Buying new riding gear should be exciting. Instead, it often means falling down an internet rabbit hole of conflicting reviews, questionable advice, and kit that looks brilliant online but doesn’t quite fit in the real world. That’s where the Arena at the ABR Festival comes in.
Packed with the biggest names in adventure biking, it’s your chance to get hands-on with the latest riding kit, speak directly to the experts, compare products side by side, and maybe even grab yourself a bargain while you’re at it.
To help you narrow down your wish list, Ben Weeks has rounded up a selection of the hottest new biking gear you’ll be able to check out for yourself at the ABR Festival in June. And even if you’re not joining us at Ragley Hall, the gear you’ll find below can’t help but enhance your next adventure. So, let’s get stuck in.
NEXX X.RALLY X-PROCARBON
£499.99 | www.nexx-helmet.co.uk
If you want a tough-terrain enduro helmet that’s also comfortable on the road, then the Nexx X.Rally should be hot on your radar. With a removable multi-position peak, a photochromic visor (that automatically darkens in bright conditions), and a facial aperture wide enough to comfortably accommodate goggles, the X.Rally is one versatile lid.
It’s also lightweight, weighing a remarkably svelte 1,350g (give or take 50g), which should contribute to a reduction in fatigue on long rides. Look closer still and you’ll find yet more signs of this helmet’s adventurous pedigree. Aiding both comfort and safety are the X.Rally’s foam bumpers that cover the bottom trim of the helmet to absorb impacts, soften crash forces, and reduce the risk of
collarbone injuries.
With nine air intakes, six exhaust outlets, and a chamber designed to store refreshing air between the padding and EPS liner, ventilation is well and truly covered. The cheek pads also feature smart straps for securing hydration tubes for on-the-trail thirst quenching, and the X.Rally is both intercom-and action-camera ready, because when you look this good, you’re going to want to record it.
RST PRO SERIES ADVENTURE D3O TEXTILE JACKET AND PANTS
Jacket: £299.99 | Pants: £249.99 | www.rst-moto.com
If we had a penny for every time we’d written something along the lines of ‘RST has become a byword for great performance and superb value’, we’d be rolling in pennies. That’s because with RST gear, you get a lot of bang and protection for your buck. And with the new 2026 Pro Series Adventure suit, that reputation looks to be reinforced.
The CE AA-rated three-layer jacket and trousers are made from RST’s latest lightweight but hard-wearing fabric, reinforced with ripstop and ballistic panels. For impact protection, its designers have installed CE level 2 D3O armour in the hips, knees, shoulders and elbows, with pockets for retrofitting back and chest protection.
Heading to the desert? Massive ventilation panels will keep you cool. Travelling to the Alps? Attach the thermal windproof layers. Riding in Wales? The waterproofs can be worn under or over the jacket and trousers. With plenty of pockets, multiple adjustment points, a full 360 connection zip, and four different colourways to match your bike/helmet/mood, there aren’t many multi-season adventure suits out there that offer so much at this price.
SW-MOTECH V-LOC SIDE BAG SYSTEM
From £323.99 | www.sw-motech.co.uk
The new V-Loc system from SW-Motech has been developed to make attaching and removing luggage as simple as possible whilst retaining security and stability. To our ears, that sounds like the Holy Grail of adventure luggage.
The V-Loc has been built around a flat, V-shaped plastic carrier that mounts to a bike-specific forged steel bracket. Strong magnets guide the bag into position (if you’ve come across FidLock technology before, you’ll have an idea), where a mechanical lock secures it in place with an audible click. Once engaged, the locking mechanism prevents the pannier lid from opening accidentally. The entire process has been streamlined to require just one hand and a couple of seconds to secure the luggage, meaning less time loading and more time riding.
An optional lock set means you can lock the bag to the carrier with a key when leaving the luggage on the bike. Two ranges of panniers are available depending on your preferred styling. For those of us wanting more adventure-ready luggage, the WP (waterproof) side bags are built from tough TPU material and feature a faster roll-top closure design for maximum weather protection on the trail.
