Indeed... used shoes get only a year. But that's REI... Not the manufacturer. I cannot fault them for limiting some returns.
Turbo.... Good that you will only shop vendors that support motor sports. I am not that disciplined. When I am racing paddleboards for 12 miles in the ocean or seeking a good pack, gps, satellite messenger, msr fuel bottle, space blanket, replacement water bladder, pair of shorts, etc... REI has that covered (plus they sponsor mtb races I have raced and SUP races in the NW I have raced). I doubt my local motorcycle shop might carry a best of breed item I may wish to have. Clearly I shop motorcycle shops and vendors for motor parts and the motorcycles. Clothing and accessories for me serve many sports and activities. If a motor sports supporter sells a comparable product it would be considered... But only purchased if it was good. A logo and an ad campaign are simply marketing and do not represent product quality. When I am miles from shore or miles in the outback, I trust myself, not the marketing genius of companies like Red Bull and Monster, that could make me extremely sick and near dead by the side of the road after ingesting their foul soup. One company I do support and represents a few of the sports I am involved is Virus, http://www.virusintl.com/index.html. They have developed and supported moto and the paddling community with products I use for each. Hammer Nutrition also a company that supports athletes period.
Its EZ to get caught up on all this. I had a friend get bitched out on the trail the other day by another rider for eating a cliff bar. Not cool. Buy what you want where you want and move on with life. Yeah, I personally try to avoid stuff and stores I know are anti ORV but I don't go crazy with it. 98% of stuff I buy it from moto on line retailers or my local MC store so all is good.
I'd like to see this conversation get back on topic. Though I wonder if Coffee can move these political posts elsewhere so we can continue that part of the discussion. I, for one, would like to know more about which vendors are not MC friendly. It's frustrating for me because I have other passions in sports like mountain biking, fly fishing, back country skiing and hiking. There are some conflicts of interest, I'm sure, when it comes to access and support.
http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbike/feature/debunking-the-myth-about-camelbak-9932.html http://www.suwa.org/wp-content/uploads/OutdoorRetailersLetter.pdf The Utah issue includes also federal lands open to drilling and mining. It is very much a discussion of mixed use on a grand scale.
What? Cliff bars are evil too? I propose someone hurry up and create an App that we can all follow daily so we know which vendors are good and bad. How else will we survive in this fast pace PC world?
