- This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 11 months ago by eternal05.
Tell us about your gear
-
AuthorPosts
-
May 9, 2010 at 6:24 pm #3941WeaponZeroParticipant
A lot of you probably have a lot of things to tell others about your experience with the gear you’ve owned but can’t be bothered to write full page-long reviews or provide picture/video media with it, so all you really want to (or can) give is a paragraph long summary. I’ll start.
Gear I Own –
HELMETS
Shark RSI – Great helmet overall, but the visor doesn’t seat correctly against the rubber seal when closed so there is always some unwanted noise and airflow even when the vents are closed. Great fit, very comfortable, can’t comment on the ventilation due to the visor issue. Off by one size. I won’t hold the visor problem against it as it could just be an issue with my helmet. 4/5
Shark RSR2 – Fantastic helmet that I cannot wear due to it being sized wrong. I ordered it off the internet under the assumption that Sharks were off by one size. Turns out the RSR2 is an exception to that rule. It is the only helmet in the Shark lineup that fits true to size. Everything you would expect of a premium helmet. 5/5
Scorpion EXO 400 – Love it. You would never know it was a sub-$200 helmet. Only complaint is lack of a defogging detent. Excellent airflow, paint, comfort, just perfect. More features and quality than you have a right to expect in this price bracket. 4.5/5
JACKETS
Teknic Freestyle textile jacket – Comfortable, high quality construction, lots of features. Integrated Powerskin II waterproof liner is a miracle of modern engineering. Just perfect in its combination of breathability and waterproof/windproofing. Armor placement makes no sense. Integrated back protector is so tiny it’s borderline useless. Sleeve adjustments don’t hold adjustment. Elbow/forearm armor moves around as a result. Can’t get the snug feel I like. 2/5
Scorpion All-In leather jacket. Good cold/cool weather riding jacket, but vents are useless. Can’t wear once the temperature gets into the 70s or above or you will roast. Made to be worn with the liner in. With the liner out the sleeves are too baggy and armor moves around (relaxed fit jacket), but with the liner in it fits perfectly. High quality, very safe. Back protector is decent but not great. Also makes a great casual wear jacket. 4/5
Scorpion Stinger leather jacket. Great sport-cut jacket. Perforations are enough to keep you cool in even the hottest weather as long as you can keep moving at a brisk pace, but stopped or at slow speeds you cook like you’re being deep fried. Fit is excellent, gives you the nice “taped to body” feeling a sport jacket should. Fit makes for a very confidence inspiring ride. Back protector is decent but not great. 4/5
Speed & Strength Moment of Truth mesh jacket – Well, it’s a mesh jacket. It does what mesh jackets do and without any real faults. It has sturdier ballistic textiles in places where they need to be to give it more protection than a standard mesh jacket. Best OEM back protector in the business in a sub-$500 jacket. Has a lot of nice features that just make sense and you wonder why they’re not standard features on all riding jackets. Comes with a removable waterproof/windproof liner that you don’t want to ever use unless you absolutely have to because it’s uncomfortable as hell due to the lack of breathability, but it’s still a nice bonus as it’s still more than many mesh jackets come with. Great fit for any body type due to the combination of naturally loose-fitting cut with tons of adjustability to snug it down in the places you want to. 5/5
GLOVES
*I typically wear a size XL in gloves and so far all the gloves I have owned have fit true to size.Alpinestars Drystar Apex gloves – THESE ARE THE DISCONTINUED 2009 MODELS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY ON CLOSEOUT. THE 2010 MODELS ARE FAR SUPERIOR. They’re decent foul-weather gloves. Confirmed waterproof. Not that great in cold weather but good enough to make riding bearable (but not comfortable) and keep you from getting frostbite in the 30s. Overall comfortable gloves but they feel less protective than my other gloves and the knuckle protection is nothing more than a layer of energy absorbing foam. The Cortech Scarabs are the industry standard in foul-weather gloves and I would definitely recommend them over these as they offer more protection and insulation in cold weather than these, but these still get the job done. 2.5/5
