YamYam’s Top 10 Posts Ever.
So whilst I await the melting of the Fife Ice Caps, I shall collate some data…Geek Style.
I am always amazed at how sparse reviews are for products, or how biased a lot of reviews seem to be. Motostrano Blog said it excellently:
“I rarely read product reviews these days. They are all advertisements and we know it- pure fantasy. On the other hand, there’s the ‘discussion forums’ where you can read countless essays written by lonely males holed up in their mancaves about the products they’ve purchased, sharing with others the ins and outs of why the product they invested in is so great. Of course it’s great, you bought it and you’re actually wasting life hours writing about it. We beat our chests about the little gizmos and gadgets we’ve been able to scrounge up on our hunting and gathering missions out in the shopping wilderness. Heading back to camp with our gear speared on a stick- which is really a lonely little desk away from the kids or wife – we review the goods, inspect it, try it on, pose in action shots in front of the mirror, perhaps in our underwear, perhaps dressed up in our leathers in the garage. Then, as if to map out a terrain that no other fellow savage has explored, we set up to transpose our inner most thoughts on digital paper about whatever it is we just bought, signaling to other tribe members where to go and what to see along the adventure.”
So it’s with great satisfaction and indeed pride, that I have been complimented on my reviewing technique and detail. This is probably why (and you will see soon enough) my reviews are the most popular out of my posts. Naebody cares about me seeing a plane almost hitting the Forth Road Bridge. They want to know why I think the Puma Desmo’s were the best boot ever made.
Anyway, lets move along. I give you the top 10 favourite posts on YamYam ever (in descending order):
#10: Review: Respro “Foggy” Anti-fog Mask
#9: Review: Puma Brutale Gore-Tex Boots
#8: Update: AGV GP-Tech Helmet
#6: Review: Shark RSI “Eden” Helmet
#5: Yamaha MT-03
#4: Review: Puma Desmo 800 Boots
#3: Tutorial #1: How to change grips and handlebars
#2: Kawasaki ER6n
The most popular post on YamYam ever is, surprise surprise:
#1: Review: AGV GP-Tech Helmet
So there you have it. I think the reason is I got the GP-Tech really early, as in first batch. This allowed me to get a head-start and offer the viewing public a chance to see what this new helmet was like before going out to purchase it themselves.
It’s a good indication of what people are after when looking around the interweb for motorcycle type stuff.
I hope you enjoyed reading the top 10 posts, but also have a wee look around the archives at the non-review stuff. You might be pleasantly surprised…or endlessly bored.
All the best
Gordon
Thoughts: Rev-It Apache Boot & Dainese Virlunga D-Dry
After my Desmo’s packed in, the Airtech GTXs disappointed and the Sidi Rain Evo’s got sold on eBay (times are tight) I had nothing left but to get the Alpinestars Effex GTX back out of retirement, complete with mud and cobwebs from working in the garden with them on.
The only issue however is now the Effex boots are wasted. There are still two holes in the shift patch and the sole (the reason for the retirement) and the sole is compacted to a wafer, so comfort isn’t really what you would call comfortable. Not only that, they are cold and leak like a pair of boots with two holes in them.
So I got thinking about what was out there now that could possibly fill the void left when my Desmo’s packed in. What kind of boot could be worn day in day out, in Scottish winter weather, as well as walking about in them, washing my bike in them and generally living in them. What boots are there in the market RIGHT NOW, that could possibly fit the bill?
What do you think of these then?
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT!! Wow.
I stumbled across these boots when searching for another boot that I liked the look of. I’ll come to those in a minute.
These Rev-It Apache boots are precisely what I would imagine a boot to look like, should it fit the requested spec I mentioned before. It looks rugged. But it also looks comfortable. It looks solid. Most of all, it looks really quite smart.
These retail for around £160 in the UK. There’s a variety of tech going on in here, including a sole that was derived from hiking boots. WebBikeWorld calls them a “Mashup” in that they merge off-road boots with hiking boots with touring boots and racing boots. It’s a best of all worlds type boot.
