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gfloyd2002 · December 22nd, 2010, 04:13 AM

Following is a list of gear sites including comments from members, my own personal experience and opinions from research regarding key site features, shipping costs and customer service policies. This is a work in progress, so please post opinions based on your experiences or what makes the site special. As Alex points out below, there is another thread focusing on parts sites, and including gear sites HERE. I'll regularly update this op to incorporate member comment and suggested vendors.

NewEnough.com/MotorcycleGear.com: Recently changed name from NewEnough to MotorcycleGear. Same family run business with great reputation for service. Good sales on tons of closeout items, and unlike some others the closeouts aren't ever factory seconds. Best return policies around - no questions asked and they pay for return shipping, even on closeout items, if you are exchanging/getting store credit. Have online chat, and actually respond to email. Free shipping over $89, standard shipping $9. No extra costs/delays for military orders. Verdict: The kind of place you can feel good supporting and make your goto vendor.

Revzilla: Great home-made gear videos makes this a good site for research. Reputation for customer service, including near perfect reviews on business rating sites. A good selection, including some higher-end gear you sometimes don't find on the megasites. Free shipping for orders over $40 (only for continental U.S.), otherwise $7.50. Price match guarantee and a customer loyalty program. Return practices get good reviews in practice, and customer service is lauded, but for non-store credit returns they only refund you 90% cash, other 10% in store credit -- a bad policy, and you pay shipping. Verdict: Great place to buy and research gear, among the best. Would be best option if not for meh returns policy.

(EDIT: They do now offer 100% refund to the original payment method (except for wire transfer or check, but really, 99.99% are going to be using a credit card for an online purchase).

Bike Bandit: Good selection of gear, and easy to use filters make it simple to find what you need. (Has lots of parts in addition to gear, and allows you to search by motorcycle.) Really friendly site with cool Q&A feature to get quick feedback on products and live customer service chat. Have a best price guarantee. Nice videos for some products. Near 100% ratings at busines review sites and an AMA supporter. Shipping $7 for orders $20 and under, $9 for orders over $20, no free shipping. Will not reliably ship to military addresses, but provides no information when they can or can't (it depends on the manufacturer, as Bike Bandit usually does not ship themselves.) Because they rely on third parties for their inventory and shipping, they are not as reliable as some. OEM returns are tricky, but for gear, just need to report the return in your online account - you pay shipping. Verdict: Easy place to shop with customer friendly features, only lack of free shipping and lack of control over shipping (including being non-military friendly) keeps them from being one of the top couple of options. As it stands, only a

Motorcycle Superstore: Huge selection and very useful user reviews, good customer service and return policies. Lowest price guarantee. Videos for many products and good filters that allow easy selection of gear. Generous return policy, but you pay shipping. A nice live chat customer service feature. Free shipping over $89, for under shipping only $7. $10 additional shipping for military, Alaska and Hawaii regardless of order size, and will send to military via parcel post (i.e. the slow boat to China.) Verdict: IMHO, one of the best vendors, provided you aren't military.

Sportbike Track Gear (STG): Sportbike focused site, with useful selection tool filtering by bike model. Nice product videos are very useful for research. A great military buyer discount, without extra shipping charges to overseas military addresses (unlike Motorcycle Superstore, Iron Pony, etc.) Orders over $150 ship free. Standard shipping $10. Decent returns reputation, but you pay for shipping and have to get pre-authorization to return an item. Verdict: A must visit for the great videos as you do your research, and a good option for purchase (especially for military), even though shipping and return policies don't match the best.

JakeWilson.com: Professional operation, with quality customer service and quick turnaround on orders. An enourmous selection of items not limited to gear, so large in fact that it is sometimes hard to navigate the site. Have a frequent buyer program. Free shipping over $99, other orders $7. Extra fees for Alaska and Hawaii. Prior authorization required for returns, and a 30 day time limit but they pay the shipping if the reason is bad fit. Verdict: Thumbs up for the low shipping costs and fit guarantee, and prices seem good too. Too bad site is a bit awkward. Definately one to put into your favorites.

Competition Accessories: Some really good closeout and sale deals at this outlet-style site.

Helmet Express: Helmets only site, great selection with really detailed descriptions.

Rider's Discount: Huge selection, among largest. Ships internationally. Price matching policy and customer service that understands sizing peculiarities of brands.

Dennis Kirk: Coming soon.

Motorcycle Closeouts: Coming soon.

