Komodo Sport News

Check out Komodo Gear’s May 2010 Motorcycle News Letter

Mitch McGinnis

Mitch is a veteran racer who has been on “hiatus” for many years and is now back in the game racing an ’08 Honda CBR1000rr on the new Michelin, Power One, motorcycle racing tires.  Mitch is racing as a Novice this year, but is leading in the points in the Formula 40 class.  This is not an average class, it is actually a very competitive class as many of the riders are similar to Mitch in that they used to race and are now, “back in the game”.

Mitch hails from Oklahoma and runs a successful business as a commercial painter.  Mitch understands the dedication and discipline required to win and much of his success in racing is a reflection of Mitch, himself.  What’s also great to know about Mitch is that he brings his family with him to the racetrack including his son, Sean, and his girlfriend, Beverly.  They are always there to support Mitch and take time out to visit with the other riders and their families.  This is a big part of the culture at the CMRA (www.cmraracing.com) where you will meet many families who are dedicated to the sport and the success of the club.

Mitch is racing in the full “racing package” offered by Komodo.  His racing leathers are the highly acclaimed K-FX race suit and his racing gloves are the K-FX model,  as well.  Mitch also wears the highly proven FX racing boot and even our CE rated back protector and Motorcycle Undersuit to assist in riding comfort and safety.  All of these racing products work together as a system that allows Mitch to stay focused and be successful on the race track.  Mitch knows that racing success requires the best products and technology including your riding gear because your safety as a rider can not be compromised if you want to win.

Komodo Gear wants to take this opportunity to introduce Mitch to our followers so you can actually see real riders racing their hearts out.  It’s a great way to get an “inside feel” for club racing and how Komodo Gear integrates into the success of the riders and their racing careers.  We want to thank Mitch and his family for believing in Komodo and giving us the opportunity to support him in his “comeback” to the top!

For Immediate Release:

Ty Howard partners with Komodo Gear for 2010 Wearing The K-FX Racing Leathers.

Ty Howard is proud to announce Komodo Gear Leathers as one of his key sponsors for the 2010 racing season. Komodo Gear, makers of motorcycle leathers and racing apparel, will play a significant role in Ty Howard’s success this year. Ty Howard will be wearing the full lineup of racing apparel: K-FX racing leathers, K-FX race gloves and FX race boots for the 2010 season.

Ty Howard commented on how the deal finalized, “For years Komodo gear has proven to be the most protective and stylish gear on the market. I’m really excited about having Komodo join my KTM factory backed team for the 2010 racing season…” Komodo Gear and Ty Howard have been in close communications on product development to provide racers with what they need to be successful at the race track. Komodo Gear and Ty Howard will be keeping the public updated on their success via Facebook and Twitter accounts.

KOMODO——–

Komodo Gear would like to thank Ty Howard for the opportunity to partner with him this season. According to Wayne Wilder, Vice President of Sales, “Komodo Gear and Ty Howard have been working together as partners for a number of years; Ty and Komodo share the same vision for safety and performance; “we have worked closely with Ty for several seasons and are pleased to see our relationship grow”.

For 2010, Ty Howard will be racing in the CMRA race series and select AMA racing events.

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

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).

For 2010, the NHRA has released it’s new safety guidelines that mandates all race bikes that exceed 120 mph in the 1/4 mile must have Kevlar gloves.

Komodo Gear has been manufacturign Kevlar based Racing  Gloves for several years now. In addition, these gloves sell for under $90 to your door and shipping is free.