MONIMOTO ANTI-THEFT GPS TRACKER
£149 | www.monimoto.co.uk
Getting your motorcycle stolen is the stuff of nightmares. While we can safely tuck our pride and joy away in a garage surrounded by barbed wire, security lights, and a pet tiger to keep it safe, it’s not so easy when we’re travelling. This is where Monimoto 9 GPS tracker comes in. Whether parked outside a café or left in a hotel car park, it discreetly watches over your bike when you’re away from it.
Pair the wireless tracker with the key fob using your smartphone, keep the fob with you, and hide the tracker somewhere on your bike.
If the tracker senses movement, it’ll check if the fob is nearby. If it is, it’ll assume you’re with the bike and stand down. But if it’s not, it’ll assume that some ne’er-do-well has nefarious intentions and switch into alarm mode. You’ll get a phone call and can track the motorcycle’s location via the app.
The tracker has a rechargeable battery offering 12 months of life on a full charge and communicates via an integrated SIM card. Two months of data are included free, after which connectivity costs £39 per year. It adds an extra layer of security and peace of mind, helping you stay informed and react quickly if your motorcycle is moved unexpectedly.
MOTOGIRL VANESSA JACKET AND TROUSERS
Jacket: £269 | Trousers: £259 | www.motogirl.co.uk
This could be hard to conceive in the enlightened days of the 21st century (tongue nudging cheek), but the standard approach for making women’s gear used to be to take the men’s kit and simply ‘shrink it and pink it’.
But here’s the thing, women’s bodies aren’t simply smaller versions of men’s, and not all women like pink. Blindingly obvious we know, but it took the bike world a while to catch on. Kent-based MotoGirl knows this better than most. Its range of motorcycle clothing is designed by women for women.
The Vanessa jacket and trousers are a perfect example. They offer the kind of spec riders look for in a waterproof and wind-proof textile motorcycle suit: AA certification, level 2 D3O armour in the elbows, shoulders, hips and knees (with the option of fitting chest and back protection), plenty of vents and pockets, and a stretchy, comfortable fit, all tailored specifically for women.
Embracing MotoGirl’s aim to cater for women’s differing shapes and sizes, the Vanessa jacket and trousers are available in a wide range of sizes from UK 6 to 28, with the trousers also coming in three leg lengths: Petite (27”), Regular (30”) and Tall (33”).
LS2 X-MASTER TEXTILE JACKET
£329.99 | www.ls2helmets.com
LS2’s X-Master looks adventurous on the hanger, let alone the bike. The offset zip and central pockets suggest it’d be worn by the kind of rider who has a permanent coating of trail-dust.
Its adventure credentials include waterproof pockets on the front and rear, a pouch for a hydration bladder, level two armour in the shoulders and elbows, and pockets for back and chest armour.
The three-layer X-Master is equipped with a removable insulated liner and a separate waterproof liner. This waterproof layer can be worn under or over the outer shell. Wearing it on the outside means you don’t have to remove any clothing to utilise the waterproof layer, and stops the protective shell from becoming saturated and cold.
With all the layers in, the X-Master offers extra warmth and weather resistance, but it’s also a great jacket for sunnier climes. Among its hot-weather features are large vents on the chest and back, plus zipped vents on the biceps and forearms. With enough pockets to be useful without weighing the jacket down, including a hydration pouch, the X-Master’s functional off-road styling is ready for wherever you choose to ride. The jacket comes in four colour options, with a matching trouser available.
VANGUARDIAN MOTORBIKE ALARM PLATE
£150 | www.vanguardian.co.uk
Retrofitting an alarm to your bike can be a fiddly process, but this nifty security device from VanGuardian makes it about as easy as it can be. Put simply, the Alarm Plate is a number plate holder that doubles up as a powerful siren, deterring theft and protecting your bike.
The plate features dual alarms powered by independent batteries with a standby time of up to six months (the batteries are AAAs, so replacing them is no problem). Once the alarms are activated it’s just a case of removing your number plate from your bike and fitting the Alarm Plate in its place. Your number plate can then be reattached using either the included bolts or highly adhesive pads.
