Gear Guides

Have you seen the new Osah Motorcycle luggage systems? They not only look great but seem very affordable too.

The question is though: Are they worth buying? In this review, we decided to take a closer look at these bags.

Osah Motorcycle Luggage Review

Osah isn’t an older brand with established links around the world. Instead, they are newcomers to the world of adventure motorcycling only having been around for a few years now.

This brand makes dry packs for riders, as well as campers and those who love fishing. That said – their main market is adventure riders like us who need a dry place to stash their riding gear, both when riding or at camp for the night.

It’s clear that they use a no-frills design yet can certainly hold up against the elements. Yet with strong straps that actually hold down properly. These actually come with 4 straps which you don’t have to buy separately.

There is a range of bags on offer in assorted colors so we decided to buy some to rate personally. You’ll find 100% dust-proof and waterproof (IP66) designs which are clearly built tough for our demanding conditions. Most of their products are manufactured with 500d PVC materials.

From our experience with river crossings, the Osah Bags only leaked mildly when completely submerged. The 2.5-foot water crossing was a little beyond our limitations and over the bike went!

Best Parts

We really do love the build quality here. It’s clear that this company has actually ridden a bike before and understands what is expected on there in the open country.

Compare this to the cheap offerings on eBay and Amazon, and it’s clear to see who’s bringing value to the table. The bags feel very hard to tear and included are tie-down straps and hook points so the bags stick to your bike, even at 70 miles per hour.

The zippers are strong and the bags open up pretty side. This is helpful when wanting to pack in a rain jacket or even pack away the tent in the morning. When you’re not riding, you can use the bag for other applications such as sports and beach days.

Lastly – the best part about Osah bags is the pricing. This is why we praise this brand in our review. It’s clear they’re delivering some significant value to the end user…compared to say the $500+ bags we often see in the adventure motorcycling space.

Final thoughts

After a few weeks with the Osah Drypak Bags (we bought 3), it’s clear that they have built a great quality product at an affordable price. Is it the best bag out there? Certainly not, and it doesn’t pretend to be, but there’s very little letting it down – other than say a reputable brand name created before the Long Way boom.

While they are Made in China, it appears the company really does understand the needs of adventure riders globally instead of attempting to make a quick buck or three.

If you’re on a budget yet still need a decent bag for the next few years, this is one bag we can highly recommend.

When buying a dirt bike, one of the first modifications you’ll make is fitting a set of barkbusters to the handlebars.

It makes sense. Protect your hands from stray branches on the technical trails and from nasty crashes. They can even stop your brake and clutch levers from snapping off.

But then again…are they really *that* good? After all, they are quite expensive and there are some cheaper Barkbuster alternatives on the market.

In our experience: Barkbusters represent excellent value for money. They are more expensive but also hold up much better you crash compared to cheap Chinese alternatives. The reviews and user experiences show that Barkbusters

Barkbusters Review

Fitting a set of Barkbusters to your dirt bike or adventure motorcycle certain transforms it from a showroom pony to a trail warrior. The type that will actually push themselves so much further.

Here at Frontaer, we’ve used Barkbusters in the past to protect our hands and wouldn’t live without a pair. They certainly live up to expectations when you crash, with the inserts preventing them from rotating when you crash.

In addition, we’ve found plenty of space in the cockpit still for cables and brake lines. For the adventure rider, this is helpful with the volume of electronics mounted these days on the handlebars. Let’s not forget that they stop wind chill quite well!

Given the universal fit of Barkbusters, they do fit on almost every modern dirt bike. You see – handlebars themselves are a universal fit these days and you’ll find them quite easily on the bar ends. Yes – you will need some basic tools from the toolbox.

Suggested Improvements

We can recommend some good improvements particularly around color matching. Some of them don’t match perfectly the main manufacturers and we believe this may be due to Pantone color patents. In laymans terms, this means that the main manufacturers may already have a patent on exactly one specific color and so Barkbusters can’t make them a picture-perfect match.

Another improvement would be better airflow for summer riding. They do have some designs which are more minimalistic yet these also leave you more exposed to tree branches and the like, while reducing the structural integrity.

Then again – these are merely 1st world issues that their design team is certainly working on. Barkbusters have built an excellent product that we’ll continue using for years.

Keeping a motorcycle helmet cool on hot summer days is the desire for many who are riding out there in the warmer climates.

We’ve found some very interesting ways to help with climate issues over the years and reduce the heat for riders globally.