I am really intrigued by these. Could they be the answer to my Scottish boot nightmare?
The other boot I mentioned was the Dainese Virunga D-Dry boot. It looks like this:
These boots look like comfy bams I have to say. I also like the combination of soft materials combined with ratchet style closure as an extra security feature.
They don’t look as solid as the Apaches but I prefer the softer look.
I’m going to try and get my hands on either or both of these boots and give them the YamYam review treatment. Fingers crossed because I am really starting to tire of having cold wet feet.
Stay tuned!
Review: TCX Airtech Gore-Tex Boots
One month off. A whole month of non-yamyam action. That’s bad.
Let’s rock.
I give you, The TCX Airtech Goretex boot
So after a while of waiting and various calls to J&S, I got the TCX Airtech Gore Tex boots through in the mail. Upon initial inspection I noted to myself that these were nowhere near the effortless cool of my beloved Puma Desmo GTX.
The boot felt stiff in the hand and the rubber was really…rubbery. It reminded me of something that perhaps a fireman would wear, or a fisherman… After a few moments of visual disappointment, I unzipped those suckers and stuck em on my feet, after all it’s more about what they feel like…right?
There's only so much rubber you can take...
After struggling to get the massive velcro patch off the boot, I slipped my foot in to a very vacant feeling interior. Vacant in the sense that the boot didn’t really fit my foot, it more hovered around it. There was a lot of space for my foot to move horizontally, waving a stick in a cave…what…oh. The boot also felt really hard, rigid and not very pleasant. Nevertheless, I soldiered on and zipped them up…oh dear.
Initial feeling was “oh, that’s not really good” as the interior fabric that’s fashioned around the lip of the boot scraped against my leg. I unzipped it again thinking I had messed it up but sure enough, at the top of the boot was a ragged edge that was rough to the touch. I am not enjoying this experience.
Walking back in forward in my kitchen I was completely turned off by what my feet were saying to me. Absolutely no movement in the shin area forcing an awkward cowboy stride and moon-landing plant of the feet, albiet with a “SLAP”.
As you can see, I took photos on my wet patio table. After doing this, I put them on in my kitchen and immediately my grip was lost, due to some moisture being left on the sole. This was not a good indication of the available grip for say, when you put your foot down at the lights when there just happens to be some diesel spilt on the wet road…
Bugs eye toe cap...mmmm. Not.
There is a natural “That’s enough” point in a products design. With the Puma Desmo it wasn’t ever crossed, I wanted more of it and would have lapped it up with a squint face.
With the TCX Airtech GTX, the point at which “that’s enough” was reached happened as soon as the box was opened and eyes were rested upon the feast of rubber and mesh.
It may be slightly harsh to say it, but I will say it. On a web shop with the Airtech at a 45° angle and the right lighting this boot looks pretty good. In reality, this boot should never have left the design office. It’s an over stiff, non-user-friendly lump of hard rubber and mesh that makes you partially vomit in to your mouth, and then, after you have wiped the barf off the floor, you try the boots on and you suddenly have the urge to scoop your eyes out with a spoon, only after you have picked yourself up from slipping on the slightly damp floor.
A boo-boo if ever I saw one, and a real shame. I never wore these on the bike. I made the pose of being on my bike, using my kitchen bar-stool as a make shift peg and I immediately knew this was a no-go. And to top off all this lovin’, you then have that annoying rubbing on your leg from the really really reeheeheeeelly (too much Scrubs) bad craftsmanship and materials choice.
Bad one.
Sorry TCX, you’ve blown it.
Update: Puma Desmo 800 GTX. Done. Gone.
Well now…
Firstly, thanks to Alex @ J&S Accessories for her help. I appreciate it.
My favourite pair of boots, my Desmo 800 Gore-Tex boots, my babys…gone. Forever.
