Komodo Sport News

My name is Craig Montgomery and I am an expert racer in the CMRA (Central Motorcycle Road Racing). It was round 5 of the CMRA series (Hallett Raceway) and because I changed bikes at the beginning of the season I’m starting from the back with no class points. I’ve been on a 1000 for last 3 years but wanted a change so I just picked up a Triumph 675. I love the way the bike handles and although slow compared to a liter bike its got decent speed and I like the torque. The one drawback is because it’s a British bike “hard parts” are very expensive. No worries, just don’t crash it, right

I ended up taking 2nd in the sprint race and was frustrated with my result. It was a great dice for the win and I didn’t come out on top unfortunately. I was a little bit angry on the cool down lap and decided to pull a frustration stand-up wheelie. I knew I had problems as soon as I dropped the clutch. I was in 3rd instead of 2nd but instead of accepting defeat I pulled up even harder on the bars. The anger I felt (which dulled my senses and judgment a bit) coupled with a headwind did me in. I then proceeded to loop the bike over backwards.

Unlike my bike I was not hurt. My Komodo leathers and race gloves protected me amazingly well considering how long I slid down the pavement. Most crashes are in a turn and you slide off the track very quickly. This one however was a on straight away and I was sliding with the direction of the track. You’ll notice the smoke coming off of my leathers. Thanks to Rene Vivion and Barry Nichols for the photos.

Our first race was rained out but we will be running the div. 7 open this weekend and we just came off the NHRA test and tune with the stars

Of  full throttle.  the last race we ran was the UTI / MMI drags where I was motorcycle king of the track and runner up for the king of the

Track where if I broke out with a 9.55 run on a 9.59 dial

But my back story is I started riding when I was 3 years old on a Honda 50. Then when I turned 10 I got a cr 85 and then 125, I have had everykind of bike you can think of from gold wing 1200 interstate to Ducati 900 super sport and i started racing when i was 13 and have been ever.

Since in one form or another, I started Drag racing in June of 06 where I qualified for the finals and went to Bakersfield, ca and went a

Couple of rounds, and then in 2007 we changed home tracks from firebird to speed world where i was in the top 3 in 07 and 08 and last year

We ran both tracks and I was the track champ for the motorcycle class at both tracks. At the finals we ran both the race of champions

And the et finals. Out of the 100 + riders in the race of champions I made it all the way to the top 6. And in the finals I went all

The way to the top 9 out of 150+ riders. this year we are going all the way. I will be looking good doing it in my new komodo gear leathers.

I am also a full time student a MMI I’m taking Suzuki and Harley/Buell, 

Niko

A Great Motorcycle Street Glove

By Komodo Gear

With so many different Motorcycle Gloves on the market it can be a little overwhelming at times. 

Here’s a short list to ask yourself:

a)      What are you looking for (fit and feel)?

b)      What do you desire the most (protection/quality)?

c)       Does it really matter what brand it is – and why?

d)      What’s your riding style (cruiser/street/track day/race)?

e)      Is price your motivation?

Let’s begin with the basics.  Motorcycle Gloves are intended to be worn, so they must feel right when you put them on.  “Feel right” means that they are comfortable.  If they’re not comfortable, chances are you won’t wear them or they will be a distraction while you ride (not good).   It’s ok if they’re a little snug, most gloves will break in with time and use.  However, you must have the ability to articulate your fingers and also have a snug, but comfortable fit on your palm.  

In addition to fit and feel; you need to take a good look at what protective features are included.  What type of leather are the constructed of?  Ask what kind of leather the Motorcycle Gloves are made of (a lot of gloves today use buffalo; goat and other less than desirable materials that will not hold up in a crash).  Yes, the type of leather does make a difference!  Cowhide (top grain or full grain) is preferred for the overall structure because it is very durable and easy to maintain.  So, make sure you look over the gloves thoroughly to understand how they are made as quality control is also an important feature.  Other nice features to consider is Kevlar stitching, padding in the palm, composites on
knuckle/fingers, extra layers of leather in the palm or even Kevlar panels on the palm or on the pinky (or both).  You need to also ask if there is reinforcement in the critical areas to avoid road rash.  Also, check the closure system.  Is it a Velcro tab or strap?  Does it offer a dual enclosure system with a latch, snap or Velcro?  You need to make sure the glove is secure when it’s on your hand.

