Review Archives | Wind Burned Eyes

2025 Honda NT1100 DCT – 5 Things to Know

They don’t make road bikes like they used to—and thank goodness for that. The 2025 Honda NT1100 DCT is proof that modern engineering can still stir the old soul. It’s a touring motorcycle for riders who appreciate the long way home, built with the mechanical heart of the Africa Twin but tuned for asphalt and the hum of endless highway.

With its automatic Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) and a riding posture that practically begs you to ride coast to coast, the NT1100 isn’t trying to be flashy—it’s trying to be faithful. Faithful to the ride, to comfort, and to the kind of quiet confidence Honda has been refining since the CB750.

HJC i91 Helmet – Everything You Need to Know

The HJC i91 Modular Helmet presents itself as a practical choice for riders seeking a balance between comfort, functionality, and affordability. Designed with touring and commuting in mind, this modular helmet offers a range of features tailored to enhance the riding experience.

I wear an HCJ modular helmet often. It’s a lot older helmet than the i91. The i91 takes what previous HJC modular lids offered and kicks things up a notch with excellent improvements all around. This is a great helmet.

Cortech AA Dyneema Riding Jeans – Everything You Need to Know

In the realm of motorcycle gear, finding the perfect balance between protection and everyday wearability can be a challenge. The Cortech AA Dyneema Riding Jeans rise to this occasion, offering a blend of robust safety features and classic denim aesthetics.

I prefer riding jeans to traditional motorcycle pants, and I would expect that I am not alone. These jeans from Cortech are a great option for anyone looking for good protection and style.

REV’IT! Sand 5 Gloves – Everything You Need to Know

In the realm of motorcycle gear, gloves often walk the line between protection and comfort. The REV’IT! Sand 5 Gloves strike a commendable balance.

They offer riders a blend of safety features and wearability suited for warm-weather adventures. Let’s take a closer look at these gloves and all that they offer.

Quick Review: Scorpion EXO ST1400 Evo Helmet

The Scorpion EXO-ST1400 Evo helmet is a sport-touring marvel that marries style, safety, and practicality. While its name may sound like a Starfleet prototype, the updates are firmly grounded in real-world riding.

The biggest headline here? A new ECE 22.06 safety certification, a leap from the previous 22.05 standard. But Scorpion didn’t stop at regulatory compliance—they tackled rider complaints head-on, particularly about noise levels. For the long-haul rider, that’s music to the ears.

Quick Review: BILT Apex Helmet

The BILT Apex Helmet doesn’t just check boxes—it rewrites the playbook for entry-level gear. At roughly $100, this full-face helmet serves up features that punch well above its weight class, starting with the big-ticket item: safety.

With DOT and the coveted ECE 22.06 certification, it offers a level of protection typically reserved for helmets in much higher price brackets. This helmet is a real steal.

Book Review – Jupiter’s Travels by Ted Simon

There’s a special breed of man who sees a road winding into the distance and feels the tug. Not just any road—the kind that stretches beyond the horizon, beckoning with the promise of something unknown. Ted Simon is that kind of man. And Jupiter’s Travels is the story of his response to that call—a 78,000-mile odyssey around the world on a 500cc Triumph Tiger that was more grit than grace, more heart than horsepower.

Book Review – Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig is not the kind of book you expect to find on a list of must-reads for motorheads. It’s not filled with the crackling excitement of tearing down a winding road on a vintage Triumph, nor does it offer tips on fine-tuning the carburetor on your ‘57 Chevy. No, Pirsig’s masterpiece is an entirely different beast. It’s part memoir, part philosophical treatise, and part motorcycle manual, wrapped in the serene hum of an engine at idle. And yet, for anyone who’s ever felt the pull of the open road, this book is essential reading.

BMW CE 02: What Reviewers Are Saying

The BMW CE 02 is an electric motorcycle, that’s billed by the company as a urban mobility vehicle. It’s been passed around to the big mags and blogs and the reviews are in! Let’s take a look at the consensus.

Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello Full Review

This is one hell of a bike with lots of firsts for Moto Guzzi.

The 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello is making the press ride rounds right now, and the good folks over at Motorcycle.com had a chance to get in the saddle. I wrote previously about the first-ride impressions that the press had, but this is a more in-depth look from Motorcycle.com’s Editor-in-Chief Evans Brasfield.