EDITOR’S PICKS FOR BEST PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR … SO FAR

ANTI-GRAVITY MICRO-START
This is a personal power supply system featuring a built-in lithium battery and three on-board power ports. It can charge laptops, phones, or any 12-volt accessory, and has the output to charge a 5-volt USB device. But what really makes us smile is that you can use it to jump-start just about any dead battery. We’ve used it at least 20 times in the last four months on my truck with a dead system, three times with my daughters’ cars (when they inadvertently left something on and drained the battery) and, of course, on dirt bikes that have gone dead. Ten years ago this wouldn’t have been a big deal, but just last weekend we had 11 guys on our ride, and nine of them were KTM mounted and had electric starters with fuel injection. No battery, no run! And, naturally, just about two times a month, someone forgets to check and shows up with a machine that has flatlined. Pop the mini clamps onto the terminals, then give it a second and hit the button. It’s worked every time. Love this product!
www.antigravitybatteries.com

SEAT CONCEPTS
DUAL-SPORT/ADVENTURE SEAT KIT
Just the thought of fitting a fluffy, weirdly shaped saddle onto my hard-core dual-sport machine made my head vibrate. I’ve always liked taller seats (long legs and bad knees pushed me into the Jaak van Velthoven setup 15 years ago), but until recently, I’ve always built tall, super-stiff seats for moto and off-road because I didn’t want to wallow in a loaf of bread and hamper my ability to get out of the saddle. Unfortunately, age tends to alter your ego, which is what happened when the Seat Concepts boys sent me one of their Extra Tall (35mm taller than stock) seats for my KTM.
It features a wider seating area, which actually helps disperse the load and reduce pressure. This means you’re more comfortable! The foam and the density have progression, so it’s cushy initially but then firms up nicely. The cover (mine has a gripper center and carbon fiber sides) is excellent. Having increased “fanny traction,” along with the ability to find your proper spot (be it cornering or hill-climbing) without sliding around, has huge benefits. On long rides I’m no longer chewing on Advil due to derrière pain, and the load feels planted and cushioned. Also, my hill-climbing ability has improved since I’m not sliding around as much. I can preload into the saddle and hold my position and then concentrate on riding. I loaned it to my buddy (who dwarfs me), and after one ride he ordered one up. It was an instant sale. They do take some getting used to when you’re standing. Since you tend to pinch the machine with your inner legs right at the wide point of the seat, you feel this bulge when you’re out of the saddle. The seat kit goes for $159.99. You can ship them your saddle and they’ll install it for another 20 bucks, or you can order a complete saddle for $254.99.
www.seatconcepts.com

ARC MEMLON LEVERS
I was really slow to get on board the plastic-lever express. The real problem is that I have a good memory. I remember plastic levers from the distant past, so when Bob from ARC showed me his new versions, I was super picky. They flexed more than aluminum, they changed characteristics in different temperatures, they were a little wide near the pivot, and the stock dust guards rarely fit. Bob kept changing his formula and bringing out more levers, and I kept finding more excuses. And then one day it happened: I ran out of excuses. On top of that, I actually discovered that I liked the ARC levers better than the ones on my stock KTM.
First of all, they truly are unbreakable. If you remember, ARC came out with the backwards-folding lever a long time ago, and it was almost unbreakable. There were still some angles that could snap the aluminum. These plastic levers, which are made from the trademarked Memlon material, don’t break. You can bend them in any direction as many times as you want, and they just return to normal. The earlier versions didn’t like super-cold weather, but now they actually are an advantage in freezing temperatures because touching them doesn’t freeze your fingers. They also don’t vibrate like aluminum on a big, shaky bike. They still flex slightly more than stock, but the day has come when that really doesn’t matter. Brakes are powerful enough, and having slight flex is easier on your hands. You can get Memlon levers for most bikes for around $65, which is a deal considering you’ll never need another lever.
www.arclevers.com

STI EXTREME DUTY INNER TUBES
You would think that we would have progressed beyond the pneumatic tire by now. You would think that in this era of space-age composites we would have found something better than balloons for bouncing our way through the desert and across the trail. But no. Even with the coming of mousse inserts, the rank and file of the world’s off-road riders still prefer the feel, light weight and performance of old-fashioned, air-filled tires. And that means we still have to deal with flats.
The best way to fix a flat is to never get one in the first place. The bottom line is that off-road riders in particular have to have a source of good, rubber-based, thick inner tubes that resist pinches, punctures and pops. For us, STI’s Extreme Duty inner tubes are essential. They remind us of those old-school Metzeler tubes that cost as much as most tires. The greatest thing about the STIs is that they cost less than $20 each. They weigh slightly more than a regular tube, but we wouldn’t trust them if they didn’t. q
www.mtadistributing.com

EKS ZIP-OFF PRO GOGGLES
These are the second version of zip-off-type goggle lenses in the X-Brand lineup and are much improved over the first version. The Zip-Off Pro system includes two rolls of film and a rain visor with a polycarbonate anti-fog and anti-stick-coated lens. There are multiple reasons I like this setup. First, you can purchase the lens and Zip-Off system by itself. Second, they are compatible with all X-Brand full-size goggles. Third, they feature a tear-off system that goes over the zip-off film with the patented tear-off post molded into the zip-off film canisters for additional opportunities of clear vision. The main reason I like X-Brand’s Zip-Off Pro system is they have worked flawlessly every time I used them.
www.eksbrand.com