- This topic has 12 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 8 months ago by Overtime.
What do you think about the gear?
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July 11, 2010 at 4:41 pm #4098Jordan S.Participant
Hey everyone im new, name is Jordan.
Anyway I was just thinking about gear and I had already chosen some gear that I though was good. But I ran across that post with that girl that got all the road rash and the eyeball popping out (eww) and it really scared me.
So I decided I want to be protected like a tank (if possible) and really just be geared up for the crash (witch im told is inevitable- just only the degree of what happens in it changes).
So I wanted two thinks to make sure that even if I fell going 75mph (hope I dont) I would survive with minimal scraping and two to be highly visible.
I went for a 1 pc suit, here are the things I chose:
http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/sport/leather+motorcycle+suits/axo_bullet+1+piece+suit
http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/sport/motorcycle+boots/axo_q6+watertech+boots#
OR
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=1759http://www.motorcycles508.com/servlet/the-1951/Scorpion-EXO-dsh-700-Motorcycle-Helmet/Detail
http://www.leatherup.com/p/Mens-Motorcycle-Fabric-Vests/Xelement-Yellow/Green-High-Visibility-Motorcycle-Vest/95598.html
and eventually:
http://www.bikebone.com/page/BBSC/PROD/AT/Vest-YSLet me know what you think.
Thanks!
-Jordan S.
July 11, 2010 at 7:48 pm #27445eternal05ParticipantI’m all for safety, but buying a one-piece suit to wear on the road will lead to only one thing: you not wearing it. I have a one-piece for the track, and I NEVER wear it on the road. Here’s why:
1) They take way too long to get into and out of, even with an undersuit.
2) If you want to go somewhere, you’ll need to take a change of clothes with you (unless you plan to go through your work day wearing leathers).
3) Going to the bathroom is problematic.
4) You will get WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too hot on hot days.
5) When you get off the bike, you have nowhere to carry things like a phone, wallet, keys, etc.
The thing is, yes, a one-piece suit is very safe, but a cheaper one-piece is not necessarily safer than a nice jacket and pants. Really, the only benefit of a one-piece suit over nice two-piece gear is that you aren’t vulnerable where the jacket and pants join at the waist. Otherwise, it’s basically the same.
What you have to remember is that the more difficult it is to use a piece of gear, the less likely you are to continue wearing it every time you go out. Imagine you just need to run to the store to grab some half and half or mail your rent check? You’re telling me you’re really going to squeeze into your suit to do that?
One last thing: it is wise to be realistic about the risks of riding, but accepting that you will crash is not. Your goal is never to crash. Every time you crash, especially the higher the speed, you risk death, or worse: vegetable-ization. While it is very likely that, during the early learning phase, you might drop your bike at a stop or during a low-speed u-turn, a crash at 75mph should NEVER happen. You should be prepared and properly protected if it does, but you should NOT assume it is an inevitablity.
My recommendation is that you get a solid armored leather jacket (perforated if you live in a hot climate), a solid pair of armored overpants, textile riding pants, or armored riding jeans (not regular jeans!), and a really solid pair of boots.
July 11, 2010 at 11:10 pm #27448WeaponZeroParticipantI like the ICON boots. I own them myself and they’re great. They’re probably the single best street riding boots you’ll find in the price range due to raw protection. Ventilation is great too.
AXO’s gear is good but not great. Certainly respectable but there is better out there.
One-piece suits are a bad idea for street riders. Two piece is MUCH more practical due to all the reasons mentioned above by eternal. Personally all I own is a pair of kevlar mesh long johns I wear under my jeans along with Knox Cross Knee knee guards. Going to get something more when I lose enough weight to justify spending money on higher end gear. Most likely a two-piece suit.
For gloves I personally would recommend Teknic Lightnings if you’re on a budget. Probably the best gloves you can get for under $100.
The helmet is a good choice. Scorpion makes solid gear.
July 12, 2010 at 5:47 am #27453Jordan S.ParticipantI feel that id rather be safe than sorry and I don’t really want to find out if my gear is good or not by crashing.
I dont really know what type of gear is good or not and even though I live in a hotter climate id rather be protected than have to sacrifice it to be more… comfortable.
I cant seem to find anything that has kevlar in it or alot of cowhide besides what I posted. I heard that other synthetics such as polyester can melt to your skin, so id rather stay away from that.
Any proven suggestions?
Thought about these:
I saw a guy riding the pants above and he highly recommended them.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
EDIT: I found a site called motorport making Air mesh jackets 10x stronger than leather and its cool in hot weather!
July 12, 2010 at 6:17 am #27456eonParticipantThe Motoport stuff comes highly recommended by owners and if the claims of the business owner are to be believed, it is the best stuff out there. I couldn’t quite get over the style of them though, plus the owner came across as a bit of an asshole to me. But if you like it it is supposed to be very safe. I ended up with RevIt gear, mainly on the recommendations of webbikeworld. Have not crash tested it but so far really like it.
Most (all?) jackets/pants come with zippers that allow you to attach them together. This gives you the flexibility to wear just the jacket for a small trip, and you will want to cut corners at some point. You might not believe us but it will happen. I don’t wear my motorcycle pants for my shortest trips as the danger (ie speed) is low and the inconvenience high.
Haven’t been able to check all your links as I’m having to enter this on my phone, but check out high end boots from the likes of Sidi, Alpinestars and others. I just cant bring myself to wear just a pair of “sturdy” boots.
July 12, 2010 at 4:08 pm #27461ranetteParticipantWould have to go along with everyone else here and urge you to go with high quality, traditional street wear. I live in a cool climate, but the thought of pulling on a one piece suit every time I wanted to take a ride would keep me off the bike a good portion of the time, or more dangerously it might keep me from gearing up when I did go out.
