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Old June 11th, 2013, 12:29 AM   #1
dwright0723
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Gear questions

Alright so now that I completed my MSF course and have my license, its time to look for gear! I have been browsing and came up with some questions.

Helmets: Looking at helmets, some of them have quite a few features. Any particular feature that would be good to look for? Also, I know DOT approval is standard, but what about the ECE and Snell ratings? Should I look for a helmet thats DOT and ECE or DOT and Snell or DOT Snell and ECE? Or do the other 2 matter?

Jackets: I'm looking at some jackets, and they are different thicknesses. How thin would you want it to be at a minimum? Any other particular features to look for? Looking at textile jackets, I saw some with spine protection. Is this a must? On the leather ones I was looking at, I saw back protectors, but not spine protection. Or are they one in the same?

I've been browsing motorcyclesuperstore.com and motorcyclegear.com. Any other site recommendations? Any particular piece of gear recommendations? Or particular brand?
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Old June 11th, 2013, 12:58 AM   #2
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Helmet: DOT is a 'minimum' for most areas with helmet laws. ECE is the same for Europe. Snell is a third party testing system that is sort of a "+1" to the other two ratings. You can read a bit more about the differences here: http://www.webbikeworld.com/eicma-20...-standards.htm

Here's my advice: Get a helmet that FITS WELL, is either full face or a high branded modular (e.g. Shoei, Schuberth). Find a good gear shop, put the helmet on, and leave it on for thirty minutes. Move around, how do you see? Is the helmet tight enough it won't move if you shake your head around but not so tight it has pressure points? That's your sweet spot. If you have one piece of gear you can overspend on it would be the helmet.

Jacket: thickness really isn't the primary measurement here; fit and quality are more important. It needs to fit tight, like the helmet -- this shouldn't be something that fits like a street coat. The armor needs to get over the protection spot (shoulder, elbow, etc.) and stay there as you move around. It should feel a touch awkward to move in. Leather is good for abrasion, but make sure it has -- or has pockets to add -- impact protection. For a street riding piece I'd get something with a back protector integrated. The back protector is usually focused on protecting the spine and other vitals around it. As for quality look at the sewing. You don't want any loose threads or popped seams: those could tear the jacket apart in a bad situation.

Another good site to look up gearwise is revzilla. They have a good reward program, excellent customer service, and their youtube channel is a great research tool.

My favorite brands are Rev'It and Dainese for jackets and such -- they're super high quality brands that are excellent for me due to my tiny size (they're European, so they run thinner/shorter). My favorite helmet is Schuberth because it fits my head 'just right'.

Strong "quality value" brands might be A* for jackets and Shark for helmets.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 06:41 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dwright0723 View Post
Alright so now that I completed my MSF course and have my license, its time to look for gear! I have been browsing and came up with some questions.

Helmets: Looking at helmets, some of them have quite a few features. Any particular feature that would be good to look for? Also, I know DOT approval is standard, but what about the ECE and Snell ratings? Should I look for a helmet thats DOT and ECE or DOT and Snell or DOT Snell and ECE? Or do the other 2 matter?

Jackets: I'm looking at some jackets, and they are different thicknesses. How thin would you want it to be at a minimum? Any other particular features to look for? Looking at textile jackets, I saw some with spine protection. Is this a must? On the leather ones I was looking at, I saw back protectors, but not spine protection. Or are they one in the same?

I've been browsing motorcyclesuperstore.com and motorcyclegear.com. Any other site recommendations? Any particular piece of gear recommendations? Or particular brand?
I personally prefer Motorcycle-Superstore.com for buying my gear, I've had to send back a fair amount of stuff to swap out for different sizes and their customer service has never let me down.

I'd check out getting a textile jacket with mesh venting on it to keep you cool. I have a solid textile jacket and it's almost as hot as my full leather jacket. I have the AlpineStars TGP-R Air jacket (textile with some mesh venting) as my current summer jacket and it keeps me comfortable.

Definitely get something with a back protector even if you have to order it separately. I upgraded the back protector in my alpinestars jacket to the Bio Armor back protector and also got the Bio Armor chest protector inserts and I feel a lot safer now (think it was $30 and $40 for the upgrades)

For gloves I'd suggest getting full length gauntlet style gloves because they're much more protective in a slide than the short length gloves. I have a pair of Joe Rocket Phoenix and a pair of Joe Rocket GPX gloves.