And that’s it. Your bike, plus any luggage attached to it, is protected by a triaxial sensor with seven levels of sensitivity and a 113-decibel alarm. The Alarm Plate itself is jetwash proof, so there’s no concern over water ingress.
A pre-paired key fob is supplied for activating and deactivating the alarm. And it also features a panic button to manually trigger the alarm if you spot someone lurking suspiciously near your bike, giving them an immediate and highly audible instruction for them to Foxtrot Oscar.
CHIGEE SR-1 RADAR SYSTEM
£199.95 | www.chigee.com
Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users. Anything that gives us more information about what’s going on around us can only be a good thing. The SR-1 Radar System from Chigee (whose name comes from the Chinese words for ‘miracle’ and ‘riding tech’) mounts at the rear of your bike to watch your back so you can watch the road.
With a range of up to 70m, its radar monitors the space behind you, providing visual warnings via indicator lights mounted to the handlebars. The SR-1 provides four active warning modes: Blind Spot Detection (BSD), which detects vehicles in your blind spot when changing lanes or in dense traffic. Active Overtake Alert (AOA), which notifies you if another vehicle is approaching from behind before you move back in after overtaking. Lane Change Assist (LCA), which gives you warnings of surrounding traffic movement based on your current speed. And Rear Collision Warning (RCW), which detects if a vehicle is approaching quickly from behind.
An integrated high-brightness strobe in the radar module flashes automatically when a vehicle is detected approaching fast from behind, warning them as well as you. Will it completely prevent the idiocy of other road users? Sadly not. But it will provide you with an extra pair of eyes when riding among them.
GBRACING ENGINE PROTECTION
From £49.90 | www.gbracing.eu
GBRacing first started making engine protection parts in 2007, when its early clients included race teams competing in British Superbikes. These covers were built to protect against high-sides and high-speed slides.
But the super-tough material, developed over almost 20 years of racing, also provides high levels of protection against rock strikes and trail damage, making it ideal for adventure and street bikes alike.
So, using the same high grade injection-moulded processes, GBRacing started manufacturing parts for road-going street, sport, and adventure bikes. These days the range includes bikes far removed from the world of racing, like the Honda Africa Twin, Yamaha Ténéré 700, Aprilia Tuareg 660, Ducati Desert X, BMW F 900 GS, and many more with more covers being developed as demand grows.
Developed and manufactured in Baldock, Hertfordshire, these engine covers are styled to match the aesthetics of the bike. Best of all, they are easy to fit, without the need to drain the oil, and with all the necessary parts, including longer bolts, included.
MOTOKRAFT CLOCKS
From £40 | www.motokraft.net
If you’re the kind of rider who likes to carry your passion for motorcycles into all aspects of your life, you’re going to love these clocks from Motokraft. It all began in 2021 when Khurram Vohra, a motorcycle enthusiast from Chennai, India, gathered scrap parts from his garage to help his daughter with a project on junk art.
Their first creation was a table lamp made from a headlight and a shock absorber. We’ve no idea what grade Khurram’s daughter got for her project, but this lamp led to the creation of a line of cleverly designed pieces built exclusively from automobile spare parts.
Motokraft’s most popular piece is a rotating clock made from a Royal Enfield primary chain, clutch assembly, rear sprocket and a starter gear. It stays in motion when plugged in, and is the perfect way to bring your love for motorcycles into any space. It’s a good alternative to parking your bike on the living room rug.
Motokraft also has a range of simpler products such as the piston and gear clocks that are available in a variety of colours to match your man cave, letting you preserve the spirit of the ride long after your engine has stopped.
EXPOSURE RADIAL 6 DRIVING LIGHT
£349.99 | www.abikething.com
Whether you want to see more, or be seen more, a little extra light is seldom a bad thing. The Radial 6 offers significantly more than ‘a little extra’. Each lamp packs a powerful 6,000 lumens of brightness. It spreads this illumination across six individual daylight-balanced LEDs: one spot in the centre surrounded by five spot beams, all with a 50,000+ hour lifespan.
