Red Dog and Me

This is an on-going dialog between me and a certain motor scooter, namely a 2009 Piaggio MP3 500 that came to live with me in October of 2009. I've named the scooter Red Dog and as yet have not determined its gender. In the past when I've named boats, bikes, and other like characters I've thought of them as feminine due to their behavior characteristics. Red Dog I'm not so sure about...we'll see. Update: OK, Red Dog's a girl...with an attitude

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Feb 12, 2010 A really cool map case for Red Dog

This small accessory doesn't have much "bling" but it's a neat item to have if you travel and like to keep a map handy. It's made in the USA by CycoActive and is sold through TourATech-USA, their part # BP-4.  http://www.touratech-usa.com/

The price was $36.00 for the base unit and $6.00 for the optional mounting kit top clamp. Shipping from the Seattle store to my Bandon home was $8.46.

The BarPack is a small folding map case that mounts on your handlebars using either zip ties or the optional "top clamp" mounting kit.

When folded and mounted the case measures about 10" wide, 6" high, and 1 1/2" thick.

The whole case can be quickly dismounted so you can take it with you when you leave the bike, a great idea for coffee stops when you want to plan the next part of your route.

To unfold you simply grasp the bottom of the case and tug upwards, pulling the velcro fastenings apart and a zippered mesh compartment is revealed on the top half, large enough for a small book or two road maps folded in half. The lower half has 3 pockets, a small one for a couple of pens and two larger ones that will hold a small notebook and a magnifier or maybe a pair of glasses.


At this point you can unfold the case again, sideways this time which reveals a generous 12" x 18" clear plastic compartment to hold a folded travel map.




This is a really cool accessory for keeping your maps conveniently located whether you're out for a weekend ride or on a cross-country tour.

My only concern would be it probably isn't waterproof so if you're going to get rained on you might want to stow it away.

Cool, huh? Told you so.
LL75




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4 comments:

  1. D and NFebruary 16, 2010 at 11:03 AM

    You gonna need tri-focals to read that damned thing?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Larry ParmenterFebruary 16, 2010 at 11:19 AM

    Ah! Two things, 1st the main map case holds a standard AAA state map (or whatever), easily readable by even my tired old eyes, and 2nd, you no doubt skipped past the part wherein the photo showing the first fold-out with the pockets happens to be holding a nice 2 1/4" magnifying glass. You can see the handle sticking out of the center pocket. Click on the photo for an enlarged view if you've misplaced your spectacles again... Say hi to Noah for me. :)

    Cheers...LL75

    ReplyDelete
  3. BMW HACKERFebruary 27, 2010 at 8:02 PM

    C'mon Larry...Hurry up and ride the Red Dog before it's an "Old Dog"! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  4. Larry ParmenterFebruary 28, 2010 at 9:44 AM

    Hi Doug,

    I've been riding on short trips locally but as you probably know, the freakin' weather has been a bit unco-operative. At least I've established my electric vest and heated grips work as they should!

    My official earliest kick-off date for Red Dog's first road trip is May 16th. I'm planning on heading south to Tucson, then over to Area 51 to meet the aliens and check in with the Mother Ship. After that I'll most likely be heading home to swap rides for the 2nd part of my summer ride on the Aprilia/Sputnik rig.

    Take care,

    LL75

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