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Purchasing Gear/Protection; advice wanted!


LivingADream13

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LivingADream13

When it comes to gear and how well they protect you, are there any specific brands that are known for being the most effective or is it as long as they meet the all the requirements, it comes down to preference? Im planning on always riding with full gear and im only really familiar with motocross. Any advice would be much appreciated and thank you for your time!

Edited by LivingADream13
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Regardless of how much protection some gear offers, if it isn't comfortable to wear it can put you off wanting to wear it. That means taking gear weight, fit, construction, air flow (to suit weather) etc into account.

It's easy to buy online, but comparing different products in person can give you a better idea of how suited it is to you.

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It's almost a little daunting how many choices there are when it comes to gear. I recommend watching FortNine's Youtube channel for gear reviews. He does a lot of his own torture testing on helmets, gloves, riding pants etc... His content is actually pretty entertaining as well as helpful, and reminds me of old Bill Nye videos, except for motorcycle content.

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Can't go wrong with Alpine Star or some similar brands, though the good stuff comes at a cost.  In NY I use my Joe Rocket mesh jacket all summer.  Decent alternative to the best brands, and at $100 from Revzilla, it works for me.  Like 5pt9 said...any gear beats squid-wear, ie. shorts, t-shirt and flip flops😋  In the cooler weather, my thick cowhide leather saved my ass more than once.  Don't cheap out too much, if you can help it, especially on a helmet (full face).  Good ridin' dude. And welcome.

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LivingADream13
6 hours ago, stickshift said:

Regardless of how much protection some gear offers, if it isn't comfortable to wear it can put you off wanting to wear it. That means taking gear weight, fit, construction, air flow (to suit weather) etc into account.

It's easy to buy online, but comparing different products in person can give you a better idea of how suited it is to you.

I get that but peace of mind allows me to deal with a ton of stuff most people wouldn't lol. Safety and fit are my only concerns to be honest, with safety a far first ( if it was possible, id wear a full on ironman suit because im terrified of these shitty drivers hahah). But I do know from riding motocross that fit can be very important as far as the gear doing what it was designed to do.

4 hours ago, fivepointnine said:

ANY gear is better than shorts, running shoes and a t-shirt lol.  BTW regular jeans don't protect at all.

Hahah most definitely.

2 hours ago, JeffroTull said:

It's almost a little daunting how many choices there are when it comes to gear. I recommend watching FortNine's Youtube channel for gear reviews. He does a lot of his own torture testing on helmets, gloves, riding pants etc... His content is actually pretty entertaining as well as helpful, and reminds me of old Bill Nye videos, except for motorcycle content.

Yeah, that's why im here asking you guys haha. Thank you! Definitely going to check it out.

2 hours ago, emmett said:

Can't go wrong with Alpine Star or some similar brands, though the good stuff comes at a cost.  In NY I use my Joe Rocket mesh jacket all summer.  Decent alternative to the best brands, and at $100 from Revzilla, it works for me.  Like 5pt9 said...any gear beats squid-wear, ie. shorts, t-shirt and flip flops😋  In the cooler weather, my thick cowhide leather saved my ass more than once.  Don't cheap out too much, if you can help it, especially on a helmet (full face).  Good ridin' dude. And welcome.

Good to know, thank you! Yeah, I have no problem spending as much on gear as I do for the bike hahah. As far as full face, the ones that have the whole mouth and visor lift as one less effective in crash testing right?

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3 minutes ago, LivingADream13 said:

I get that but peace of mind allows me to deal with a ton of stuff most people wouldn't lol. Safety and fit are my only concerns to be honest, with safety a far first ( if it was possible, id wear a full on ironman suit because im terrified of these shitty drivers hahah). But I do know from riding motocross that fit can be very important as far as the gear doing what it was designed to do.

Hahah most definitely.

Yeah, that's why im here asking you guys haha. Thank you! Definitely going to check it out.

Good to know, thank you! Yeah, I have no problem spending as much on gear as I do for the bike hahah. As far as full face, the ones that have the whole mouth and visor lift as one less effective in crash testing right?

Generally yes, but there are modular helmets with Snell and ECE safety ratings.

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LivingADream13
14 minutes ago, JeffroTull said:

Generally yes, but there are modular helmets with Snell and ECE safety ratings.

Ahhhh thank you, I could not remember the name of them for the life of me hahah

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fivepointnine

For helmets, I am a huge fan of AGV, a very safe helmet without the Shoei tax (they aren't "cheap" but they aren't Arai/Shoei expensive either).  

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I have been really happy with my Alpinestars gear and Arai helmet.  Helmet fit is most important and I have a very oval head, so Arai and Bell are the only ones I could find that were comfortable.  I also want a Snell rated helmet, but I know that there are people who argue the Snell standards are too stringent (that is something you can Google and spend hours researching). 

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Been riding street for about 4 years after having 20 years of off road experience.  I'm in the ATGATT mindset.

After crashing on SM track wearing Speed and Strength textile jacket I shredded the material and my arm pretty bad.  Purchased a Sidici leather jacket shortly after.