Speed & Strength Moment of Truth SP Gloves – Good (but not great) short gloves for hot weather. The wrist closure doesn’t snug up enough for my liking and it’s easy to pull them off my hand with them tightened as much as they can be. Very comfortable with ample protection everywhere except for the pinky side of the hand. I would recommend you to try on others before you get these and only get them if you really like the fit as there are other short gloves in this price range that offer more protection. Quality is good but doesn’t stand out from the crowd. 3.5/5
Teknic Lightning full gauntlet gloves – Awesome. Just awesome. They’re more than you have any right to expect in this price range (under $100 full gauntlet race-style gloves) and you would probably have to spend double the money to find something better. When I first tried them on I was amazed at the protection of them. Scaphoid protectors, hard knuckle protection, hard finger protection, they’re practically armor for your hands rather than just a riding glove. Highly comfortable. Just amazing. Perfect. Great fit but finger length is a bit more than on the Speed & Strength and Alpinestars gloves by just a tad. Unless you’re willing to spend double the money or have a particular brand loyalty that makes you want to stick with your brand, you’d be a fool to pass these up. 5/5
BOOTS
*I typically wear wide sizes in shoes. 11 1/2 Wide. Because most riding boots don’t come in wide sizes I often have to go up a size which makes for an odd fit.Tourmaster Solution WP Boots – Waterproof leather riding boots. No ventilation whatsoever, just solid leather, so your feet will sweat in hot weather. Use odor eaters with them LOL. Very comfortable fit, confirmed waterproof. No adjustability in the calf so you had better hope they fit you as-is. They have a narrow foot and I had to go up to a size 13 to get the fit I needed to accomodate the width of my foot. Good ankle protection, good heel protection, but lack of toe protection. Overall good, high quality boots and I would definitely recommend them over other similar boots to anyone who knew what they were getting into in buying them (meaning good fit for them and no ventilation whatsoever). My only real complaint with them is that the soles aren’t as grippy as other riding shoes/boots I’ve worn. I’ve had near slip-and-falls in these that I wouldn’t have had in other riding boots. 4/5
ICON Field Armor boots – Perfect sizing for me. They run wider than marked so if you have a wide foot and normally need wide shoes, these are for you. LOTS of protection. Armor everywhere. Toes, heels, ankles, all armored and supported. Sole has a steel shank running through it. EXTREMELY comfortable once broken in, but the break-in process was horribly painful. I thought I was going to have to exchange them for a bigger size at first, but I gave them the chance to break in and now they fit comfortably. Great ventilation through mesh panels placed at various points around the boot. You just can’t expect better than this is in a vented riding boot for the street. All-day comfort plus this degree of protection and ventilation is a win. If you have wide feet and want good street riding boots and waterproofing isn’t a factor, look to these and these alone. Don’t bother looking anywhere else. Order your own size (I ordered 11 1/2 and they fit fine once broken in). 5/5
PANTS
Firstgear HT 2.0 mesh overpants – Great for the price and what they are. Tons of adjustability in the waist. Stock foam armor isn’t all that useful but it’s more of a placeholder for the optional CE armor than it is armor itself. Excellent fit. Very comfy. Removable waterproof liner is a godsend. Without the liner in it vents very well and still has the protection of ballistic textile in all the important spots. 4.5/5
Draggin’ Liners – Basically they’re long underwear made out of a loose-weave kevlar mesh. CE knee and hip armor is optional but I would not recommend it unless you can think of your own way to attach it. They give you these velcro strips you’re supposed to install yourself and they don’t stay attached. Aside from the armor issue, they’re comfortable, they’re great, and they protect well based on reviews I’ve read. They ventilate well so you don’t notice you’re wearing a second layer. Definitely good for hot weather use. A nice plus is that they are machine washable. Forego the optional armor and use your own. If you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of comfort for more protection go with the Bohn Adventure pants instead as they are more protective but you do lose some comfort. With the Draggin’ liners you can forget you’re wearing them but the Bohns are bulkier. 4/5
MISCELLANEOUS
River Road windproof balaclava – It is what it is and it does the job. Keeps your neck and face warm in even the coldest weather and it’s thin enough so as not to affect the fit of your helmet. My only complaint with it is that there’s a stitch that goes right over the nose that makes it a bit uncomfortable to wear at first but you do get used to it. 4/5
