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Bike Pants: To Leather or Not?

   Well it's that time again, Summer is.....well should be around the corner.But with the current weather here in HKG your guess is better than mine! The humidity is a killer at present, and the roads slick and flooded in some parts so please watch for road conditions and avoid the furniture!Of late I’m getting a lot of concerns with Leathers, remember this article is only my opinion! You’re the one’s on the bikes so do as you need, and depending on your riding style, years of practice etc…don’t heed my advice!Now as you, well most know, I'm all for safety, regardless if you're on a 125cc, 600 or 1199!  Naturally the higher powered babies need more attention and care, but that aside, questions on leathers and knee areas, in-short; for those that have been riding for years this will or may not apply, for the new guns, I can say from experience that a One-Piece track is much more comfortable than the basic 2 split, preferably a perforated suit for more airflow in this climate!  For some reason and I agree the 2-piece suits just never did it for me, the pants where always and I agree somewhat uncomfortable, if it wasn't the knee areas being too stiff, the crotch was dropping off too much or too high pending the weather!, it’s not a fit issue, in so far as a “Cut” try a different brand, we’re all built differently and can’t expect manufacturers to fine tune all areas, (having said this Dainese will custom make suits and pants for you! Budget warranted!), the issue with split suits is the pants don’t have much give, you can’t add much protection to them, and movement is limited, try extending….it’s tough, unlike a one piece, which seems to adjust a lot easier.  Now this isn't all just a fit / cut issue rather the riding conditions here as well, you're forever on the start / stop / N / Clutching and revving it’s a bit of a nightmare if you have an air-cooled 1100! , which can be dangerous if you're uncomfortable in these pants!, Yes, yes leathers will save your skin but no means your bones!, try the Dainese website and load up on protectors, followed by a layer of SKIN (tight Yoga pants if you must, sure you have a pair, if not ask your Mrs!), then gortex or track jeans with Kevlar, this will give more breathing room, the problem with split leathers, especially in HKG (haven't found this to be a problem in Germany or Canada) is the SWEAT!The humidity is a killer!, once the pants are on you're off to the races and sweating like a pig! which = stick! if your knees aren't in the right position and they start sticking, you're likely to pinch it!, you'll have problems with shifting, less with rear braking, but all the same, your balance will be affected which isn’t what you need! I would suggest you steer clear of the leather pants for a while until the weather warrants use, unlike a 1 piece, you have little room to adjust and stretch, there is also much less breathing room in a split formation, maybe I'm just too use to the track suits, but on the roads here I go with the jean setup (C-Protection, thighs, knees and shines, remember this covers sides, front, but in the event you need to ditch backwards keep your knees up and use as much of the back-protector as you can and slide!, some people have disputed my “Rear Ditch Method” but most whom have commented and refuted it, haven’t been on the Hong Kong roads, needless to say haven’t experienced the joy of a double decker bus heading towards them at 70K and leaning in your lane! The lanes here are tight, tight……….TIGHT! so you need to adjust your riding to them, as the buses won’t to you! That’s a head on and little will be left of you regardless of the protection! Oh, and watch the roundabouts here, no one seems to get them!Now, top protection is a lesser problem, I’ve seen too many accidents with riders in t-shirts, plain jeans and sport shoes, even saw a guy with flip-flops on a 1100!, brass-balls? Nope afraid not, this is just plain stupid!  Leather top, back and thorax protection, it's ample unless you're reckless, jackets will not cause half as many issues for you, on these roads, you need comfort below, remember you’re not on a track, and you’re very unlikely to even kick her into 4 th for long, your legs are down a lot, even if you clutch and rev, sticking in leather pants may warrant injury or an embarrassing fall when behind a car/bus or moving off from a red.Hit Dainese in Hong Kong and get Tom to sort you out with some proper protection, jeans or Gortex for a more breathable ride in this weather, full suits are fine, but again you need to get use to them, the heat can be unforgiving, great for losing weight! So stay hydrated and safe riding!      

