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Old April 6th, 2011, 12:41 AM   #1
NInjaR53
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BILT Trackstar Leather Gloves

Browsing Cycle Gears website I notice they have a store brand gauntlet style leather gloves for only 29.99.
I know the whole you get what you pay for thing, but has anyone tried these? I cant seem to find any reviews as they are fairly new.

Link - http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...orcycle_Gloves
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Old April 6th, 2011, 05:30 AM   #2
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i purchased the track boots they have and i love them
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Old April 6th, 2011, 07:27 AM   #3
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How is sizing on the boots? They only carry full sizes, and I'm a 1/2 size. Wondering whether to go up or down.

I may use the Trackstars as my pair of beater boots for commuting in 90+ temps. Venting looks great, and I go through boots very quickly - I could use a pair of beaters for $69.
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Old April 6th, 2011, 09:09 AM   #4
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I saw these gloves in the store the other day. The fit was OK. I wear rather large gloves (xxxl). The thing that caught my attention was the quality of the leather. It was really really soft and looked like vinyl or plastic. Cheap looking (especially the silver ones).The knuckle protector seemed sturdy and the gauntlet was plenty long, but the glove offered no ventilation and the stitching seemed suspect. Hands would get plenty sweaty in these gloves,( if a silk or other type of liner is not used), making the gloves hard to get on or off. Overall they may do the job for $29. I passed on it.
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Old April 6th, 2011, 10:56 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaBlue1 View Post
I saw these gloves in the store the other day. The fit was OK. I wear rather large gloves (xxxl). The thing that caught my attention was the quality of the leather. It was really really soft and looked like vinyl or plastic. Cheap looking (especially the silver ones).The knuckle protector seemed sturdy and the gauntlet was plenty long, but the glove offered no ventilation and the stitching seemed suspect. Hands would get plenty sweaty in these gloves,( if a silk or other type of liner is not used), making the gloves hard to get on or off. Overall they may do the job for $29. I passed on it.
You got it almost spot on!
I ended up biting the bullet and purchased them because I wanted a gauntlet style glove, but over all, they aren't bad.
There is no ventilation on these gloves but my hands felt cool the whole time I rode in them today.
They seem to run a size small, I'm usually a medium and the large fit me alot better.
I doubt they will last after a fall, (The leather used feels pretty thin).
I'll post later on when I've had a chance to break em in.
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Old April 7th, 2011, 03:29 AM   #6
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BiLT Trackstar airflow boots are $69. Gauntlets $29. Their one piece leather suit is $299. What is up? I found a very interesting post on the BiLT brand in another forum that is worth discussion. Here it is:

Quote:
I've done some research and I've found out that 7 factories in Pakistan make about 80% of the motorcycle gear (boots, jackets, gloves) for the majority of companies out there (Alpinestar, Dynastar, Firstgear, SIDI, Teknic, Fieldsheer, etc). There also some factories in India and China but the majority is from Pakistan.

Why did I start researching this? Because I was on Cycle Gear's website and saw a pair of boots (BiLT brand) that looked exactly like a pair that is offered by SHIFT but at over half the price. I had never heard of BiLT so I called the Cycle Gear store in Louisville, KY and talked to them about it. They told me that it was a new "House" brand for them but couldn't tell me anything more about it, so that is when I decided to do some research. (I'm an Intelligence Analyst for the government so I'm pretty good at doing reseach, it also helps to have contacts working over in THAT country that gathers economic intelligence)

Here's what I found out. The boot by BiLT is made in the very same factory as the SHIFT boot, on the same line. SHIFT boot $100, BiLT boot $49.99. Alpinestar made in the same place and similar design $170........ Difference in the Alpinestar and other two is one higher grade of leather is used. Is that really worth $120 more?

I didn't end up buying that boot but I did buy another one from BiLT. Cost, $70 same boot different brand, $260. Oh yeah, they are made in the same factory..........

