About Me

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Henry Martin spends his nights writing fiction and poetry, which predominately deals with the often-overlooked aspects of humanity. He is the author of three novels: Escaping Barcelona, Finding Eivissa, and Eluding Reality; a short story collection, Coffee, Cigarettes, and Murderous Thoughts; and a poetry collection, The Silence Before Dawn. His most recent published project is a collection of Photostories in five volumes under the KSHM Project umbrella, for which he collaborated with Australian photographer Karl Strand, combining one of a kind images with short stories and vignettes. He is currently working on his next novel narrated in two opposing points of view. He lives with his family in the Northeast.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Scorpion EXO 1100 - a review

Considering that my silver Scorpion EXO 1000 recently turned four years old, it was time to get a new lid. Since I was really happy with the way the EXO 1000 performed, I decided to get the newer, upgraded EXO 1100 as a replacement. My original choice of red was no available, so I ended up ordering a flat black EXO 1100 online.

First, let me say why Scorpion.

Over the past twenty plus years spent on two wheels, I have had many different helmets from all kinds of manufacturers from the cheap G-Max to the pricey Shoei. All of them had some issues that bothered me, and some benefits that I really liked. The Scorpion EXO 1000 was no exception, but both the quality of the helmet  and the features it offered outweighed the drawbacks. We spent many happy miles on the road together, from sunny days to downpours, from one hundred degrees Fahrenheit to the high teens in December. Over the past four years I had replaced exactly two shields, and that was it.

While the EXO 1000 was not light by any means, its weight never bothered me. I loved the internal visor, and I often found myself riding with the shield up and the sun visor down - fresh air galore. I loved the air pump system on longer, high-speed rides, as it effectively sealed the helmet around my head.  And the removable, washable liner ensured that the helmet never smelled.
  
Fast forward to the EXO 1100. The fit and finish seems even better than the EXO 1000 - kudos to Scorpion. There are some new metal screws where the EXO 1000 had plastic ones, but overall the helmets are very similar.

Except the material. The EXO 1100 carries the latest ECE label, and is (supposedly) design with crumple zones to transfer less energy to the head in the event of an impact. I hope to never test its abilities. 

Here they are, side to side:

 Where the EXO 1000 had a flip vent which was very noisy, the EXO 1100 has a vent that slides down, making the helmet much quieter. Of course, the top intake vents are still the same flip-up design, and are loud. Listen, Scorpion people, make the upper vents smooth so the helmet is quiter.
 The side vents are all new and improved, and trust me - there is a difference. The new is smooth, streamlined design.
 The old one sticks out too much, creating extra noise.
 The rear shows a huge improvement. Where the old design had soft material about 1/8 up the helmet . . .
 The new design offers quieter performance.
 The inside liner is about the same on both styles, but the older design left the back of the neck more exposed, allowing air to enter.
 The new design is much better, sealing the opening quite well. One huge improvement comes with the chin curtain, which used to attach via two snaps. The new one is made out of mesh, and is permanently attached. No more broken liners due to chin curtain opening and closing.
 One area where Scorpion seems to have skimped is right here. The new style is pictured below . . .
 . . . and the old style is here. Obviously, the old style had plastic lining in the air vents.
Overall, I find the new design pleasant, and the changes welcomed. I only took a short ride thus far, but the helmet is definitely quieter, and feels lighter.

Talking about weight - the old one clocked at 1860 grams on my scale, and the new one clocked at 1720 grams. Not a huge difference, yet noticeable.

Overall, the helmet is probably the best bag-for-the-buck out there. Comfortable, safe, quiet, and well-designed.


Sunday, September 28, 2014

1977 Suzuki GS400 project

Well, I found myself a barn find - a fallen, dilapidated barn find.

A 1977 Suzuki GS400 that has not run since 2001, and was left neglected out in the open once the barn collapsed. Amazingly - the motor turns freely. Not amazingly, everything else is seized.

What to do with this old gal?


Monday, September 22, 2014

WR250R - a do it all machine

A little ride this weekend on the WR250R proved to me that this little bike is an amazing do-it-all machine.

Not many pics from the ride, but here is the bike all loaded for camping:

The camping never happened, as I returned home the same night. Beat, but in a good way.

Here she is a little dirty. By the way, the Brittania fairing works wonders at high speed:
It was an awesome day riding some fine Vermont roads and some interesting trails.

The Brittania fairing setup keeps all the instruments right at my sight without having to take the eyes off the terrain:
And, in case you are wondering what an awesome day on an awesome bike looks like, here is the closeup of the GPS:


Safe travels!