This arrangement offers both exceptional distance visibility and usable spread, making it easier to spot obstacles on the trail, and making you easier to be seen on the road. As you’d expect from a lamp built for rugged bikes on rugged adventures, the Radial 6 is itself tough. Its hard anodised aluminium housing is fully sealed to IP69K, making it as dustproof and watertight as you can get. Rain and fords don’t stand a chance.
It’s also built to withstand temperatures from -20C to 40C, covering all but the most extreme places on Earth, and is backed by Exposure’s confidence-inspiring seven-year warranty. For ease of installation, the Radial 6 is fully compatible with ezCAN setups, integrating with factory handlebar controls, adjustable brightness levels, and other electronics found on modern bikes.
SHOEI HORNET ADV 06
£529.99 | www.shoeiuk.com
The Hornet ADV nails its colours to the mast. It’s an adventure helmet: no ifs, no buts, no maybes, and this latest incarnation, which brings the helmet up to ECE 22.06 certification is better than ever.
It takes the Hornet’s tried and tested heritage of an AIM+ (Advanced Integrated Matrix Plus) outer shell, which is constructed from a six-layer combination of glass, organic, and high-performance-fibre materials, and refines it for modern safety standards, ensuring cutting-edge protection while the overall weight remains low.
The Hornet ADV still features a Pinlock compatible visor with a Pinlock Evo anti-fog lens included, offering tool-free removal for replacement with any one of Shoei’s alternative tinted or mirrored visors. And it’s aerodynamically optimized and balanced to reduce strain on your neck however rough the terrain and no matter how fast you cover it.
Airflow through the helmet also remains one of its strengths, with effective chin and chimney vents.
In fact, the Hornet ADV has been one of our favourite adventure lids for quite some time, having used one throughout the UK and as far afield as Morocco and the USA. And it is clear Shoei has built on that winning formula with this latest version.
With minimal wind noise and a customisable fit, the Hornet ADV 06 is a helmet we highly recommend. You’ll be able to pick up one for yourself at the ABR Festival.
TUFLUCK GROUND ANCHOR
From £529.99 | www.tufluck.co.uk
When it comes to bike theft, outright prevention is the goal. Alarms, immobilisers, disc locks, and chains all play their part, but one of the most effective ways to keep your bike where it’s supposed to be is a solid and reliable ground anchor. And they don’t get any more solid or reliable than the TufLuck.
It’s the only universal, removable ground anchor to have been awarded a Diamond rating (the highest possible) by Sold Secure in the Ground Anchors and Security Posts category. What’s more, the TufLuck is the industry’s only removable Diamond-rated ground anchor. Its design allows it to adapt to any bike and to move home with the rider, making it a one-time purchase.
Constructed from 6mm precision-folded steel, the TufLuck has a built-in wheel chock. Roll the front wheel of your bike in and secure it upright with the solid 25mm hardened steel locking pin and shackle padlock, the latter shielded from attack by angle grinder.
The unit is fastened to the ground by six heavy-duty anchor bolts which are shielded from removal both when the bike is in place and when it’s in use. The TufLuck comes with a lifetime guarantee and a 25% discount off a replacement should it ever be compromised by an attempted theft.
INSTA360 X5 360 ACTION CAMERA MOTORCYCLE BUNDLE
£597.99 | www.infinitymotorcycles.com
On-bike filming has sky-rocketed in popularity, and Insta360 cameras are the go-to for many riders. The X5 is Insta360’s flagship, and the benchmark against which other 360-degree action cameras are measured.
The key feature of the X5 is its excellent image quality, with crystal clear 8K video recording. And while 8K is also achievable with the Insta360 X4, the X5 contains several upgrades over that model which boost image quality even further.
The larger sensor and new processor in the X5 not only provide better colours and contrast but dramatically improve low-light performance, a serious consideration if you want to capture your night rides. Of course, strapping it to a two-wheeled machine that’s going to be chucked about on trails or ridden through the worst of weathers exposes a camera to all kinds of potential risks.
So, not only are the lenses on the X5 more damage resistant than previous models, but the lenses themselves are now replaceable. Should a lens get broken, you can just replace that rather than the whole camera. The X5 is also 50% more waterproof than the X4, and submersible to 15m underwater. Although if it’s still on your bike at that point, you’ve got bigger problems.
