Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hello everyone I am currently in the process of getting my starter gear together and purchase my first bike (Kawasaki Ninja 250R) and begin my epic journey into the 21st century.

I am looking at alot of the Icon gear, and I like the style/safety of it a lot. I really would like to get a chest protector, as well as a GOOD heavy jacket such as the TiMAX 2 Jacket. My only problem with this is that specific jacket is impossible to find in a large (6'0 ft, 160 lbs) or even a medium on some of the sites offering closeout pricing. Now I know you get what you pay for, but I just can't seem to justify spending 400-500 dollars on one piece of gear.

Anyhow to conclude my book/get to the point I am just wondering if there are any GOOD solid jackets that are armored that compare with the TiMAX 2 that aren't crazy expensive?

Thanks guys/gals!

Bryan to the Total Motorcycle forum and community!

Sounds like you have some very exciting times ahead on your Kawasaki Ninja 250R! I bet you can't wait to get ou there, and trust us all here, you will LOVE IT!

Good idea waiting for the gear before you head out too.

For a jacket, I can highly recommend Joe Rocket. I use the Ballastic series of it myself and you can find them for a little over $150 USD at a clear out (I'm 6'4" and 160lbs) and I take the Large. The Ballastic series has a lower "bum" area so it protects you down there. I don't fit many others as I need the longer coat due to my height. My jacket is on it's 10th year now and still going strong.

Mike

+1 for the Joe Rocket jackets. I looked at Icon jackets when I was shopping for mine, too, and while they're really awesome looking and super high quality, they are, as you've found out, excessively expensive. You'll be just as safe in one of the Joe Rocket armored jackets, and many of them are really quite stylish.

Joe Rocket was my first jacket, but I got some of the fabric caught in the zipper and ended up ripping the zipper partway out trying to get it unstuck. Wearing a Speed and Strength jacket now and both are excellent quality and very reasonably priced. Might still be able to catch some of them on close-out, which makes them even more reasonably priced. Good luck and don't be a stranger.

I've only been riding a short time, but my first jacket was a Bilt Air Demon:

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=50 ... cle_Jacket

Fits great, reasonable price, seems well protected and the liner allows use for both hot and cold weather. No complaints yet!

Along with Joe Rocket, look at First Gear, Olympia, Shift... you can get a really good jacket for under 300 easily.

for a cheap jacket, a friend suggested for me leatherup.com, I've got my eye on one of the jackets that is vented and padded in all the key areas, plus a zip out liner. its only $120 USD so even if it isn't that great of a motorcycle jacket, its not so expensive that I'll feel ripped off.

http://leatherup.com/p/Mens-Motorcycle- ... 94622.html

Jacket is a must if you are concerned about the possiblity of road rash. I won't suggest a type but make sure it fits properly and will not be too hot to wear come summer. Heat is a motivator to leave your jacket at home.

So let say you have a decent jacket for scrape protection, do you have anything for impact protection? You have to weigh your concern for impact injuries over the cost of the item. Common sizes are typically out of stock on clearance items. You need to decide your conern for impact protection over the cost of the item.

Helmet. I'm concerned enough to outweigh my concern over the price of a DOT helmet. You need to do the same for the icon chest protector. Also I saw Jason Britton in a stunt show last summer and his whole group where's them. Only one fall will pay for a saftey device for that type of acident.

Good Luck