23 Ultimate Holiday Gifts for Motorcyclists
As we rush headlong into the season of goodwill, the holidays can also represent a bit of a headache when it comes to finding that perfect gift for the one you love. However, do not despair! If he or she is into motorcycles then you are in luck—you have discovered the Ultimate Moto Gift Guide; there is bound to be something in here that’ll satisfy even the most demanding.
If your budget is a little more modest, then check out our Top 10 Holiday Gifts Under $300.
Ultimate Christmas Gifts for Motorcyclists – Motorcycles:
Honda RC213V-S with Sport Kit, $185,000 + $15,000:
In the Sport category there is but one choice when using the word “ultimate”, and that’s Honda’s MotoGP refugee. The US version is EPA limited to a mere 101 horsepower, and even though it’s astonishing light weight will mitigate the effect of that somewhat, your loved one will want the optional Sport Kit for sure.
The snag is that the Kit won’t be imported into the USA, but I’m sure most buyers of this machine will have an address or two abroad where they can order the Kit. Orders for this bike closed on September 30, but there is now a waiting list where people can register. Although Honda is a bit cagey on this it implies that if there is enough demand then they may open up the books for a second run, or else there may be cancellations. I am one of the few people in the world fortunate enough to have ridden this bike, and believe me, it’s actually cheap for how it makes the rider feel.
ARCH KRGT-1, $78,000:
The cruiser segment was recently rocked by ARCH motorcycles’ KRGT-1. It’s a hand built American Vee-Twin that boulevard cruises with the best of them but also rides far better than any cruiser has a right to.
Top flight suspension and brakes coupled to a stable chassis makes for a head-turner that is also fast and handles well.
Exquisite attention to detail and gorgeous finishes ensure both the motorcycle and rider will be a standout anywhere.
Morrow Vintage Customs, $40,000-$60,000 (depending on finishes):
If old skool is your loved one’s kool, then one of Kurt Morrow’s customized vintage Harleys is the way to go. Kurt works on (mainly) vintage pan- and knucklehead Harleys as that is where most of the demand lies; but in truth, he’ll customize just about anything and has even been known to tackle vintage Japanese machinery at times. Kurt loves to feel the bike speak to him as the build progresses, and he encourages the customer to give input and be part of the process, discussing the different options as the machine moves towards completion. This is bespoke motorcycle tailoring with the customer’s involvement. If you have a suitable machine to start from, he can do that too.
Ultimate Christmas Gifts for Motorcyclists – Travel:
- 10 Best Days in Ecuador with Ecuador Freedom Travel. $3,900-$4,990 depending. + $2,750 passenger.
Ecuador Freedom UMC Associate Editor Jess McKinley came back from Ecuador raving about his incredible experience–and this tour is the best of it. The goal is not only to provide an excellent ride but to also enjoy the incredible outdoor activities and things to see in Ecuador. Visit a coffee grower, go on a boat ride in a crater lake, swim in a crystal clear secluded waterfall lagoon, visit a chocolate and banana plantation, visit indigenous markets and art galleries, swim in the warm Pacific ocean, and have opportunites for kayaking, white water rafting, whale watching, rock climbing, rappelling and numerous other first-class outdoor adventure activities. We will also have some extra time to share some relaxing laughs, a cold beer, and local stories with Ecuadorians and other compatriot adventurers along the way. If this one doesn’t whet your appetite then Court and his staff have plenty of other trips to choose from, from self-guided, to fully inclusive.
- Alaska by Harley-Davidson with Motoquest. $6,550 to $9,850 depending. MotoQuest has an astonishing and varied array of tours
Motoquest. Alaska by Harley on offer, but it doesn’t get much more red-blooded than riding a Harley across Alaska! Motoquest and the House of Harley-Davidson in Anchorage present this 100% paved route that makes a large circle through the south-central part of Alaska. The tour offers the rider the opportunity to experience the diversity, both coastal and interior. You will ride past the tallest mountains on the continent, visit historical gold rush areas, and ride the epic Thompson Pass in and out of the quaint fishing town of Valdez, Alaska. Other highlights include Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Mt McKinley, as well as Fairbanks and Wrangell St Elias National Park. In seven days of riding, you will experience more of Alaska than most Alaskans!
