Hey, this is my first time posting on the forum. Been reading the site for a while, but this is my first post :)
I'm a new rider and I'm curious about what I should look for when shopping for gear. I'm on a bit of a budget, so I'll list the type of item, my needs, and how much I'm willing to budget on it. Any help is appreciated!
1) Jacket:
-I live in Oregon where it can get into the 90's during the summer. Most of my rides will be during summer days, so I'll need good ventilation.
-During fall it gets down into the 40's and 50's so being able to tighten things up to keep warm would be nice.
-I'm 6'4" tall, and a little above average around the chest.
-Would like as much protection as possible.
-I want as few flashy logos as possible.
Budget: $300
2) Gloves:
-Average sized hands.
-Don't nescessarily need water proofing since I'll be avoiding rainy drives.
-Once again, protection is a must, armor is preferred.
Budget: $100
Helmet:
-I have more of an oval head than anything.
-I know this is more of an individual preference. Since you can't all measure my head for me, a pointer in the general direction of some quality brands is appreciated.
-PROTECTION! :mrgreen:
Budget: $200
Boots:
-Must be at least comfortable enough to wear on multiple hour rides.
-PROTECTION PROTECTION PROTECTION! :cheers:
Budget: $100
Thanks in advance for any replies you guys can give me.
i got an opinion on the jacket gloves and boots
Jacket
check out Alpinestars TZ1 jacket real basic looking has a zip out liner (i am comfortable in it without the liner in the 50's to the 90's) holds up well in a crash (been there done that)
gloves
since your willing to spend $100 i say Icon Ti Max gloves (the short ones)
they are beefy (good for arguing in traffic) and hold up real well in a crash (been there done that)
boots
also icon but try on the super duty boots (havent tried these yet but am loking to get a pair of my own)
sorry i don't know much about low priced helmets (200 is low IMO) my cuddy has got one of those icon alliance helmets and loves it, but the vent on the top doesn;t pop up anymore (its only 2 to 3 months old)
For helmet, try HJC; quality is high and prices reasonable. Try //www.helmetharbor.com to get an idea as to what prices are.
The AC-11 might be a good choice.
with that budget, the only place ur really limited is the helmet.....$300 can buy u almost any jacket u like.....u can get fully armored gloves from newenough.com for $69 (teknic violators....i like em just fine..)...i think finding boots for less than $100 is gonna be a bit hard too.....as for the helmet, shoei and arai would be the top choices but u can get a nice kbc vr-1 for $155 at kneedraggers.com my gf has one and its great esp for the price....
You're going to get lots of different suggestions for gear but my suggestion is:
You live in Portland with a climate nearly identical to the one I live in, (Seattle area). Don't make the mistake of thinking you don't need your gear to be rain-proof/resisitant. You may not plan on starting any ride while it's raining, (a reasonable decision), but you know how our weather can change and how inaccurate our local forcasts can be. If you are totally unwilling to ride in damp weather - ever - you may want to consider moving to Arizona. :) Otherwise, you may be lucky to put 1000 miles a year on a bike. I've started many day-rides despite a gloomy forecast and ended up with some of the best riding weather imaginable. By the same token, I've been dumped on by cloudbursts when the forecast was for 10% chance of precipitation. You see my point. Make sure any gear you buy will give you some rain protection. Think about it this way - you're planning on going for a ride and it's overcast but dry now, the weatherman says a 30% chance of showers. If your gear can't take a little moisture, you'll either cancel or take a chance on maybe being absolutely miserable by the time you get home. I look at it like the proverbial pistol in the tankbag - it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
I see your point Delta88. Today there was a 30% chance of rain and it looked like there was going to be a lot of water coming down, but I ended up only seeing a drizzle for a couple minutes.
The helmet is the most important part of the gear, but I really can't see myself spending $500 to get a super-high quality one. Maybe $300 at the most, but that's pushing it with my budget.
Thanks for the replies!
$300 is a better price for helmets. You can get most brands for that. The most important thing to do is try them on. Go to your local shop and try on all the brands. Let them help you size your head. I ended up with a soze smaller than I would have bought on my own and it has broken in [quickly too] to fit exceptionally well. I would usually suggest you support the shop as well by buying the helmet there but if you're really limited then try www.helmetharbor.com for the helmet once you've got the right fit. They don't charge shipping and have good prices too.