Here are the details:
-Full floating Carbon tech knuckles have extra leather overlay
- Fingers have Carbon tech plates for extra abrasion protection
- Temper foam padding under floating knuckle
- Full cowhide chassis
- Schoeller Keprotec covers the palms and finger tips
- Double stitched in genuine DuPont Kevlar thread
- Dual enclosure for secure fit- Unlined palm for great feedback
- Gel padded palms covered in mil spec grade Kelar
- Full gauntlet is very roomy and covers the top sleeves of the race suit
- Inside of glove is lined with fleece for great comfort
- Pinky is reinforced with mil spec Kevlar and Carbon/Kevlar plate- Glove is very lightweight and very affordable

MORE PICS HERE:http://www.flickr.com/photos/44636254@N02/sets/72157622679464183/

Check out Komodo Gear to get yours!

http://www.komodogear.com/store/home.php

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

Komodo Gear now offers its customers to add their Custom name and number to their Motorcycle  leathers Suits.

Custom Name = $100

Custom Number = $50

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!

Reward Points, motorcycle gear, motorcycle accessories

Hey Bloggers!

If you ride motorcycles, then this blog and our articles are definitely focused on you! These days, every penny counts and consumers are savvy. Most do their homework on line on forums or blogs before making a decision or a purchase. When it comes to motorcycles, this is true for tires, brakes and other accessories. Especially, when it comes to apparel and safety gear.

So why Komodo? Why shouldn’t you just run down the street to a dealer or just go to the first on line store I see listed in Google? Well, it’s like any other decision you make, you look for those companies or products who have a reputation for service and quality. If you like outstanding service and enjoy high quality products, you’ll see why we have the tag line, “Defiantly Different”. We think like you do.

We come from the customer’s approach of “What’s in it for me?” A lot.

Komodo believes in three core principles: create products that perform, stand behind your products and take care of your customers.

“Lower costs on riding gear means you save money = more riding.

Communicating direct with the manufacturer = better service and satisfaction.”

Here’s how we do it:

Factory Direct – Wholesale pricing to the public, you can’t beat our prices because there is no middle man and we ship direct to your door – you save!

Customer Service – Komodo believes in creating relationships with its customers. We prefer to serve our customers through email and social outlets (Twitter and ICQ) instead of a call center – because we cannot answer every call that comes in, even with a well trained staff. That is why all inbound communications are through email – and we respond to everyone’s question within hours. If you want us to call you back, just say so in the email and we’ll be happy to do that.

Reward Points – When you purchase a product from Komodo, you also earn valuable, “Reward Points” than can be applied to any future purchases. Every purchase you make adds up for a “loyalty” discount on all future purchases.

Monthly Specials – Komodo has a warehouse full of inventory (pants, jackets, gloves, race suits, boots, armor, knee sliders, etc.) so we have the flexibility to offer specials on products each month.

Gift Certificates – Purchase a gift certificate for that special person in your life; Komodo Gift Certificates are indeed a gift for any rider.

Race Proven – The products we sell are the same products we race and ride in. Komodo is not another “me too” product – as a manufacturer we design and create our own products that are specific to function and safety; if you want fashion products with tattoos or skull and crossbones you’ll find them everywhere – but not here. Komodo creates products that function and perform; your safety is our first priority!

Social Networking – It’s the future of business and Komodo is a believer; we use Twitter, the Komodo Newsletter, Komodo Blog and the Komodo Forum to communicate with our customers on what’s new, where to find us trackside, the latest news and also our monthly specials.

Orders history – Log in and see the history of any order you place.

Tracking function – Login and track your package – order with confidence!

Return/Warranty/Exchange – Login and create a return/warranty/exchange ticket; this is part of your historical record and gives you control.

Testimonies – Video’s and written testimonies from real racers and riders.

Measurement charts – Are available on our website for each product we sell.

Shipping – All products are shipped free via UPS (U.S. residents) or USPS (APO/FPO-Active Duty Military). All shipments are picked up Monday – Friday at 3:00 p.m. CST. After 3 p.m. they are shipped the next business day.

Street Smart – When you add it all up, you win! Make your dollar count! You purchase direct from the manufacturer, we stand behind our products and we take care of our customers – it’s how we live our lives.

Customization – Create your own custom suit for the race track (drag or road race)

Everything is web driven and at your finger tips; you are in control and will receive the best service and products anywhere.

For all your motorcycle apparel needs: http://www.komodogear.com/