I had sent them back well over 5 weeks ago to J&S Accessories due to the zip busting and the unbreakable Gore-Tex liner leaking. I sent them back and waited. And waited. And waited. Until it was too much and I called them up.
“Ok…hmmm. I’ll have a look and get back to you.”
That was Friday, and hadn’t received a call back. So today (Wednesday) I called up again.
“Yeah, we sent them back to the supplier and I’m waiting back on them calling me about the status. Hold on, I’ll call you back and I’ll find out.”
Sure enough 30 minutes later a call.
“The suppliers say that they have given us a credit for the boots so you can get anything you want from our store.”
“What, you can’t get them anymore?”
“No, they have stopped making them. But have a look in our store. You can get the Sidi Evo’s? They are our best selling boot?!”
“Hmm Bums… I’ll call you back once I’ve had a look at them.”
So I had a quick look at their store and no boots were Gore-Tex apart from some TCX Competizione boots at £200…doubtfull she’ll allow that to fly.
I called back and suggested it and although she had said that I could have whatever boots I wanted, there was obvioulsy a bit of no-way-jose before I was told that the boots on the web were only the most popular and that she’ll check to see if they do any other GTX ones.
No call back, but again she was quick to get a hold of. She apoligised with the reason that she was doing two jobs at once due to someone being ill. No problem.
“There’s some Daytona ones.”
No. They were pretty basic and not very nice looking.
Whilst I had been waiting for the call I had checked online at various brands again, thinking various things like, perhaps the Alpinstars Effex would be good again? They were bullet proof and comfy as feck as well. Hmm. Nah. What about any other Puma versions? No. Puma seem to have pulled out of the motorcycle boot industry altogether!!
Well what about TCX then? Hmm.
I had a wee swatch on their website and immediately drew myself to these:
Now. I know what you are thinking. And it probably isn’t “They are smarter than X”
I like the look of them definitely. But my rational was this: Winter.
I have the smartest boots around. The Desmo non GTX variety remember. I had 2 sets. Now I still have the normal Desmos, so getting winter boots smarter than the Desmos isn’t possible. Add to that the fact that during winter, my mind isn’t on how good I look, it’s on getting to work with the most number of body parts still attached to my body. These boots look like they will be comfy (going by the pretty sparse reviews of them) and warm. They also crucially have Gore-Tex.
Aye they may not be made of hard plastic to protect from crushing, but apparently they last ages, are instantly comfy (no break in) and are warm.
So I suggested to her if it would be possible to get these? She said that she would call the supplier and see.
10 minutes later a call to say that aye, that’s no problem, but there is a problem with price as these are £150 and I had paid £126 for the Desmo GTX. Of course I had paid £140 for them back then. She realised the mistake and said, no worries, she’ll get them ordered and sent out asap.
So there you go. I am really looking forward to trying this new boot out, but at the same time I am gutted about my Desmo’s. The fact that Puma don’t make them any more is also disappointing. But more than gutted or disappointment, I am really beat up about the fact that they only lasted 9 months. I was sure they would last at least as long as my AStars Effex, but I was wrong. Such a shame. I guess I’ll just have to take ultra good care of my normal Desmos if I want to keep them for longer.
Updates on the TCX Airtech Gore-Tex when they arrive!
Thanks for checking out YamYam folks. I am always reading and enjoy your comments.
Check out my Flickr for a constantly updated photo stream.
All the best
Gordon
Update: Puma Desmo 800 GTX Boots Review
Hey All
After my beloved Alpinestars boots broke, I fancied getting a pair of pumas. I had already bought a set of them off ebay thinking they were Gore-Tex as advertised, but unfortunately they weren’t.
Instead of getting some Desmo’s I decided to try another pair, called the Brutales. These were pretty uncomfortable and I really didn’t like the blue leather.
After a week of sending the boots back and forward, I decided that I would go for the Gore-Tex version of the Desmos. I knew how comfortable they were i.e slippers, and they looked smart as feck.
