Amazon Prime Day Is Here — What’s In It For Us?
We know what you’re thinking: What’s this doing on Hot Bike? What in the wide world of sports does Amazon Prime Day have to do with motorcycles? Sure, Amazon’s great and all. But is it really going to sell motorcycle stuff on Prime Day?
Probably, yeah.
On Prime Day, Amazon offers exclusive deals to its approximately 100 million Prime members from stores all over the site, from tech to sporting goods to computers to clothes. Fact is, Prime Day has gotten bigger every year, with more deals, more Lightning Sales (timed deals), and more categories of stuff blown out at ridiculous prices. At this point, it’s kind of like Amazon’s Black Friday, but in July. It’s coming back next week, and chances are you or someone you know is going to take advantage of it. So why not be prepared, just in case the price of your favorite Arai, GoPro, or windshield gets cut to half-price?
If you’ve never typed “motorcycle accessories” into an Amazon search box, prepare to be amazed: From covers to cargo nets to disc locks to leather saddlebags to just about anything else a rider can imagine – it’s all there. (Seriously, check out this sweet three-rail bike trailer.) Now be ready on Monday July 16 at noon PST for an Amazon onslaught of bargains, deals, and flash sales every hour until Tuesday at midnight EST.
The only hitch (aside from the undeniable fact that Prime Day somehow lasts 36 hours)? To take advantage of the deals, you’ve got to be a Prime member. If you are, then you know how it works. If you’re not yet one of the 100 million people who are already enrolled in Amazon Prime, clearly you’re skeptical, and that’s cool – but it doesn’t mean you can’t jump on the Prime Day bargains. Just sign up for a free 30-day trial here, then cancel later. Boom.
Keep an eye on this space throughout Prime Day, as we’ll constantly be cluing you guys in to moto-friendly deals on stuff we’d really recommend (surprise, there’s plenty of crap out there!). If we’ve used it, reviewed it, or can’t ride without it, we’ll let you know right here.
Another pro tip: Amazon experts recommend downloading the Amazon app onto your phone, then loading up your shopping cart or wishlist with a bunch of stuff you really want (yes, you can do this without actually purchasing them). Then, during Prime Day, the app will send you notifications if and when your dream item goes on sale. Bell Bullitt? Check. Leather jacket? Yes, please. GoPro Hero 6? Thank you very much.
Oh, and get your significant other something nice, willya?
Below are some tips if you have something you’re hoping to buy on discount.
WHEN PRIME DAY STARTS
Starts: Prime Day kicks off on Monday, July 16 at 3 p.m. ET.
Ends: 36 hours later on Wednesday, July 18 at 3 a.m. ET.
That’s not all, though. You can expect bursts of pre-Prime Day deals from July 3 all the way to kickoff. Amazon already has a bunch of deals on its own devices, which we’ve highlighted below, and more are on the way.
HOW TO SNAG THE BEST DEALS
Prime Day is basically another Black Friday for Amazon. There are deals on almost everything, but not all of them are great. But to join the deal party, you must be an Amazon Prime member. You can sign up for Amazon Prime here. There is a 1-month free trial, and students can get 6 months free (and a discount), but odds are you’re already onboard. If not, you should know that Prime is about $10 a month (if you subscribe annually) and offers free 2-day shipping on many items and access to the Prime Video service. There are other perks, like free Kindle books, and you can read them all here.
Get Your Cards in Order: Timing is everything. Sign up for Amazon Prime, and if you don’t shop on Amazon all that often, make sure your credit card and shipping address defaults are set, and that you have 1-click ordering enabled. Once you add a deal item to your cart, you’ll have about 15 minutes to buy before it’s released to another eager shopper.