I watched a friend lowside at around 15-20mph wearing the joe rocket phoenix gloves and they didn't protect him much at all, hand and forearm came out pretty rashed up (jacket slid up). Needless to say I ordered the pair of GPX gauntlet gloves and never wore my Phoenix gloves again...
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Old June 11th, 2013, 08:44 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by dwright0723 View Post
..........I've been browsing motorcyclesuperstore.com and motorcyclegear.com. Any other site recommendations? Any particular piece of gear recommendations? Or particular brand?
Congratulations on passing the course !!!

Read this:

http://roadsafety.mccofnsw.org.au/a/75.html

If you can, try a mortar store so you can feel how this staff fit to your body and head shape.

Comfort and freedom of movements are as important as protecting your skin and bones.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 11:15 AM   #5
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I personally prefer Motorcycle-Superstore.com for buying my gear, I've had to send back a fair amount of stuff to swap out for different sizes and their customer service has never let me down.
Keep doing that! It all ends up in their outlet and I get to pick it up real cheap!

For dwight, I'd also recommend Revzilla. They also have excellent customer service and their gear videos can be extremely helpful.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 11:50 AM   #6
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Great link on the different test! Will check out revzilla and the brands you recommended. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by JBizzle View Post
I personally prefer Motorcycle-Superstore.com....
Yeah they seem to have a great selection! I haven't seen anything with chest protectors. Maybe I should stop looking in the closeout section

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Congratulations on passing the course !!!

Read this:

http://roadsafety.mccofnsw.org.au/a/75.html
Thanks. I got a little big headed at the end when the RiderCoach asked me to lead the exam because they thought I was pretty good. Thanks for the link.. I've seen the SMIDSY term several times and always wondered what it meant.

Last futzed with by dwright0723; June 11th, 2013 at 11:51 AM. Reason: Ugh. N00b mistakes
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Old June 11th, 2013, 12:38 PM   #7
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.............. I've seen the SMIDSY term several times and always wondered what it meant.
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...ght=camouflage

You are welcome
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Old June 11th, 2013, 12:43 PM   #8
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You didn't mention it or I didn't see it but I'd definitely recommend full gauntlets, full boots, and over pants and/or riding pants.

I'd also recommend some kind of back protection. Back protection plus shoulder blade protection is a plus.

At a minimum for your legs I'd recommend knee/shin guards and some kind of hip armor.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 02:15 PM   #9
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Ahh Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Panda View Post
You didn't mention it or I didn't see it but I'd definitely recommend full gauntlets, full boots, and over pants and/or riding pants.

I'd also recommend some kind of back protection. Back protection plus shoulder blade protection is a plus.

At a minimum for your legs I'd recommend knee/shin guards and some kind of hip armor.
Full gauntlet are the ones that cover your wrist, correct? I see in the gear thread that's stickied, it recommends full racing boots. Whats the difference? I'm looking riding pants also. It said denim riding pants aren't good because they burn into your skin, so I'm looking at textile pants..
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Old June 11th, 2013, 02:53 PM   #10
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Yes, full gauntlets cover your wrists. Half boots which cover your ankles offer some crush protection but don't protect against hyper extending the joint.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 02:57 PM   #11
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Another really good reason to go with full boots is shin protection. The entire front of the boot is hard. Combine this with proper pants and you've got hard armor from the top of your knee all the way down to your foot... just the thing to keep those pesky kicked-up rocks from ruining your afternoon.
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Old June 11th, 2013, 03:01 PM   #12
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Id recommend the A* SMX Plus for boots. Some good ****. You can get the 2012 models for under $300 right now
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Old June 14th, 2013, 12:09 AM   #13
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Id recommend the A* SMX Plus for boots. Some good ****. You can get the 2012 models for under $300 right now
Thanks for the tip!

Damn this stuff is expensive! Just browsing closeout stuff, I'm at $800 Does anything seem over-the-top or under the top? Or see anything else I need?

Heres what I have so far:

Boots: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a...boots-closeout

Gloves: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/t...iolator-gloves

Helmet: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/s...ternity-helmet

Jacket: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/t...ro-mesh-jacket

Pants: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/j...denim-30-jeans
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Old June 14th, 2013, 06:06 AM   #14
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Prices seem to be right where they should be for new gear. Yea, it's not cheap. If your gunna go for the jeans then get some under/over armor. Knee pads and padded shorts. The padded shorts will give you a cushion on the sides of your hips. Right where you will hit the pavement in the event of a down.

If you don't mind used, you can get top brand stuff for cheap via craigslist/ebay or via your local groups. There is a HUGE track riding group in cincy and they buy and swap gear all the time. There are some really fine deals on used gear on their site. I will pm you the links if you want. Your call.