ICON Field Armor legguards – Fit is virtually non adjustable. Made for people with thinner/smaller calves, maxing out at about 16″. Not for everyone. They get in the way of wearing full length riding boots (based on my own experience). I would highly recommend them if you can get them to fit you decently and you plan on wearing them with lower-top riding boots/shoes. One design flaw I see is that the hook side of the velcro catches on the elastic straps which will probably shorten the life of them. 3/5
Knox Cross Knee leg guards – Awesome. Infinite adjustment, stay securely on, CE protection, ventilation, comfort. You forget you’re wearing them after a few minutes. Good price too. 5/5
Gear I Have Owned in the Past –
HJC CL-15 Helmet – Crap, in a word. After about 6 months of owning it the foam liner broke down to the point where it fit like it was two sizes too big. On top of that the supposed fog-free shield wasn’t very fog free. You get what you pay for in an HJC CL-15, which is next to nothing. 1/5
Joe Rocket Atomic 3.0 textile jacket – Cheap. Great for what it is provided that you plan on replacing it soon. You’ll likely only get two seasons use out of it before the stitching starts coming undone and you see the overall poor construction quality of it. However, it is sturdy, vents VERY well, and has the same awesome fit as my Speed & Strength mesh jacket. I highly recommend it to someone looking for something to “tide them over” until they get something higher-end. 4/5
River Road Monterey leather gloves – They’re basic leather riding gloves aimed at the cruiser rider. More for style than protection. If protection is a concern there’s much better out there, but if you’re like most cruiser riders shopping for this type of gear, your number one concern is probably style and comfort and protection isn’t THAT much of a concern. The leather is of good quality and will provide abrasion protection but there is no impact protection whatsoever. 3.5/5
May 9, 2010 at 7:46 pm #26299RabParticipantMy experience of the HJC CL-15 helmet has been different from WeaponZero’s.
I’ve been wearing one 5-6 days a week for the last 2 years and it still fits pretty much like it did when new. I’ve never washed the linings though; maybe you did and that caused the linings to shrink or expand.
I don’t think any helmet vendor’s visor anti-fog treatments work very well and on my CL-15, I replaced the stock one with a Pinlock ready visor and Pinlock insert. Result? No more fog under any circumstances.
Personally, I think the CL-15 is a great bargain; especially at today’s close-out prices. Are there better helmets out there? Absolutely, but I believe the DoT and Snell Certified CL-15 to be as safe as any of the $400+ helmets if not quite as comfortable or “showy”.
May 9, 2010 at 7:58 pm #26300WeaponZeroParticipantActually I never washed it. At first I thought it was a problem with my helmet alone but then while in correspondence with Brian Van, owner of sportbiketrackgear.com, he told me that my experience with HJC was actually quite common, something they’re known for, and that is why they refuse to carry HJC brand helmets. It was enough to tell me I shouldn’t bother giving them a second chance.
That’s not to say everyone who buys one will experience that. The Ford Taurus up until its late-90s redesign was known for being one of the most unreliable vehicles on the road, but there were quite a few Taurus owners out there who didn’t have problems with theirs.
Overall I would be very very weary of many low-end helmet manufacturers. Some are great yes but others are not. Some are comparable to higher-end helmets and some are not. Me personally, based on what I’ve learned from doing the research I’ve done and corresponded with reps from all the online manufacturers, I would say this:
If you’re not willing to spend more than $200 on a helmet then your selection is very limited. Stick with AGV, Shark, Scorpion, Icon, and Bell. Otherwise, hold off until you’re willing or able to spend more to enter into the realm of higher end brands such as Shoei. Those brands are all known for producing very high quality helmets at low prices.
That being said, if you’re willing to stick to the closeout/sale items, you can easily find premium high-end merchandise at a price point you would normally reserve only for low-end stuff, which kind of makes this whole point moot. Look hard enough and you can find closeout Shoei TZ-Rs and even RF-1000s for a price you would expect to say for a cheap HJC, and, well, the answer then becomes obvious.
Just FYI, The AGV Stealth/S-4 (same helmet just with different venting) is the only sub-$200 helmet to score a 5-star safety rating in the SHARP test.
