recommendation. If only they stocked Frontaer’s product lineup. 😉

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🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

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Can I Wear Jeans When Riding Dirt Bikes?

While a rare question, it’s certainly worth knowing if you are able to wear jeans when riding your dirt bike.

In short, it’s not recommended to wear everyday household jeans when riding a dirt bike. These will readily tear if you fall off your motorcycle and could leave you with substantial grazes and skin injuries. Instead, most motorcycle journalists recommend jeans created specifically for motorcyclists.

That said – these jeans are best for those riding on the road where they are less likely to get dirty. It’s so easy to get these stained when riding on dirt tracks which are another reason why they aren’t recommended.

Jeans and Dirt Bikes: A Bad Mix?

It’s quite uncommon to see dirt bike riders wearing jeans. Given the flexibility that one needs to step their feet out on gnarly tracks and stay nimble on fast-flowing gravel tracks, it’s simply much better to wear normal riding trousers that MX riders wear or the thicker pants that adventure riders typically choose.

If you do choose to wear jeans when riding your dirt bike, it’s best to avoid riding in the rain since jeans will get soaked through very quickly. Also – spend up on some quality riding jeans instead of cheap versions that you might find on Amazon and eBay.

Certainly, we would say for most instances, jeans just are a bad mix. They aren’t that comfortable or ergonomic and don’t provide the stretch that we really need as riders who prefer the offroad terrain. Essentially, unless you’re riding on roads….jeans just kinda suck.

MX Pants vs Jeans

MX Pants wins easily this battle. They breathe very well for us sweaty riders who actually push the limits, while also insulating your legs if you’re riding in colder weather. Let’s not forget how much they will be frustrating if they get wet.

If you wear jeans on a hot day, then you probably won’t want to head out riding ever again. It’s almost as though you’re wearing thick yoga pants that just won’t flex when you need them to.

Let’s not forget that jeans aren’t wide at the base. Even bootcut jeans just aren’t suitably wide enough to fit over boots….yet they’re too thick to fit INSIDE boots comfortably too. It’s simply challenging.

But can you still wear jeans? Absolutely…for the time being. Once you get into a set of MX pants, then you’ll never look back. A good set of pants is only $50 to $100 but absolutely worth the investment over the long term.

In Summary

There is a rare breed of people who don’t like the neon look of modern-day dirt bike pants while riding a turbo-charged chainsaw. For this reason, they’ll either choose adventure riding pants or simply get some jeans from the on-road department of any motorcycling store.

For the rest of us sane souls, we’ll take the pants anytime. The ability to move around comfortable in the saddle yet not get too hot is ideal. Plus their just so much easier to clean in the wash basin, while jeans just stain so easily.

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🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

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Rocky Mountain ATV MC Review: Are They Any Good?

Have you ever shopped at Rocky Mountain ATV and MC? If you haven’t, here’s our unbiased review of their online store.

Some people are concerned about their negative reviews and rightfully so – you’re spending your hard-earned money here, so you need to be careful online. We’re going to share our opinion and perspective.

Please note that we have no commercial relationship with the store and don’t get paid for online reviews.

Let’s begin.

Rocky Mountain ATV MC Review

If you’re a dirt bike rider like us, no doubt you’ve heard of Rocky Mountain before. They are one of the most popular brands in the business and stock just about everything there is in the offroad motorcycling world.

While they started out catering towards ATV riders, today they serve a lot more people in the offroad cycling world. Unlike RevZilla which is quite broad (and appeals towards street riders predominantly), Rocky Mountain really understands the needs and motivations of those off the beaten track.

It’s great that they have niched-down so they can better know riders. Some motorcycle stores try to be all things to all people.

What They’re Doing Well

The very best element of Rocky Mountain is their YouTube content. It’s real and thriving, and the comments can be quite comical to read.

In fact, some people head straight to the comments section to see any discussions about products. Sometimes the comments are more honest than the actual content that is being convered.

