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        <title><![CDATA[Accessories - Adventure Bike Rider]]></title>
        <description><![CDATA[the home of adventure motorbikes and adventure motorcycles riders]]></description>
        <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/</link>
                                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">641-379</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Samsung Solid Immerse Mobilephone: Samsung Solid Immerse Mobilephone]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/83-random-accessories/641-samsung-solid-immerse-mobilephone.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                So I was looking for a new mobile phone . I really only use the mobile when I am out and about (especially on the bike). And after many a soaking my old mobile phone was getting past it !
I also just use pay as you go on Vodafone, as the coverage is better in the hills , and never use the phone that much to get a contract phone.

So... looking at tough phones which are waterproof .. came across the Samsung Solid Immerse GT-B2710
looked great , and a sim free price of £90 I got one for Christmas.

On arrival slipped my old sim card in the back and away we go.

The Phone is not a slim , light weight mobile like so many on the market.
But feels very solid with its rubberized strips down the side.
The screen is good quality (non scratch coating)
Battery life so far is Very good .
3G cool , internet browser .. mm OK .
Comes with a few apps , facebook , google maps . Cool
Not in the same ball park as an Apple but good all the same.

Camera is 2mpixels ,. but pretty rubbish , video is even worse.
But I did not buy it to be a camera , I bought a phone , with works as it should
bluetooth . Yip , connects well with earphones etc..

It has a LED light as well which is good , but can be switched on when in your pocket (even with keypad locked) so watch for that , I got a nice leather case which solves this issue .

Very happy with phone , and no more worries about wet weather / camping etc , rugged enough to get thrown in tank bag , great battery life

Overall would give it a 9/10


But if you are thinking in the same league as Iphone , modern smartphone then this is not for you . But if you want a rugged , waterproof mobile which battery will last ages.. then this might be your next phone. 


Forum thread can be found here http://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum/21-accessories-/101648-samsung-solid-immerse-phone.html                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Random Accessories]]></category>
                <pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:07:13 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">631-367</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Digital tire gauges: A bit more costly for a bit more quality]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/83-random-accessories/631-digital-tire-gauges.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                A feature that would have brought the item up on a 10 would be a built in deflating system whilst you were monitoring the pressure.                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Random Accessories]]></category>
                <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:26:22 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">347-359</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Allit: Alright Allit]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/77-panniers/347-allit.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                Not waterproof but fantastic for the price.                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Metal Panniers]]></category>
                <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:35:11 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">521-348</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Scala Rider G4: Even Better Than Expected]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/83-random-accessories/521-scala-rider-g4.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                For the last few years my wife and I have used Autocoms with PMR radios for bike to bike and satnav audio. Then my wife bought a new BMW 650 GS and finding somewhere to put everything was near on impossible. That convinced me to look at alternatives but having used one of the first Scala Rider's on my satnav and been disappointed I was loath to spend lots of cash on this set.

Eventually good reviews convinced me to try it and I am not disappointed. We used them on a three week trip to Croatia and Bosnia and they performed brilliantly. We could have natural conversations at three figure speeds on autobahns, the satnav voice was clear and MP3s were OK. Not hi-fi but why be that fussy when the music is competing with a boxer engine and wind noise.

Now for my daily commuting being able to listen to the radio while negotiating the M25 is wonderful, much better than the small radios I have tried plugged in to the Autocom.

Downsides. Only two. First is that they cannot be updated via a Mac. That make this the only kit I use that has no Mac software. come on Scala, I am not asking for a rewrite of a major piece of software, it's just a small utility and a Mac is no longer a niche product. Secondly it would be nice to be able to edit the input priorities. These units have inputs for satnav, voice, MP3 plus built in radio but can only handle one input at a time. They automatically prioritise the satnav voice so bike to bike and MP3 cuts out when the satnav sends an instruction. This seems to  make sense and would be OK if use for rider to pillion but when used bike to bike and both have satnavs it a real pain.

As we approach a junction my satnav sends a message so the bike to bike stops sending but by the time my satnav has finished my wife's starts so we still can't talk. As I pass the junction my satnav gives the next instruction. As it finishes I try to talk to my wife but by then hers is giving the next instruction so we still can't talk. Not a major problem with the occasional motorway turn but a real pain with frequent turns through towns. This problem is compounded by not being able to tell whether my wife is ignoring me because (a) her satnav is talking (b) her Scala has turned off (c) she is fed up with talking to me. Driving through Belgium we could hardly ever talk as the satnavs continually beeped speed camera warnings which we only solved by turning the warnings off.

Despite the priority problem I would still highly recommend this kit - but not from a bike dealer. They were over a £100 cheaper on Amazon than the best discount dealer price we could find.                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Random Accessories]]></category>
                <pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:31:40 +0100</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">375-329</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Powerbronze Flip-Up screens: Does not always work.]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/84-after-market-screens/375-powerbronze-flip-up-screens.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I bought one for my KLE 500 for touring, convinced by the various reviews I read that it would work by flipping the airflow over my head. At first I felt it was doing that, but after various trips I was getting a sore neck.

Then I dropped my bike and it cracked in half.

I was in the middle of a tour and to be safe I had to unscrew the bits of the screen and bin them, so for the next two days I was riding with no screen at all.

Wow, it was better!!!! I no longer got a sore neck and I could also hear the engine over the reduced wind noise. 

Clearly the flip was putting my helemt right into the worst of the airflow. Having no screen meant that I could feel more pressure on my chest, but hardly anything with the helmet.

I find the standard KLE screen to be a reasonable compromise, but I am considering shortening it when I get a new hacksaw to make a clean cut through the plastic. 