Deals We’re Watching
VUP Silicone Bike Phone Mount– Until 11:05am PST
Anker Ultra-Bright Tactical Flashlight with 1300 Lumens– Until 1:25pm PST
Youphoria Outdoors Quick Dry Travel Towel with Carry Bag– Until 1:00pm PST
Forbidden Road Portable Sleeping Bag Single 15℃/60℉– Until 3:00pm PST
Big deals on Gerber Knives and Tools
Battery Tender 081-0158 Black Quick Disconnect Plug with USB Charger
Pelican Storm iM2950 Case With Foam
Tiger Insulated Travel Mug, 16-Ounce
If you’ve spent any time getting greasy in the garage, there’s a good chance you’ve needed to turn to Gojo at the end of the day to get your hands clean. Natural scrubbing pumice helps get all the nooks and crannies without drying out those hard working hands. Right now you can save 54% and get a gallon for $12.79
When you’re on a bike, every bit of space counts. A sleeping bag that can cinch down and stay small is a major asset, especially when it only weighs 3.2lbs and is comfortable down to 35-degrees. At 41% off, this bag is a steal until 7:30PST Monday night!
This multifunctional tarp is essentially just a well designed, tough piece of waterproof material with a bunch of hook points to make it suit whatever task you may need it to accomplish. Not only can you use it to keep you and all of your things dry when you stop to camp, you can wrap everything in it or turn the tarp into a makeshift bag for the journey. At $33.99, it’s 24% off until 6:30PST.
Legendary boot company FRYE has its entire stable of men’s and women’s boots on sale throughout Prime Day. Renowned for quality as well as style, FRYEs range from subtle, standard Harness boots in 8- and 12-inch styles to clunky Engineer boots, classic Cowboy boots, and these killer side-zip Folsom Combat boots (shown) for an unreal 40 percent off (they come in four colors; we dig the redwood.) Are they made for motorcycling? Definitely not; you won’t find steel toes or shifter pads here. You will, though, find excellent craftsmanship, rubber soles, and top quality leather.
If you can’t ride regularly, this 5W solar panel with built-in Battery Tender is a hassle-free solution, particularly if you keep your bike in a storage shed or other facility with limited power. It has a built-in microcontroller; it’s waterproof and spark-proof, so it’s great for outdoors; and it has a temperature-compensation sensor to maintain flow only when needed. Especially ideal for riders in the US Southwest, where direct sunlight is plentiful year-round. Regularly $79.95, through Tuesday 7/17 you can get it for $57 (plus free shipping).
That’s a savings of $22.95 – 29% off.
Cleaning your bike can be a royal pain, but what if you could score everything you needed to get your machine shiny again in one handy package? This 7-piece kit from Meguiar’s is all that and more; it cleans and protects all your bike’s surfaces including paint, plastic, leather, vinyl, and metal, and takes the guesswork out of it too – just spray it on and rinse off. The pieces in the kit are even sized to fit in smaller spaces like your saddlebag.
On Prime Day, you get an additional 20% off. Pretty sweet, eh?
Lightning Deal! This sale will end at approximately 9:30 pm EST
Make or receive calls, listen to music, or GPS voice guidance with the LX-B2. Connect to any Bluetooth-enabled music player, GPS device, or mobile phone. Choose between a boom microphone for open- or flip-face (convertible) helmets, or a button microphone for full-face helmets. The universal pairing feature means it’s compatible with most Bluetooth headsets or earpieces on the market. Speakers included. Designed to fit most full-face, convertible, and open-face helmets, the LX-B2 is regularly $139.99; right now, you can get it $103.99 – that’s over 25% off. Full disclosure: We’re not familiar with the brand, but this unit gets four out of five stars by Amazon reviewers.
$59.99 for a DOT-approved full face helmet with a sun visor? Yes please! Of course, there’s a catch—that’s for an XL-size noggin. But this Lightning Deal extends to the Large size too, which is just $63, and a Medium runs only $55. For an ABS Shell with multi-density EPS liner and fully adjustable intake and exhaust vents, you could do a lot worse. It all ends at 1:45pm PT though, so don’t dally.