May 9, 2010 at 8:19 pm #26301megaspazParticipantI’mma shopoholic with gear. Here’s my inventory:
Helmets:
3 AGV gp-tech combat race helmets. 2 white, 1 silver.
3 AGV stealth street helmets. 2 shadows in black, 1 dragon in black.
1 HJC fs-10 in blue.Suits:
2 Dainese w-frames in white
Jackets:
1 Dainese laguna seca black
1 Dainese delmar black
1 Dainese santa monica black
1 Dainese textile jacket black
1 Motoboss rain/wind overjacket
1 Revit 4 seasons textile jacketPants:
1 Dainese SF Pelle black
2 Dainese delta black
1 Dainese Air textile pants black
1 First Gear rain textile pants black
1 Revit 4 seasons textile pantsBoots:
1 Dainese torque out pro white
1 Dainese torque out white
2 Dainese torque out perf black
1 Dainese torque in blackGloves:
6 Dainese full metal racers – 3 white, 2 black, 1 carbon-white
2 Dainese joust – 1 black-carbon-white, 1 black
1 Dainese m-25 d-dry black
1 Racer kangaroo guantlet glove blackMisc:
2 extra set of 2010 Dainese knee pucks white
2 extra gp-tech visors iridium blue
1 Dainese wave back protector
1 Dainese wave chest protector
1 Dainese wave vest with back and chest protector
A lot of underarmour shirts and pants
1 coretech tail bag
1 coretech tank bag
1 coretech backpackOther gear I’ve had in the past
1 AGV gp-tech combat white – crash victim
2 Dainese w-frame suits – 1 black, 1 white. both crash victims
2 Shoei rf-1000 matte black – sold 1 to a friend for MSF, 1 crash victimMay 9, 2010 at 10:31 pm #26304RabParticipantLet me preface this by saying that I commute 30 miles or so each way, 5 days a week, year round, so I’ve had a good opportunity to try my gear out in a variety of weather. I have to be budget minded in my purchases, so you won’t see much, if any, extravagance in my purchases.
HELMETS:
HJC AC-11: Reportedly HJC’s top of the range at the time, but apart from different shell material, very little difference from the budget priced CL-15 I bought next.
HJC CL-15: See my previous post re. the CL-15 above. Very easy to remove/replace visor for cleaning, venting only okay; no real complaints. Initially bought the “breath box” for it but couldn’t wear it due to tightness, “claustrophobia” and glasses fogging issues. Bought a Pinlock ready visor and insert instead; expensive but 100% effective in keeping visor fog free.
JACKETS:
Olympia Motosports Airglide Jacket: Have worn this jacket for ~4 years now and have never had a problem with it. Great 3 season jacket with CE armoured mesh and cordura outer shell and removable waterproof/windproof liner jacket. No failures of any kind in 4 years of daily 3 to 4 season use. 3M Scotchlite piping lights up like a beacon at night. Nice soft lined stand-up collar to ward off draughts.
Tourmaster Transition II Jacket: 3/4 length CE armoured touring jacket that I wear in the Winter. Waterproof membrane outer shell with removable quilted liner. Has lots of vents for warmer weather but they are fiddly to set (unzip and fold back velcro flaps, some in awkward areas like shoulder), so I doubt I’d use these; just too much hassle. I’m not sure how protective it would be though as I fell over on a concrete path while chasing our then 7 year-old. This tore a small hole in it. Otherwise, great price and it is, indeed waterproof. Reflective material is not so good as the Scotchlite on my Airglide. Very low collar so need to wear a neck gaiter.
Tourmaster Magnum Leather Jacket: Recent purchase. Substantial and heavy Top Grain Grade A leather jacket at a bargain price. Long back to support a sport-bike riding style if necessary. Has kind of a super-hero V shape, which may not suit the “fuller figure” (I’m more of an A shape than a V but it just about accomodates my gut if I breath in). It looks cool (get lots of compliments on it), has removeable CE armour and back pad plus a thinnish zip-out liner. Zips are plastic and the main zipper pull tab (pot metal) broke off very soon (Tourmaster replaced the zipper under warranty (post paid) with one which has a stronger metal pull tab). Has 3M reflective piping on shoulders and lower back (which is obscured by my tail pack). Has good venting. Collar is low so need to wear a neck gaiter in cooler weather.
RAIN GEAR:
J C Whitney cheapo two-piece PVC rain suit: This was okay (but sweaty and heavy) while it lasted. Bright yellow jacket with reflective stripes. After a while, the pants seam tape gave way allowing the ingress of rain.
Frog Toggs Road Toad two-piece suit: This is very light weight and packable. The material feels like paper made from cotton. It feels very fragile, but I’ve had no failures yet. I tend to wear the pants more than the jacket though as I have the waterproof Tourmaster Transition II up top in the rain. So far it’s been waterproof if fastened up correctly. A great choice if it holds up I think.
