Alpinestars Toucan boots
In February 2017 I bought a pair of Alpinestars Toucan boots and there hasn’t been anything to complain about. After two years they’re still perfectly waterproof, they only show some slight traces of use despite using them very often, and there’s no Sidi squeak. Recently however, I noticed cracks in both of the boot’s shafts. I asked Rad, the shop where I bought them, if this was normal, knowing the boots just passed their 2-year warranty period. Rad contacted Alpinestars, who took their time to answer (three weeks!) but luckily had great news. They said they believed this was subject to wear, but exceptionally they wanted to take the boots back and exchange them for a new pair. Using the new pair for a few weeks now. Me happy!

Klim Badlands motorcycle pants
Also for more than two years in use (and still to my great satisfaction): my Klim Badlands motorcycle suit. One shortcoming: the zipper of the pants began to close worse and worse until it finally gave up. A broken tooth. Time to find out if Klim’s lifetime warranty – which doesn’t cover regular wear and tear – is worth something. I contacted Klim and got a reply within a few hours: send your pants in, we’ll replace the zipper. Meanwhile the pants with the new, perfectly fixed zipper already found their way back to me. Me happy!

Doubletake mirrors
Allroadmoto gave me a pair of Doubletake mirrors as a New Year’s gift. Installing them is easy with the RAM mounts that come with the mirrors. Already 1,5 years in use now and they’ve proven to be very useful if you like to do some off-road but don’t want to buy new mirrors every time you drop the bike. And they offer a good view. Like ‘em a lot!

Coleman Cortes 3 tent
During my last trip to the Alps (summer of 2017), I discovered my old Aldi tent (+20 years old) wasn’t waterproof anymore. With the Tournée Pyrénée coming soon I didn’t hesitate when I saw a big discount on the Coleman Cortes 3. A three-person tent, although I still have a Quechua Forclaz two-person tent which actually is only big enough for one. On a long trip, I prefer comfort and space to weight and packing size, so I’ll take the Coleman.

Cardo Packtalk Bold intercom
I also got an intercom with the Tournée Pyrénée in mind. Chatting a bit on the way might come in handy. Lots of intercoms out there, I eventually went for the Cardo Packtalk Bold because of the extensive features and positive reviews. Never needed or wanted to listen to the radio while riding but now that I can, I actually like it. Getting GPS instructions directly into your ears is also nice, as is streaming music from your smartphone. The big test is of course still to come, during the Pyrenees trip.

That’s all folks!