Swap a $100 from jacket to helmet. For $200 you can get a reasonably good jacket-maybe even a leather [preferred-better protection]. Check out Newenough.com for their closeouts and used gear [often as good as new]. Probably the best prices you can find on boots, gloves, jackets right there. IN Portland you dont have to worry so much about heat as you do cold. But if you did I'd suggest you look elsewhere than the TZ1 jacket. I have one and it doesn't have much in the way of venting. Unless you buy the red model that is perforated but that wont be much use to you in the cold. Look for good venting in leather. try Fieldshear, First gear, Joe Rocket, Vanson, many other good brands.
Ecpect to pay $150-$200 for a good pair of motorcycle specific boots. You can find boots that are comfortable to walk in and dont look like you're going to a race track [I have Sidi Champion boots and use them everyday, whether I ride or not because they're that comfortable].
www.newenough.com
welcome to the site[or out of the shadows anyway]!
When you have taken all the advice and you first put on your new armour, gloves and crown it with a helmet you might fell invincible (The Euphoria not the pocket aircraft carrier) Please remember you aint! and as I often say DON'T FORGET HI-VIZ.
Small update:
I went down to a local dealer and tried on a bunch of gear.
The Joe Rocket Blaster 2.0 jacket fit really nicely and feels very solid. On newenough.com (thanks for the links!) it costs only $259, so I'm going to go with a silver/gunmetal version of it. I should look pretty sharp with those colors on. :P
HJC is looking like the way to go with a helmet. I tried on every size that I could fit on my head and feel like a large CL-14 was the best option. When I put on a cheaper Shoei helmet, the cheek padding was feeling pretty uncomfortable. It would cost me $340 just to get a Shoei that my face doesn't hurt in, so that's probably out of the question. I'm still seriously considering it though because I would hate myself if something happened where I landed on my face and the HJC didn't do it's job.
As far as gloves go, I really like the Joe Rocket Speedmasters. They fit perfectly and have a ton of protection. I like the style a lot too. My friend was encouraging me to spend a little less and get the Phoenix's for $50, but I think I'm going to go a little crazy with this gear just to be safe.
Still unsure about the boots since I was on a bit of a schedule and had to get to work, but if I up my boot budget to $150, what would you suggest?
Also, what about pants? I always wear jeans, but those aren't going to protect me from serious road rash. What do you GS'ers usually wear as far as pants go?
I wear a CL-14. It's a good helmet and will protect your mellon as good as the rest. Others have called it noisy but I think its fine and I don't wear earplugs. Fit, is the most important thing.
IMO, get a cheap but snell rated helmet (just as safe from any reliable information I've seen, though perhaps not as comfy/well vented). HJC seems a good choice (a couple of my friends have them and are happy). Sturdy boots that have good ankle bone protection (counters preferable, not steel toed) are just fine in your budget range. I think you can get just as good protection for (comparatively) cheap with these two items and you see the most variation in quality of jacket/pants.
I'm really not impressed by most cheap textile gear that I've seen, so I'd recommend leather. I'd plan on getting rain gear (riding in portland but avoiding the rain leaves you what 4 months? - j/k, I went to college there), frogg toggs gear is (pretty) cheap and wears over leather easily. Army surplus is even cheaper and you can find some good gear. I love my held gloves, but any well constructed leather gloves work well (fwiw, I've heard several reports of icon timax gloves coming apart in falls ... ymmv). Check the seam sticking and palm/knuckle/outside edge protection to make sure it can take some abuse.
Quote from: JohNLAI wear a CL-14. It's a good helmet and will protect your mellon as good as the rest. Others have called it noisy but I think its fine and I don't wear earplugs. Fit, is the most important thing.
Cool, that saves me $200 :)
Make sure the helmet fits really snug at first, but without any pressure points. Once it breaks in it'll fit like a glove. Don't make the mistake of getting one that fits a little snug since once it breaks in it'll be too big. Very important!
Pants? I wear leather. Buy leather same manufacturer as jacket so they can be zipped together (better protection still). You can mix and match since pants come with both sides of the zipper but would you trust a local alteration shop with your hide?
If you're wearing pants for commuting you'll need to find something that goes on over your street clothes. Most leather pants dont. Few are made as overpants.
Leather is definitely the way to go.
Boots: buy the best boot you can for $150. Check with Newenough.com for their closeouts and used gear (I know, repeating myself) and generally do a internet search for motorcycle boots to find other deals. Dont forget to check out your local dealer as they might have some deals too.
Hmm... would something like the 2002 Joe Rocket Revolution Boots be a good buy? Or how about these Oxtar TCS Sport Boots for $179 since the silver would match my jacket/gloves nicely? I'll be trying on both of course, but have you guys had any good or bad experiences with Oxtar?