You can keep a motorcycle helmet cool by:

1. Choosing a lighter colored helmet such as white or silver as opposed to black
2. Maximizing the airflow by keeping the visor open while wearing sunglasses
3. Replacing the interior lining to a material which allows the face to breathe
4. Replacing the visor to a tinted lens which also has ventilation and flaps

Let’s go deeper on each facet.

Keep A Motorcycle Helmet Cooler

It’s super challenging to focus on the road ahead and the hazards you’ll encounter with a hot motorcycle helmet. Therefore, keeping it cool is very helpful.

This really starts in the buying process. It’s simply harder to cool down a motorcycle helmet that you’ve already bought when you could just buy a new one. But does this mean that you’ll waste your existing helmet? Not necessarily.

You see – some riders choose to have two helmets. One for winter riding and one for summer riding. By having a summer-specific helmet, you’ll also reduce condensation.

Let’s say you are currently in the market for a cool motorcycle helmet for summer riding. We would recommend helmets with strong ventilation, lighter colors and padding that breathes well.

Dirt bike riders are fortunate in that their helmets are generally cool and provide excellent airflow. Some riders may opt to use icepacks in their helmet which are removed just before wearing and going out for a tough race.

Tricks of the trade

Some things that we’ve learned in the journey include keeping the visor open when riding at slow speeds. You can wear sunglasses such as aviators when riding to stop bugs from catching into your eyes. Chances are that you’ve seen riders doing this before.

If your helmet is expensive and you don’t simply want to purchase a new one, then you can actually get the lining replaced. Most people do this themselves by ordering the replacement liners on eBay or Amazon.

You see – there are different materials used inside helmets. Some are used for thermal retention (to keep the face warm in winter) and others are used to wick moisture away for summer riders. You may want to keep the same helmet and simply replace the lining quite regularly as the seasons change.

Replacing your lens is also very helpful. By having a dark lens, you’ll actually feel cooler as your face isn’t being burned by the sun while you’re riding. It also negates the need to wear sunglasses and this in itself will promote more airflow around your face.

Lastly, consider the jacket you’re wearing. If you’re riding around with a hot chest and neck area, then the heat will actually transfer up into the helmet and therefore make the helmet hotter. So it may not be a helmet issue at all but the clothing that you’re already wearing that needs to be vented.

Airconditioned helmets

Did you know that you can now get motorcycle helmets with airconditioning? Sounds crazy and a little bit sci-fi, but the future is definitely here…though with minimal demand!

Feher makes the airconditioned helmets with mixed reviews. Some love the concept while others think it’s merely creative marketing for the soft rider. Then again, race car drivers have been using aircondtioned helmets for years though the external unit is attached to their car.

Such airconditioned motorcycle helmets will cool the face of the rider and allow them to be more focused while on the road. This generally leads to less fatigue so you can ride longer.

There is a small fan inside the motorcycle helmet which pumps in chilled air. In addition, there are vents and a seal to prevent the cold air from escaping.

When it’s too hot to go riding…well now you have an excuse to still get out there!

A popular adventure motorcycling bag on Amazon is the Wild Heart saddle bag. We recently paid up to use this on our own bike.

Our thoughts are based on now owning this for 4 months and having used it on several occasions. Like you, we did read the reviews of Wild Heart ADV bags online first before deciding to make a purchase.

Let’s begin.

Wild Heart Motorcycle Bag Review

This bag is quite affordable compared to the $500 bags we commonly see in the adventure motorcycling space. Then again, does it live up to expectations?

We’re going to cover multiple facets of this bag. This includes:

• The build quality
• How waterproof it is
• The strength of the straps
• Suggested improvements

Keep in mind that this is an unbiased Wild Heart review. We’re not associated with this company.

Build Quality

The build quality is very strong and they use high-quality tarpaulin material. The seems are quite well done and the stitching is excellent. While the Wild Heart bags are made in China, they do live up to expectations and you can’t get a locally manufactured bag for the same price.

It’s not quite “up there” with the likes of Klim and other products, but it doesn’t pretend to be. Wild Heart has made the affordable alternative for those who don’t have silver-lined pockets in the adventure motorcycling world.

It’s evident that this bag will last several years and not be simply thrown in the garbage after 2 weeks, unlike many Amazon products these days.

Waterproofness

We tested this bag in the rain and it held up well. As the other reviews highlight on Amazon, no water entered inside this bag.

The zipper is waterproof as they use a plastic seam. We wouldn’t go throwing this in the swimming pool, though it does the job just fine to protect against rain and thunderstorms when riding.

While no rain got on the inside, most ADV riders are likely to use interior waterproof bags as well. This is something we would recommend especially for a sleeping bag. When those get wet, well your night won’t be so comfortable.