The type of riding you do is also important.  For example, riders who just cruise around usually do not stress their gloves a great deal because they are not putting much pressure on the grips.  You know what kind of rider you are.  If you do general riding, then it’s likely you will not be putting a lot stress onto the glove and enjoy your gloves for many years.  However, if you race, then you placing a great deal of stress on the glove due to pressure, temperature, sweat – then repeat.   Race gloves take a beating and their life is accelerated by hard use or crashing.  An interesting reality of glove “life” is also related to sweat and temperature.  Yes, I said sweat!  Sweat is either alkaline or acidic; either way both will break down the leather and can accelerate its deterioration.   A quick remedy is to rinse your gloves out with water after a ride; let them dry and them apply a quality mink oil (remember, leather is skin; so clean and add moisturizer often
for long life).

This is a pretty good quiz:  http://komodogear.blogspot.com/2009/11/motorcycle-quiz-how-much-do-you-know.html

CONTEST – WIN A FREE T-SHIRT!

(rules: to win, you must post your “beginnings” on this blog along with a pic).

BEGINNINGS…
 
 Most of the time, it all begins when you’re a kid. This is how it happened to me.
 
 When I was around 7 years old, my dad brought home an off-road mini bike. I didn’t know exactly what it was until he explained it to me; but I had seen them before at the hardware store. These mini bikes weren’t anything like today’s mini bikes. This was the late 1970’s, and these little mini bikes were the “hot item” of the time for young boys. It was a real piece of American ingenuity; it used a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine (say 3 or 5 hp), small and wide fat tires, no suspension; no adjustment anywhere and just a rear brake. It was primitive, stiff, bouncy, a real hard tail that included lousy brakes. Looking back, it had no business being off-road.
 
 Who knows who made it, but it had a big sticker on the side of it labeled, “Cheetah”. The seat was a cheap vinyl plastic covered in cheetah stripes. It was cool for the day and pretty quick. That scooter would easily reach up to 30mph and had no clutch; you just twisted the throttle and it went forward. When you have no suspension, a poor rear brake and small, fat tires as hard as wood, it made for a lively ride to say the least. (pic above is not actual bike, but very close; picture is courtesy of Google pics).
 
 I loved it. It was mine and I was smitten. Every day after school, I’d saddle up and ride it in the alley behind our house. It was a “starter kit” motorcycle for kids. However, there were thousands of kids like me across the nation being groomed on these homemade mini bikes. My sisters and I would take turns riding it in the alley and we all enjoyed it; I think I just enjoyed it more.
 
 We didn’t wear much protective gear (motorcycle apparel) back in the 70’s; just a helmet. Oh yeah, the helmet was a ¾ helmet by Bell and had a “bubble” shield. The rest of the gear was your favorite t-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots or sneakers. That was it. Life in the 70’s was wild, young and free. Good days.
 
 Needless to say, it was all about the experience and the impression it left upon me. As I grew older, I had other and newer off-road bikes such as XR-80’s CR’s and bigger XR’s, but still retained the stunning retro ‘70’s helmet and SWAG from that era (social wear and gear for you newb’s). It wasn’t until middle school to high school that I graduated to permanent cowboy boots, a nylon Yamaha jersey and Hi Point off-road gloves. I was almost “looking the role” and I just couldn’t get enough. Most teens have posters up on their walls of women from Sports Illustrated or the NBA. I had pictures and posters of Danny Chandler, Chuck Sun, Brad Lackey and Bob Hannah on my walls. I once saw Bob “Hurricane” Hannah race at the Houston Astrodome in the late ‘70’s (’78 I believe). From that point on, the scar was real and deep. No bikini clad women or rock-n-roll posters anywhere, just die hard motocross riders (these were my hero’s) at every corner of my room with a stack of Motocross Action magazines on the shelf. Funny thing is that I knew I would never become a motocross star or even race motocross. However, I knew in my gut that motorbikes were my identity. I rode them, understood them and dreamed about them. As I grew older, I also took a great interest in the road bikes, the GS; CB’s; FZ’s and early Ninja’s. When I went to college, I finally got my taste of a 1983 Suzuki GS750E, but that’s another story for another post. If there was a diagnosis for, “bike lust”, I had it bad. I know it was bad, because I was still a junkie for off-road bikes, too.
 