Clearly these guys put a lot of effort into their content production to help consumers make a better choice. They clearly know their product range and are expanding all the time.

What we truly love is their event sponsoring. It’s rare not to see them at any state or national events across the country and ensuring that competitor and spectator fees are kept low.

Rocky Mountain ATV MC Negative Reviews

Have you seen the extensive negative reviews online? It’s quite surprising, but when we better understand the nature of the end customer…then it makes perfect sense.

You see – in the online world people don’t have an emotional filter and can let loose when one single problem happens. On the flip side, they are very unlikely to leave a 5-star review even when the experience was very good.

Thus, people are more inclined to simply throw a 1-star review about a company online. You’ll actually find low average ratings for a range of competitors in this space too, so no one is really exempt.

Essentially, it’s very unlikely to keep everyone happy. Often these issues arise from delayed shipping and Rocky Mountain ATV and MC uses a range of 3rd party carriers who aren’t always reliable.

What Could Improve

In addition to improving their online ratings, we’d love to see more brutal honesty with their product reviews. They’re sometimes a little too generous on products that they sell which leads consumers to lose a little trust in the process.

Further – we’d love to see faster delivery times as Amazon generally ships out a little faster. That said – Amazon has a massive amount of fulfillment centres across the country and can get products out to customers very quickly.

In short – Rocky Mountain ATV and MC is still doing an excellent job and thousands of customers order from their online store daily. So take the negative reviews and customer complaints with a grain of salt.

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👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

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🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

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What Is Motorcycle Countersteering? Is It A Myth?

Countersteering on a motorcycle is often misunderstood and it’s even a bit controversial among riders of all of styles and race groups.

While so contested in its definition, the actual meaning is quite straight forward:

Motorcycle countersteering is the process of turning in an opposite direction than perceived in the conscious mind of the rider. In reality, we must turn LEFT if we want to steer RIGHT and vice-versa, based on the centripetal force that is needed to actually turn a motorcycle at moderate and high speeds. In essence, a motorcycle steers in the direction that a rider leans, and not in the direction that one turns their handlebar.

It can be harder for newer riders to understand this concept, yet even some experienced riders get it wrong. Some even claim that this is a myth which is bizarre. These sceptics even search online for information to better discount this concept as simply blasphemy.

Motorcycle Countersteering Defined

This is an important element to learn if you want to become a safe and efficient rider out there on the trails. Even if you’re riding on the road, this is very important to actualize in your mind.

By fully understanding the dynamics of countersteering on a motorcycle, you can prepare yourself to avoid accidents like this:

So what happened here? Clearly he turned in the direction that he didn’t want to go. In fact, there were 4 attempts to correct his direction before his subsequent crash.

Note: The rider in this instance survived this crash but others aren’t so lucky.

Steering is used at slower speeds in residential areas. Once you’re up to moderate and high speeds, you’ll need to keep countersteering in mind if you want to avoid serious accidents like this.

The Counter Steering Myth

Yes – we have to raise this. There are some people that literally search for information to debunk such claims.

Motorcycle countersteering isn’t a myth. Many experienced riders understand this concept of steering in the OPPOSITE direction if where you wish to travel, yet beginners often ignore this concept until later in their motorcycling life.

Given the amont of explanations given in YouTube videos, it’s clear that this is not just a true concept, but one that has saved many lives. Quite simply: Steer in the opposite direct of where you want to turn, as this isn’t like driving a car or a truck.

The only exception to this rule is at very low speeds where yes, you would actually steer normally.

Why Training is Necessary

We’re big on motorcycle training here at Frontaer. It’s our belief that with the right training, riders can greatly minimize the likelihood of being involved in serious accident. Most riding schools to get your licence doesn’t really cover this well unfortunately, with a focus more-so on the physical aspects of gear selection and traffic awareness.

If you haven’t already done so, we recommend enrolling into an advanced motorcycle skills training course. This will help you develop those skills necessary towards safe motorcycle handling and where you can actually learn counter-steering in a controlled environment.

Just remember – push right and you go right. It’s really that simple.