Helmet City: More than just helmets, with a decent selection of other gear. Free shipping regardless of order size is best shipping policy anywhere. Will ship to military at no extra cost. 30 day return policy no questions asked, but customer pays shipping and no returns on clearance items. Despite helmet focus, prices seems to lag a bit behind Motorcycle Superstore on helmets. Low price guarantee takes care of that, but you have to work for it. Verdict: Great free shipping, but meh return policies and so-so pricing. A fine choice that could offer the best price on low cost items (when others charge shipping), and best prices if you comparison shop and use guarantee, but not top tier.

Knee Draggers: Easy to navigate sight with good selection. Has a price match guarantee -- sort of. They reserve right to not match if they don't feel like it. Umm, that isn't a guarantee. That said, prices are good - I could have saved about $20 bucks on a $130 order I just made with Motorcycle Superstore. Ouch. Customer pays shipping on returns, with a 21 day time limit, and no returns of any sale items. No clear explanation of shipping costs except free over $99 (except military, Alaska, Hawaii) and direction to put something into your cart and see what happens. Boo. Online customer service chat wasn't working two times I tried. Outstanding ratings with business review sites, and good personal experience with quick, accurate order at fair price. Just cancelled their rider rewards program for 2011. Verdict: Return and shipping policies aren't up to par, but selection, prices and reputation are.

More Power Racing: Free shipping for any size order and low price guarantee. Unlike some others (cough, helmetcity, cough), prices already good so you may not need to use the guarantee to get them. Has gear, also tons of parts. Site navigation a bit awkward, without good filtering of results -- you end up needing to shop by brand (a pet peeve.) Return policies are bad. They charge a restocking fee, you pay shipping (and you don't get free shipping if you exchange), you have to get preauthorization and there is a 30 day limit. Verdict: Free shipping and good prices a great combo for the wallet, but site navigation and awful returns policy will keep me away.

Extreme Supply: Another good closeout deals site, with a price match policy. Located in SoCal, so if you are even using free shipping, quick turnaround on orders. Free shipping over $100, $13 or $8 standard shipping depending on size of item, $35 for Alaska/Hawaii. Restrictive return policy requires 5 day or 15 day action from you, depending on reason for return, and preauthorization before you pay to ship the product back. Verdict: Other sites have better shipping and return policies, but it is worth checking their closeouts and prices, especially if you live in Cali.

Cycle Gear: Cycle Gear's selection is good, backed up by retail stores in CA - a huge convenience if you are nearby. They have free shipping over $69, $6.99 shipping for orders under $69, the best out there. They're a Dainese authorized retailer, a big plus. Site navigation can be clunky, but they list what's in stock and what's not. They've got a no hassle return policy, though you pay shipping, and don't charge restocking fees. Only real issue is that, despite 10% military discount, they don't support those serving overseas -- foreign IP addresses are blocked from ordering online. Would be a

, but lack of support for troops and others serving overseas downgrades to a

Iron Pony: Big eBay merchant that also has this e-storefront. Great prices on closeout items, and they do well at bulk ordering these closeouts on gear you don't find everywhere. However, they don't accept returns on their sale items. Shipping is $9, free over $100, but there is a $20 fee added to military, hawaii or alaska addresses (boo!). Verdict: In most cases, better to stick with New Enough or other site with better customer service and shipping policies, but if you are in the continental US and are willing to risk inabilty to return, they have good sales.

Ridegear: A spinoff of cruisercustomizing.com focused on sportbikes, with a nice "shop by bike model" feature. Lots of focus on parts, but much gear, too. Shipping $9 for orders under $75, though they advertise free shipping on all orders. (The $9 is for "handling." *cough* bullcrap *cough*.) I couldn't find mention of extra charges for military shipping, but in checkout - deep in the process - there was an extra shipping charge. Good return policy, a longish 90 day time limit, fill out a form with no questions asked, but you pay shipping. Have a price match guarantee, but a page full of small print of exceptions, including "we reserve the right to cancel the order." (*cough* bullcrap *cough*.) Privacy policy: "Customer information is considered to be an asset of RideGear." In researching the reputation of the site, ran across glowing reviews from customer "Kyle B." Oddly enough, the company's community director is named Kyle Bradshaw. Nice ethics, buddy. Verdict: IMHO, not a good choice with so many honest, customer focused sites out there. I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

