- This topic has 3 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 1 month ago by WeaponZero.
Hello Everyone..im a young gun, and need help
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March 29, 2010 at 5:43 am #3817Tucker ChapmanParticipant
i must say i have been doing alot of ready on this site, and i had to join. My name is Tucker Chapman and i am a 19 year old “kid” for texas who is looking for the right starter bike. i am not in to sport bikes…they are just not for me. one reason maybe, big guys (in my opinon) just dont look right on them. im all for chopper style bikes. i love the idea of getting a bike. but being at a young age i am looking for wisdom. so i turn to you all. where to start other then bikes? i am 6’3″ 310lbs, what bikes do you suggest for a guy my size that i wont look like i am trying to ride my little sisters pink barbie bike? also, insurance? being young what company has prices a college student can manage? then there is always gear? is leather really the best? what are so alternetives? i see that the safty class before getting the licence looks to be a great idea, one in which i plan to take. so it is nice to meet everyone, and i thank you for any help given
March 29, 2010 at 3:09 pm #25255WeaponZeroParticipantV-Star 650. I already responded in your other thread as to why.
Leather offers the best in safety but in the Texas heat it may not ventilate well enough for use in the summer. I’m not sure even perforated leather would suffice. It would be in your best interest IMO to get a textile jacket that allows you to deal with the elements better. Plus textile is cheaper so it’ll save you money. As a new rider you should get a full face helmet even though you’re a cruiser rider. It may not present the *image* you’re looking for but at this point you NEED the added safety of it.
Good choices for gear:
Jackets – stick with the closeout sections at newenough.com, sportbiketrackgear.com, and motorcycle-superstore.com. Kneedraggers.com is another good site but their closeouts section is poorly organized and difficult to navigate. If you’re a big guy with a bit of a spare tire around the middle, you’ll find the BEST FITTING gear in the brands JOE ROCKET and SPEED & STRENGTH. I know because when I started out riding I was 335 lbs at 5’11” and I even wrote a post on this site on “big men’s” gear. The quality of Speed & Strength’s gear is far superior to Joe Rocket IMO. Avoid “Euro-fit” brands of gear such as Teknic and Alpinestars and Shift. Their jackets are tailored to those with an athletic figure and aren’t comfy for the rest of us who aren’t all that athletic.
Pants – As a big guy you have one option and one option only: The Firstgear HT Air 2.0 Mesh overpants. I know. I looked long and hard and it was either these or a pair of Draggin’ Jeans.
Helmet – Most full face helmets have vents positioned for the sportbike riding position, and when sitting upright as you would in a cruiser, have a loud high-pitched whistle or booming noise that comes from air hitting the vents (whether open or closed). The Scorpion EXO-400 and Scorpion EXO-700 (arguably the BEST budget helmets on the market, far superior than anything HJC makes and better than anything else you’ll find for under $200) don’t have this issue as the vents are positioned more for a standard/cruiser riding position.
Boots – Take your pick. If you want boots that offer comfort and safety in a boot that looks like normal street shoes, Icon is your brand. Most brands don’t offer wide sizes but some brands, namely Icon and TCX, run wider than marked so it’s safe to look to these brands if you normally require a wide shoe.
Gloves – Try before you buy. These are the one thing I would not order online as they must fit your hand perfectly. Go to your local dealer, try a bunch on, pay the extra $15-$20 they charge for them over what an online retailer is asking, and get some gloves that fit your hands perfectly.
March 29, 2010 at 4:17 pm #25259Tucker ChapmanParticipantThank you very much. Very helpful
March 29, 2010 at 5:45 pm #25262WeaponZeroParticipantNo problem. Glad to help. Also, just FYI, Speed & Strength and Joe Rocket were both founded by the same people. Here’s what happened:
Joe Rocket was (and still is, though it’s declining) the #1 selling brand of motorcycle safety apparel in the US. About 7 or 8 years ago they shut down their US plant and decided to start outsourcing all their production to plants in China and Korea that weren’t owned by or affiliated with Joe Rocket, it was just a contract work basically. Quality started declining rapidly and sales started slumping. Numerous quality control issues were hurting Joe Rocket’s image, so about 3 years ago the owners left the company and took their patents with them. They started up a new company called Speed & Strength which uses all the old Joe Rocket patents and the quality is every bit as good as JR used to be before they began outsourcing. They are making everything in-house now in plants that they own and supervise (though still overseas).
Their jackets –
Fame & Fortune – the bare minimum in motorcycle safety apparel. Basic ventilation and standard CE armor in elbows/forearms and shoulders, and a dual density back protector.
Moment of Truth – basic textile jacket with vents that open for ample ventilation.
Hang’Em High – similar to the Moment of Truth jacket, but it is made using a special 800 denier textile rather than their standard 600, offering superior abrasion protection and comfort. Has cool graphics.
Coast is Clear – their lowest-end waterproof jacket. Trades the superior ventilation of the other models for waterproofing.
Devil’s in the Details – discontinued model currently on closeout – a basic textile jacket that converts to a full mesh jacket for hot weather riding.
Twist of Fate – A sportbike-oriented textile jacket with superior ventilation to the Moment of Truth and added protection in the form of external GP style protectors in the shoulders and back on top of the internal armor.
Hell ‘n’ Back – High-end touring jacket that works for any type of weather condition. Waterproof, well-ventilated for hot weather, and offers protection on par with the Twist of Fate jacket.
They offer other jackets such as the Moment of Truth SP, Under the Radar and the My Motorcycle is my Weapon that are essentially just plays on existing models with special graphic schemes.
The Twist of Fate, Moment of Truth, and Hang’em High are all available in mesh jacket versions as well. All their mesh jackets come with a removable waterproof liner. Their textile jackets come with a removable thermal vest liner.
Also, All Joe Rocket and Speed & Strength jackets use what I refer to as “vanity sizing,” which means their apparel typically runs a full size or sometimes even more larger than marked when compared to other brands. Just because you can fit into a Joe Rocket 2XL doesn’t mean you can fit into another brand’s 2XL, in fact you may have to go up as far as a 4XL in most other brands.
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