INSTA360 ACE PRO 2 MOTORCYCLE BUNDLE
£467 | www.infinitymotorcycles.com
Despite coming out of the same Insta360 stable, the Ace Pro 2 is a very different prospect from the X5. For starters, it’s not a 360-degree camera. Instead, it’s more along the lines of a classic action cam, looking not dissimilar to other cameras of this ilk. But it’s what’s inside that makes the Ace Pro 2 stand out.
A new 8K sensor and a lens that has been co-engineered with Leica, the world-leading German manufacturer of photographic lenses and optics, mean that both video and photo quality rank among the best of any action camera. Insta360 has given the Ace Pro 2 a dedicated computer chip for image processing and noise reduction (that grainy texture that can show up in photos and videos, particularly in low light), boosting the clarity of footage captured at night, in dull weather, or under the cover of forests or tunnels.
With a built-in selfie-screen, wind reducing technology, and Bluetooth compatibility with helmet headsets, it has all the qualities of a superb adventure-vlogging camera. You’ll be making videos worthy of ABR’s YouTube channel in no time.
INSTA360 GO 3S IN-HELMET POV BUNDLE
£305 | www.infinitymotorcycles.com
What is the maximum amount of performance and image quality that can be squeezed into the smallest possible camera? Insta360’s GO 3S might just be the answer. Despite weighing a smidge under 40g, marginally larger yet lighter than a rectangular 9v battery, it packs a staggering amount into its tiny body.
Some of these features include 4K resolution, a maximum rate of 200 frames per second, gimbal-like stabilisation, horizon lock for shake-free shots, and impressive waterproofing for worry-free use in the worst of weather. As standard the GO 3S also comes with an action pod which provides additional battery power and a flip-up screen while modestly increasing the bulk of the camera.
But it’s the small size and weight of the naked Go 3S that makes it such a versatile camera. There also seems almost no limit to where you can mount it. The standard kit comes with several mounting options, including a magnetic pendant that holds the camera on your chest, a clip for attaching it to a cap, and a pivot stand, but there are loads of other options available.
Insta360 even offers a helmet mount that goes inside your visor for the ultimate first-person view.
INSTA360 ANTIGRAVITY A1 DRONE
£1,499 | www.infinitymotorcycles.com
Co-engineered with Insta360, the Antigravity A1 is the first 360 drone. Like the Insta360 X5, the Antigravity A1 features an 8K, 360-degree camera for immersive video, but unlike the X5, the A1 can fly.
One of the biggest difficulties of capturing drone video is getting the composition right, particularly tricky when following the quick-change movements of a bike on a twisting trail. But fear not. The 360 system in the A1 (which can travel at up to 35mph) makes it possible to reframe the shot after the footage has been captured, allowing for swift changes of angle that would be tricky to obtain with a regular drone.
The A1 is piloted through the included Vision Goggles, and with the unique handset which is more akin to a Nintendo Wii Nunchuck than a typical controller. The idea is that this is more intuitive to use. And a handy VR training simulator lets you practice before you fly for real, lessening the chances of you piloting the A1 straight into a tree or the back of your mate’s helmet. Oh, and it should go without saying: best not to fly and ride at the same time. Something will probably get broken.
VISIN HEATED VISOR INSERTS
£179.95 | www.heatedvisor.co.uk
Anti-fog inserts help in keeping visors condensation free, but even these struggle in extreme conditions. Suppose you’re riding to Nordkapp, for example, being Europe’s most northerly point accessible by road, it is deep within the Arctic Circle and often a touch on the chilly side. How can you guarantee your visor won’t steam up with every exhale? A heated insert from Visin could be exactly what you need.
Powered by a compact external control unit which provides up to eight hours of use, the gentle warming of the insert prevents fog forming on the inner surface. Visin started with universal models designed to fit a wide range of visors, but in 2022, it began creating helmet-specific visors for a more precise fit and improved integration. The newest insert has been developed specifically for the BMW System 7 helmet, one of the most widely used modular touring helmets on the market. On the Visin website there’s the full range of helmet-specific visor inserts plus loads of information to help you decide which universal models will best suit your lid. And if you’re not going to Nordkapp? It’ll do the job on a soggy day in Wales too.
