Most gift guides are hokey. Not this one. In keeping with our theme of shooting, motorcycles, and other interesting things, here are our recommended gifts and associated links. It’s good stuff. Purchase the things we recommend through the links we include here and you’ll ride faster, you’ll shoot straighter, you’ll weigh less, you’ll be better looking, and you’ll be one of the cool kids. (I took an advertising class and that’s the essence of what good advertising is supposed to do.) Without further ado (I have no idea what “ado” means, but if you say it during a wedding ceremony, you’re married), here you go.

Motorcycle Bungee Pack

Few things in our lives are as useful as a bungee cord, and it you want a nice gift for a motorcyclist, this Motorcycle Bungee Pack answers the mail. It includes an assortment of bungees and a cargo net, and it’s a sure thing whoever receives a gift like this will put it to good use.

A New BMW R 1250 GS

Well, sort of, although if any of our readers want to buy us a new BMW GS, that would be nice, too. Nope, what we’re referring to here are Maisto motorcycle models. They’re pretty cool, they’re high quality, and at approximately $20, they won’t break the bank. Maisto offers several other models, too, like the S1000RR you see at the top of this blog.

A Case of Mobil 1 Moto Oil

It doesn’t get any better than Mobil 1 4T synthetic oil for motorcycles. If you want to really impress someone, give them a case of Mobil 1 4T for their motorcycle. It’s only $79.00 and trust me on this, they will remember you every time they shift or blip the throttle.

Portable Jump Starter

We carried and used a portable jump starter on the Enfield Baja ride, and trust me, it was worth its weight in gold. There are several models available, and they start around $52. This Litake portable jump starter is small enough to carry on a motorcycle and it makes a great gift.

Lee Precision Reloading Gear

If you’re not reloading, your missing out on half the fun in the shooting sports. Making the decision to become a reloader can be a bit initimidating, but the major equipment manufacturers make it easy for anyone to start. If you want to start with a simple single-stage press, our advice is to go with Lee’s Challenger Kit for $229.

A single stage reloader is a good way to start, and the Lee Anniversary kit shown above is a good one. You can buy it directly from Lee or from Amazon.

If the person you are giving the reloading kit to (which can be you, by the way) wants to reload at higher rates, you might consider the Lee Classic Turret kit for $380:

You can buy the Lee Classic Turret kit directly from Lee or from Amazon.

With either kit, the person receiving the gift will need a set of dies specific to the cartridge to be reloaded. We think Lee Precision makes the the best dies at any price (these are $78.00).

You can buy the above dies directly from Lee, or you can purchase them from Amazon.

Cool Watches

There are three or four you might consider. We’ve recently written about Casio’s G-Shock GD400 series. These are reasonably priced, they are incredibly accurate, they offer a world-time quick change capability, and a bunch of other features (illuminated dial, stopwatch, countdown timer, and more). Casio offers these for both men (at $89.95) and women ($53.95). I wear a G-Shock and so does Susie.

If you want something more formal, our recommendation is to get an automatic watch. There’s something elegant about a selfwinding mechanical watch, and Orient is one of most exclusive brands out there at a very reasonable price. Two personal favorites are the Moonphase (from $274.95 to $374.95, depending on color) and the Mako dive watches (at $147.95). I wear an Orient rose gold Moonphase when I’m trying to impress Gresh, and it’s a classy timepiece.

Toolkits

We very recently posted about a Wohngeist toolkit retailing for $2,895 (we’re not advising buying it, unless you feel a need to flush money down the toilet). A far better choice is any of several toolkits available at much more reasonable prices, like this one for $49.95. These make great gifts, and they won’t break the bank.

Buck Knives

Give someone a Buck knife, and you’ll have a friend for life. That’s how long the Buck will last, too. Buck makes a bunch of different knives, you can have them customized, you can have them engraved, or you can buy one off the shelf, so to speak. My personal favorite is the Buck 110 folder (shown in the photo below), but any Buck knife makes a wonderful gift. Buck 110 folders start at around $60.

Trickle Me Elmo Battery Tenders

There are few things as useful to a motorcyclist than a Battery Tender. I’ve been using these for decades. A motorcycle with a topped-off battery runs better, and I’m coinvinced routinely plugging your bike into a Battery Tender extends the battery’s life. I regularly get between 4 and 6 years out of a motorcycle battery, and the Battery Tender is the reason why. These things are inexpensive ($39.95), and if they wear out, that would be news to me. I’ve been using mine for about 15 years and it’s still going strong.

Stop and Go Mini Compressors

Get a flat on your motorcycle out in the middle of nowhere and you’ll wish you had one of these, and so will all of your motorcycle friends. It happened to me more than a few times (on the Three Flags Rally, in China, and out in the boonies exploring the Mojave Desert). The Stop and Go Mini Compressor will pay for itself the next time you need to inflate a tire out there, and if you’re one of those folks who drops the air pressure when you see a dirt road, this will get you back up to street pressures quickly.

Our Motorcycle Books

Hey, what can I say. If you’re going to buy a motorcycle book, why not buy one I wrote? They’re inexpensive and folks say they’re pretty good. If you’re one of those folks tempted to wait for the movie instead of reading the book, don’t hold your breath. There were some preliminary discussions for a movie series, but when I suggested Leonardo di Caprio play me, the studio responded with Danny De Vito and talks broke down (so don’t wait for the movies).

Take a look at this selection of outstanding moto stories, pick the ones you’d like, and Mr. Bezos will have them in the mail to you muey pronto!