December 22nd, 2010, 04:13 AM	#1
gfloyd2002 User Title Free Since '12 Name: Floyd Location: Barbados Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): '10 Ninja 250R Special Edition Green Posts: A lot. Blog Entries: 13 MOTM - Feb '12	Places to Buy Gear Online Following is a list of gear sites including comments from members, my own personal experience and opinions from research regarding key site features, shipping costs and customer service policies. This is a work in progress, so please post opinions based on your experiences or what makes the site special. As Alex points out below, there is another thread focusing on parts sites, and including gear sites HERE. I'll regularly update this op to incorporate member comment and suggested vendors. NewEnough.com/MotorcycleGear.com: Recently changed name from NewEnough to MotorcycleGear. Same family run business with great reputation for service. Good sales on tons of closeout items, and unlike some others the closeouts aren't ever factory seconds. Best return policies around - no questions asked and they pay for return shipping, even on closeout items, if you are exchanging/getting store credit. Have online chat, and actually respond to email. Free shipping over $89, standard shipping $9. No extra costs/delays for military orders. Verdict: The kind of place you can feel good supporting and make your goto vendor. Revzilla: Great home-made gear videos makes this a good site for research. Reputation for customer service, including near perfect reviews on business rating sites. A good selection, including some higher-end gear you sometimes don't find on the megasites. Free shipping for orders over $40 (only for continental U.S.), otherwise $7.50. Price match guarantee and a customer loyalty program. Return practices get good reviews in practice, and customer service is lauded, but for non-store credit returns they only refund you 90% cash, other 10% in store credit -- a bad policy, and you pay shipping. Verdict: Great place to buy and research gear, among the best. Would be best option if not for meh returns policy. (EDIT: They do now offer 100% refund to the original payment method (except for wire transfer or check, but really, 99.99% are going to be using a credit card for an online purchase). Bike Bandit: Good selection of gear, and easy to use filters make it simple to find what you need. (Has lots of parts in addition to gear, and allows you to search by motorcycle.) Really friendly site with cool Q&A feature to get quick feedback on products and live customer service chat. Have a best price guarantee. Nice videos for some products. Near 100% ratings at busines review sites and an AMA supporter. Shipping $7 for orders $20 and under, $9 for orders over $20, no free shipping. Will not reliably ship to military addresses, but provides no information when they can or can't (it depends on the manufacturer, as Bike Bandit usually does not ship themselves.) Because they rely on third parties for their inventory and shipping, they are not as reliable as some. OEM returns are tricky, but for gear, just need to report the return in your online account - you pay shipping. Verdict: Easy place to shop with customer friendly features, only lack of free shipping and lack of control over shipping (including being non-military friendly) keeps them from being one of the top couple of options. As it stands, only a Motorcycle Superstore: Huge selection and very useful user reviews, good customer service and return policies. Lowest price guarantee. Videos for many products and good filters that allow easy selection of gear. Generous return policy, but you pay shipping. A nice live chat customer service feature. Free shipping over $89, for under shipping only $7. $10 additional shipping for military, Alaska and Hawaii regardless of order size, and will send to military via parcel post (i.e. the slow boat to China.) Verdict: IMHO, one of the best vendors, provided you aren't military. Sportbike Track Gear (STG): Sportbike focused site, with useful selection tool filtering by bike model. Nice product videos are very useful for research. A great military buyer discount, without extra shipping charges to overseas military addresses (unlike Motorcycle Superstore, Iron Pony, etc.) Orders over $150 ship free. Standard shipping $10. Decent returns reputation, but you pay for shipping and have to get pre-authorization to return an item. Verdict: A must visit for the great videos as you do your research, and a good option for purchase (especially for military), even though shipping and return policies don't match the best. JakeWilson.com: Professional operation, with quality customer service and quick turnaround on orders. An enourmous selection of items not limited to gear, so large in fact that it is sometimes hard to navigate the site. Have a frequent buyer program. Free shipping over $99, other orders $7. Extra fees for Alaska and Hawaii. Prior authorization required for returns, and a 30 day time limit but they pay the shipping if the reason is bad fit. Verdict: Thumbs up for the low shipping costs and fit guarantee, and prices seem good too. Too bad site is a bit awkward. Definately one to put into your favorites. Competition Accessories: Some really good closeout and sale deals at this outlet-style site. Helmet Express: Helmets only site, great selection with really detailed descriptions. Rider's Discount: Huge selection, among largest. Ships internationally. Price matching