BiLT also has a weather proof boot that looks identical to my Alpinestars. Cycle Gear price $60. I paid $180 last year on Closeout for them.
This ties into my recent frustration over gear that is identical, branded by different companies. And generally to the large companies (A*, Joe Rocket, Shift, ICON, Technic, Speed and Strength, Scorpion, Cortech, etc.) simply putting their name on stuff that comes out of foreign factories without much differentiation, design, etc. It shows that motorcycle gear is all about marketing, and guess who the chumps are? Us, for paying for the A* or Icon or Joe Rocket labels. In that kind of market, the recent emergence of BiLT and Sedici as the Cyclegear house brands makes a ton of sense. Cyclegear buys the same stuff directly from the same Pakistani factories and rebrands it without going through the middleman, allowing Cyclegear to offer essentially the same products at significant discounts.

From the research I've done on this since I got the last CycleGear flyer, the quality of the BiLT stuff (5 year warranty) is about what you'd expect from the lower end of the A*, Joe Rocket, Shift, Scorpion, Speed and Strength, Vega, etc. lines at about 1/2 the prices. Entry level gear with some features, reasonably well made, but not going to hold up to comparison with the really high quality stuff. Sedici (lifetime warranty) is meant to offer quality to compete with the top of the line from these manufacturers. My take is that this is genius by CycleGear. And, honestly, consumers who continue to buy the big brands are being taken for a ride and giving away their money to pay for nothing more than marketing and branding.

The rational consumer response to the same factories making most of everything, and to the big companies irresponsibly slapping their labels often on the same products (or with styling varations to differentiate their brand) is one of three things:
1) Start buying from responsible, smaller companies that design their own stuff for purpose, run their own factories, and really care about quality. Aerostich, Vanson, Teiz, etc. Check out this thread: Best Small Companies for Gear;
2) Pay the money to get the uber high quality products that have complete product control and aren't likely to have fungible products. Dianese, RevIt, Sidi, Motoport, Aerostich, etc.;
3) Recognize that much of the gear out there is interchangeable and comes out of the same factories and go with the CycleGear brands to save money and cut out the middleman so you don't have to pay their margins and fund the cost of their branding and marketing efforts. Buy BiLT for the inexepensive stuff and Sedici for the quality.

Edit: Rumor has it that the BiLT helmets are made by HJC. More fuel for the fire.
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Old April 7th, 2011, 05:17 AM   #7
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Good info gfloyd2002. To be honest I was impressed by a lot of the new exclusive brand gear (BiLT, Sedeci) from Cycle Gear. I preferred the Sedeci gloves and gear over the BiLT brand. The helmets did not look bad, but I did not get a chance to try any on. There are two Sedeci gloves that I would have gotten, but were not available in my size at the time. All the boots were on display so that one could see the differences in appearances and quality. The BiLT brand boots were of course cheaper and compared to to the major brand may not have had all the bells and whistles, but appeared sturdy enough to do the job they are intended to do. I believe the new brands will definitely work for those on a budget and who need good gear. You have to see it too believe it.

BTW- The BiLT brand carries a 5 year warranty- the Sedeci brand carries a Lifetime warranty
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Old April 9th, 2011, 02:46 PM   #8
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I was not impressed by the BiLT or Sedici gloves when I looked at them. To me it seemed that the leather was on the thin side. The leather suits looked better. Very similar to the discontinued Frank Thomas XTiII leathers I own. I do not think that the BiLT leathers have rated armor as there was no mention in the catalog ads as such. The Sedici ads state that the armor was CE rated.

I wear Racer Supply RSC2 gloves and still think that there are a steal at $49.99. You can buy them here. I still am wearing them 5 years after I bought them and they are nice all around gloves. Scroll down to the comments section: I am J.M. They did stretch out a bit on me but not as much as my comments suggest.

However, in a pinch, I think that the Sedeci and BiLT gloves would do especially as a second set to have in your tank bag.

