Kemp

I can get behind this technology. Wait, I mean, I really appreciate the engineering here, especially when it comes to Tracer seats. BMW patents adjustable saddle

The rider I influenced was the one who I end up riding the most with. I got a Ninja 250 nearly 20 years ago, and he thought it was cool and followed suit a couple of years later. He's now a track veteran and regularly leaves me in the dust!

So, I've had a few weeks to try out my Scorpion EXO Tempest gloves, and thought I would report my findings: So far, so good. The only nitpick I have is the weirdly-sized fingers, or maybe it's my weirdly-sized fingers; the fingertips extend a bit from the ends of my fingers. Otherwise, the fit was spot on. I followed their sizing chart and picked a XL, which is a size up from my normal L. I've not ridden in really cold weather yet, but have had a couple of rides down into the 50s and they worked just fine. They have the proper amount of insulation to work yet not feel bulky. There's very little insulation on the palm side, which works well with the heated grips. They've actually made me re-think purchasing hand guard extenders. Overall, I'm pleased with the purchase, even with the weird fit on my hands. I would recommend them.

I went with @MightBeSasquatch's recommendation and ordered some Scorpion EXO Tempest gloves. I've yet to receive them, but I'll try to follow up with what I find out. I went with these primarily because the Cortech Scarabs were sold out, but I still think the Scorpions might fit the bill. Stay tuned.

I know you said you're reluctant to buy online, but Olympia does still have a web presence, if that helps: https://shop.olympiagloves.com/collections/mens-motorcycle-gloves

When you mentioned those, I remembered I have a buddy that rides with those. Seems like I tried them on once, and they seemed really nice. He recently gave me his cast off Helds when he upgraded; maybe I should convince HIM that it's time for some new winter gloves. 😀

Probably not too cold, mostly in the 40s/50s. If I get the hand guard extensions and use my heated grips, I'm hoping I can get away with some lighter weight gloves. I have considered the Hippo Hands, and may have to give them a second look.

I actually had these saved on a Revzilla wish list. Might have to give them a shot.

I'm needing a new set of gloves for the non-summer months. Since I already have heated grips and will be adding some handguard extensions, I'm needing some recommendations on new gloves. I have a set of Tourmaster winter gloves that I've had for many years, and they aren't bad at keeping my hands warm, but they are so bulky that my fingers hurt after a good long ride. So, I'm hoping to find something that's somewhat insulated but not too bulky. Waterproofing is not necessary, but could be a plus. So, what 'cha got?

So, Suzuki built a Ninja 1000? Interesting. It looks promising. Not a fan of the face, but otherwise it's a nice looking bike. If it's as reliable as my old Bandit 1200, should be a solid ride for man miles.

I haven't been on 16 in a while, but a lot of the roads I like to ride have been getting some attention this year. Too many of them have had chip seal added, which I'm not a fan of, but once it's bedded it seems to be okay.

I would like a report back when you're riding in this weather. A lot of my riding is done in hot, humid southern summer conditions, and I would like to know how effective the venting is in these conditions.

@tktplz I've heard others refer to that by the same name! I need to ride it again soon. Hit it a couple of times last year, and it was my first long-ish ride on my new Tracer. No shortage of great roads in Arkansas, that's for sure!

There are plenty of roads to choose from, too. Honestly, just about anything west of Highway 65 and north of Interstate 40 is worth your attention.

Yup. I've run Push Mountain several times, and it can be looped into the ride I did very easily. I just hadn't been on Hwy 9 in many years and wanted to get re-acquainted with that section of road. If you like Push, then you'll love the upper section of Highway 123; in my opinion, it's more demanding than Push Mountain by a wide margin!

Your bedside reading materials aren't books, they're maps.

I would like to ride on the left coast sometime. Although, I have driven in LA, and have no desire to get caught up in that hot mess! The Pacific Coast Highway is a bucket list ride for me, and I know there's plenty more roads near there that would be a blast.

