Saturday 20 February 2016

Riders Club London - Armoured Hoodie review

Riders Club London - Armoured Hoodie review


Rider’s Club London (RCL) have recently released their new Armoured Hoodie for 2016. We attended the launch where they held an awesome stunt show in Hertfordshire – you may have seen the video of it!


They hooked us up with a hoodie so that we can show you guys what we thought.
Our first thoughts are that it’s very well made, and it’s great to see the DuPont Kevlar fiber lined back and impact areas (shoulders and elbows).





The CE removable back, shoulder and elbow protection is also a really nice addition.
Double-stitched seams and super strong zip make the hoodie a great option for those spring-summer short rides.



We can’t stress enough the importance of wearing riding gear. No matter what bike you’re on – coming off at 30mph hurts, and could leave you with some life-long injuries or even worse, fatal injuries.

We come across far too many riders that don’t wear adequate protection on motorbikes. Many of them are riding in the city, or make the excuse that they are not traveling far, so there is no need to gear up! We think Riders Club London’s armoured hoodie is a great option for those who don’t currently wear any riding gear. Or even for those who have a heavy-duty waterproof jacket only, and are looking for something lighter for summer rides.


You might like to know that the hoodie is actually very comfortable to wear, on and off the bike. The embroidery is also a very nice touch. We approve!


The hoodie retails at £70 and can be found hereNice work Riders Club London!



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All the best
BirotarUK 

Friday 12 February 2016

Waterless bike cleaning with Vulcanet

Waterless bike cleaning with Vulcanet - an initial thoughts review.


the Vulcanet tub

For some, cleaning their motorcycle can be chore. And for others it can be something they enjoy! At BirotarUK, it's all about getting the best possible result in the shortest possible time.

There are so many products on the market that will help you clean and detail your car. Many of which can be used on your bike too, but there are few products that actually make cleaning a motorcycle easy. You may have seen our recent review of Auto Finesse's range - they're products are brilliant, if you have the time to spend detailing your bike.


What if you don't have a water source? Or you keep your bike somewhere that makes draining water difficult? Or you're trying to play your part for the environment? Or you're on a budget and you want a product that will do it all?

What ever the reason, Vulcanet is definitely worth the next 5 minutes of your time. But before we tell you why, we need to explain something.

There is a negative stigma around waterless cleaning - because of the way most waterless products actually work. But Vulcanet is very different. 


Vulcanet tub contents 
As you can see in the picture above, the tub holds two main items.

1 x reel of cleaning wipes
1 x high quality branded micro fibre cloth

Close up of Vulcanet micro fibre cloth

Close up Vulcanet micro fibre cloth (reverse)
the Vulcanet wipe 
the Vulcanet tub contents
The wipes are damp with a powerful cleaning solution that works as a cleaning agent and water repellant solution. What is really special about these wipes is that they will clean AND protect all the surfaces on your bike.


  • Your fairings
  • Your lights
  • Your rubbers 
  • Your brake lines
  • Your engine casing
  • Your chain
  • Your brakes
  • Your wheels 
  • Your seat
  • Your dash
  • Your mirrors
  • Your exhaust
What else is left to clean?
It leaves a damn good shine too!
What really impresses us about Vulcanet is how much time and effort it saves. We store our bikes in a garage that doesn't have a water source. So to clean the bikes, we have to wheel the bikes out to a location where we can reach a hose pipe. By the time we have got all of the products out and got ready to clean 10 minutes have passed before we've made any progress. 


Vulcanet VS a line up of the items you would use to clean your bike. 
So you might be wondering what the results are? Here are some photographs of the Bthou after the #VulcanetClean. 






3 x dirty Vulcanet wipes

And all we used was 3 x wipes. No mess, no soaked feet. Sounds good right?
But wait for the price - a single Vulcanet tub retails at approx £33.

That's the price of a bucket, a couple of sponges, a bottle of muc off, car shampoo, a quick detailer, and some micro fibres.

We're not being paid to say any of this - we genuinely think this product is worth the money.
But what we're not sure about it how this product will perform if the bike is seriously dirty. If it's covered in layer and layers of dirt, salt, road grime, silicone, tar... We still need to run that test and we will let you know the results as soon as we can.

The Vulcanet UK distributor recommends that a tub of Vulcanet would last you up to 1 year - that's pretty reasonable. Especially if you're fair weather rider :P. 


What are you currently using to clean your bike? For a chance to win a Vulcanet tub completely free, let us know here. (T&Cs apply)

If you want to have a real look for your self, and to see how the product works - Vulcanet have a stand at the MCN Motorcycle show from Thursday 10th to Sunday 14th of February 2016. If you are visiting, you should defiantly pay them a visit!

Find our more about Vulcanet here!



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All the best
BirotarUK 














Tuesday 9 February 2016

Knox Biomech - A long term review

Knox Biomech Gloves - A long term review


Having owned the Knox Biomech gloves for over two years we are in a pretty good position to offer a long term review. We've thrown everything at them, except some tarmac and they have done brilliantly so far.



The Biomech glove is a summer/racing glove with some of the best impact and slide protection we've come across. Super strong and tear-resistant 'Kangaroo' leather covers the inside palm and fingers. The unique Knox 'Boa Lacing' system makes them easy to get on and off - which is a real bonus on those hot summer track sessions. 


They are one of the only gloves to date that offer maximum feel, making track days and fast riding so much easier. There's nothing worse than a thick glove that offers no feedback when pulling the brake lever.

If you get caught out by the rain, you can expect the dye to stain your hands. We found his out the hard way, but the gloves haven't lost any colour and some warm soapy water got rid of the staining on our hands.



Because we like a glove with feel, these have covered well over 10k miles and are still holding up well. They have even suffered the cold of last winter - but we won't be making that mistake again this year, now we have the Dainese Ergotour Gore-Tex glove.

Apart from the usual discoloring the only major wear to these gloves has been to the leather on the corner of the palm slider. It hasn't worn all the way through but we think they would be due a replacement end of next year.


If someone could make a waterproof, thermal glove as comfortable as these, with as much feel, they'd be flying off the shelves. They are available online for around £100 now, since there are new versions out, but we think they are a worth while investment if you're after a race/road summer glove

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All the best
BirotarUK 


Saturday 6 February 2016

SBW Motorrad open event

 SBW Motorrad open event

Today we visited SBW Motorrad, our local BMW Motorrad dealer based in Hertfordshire.

During our visit we came across this custom R Nine T called 'Salt Flat' which we think looks awesome. With really aggressive and almost stealthy styling - this R Nine T really appeals to us. 


Check our the photographs we took below, what do you think?












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All the best
BirotarUK