Parts And Gear

11 Days Of Christmas Gifts For Motorcyclists

12 days was just too long, so we condensed all your gifting needs into this one handy list

November 1, 2018

Motorcyclists can be an especially finicky lot when it comes to their bikes, and it can get really frustrating to find them gifts if they don’t ride American machines. But, hey, those folks have two-wheel desires too, so we've assembled a compendium of items that'll appeal to riders who choose to cruise on machines of different stripes. And if the person on your holiday gift list is into Triumphs, Ducatis, BMWs—or heck, even Harleys—well, you’re likely to hit gold with this wide-ranging assortment of goodies. Whether it’s gear or accessories or gadgets, you’re sure to find something for any of the discriminating riders in your circle.

The Harley-Davidson Story: Tales From The Archives by Aaron Frank

Any motorcycle lover, whether they're Harley fans or not, will be pretty stoked to get the new book, The Harley-Davidson Story: Tales From The Archives. Author (and former Motorcyclist staffer) Aaron Frank harnesses unprecedented access to the Harley-Davidson Museum and Archives Collection to recount the founding and evolution of The Motor Company. It's not just a book with words—this is a visual trip into the minds of the founders, helped along the way by the H-D Museum, using unique artifacts and original notes from that collection in a new and novel way. It's an engaging piece of the rich history of a well-respected American company, and the hardcover, 225-page tome is officially licensed with Harley-Davidson and carries the Museum's seal, making it a beautiful piece for Harley-Davidson fans and collectors. Published by Quarry Books.Aaron Frank

Showers Pass Crosspoint Waterproof Socks

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…a friggin' pair of socks?! Yep, socks are probably just a few rungs below ties on the Most Boring Christmas Gift scale, but c'mon, it's wintertime. No time to be too cool for school. Bottom line, when it's really cold and wet, water always finds a way. The Showers Pass fully waterproof merino wool socks make it easy to stay dry and warm during the winter months. The waterproof membrane is sandwiched by comfortable and grippy outer knits and wicking antibacterial liners. These layers combine to create socks and gloves you can rely on to keep you comfortable and dry, no matter what weather you're riding through.Showers Pass

British Customs Diamond Stitch Slammer Seat

Our favorite Triumph accessories shop stocks almost anything we could want to pimp out our old Bonneville, but the stuff can be pretty spendy unless a is sale going on. We've seen seats listed for as much as $600, but here's your chance to score some premium saddle skin for your favorite Bonneville rider. We found this British Customs brown Diamond Stitch Slammer Seat on Amazon and sold by MC-Powersports for around $350, and it'll fit a Street Twin or a Bonneville T120 (but, alas, not our carbed T100).British Customs

CruzTools RTM3 RoadTech M3 Metric Tool Kit

A must-have for metric riders, the RoadTech M3 contains all the goods you'll need to get from point A to point Z, especially if things unexpectedly go south along the way. You got your combination wrenches (10mm, 12mm, 14mm), 8-inch adjustable wrench, mini ratchet with 2-inch extension and sockets (8mm, 10mm, 12mm), hex keys (3mm to 6mm), and 6-in-1 screwdriver, included within. Wait, there's more: a 2-in-1 spark plug socket, gap gauge, locking pliers, a flashlight, electrical tape, cable ties, mechanics wire, thread locker, WD-40 and a tire pressure gauge. Sheesh, Cruz thought of everything; the tools are even mechanic-grade and come with a lifetime guarantee.CruzTools

Slime 4001 Tire Inflator

What's that? You don't have any room on your bike? Sure, most modern urban-styled models are guilty of skimping on the storage space, so anything you carry needs to be pretty compact. Which is where the Slime Tire Inflator comes in. No matter what you're riding, those two tires still need air, and the precious hoops can have that for less than $30, but the real kicker is the Slime's incredibly compact size. It means there's no excuse not to carry one of these on your bike, whatever make it is.Slime

Spot X 2-Way Satellite Messenger

Got a buddy who really loves to take his Scrambler off-road? Peace of mind really isn't a bad gift when you think about it, and this one gadget can provide that for your family, friends, or, god forbid, emergency responders. The Spot X two-way satellite messenger is the newest addition to the Spot family, bringing a full keyboard, paper-lit screen, and built-in rechargeable batteries along with an IP67 rating. It has all the functionality of the original Spot products (like GPS tracking) and lets you have direct communication with emergency services, regardless of cellular coverage. From November 16 through December 31, Spot Gen3 and Spot Trace devices will be 50 percent off via this link: findmespot.comSPOT

Mission Workshop The Rhake Pack

Bonnevilles, Scramblers, V7s—they're all notoriously stingy on cargo space, so you'll definitely want something sturdy and versatile to haul all your crap around. Cue the Rhake, a 22-liter weatherproof monster built to hold everything you could possibly need for work, play, or even the occasional overnighter. It's billed as a laptop bag, but the purpose-built pockets are large enough to hold all your accessories and the weatherproof 22-liter main compartment can expand or contract to accommodate whatever you're bringing along. Its two-layer weatherproof construction will keep it all dry en route too. The Rhake ain't cheap, but it's made by hand in small batches and built to last a lifetime. Catch the details on missionworkshop.com.Mission Workshop

Ducati Scrambler Heated Grips

With the bitter winds of winter right over the horizon, now would be a great time to fit your unprotected Scrambler with some oh-so-convenient heated grips. These babies will extend your riding season substantially, no matter where you live. They're available from Ducati's online store, but Amazon looks like a much better bet when you factor in the shipping.Ducati

Alpinestars Vika2 Jacket

Vika is Alpinestars' motorcycle apparel collection for women, made to offer a flattering female fit while still integrating class-leading performance protection. Signature features include a soft leather shell and pre-contoured sleeves for comfort, but the CE-certified Vika v2 Leather Jacket also brings in stretch panels to achieve an even more figure-hugging fit—on or off the bike. And if you're cool with getting last year's model—still a wonderful piece of kit—there's the original Vika jacket on Amazon, sporting many of the same protective qualities and flattering cut, but at a significant discount.Alpinestars

Honda Monkey 1/12th Scale Model

C'mon, who doesn't want a Monkey? Even if you can't get the real thing yet (at least the new 2019 version), you can certainly relive the dream of Honda's Z-Series minibikes with this plastic model kit made by Aoshima, straight from Japan. Fun fact: These little 50cc beasts were referred to as the "Monkey" or "Gorilla" models because of the way riders looked perched atop one of them while tooling around.Aoshima

Soul Fuel: BMW R nineT Customizers

Yep we thought we'd bookend this list with another book—get it? Seriously though, fans of the BMW R nineT won't want to miss this beautiful new coffee-table book published by teNeues and written by Dirk Mangartz. Soul Fuel: BMW R nineT Customizers presents 17 international customizers—names like Blitz Motorcycles, 46Works, and El Solitario—that have created exceptional interpretations of an exceptional machine. The book's focus is that these builders have deliberately rejected a digitized, perfect world and brought in something handmade and raw, perhaps to kickstart the imagination of the creative types out there or, indeed, any rider. With dazzling graphics and a unique layout, Soul Fuel is an, impressively designed book sure to make your favorite BMW fanatic glad they know you this holiday season.Dirk Mangartz