MOTUL MOTORCYCLE CARE RANGE
From £9.99 | www.moto-direct.com
Founded in 1853, synthetic lubrication specialist MOTUL has been around longer than the motorcycle. Since then, they’ve expanded beyond lubricants, and care products now form a significant part of their offering. Its range of motorcycle care products is particularly expansive, which is good news for us because adventure bikes get a lot of abuse.
The lineup covers just about every aspect of maintenance. Along with chain lube, chain cleaner, brake cleaner, air filter cleaner, and shampoo and wax applications, MOTUL also offers a selection of care products you might not have expected.
If you’ve got a grubby helmet, MOTUL has its M1 Helmet and Visor Clean, and M2 Interior Helmet Clean sprays. If you’re struggling to shift the bugs off your screen, MOTUL’s E7 Insect Remover will leave it splat and streak free. And if you want to protect against punctures on distant adventures, MOTUL P3 Tyre Repair deserves a spot in your pannier.
So, no matter how rough and filthy you and your bike get, there’s no excuse not to keep your bike and your kit in tip-top condition. Hell, MOTUL even does products for cleaning your hands, so you can stay fresh too.
MERLIN RECON ENDURO
£249.99 | www.merlinbikegear.com
Over the past 15 years, Staffordshire-based Merlin has built a strong reputation for producing stylish, wellmade riding kit that performs just as well on the road as it looks off it. More recently, the independent British brand has expanded into helmets, bringing that same mix of design, quality and real-world usability with it.
Its first collection landed last year, covering classic, retro and adventure styles, all ECE 22.06 rated. The response was strong enough to see the range grow quickly, with carbon fibre versions and fresh graphics joining the line-up for this year.
Now Merlin has added something aimed squarely at off-road riders: the new Recon Enduro. As you’d expect from a trail-focused lid, it keeps things simple and practical. There’s no visor, just a wide eye port designed to work with goggles and give maximum visibility when you’re picking your way through more technical terrain.
The Recon uses a fibreglass shell constructed with military-grade resin, balancing strength and low weight for long days in the saddle. It’s available in two finishes, a stealthy matt black or a white option with graphics, and, like the rest of Merlin’s kit, it’s easy on the eye without feeling overstyled.
TRAILVIDZ APP
£20 (annual membership) | www.trailvidz.com
Love greenlaning but not the guesswork involved? If nagging doubts about trail conditions, bike suitability, and the legalities of routes are holding you back, TrailVidz aims to resolve these before you leave the house. The online service puts green lanes into your Google Maps app creating a ‘visual dictionary’ of the UK’s legal trails.
Curated using county council definitive maps, highways authority records, contributor routes, and GPX files, TrailVidz allows you to navigate to a trail entrance, see a difficulty rating using a colour-coded grading system, and lets you preview a trail video, where captured, before you ride it. Contributors can claim fuel money in return for footage.
Launched early last year, more than half of the unpaved sections of the UK Trans Euro Trail are now available to preview on TrailVidz, along with 1,500-plus other trails captured out of thousands mapped. With new footage and information being added daily, the dream is to achieve 100% coverage in the future. And you can join up to be part of it.
If you’re headed to the ABR Festival in June and want a bit of rough stuff on the way, TrailVidz could be the ideal tool to help you seek out an adventurous route to Ragley Hall.
ADV ADVENTURE LAVVU MODULAR TENT
£385 | www.advproducts.com
What do adventure bike riders want from a tent? We need it to be light and packable enough to fit comfortably into our panniers. We’d like it to be simple to erect because trying to figure out pole combinations when the weather’s hammering is no fun. It also needs to be roomy enough for rider, gear, and maybe a pillion. Oh, and it needs to offer a reliable shelter from the elements. I also like a tent that can be used in hot weather without feeling like a sauna. But what if it could offer some protection to the bike too while keeping the price affordable. Too much to ask? The two-person Adventure Lavvu Modular Tent would suggest not. Its sturdy single-pole design, inspired by a teepee-like shelter, is a doddle to pitch.
