BikeMaster, Pro Circuit, Fox, Zac Speed, Zox Helmets| FRESH DIRT

When gawking at the factory bling in the supercross pits, you might not realize that you are hearing a constant beep, beep, beep, as mechanics fervently work on their steeds. That beeping that goes unnoticed is all of the digital torque wrenches that are used to spec all of those vital bolts on all of those supercross bikes. Click-type torque wrenches work fine, but some people find the small click a little vague for their tastes. Digital torque wrenches let you dial in a very specific torque, visually see the torque build on the display, then hear a very clear beep and even see a flashing light when the torque is reached. BikeMaster sent us both the 3/8” and 1/4” drive wrenches to play with. Just like clocks, with analog working fine but digital being quicker to read, the same with torque wrenches. The price isn’t awesome but we’ve already used these quite a bit and they are very, very convenient.

Throttle tubes are easy to overlook until you have your first tip over on the right side and you break the flimsy plastic stock throttle tube. They you’re like, “Why do they even make these out of plastic?” Well, Pro Circuit wondered the same thing. Their Aluminum throttle tube is CNC machined and Teflon coated on the inside. Again, this is a product that is more expensive than the OEM part but it is also one of those easy fixes that you’ll probably never have to replace again, unless you have a really gnarly crash (in which case this throttle tube would be the least of your worries).

The V3 is Fox’s premium level helmet. First off, visually, this thing is very trick. Half the helmet is a super shiny gloss finish with shimmery white and blue paint; the other half is matte orange and black. The result of the two finishes together is a unique look that definitely stands out. As far as features go, the main performance feature is that it has a MIPS liner to help with rotational forces. The liner is very soft and comfy. There is lots of dual density foam and while it doesn’t have a carbon fiber shell, the multiple composite shell isn’t heavy by any means. Lastly, to keep your noggin cool, there are 18 vents throughout the helmet.

For off-roaders and trial riders, a solid backpack/hydropack/toolpack situation is vital. Some guys like a hip pack, some just a hydro, some use a vest, and some guys from the 80’s rock fanny pack (the same dudes still have neoprene bungies on their sunglasses). There are a lot of different setups available and Zac Speed wants to offer you the most configurable pack situation without having to have a ton of different packs. The Zac Speed system is based on three different packs (Sprint = small, Recon = medium, Dakar = large) that can be fitted with four different front straps, and an optional waist belt option. You can rock the standard straps that come with the backpack, or swap them out for a POV harness, vest, or chest protector – all of which integrate into the backpack using a “ladder lock” system. Basically, you open up the section of the pack that would be against your back, pull out a padded shield, then pull out the extensions of the straps. This not only allows you to swap the front piece/pieces, it also allows you to tailor fit the pack. Check the pages of Dirt Rider soon for a full review.

Canadian helmet. Two words you don’t see too often together, but Zox is a Canadian helmet company being imported into the US by MTA Distributing. We saw these lids at the 2016 AIM Expo and they stood out enough for us to give them a go. There are a ton of helmet companies on the market and many of them are just copies of the same helmet with different designs on them. But what stood out about the Zox lid was the large hex-grate-covered vents that are reminiscent of the Leatt helmets. The shell is Kevlar/fiberglass in makeup and the helmet is DOT/ECE certified. One of our editors has put a few rides on a size large and overall it has worked OK. The cheek pads are actually pretty thin giving the face a lot of room which is comfortable but we were worried about the helmet being too loose. Yet, the medium’s crown area was just too small for the large-headed editor. The crown on the large fits snuggly as it should. There will be a full write up soon.