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What is a Motorcycle Fairing? A Simple Guide

You’ve probably been curious as to what a motorcycle fairing is. That answer is actually quite simple:

Motorcycle fairings are hard panels (typically fibreglass, aluminium and hard plastic) that are fitted to the front of motorcycles to increase their aerodynamics and provide more comfort to the rider. By deflecting the wind, riders face less resistance through the wind which allows the motorcycle to accelerate faster and reach higher top speeds. Likewise, fairings can reduce the helmet noise and overall discomfort that comes with riding a motorcycle.

If you’ve ever felt like this heavy force is trying to push your off your motorcycle when riding at highway speeds, then installing a fairing could be just the ticket you need to more comfortable riding. Many riders of various motorcycles get these installed and are glad that they made the investment.

Motorcycle Fairings at a Glance

The use of motorcycle fairings aren’t new, but more and more riders today are choosing to use these to have greater comfort on the roads. Just like the advancements in motorcycle technology, helmet technology and overall ergonomics, fairings have come a long way in these past decades.

These sometimes are added by the factory before shipping as a stock item. At other times, they may be added by the dealer in a particular area to increase sales. For dealers in cold climates, they may add fairings to increase sales since riders are likely going to need these installed regardless.

Many motorcycle fairings are available aftermarket both by the manufacturer and by 3rd parties. Various styles are available as well as building materials. It’s important that you double-check your model year when ordering as attachment points can change as can sizing and specifications.

Types of Motorcycle Fairings

Did you know that there are various types of motorcycle fairings. At a glance:

  • Quarter fairings. These are very small and generally, they just cover the area around the headlight. It’s most common to see these with stock-standard motorcycles.
  • Half fairings. This will have a windscreen that still allows some airflow to reach the rider’s helmet, but does provide some comfort to the user.
  • Full fairings. This is a full-sized windscreen and airflow channels which is the best shot at deflecting the wind for the rider. There is additional weight generated by adding these fairings but additionally, more comfort and stability at speed.
  • Oversized fairings. Kawasaki created the Concours which is absolutely oversize with its fairings but allowed a cruiser-like feel for what is actually a sports bike.
  • Wheel fairings. Have you seen fairings on dirt bike tyres? These are typically to stop dirt and debris from reaching the rider, as opposed to aerodynamic advantages.

These fairings are integral to most motorcycles these days. That said – this has given rise to the ‘naked’ line of motorcycles which are simply raw and real, without ‘all that plastic stuff’ attached.

Inherit Benefits

So outside the comfort and aerodynamic advantages, what does having a fairing really help do for the rider? Well, there are some benefits that aren’t so obvious.

Motorcycle fairings help riders by:

  1. Deflecting cold air which allows riders to stay focused on the road ahead.
  2. Enhances the cockpit area so riders can attach devices such as phones, a GPS or even a navigational guidebook. This is why you see Dakar riders with big fairings, as they need the space to fit more gear.
  3. Enhances the look and resale value of your motorcycle. Let’s admit it – most bikes with fairings look way better.
  4. Allowing riders to create an individualized riding experience. Most riders are unique creatures and by fitting a fairing, they’re able to create a custom experience that will last for years to come.

Generally, the motorcycles that don’t come from the factory with fairings are dirt bikes, naked motorcycles, cafe racers and scooters.

Would we recommend one? Absolutely. They are expensive as typically they are one-off designs or have a short production run. You may have to source these from other countries, especially if you have an older motorcycle and just broke your fairing.

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👉 39 Most Common Dirt Bike Terms (How Many Do You Really Know?)

🔥 21 Awesome Dirt Bike Riding Tips ('Cause We Want You Safe Out There!)

🌲 How To Go Camping With Your Dirt Bike (And Arrive Home Safely)

🔧 7 Tools Every Dirt Bike Rider Must Carry (To Avoid Those Awkward Rescue Calls)

🥾 Best Dirt Bike Boots That Go The Distance (Who's Got The Best for 2021?)