Moto-Skiveez

Is This The One Answer To One Of Motorcycling's Oldest Problems?

Read this review in our pdf magazine format.

My Delicate's.

So, I’m sitting here and wracking my brains (what few I have left after rattling around the world on a motorcycle for 14-years) as to how I start a review of an item that looks after my ‘delicate's’ and that I sit my ass on and in, all day.

Getting Comfy

There are a few key accessories we all consider when it comes time to personalize our ride or when we simply want to make our bikes fit us a little better. Hey, the more comfortable you are on your bike the happier you feel and the farther you ride, right?

The Usual Suspects.

Whether your pride n’ joy is a plastic fantastic Japanese crotch rocket, a Harleyesque cruiser or a dual sport beast, when you’re sitting around with your mates, it’s always the usual suspects that come to mind; suspension options, wheel rim choice, lowering kits, different foot pegs and even custom made seat options. But how about custom designed motorcycle-specific undergarments?

Skepticism and Respect.

I’ll confess that when Moto-Skiveez approached Lisa and I with the idea of real world testing motorcycle-specific underwear, well, we both raised an eyebrow. I had flashes of bad Calvin Klein underwear commercials with riders striking awkward poses next to their bikes. As we sat and listened to Shawn (inventor and driving force behind Moto-Skiveez), our understanding of this new concept and approach to one of motorcycling’s longest standing problems quickly changed.

 

Within 5 minutes Shawn had not only peaked our curiosity, he had our full attention and was quickly gaining our respect.

The Long Suffering Problem.

Whatever type of bike you ride, we’ve all suffered at one point or another from monkey butt or simple ‘sore arse syndrome’ from hours of riding. What Shawn and Moto-Skiveez have done is tackle this issue from a new angle. As a rider and inventor Shawn’s approach is not only straight forward, the problem so well understood and the solution so well implemented, that after trying on a pair of ‘Moto -Skiveez’ you’ll find yourself thinking, “why hasn’t this been done before?”

The Moto-Skiveez solution to that sore backside you’ve been suffering from, might just mean that the $500 bucks you’ve saved for that custom seat can now be spent on a long overdue weekend break, party or flat screen TV. Hey, just saying!

The Skiveez Solution.

I received two pairs of ‘Adventure Skiveez’ 3-years ago, the black and red packaging looked professional and struck the right cord. Not a hint of ‘Marky-Mark and his washboard abs in sight.

Out of the box the materials felt more...well, high-tech than I’d anticipated and the custom padding felt well placed and thought through. Trying them on for the first time they felt like old friends from the get-go. The elasticated waistband ensured a comfortable waist fit. I’m 6 4” and I usually have a few issues getting shorts or underwear to fit my thighs, which aren’t small. The skiveez, just slipped on and asked, “OK, so where are we riding?”

Years and a lot of miles later and I’m still impressed. Sure, I’ve tried lesser solutions in the past, but cycling shorts don’t really work when the raised stitches used to join the panels of the shorts rub your skin raw and create a long seam and pressure point on the inside of your thigh where inner legs meets seat. The Moto-Skiveez use a flat pressed seam across the product, so there are no raised profiles in the undergarment and therefor no potential pressure points. I’ve ridden for up to ten hours without the need for a single butt wiggle.

Back in Salt Lake City when we’d initially talked with Shawn, he had shown us his rider pressure point research. Along with the TMF research facility in Verona, Italy, they have identified the differing pressure areas created by specific styles of riding. An enduro rider has different pressure areas than say a sport bike rider on a track. With this in mind Moto-Skiveez has designed and produced 3 separate solutions allowing for the different needs of the Sport rider, Adventure rider and Cruiser rider.

As an adventure rider I’m appreciative of the research and now the final product. The adventure Skiveez are made up of 3 different foam types. Overall comfort is provided by 4mm perforated foam with ‘rider style’ specific protection being dealt with by 6mm memory foam. On the adventure model an additional 3mm comfort foam is sewn into the inner thigh area, to protect us whilst we repeatedly stand and sit in off-road riding scenarios. Even the horizontal and lateral placement of the foam has been considered to ensure maximum air flow along the ribbed foam lines to ensure air flow and correspondingly temperature management. Suddenly there’s much more to underwear than I ever thought possible!

Comfort.

Since first slipping a pair of Moto-Skiveez on, we've ridden a mixed bag of terrain from US highways, Mexican mountain twisty’s and central American sandy tracks, the Moto-Skiveez have out performed my already high expectations. They fit easily under both my rally suit riding trousers and my jeans alike. The firm but well constructed waist band has meant that after a tough off-road 4-hour ride, they’ve not left their position and disappeared somewhere south of my man-hood, requiring me to stop and adjust! I figure that any piece of great riding gear should do its job and not be a distraction. Anything that detracts my attention from my ride is unwelcome. The Skiveez, fit well and have simply preformed.

Silver Ion Infused Material...What?

An unpleasant aspect of long-term extreme adventure riding is skin rash and hygiene. Your underwear, more than any piece of clothing, fits tighter and in a more personal way than anything we put on each day. Regular boxer shorts and even the tighty-whities you love so much are not designed to repel dirt, bacteria and more especially sweat. The Moto-Skiveez are! I’m not going to pretend I know a thing about Silver Ion infused material, but Skiveez incorporate this technology into every undergarment. What I can tell you since using them, is that in the last 3-years I have not had any skin irritation issues in the waist, butt or upper thigh area and there have been some very long, tough and dirty rides. It’s like asking for the time, I don’t have to know how the clock works, it just has to work and give me what I need. The Skiveez have done just that.

Quick Draw Dry.

Hygiene is of course an issue we deal with on the road and being able to dry our gear quickly and effectively is much more of a consideration than washing. The Skiveez dry in super quick time and the few times I’ve had to wear them wet they’ve dried quickly as I’ve ridden and even when damp have never caused me any irritation or discomfort.

Overview:

A great idea is just that...an idea. A great product is a combination of a great idea, great design, attention to detail, research and finally quality production. The Moto-Skiveez are a great product. My initial skepticism has been replaced with a confidence in the product based on experience. Shawn’s technical undergarment now a much a piece of my essential riding gear as my Adventure riding suit and Enduro helmet and MX boots.

Shawn thanks for seeing the solution and for having the perseverance to see it through. See you somewhere down the road, track or jungle path.

By the way, the fact that I kind’a feel like an X-man in my high tech Skiveez doesn’t hurt either!

Read this review in our pdf magazine format.