 If you’ve got fond memories like these, share them! For me, it all started with a poorly built mini bike and the dreams of a young boy; who now is grown up with kids of his own and a garage full of vintage and modern bikes from different decades – never let go of your memories and keep your child hood dreams alive!
 
 **Komodo Gear will choose the best blog post (one winner per week) from each week and the lucky winner will receive a free Komodo Gear t-shirt; we’ll ship to your door anywhere in the Continental United States at no cost. See pic of t-shirt here: https://www.komodogear.com/store/home.php?cat=14 **
 
 So dig out those old pics and post ‘em up with your best “BEGINNINGS” story while the contest is on!

Well, this is truly DIFFERENT and cool! We were amazed to learn that Komodo Gear’s K-XP race suit used in the new Indie movie, “BLUE”. We were sent this picture from a friend half way across the world. It just blew us away because it’s awesome to see our gear being used in the entertainment world. In this picture, actor Zayed Kahn, is wearing the white/black K-XP on the movie set, BLUE, aboard a Ducati 999.

As more people discover and ride motorcycles, the focus on safety gear and riding apparel becomes a highly searched topic. Komodo Gear has been at the forefront of innovation for the past several years to address the needs to today’s riders and racers. If you’re a veteran rider, then you’ll find this article even more interesting as Komodo takes the time to educate riders and consumers on how we’re different from the competition.

Komodo’s K-FX motorcycle race glove has been available to the public for the past two years. This motorcycle glove is a true proprietary race glove design that uses over a dozen different hi-tech materials including advanced lightweight composites interwoven together to produce a unique, one of a kind glove. It’s not just the combination of advanced materials; it’s how they are combined resulting in an application that allows full anatomical movement creating a glove that truly functions while under stress without the rider ever knowing it. The advanced design pattern allows generous amounts of Kevlar in critical impact areas and include the right combination of materials/composites to offer an extremely comfortable, lightweight and protective glove.

What is even more unique about the K-FX glove is that they are “off the rack” and truly deliver an exceptional fit and feel.

For Immediate Release: O’Shea Squalls partners with Komodo Gear for 2010 Sponsorship. O’Shea Squalls, winner of the PMRA 2003 Rider of the Year! award and the Dave Howell/Dlorah Lee Memorial Award, is proud to announce Komodo Gear as a main sponsor for the upcoming 2010 PMRA race season.  Komodo Gear, a manufacturer of quality riding and race gear, will play an important role in O’Shea Squall’s race program.   

O’Shea Squalls, shares how the sponsorship agreement came together,  “I met Wayne Wilder of Komodo at the track and realized we both have the same goals, promoting safety and performance in drag racing.  This past weekend I actually tested the new OUTLAW at Dallas Raceway; I had a mechanical and hit the wall at around 130 mph without injury!”  

Komodo will sponsor O’Shea Squall’s for the remainder of the 2009 and upcoming 2010 season.  A representative from Komodo will be trackside to answer any questions regarding the Komodo product line that will be displayed at the PMRA races. Komodo Gear —– Komodo would like to thank O’Shea Squalls for the opportunity to partner with him for the remainder of the 2009 season.  According to Wayne Wilder, Vice President of Sales, “Komodo and O’Shea Squalls share the same goal;  to promote safety with performance in drag racing with the introduction of the new OUTLAW 2 piece drag race suit.”   

For 2010, O’Shea Squalls will be campaigning at the PMRA Outlaw Pro Street class aboard a nitrous fed Suzuki GSX-R in the PMRA OUTLAW class.   

For further Komodo information, please logon to www.komodogear.com