You should! I rarely travel out of state because of the time involved, and honestly I can be on some fun roads in just a few minutes, so why go anywhere else? Having said that, now that I have the Tracer, I'm ready to see what other states have to offer.

Duckie, they do a pretty decent job of it. I think other states do try it, but I feel like Arkansas' approach is a prime example of how it should be done. I'm impressed that they not only publish routes but have gpx files that are free to use.

I've had a busy month of work, which was nice after a year of uncertainty, but felt like a blast through the Ozarks was much needed yesterday. As a motorcyclist, the nice thing about living in Arkansas is how blessed we are with fun roads to explore. So the problem I faced was which roads should I ride? I decided to head to Mountain View, a sleepy town where I spent a good bit of my youth visiting my grandparents and hanging out with my cousins. It's a beautiful area and a gateway of a multitude of fun roads. My main target was Highway 9, a serpentine section north of the town that wound over a few of the Ozark mountains and would let me test my mettle on some pretty technical turns. I had a few stops in mind for photo ops, but this day must have been the clarion call for spring events, as every stop I had mentally mapped out was taken over by an event. The first one in Clinton was a sign proclaiming "The Ozarks," but it was blocked by cars parked in front of it for a farmers' market. So, I moved on. Further north in Shirley, I did find a guy who wanted to race: I kept the motorcycle pointed north, enjoying the stretch of road leading to Mountain View, which was mostly devoid of traffic. Making the decent into Mountain View from Dodd Mountain, I made my way to the courthouse square where I planned on taking a photo of the Tracer in front of the historic courthouse. Unfortunately, a car show was underway, and all the spots were taken or roped off. So, I kept moving. I worked my way further north to Allison, where the divergence of Highways 5 and 9 split, which was the meat of my ride. The 20-mile stretch between Allison and Melbourne was extremely crooked, which most of the road consisting of 25- to 35-mph rated curves. I took my time to get used to the constant stream of curves, and caught a gentleman in a pickup truck who was even more cautious than I. After a couple of miles, he pulled over to let me ride, and I waved my thanks to him and continued on. This road really doesn't allow much gawking, as the curves are tight and constant, and the trees limit your sight lines. However, one particular curve offered a stunning view of the beautiful Ozark landscape. I stopped and admired it for a few minutes before continuing my ride. After this pull off, I began to find my rhythm and was able to flow with the curves much more smoothly and confidently. It all seemed to end much too quickly as I made the descent into Melbourne, where things came to a sudden stop. There was a festival of some sort going on in the town square, and when I got to my intersection with Highway 69, I caught the tail end of a parade. I should have cleared that town in five minutes' time, but instead was stuck for probably 30 minutes. It gave me time to work on my slow speed skills, if nothing else. As quickly as possible I blasted out of that mess to find my next turn on Highway 58 which would loop me back to Mountain View. Again, very little traffic, awesome curves and beautiful views on the tops of the ridges. It was fun to feel the temperature variations as I went through different elevation changes, which occurred constantly over the rolling Ozark mountains. I decided on a different route home via Highway 5, with curves that tended to be sweepers rather than switchbacks and made good time getting back to Conway. Once I returned, I realized another valuable lesson: I can get at least 200 miles out of a tank! A couple of miles from home, I noticed my low fuel light trying to get my attention. I had forgotten all about fuel stops during all my fun. All in all, I did about 225 miles and had a great time on the Tracer. It's still new to me, but I hope to get many more fun rides like this in as we get to know each other.

I was trying out a new lens the other day photographing a buddy on his Ninja on a favorite section of twisties, so I thought I would get a couple of my Tracer as well!

It doesn't always work that way. I've been clean headed for around 10 years, and last year my helmet got FUNKY. Washing the liner took care of it, so it didn't get in the EPS. I'll be interested to know how this thread ends.

If you make it to Arkansas and need some recommendations on roads, let me know. Mostly, anywhere west of Highway 65 and north of I-40 are great roads.

I've been considering a trip to that area. Good to see it would be worth it!

Glad to know there are other Arkansans here! I'm loving mine so far.