Personally I like the look of jeans more than riding pants so ride with a pair of Forcefield Pro Armored Pants http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/forcefield-pro-pants under a pair of Draggin Jeans and a pair of Alpinestars boots.
On top either a Dainese leather or a Corazzo textile jacket, Dainese gloves and a Nolan or Suomy helmet. Echoing Eon, which I’ve done a number of times over past year or so, I would urge you to check out the Rev It stuff; not cheap, but you could spend a lot more on a lot less. Everyone who has it seems to love it. I like the look of the CR jacket which comes in both textile and leather versions.
Most of us on this site take protecting ourselves very seriously, but there are reasons why 99% of riders would not choose a one piece for the street. I don’t think that anyone should think of their gear as a forcefield that will protect them from anything that might happen. All it can do, regardless of what you choose, is lessen the damage that would occur if you were not properly protected. Don’t think that you’re totally shielded from harm regardless of what you’re wearing, that could lead to a reckless, overconfident riding style.
In closing, buy good stuff, from a reputable manufacturer, made for riding in the street, and then wear it every time you swing a leg over your bike. That’s your best bet.
July 12, 2010 at 4:08 pm #27462eternal05ParticipantI own three pairs of boots: two from one, and one from the other. They’re fantastic.
July 12, 2010 at 5:56 pm #27465briderdtParticipant… I bought some Rigg’s Wear Ranger pants from Denimexpress.com, for $33 a pair. Cordura (the same material used in a lot of the high-cost riding pants), double layer over the thigh/knee, and (my favorite feature) cargo pockets. I just wear a pair of knee/shin guards underneath the pants, and I’m good. When I get to work, I just doff the shin guards.
July 15, 2010 at 11:57 pm #27527gitchy42ParticipantHate to say it, but some of the best reviews, as far as protection goes is in crash reports/reviews from riders. These are people that have tested the crash-worthiness of the gear the hard way, and will show any weak-point in their gear.
When I was looking for a jacket, I found the FieldSheer Corsair on closeout at the local Cycle Gear, did a review search on it and found a guy that had a high-speed crash, slid a long way and the jacket barely had a scuff on it. Of course, this review didn’t help me figure out the ergos for it, but it made me a lot more comfortable with the purchase decision.
July 16, 2010 at 12:05 am #27528gitchy42ParticipantI would suggest that you go with either Overpants or riding jeans to start with. Preferably armored, but you can go a little cheaper on the pants and buy some field armor too.
Overpants are nice, in that they go OVER whatever you are wearing, meaning that for 30sec worth of hassle (not much), you have protection and you don’t have to change out of your gear when you get to work, just unzip and slide them off. An up side and a downside to them however is that they are usually waterproof/windproof, which means that they are quite warm on hot days, but if it is a little drizzly out you don’t have to worry about your clothes getting wet.
July 16, 2010 at 12:18 am #27530WeaponZeroParticipantMy next pair of boots is going to be a pair of A-Stars S-MX R boots. Everything I’ve read on them says they’re perfect for my needs plus I trust A-Stars gear. On top of that, I’ve done some research and found they run a bit wider than normal which is good for me as I have a wide foot.
July 16, 2010 at 12:43 am #27533ranetteParticipantMy Alpinestars boots are the Harlems. Believe they’ve been discontinued; kind of a somewhat fashionable urban riding boot, and they are definitely designed for a wide foot. So it doesn’t surprise me that another item in their line might run a bit wide as well.
July 16, 2010 at 3:18 pm #27540OvertimeParticipantI applaud your dedication to wearing gear, but I think you should do yourself a favor and make it an easy habit to keep!
I will echo what others have said: get vented easy to wear street gear that you will ALWAYS WEAR NO MATTER WHAT. The example of going out to get half and half or mail a check is the perfect one. Sadly, I’ve already crash tested my gear (new rider this season!). I had to get up early to make a meeting at work, and took a risk in a situation that had traffic patterns I wasn’t used to (8am traffic is very different than 10am traffic). I made it but ended up going too hot into a tight turn, dragged the pegs trying to make it and lowsided. In hindsight, a million things I would have done differently…lesson(s) learned!
I got lucky and there were no cars in the two oncoming lanes of traffic I skidded across. I was wearing:
cortech FSX II jacket
shift kevlar reinforced riding jeans
a-stars SMX-R boots
snell + dot HJC helmet
I can’t remember the model of my glovesI was completely uninjured. $1000 damage to the bike as it got wedged under the guard rail on the opposite side of the road, tore some seams and holes in my jacket, sanded down the nice moulded armor pieces on the boots completely flat, the black painted metal studs on the palms of my gloves are now shiny and pock-marked, and the seams of the gloves show some slight wear although the stitching held. There were several large holes torn through the bottoms of the legs of the jeans (no reinforcement) at where my boots were, and the boots absorbed all the damage. (And are still completely wearable and look awesome still! A+++ for the smx-r!) The butt and theighs of the jeans show a few tiny spots of distress, but completely held up in the tough/reinforced spots where I must have slid. Another tiny miracle: I was wearing a big backpack at the time, and early on in the slide I happened to roll onto my back and slid backwards on the backpack for much of the distance (it is full of holes but still usable as well!).
The point is…I was late for work, rushing in for a meeting. I have gear that I always wear no matter what and I can put on in about one minute. It was more than enough to save my bacon, and if I *HAD* been hit by a car, it wouldn’t have mattered if I had on leathers or cortech…
Gear is like sunscreen. The difference between spf 45, 60, and 90 is really academic. The best stuff is the stuff you wear!
Look luck, and stay safe
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