I bought them last August and wore them from then until now, so here is how they are fairing. Bearing in mind that they had…big shoes to fill. My Alpinestars didn’t flinch for over 1 and a half years of constant riding, walking, washing bikes, laying paths/grass and generally getting abused. (Click the images to see the larger ones over at my Flickr account)
As you can see, they are not so daisy fresh. But from August 08 until now, they have proved to be an excellent boot, standing up to some of the most torrential rain I have ever experienced.
The toe sliders are scuffed to bits, with the plastic the same. However on this boot (left) there is now a leak where the outside of my toes are. I suspect it’s something to do with the bolts securing the toe slider to the boot, but I am not sure.
The rear of the boots used to be nice and shiny, but after some pretty heavy use, you can see how worse off they are. This is from a multitude of things that I can think of right now. When Em sits on the back, her feet sit in a way that they hug the heel of my boot. This is probably the cause of the scuffs, with perhaps taking the boots off helping out.
As mentioned before, this little metal bit serves two purposes. The first is to make the boot look smart. The second is to assist in getting the boot off. You stick your opposite toe on this wedge, then suck your foot out the boot. It works wonders in the wet, I can attest to that. Note how pitted the metal is. This is Scottish winter road salt at it’s finest.
And now we come to the reason I have stopped wearing the boots for the past week. The zip burst. These boots are really snug, they hug your feet and offer tremendous feel. The downside to this is that when you are putting the boot on, you really have to use the zip to bring the two sides of the boot together and sometimes this puts a bit of strain on the zip. Unfortunately it put a bit too much strain on it and it split. I continued to wear them, just securing them with the massive velcro patch above the zip. It worked ok, but the zip issue, coupled with the leaking left boot called for a return to the shop.
The shift patch is quite obvious now. The rest of the patch is still shiny but the area I shift with has turned matte.
I often walk about in my boots, I did it with my A-Stars and I do it with my Demos. These boots are the comfiest things I have ever worn in my life, so it’s a joy to keep them on. However I walk like a dork, so the heel is starting to show signs of wear, and so is the outside of the sole.
So compared to my Alpinestars Effex Gore-Tex boots, how do the Puma Desmo 800 Gore-Tex fair?
Comfort: The Desmos are the comfiest things to put on your feet whilst riding a motorcycle. Compared to the Effex, the Desmos are far better.
Looks: Again, the Desmos are the smartest boots I know of. They offer something a bit busier than the Effex, but a long shot away from the squeeky Sidis. These are the pinnacle of effortless cool.
Durability: The Desmos have lasted since August 08. That makes it 10 months. The Effex lasted since January 07 until August 08, that makes it 18 months, so the Effex win hands down. The Effex were also really basic looking, just leather, no shift patch (where one of the holes developed) and the sole was the othe rhole. The Desmos are made up of lots of different materials, leather, plastic, metal. For this reason the Desmos look a lot rougher than the Effex did.
Effectiveness: The Effex were solid perfomers, offering dry feet up until the hole developed in the shift patch area. This wouldn’t have happened had there been a man made material (rubber, plastic) here. The Desmos have also been solid performers, but are now letting water in around the toe slider area.
Price: The Effex when I purchased them were £110. The Desmos £150. The price difference reflects the complexity and safety of boot I think, and they both sport Gore-Tex, so I think the Demos are well worth the extra dollar. The Effex didn’t have any shift patch, rugged heel armour or toe sliders. It also didn’t have the height of the Desmos.
So to conclude, the Puma Desmo’s are a superb boot, offering fantastic comfort, protection from the weather, feel on the gear shift/pegs and have gorgeous looks to boot (sorry). My boots are going back to the shop I bought them from to get the zip and leak fixed and I will continue to use them until they fail.
You can find the Desmos here for £128! An absolute bargain now! I think I may just have to invest in another pair for when these go bang, they are really that good.
Thanks for reading all,
Gordon
Review: Puma Brutale Gore-Tex Boots
Wow! A lot of posts today. I guess I missed you all.