I am waiting to try on the Sedici Laguna Boots. They are exact same boot as the Cortech Latigo Boot and the Teknic Chicane boot. Might save save myself $10 dollars buying the Sedici brand

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Old April 9th, 2011, 03:44 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffM View Post
The leather suits looked better. Very similar to the discontinued Frank Thomas XTiII leathers I own. I do not think that the BiLT leathers have rated armor as there was no mention in the catalog ads as such. The Sedici ads state that the armor was CE rated.
According to CycleGear, the BiLT suit has CE rated armor for knees, elbows, shoulder, but back pad is not CEII rated. CEII pad can be added. They say the leather is 1.1 to 1.4mm, thicker in the parts likely to get ground contact, the thinner bits reserved for non-critical area. This compares to 1.2 to 1.4mm thickness for the $750 Alpinestars suit.

Since I ride in 90+ temps all the time and go through boots like crazy, I dished out the $60 for the leather/mesh BiLT boots to use as my commuters. I'll put up a review once they come in. Will probably go with the Sedici Lagunas for my real riding boots, was able to confirm with CycleGear they are the same as the Cortech Latigos and Teknic Chicanes, and will be cheaper (and carry the Sedici lifetime warranty.)
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Old April 9th, 2011, 04:31 PM   #10
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I took a look at that BiLT riding boot. It is VERY ventilated. Looks like it would be a great summer boot.

Jeff
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Old April 20th, 2011, 01:19 PM   #11
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Just got the Bilt Storm boot. Will probably be hot in the summer but for $39 I figured I'd try them out.
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Old May 19th, 2011, 11:19 AM   #12
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When I went to Cyclegear, the sales associate there was great at helping me pick out gear. Even as a novice, I wasn't too impressed with Bilt, and the Sedici jacket he showed me seemed very stiff. Too bad for Cycle Gear that they introduced me to Dainese, which they carry a limited variety of.

He wasn't too happy when I returned the Bilt gloves and Sedici jacket I bought from there and told him what I had chosen instead. Basically, their "no questions asked" return policy is a crock. I talked to the manager, and he was almsot as inquisitive, and it took them 5 days of processing for them to refund the money to my debit card.

I think CycleGear has apretty good business model, but their associates need a little more discipline in living up to their return policy.
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Old May 19th, 2011, 12:38 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Liber View Post
When I went to Cyclegear, the sales associate there was great at helping me pick out gear. Even as a novice, I wasn't too impressed with Bilt, and the Sedici jacket he showed me seemed very stiff. Too bad for Cycle Gear that they introduced me to Dainese, which they carry a limited variety of.

He wasn't too happy when I returned the Bilt gloves and Sedici jacket I bought from there and told him what I had chosen instead. Basically, their "no questions asked" return policy is a crock. I talked to the manager, and he was almsot as inquisitive, and it took them 5 days of processing for them to refund the money to my debit card.

I think CycleGear has apretty good business model, but their associates need a little more discipline in living up to their return policy.
probably because the associates makes comission? return=no commission
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Old May 19th, 2011, 05:27 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Liber View Post
When I went to Cyclegear, the sales associate there was great at helping me pick out gear. Even as a novice, I wasn't too impressed with Bilt, and the Sedici jacket he showed me seemed very stiff. Too bad for Cycle Gear that they introduced me to Dainese, which they carry a limited variety of.

He wasn't too happy when I returned the Bilt gloves and Sedici jacket I bought from there and told him what I had chosen instead. Basically, their "no questions asked" return policy is a crock. I talked to the manager, and he was almsot as inquisitive, and it took them 5 days of processing for them to refund the money to my debit card.

I think CycleGear has apretty good business model, but their associates need a little more discipline in living up to their return policy.
I haven't had to return anything to Cycle Gear yet, but the Little Rock store has been good to me so far.

I was actually wearing these exact gloves when I did my 57' slide on Sunday. They did their job for me.
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Old May 20th, 2011, 02:56 PM   #15
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O I'll still do business with them, they were very helpful. I just thought it was funny how they advertise a no questions asked return policy and then get a little snotty when you actually return something. I've never been tot he one in Little Rock, might try them next time, though it looked kind of small. How was the selection?

I kept the $400+ Shoei helmet they sold me. It's nice.