The Straps

The biggest pitfall for most bags is the straps and it’s also the biggest fear of adventure riders. Losing your luggage on the highway is both frustrating and embarassing, but also quite dangerous for other road users. You could be riding for miles before you even realize that it’s missing.

Unfortunately, the straps aren’t as thick as we would expect in the adventure motorcycling world. They just don’t have a high GSM and while they are wide, we would also love to see them thicker too. Even the buckles themselves could be made stronger, especially as the average rider would load up with 40+ pounds of gear for a weekend or extended trip.

Suggested Improvements

As we’ve noted, the straps could be stronger…but what else? Well, have segregated areas within the bags would be very helpful as well as 1 or 2 exterior products.

We would also love to see better colors since what they have available (bright yellow) doesn’t really go with most bikes, though it is a good visual reminder for other road users on the highways. It’s just terrible for stealth camping.

Then again – for the price you pay, this is a reasonably good bag and such improvements could increase the price significantly.

Going forward

Would we recommend the Wild Heart bags? Sure! For the budget-conscious individual. On the other hand, you can get brand-name bags like Klim on Craigslist and Gumtree which have been used but are in great condition for less than these prices, so a great alternative to consider.

Catch you out there!

Riding a dirt bike with mirrors still attached typically don’t end well. Naturally, you’re bound to break one eventually!

It’s frustrating when it happens. If you’re like us, you don’t want to leave shards of glass on the trails for someone to accidentally cut their foot on, or even get a puncture. This leaves you in an awkward situation.

Then you’re stuck with what to do with one functional mirror which looks really weird. Do you risk the fine or do you abandon the bike on the side of the track or road?

Let’s look at some options.

How to Stop Breaking Dirt Bike Mirrors

It’s frustrating when you’re riding to a favorite dirt bike riding spot. You don’t want to cart your dirt bike there so you decide to simply ride to the tracks, but to do so, you legally need mirrors.

Quite simply, there are 3 ways in which you can stop breaking your dirt bike mirrors when crashing:

1. Take your mirrors off and put them in your backpack. When you’re offroad, it’s rare to encounter dirt bike police. Plus in many areas, you can ride a dirt bike legally without mirrors as long as you aren’t going on to formed roads with other motorcycles.
2. Purchase fold-down mirrors. These are becoming popular with adventure bike riders who want a mirror that can fold in behind their handle guards. These simple pop up mirrors do the job well and are very hard to break.
3. Use a flexible-arm mirror. You can get motorcycle mirrors with flexible arms so when you do crash, it isn’t so much blunt force against the mirror. On the downside, these tend to ‘bounce’ a lot when riding so it’s hard to see the traffic clearly from the rear, even on bitumen roads.
4. Stow the mirrors at the trailhead. This is a nifty trick that the Frontaer crew have used for years. Look for a notable tree at the trailhead and store the mirrors there under a pile of leaves and away from prying eyes. Your dirt bike mirrors can easily unscrew and you can lay them in the dirt, but do try to keep the threads dry to prevent rust.
5. Use a fender bag and stow your mirrors there. When storing mirrors in a backpack, there’s a feeling in the back of your mind that the mirrors might break or the arms themselves might hurt your back if you crash. There are some manufacturers that make both front and rear fender bags that you can use to stow mirrors which are small to medium size. Do keep in mind that the constant bouncing means that the straps will need to be on real tight.

Alternative options for dirt bike mirrors

There are some options on the market that we’ve come across in recent times that we previously mentioned. Here they are.

Emgo Easy Clamp-On Enduro Mirror Set

This is a great option and it’s very affordable compared to brand names in the market. These simply swivel in and out behind the hand guards and are compatible with Bark Busters.

PowerMadd 34289 Star Series / Trail Star Handguard Mirror Kit

This is another folding mirror for dirt bikes which works very well. You’ll find some quad bike and ATV riders using these, as do dual sport riders too. May not be legal in some states and territories because they are quite small.

Mzcurse Arm Wear Back Mirror Bicycle Rear View Cycing Backeye with Waist Band

Not for the faith-hearted! You’re bound to get some laughs from the other riders if you sport wearing these, but they certainly can work on group motorcycle riders to see who’s behind you on the trail.

Final thoughts

If you can, always take your mirrors off before taking your dirt bike on the tracks. When you’re having so much fun, you’re probably going to crash and even the smallest crash will damage or break your mirrors. This means time and expense to get a replacement.

Simply hiding them at the trailheads has worked well for us. Likewise, store them in your backpack and use some padding such as a jumper to stop them from hurting your back when you come off your dirt bike.