Next up then is the boot that could have been so good. But wasn’t. It’s the good looking and brilliantly named Puma Brutale Gore-Tex boot.
Puma Brutale Gore-Tex
If you remember why I was looking for new boots, you’ll remember what sort of standard I was looking to match. I have a pair of Puma Desmo summer boots and I absolutely fecking love them. They are brilliant whatever way you look at them. So when I needed new winter boots, I looked instantly to Puma.
I thought that I should try not to get the Desmo 800 Gore-Tex version and instead look to see what else Puma do, alas the Brutale arrived.
Puma Brutale Gore-Tex
I liked the look of the Brutale and it was a little simpler than the Desmo, which suited me just fine! The requirements were Gore-Tex, comfort and looks, the Brutale seemed like the perfect boot.
Puma Brutale Gore-Tex
As with all Puma stuff, the boot is fantastically designed, with superb design flairs. The heel is made of a reinforced metal and offers good impact protection. There is rubber around the shin bone and is in a similar pattern to the sole.
You can’t really make it out from the pictures but the leather is actually a blue-ish colour. This was a negative for me because I liked the promo images of the blue flashes with black leather.
Puma Brutale Gore-Tex
Never mind. What did they feel like? Well you would think that with the Desmo being such a comfortable boot that this one would be of the same slipper like fit.
The sad answer is no. When I put these boots on, initially the zipper got stuck and I couldn’t get them off again! But apart from that, the heel was a total nightmare. Really sore and clamping on my heel bones.
The boot also felt really stiff. Not much flexibility at all in the joints, especially when the Desmos are so flexible.
- Puma Brutale Gore-Tex
These boots do have Gore-Tex but I didn’t get to try it out as I sent them back immediately.
- Puma Brutale Gore-Tex
So I sent them back. It’s a shame because they had so much promise but I was honestly quite disappointed with them. They were £30 cheaper than the Desmo 800 GTX boots and you can see why
Conclusion? Well these boots look smart and are available in Black and Copper, Black and Black or “Black” and Blue, my ones. So perhaps if I gave them a bit of a chance to break in (and break my heel at the same time) they may have been ok. However I am not that guy unfortunately and know what I could have with the Desmos. These are decent boots regardless and well worth the money even for the build quality alone.
Next up, a quick review of the boots I did get; Puma Desmo 800 GTX! And as you guessed, I fecking love them!
Thanks for looking,
Gordon
Review: Puma Desmo 800 Boots
Check out these related YamYam posts:
Puma Desmo 800 Gore-Tex Review
Puma Desmo 800 Gore-Tex Update
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Hello all.
I mentioned in a recent post about the Puma Desmo 800 boots I had purchased. Well they arrived today and boy oh boy, are they something else!
To save you the hassle of having to wait for pics to load up whilst you try and read this, I have done things a bit differently this time. You’ll see what I mean in a mo:
So the boots were already inside waiting for me when I got home, after Emma played a nasty trick on me. I got home and nothing was in the kitchen waiting for me and Em immediately said, “nothings came today, sorry…” never mind eh.
I head through to get my bike gear off and there is a big package sitting waiting…you!!!!!!!
I didn’t bother taking my gear off and got stuck in:
Firstly these boots look amazing. I have poured over all the boots money can buy; Sidi’s, A-Stars, Gaerne, RST, Daytona etc etc and of course the Pumas. I first noticed them in Scott Murray’s, where they had the mega 1000′s, which were simply stunning. But at £300, a bit out my price bracket. They did however have the Desmos and I tried them on and loved them. They were £170 so I still couldn’t afford them and promptly forgot about them. Then the other night I remembered them and wanted a pair, so trawled the net and found some on eBay for £105. The bloke said they were a 44 (UK10) but they were really tight so he was selling them as a 43 (9). PERFECT! He also wrote that they were GoreTex lined! WOW! I can remember trying them on in Scott Murray’s but I do remember them being bigger, so took the chance and got them!