Haix Boots

The problem with motorcycle boots is they’re uncomfortable when you get off the motorcycle, especially if you have to walk anywhere. About 20 years ago I picked up a pair of Haix boots (a favorite of police, firemen, and other first responders) and I never look back. They are the only boots I wear when I ride a motorcycle. A pair of Haix boots lasts about 10 years, and they are extremely comfortable. They’re a bit more than most combat boots at $259.99, but they last a long time and the increase in comfort makes them well worth the price of admission.

Bianchi Belts

I bought my Bianchi belt years ago and I think it is one of the best purchases I ever made. I wear it any time I need to wear a belt unless I have to dress up for a deposition or a formal event. The Bianchi is just plain comfortable, it doesn’t wear out, and for its intended purpose (supporting a holster) it is superb. You’d be surprised how much of a difference a good belt makes if you’re carrying a firearm (unless you already have a Bianchi belt, in which case you wouldn’t be surprised at all). But you don’t need to carry a gun to appreciate this belt. Like I said, I wear mine all the time. The Bianchi belt retails on Amazon for $66.02 (why they add the $0.02 is beyond me), and it’s worth every penny (even those extra two pennies Bezos tacks on).

Batdorf and Bronson Coffee

Batdorf and Bronson coffee is the best coffee in the world. Yeah, that’s my opinion, but try it and you’ll agree. Buy a selection of Batdorf and Bronson coffee for a holiday gift and you’ll make a friend for life.

So there you have it: Our 2022 gift recommendations. And don’t forget:

The best gift you can give to us is to continue clicking on those popup ads!

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

My second pair of Haix boots. They’re comfortable as slippers, they last forever, and they are perfect for adventure riding. These will last me until 2027, I think.

You read Joe Gresh’s Tested to Destruction piece on Rossi Boots. When I read it, I immediately thought of my Haix boots. My first pair lasted more than 10 years. After they finally wore out I tried a less expensive brand, but then I went back to Haix. I had worn the best; no substitute would ever be as good. Haix is pronounced “hikes” and they are, simply put, the best footwear I’ve ever owned.

I happened upon my first pair of Haix almost accidentally. The story goes like this: My good buddy Mike, whom I’ve known since the 7th grade, is a retired police chief. He worked his way up through the ranks of a major metropolitan city on the east coast, became Director of that department (it’s the top spot), and retired. Mike goes to the International Association of Police Chiefs conventions every year, in 2004 that convention was here in Los Angeles, and Mike invited me to go with him. It was a cool experience and we had a blast.

I had a to have a police connection to get in to the event, so Mike deputized me as the Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police. My new position included a cool official-looking police ID card and I asked if I could get a gun out of the deal. Mike’s answer was a curt “No,” but hey, I tried. We had a hell of a time at that convention. There was all kinds of interesting gear on display. Guns. Helicopters. Police motorcycles. Patrol cars. Surveillance equipment. You get the idea. Oh, yeah. And boots. I’ll get to that in a second.

Facial recognition software. You know, Big Brother. That’s me and Mike being dropped into the data base.

There were cool guys there, too. Mike introduced me to Willie Bratton, senior FBI executives, and the head of the CHP (I asked that guy if he could help me with a speeding ticket and no one laughed…I thought it was funny as hell). We saw all kinds of cool gear, including a police helicopter that you could climb into. I did that and immediately starting pushing buttons from the pilot’s seat. One sent power to the turbine starter, the turbine started to whir, and the blades actually started to move. Mind you, all of this was indoors at the Staples Convention Center. Wow, talk about people descending on us quickly! When we walked by that helicopter later, it was roped off. You couldn’t sit in it any more, thanks to me.

Oh, yeah. The starter worked. We’re still laughing about that one!

But I digress. The point of this story was that one of the vendors displaying their goods was the Haix boot company, whom I had never heard of before. The boots looked good, I tried a pair on, and they felt great. Think slippers for comfort level, great support, and a cool combat boot look. They were $200, but I was in. The guy told me to take the pair I had tried on, and they would invoice me later.

I wore those boots everywhere for the next 10 years, and I always wore them on my motorcycle rides. That included the 2005 Three Flags Rally, tons of weekend rides, tons of Baja rides, the Hells Loop Rally, and lots more. They were waterproof, unlike motorcycle-specific boots they were comfortable to walk around in, they were lightweight, and they just felt great. After more than 10 years of abuse, though, the soles started to separate during the Western America Adventure Ride in 2015. I remember Gresh picking up some Shoe Goo for me in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which got me another year of use. But finally, I had to give in. It was time for a new pair.

Yours truly on the right, wearing my first pair of Haix boots, in 2005. Marty and I were standing in front of Lake Louise in Canada. We rode in the 2005 Three Flags Classic Rally from Mexico to Canada.

I cheaped out and bought a pair of S.W.A.T.-brand boots on the Internet prior to leaving for the Colombia ride. They were stiff, they were uncomfortable, and after 5 days of riding through the Andes Mountains’ heat, humidity, and rain, they were toast. My take on it is that the S.W.A.T. brand is probably good for kicking butts and taking names, but they didn’t make it for me as a comfortable motorcycle boot. Nope, I needed me another pair of Haix.

Then good buddy Mike came to the rescue. There was another IACP convention (in San Diego, this time), I was Deputy Dawg again, and I shelled out $200 for my second pair of Haix. Which I’m wearing now, knowing they’re worth every penny of that $200. In 2027, I’ll be due for my third pair, and you can bet I’ll be going for HAIX again. I’m just hoping that the 2027 IACP convention will be here in southern California.