- New Year’s Eve at The Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee, $150-$300. If your time is a little more restricted but you feel the need to sample New Year’s Eve in true motorcycle style, then a visit to the now iconic Iron Horse Hotel is just the ticket. With 100 loft-style guest rooms, all oversized by industry standards, the Iron Horse Hotel’s well-appointed rooms range from smart urban studios to elaborate corner accommodations at the Milwaukee boutique hotel, and feature a mix of modern decor and original architectural details, wood posts, exposed brick walls and large windows.
Iron Horse Hotel
You and your significant other will be able to dance the night away and kick-off 2016 with this special package. Join them for the annual New Year’s Eve party from 7 p.m. – 2 a.m., which includes a live DJ from 9 p.m. to 12: 30 a.m. as well as a festive balloon drop at midnight. Complimentary sparkling wine upon check-in, and a late check-out the following day to give you extra time to rest up after your celebratory night, The Iron Horse Hotel wants to make your New Year’s Eve extraordinary. The package includes: Accommodations for two in Custom Deluxe room; Sparkling wine (split) upon check-in; Entry for two to The Iron Horse Hotel’s Annual New Year’s Eve Party; Mimosa Brunch for two at Smyth; and a Late check-out (based on availability). Yes, there is room at the Inn.
Ultimate Christmas Gifts for Motorcyclists – Apparel:
Technical: Dainese D-Air – Misano: 1000 jacket $1,600 (available 2016) and Mugello race suit $4,700+
Italian manufacturer of protective apparel Dainese has been making their premium quality garments since the seventies, and the products are known for their style and exceptional quality.
But Dainese engineers are also serious innovators too, and having invented their D-air airbag suit system they have now made it available to the public.
More than 1000 deployments on racetracks and open roads all over the world have been documented and analyzed. The resulting enormous amount of data has helped fine tune Dainese’s proprietary triggering algorithms to ensure the very best level of protection in the event of a crash. The Misano jacket and suit, and the Mugello suit are also available for women, made to measure.
Helmet: Arai Corsair V-RC carbon fiber, $3,995
Now on to the third generation of the Arai family making helmets you might assume that they’d figured out how to churn out their product in massive numbers. However that simply isn’t the Arai way, and the still 100% hand-made helmets are built not to reach a standard—but to exceed them.
The carbon fiber Corsair is based on the Arai GP-6 RC F-1 car race helmet and contains all the Arai craftsmanship and technology with eleven carefully applied carbon fiber layers in the shell coupled with Arai’s own resin with Zylon reinforcement. It takes an entire day to produce each shell and the helmet is available by special order only with a delivery time of around 45 days. If you want not just the best, but the lightest as well, then this helmet is for you.
Biker: St. Laurent Classic Motorcycle jacket $4,990
If you like the Marlon Brando ‘Wild One’ motif then the classic motorcycle jacket from Paris fashion house Yves Saint Laurent will deliver perfectly. Made in Italy from 100% lambskin, it features epaulets, 3 zip-pockets, a snap closure flap pocket, and a waistband with belt loops and zip cuffs. The silk lining has asymmetrical zip closure and 2 interior pockets.
Fashion Semi-Technical: Michael Toschi Moto jacket, $2,400 and Motard boots, $695
Michael Toschi products are made in Italy from the finest calf leather and as a motorcyclist himself, Toschi understands the intersection between enthusiasm for two-wheels and fashion. The Moto jacket is a tribute to Valentino Rossi, a.k.a. The Doctor and it is made with an air-mesh lining, and removable armor. The Motard boots are a moto boot with all the Toschi details including a gear change patch on each boot. Made with an Italian calf upper and kidskin lining.
Ultimate Christmas Gifts for Motorcyclists – Safety:
Satellite phone: Inmarsat IsatPhone Pro $649
As our roads become more packed with traffic driven by text-obsessed distracted drivers, the best, emptiest roads are typically found out in the middle of nowhere—and we’re fine with that. The only snag is that if something goes wrong, cellphone coverage is likely to be minimal, if it exists at all. In a true emergency, not being able to call 911 immediately could be the difference between emergency services arriving in time—or too late. Satellite phones are relatively inexpensive and calling plans can be had for a few hundred bucks a year. US-based emergency responders recommend the Inmarsat GSPS network as its global coverage excludes only the polar icecaps.
Insurance: Global Rescue membership (from) $329 per year.
Insurance isn’t sexy, so as ‘gift’ this might not deliver the warm n’ fuzzy you’re looking for. But as a practical present to someone you care about, knowing that they will be extracted from literally anywhere in the world, irrespective of security risk, is a comforting thought. This is the gift that you hope no one will ever need to use. But if they do—you’ll be glad you thought of it.