Well they aren’t GoreTex, which is a shame as I fancied wearing these in replacement of my well worn Alpinestars GoreTex old faithfulls, but perhaps I will keep them for good weather riding instead. Anyway.
I appreciate design. I appreciate the thought that went in to designing something. So to see the Desmo in the flesh, I was in my element. This boot has to have the best design touches I have ever seen on a motorcycle boot. I was going to buy some Sidi Vertigo’s and I am so glad I didn’t. Forget your over-cooked plastic fantastic Sidi’s, and check out the subtle brilliance that Puma have poured in to the Desmo.
A few touches that get a special mention have to be firstly the toes. The shift patch is rubberised, as all are, but this one has an extended reach all the way to the toe-tip. It’s also ribbed offering so much more contact area to hit with the shifter. This means that hurried shifts catch every time, instead of slipping off the shifter and giving a false neutral. Brilliant!
Another is the zipper, with it’s dotted surface giving excellent purchase and allowing easy pull of the zipper. On the same line you have discreet, hidden from view ankle protection comprising of some sort of disc shaped affair. It’s inside the lining and underneat the leather so is snug as a bug and hardly noticeable when the boot is on but you know it’s there. Amazing!
I could go on all night, but finally the heel detail deserves a special mention. At first what seems to be just a logo, is in fact a tremendous achievement. The heel is made of shiny plastic. You can imagine the effort required to get this boot off, considering it’s foot hugging shape. Imagine if the boot was wet or greasy? That shiny surface would offer no help at all when using your other foot to shoe-horn it off. Well this little logo allows you to get maximum purchase on the heel and gettting the boot off is a dream. I think I have wet myself.
I absolutely love it when companies put a lot of thought in to one of their products. And the Desmo 800 is by far the best designed piece of motorcycle gear i have ever owned.
What is also worth a mention is the box. I know what you are thinking, this guy is a saddo, and yes you would be right. But again, it separates the wheat from the chaff. The box has a brilliantly light hearted feel to it, which is completely devoid on every other box I have. The barcode is burst open like the Puma has escaped from the jail behind it. The box has “Average Contents 2″ written on it. On the inside of a hinge it has this:
Brilliant!
It has made my day receiving these boots and it has shown me exactly what every motorcycle gear company should be doing with their products.
Ok ok, I hear you cry, all of these design flares and funny bits on boxes means nothing if they are shit to wear.
Sleep easy my friends, these boots fit like a glove….eh…alright…imaging your favourite pair of slippers but x10.
These bad boys are amazingly comfy, yet reassuringly snug and robust feeling. They are Pepperami Wide Boys at the front, but that just adds to the feeling of robustness. I would far rather have a beefcake than a winklepicker….
To see some geek boy photos of the Desmo 800, click HERE
To see some even worse geek boy photos of the BOX!, Click HERE
Conclusion:
If these boots were made by Carlsberg, they would be shitter than if Puma made them. That’s how good they are. These are the be all and end all of coolness, comfort, effortless design excellence and a triumph of material mixing. There is soft leather, stretchy panel stuff, hard plastics in shiny and matte finishes, with logos in negatives of matte and shiny and silver logos and metal bits and rubberised over moulding and rubber bits and soft fabrics and hard rubber soles and….
I am in love. With a fecking boot.
Honestly, if you want a motorcycle boot that is a dream to wear, looks effortlessly cool no matter what you are wearing (or not as the case may be) and is cheap compared to the next best boot then the Desmo’s are first choice, all the time, every time.
I think I will have to buy another pair just incase they stop making them.
Thanks y’all for reading!
Gordon
P.s. I received a reply from RST, I’ll update you tomorrow! Exciting stuff people.
YamYam Motorcycle Accident #2
Hello everyone.
Last night I had a pretty major accident. I made a video of the damage and explain what happened. I’ll add a diagram of it in a mo.
2nd day on the bike in 2008 and a major crash notched up already. Bring on the rest of the year…
