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Bikers’ Survival Kit

mad max motorcycle survival kit - Bikers' Survival Kit

You might find yourself with a lot of time on your hands over the coming weeks, so I’ve put together this Bikers’ Survival Kit in one handy document. I’ll update it regularly, so if you have any suggestions add them to the comments below.

TV & Films

 

MotoGP

If you have BT Sport you can use the BT TV button to watch a range of great programs. There’s the ‘Level 7’ Marc Marquez documentary and other documentaries, ‘Unlimited’ and ‘The Route To Glory’. You can watch the classic races, like the Rossi / Lorenzo Catalunya 2009 last-lap scrap.

You can also watch the ’10 Best MotoGP Races’ on motogp.com, for free, through this link.

World SBK

This WorldSBK boxset gives you 5′ of the best World SBK races’ for free, too.

Fast Bikes Vid Mags

Feast on some classic Fast Bikes lunacy on Youtube, from the glory days of VHS. There’s Pulp Friction, a clip from (I think) The Fast Bikes Show, highlights from Mach 2 a cheeky bit of unseen footage from their many videos and one of my favourites; the London moped race.

Cast this one to your TV and turn the volume up. Michael Rutter on a Panigale V4 Speciale road bike at the TT. It’s unbelievably bonkers.

Biker Films

If you’re after a list of good motorcycle movies (or at least films that feature bikes), check these out:

Moto Geo on YouTube

Former GP250 racer turned moto vlogger and all-round nice bloke, Jamie Robinson has a great YouTube channel and he runs a regular series called the Moto Geo with regular reviews, insight and interesting stuff from the world of motorcycles from a guy who knows his bikes.

If you have any other good film or YouTube suggestions, hit the comments section below.

Books

If you fancy a good book then check out these motorcycle racer autobiographies and we’ve also got a section with loads of great book ideas.

Inspirational motorcycle travel books

Great motorcycle coffee table books

The best MotoGP books

The best Isle of Man TT books

Brilliant classic motorcycle books

Or you could take out a subscription to a motorcycle magazine, like BIKE which currently has an offer of ‘buy one year and get the second free‘ – so even if you can’t ride, you can keep up to speed with the motorcycling world.

Kit Care

A quick guide to giving your helmet a spring clean. The easy way to clean your leathers ready for the summer and our simple guide on refreshing your textile motorcycle clothing without damaging it.

Bike Care

If you’re keeping the bike in hibernation for a little longer, don’t forget to keep your battery from dying with a decent battery charger. If you want to go completely ‘off-grid’ you could setup a proper solar-powered charger. Then there’s our easy motorcycle cleaning and polishing guide. Nothing beats a good hour getting your bike looking great.

It’s boring but essential: give your chain the love it deserves. If you’re conscious of the environment, check out our guide on eco-friendly motorcycle cleaning products.

Building your Man Cave

Now’s a great time to dive into the garage and get it sorted. Check out our guide on creating a great space to work on (or just admire) your bike. It covers everything from lighting to flooring, tools and accessories to security.

Helmet Bargains

We’ve got loads of great lid buying guides here. I’ve picked out a few bargains for you as well. You can grab the Bell MX-9 adventure helmet for just £129.99 and a massive 400-quid-off this Bell Pro Star but they only have a few left. You can get £200 off Arai’s quality touring helmet, the QV, with prices starting at £329.99. Don’t forget the additional 10% off with the discount code below.

Other bargains

I’ve picked out a few biker essentials and also some ‘It’s so cheap I have to have it’ deals. This Oxford bike cover is almost half price. This chunky Boss disc lock has 35% off the RRP. Get a lightweight lithium-ion battery for the same price as a regular lead-acid one. Grab the awesome Weise 4-season jacket for just £149.99, down from £319.99. It’s all the jacket you’ll ever need. Have a look this solid track pump for just over a tenner. Ideal for quickly tweaking your tyre pressures (and pumping up the kids’ footballs!). This is the cheapest quality motorcycle battery charger I could find online

Don’t forget the additional 10% off with the discount code below.

Security

Unfortunately, bike crime is still rife and as people get desperate it’ll only get worse. We’ve written lots of great guides on simple security measures you can take to stop the scummy thieves having your bike away. Stolen Motorcycle Database BikersUnited has published this great guide on the simple security that thieves hate.

Recruit a biker

Why not work on a friend or colleague and get them to line up a CBT or bike test when we’re all allowed to roam free a few weeks (months?!) from now? We’ve put together a ‘couldn’t be simpler’ guide to getting on two wheels.

Discount Codes

You can get 10% off your SportsBikeShop order with this code: 2020TEN

Get £10 off any order over £100 at GetGeared with this code: GGAFD10M100

Get 5% off your first order at Infinity Motorcycles with this code: signup5

Heading out for a ride?

Biker Cafes

There are photos circulating online of the many popular biker cafes across the country, packed full of bikers. This is not a wise idea. If you are going out for a ride, head out and back without stopping off for a coffee. You might not be worried about the risks to your own health but by congregating you are mixing with people who might have the virus and therefore you’re putting yourself and your family at risk.

Petrol pumps

I’ve seen lots of advice – aimed mainly at car drivers – that states petrol pumps could be a transmission source. Even though we wear gloves, it’s best to ensure good hygiene (i.e. don’t rub your nose on the go with your gloves after touching the pumps).

Motorcycle Dealers

If you need to collect a part or some bits to keep you going, then do everything you can to minimise your contact with other bikers. Sanitize your hands before and after you enter the dealership. Wandering around a dealer, aimlessly gawping at (and touching) the bikes and kit won’t be doing anyone any favours. Now is not the time to try on a new helmet.

Forums

If you want to connect with other bikers, check out the forum ridersite.com. Why not start off by sharing a picture of your bike.

A final word

I’ve always thought that as bikers, we’re naturally good self-isolators. These next few weeks will be a good test of that. Some will worry about what they’re going to do whereas others will relish the chance to crack on with their long ‘To Do’ list. Whichever camp you’re in, hopefully, this list will help you make the most of your new self-isolating routine.

Remember, if Spain and Italy are anything to go by, this might be the last week that you get to take the bike out, so make sure you get a ride in or you might regret not taking the opportunity while you still can.

If you have anything to add to this guide, drop a comment in below.

Be safe out there, Ben

p.s. feel free to share this with your biking buddies

p.p.s if you’re looking for toilet roll, check this out. You can thank me later.

  • Nicky Hamilton says:

    Brilliant, thank you, I have just taken out a subscription with Readly an app based magazine store, my first month is free so still checking it out but so far I’m impressed, every bike mag out there on you iPad and back copies to way back when, no restrictions on downloads and hundreds of other mags to check out as well, I think it’s £7.99 every month after that, but look out for deals, happy reading.

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