GLOVES:
Alpinestars SP-2: Summer weight glove with carbon fibre knuckles which have held up reasonably well although the kevlar on the palms has started to come away at the stitching. Cuff fastening only. Comfortable, I like them.
Olympia Ultima II: Cooler weather lined gloves with waterproof liner. Reasonably warm and very comfortable. The outer leather gets sodden, but the liner keeps your hands dry (unless the water has run down your sleeve into them; like all gloves). Cuff and wrist fasteners but wrist does not have enough adjustability to close properly on my wrists. These are my favorites but I think they’ve discontinued them. Good price too.
British Motorcycle Gear Thermosport: I spent a long time researching gloves on the internet as I couldn’t find what I was looking for locally. I thought these were the perfect Winter gloves. Waterproof, Thinsulate lined, carbon knuckles, Cuff *and* wrist fasteners to keep them on your hand in the event of a crash. I was disappointed in them when they arrived though. One cuff fastener is longer than the other though so I don’t have “symmetry” (i.e. QA and consistency of manufacture is apparently lacking). There is no visor wiper (squeegee) on the thumb or forefinger and as the lining is quite bulky, if I wear one of my slip-on, rubber, visor wipers, it cuts off the blood supply to my finger. Despite the bulky lining, these are not very warm. They are very light weight for so called Winter gloves (the “leather” must be very thin) which makes me doubt their protective qualities.
Firstgear Carbon Heated Gloves: There are times when even grip heaters aren’t enough and I found that I had to supplement them with heated gloves. I’d read that the cheaper Tourmaster heated gloves aren’t very warm, so I went for these instead. These are pretty good waterproof gloves in and of themselves with a thinnish liner and carbon knuckles; comfortable. Cuff and wrist closures. They only heat the backs of your hands (not the fronts) but are as hot as you want them to be. In fact, before I got the hang of the “Heat Troller” (fully variable heat controller which you have to buy separately), I burned and blistered my knuckle. Once I set it to one third (instead of two thirds), I was fine and warm. After not much use, I managed to tear the velcro away from the leather wrist strap closure. Firstgear sent me a new pair (post paid both ways) under warranty.
Hugger Waterproof Leather Gloves: As most leather waterproof gloves get sodden and heavy on the outside and take days to dry, I thought these sounded good. They’re supposed to be a treated, waterproof leather, not just a waterproof membraned leather glove. I bought them on closeout for not much money on a “no return” basis. Well, despite following their size guide, these were far too small for me and they have proved not to be waterproof either; ’nuff said I think. Fortunately, they fit my Wife who doesn’t ride with me in the rain, so it’s not completely wasted money.
BOOTS:
Any old ankle covering work boots: These work just fine for most riding situations and I would probably have stuck with them if I wasn’t too lazy to lace them up twice a day.
Alpinestars Web Gore-Tex boots: Touring style boot which is completely waterproof and comfortable. They can get a little sweaty if I wear them around the office, but I don’t, so not a problem. Had them for years and the velcro is just beginning to lose it’s tackiness; otherwise, they are still great and take a nice shine when I get around to it (not often).
PANTS:
Olympia Motosports Airglide Pants: See corresponding entry in “Jackets” (above). Have worn these CE armoured, mesh and cordura panelled over-pants (with removeable liner) daily for around 4 years and still going strong. They’ve crashed twice and have come out unscathed; me too. No complaints whatsoever. Not for really heavy rain as the outer shell will get wet, but will do fine most of the time in warm or cold weather due to the flexibility of having a removable waterproof/windproof liner. Full length zips on both shell and liner pants for easy on/off.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Fluffy black neck gaiter: This is a fluffy and slightly stretchy tube you put on over your head to keep your neck warm and mostly dry. Wonderful bit of kit for cooler weather riding.
Alpinestars Bionic SP Vest: a mesh zip-up vest intended to be worn under a jacket. Has hard plastic rib/chest protectors and a heavy duty armadillo like back protector; same one they use in their high-end racing gear. I wear this under my touring jacket to supplement the jacket’s flexible back pad. It’s crashed once and, I believe, saved me from a back injury. Highly recommended.
May 10, 2010 at 8:55 am #26314eternal05ParticipantI thought I had a problem
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.