protective gear

[agrimag]

so, i am 98% soon to be a gs500 owner, and since i will need a helmet and jacket at least to take a motorcycle course, i was wondering if anyone could give input on what brands are good.  for helmets, maybe HJC, Shoei?  i guess the best thing for anyone to tell me, (since there are a lot of brands and a lot are probably good), would be what product are NOT good.  i would appreciate some opinions
thanks

[vtlion]

first off, welcome to the board, and good luck with getting a GS.. it is a great starter.  also, you are doing the right thing taking the course.

first thing you will be told is that when it comes to helmets, it is all about FIT.  each brand and model will fit a little differently.  you want to find out which one fits comfortably and snugly... and go from there.  Not so tight that it hurts, but snug enough on the browline that you can move the helmet up and down and the skin of your forehead moves with the helmet.

As far as other gear.  In my experience, Joe Rocket gear is CRAP.  Everything I have ever bought of theirs has fallen apart spontaneously in less than a season (pheonix jacket, phoenix shoes, stage1 pants and mesh gloves... can't remember the glove model).  I'll admit that these are lower-end JR gear, but they didn't inspire enough confidence for me to drop hundreds on their 'good stuff'.

I'm a big Alpinestars fan myself.  Check them out for jackets/pants.  Also, you will need some good riding gloves... they are an absolute MUST  

[scratch]

Helmets - same thing vtlion said, 'make sure it fits right', that's the first priority. Personally, I prefer Shoei, but I am looking into HJC; I would get an Arai, but they tend to be too pricey.
Jacket - textiles are inexpensive and versitile (meaning most work in the rain); Fieldsheer and TourMaster (if you can get it to fit) make good quality textiles.
Leather jackets - Make sure it's real leather, made anywhere but Taiwan. Check stitching by getting your hands on the product and actually pulling on the seams with your hands.
Gloves - don't forget gloves! The first thing you do is put your hands out when you fall. Again, make sure it's real leather, read the tag. Avoid Joe Rocket Poenix gloves and Fieldsheer. Check stitching.

[goat]

I'm not going to add much here except that I would suggest getting a helmet which has Snell Certification which is higher than the DOT certification. As far as the fit thing goes, I ended up with an Arai because nothing else I tried on fit me well enough. I was hesitant to buy it at first becuase of the high price, but I ended up asking myself how much my head was worth. I'm not suggesting that you should only look at the expensive ones. I would have bought an HJC if they fit better.

You might also consider checking out this thread on armor and back protectors. It took me a while to wade through but there is a lot of good info in that post. Just don't let it discourage you against looking for gear.

Whatever you get, just get it before you start riding and wear it every time you ride. If you're new to riding, you might also want to consider taking a MSF safety course. If all else fails, you can learn the basics on someone else's bike and they are easer to navigate through tight turns than something as light as the GS.

Welcome to the board, you made a good choice for a motorcycle.

[agrimag]

ok, thanks goat
i knew about DOT certification, but i didnt know about snell, or that it was better, ill look for that when i buy a helmet

[roguegeek]

Everytime I ride, I wear no less than my helmet, jacket, gloves, and boot. After a couple of key features for each, I think it really just comes down to comfort. You'll want the helmet DOT and SNELL certified. I use a Shoei RF-1000. It's got lots of ventilation and removable padding. As for jackets, I went with leather. I have no idea why, but I just didn't feel as safe in a textile jacket as I did in a leather jacket. I have the Alpinestars TZ-1 jacket. Nice thick leather and very comfortable. I do wish it had more ventilation zippers, though. For gloves, I prefer the long cuffs to fit over the jacket and a good amount of carbon fiber and kevlar protection (especially on the palms where the ground will probably touch first in you fall). I just bought a pair of 2005 version Alpinestars SP-1 gloves. As for boots, they must cover your ankles and I prefer they have some sort of grip on the top of the toe for shifting. I'm using the Alpinestars Stunt boots. Compared to other boots, they're pretty understated and I don't have to change to regular shoes after a long day of riding.

Like I said, I think you should go after some basic features with each piece and then it completely comes down to comfort. Start heading off to the store and trying things on.

[Jeff P]

From top to bottom:

Helmet - full face, DOT & Snell certified.  Any helmet with both of those certifications will provide adequate protection, the rest is just a matter of fit/comfort (#1 importance), look, ventilation, and name.  I wear a Shoei RF-900.  

Jacket - Tons of choices.  Living in Pittsburg means you're probably going to be a 3 season rider.  Leather provides the best protection, but in the summer it might be too hot.  So then there's textiles, which aren't as tough but will still prevent a lot of injuries.  Either one you choose, make sure it's got armor.  So, you could get a leather jacket for the colder weather and a lightweight textile for the hot.  Or a single jacket for the whole year.  It's all up to your budget.  I have a Joe Rocket Atomic jacket, which is a middleweight textile jacket.  No mesh, but vents in the arms, chest, and back.  It works well for me in most weather, and I have no complaints about it's quality.  

Gloves - An absolute must.  As scratch said, the instant you fall you're gonna put your hands out.  Same as with jackets there are different kinds for different weather.  I have a pair of Olympia "digital protector" I think is the model for when it's warm, and a pair of Joe Rocket "Rush" (I think) cold weather gloves.  Sometimes I'll wear the JR's in the AM on the way to work and the Olympias on the way home when it's warmed up.

