hey guys my msf is coming up in a little over 3 weeks and since i already have a bike, i should have some gear right? i figured i might as well buy it for the msf course since im gonna wanna take the bike out for a spin right after anyway....

FIRST off....HELMET!
i kno shoei and arai are the best....ive seen some magazine editors wearing suomy....i think theyve been making those for a while but just not availible in the U.S. until recently? compared to shoei and arai which i will look into first, how do the hjc's and kbc's and other helmets stack up? is a removable liner really worth the extra $100 or so (i kno that price isnt entirely for just the removable liner....lighter weight and material and all that...) what options on the helmet are the best and which would i be able to live without? ive found a shoei rf900 for $200 online so if it fits ok at the dealership i think i found myself a helmet.

SECOND thing is JACKET!
at first i wanted a fieldsheer titanium air mesh or whatever its called bc it doesnt look so bad and its CHEAP! for $99 u get CE armor and a decent jacket...i think theyre similar to the joe rocket phoenix jackets...i kno that theres a possibility that the jacket would melt and fuse to the skin but ive heard of a couple of people falling off their bikes and being ok....
what are some quality brands i can trust will save my arse? is AGV ok? i was thinking of the AGVSport Viper leather jacket.....would it keep me cool and protect ok? its all leather from the description i think and i found one for about $155 so if its alot better than the mesh and would still keep me cool, id go for it.....would it also be ok for a cool 60 degree or so day?
is it a good idea to get the mesh jacket for summer and a different jacket for chillier days? again, what features do i want to look for? what are some reputable brands (except for vanson and dainese...those jackets cost almost as much as my bike..)

THIRD would be GLOVES
msf requires leather gloves but im sure theyll allow nonleather gloves if theyre meant for riding.....what brands/features do i wanna look for/avoid? long/short? hard knuckles/just padding? are there summer gloves as in the jackets? do i need to buy one pair for hot weather and one for cool (this summer came late in nyc but its been over 90 almost everyday)

FOURTH.....PANTS!
i dunno if i wanna go around with skin tight leather pants all the time...most of the time i get on my bike will be because i need to go somewhere and i cant spend the whole day hanging around in those pants. would it get really hot on a 90 degree day wearing jeans with pants over them? again, what features/brands?

FIFTH would be BOOTS!
i have a pair of tims but i know they wont do anything for impact and maybe very little for abrasion resistance....can i get good comfortable riding boots that i can walk around all day in? again, brands/features would be greatly appreciated....

thanks alot guys u have no idea how much u help me out..

thanks for the reply....it doesnt matter if msf requires the gloves or not bc i want to protect my hands for future riding anyway....
i think ill stay away from alpinestars, vanson, and dainese as they make some very nice stuff, it is wayyyyyyy too expensive for me

two words:  ebay


...or is that one word?


seriously.  you can find some great deal on ebay.  but you're right.  the Italian stuff can be very expensive.  That's why I like Joe Rocket.  They make great gear, and it's all fairly inexpensive.  Plus it's Canadian.  Which is almost American.  

whoa! whoa!...slow down there paui...you're so excited. if I could do anything again I would shop for my gear differently. I'll explain. I also went out and got lots of gear anticipating their necessity...turns out I've already replaced most of them in 9 months due to either not liking them, not fitting properly (only realized later), or various other reasons...so I'd suggest for now buy the MINIMUM gear you'll likely need to ride:helmet, jacket, gloves, boots.

Helmets: Shoei and Arai are best if (AND ONLY IF) they fit best. Go try them on-each for at least 20 minutes looking for very snug fit and no hot spots (pain or red spots where helmet doesn't fit shape of your head) or headache. They break in a bit so should feel a little too snug. I suggest you buy (if funds allow) at store that helps you fit it. Supports the local guy and they ARE helping you out. Arai has advantage in that they have various shaped and sized outer shells-other brands make up different shape/sizes in the internal padding leaving a smaller head carrying a larger helmet (leading to fatigue, etc). Start with Arai (I'm biased-I have a signet gt), but shoei, suomy, hjc, kbc, agv, etc...most brands are really good. Don't buy bell helmets.

Jacket. Only you know what or how you'll use jacket or how you'll ride. The FS Ti jacket is superior to the JR phoenix if you want perforated go FS. Better yet is leather. You can get perforated leather which  is very cool but if you plan to ride lots you might invest in a good leather jacket with lots of zip vents (look for min 1.2-1.4mm leather thickness and CE armor. Any brand will do-make sure it fits well as you want the armor in the right places and you don't want it to move around in a spill. Choose a jacket that's sized by chest size (like suits) and not sm/med/lg as that will give you a better fit.