Ultimate Christmas Gifts for Motorcyclists – Lifestyle
Watch: The Cvstos Challenge Dani Pedrosa watch $21,000.
The Challenge GT Dani Pedrosa tonneau shaped case automatic chronograph is a large 59mm. Limited to 100 pieces in Titanium, and 100 pieces in orange aluminum it has a sapphire non-reflective coated front glass that is waterproof to 100 meters. The Dani Pedrosa logo is etched on to a plate at 9 o’clock.
Eyewear:
Roberto Cavalli Hatysa Snake Sunglasses (women), $460
Ray-Ban ‘Top Gun’ Aviators in Solid Gold $3,200
Wallet: Roberto Cavalli $600
Jewelry: Nightrider ROYAL BLOOD LION ring, $715
The 33mm top height/11mm shank height Lion ring is crafted from Sterling Silver and has a Garnet stone option for an extra $40.
Ultimate Christmas Gifts for Motorcyclists – Sport
Performance Tuning: Yoshimura engine tuning (approx) $2,000 to $10,000
Legendary tuning company and race team Yoshimura have a long and storied history that goes back to “Pops” Yoshimura in the sixties. With epic race success in each decade since, Yoshimura’s racing expertise showed a shocking level of dominance during the Mladin/Spies era spanning nearly ten years.
Yoshimura has also branched into off-road machines and the Supercross Suzuki race machines have developed a fearsome performance reputation among their peers.
The perfect gift for the horsepower freak in the family is a Yoshimura tuned engine, available for both road and moto-X bikes. Each engine is not only different but prices will also vary depending whether you choose Stage 1, 2, or the 3 (full superbike) level of commitment so the pricing can only be an approximate guide; please contact them for a personalized quote. Braaap!
Racing: Pole Position MotoGP VIP package, approx $500-$600 per person, per race
VIP viewing of a MotoGP race is about privilege. You won’t share a grandstand with 2000 others; you get to drive past people slogging it in on foot (in many circuits you go right into the paddock and park). You meet interesting people. You collect team posters and memorabilia. You get great photo opportunities. Sometimes riders and other celebrities turn up (or you bump into them on the paddock tour). You hear rumors and learn news before the news. In short, you feel like you are a participant, and not just an observer.
Private Track Day: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, $20,000
Track days are fun we all know that. The problem with Laguna Seca is that noise ordinances limit the type of exhaust you can use on most days. However, it is possible to rent the track for a 105 db noise level day (the maximum) and will allow for a lot more unfettered engine howling. For more information please email Judy Varley at the track at Judy@MazdaRaceway.com.
Two-Up ride:
- Randy Mamola Ducati MotoGP bike, $3,000-$7,500 approx depending on day. This is a chance to scare your loved one silly. A specially adapted Ducati ex-MotoGP racer piloted by Randy Mamola gives them the chance to experience true race performance. That includes astonishing levels of acceleration and shocking levels of hard braking available only to the MotoGP elite.
All the money raised from the sale of the rides goes directly to Mamola’s favorite charity: Riders for Health’s in Africa. An award-winning social enterprise, the charity ensures health workers in Africa have access to reliable motorcycles and ambulances so they can reach even the most isolated people with regular and predictable health care.
If you’re in any doubt as to the serious nature of this gift, the footnote will give you a clue: “Each passenger must undergo and pass a full medical check prior to their ride. Passengers must not exceed 90 kilos (14 stone), and be no taller than 1.90m. Participants must be over 18 and the maximum age is 60.” Gulp.
- Chris Ulrich/Team Hammer Two Up Superbike Ride $50 donation. If you’re budget is a little more modest but you’re still feeling the need for speed, then AMA Superbike front-runner Chris Ulrich’s Superbike two-up ride will fulfill your desire. The primary purpose of the two-seater Superbike program is media outreach, to educate mainstream media members on motorcycle road racing ahead of MotoAmerica and AMA Pro events and also to help promote those events and motorcycling in general. Chris told me privately that he can lap on the two-up bike within one second a lap of his race-pace. Now that’s screaming fast–and you’re likely to be the one screaming for more!
The fundraising started after AMA competitor Vincent Haskovec was paralyzed in 2005 and Road Racing World magazine decided to help him. They continued the fundraising and directed the funds to the RWAF, which has raised over $1.3 million for rider safety since it was started in 2001. A great cause indeed, that provides air fence safety equipment to race tracks around the country.