The outer tent is wind and waterproof, but in hot, dry climates there’s the option of just pitching the mesh inner, which is extremely ventilated yet mosquito proof. That’s ideal for a summer ride around Scotland’s NC500 where midgies can turn a glorious evening into a battle with Mother Nature.
The Lavvu comes with a second pole and a tarp, allowing you to extend the shelter for cooking outside or to provide a sheltered spot for your bike. And all of this for sub £400. Now that is an attractive proposition. I expect we’ll be seeing plenty of them at the ABR Festival in June.
BIKETRAC HARD SECURITY RANGE
Ground Anchor: £89.95 (£60 festival price) Grab Bag: from £149.95 (from £100 festival price) | www.biketrac.co.uk
BikeTrac’s security tech and software have been around for over 15 years. Tried and trusted by adventure bikers, its GPS tracking and app put the safety of your bike in your hands, with up-to-the-minute info on where your pride and joy is at any time.
But, alongside the tracking systems, BikeTrac also offers a Hard Security range. Two products are currently available: the Grab Bag and Chain, and the Ground Anchor, both designed as a means of practical protection and a visual deterrent.
The Grab Bag and Chain is a portable solution that gives you added protection on the go. Its all-new chain and disc lock is the industry’s first 10mm offering approved by official police security initiative, Secured by Design. Whether you’re parked up outside a city hotel or grabbing a coffee in a service station, you have high=grade protection to hand. Available in two lengths: 1.2m and 1.4m, the chain combined with the included disc lock lets you secure your bike to an immovable object.
And then, for hardware protection at home, BikeTrac’s Ground Anchor features a drop-forged stainless steel construction with a 20mm case-hardened shackle. Available in a choice of orange, green, red and blue colour options, its comprehensive fixing kit even comes with an 8mm drill bit, so you can install it straight from the box.
MERLIN RECON CARBON ENDURO
£379.99 | www.merlinbikegear.com
The Recon Carbon shares all the great enduro features of the aforementioned Recon but is housed in a lighter carbon fibre shell. A traditional double D-ring chinstrap fastening holds the helmet firmly in place, however rough the trail under your wheels gets.
Merlin has also given all its Recon Enduro helmets large intake vents, internal air channels, and exhaust ports, all of which keep air flowing through the lid during slower technical sections as well as high-speed trails. But because, even with the best ventilation, riding hard in demanding conditions can build up a sweat, the internal lining has a magnetic attachment to make it easily removable and washable.
For hardcore enduro riders who like to discover their limits by exceeding them, the liner also features a quick-release safety mechanism. On the outside, the adjustable peak is designed to efficiently deflect debris from forest tracks, mountain trails, or desert rally stages.
And riders who like a bit of art and style with their protection will be interested to know that the finishes on the Recon Carbon helmets have been developed in collaboration with award-winning Italian helmet graphic specialists Franzan Design.
And like all of Merlin’s helmets, the Recon Enduro lids bear the ECE 22.06 safety mark.
ARAI TOUR-X5
From £599.99 | www.whyarai.co.uk
It’s a brave move when a brand makes big changes to an established and much loved product. Which is exactly what Arai did. Rather than tweaking the Tour-X4, they gave it a proper overhaul when creating the Tour-X5. That was two years ago, and that courage has been rewarded.
Riders of all disciplines love the Tour-X5, and it’s easy to see why. The helmet’s ventilation was redesigned to increase cooling through-flow and defogging, while the design maximises glancing-off performance for better dissipation of impacts. Inside, the interior is fully removable, adjustable, and headset compatible.
But it’s the Tour-X5’s versatility that is its greatest strength. The visor and peak have both been designed to be easily removable, giving the helmet four distinct configurations. With visor and peak in place, it’s the perfect adventure touring helmet. Remove the visor and the eye port is plenty wide enough to accommodate goggles, making the X5 ready for more enduro-style riding.