Pants - Often overlooked!  Lots of people just wear plain jeans.  For a few bucks more, I recommend a pair of Draggin Jeans, which are nice regular jeans with a layer of Kevlar in the ass and knees to protect against abrasion.  Next up is some type of "overpants" which, suprise, are worn over your regular pants or shorts.  These are usually textile (correct me if I'm wrong guys) and come in a range of weights.  I'm gonna get a pair First Gear HT Air pants for this coming season.  Last is full blown armored leathers.  Racing type stuff.  Max protection, but pricey and not as practical as draggin jeans or overpants.

Boots - At the very least you want a sturdy, leather, over the ankle boot.  Preferably with a hardened toe.  I wear a pair of medium-duty Merrill hiking boots.  Motorcycle-specific boots will come with built in armor, ankle protection, etc.  

jeff

[dgyver]

Just a comment about Joe Rocket gear....I have had 4 suits and still have 2 of them. Been down twice in the speedmaster and still wearing it. Held up great. Wearing the same gloves from each time down too. The suit only required minor stitching.

The best advise about any gear is that it must fit right to work, not only helmets but ALL your gear.

[Sir Smapty]

Well if you're looking for a good leather jacket, look at speedrag stunter leather jackets.  I just picked one up.  I am very impressed with it, especially for the price.  I got mine for $117 from www.speedwerks.com

[se7enty7]

I have an alpinestars tz-1 jacket.  LOTS of protection, but will be too hot in the summer.

I just bought some thick leather hi-top boots.  I feel as though I would have to spend >$200 to get something better

gloves... I've been through quite a few.  I DID NOT like the teknic chicane.  Joe Rocket blaster are very comfy but not much protection.  I currently have tour master trophy.  TONS of protection but will probably be too hot in the summer.  I like them a lot

helmets, I have two.  an HJC CL-14, and an AC-11.  The AC-11 is WELL worth the extra $40 or whatever.  It is MUCH lighter and obviously better built.

[se7enty7]

also... as far as a store to buy from... NONE is better than newenough.com

I honestly don't even look anywhere else.

[jare16]

I always wear full leathers until the weather hits 90+. I learned the hard way the jeans do not make good riding pants. In the really hot humid weather I wear a full JR mesh suit... extremely comfortable and affordable at <$200. However I don't ride as aggressive when not wearing the leather.

[roguegeek]

also... as far as a store to buy from... NONE is better than newenough.com

I honestly don't even look anywhere else.

You obviously haven't looked at Terra Powersports. I dare ya to find another online place that is overall cheaper. Your Alpinestars TZ-1 jacket from NE was $289.00. I got mine for $279.00 with free shipping. (Terra is currently showing the wrong retail and selling price for it. I called and verified that.)

[geekonabike]

I suggest going to motorcycle shops (plural is crucial!) to pick out your attire.  If you just order it, something about it will surprise you when it shows up.  I shopped where my MSF guy said and ended up with a Teknic jacket and eventually bought matching pants, paying a total of maybe $370.  The jacket is some tough textile with armor everywhere you want it, a removable liner (gets hot when you're not moving!) and lots of vents.  The pants are similar material, with armor for the lower spine, and they zip to the back of the jacket, and are quite toasty too.  Can't wait to try them in summer!  A one-piece would still be better protection.

Oh, but my point was that some motorcycle stores have good attire and you can get the fit correct right there.  If you want to spend the money, for about $750 you can order one of Aerostitch's flagship one-piece suits from http://www.aerostitch.com/ and you can about keep it forever.  They supposedly have you do exhaustive measurements, but if you get it wrong you're still SOL.

BTW I agree on the gloves, that they should come up your forearm, unless you like bugs up your sleeve .  Actually it's the breeze that finds every possible leak in your suit.  On a whim I ended up buying some $40 Thinsulate leather gloves one of the dealers had.  I bet I could have bought them at a department store, probably cheaper!  Oh well.  They work.

For the money, HJC helmets are good, if they fit.  Go full face.  Don't waste your time buying a cheap $45 3/4-face or worse, and find yourself wishing you hadn't.  (Reading crash stories will change your mind if you start with anything but a full-face.)  HJC CL-14 seems like a good, budget, DOT/SNELL helmet.  I think I'll upgrade from the CL-12 to get one of those eventually.  But I'm going to try the other brands too.

FWIW,
Mike D.

[Rema1000]

If you want to spend the money, for about $750 you can order one of Aerostitch's flagship one-piece suits from http://www.aerostitch.com/ and you can about keep it forever.  They supposedly have you do exhaustive measurements, but if you get it wrong you're still SOL.

They don't give refunds for custom-tailored suits; but if you buy an off-the-rack suit and it doesn't fit, then I believe that they will swap it for a custom-tailored suit. I'd recommend trying a standard suit first.

If you know for sure that a custom fit is necessary, then it might be worth a visit to Duluth, MN.

You can also get started by buying one on eBay.  I noticed that some sellers misspell "Aerostich" as "Aerostitch", so I started doing eBay searches on that.   I found an eBay auction with misspelled "aerostich", and the seller did not mention "roadcrafter".  I was the only bidder   .  But most of the RoadCrafter suits there seem to go for >$400.

[geekonabike]

Ha, I guess I'm also guilty.  The actual website is http://www.aerostich.com/ but it must happen so much, since if you put in the extra "t" like I did you get redirected to their correct site.

One of my goals in life is to get one of their one-piece suits, maybe in the fluorescent yellow.  Anyone who does motorcycling should order their catalog.  There's a lot more than apparel.  Some of the stuff is good for big laugh.

Thanks for the tip.  I may visit Duluth sometime to get mine.  Corbin also has a ride-in service.  Maybe they all should.  What a great tour that would be, but I'd better get a trailer for the GS if I'm going to do all that!

--Mike D.