Product Review: Flare Isolate Pro Titanium

I have been using the 3M ear plugs for sometime now and while looking for a better earplugs I came across the Flare Isolate. Did a bit more research about it and most of the users are happy with the product. I decided to bite the bullet and asked if anyone else in the group was interested in doing bulk purchase to save on shipping but only one other was interested. After some discussion regarding the final price including shipping I ended up ordering a Isolate Pro Titanium for myself and the Isolate Mini for him.

After waiting for about 8 weeks for delivery, the earplugs finally arrived. It is packaged in a nice resealable plastic bag.

UClear Amp 200

I was looking for some Bluetooth (BT) communication and most recommendations online are either Sena or Cardio Scala. There are 2 reasons why I did not get either or because 1) it has the boom mike and 2) the price of either or are very expensive. A few years ago in Facebook there was a shop in Singapore which was promoting a boomless BT communicator from the UClear company. Since MegaBike has stock for it I decided to give it a try and bought a set.

Packaging:

All 4 sides of the UClear box. Listed at the side of the box are the features of the BT unit

Unboxing:

The first thing which greets you is the BT unit

A trip to Taiping

Taiping Prison entrance

Recently took a trip down to the historic town of Taiping with a friend. Taiping is located about 100km from my little island. The original plan was to try to leave early (0700 hrs) so that we could take the Vulcan but ended up leaving the island about 1100 hrs.

Before we left the house we got a call from the optometrist that our new specs are ready for collection and since they are along the way, we figured we might as well drop by to collect the specs before leaving. It was a good thing that we took the car instead because it was raining cats and dogs even before we left the island and parts along the highway.

Always wanted to visit MegaBike Taiping since I found out about them but was only free on Sundays and public holidays and so happens that that those are the days they are closed. Here are a few reasons why we made the trip:

1. They are open on that particular Sunday (19 May 2019)
2. We needed a short break
3. Looking for a new jacket 
4. Looking for motorcycle pants
5. They are having sales for Komine and Taichi apparels

One of the reasons we made the trip over

Twisted Throttle Dryspec bags

Carrying space on a motorcycle to me is one of the most important thing. Imagine going to market or a short trip to do some groceries and there is no space to carry all your purchases. You would need to rack your brain and play a puzzle game on the spot to get everything in place and not hinder your controls.

There is a reason as to why the Demak does not go out to malls or market. The bike has no storage space. There is always a shopping bag folded and stored somewhere when taking the Demak out and made sure to not over purchase anything which makes it dangerous to carry on the way back. Since started working at the new job, there are times where I had to buy groceries or dinner after work and the most creative way to carry them back was to use the sternum clip on my backpack. If the plastic bag was big, I can rest the rest of the weight on the tank while protecting it from falling with my legs.

OJ World motorcycle gloves

Current Harley-Davidson Winged Skull gloves

Was looking for a new pair of gloves for quite some time now as the right middle finger on the H-D gloves has become uncomfortable when I cover the front brake. I did a temporary solution which was soaking the gloves in warm water, wear the gloves while performing daily activities until they dry in hopes of stretching them a bit. This method did work for awhile then it would require another round of treatment.

Not sure if this is due to leather + humidity which shrinks the gloves or I got the glove a size too small to begin with. When I first tried them on, it fits but after one ride in a slight drizzle the gloves started to be uncomfortable.

Tear at cuffs for both sides of the gloves

There is a tear on the cuffs at both sides of the gloves. This could be my doing as I tend to hold at that spot while putting the gloves on. No choice as the gloves are a snug fit and they did not make a tab for me to pull to put on the gloves.

Was supposed to visit some motorcycle shops around the island window shopping for riding apparels but somehow that was not the case for who knows why. There was also a plan to visit MegaBike Taiping which is a 45 mins drive but when I have the time, they are closed. To me it is either bad timing or not meant to visit them yet.

An opportunity arises when I had to over to the mainland for work and since I was there, I decided to stop by a few shops to have a look. Originally planned to stop by Guan How but remembered about the Benelli @ CK Motoworld along the Juru highway so did a pit stop there.

Product Review: 3M E-A-R Ultrafit corded Earplugs

Recently with the HJC helmet the sound in the helmet is totally different from the ones I am used to with the X-Dot 3/4 helmet. In the X-Dot helmet I have the whistling sound which can mainly  be eliminated when I put the visor down. The sound on the HJC is a different kind of wind noise. I can reduce it with the chin curtain installed but that would fog up the visor instead. This sound is made worse when on the Vulcan because the windshield directs the wind up to the head.

This got me researching on earplugs and end up with so many questions: Which are better for motorcycles, which are easier to fit in, are they reusable, which type is better. If possible I do not want the foam earplugs where you have to roll them up before inserting into your ears. I always have this fear of putting it too deep in and will need a trip to the ER to get it out.

If you are wondering about the benefits or how wind sound can damage your ear, head over RideWell and Motorcycle Paradise for more information.