Either way, enjoy the shopping for gear. As a gear whore, I love having a few extra bucks to spend on gear. Get you some ear plugs too.

Happy riding!
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Old June 14th, 2013, 06:11 AM   #15
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One trip to the ER is a LOT more than $800.

Cheap insurance.

Back protector insert. The pad that comes in jackets is a sick joke.

Consider armor for the jeans... inserts if the pants accommodate them, or strap-on armor.

FWIW, here's my mindset when it comes to gear. Picture yourself running across a parking lot as fast as you possibly can and then hurling yourself on the ground... either "steal second base" or do a Superman head-first thing. If you're confident you can get up from that with no scrapes or significant bruising, then your gear is up to snuff.

Or, imagine bailing out of a car at 20 mph. Same criteria.

Jeans-- even Kevlar jeans -- without armor? I wouldn't do it. With armor I *might,* but I believe that full-on track gear will protect me better so that's what I wear.

Make sure that gear fits snugly (looks like it does). Armor is useless if it shifts out of position the moment you hit the pavement. This is half the reason why I switched to all-leather gear a couple of years ago. The other half is that your average mesh/textile jacket does not hold up to abrasion nearly as well.
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Old June 14th, 2013, 06:18 AM   #16
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From my experience, mesh = one crash use, then you have to rebuy.
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Old June 14th, 2013, 06:56 AM   #17
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Great start! So, I do ride with kevlar pants (with armored shorts and strap on knee armor) sometimes, but here's what I've decided: if you're gonna go that route, you need to get TONS of kevlar. Funny enough, one of the best-rated pairs of kevlar riding pants are from the Competition Accessories house brand, Sliders. And bonus, they're usually even a little cheaper than those Joe Rocket pants. But they have huge, connected sections of Kevlar inside them, and were rated by one of the big moto-mags as one of the best kevlar pants you can buy (right up there with Draggin Jeans, which are twice as much).

For reference, under my kevlar gear, I wear: Dianese Hard Armor Shorts and Knox Cross Long strap-on knee armor.

Keep being smart!

NinjaEDIT: Oh, and about back protection. I started out upgrading the back armor in all of my jackets, but then I realized that I was spending $40-50 bucks upgrade on every new jacket, and the inserts were usually shaped specifically for that jacket, and so couldn't be used with others. I finally bit the bullet and bought a separate back-protector (actually back and chest armor 'track vest' to go under the jacket). This is what I would recommend doing from the beginning, if you're serious about protection. The armor is better than any insert, it stays put better, and you can use it with every jacket or suit you ever buy. I went with A* because of a clearance event, but KNOX, Forcefield and several others make great quality back protectors.
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Old June 14th, 2013, 07:21 AM   #18
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Thanks for the tip!

Damn this stuff is expensive! Just browsing closeout stuff, I'm at $800 Does anything seem over-the-top or under the top? Or see anything else I need?

Heres what I have so far:

Boots: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a...boots-closeout

Gloves: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/t...iolator-gloves

Helmet: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/s...ternity-helmet

Jacket: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/t...ro-mesh-jacket

Pants: http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/j...denim-30-jeans
glad you took my suggestion. I really dont think youll be sorry. Some people run those at the track...

For your pants I would suggest these http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a...-leather-pants

I am being a bit hypocritical as I dont have pants currently. ( I need to go try them on, I tried getting them shipped but after I am short with a big waist and skinny legs bellow the knees, so I need to try different brands on) But I think if you have the money you should go for it.
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Old June 14th, 2013, 07:22 AM   #19
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There is a HUGE track riding group in cincy and they buy and swap gear all the time. There are some really fine deals on used gear on their site. I will pm you the links if you want. Your call.
Yeah! Please do!

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Back protector insert. The pad that comes in jackets is a sick joke.

Jeans-- even Kevlar jeans -- without armor? I wouldn't do it. With armor I *might,* but I believe that full-on track gear will protect me better so that's what I wear.
If you're wearing track clothing, what do you do when you ride to work? Maybe a back pack with your normal clothes? That was the only only reason I was looking at kevlar jeans instead of mesh/textile/leather...