Whip off the peak too and you’ve got a goggle compatible helmet for that hipster street bike look (if that’s your thing). Or keep the visor in and remove the peak for a sportier road lid. It’s arguably one of the most adaptable helmets available and might mean you end up changing your bike more regularly than your head gear.
BEELINE MOTO II CLASSIC EDITION
£219.99 | www.beeline.co
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted that we wrote about the Beeline Moto II in issue 92 of ABR. In it, Editor James described how its shining beacon of beautifully stylised GPS light helped guide him through some of the worst Welsh weather imaginable.
We don’t make a habit of repeating ourselves, but we’re making an exception for the new Beeline Moto II Classic Edition, which was released this year. It boasts the same seamless Bluetooth GPS navigation as the Moto II, but this one comes with a polished stainless steel finish to give it a more traditional look. James now has one as a permanent fixture on his Triumph Bonneville Newchurch.
Beeline also recently launched a special Anniversary Edition Moto II as well, with a limited run of 2,500 units worldwide, complete with a high gloss black finish and machined metal casing. So, if you’ve had your eye on a Moto II for a while, now’s the perfect time to snap up a particularly good-looking one. If you want, you can also upgrade to Beeline Plus, which includes bonus navigation features like live traffic updates, 3D maps, and Beeline’s Loop Generator for plotting circular ride-outs at the touch of a button.
Beeline will be showcasing the Moto II at the ABR Festival in June, where you can speak to theteam to find out more.
JUSTRIDE APP
Free (Pro from £5.83/month, billed annually) | www.justride-app.com/abr
JUSTRIDE is a safety-first navigation and route discovery app built specifically for motorcyclists. Designed with adventure riding in mind, it has been made to bring together route planning, navigation, safety and rider connectivity into one.
Rather than relying on multiple apps, JUSTRIDE aims to give you everything you need in one place. You can ride with your mates using Group Navigation, keeping everyone on the same route without the usual stops and regrouping. The Explore feature helps you discover verified motorcycle routes, complete with photo-tagged highlights so you can preview key sections before you ride.
Safety sits at the core of the app. JUSTRIDE Assist provides motorcycle-specific crash detection and emergency SOS, to give you added confidence when heading off the beaten track. When paired with a compatible satellite device, JUSTRIDE Assist can still trigger an SOS and share your location even with no mobile signal.
Routes within the app are curated and verified, with geo-tagged segments highlighting scenic points, technical sections and useful stops along the way. Everything is designed to work offline too, so you can download routes and maps ahead of time and keep riding without interruption. Additional features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility for low-distraction navigation, plus a Pro upgrade that unlocks advanced tools such as the Group Navigation and enhanced safety features.
JUSTRIDE officially launches at the ABR Festival. You’ll find the team at the JUSTRIDE Riders Checkpoint, where you can stop, recharge, chat with the team and see the app in action. Visitors can also unlock a free seven-day Pro trial to experience the full feature set for themselves.
ADVENTURATECH REMOVABLE SOFT LUGGAGE FRAMES
£295 | www.adventuratech.co.uk
We love nothing better than bolting on a set of panniers and heading off on tour, fully loaded with everything we need for a week or two of exploring. But when you’re back home, all that luggage, and the racks that hold it in place, can get in the way, whether you’re commuting or hitting the trails.
Sure, you can take your panniers off, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could remove the racks quickly and easily too? Adventuratech clearly thinks so because it has come up with a quick and easy removable luggage system for the BMW R 1300 GS that does just that.
It attaches to the same mounting points as the bike’s standard fit Vario pannier boxes and offers a flexible alternative to BMW’s permanent racking. Designed to be installed and removed within seconds without the need for any tools, it’s a sturdy, stripped-down, affordable set up that lets you customise your luggage capabilities to suit your needs.
The racking is compatible with a variety of soft luggage designs and is easy to store when it’s off the bike. Developed and manufactured in the UK, the system is ideal for slimming down your GS whether you’re slipping through traffic in town or whipping along a few green lanes on a weekend.
And it is being developed for other models of GS, and a custom design service is available for other bikes.