Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Recently passed the MSF course and got my endorsement, now in the process of buying gear and I'm having a hard time. If money was no object I'd get a full set of race leathers (and textiles) for every condition, but like everyone I'm trying to walk the line between risking myself unnecessarily by being cheap, and paying thousands on gear that is the equivalent of a five point harness nomex suit and fire suppression system in the family minivan. And unlike most products it's hard to find either quality lab testing or enough anecdotal evidence to be statistically significant.


I have a Snell rated full face helmet, and a sturdy Alpinestars leather jacket with some armor. However, I'm having trouble filling in the rest of the slots.

Gloves: I've been looking at full gauntlets with hard armor. 1. is that level of protection overkill 2. I've tried on a few different brands/models and I'm having trouble getting a good fit. I've read a lot of reviews, but given the trouble I've had finding a comfortable pair I'm reluctant to buy online.

Pants: I'd planned on getting a pair of lower grade textiles with some armor, but after reading through some crash reports on the forums I'm wondering if I should get either a one piece suit or pants made to attach to the jacket. Also, what are some well thought of brands?

Boots: again, I had been planning on using my hiking boots but now I'm wondering if I need some type of specialty gear with hard armor?


Finally, where do you all buy your gear? I have no issue with buying good quality older gear on closeout/ebay etc.

Gloves
1.) I don't think it's overkill. For me it's a minimum standard. Your hands are so incredibly delicate and one good crash could mean losing the use of one or both of them. Even if that's just in the short term it'll have a drastic effect on your life. If you don't believe me tape one of your thumbs to your pointer finger for a day.
2.) Keep looking, sites like newenough.com have great deals and sizing guidelines. That said, there's nothing better than trying on a few pairs. Ask some friends, go to the dealers and try them on. I find that most gloves by a manufacturer are comparible among models.

Pants- More is always better. I prefer my pants to zip into my jacket. Luckily most jackets and pants with zippers come with the other side of the zipper as well. Your tailer can sew that into the other garmet so they zip together. Pick up a pair of alpinestars pants to match your jacket, or find something else that fits. The most important thing is that it fits you. I like AeroStitch, Rev IT, Scorpion, Dainese, Joe Rocket, TourMaster, Cortech, and Fieldsheer.

Boots- Hiking boots just won't cut it for anything beyond the MSF class. I may run into the most dissention on this one but again, I've seen lots of crashes and the boots played a pivotal role every time. While motorcycle specific boots do cost a bit more, they give the support and protection you need for this sport. I like mid calf high boots or higher with stiff support along the ankle. The last thing you want is a broken joint.

I'd shop around both in the stores and online. I like motorcycle superstore, and newenough.com. I try to avoid ebay because when it comes to M/C gear I've never had a good experience there. Often the merchandise is old (important for helmets) or does not have the certifications it claims.

Good Luck

Thanks, that seems to make a lot of sense.

Does anyone know anything about the Motoport Carbon Fiber gloves? Full gauntlet with hard armor, but the price is so low I'm kind of suspicious.

Edit: never mind, a bit more googling has revealed some pretty bad reviews, and it looks like the complaints are legitimate. On to the next I guess...

When I teach school kids, I usually get a dumb jock, you know the one that has to stand out and be noticed, yeah him. So I tell him to run and throw himself on the grass to see where the impact spots are. Then I tell him to go do it on the tar, I have yet to find a really dumb one enough to do that, but the message gets across. Same applies here. Buy the best you can afford to cover the impact spots.

Balog wrote:I've tried on a few different brands/models and I'm having trouble getting a good fit. I've read a lot of reviews, but given the trouble I've had finding a comfortable pair I'm reluctant to buy online.

I've gotten away with buying a jacket online using the sizing chart, but gloves are something I have to try on in person. I'm partial to Olympia as a brand. There are less expensive brands, but the investment in durability and comfort is worth it, IMO. There's a motorcycle dealer a few miles away from me, and they stock a reasonable assortment of Olympias and some other brands. I bite the bullet and support the local dealer when it comes to buying gloves.

I purchased my jacket, pants, boots, and gloves online at Leatherup.com. Like many of you, I'm on a tight budget, and this company's prices are great. I haven't worn this gear enough to comment on the quality; however, other riders on another forum rate the quality and service very highly.

When it came to the helmet, however, I bought mine from a dealer. Because I have to wear glasses, I wanted to try on various models and styles (full-face vs. modular), which helped me get fitted properly. Fortunately, the full-face HJC Cl-16 model fit me perfectly and was discounted 20% as a season end clearance.

Do you already have a bike, or at least roughly know what kind of bike you're likely to get? The reason I ask is because your preferred ride gives some indication of the kind of riding you enjoy, which might help limit some of the options.

For instance, I was tempted to go for racing boots for as much protection as possible, but decided that for my riding (casual, not that fast; "spirited cruising" for lack of a better phrase) racing boots had too many compromises when it came to heat, putting them on/off, and general comfort. So I got a pair of waterproof touring boots instead. The same logic can be applied to most riding gear choices.

Grey Thumper: no bike yet, saving my pennies currently (stupid financial responsibility).

I'd like an ex500 (and I admit to being tempted by the 650r Ninja and SV650, but that's another thread) but I may end up settling for an older Seca II or other medium size standard bike. The cruiser riding position kills my back after a little while, full on sport bikes hurt my neck so a slight tilt forward works best.

Grey Thumper wrote:racing boots had too many compromises when it came to heat, putting them on/off, and general comfort.

Never say never . Check out the Sidi Vertigo line. They offer good vents, easy on off (less than 4 seconds a boot), and supreme comfort. They also come in perforated and waterproof versions. TCX, AGV, Oxstars and others make similar boots as well. New enough often has boots in these styles for $100-150


I'm a big fan of the ninja 500 and the old seca II's as starter bikes. Those are much better choices than the SV and the Ninja 650

storysunfolding wrote:

Grey Thumper wrote:racing boots had too many compromises when it came to heat, putting them on/off, and general comfort.

Never say never . Check out the Sidi Vertigo line. They offer good vents, easy on off (less than 4 seconds a boot), and supreme comfort. They also come in perforated and waterproof versions. TCX, AGV, Oxstars and others make similar boots as well. New enough often has boots in these styles for $100-150


I'm a big fan of the ninja 500 and the old seca II's as starter bikes. Those are much better choices than the SV and the Ninja 650

Yeah Story, I was severely tempted by the Vertigo Air. I guess they're comfortable by racing boot standards, but even with a short walk around the store, they couldn't compare to the Sidi Way Rain which I eventually got. I needed something you could wear the whole day and even do some walking in (for riding to work or touring, for instance).

Speaking of which Balog, when it comes to stuff that has to fit you well, I'd still recommend buying from a real store (unless you're just replacing, say, an older helmet or piece of clothing with a similar item from the same manufacturer). It's a pain having to ship something back if the fit is dodgy.