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NinjaEDIT: Oh, and about back protection. I started out upgrading the back armor in all of my jackets, but then I realized that I was spending $40-50 bucks upgrade on every new jacket, and the inserts were usually shaped specifically for that jacket, and so couldn't be used with others. I finally bit the bullet and bought a separate back-protector (actually back and chest armor 'track vest' to go under the jacket). This is what I would recommend doing from the beginning, if you're serious about protection. The armor is better than any insert, it stays put better, and you can use it with every jacket or suit you ever buy. I went with A* because of a clearance event, but KNOX, Forcefield and several others make great quality back protectors.
I saw some chest/back protector vest while I was browsing.. Do you have go a size or two bigger in your clothing?
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Old June 14th, 2013, 09:26 AM   #20
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Honestly, I got my (value) jacket from a cheaper site. www.motorcyclehouse.com , I had to send it back due to sizing issues, but they took care of it no problem. Size up guys.

As for my other gear, the nicest piece of equipment I have are some like alpine stars gloves that I picked up on craigslist. If you can't really afford to spend all that much for new gear... I would say go check out craigslist for high quality stuff. I would just skip buying a helmet on there because you don't know the history of it ( and helmets are kinda sensitive ).
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Old June 14th, 2013, 10:10 AM   #21
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What about these to match the jacket? http://www.revzilla.com/product/tekn...ent-mesh-pants
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Old June 14th, 2013, 10:18 AM   #22
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they look cool.
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Old June 16th, 2013, 09:01 AM   #23
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I saw some chest/back protector vest while I was browsing.. Do you have go a size or two bigger in your clothing?
You do need a little more space, but you still want the jacket to be tight. Fit for me was about as follows: I bought appropriately-tight jackets, but they broke in to have a bit more space than I wanted. My chest/back protector is perfect for making the jackets fit perfectly again.

So if the jackets are number sizing, then yeah -- you may go up just one (say, from a 44 to a 46). But if it's just M/L/XL, I wouldn't go up a whole size, or it'll be swimming on you.

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Old July 3rd, 2013, 08:27 AM   #24
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You do need a little more space, but you still want the jacket to be tight. Fit for me was about as follows: I bought appropriately-tight jackets, but they broke in to have a bit more space than I wanted. My chest/back protector is perfect for making the jackets fit perfectly again.

So if the jackets are number sizing, then yeah -- you may go up just one (say, from a 44 to a 46). But if it's just M/L/XL, I wouldn't go up a whole size, or it'll be swimming on you.

You know what, It also really depends on the brand. I was checking out some Alpine Stars jackets and they actually fit like a glove on me in my normal size. However, I ordered the offname brand stuff like this jacket http://www.motorcyclehouse.com/men-m...22092-prd1.htm which is just like the xelement one on leatherup and I had to size up.

I think it might be a little bit wiser to try out it on in a store first then order online. Especially after that crazy cyclegear fiasco.
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Old July 4th, 2013, 06:29 AM   #25
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Some 'High-value' brands worth looking at that I've found:

Speed and Strength - jackets and suits. Very good improvement from customer feedback, good customer service, good quality stitching, fairly new company with very good prices considering the quality of the gear. Not so fond of their gloves...

Scorpion - Helmets. I've used an EXO400 and an EXO1000 from them. Like them a lot. Lots of good features, certifications, longevity, and crash reports from all their helmets I've read about.

I personally use A* SP8 gloves without issue, but I've read that their lower end stuff can be hit or miss on the stitching.

As Yakaru said, the helmet is the one to blow the budget on if you find THE perfect helmet, but it is not necessary to do so. A properly fitting helmet from a reputable manufacturer in the $150-$300 range will do every bit as well as a super high end $500+ helmet in an accident, the only difference is weight, noise level, venting, features, etc etc.

For everything, Helmets, jackets, pants, boots, gloves, and/or leather suit, it's better to find a store where you can try stuff on. If you can't find a store that carries your gear of interest, find an online store with a good return policy. Always try a helmet on in person before buying it!!

Hope this helps a bit. You seem to have gotten some good guidance in this thread so far.
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Old July 4th, 2013, 06:34 AM   #26
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Call riders discount. Best prices any where. I don't buy from anywhere else unless I am looking for dainese or rs-taichi.
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Old July 7th, 2013, 11:35 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by choneofakind View Post
If you can't find a store that carries your gear of interest, find an online store with a good return policy. Always try a helmet on in person before buying it!!
Hope this helps a bit. You seem to have gotten some good guidance in this thread so far.
Yeah, I bought a Scorpion Exo 750 Live Fast helmet from the Competition Accessories website. They seem to have a decent return/ exchange policy.. And definitely lots of good helpful info in here! Thanks all!

Quote:
Originally Posted by burningscooter View Post
Call riders discount. Best prices any where. I don't buy from anywhere else unless I am looking for dainese or rs-taichi.
Thanks for the tip! I'll have to check them out..
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