Metro Air Force Sidekick
breaks the $100 dryer barrier!
Product review by Terry Freiberg
If you own a bike, you owe it to yourself
to invest in a motorcycle dryer. It's the only way to remove water that
settles in all the nooks and crannies. Until now, motorcycle dryers have been in
the $200 to $229. price range. Metro has just changed that with their new Air
Force Sidekick Dryer. The natural question is, "How does the Sidekick
compare to the 'big dryers'?" In my opinion, and I'm being ruthlessly
honest, the Sidekick is a little gem, much easier to use than my larger blaster
with it's stiff hose but it does take longer to dry a big bike.
Being about the most impatient person on the
planet and wanting my bike dry NOW, I still prefer the larger
Black Baron and
Air Force Blaster
with their brute force 29,000 FPM air flow. That said, the Sidekick beats the
pants off the leaf blower that I had been using to dry my bike and only when
compared directly with it's more powerful big brothers does the extra drying
power become apparent.
For most bikers, the light
weight and ease of use is going to be valued more than the extra power of the
big dryers. If you ride a bike, this should be the first item on your accessory
list.
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Sidekick with air
flare nozzle. |
Sidekick with blaster
nozzle. |
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Blasts water off
wheels. |
Dries engines spot free! |
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Bottom line, my hat goes off to the
good folks at Metro for making a rock-solid, all steel, made-in-the-USA product.
The Sidekick weighs just over 3 pounds, kicks out a respectable 18,000 FPM of
warm, filtered air and comes with a neoprene blaster nozzle and an air
flare attachment. The 1.3 HP motor draws 8 amps and the entire unit comes with a
one year warranty. A steal for a hundred bucks.
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