Episode 98: Ani Surabhi wants to save your life in the blink of an eye

We all pretty much know helmets can have a big role in saving your life in case of a crash or collision.

Ani Surabhi of Quin Design inspecting one of his high-tech helmets.

Ani Surabhi of Quin Design Helmets wants to take it a step further than just protecting the physical space in and around your head and face, though. He wants to alert first responders and your loved ones of your crash, and by getting care to you faster, give you a better chance at surviving a catastrophic injury, even if it isn’t your head that got smashed. Quin helmets are packed with technology, and none of it involves a fancy heads-up display or rear-facing cameras. Listen to Episode 98 to find out more!

Visit the Quin Design website, and follow them on your choice of social media: Facebook | Twitter @Quin_Design | Instagram @quin.design | YouTube.

Congratulations are in order for Giant Loop, an American company making all sorts of handy gear (especially luggage) for motorcyclists. Giant Loop’s products will now be distributed in Canada exclusively through Parts Canada, the Canadian arm of Parts Unlimited. Can I say Canada one more time? Re-listen to Episode 10, which featured a discussion with Giant Loop founder Harold Cecil. Sign up for the Chasing the Horizon email list to be automatically entered into a drawing at the end of October 2020 for a First Aid Possibles Pouch. Check out this unboxing video by yours truly of the aforementioned FAPP. (oooh… can I appropriate THAT one?)

Valentino Rossi; photo by Lluis Gene/AFP.

You may know MotoGP star and nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi is known as The Doctor in racing circles. What you may not know is he’s recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 and will have to sit out two race weekends, pretty much eliminating him from a top-10 finish in this year’s MotoGP.

Ducati’s new version of their luxury adventure tourer, the Multistrada, will be called the Granturismo. Powered by a high-tech V-4 engine, the GT (can I just appropriate the moniker “GT” like that? YES I CAN!) will also feature adaptive cruise control (as will the 2021 BMW R 1250 RT) and blind spot alerts. Motorcycles are getting closer to cars all the time, it seems.

The KTM 890 Adventure R Rally, doing its hardcore adventurer thing.

KTM, unlike most other manufacturers who are only putting new colors on their 2021 motorcycles, is actually coming out with a new bike, or at least a variant of an existing one that’s different enough we can feel comfortable calling it new. The 890 Adventure R Rally is meant for “the hardcore adventurer,” and only 700 of them will be produced.

Royal Enfield is splitting the difference, announcing no changes but adding four color schemes (two of them gray) to the Himalayan, plus also …well, not really ANNOUNCING a new model, but not hiding it either. The Roadster 650 is RE’s entry into the traditional cruiser market, and the bike featuring the same parallel twin engine as is found in the Interceptor and Continental GT is expected to come out in mid-2021.

Hertz Ride announced it will be offering two MV Agusta models in its rental fleet lineup in Italy and France soon, with Portugal, Spain and the USA to follow in 2021.

Custom Zero SR/S by Deus Ex Machina.

Electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero Motorcycles avoided disaster in the recent California wildfires and announced new colors but no substantive changes for its 2021 lineup. They did partner up with Deus Ex Machina for a super cool one-off SR/S race bike, though.

Please take the time to visit the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America and consider joining to help keep Chasing the Horizon going. Another option: If you’re a BMW rider (or BMW curious) and have never been an MOA member before, drop me an email to [email protected] and I’ll enter you into a drawing for a free one-year membership (US residents only – sorry). I’m giving away one membership each month for the rest of 2020 – you could be a lucky winner! Congrats to Ronnie, our winner in September!