Originally published in Motorcycles On The Road Again, February 2007.
NE
Zooke's Z-line of products
"Here, let me clean your glasses" the man called as I strolled by enjoying the various displays at the Rally.
"Right" I thought "another glasscleaning, perfume-spritzing, jewelry-polishing, free-newspaper kind of moment." Why bother, they are all selling something and rarely have I been impressed with products or their presentations.
I have a chronic problem with dirty eyeglasses but you can't blame me because when I take them off to clean them I can't see the dirt so they look clean before I put them back on. This time I decided to let someone who could see clean them while I waited to be totally underwhelmed.
The guy went into his spiel as he put a very tiny drop of blue liquid on my glasses and then wiped them with a blue cloth. I heard words like "non-fogging" and something about the product actually filling in scratches, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Within a minute he returned my glasses and I put them on while wondering how I could make my escape without buying his product or telling him it was no better than any other product I had seen?
Whoa! I took my glasses off and looked at the lenses and I was totally amazed — they were crystal clear. This product was "clearly better" than any I had ever seen. My glasses seemed to sparkle as the man held them over a steam jet to show that they would not fog up.
Okay, now I am interested.
The products from Z-Eyes, Inc. are sold under the name Zooke, with each individual item named Z-drip, Z-wax, Z-kit, Z-spray, Z-silk, etc. depending on its function. The kit containing their full range of products was $19.95 —which I thought was well worth the price.
For several months I have been using, and recommending, the Zooke products and I continue to be impressed with how well they work. Even with a helmet and a turtleneck or a scarf I never experience that annoyingly dangerous problem of suddenly having my glasses fog up leaving me unable to see. It has also amazed me to see just how little of the product it takes, I still have plenty of my original supply left and when I run low I will just go to www.Zooke. com and order the refill bottles.
Zooke was started by outdoor enthusiasts who were looking for a solution to the problem of glasses, ski goggles, scuba masks, sunglasses and other eye protection fogging up. They not only solved their problem but also in the process founded the SUCCeSSfUl business.
For your shopping convenience Z- Eyes will soon be available in stores such as Oshmans, Big 5 Sporting Goods, and Gart Brothers as well as through mail order catalogs such as L.L. Bean and Early Winters.
With a little experimentation I have found that the Zooke products work well on motorcycle windshields, bathroom mirrors and camera lenses.
Zooke is made with natural soaps in a water-based solution and won't harm your glasses. Simply put it on and wipe clean with a soft cloth — I keep the micro fiber cloth that came with my Z-Kit nearby. In addition to keeping my Zooke at home I have a jar at my office and one on my motorcycle.
You can give a Z-kit to someone else as a gift but take my advice and get yours first.
www.Zooke.com
Slime
Repairing a flat on a motorcycle tire is not a particularly good idea. Once the integrity of the tire has been compromised it is much safer to simply replace it with a new tire. On a car a blowout might be a problem, on a motorcycle a blowout WILL be a problem.
However, any motorcycle owner who has had a flat knows that they always seem to occur at the furthest point from home or from a tire store. When you are riding in an area that is away from immediate assistance what can you do if you have a fiat?
slime
A while back I discovered Slime products the hard way. Riding in a rural part of Louisiana I ran over a large, industrial sized cotter pin. By the time I saw it, it was too late to serve and a popping noise told me that it embedded itself in my tire. With the bike pulled to the side of the road I could see the pin still in the tire and knew that if it were removed IRE PLUC Km it I would quickly have a flat. About 5 miles back I had passed a country store so I headed that direction hoping that my tire would hold out.
At first the proprietor said that he didn't have any kind of tire repair kits. Then he came outside, where I was examining the damaged tire and wondering how I was going to get home, with a Slime Tire Plug Kit. It was a trip saver and with the repair I was able to make it home without incident.
Since them I always carry a Slime Tire Plug Kit on my bike.
Even with that I have been concerned about what would happen if I had a flat where I did not have access to an air pump.
Voila! Slime has solved that problem with their Slime SmartSpair Sealant and Inflator Kit. This kit comes complete with a bottle of Tire Sealant, a tire pressure gauge and an air compressor with various electrical connectors that can be plugged into a cigarette lighter or connected directly to your battery. The Slime SmartSpair is neatly packed into a zippered POUCh that is approximately 7" by 7" by 2".
-The Slime chemists have developed a state of the art system of environmentally friendly fibers, binders, polymers and proprietary congealing agents that inter-twine and clot to seal punctures up to 1/4"(6mm) in tubeless tires & 1/8"(3mm) in tube tires.
This Fibroses lattice, together with the ViSCOUS transportation system, seeks out and tightly packs itself into any puncture area, preventing and repairing flats with a flexible long lasting plug.
If that is too technical sounding — bottom line is It Works! To paraphrase a saying among bikers, "Chrome won't get you home — but Slime will!"
The SmartSpair Sealant & Inflator Kit retails for around $29.95.
Put both the SmartSpair and a Slime Tire Plug Kit in your saddlebag for that little extra peace of mind.
www.Slime.com 888-45-SLIME
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