Motorcycle Gear

"Discerning" (discerning2003c5z) 05/23/2019 at 09:24 • Filed to: None

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Hey, another post from discerning about motorcycles and he still doesn’t even own one yet!

I consider myself a pretty risk averse person. I take safety and security very seriously. If I can spend a little more because I am confident something will objectively improve my safety, then I do it.

I feel comfortable with my helmet choice (should be ordering soon), but I keep re- evaluating my other gear choices.

I want to achieve maximum protection in terms of armor and abrasion resistance, but it gets obscenely hot and humid in Georgia.

Without further delay, this is what I’ve come up with:

Upper body: Textile jacket, elbow guards with forearm protection strapped under jacket, helite airbag vest, gauntlet gloves with palm sliders. Not a bad way to spend $1K

Lower Body: Textile pants that zip into jacket, knee guards with shin protection, armored shorts with hip and coxis protection, boots with ankle, heel, and toe protection.

Im not worried about going overboard, looking like a man in a bubble suit, or spending too much.

Wh at I am worried about is not picking the most effective combination. For example, I am assuming guards are better than the built in armors because there is less chance of slipping or looseness.

I would go full on race suit, but I’m not sure those are the best idea for the street.

Here's a random monster pic saved on my phone:

bob and john > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 09:47

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so, take it from a guy that JUST got an airbag system

for street riding,. get either the alpinestars tech air or the dianese one.

reason being: they dont require ANY connection to the bike at all. and the one with the connection, its VERY easy to forget to unteather yourself, yank the cord and go POOF. and I’m not sure how reuseable there stuff is. I know the alpinestars system its twice reuseable (unless you are 2xl vest, then its 1 time use...needs to have the charges replaced)

I have the missle leather Jacket with the air bag. Its was NOT cheap dont get me wrong. but for streetriding, I honestly dont think you can get much better you can get the pants and make it two piece suit as well if you so wish. and you can get a textile version of the jacket too


pants: either over pants or riding jeans. I’ve been slacking lately and just had regular jeans.

boots: dont go with a really tall race boot. I’ve had alpinestars SMX-1 for a while and LOVE them. easy to put on, supportive, and it has the toe slider.

gloves are your choice. i have a set of shorties and gauntlets.

lids: again, your choice. I have a bell race star with a tranisions visor so i dont have to worry about taking a spare with me. 

jimz > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 09:51

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I gear up too. depending on what I’m riding:

HJC IS-Max II helmet (love the shaded flip down internal visor)

Rev-it AirWave 2 jacket w/built-in armor (silver/yellow, got to color-match to the bike!)

Draggin’ Jeans reinforced jeans with knee/hip armor (Velcros to the Kevlar patches on the inside)

if I’m on the Street Glide then I use an HJC CS-5N open-face with goggles

I also have a (discontinued) textile Harley jacket with armor I won in a raffle a few years ago.  it has a removable liner so it’s good for damp/wet weather. 

Discerning > bob and john 05/23/2019 at 09:54

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I was hoping to get someone who has experience with airbags.

My only concern with either bag you mentioned is that they don’t protect your neck from what I can tell.

Do your elbow pads stay in place in the missile jacket? Will they protect your forearm?

What is your lower body setup?

If I tell my wife I’m spending 3k on gear, her only question is going to be if it’s all stuff to protect myself and if it’s the best stuff out there.

bob and john > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:02

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the neck thing is ehhh. they DO inflate a lot more then youd think and help cradle the head, but its not as intense as the other one.

and yes, the pads stay in place on the missle. mine fits relativly tight (been bulkin......bro) but I dont have an issue.

I edited my comment with the lower body set up. its not the best, and I need to go over that this year. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:03

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Many riders swear by Aerostitch gear. It’s not as racer-boy as most leather options and has options for built-in armor. There’s also a “lite” version which offers less protection but is cooler. All Aerostitch gear offers tons of vents to help cool you down.