Anyone really, really into their Horoscope? I'm not, not on a daily basis, but got this today, despite being one of those $%#@!!!! plague e-mails which if you don't pass on you'll have years and years

Horoscope:

MorkelThe Promiscuous One. Spontaneous. Has a High Appeal. Rare to Find. Great when found. Loves being in long, long relationships. A family find. So much love to give. A loner most of the time. Loses patience easily and will not take crap from anyone. If in a bad mood stay FAR FAR away!. No not provoke. Gets offended easily and remembers the offence forever.  Loves deeply but at times will not show it, as feels this is a sign of weakness.  A VERY Private person. Defends loved ones with all their abilities. Can be childish often. Definitely NOT ONE to mess with!. Good looking. Very romantic. Nice to everyone they meet, but don't annoy or push!. Their love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have their own unique appeal. Charming, very!. Most caring person you will ever meet!. Great in B&%!. Not the kind of person you want to mess with, think carefully before you provoke and proceed or you could end up being F#$D!.

Okay so if you've read this far and you're a SAG like me, you might find this very fitting! PM me on FB if you want the whole list!

ACTORS: Drop the EGO, High and LOW!

As I just completed my FULL Production Chinese Movie with some local stars here in HKG (Naturally not at liberty to disclose much more until the movie is fully edited and released), just wanted to touch on the reality of Acting in Hong Kong, Asia. I’ve been bombed with E-Mails with people asking me to help, but there really isn’t much I can do but say push yourselves into every agents door! Remember HKG is 99% YOU! the US is 99% The Agent, in essence you’re on your own here to make it, or in some cases break! Invest in a top Photographer and run 3 or more Portfolio’s if you haven’t already done so, feel free to e-mail me on amorkel@calliacreations.com and I’ll direct to some of the best here, they’ll guide you and set the scene, setting you apart from the other talents, research whom you’re up against and find your niche! Get some coaching, assuming you’re new to the industry, if not do it anyway, what works elsewhere may not stick with the Producers here! HUMBLE and Drop the EGO! It’s a tough, tough, industry, and you’ll find yourself being scouted, asked to go behind Agents backs, direct with clients, becareful! Very thin line here, you have to way out the perks, if you miss-fire, your name will be tarnished and you’re doomed. DON’T think for a second that you’re “safe” if an agent say’s they have a gig for you, the verbally agreed fee may change once you’ve completed the job! & there’s bugger all you can do about it, accept the fee and move on, don’t post BS on FaceBook or other sites, you’re just knocking yourself further down the ladder! There are no contracts, e-mail agreements here, it’s all verbal and trust, so you’ll need to work your butt off to get out there, net-work and prove you’re the best of the best, trust worthy, humble! Take what you can get and don’t throw a strop! Unless you’re Tom Cruise you have very little bargaining power, but once you’ve run a substantial number of gigs, from TVC’s, Live Events, MC, Still Shots, getting a Sponsor and Investor behind you, you’ll find that Asia runs a lot more smoothly! Last but not least, SAY YOU’RE OPEN to ALL Areas, there are talents here that won’t do TVC’s, they don’t want to talk, but expect to get paid the same as an Actor with a Script, isn’t going to work! Try everything and expand your portfolio at least one of everything, naturally you’ll have to draw the line if you feel uncomfortable, but that’s your call. Best of luck to you all!

Doc.A

Quote from Bobbie B......Enjoy!

Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. 

If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.

Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

Valentino Rossi live on dainese.com!

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Dainese and AGV are getting into the festive spirit by offering fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with Valentino Rossi , via a live worldwide web stream.

On Wednesday 21 December at 3 pm (GMT), Rossi will link directly to an international audience at dainese.com and answer selected fan questions.

All fans will have the opportunity to submit their questions to the nine-time world champion by posting on:

between Wednesday 7 - Sunday 18 December. Once submitted, the best questions will be included in the live interview with Rossi on Wednesday 21 December.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity.Celebrate a fantastic Christmas with Dainese, AGV and Vale!