Hat's Off to Better Helmets

"You get what you pay for." When it comes to motorcycle helmets, this tenet rings true.

Although I don't have much to say on the impact-absorbing ability of some helmets over others, being that I haven't had the need to test them out yet (knock on wood), it would be wise to invest in a decent helmet when comfort, visibility, improved riding ability and safety are concerned.

Before I bought the fine headwear shown above, I always attributed the nervous behavior of my PX whenever I traverse the long straights of Macapagal Avenue to the interplay of crosswinds, the PX's infamous distribution of weight, and narrow tires. It is worth noting that on every instance that my ride would exhibit a fair amount of wobbling at high speed, that I was wearing a jet-style openface helmet whether or or not the visor was down.

It was a world of difference upon trying out the flagship VR3 Strada from KBC Helmets. Gone was the nervous wobbling of my PX, particularly beneath the underpass of the Uniwide Coastal Mall with its notorious swirling winds that always buffeted me about.

As it turns out, that wobbling was a result of the flawed design of jet-style openface helmets. As wind rushes under the visor, it directs the air upwards and creates lift instead of drag - particularly perilous don't you think?

With the new VR3, air is pushed downwards by both the outer shell and the inner vent system, so my Macapagal Avenue attacks are more stable and confident than ever.

The light yet sturdy materials of the VR3 assure a comfortable ride and I'm no longer as tired from rides as before. This alone is worth the price of admission. The crystal clear lexan visor is also worth writing about.

And oh the chrome finish of this helmet..

It's DOT and SNELL approved and is reasonably-priced at 2211 Works. Get yours today.

The Ride or the Scene

So you bought a Vespa. All the media cameos of this ubiquitous two-wheeled conveyance finally got to you. It's not the first time that someone bought into the scene.

Face it. It wasn't the Vespa's quirky engineering nor its paradoxical reviews that went either way nor its suitability (non?) to local riding regulations and conditions that won you over. It was the look. You identified yourself with the Vespa's look and as a consequence, you thought that this identification would extend to a lively involvement with the local riding scene. Or so you thought.

5,000 kilometers or so later, you stop and ask yourself why you're still not a card-carrying member of any local Vespa riding group. Whatever happened to the mass scooter rallies and beer-guzzling all-nighters in the local dive bar that you eagerly saw in Quadrophenia and heard so much about? And what about the fashion and lifestyle that you once found hugely appealing on print and film, but is actually loathed by onlookers everywhere to say the least? Speak nothing about the rapport and camaraderie that you expected from the local online Vespa discussion group.

Myths, apparently.

And now you're thinking about selling the Vespa that you once fell head over heels for and snapping up a souped-up Raider so you can drag-race your way into Macapagal Avenue lore. Go ahead.

Such is the part played all too often by poor players in this dark comedy who thought that they could buy fellowship for the price of a scooter. Alas, "the fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars but in ourselves that we are underlings." Shakespeare may well have been writing about the local Vespa scene.

The Vespa gives you a ride, and a fulfilling one at that. It doesn't win you friends. It just takes you home every time.

Buy into the ride. Not the scene.