Any gear should have CE1 armor in shoulders, elbows and back.  Most likely they'll need upgrade from stock.  I upgraded to CE2 back protector and swap that in to whatever jacket I'm wearing.

I have Sidici leather/textile pants and riding jeans depending on what I'm doing (tooling around vs mountain ride)

TCX riding shoes for casual rides and Sidici boots for mountain rides.

I did go back to vented textile for warm days, but upgraded to a fitted Alpinestar for that.  The S&S jacket was more for dualsport, so it fit loose enough to ride up my arm while sliding.  The A-star is snug enough at wrists to avoid that.

I also picked up a full 1 piece suit, mainly for the desire to join a track day eventually.

Main point (as mentioned earlier) is fitment.  I may purchase online to save a few $, but I try them on first at a store.

Edited by Nealsmo
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LivingADream13
8 hours ago, Nealsmo said:

Been riding street for about 4 years after having 20 years of off road experience.  I'm in the ATGATT mindset.

After crashing on SM track wearing Speed and Strength textile jacket I shredded the material and my arm pretty bad.  Purchased a Sidici leather jacket shortly after.

Any gear should have CE1 armor in shoulders, elbows and back.  Most likely they'll need upgrade from stock.  I upgraded to CE2 back protector and swap that in to whatever jacket I'm wearing.

I have Sidici leather/textile pants and riding jeans depending on what I'm doing (tooling around vs mountain ride)

TCX riding shoes for casual rides and Sidici boots for mountain rides.

I did go back to vented textile for warm days, but upgraded to a fitted Alpinestar for that.  The S&S jacket was more for dualsport, so it fit loose enough to ride up my arm while sliding.  The A-star is snug enough at wrists to avoid that.

I also picked up a full 1 piece suit, mainly for the desire to join a track day eventually.

Main point (as mentioned earlier) is fitment.  I may purchase online to save a few $, but I try them on first at a store.

Thank you! Ive been riding dirt since I can remember ( two strokes all day ) 😃  I agree fitment is crucial and I remember as a kid someone telling me that people almost never wear the right size helmet because it is too snug for most lol. Ill look into all that, thank you again.

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I'm a big fan of Dainese's composite armor. Not all their gear has it, but most does. It will say composite armor in the description if it's there. I'm a fan because there's a hard shell over the foam vs everyone else just using foam ( or some other squishy, impact absorbing something or other). It also extends further than any other armor I've seen. The elbow arbor extends damn near to my wrist, and the knee armor tucks well in to my boots. The shoulder armor extends far enough to only leave a few inches of my upper arm exposed. The other brands I own just have discs, basically , in the same areas. I really like the idea of my entire forearm being covered in the event of a simple lowside, not just my elbow.

Dainese is proud of their stuff, so it's pricey, but I've bought all mine second hand. If you're looking for leather, Dainese does leather very well. If you're looking for textile, be cautious of materials used in the product description, because Dainese sometimes shoots for comfort over ruggedness in their textiles. 

That said, my favorite offroad jacket is a $60 jobby from Bilt. Around ten years later it's still 100% waterproof and I've not found a rock or piece of pavement that will hurt it yet. And I've tried! It's not packed with features, but they used great materials. 

The point of all that is to say this: Brand and price don't matter too much, just take a good look at the materials used and how it's constructed. IMO

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  • Global Moderator

The most important safety gear is that brain between your ears. Make a commitment to become the best & safest rider you know, and go for it with rider education & practice. Ride with intent and awareness. Don't ride outside of what you practice, and know your machine and equipment is up to it.

Edited by Pursuvant
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On the gear topic, and specifically jackets/racing suits, does anyone have a recommendation for one that has long sleeves?

I am only 5'10" but I have long skinny arms and finding a jacket is near impossible. I would love a good leather jacket with armor or race suit (1 or 2 piece) but I have tried a number of jackets like the Icon Hypersport 2 Prime and Revit Vertex GT and they were crazy short in the arms for me. The best fitting leather jacket I tried was a First Manufacturing Scooter jacket in a tall version and it fit brilliantly. But it could only take the First Manufacturing armor which was not adequate so I passed on it. I found a textile jacket that fits okay but I realized after I wore it a couple times that the armor does not stay in place as well as it should. I think I can possibly fix it myself or get a tailor to do it but I still want to find something that could also satisfy the needs if I wanted to go for a track day which means leather suit or a jacket and pant combo that zip together.

So, any recommendation on brands or specific jackets that have longer arms?

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LivingADream13
1 hour ago, Pursuvant said:

The most important safety gear is that brain between your ears. Make a commitment to become the best & safest rider you know, and go for it with rider education & practice. Ride with intent and awareness. Don't ride outside of what you practice, and know your machine and equipment is up to it.

I agree and most definitely 😃  Im not so much worried about my riding ability or ego but more so other peoples ability to drive a car hahaha. 