So, if you are 6'2" and ride a KLE 500, I am afraid the Powerbronze screen makes it worse for touring.                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[After Market Screens]]></category>
                <pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:07:08 +0200</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">567-297</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Halfords High Volume Hand Pump : Just the job]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/83-random-accessories/567-halfords-high-volume-hand-pump-.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                Most of the pumps and pump reviews that I found online were of the high pressure type for mountain bikes and by necessity, high pressure means low volume. Then I found this, the Halfords High Volume Hand Pump. It pumped up the front tyre on my XR250 from flat to 15 psi in no time at all. 

Made of plastic, it's light and seems pretty durable. The bendy inflator tube on mine is a pretty loose fit in the top of the pump and likely to get lost so I store it in my tail bag. The pump itself straps inconspicuously onto the front of my handlebars with velcro ties.

According to the Halfords website these pumps are no longer available, I bought mine in a store about 2 weeks ago (July 2011).                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Random Accessories]]></category>
                <pubDate>Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:54:56 +0200</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">563-290</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[A top case for top boxes.: A case for all seasons.]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/83-random-accessories/563-a-top-case-for-top-boxes.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                Made in Germany by KAHEDO, the “Universal toolcase / Zega Case”, which comes in both brown or black, that can attach itself to numerous bikes and their respective cases, panniers and rear racks. This tiny and extremely strong case is made from Teflon-coated Coradura which is both water-repellent and dirt-resistant and is as hard as nails against the elements, this bag can weather-the-storm indeed. 

It comes with four straps to tie it to said box and comes with two incorporated belts for securing the tools once inside the case and can be risen by another four inches. With a volume of 6 to 12 litres of volume it can take many a tool, waterproof or wind-up radio etc and this brings its size to l35 x w18 x h15/h25 cm if its load requires, as too, it comes with a handy side pocket and extra external D hooks and a luggage net. Strong, weather proof (and proven while riding the French storms, it’s contents (bread-rolls) were still bone-dry), durable, practicable and good looking too boot. Well recommended.                    ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Random Accessories]]></category>
                <pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:17:55 +0200</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">527-271</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Aerotrim Touring Screen: Aerotrim - brilliant kit but badly made!]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/84-after-market-screens/527-aerotrim-touring-screen.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I bought one of these last year for my V-Strom.
It does the job beautifully and helps deflect air blast over my head.
Only trouble was the quality of manufacture, which was dire!
Before I fitted it, I had to spend a while sanding off all the sharp and rough edges on it...
Then I fitted it carefully, so that nothing was strained....
But the black plastic brackets are made in bits and glued together, and every time I went out one or more glued joints broke...
Ended up having to take it off at the side of the road before it disappeared...
So I cleaned and properly re-glued every joint (8 of them!) and now it finally works....
Oh - and the mounting bolts are far too long, so you may have to cut them down (16 of them...) and preferably also find some stainless washers to stop the bolts chewing into the plastic (32 of them...)
Highly recommended, if you don't mind a few hours of pre-fit maintenance.......
                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[After Market Screens]]></category>
                <pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2011 18:34:04 +0200</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">521-264</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Scala Rider G4: Scala G4 Powerset - fiddly to set up but wiorth th]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/83-random-accessories/521-scala-rider-g4.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I bought these last year so the missus and I could chat whilst riding two-up. Wasn't overly impressed at first as the volume seemed a bit low, the bluetooth link to my Garmin Zumo 550  meant the MP3 sound volume and quality was poor (too trebly as per previous review). Also seemed to have an issue over battery duration. It was giving us about 2 hours and we weren't chatting THAT much.
It also seemed a bit hit an miss as to whether we could hook up quickly and reliably every time we went to use them. It was enough to make me think of going for a hard-wired system.
I then got myself some custom earplugs with speakers. This seemed to make the problem even worse with a sound like someone was blowing air into one ear and out the other !
I then tried (and initially failed at the first several attempts) to download the latest software. Eventually did this, checked speaker locations relative to ear and made sure the mics were between the top lip and bottom of nose. Everything seemed to come right. Much higher volumes. Clearer sound quality (yet to test mp3 though). Turned down the VOX sensitivity and fitted teh original earplugs into my helmet and dispensed with the custom ones. Now everything is great. Sond had to be turned down and i can use the standard speakers with custom non-speakered plugs and hear really clearly. Don't have VOX seemingly on all the time so battery life has gone to makers claims now. Speech is clearer too.
So, great system but make sure you take the time to get it sorted and place speakers and mics perfectly and download the software upgrades. 
Only gripe is a bit of extra wind noise in left ear due to  unit sitting outside helmet. If I used a full face rahter than a flip front, I'd opt for the wired mic and try to fit the unit further to the back of the helmet to reduce wind noise.
A big plus is being able to loan the second unit to a mate when we go riding together.                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[Random Accessories]]></category>
                <pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:32:19 +0200</pubDate>
            </item>
                        <item>
                <guid isPermaLink="false">527-252</guid>
                <title><![CDATA[Aerotrim Touring Screen: Thumbs Up for Aerotrim......]]></title>
                                <link>http://www.adventurebikerider.com/component/content/article/84-after-market-screens/527-aerotrim-touring-screen.html</link>
                <description><![CDATA[
                                I got one of these from eBay for £40 which was the cheapest I could find anywhere, stuck it on my GS and what a difference - and cheaper than the others as well.

Thumbs up from me (and the wife....                ]]></description>
                <category><![CDATA[After Market Screens]]></category>
                <pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:46:56 +0200</pubDate>
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