policy and customer service that understands sizing peculiarities of brands. Dennis Kirk: Coming soon. Motorcycle Closeouts: Coming soon. Helmet City: More than just helmets, with a decent selection of other gear. Free shipping regardless of order size is best shipping policy anywhere. Will ship to military at no extra cost. 30 day return policy no questions asked, but customer pays shipping and no returns on clearance items. Despite helmet focus, prices seems to lag a bit behind Motorcycle Superstore on helmets. Low price guarantee takes care of that, but you have to work for it. Verdict: Great free shipping, but meh return policies and so-so pricing. A fine choice that could offer the best price on low cost items (when others charge shipping), and best prices if you comparison shop and use guarantee, but not top tier. Knee Draggers: Easy to navigate sight with good selection. Has a price match guarantee -- sort of. They reserve right to not match if they don't feel like it. Umm, that isn't a guarantee. That said, prices are good - I could have saved about $20 bucks on a $130 order I just made with Motorcycle Superstore. Ouch. Customer pays shipping on returns, with a 21 day time limit, and no returns of any sale items. No clear explanation of shipping costs except free over $99 (except military, Alaska, Hawaii) and direction to put something into your cart and see what happens. Boo. Online customer service chat wasn't working two times I tried. Outstanding ratings with business review sites, and good personal experience with quick, accurate order at fair price. Just cancelled their rider rewards program for 2011. Verdict: Return and shipping policies aren't up to par, but selection, prices and reputation are. More Power Racing: Free shipping for any size order and low price guarantee. Unlike some others (cough, helmetcity, cough), prices already good so you may not need to use the guarantee to get them. Has gear, also tons of parts. Site navigation a bit awkward, without good filtering of results -- you end up needing to shop by brand (a pet peeve.) Return policies are bad. They charge a restocking fee, you pay shipping (and you don't get free shipping if you exchange), you have to get preauthorization and there is a 30 day limit. Verdict: Free shipping and good prices a great combo for the wallet, but site navigation and awful returns policy will keep me away. Extreme Supply: Another good closeout deals site, with a price match policy. Located in SoCal, so if you are even using free shipping, quick turnaround on orders. Free shipping over $100, $13 or $8 standard shipping depending on size of item, $35 for Alaska/Hawaii. Restrictive return policy requires 5 day or 15 day action from you, depending on reason for return, and preauthorization before you pay to ship the product back. Verdict: Other sites have better shipping and return policies, but it is worth checking their closeouts and prices, especially if you live in Cali. Cycle Gear: Cycle Gear's selection is good, backed up by retail stores in CA - a huge convenience if you are nearby. They have free shipping over $69, $6.99 shipping for orders under $69, the best out there. They're a Dainese authorized retailer, a big plus. Site navigation can be clunky, but they list what's in stock and what's not. They've got a no hassle return policy, though you pay shipping, and don't charge restocking fees. Only real issue is that, despite 10% military discount, they don't support those serving overseas -- foreign IP addresses are blocked from ordering online. Would be a , but lack of support for troops and others serving overseas downgrades to a Iron Pony: Big eBay merchant that also has this e-storefront. Great prices on closeout items, and they do well at bulk ordering these closeouts on gear you don't find everywhere. However, they don't accept returns on their sale items. Shipping is $9, free over $100, but there is a $20 fee added to military, hawaii or alaska addresses (boo!). Verdict: In most cases, better to stick with New Enough or other site with better customer service and shipping policies, but if you are in the continental US and are willing to risk inabilty to return, they have good sales. Ridegear: A spinoff of cruisercustomizing.com focused on sportbikes, with a nice "shop by bike model" feature. Lots of focus on parts, but much gear, too. Shipping $9 for orders under $75, though they advertise free shipping on all orders. (The $9 is for "handling." cough bullcrap cough.) I couldn't find mention of extra charges for military shipping, but in checkout - deep in the process - there was an extra shipping charge. Good return policy, a longish 90 day time limit, fill out a form with no questions asked, but you pay shipping. Have a price match guarantee, but a page full of small print of exceptions, including "we reserve the right to cancel the order." (cough bullcrap cough.) Privacy policy: "Customer information is considered to be an asset of RideGear." In researching the reputation of the site, ran across glowing reviews from customer "Kyle B." Oddly enough, the company's community director is named Kyle Bradshaw. Nice ethics, buddy. Verdict: IMHO, not a good choice with so many honest, customer focused sites out there. I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole. Last futzed with by gfloyd2002; January 12th, 2011 at 02:35 PM. Reason: Updated for new name of NewEnough, and for updated CycleGear review - Thanks CThunder-blue!