 

4 hours ago, shinyribs said:

I'm a big fan of Dainese's composite armor. Not all their gear has it, but most does. It will say composite armor in the description if it's there. I'm a fan because there's a hard shell over the foam vs everyone else just using foam ( or some other squishy, impact absorbing something or other). It also extends further than any other armor I've seen. The elbow arbor extends damn near to my wrist, and the knee armor tucks well in to my boots. The shoulder armor extends far enough to only leave a few inches of my upper arm exposed. The other brands I own just have discs, basically , in the same areas. I really like the idea of my entire forearm being covered in the event of a simple lowside, not just my elbow.

Dainese is proud of their stuff, so it's pricey, but I've bought all mine second hand. If you're looking for leather, Dainese does leather very well. If you're looking for textile, be cautious of materials used in the product description, because Dainese sometimes shoots for comfort over ruggedness in their textiles. 

That said, my favorite offroad jacket is a $60 jobby from Bilt. Around ten years later it's still 100% waterproof and I've not found a rock or piece of pavement that will hurt it yet. And I've tried! It's not packed with features, but they used great materials. 

The point of all that is to say this: Brand and price don't matter too much, just take a good look at the materials used and how it's constructed. IMO

I definitely like the idea of my forearms being fully protected to help brace for various random impacts. 

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On 2/25/2021 at 1:21 AM, mjh937 said:

Helmet fit is most important and I have a very oval head, so Arai and Bell are the only ones I could find that were comfortable.  

Have to agree 100%.  I also have an oval head and just recently purchased a new Arai Signet.  Best fitting helmet that I've ever owned in my 47+ years of riding.

Mike

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LivingADream13
On 2/25/2021 at 9:24 PM, seven said:

On the gear topic, and specifically jackets/racing suits, does anyone have a recommendation for one that has long sleeves?

I am only 5'10" but I have long skinny arms and finding a jacket is near impossible. I would love a good leather jacket with armor or race suit (1 or 2 piece) but I have tried a number of jackets like the Icon Hypersport 2 Prime and Revit Vertex GT and they were crazy short in the arms for me. The best fitting leather jacket I tried was a First Manufacturing Scooter jacket in a tall version and it fit brilliantly. But it could only take the First Manufacturing armor which was not adequate so I passed on it. I found a textile jacket that fits okay but I realized after I wore it a couple times that the armor does not stay in place as well as it should. I think I can possibly fix it myself or get a tailor to do it but I still want to find something that could also satisfy the needs if I wanted to go for a track day which means leather suit or a jacket and pant combo that zip together.

So, any recommendation on brands or specific jackets that have longer arms?

We are the same height and I have monkey arms as well lol. Ill let you know what I end up finding for myself.

 

edit~ Tailoring might be necessary lol. I have an athletic build and regular clothes never fit right

Edited by LivingADream13
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On 2/27/2021 at 2:54 PM, LivingADream13 said:

We are the same height and I have monkey arms as well lol. Ill let you know what I end up finding for myself.

 

edit~ Tailoring might be necessary lol. I have an athletic build and regular clothes never fit right

I didn't have as big of an issue when I was wearing 3XL shirts but now wearing medium shirts the sleeves are so damn short. And I have no muscle to speak of in my arms (think Kermit the frog) so some jackets just don't cinch up tight enough to hold the armor in place.

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LivingADream13
On 3/2/2021 at 7:18 AM, seven said:

I didn't have as big of an issue when I was wearing 3XL shirts but now wearing medium shirts the sleeves are so damn short. And I have no muscle to speak of in my arms (think Kermit the frog) so some jackets just don't cinch up tight enough to hold the armor in place.

Hahaha my arms were the same until I started lifting a little over 10 years ago. Im almost positive that tailoring will be necessary for the right or "perfect" fit for either of us.  Tailoring is always worth it in my opinion, the right fit does wonders on looks and I can imagine is even more important for protective gear in order to stay in place as intended during a crash.

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Footwise I like SIDI.  I got some sidi Trial Boots I love to wear when ever I go on long rides. Of course Im not racing in them or anything like that. But they fit well, wasy to walk in, and out of all my motorcycle "shoes" and boots, it has the best toe box!!! Cause this what happens when you wear motorycle shoes with no toe box like with the Dainese Street Rider Air's. I got clipped by a car that was making a right turn then as I was passing it he decided to  do a U turn and pinned my right toe into my bikes engine block.  I took off his bumber but luckly didnt go down since he instanly realized he hti me and turn the other way... But both big toe and 2nd tow were crushed and bones shattered. The worse part was when at the Dr's they drove in the "10ft"  numbing needle into the tip of my toe (needed stitches on tip of toe)!! 

Crushed toes.jpg

Edited by Kyuzo
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4 minutes ago, seven said:

@Kyuzo
I was told SIDI ran pretty narrow. Not so?

I got small feet. Worth trying on though or any other of the long lived Italian shoe makers. TCX run large for me maybe try them 1st?

Edited by Kyuzo
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8 minutes ago, Kyuzo said:

I got small feet. Worth trying on though or any other of the long lived Italian shoe makers. TCX run large for me maybe try them 1st?

Yup TCX is what I wear and so far of the limited shoes/boots I have tried they fit the best. Still wish they had some more room but selection is pretty limited compared to normal footwear.

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