The other cooler alternative is perforated leather. I’ve never tried it, but the guys who use it swear by it. The downsides are when it rains and in the winter.

bob and john > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:06

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as an aside: remember gear is more for slide protection then impact. (helmet and airbag not withstanding)

and you BEST crash protection is.... not getting into one. Keep your head ona swivel, always have at l e ast 2 clear outs of your situation, and know your surroundings.
Ignore the dashboard. Yours knowledge of your situation is far more important then knowing how fast you are . you only check it for fuel range and AFTER you pass the cop to see what the ticket will be for.

Discerning > bob and john 05/23/2019 at 10:08

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I keep looking back at the tech air stuff and I may go that route. So the tech air can only be used three times total? I guess that would be enough to look at other hobbies anyway. Ha!

Lower body has kept me scratching my head. I want stuff that zips in and I want good knee protection. Im not sure I need the armored shorts though. I don’t plan on going too tall with boots either.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:12

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Oh it’s the w ittle monster! Soo cute!

Discerning > bob and john 05/23/2019 at 10:14

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My current approach to driving a car is pretty in line with your suggestion and I plan on being even more aware while on a bike.

Discerning > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/23/2019 at 10:15

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I’d rather have a street triple, but I don’t have any good pictures of it already on my phone.

Thou gh either one is probably too much bike for me.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:17

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On top of what Peter Black said, make sure the stuff you buy fits properly. I don’t buy  stuff online unless I'm already familiar with a particular brand's sizing and fit. Poor fitting gear is not good. Other than that, look for CE2 rated stuff from a reputable brand if you want the best.

bob and john > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:19

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more then 3. but after 2 uses, you have to send it back to Alpinestar for them to check it over and reload the charges 

Discerning > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/23/2019 at 10:21

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I nitially I was going to buy inexpensive stuff from Amazon. But as I think about it more and more, I find myself looking only at the bigger names and seeing that its all priced the same across vendors. So I plan on pestering some cycle gear employees and just trying on everything.

At the end of the day, I'd rather spend 2k on good gear than 1k on junk

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:32

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I haven't ridden the 797 but I definitely wouldn't suggest starting with a street triple.

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:36

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Helmet: Make sure it fits perfectly, full face, and is certified by something other than just DOT. I’ve got a Bell Race Star and love it. The higher end lids will usually flow more air, but look at reviews as well.

Upper body: I’ve got a perforated leather that flows quite a bit of air, has full Knox protection in the shoulders, arms and back. Knox also just came out with an armored shirt that seems pretty cool. I’ve also got shorty and gauntlet gloves, shorties for street gauntlet for track.

Lower body: I have riding jeans that have armor pockets if you want, they are also fully kevlar lined. A lot of jeans will only have lining in certain areas. Mine are Lean Angle Jeans, they are heavier but comfy and safe.

I have Alpinestar race boots which works great for a sport bike, not sure how they would work on another style of bike because of the limited movement of the ankle.

Discerning > bob and john 05/23/2019 at 10:36

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Oh, gotcha. That sounds perfect. I may go with the tech air street stuff then. Their jackets were already top contenders so it’s not too much more than what I planned on spending (and I can skip the elbow guards since the jackets have ce2 stuff)

Thanks

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:37

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Check out www.sportbiketrackgear.com .  great reviews on almost everything and good exchange / return program if things don’t fit.

Discerning > StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 05/23/2019 at 10:39

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I plan on getting the Shoei RF-SR. Snell 2015 and the identical European version is Sharp 5 star and all that fun stuff. I looked at the bell star, but I don’t think it fit my head shape all that well and I didn’t like how the visor didn’t allow for fine tuned adjustments.

I saw some jackets with knox stuff. I may consider that too

Thanks

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:39

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A grand will get you a decent setup. But I definitely wouldn’t spend less than that. In my experience, cycle gear stores only have a couple brands and not a huge selection. Definitely go there, but also go to motorcycle dealers. They will almost certainly have a different selection. My local yamahondsuki dealer has been cutting way back on  gear in recent years for some reason. But my Ducati dealer has ramped up and has a great selection and the most knowledgeable employees working that area. They have been by far the most patient and most helpful when it comes to gear. 