Having worked with intelligence personnel in the past, I know they usually don't go around spouting off what they do, not even on the internet. Hell, I was in a simulation with them and they couldn't tell us what they did. We only found out after the fact.

As far as the story about "80% of x is made in the same factory in Pakistan"; that seems to be a fairly common story, in fact the guy at Cycle Gear was the one who told me that. I find it kind of interesting I heard the same exact marketing line from a Cyclegear salesman, and read it coming from a supposed intelligence analyst. I'm not trying to bust your chops Floyd, just sharing some info.

Either way, it proves the point that CycleGear has a pretty good marketing team.
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Old June 3rd, 2011, 06:48 AM   #16
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Motorcycle Glove Review: BILT Circuit Racer Leather Motorcycle Gloves

I finally got a pair of BiLT Circuit Racer Gloves. The problem I have is finding glove sizes that fit. Not too many places stock a lot of 3XL gloves.

So lately I've been on the hunt for some new gloves. I have two pair presently, a gauntlet style cold weather glove and a short mesh/leather glove. The mesh glove is the Z1R Cyclone, which I wear until temps hit the 50's. They are a couple of years old but still work and feel great ( with just a little wear on the finger tips), especially in the 90 degree heat we've had here lately. Now the problem with me and gloves is fit. Most gloves are just designed so awkward, it makes finding a pair that fit properly on my hand difficult and having real big hands doesn't help any. I've been to several bike shops and motorcycle gear stores to find something that fit....well like a glove.

I found out that Competition Accessories (http://www.compacc.com/) warehouse and store was about 30 min from the house, so I went there on my quest to find some gloves and possibly a good deal on some gear as well. A review on the store later. After inquiring about several items I saw online, the prospect of getting glove was looking pretty dismal. I like shorty gloves as well as gauntlets, but at this point I just wanted something that fit. Even though it's hot as too devils outside, I was even willing to do perforated leather gloves.

I also went to Cycle Gear and there I bought a pair of BILT Circuit Racer Leather Motorcycle Gloves. I had seen these gloves a couple of times at the store but the price was $79.99 at that time. The first time I tried them on, I liked the way they fit, but for some reason one glove did not feel right and of course they only had the one pair that fit, so I did not get them because of the fit issue. After trying on numerous gloves and sizes priced from $29.99 - $199.99, I settled on these. At first glance they look as awesome as a $200 pair of gloves, most importantly they fit great. Although it looks like a full leather glove, it has a breathable panel around the fingers, air vents on top of the fingers and back of the hand. The glove features;

* Quality supple semi-aniline airflow leather
* Pre-curved sport fit
* Full leather palm with overlays
* Unlined for a closer fit
* Cantilever knuckle panel with reflective piping
* Molded knuckle with carbon inset
* Molded finger vents with metal mesh
* Molded vent with metal mesh behind cantilever
* Leather finger overlays with memory foam padding
* Leather finger stretch panels
* Memory foam padded cuff with Velcro tab
* 5-Year Guarantee




The leather seems a little soft which makes if flexible, but it is double layered where it counts. Unlike the Trackstar Leather Gloves I like the leather and construction on these gloves better (although the leather may be the same). A nice silky smooth lining helps the glove go on nicely even when my hands are slightly damp with sweat. The knuckle protector is nice and large, which makes closing of my hand real easy. It's almost like wearing a nice pair of driving gloves. The gauntlet is adequate length covering below the wrist bone and the large velcro strap close up well. There is also a reflective stripe on the back of the hand. The really excellent part about these gloves are the way they breathe. I was afraid they would be too hot and my hands would be super sweaty. All I can say is OH WOW! The stretch panels in between the fingers lets in a ton of air making the gloves very tolerable in very hot temps. I was surprised at how cool my hands were. To be honest I don't think I would have paid $79.99 after comparing them to others in it's price range, but $39.99 is a hell of a bargin for this glove. You'd be hard pressed to find a $40 glove that comes close, not unless you get a deal on a close out model.

I'll see how these gloves hold up over time. If they last 2 years, I'll be fine with that.
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