Discerning > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/23/2019 at 10:40

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I don't plan to. I'm primarily looking at the SV650, MT07, Z650 level stuff.

Discerning > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 05/23/2019 at 10:41

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There’s a Ducati and BMW dealer near my work. I’ll check them out.

Thanks

Discerning > StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 05/23/2019 at 10:41

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I'll check them out. Thanks

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:41

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Also keep in mind that a lot of dealers will offer significant gear discounts when you buy a new bike from them. Don't know if you're planning on new, but if you're not that might make a big enough difference if you're planning on spending 2k on gear.

nermal > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 10:45

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I think you need to separate not ending up dead from not being terribly uncomfortable after a crash. There are really only three things that can prevent dieing, a good helmet that fits right is the first step. Don’t get a black one, as it will bake your brains in the sun.

Second is training - Learn how to rid a motorcycle to avoid a crash in the first place. Not getting run over by a dump truck is the only way to not die from getting run over by a dump truck. I’ve personally taken the YCRS course and it’s excellent. Costs ~$2500 though. The sooner you take a course the better, in order to prevent forming bad habits.

Third is don’t drink & ride. Sounds obvious, but half of motorcycle deaths are by drunk riders. 

As far as other stuff, it depends on your preferred level of protection. You probably won’t die from road rash, but it will suck. Same goes for broken collar bones, or knees or elbows or ankles. Jacket / pants / gloves / boots. Get stuff that’s comfortable that you will wear, and more leather is better. Make sure leather is perforated if you go that route.

Discerning > nermal 05/23/2019 at 10:51

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Thanks for the advise. I try my hardest to be attentative and cautious behind the wheel of a car. I never text and drive, never drink and drive, always check all my surroundings, assume the drivers around me are going to cut into my lane, merge in front, tailgate, etc. I leave extra space in front even to provide myself more stopping distance in case the driver behind is inattentive. Most of all, I try to keep a calm and att entative state.

I’ll look into the course you mentioned. Thanks.

jimz > nermal 05/23/2019 at 13:34

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I’ve personally taken the YCRS course and it’s excellent. Costs ~$2500 though. The sooner you take a course the better, in order to pre vent forming bad habits.

anything similar you know of that’s not on either end of the country?

jimz > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 13:38

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what Peter Black said. the best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is- when approaching cars waiting to turn left or waiting to pull out of a driveway/side street- watch the front wheels of the car. Don’t look at the driver, they can look right at you and still have their heads up their asses. Watch the front wheels. if you see them move, get ready to stand on the brakes and clutch. That’s saved my ass more than once; I was riding along with an oncoming car in the left turn lane, and the instant I saw the front wheels turn to the left I hit the brakes.

99.9% of drivers will see you. But your self-awareness has to be on a level as though they’re all the 0.1% who won’t. 

just-a-scratch > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 14:33

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Go to the stores. Try stuff on. What would you actually wear every time you ride? The safest version of that is what you should get.

I was always annoyed with the pants I had and so didn’t often wear the motorcycle pants when ridi ng around town. Now I have a bit of scarring on my left knee from a crash . It’s not bad, but could’ve been.

just-a-scratch > Discerning 05/23/2019 at 14:36

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Get the helmet that fits most comfortably. I think this is more important than the exact safety certification, so long as it has one.

I highly recommend full face helmets. It’s why my face isn’t any uglier from crashing.

Discerning > just-a-scratch 05/23/2019 at 14:41

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Ouch...  I plan on trying on a bunch of stuff. Took me a while before I decided on a helmet, but I finally did after trying on stuff. Shoei RF-SR

nermal > jimz 05/23/2019 at 16:32

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Not really. I did the 2 day school @ NJMP using one of their bikes . It was a Monday-Tuesday date, so I treated it like a mini-vaca. They teach a little differently than other schools, but it definitely works .

Plus they regularly have guest instructors that are MotoAmerica riders. There were two of them there circulating the track when I did the school, completely sucking paint off of people as they passed.