FirstGear leather-mesh jacket $180:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/item.asp?style=5229&department=112&division=1


Firstgear leather with vents-good value
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/item.asp?style=5166&department=112&division=1



Gloves: Not sure there ARE any non leather gloves out there...maybe synthetic leather but thats the same. Joe Rocket makes a vented glove but again you'l have to decide on your usage. Gloves aren't cheap-$50 minimum for a really good pair. $100+ isn't uncommon. Look for at least one velcro wrist strap, two is a bonus. armor to protect knuckles and palms are necessary too. Don'd skimp here as you'll chew up your hands quickly in a spill without good gloves.

pants: wait to get pants. Use denim for now. see how you ride first and what your needs are. If you're comuting lots and need normal clothes you'll want to get overpants (they come leather or textile...stay away from nylon). You can zip them over your regular pants quickly. If you're jsut taking the bike out to have some fun on backroads mostly get leather pants that zip into the jacket (at waist-see about getting a jacket with more than an 8" zipper).

Boots: buy good boots. Again check how you'll use the bike. need to commute you could get racing boots and carry (or leave at work) an extra pair of shoes...or get motorcycle boots that aren't as aggressive looking as racer boots but give

I have these Sidi boots (champion) and wear them all day at office.



These are just some ideas and suggestions. Get the best gear you can afford. You can't afford not to have it. In a budget crunch? see www.newenough.com for closeouts and odds& ends section-lots of great deals and they have a great description of fit of various manufacturers, including good fit guides page. if you do order from them tell them you heard of them here...they get enough business from here so they should know we're singing their praises...might work to site's advantage.

good luck. I'm in L.A., you're in Queens (my wife's from there!) and we're both online very late...what gives on your +3hr end?

my +3 hour end? im sorry i dont know what that means....
the agvsport is all leather i think.......and preforated? can i use that for 90+ degree weather or will i faint? is a leather/mesh jacket better than all mesh? they have leather at "contact" points ( i think all points can be potential contact points)
but yea i think ill get the fieldsheer and some cheap gloves for now....ill wear jeans and my timberlands with them....and ill also go to the dealership and try on some helmets....i tried on my friends arai quantum and it felt comfortable, but i only wore it for like 2 minutes.....as for buying it at the dealership.....i dunno....there is more than $100 difference btwn internet prices and dealer prices and im not a rich guy......ill try to buy the gloves and jacket from them too but they probably wouldnt carry the jacket....
thanks for the help
im on late at night bc im usually reading up on/thinking about something all day and then ill make a thread asking u guys what u think....then i get anxious to see the replies....so i was looking at gear all day today and made this when i was about to go to sleep and ended up looking for more gear, checking on the replies once in a while....

Quote from: pauimy +3 hour end? im sorry i dont know what that means....

Pablo was just referring to the 3-hour time difference between NYC and LA.  He posted a little after midnight his time, but YOU posted again at...what...almost 3:30 am your time?

Dude!  I'd say you're hooked, all right.  (It takes one to know one, I guess.   )

Quote from: paui
the agvsport is all leather i think.......and preforated? can i use that for 90+ degree weather or will i faint? is a leather/mesh jacket better than all mesh? they have leather at "contact" points ( i think all points can be potential contact points)....

there are certain "contact" points that are more likely to hit-elbows, shoulders, etc. Better protection with leather/mesh than just mesh. Perforated is great for hot days. You can always wear something underneath when it gets a little colder (in the fall) but you'll probably want something non perf for winter if you'll ride in the cold.

Quote from: pauibut yea i think ill get the fieldsheer and some cheap gloves for now....ill wear jeans and my timberlands with them....and ill also go to the dealership and try on some helmets....i tried on my friends arai quantum and it felt comfortable, but i only wore it for like 2 minutes.....as for buying it at the dealership.....i dunno....there is more than $100 difference btwn internet prices and dealer prices and im not a rich guy......ill try to buy the gloves and jacket from them too but they probably wouldnt carry the jacket....
thanks for the help...

Don't buy cheap gloves. If you have gardening gloves you can use those for the MSF course (leather ones) People in my class were using those-cheap at hardware store. Then go get some good gloves...newenough.com is best place to get great deals on gloves, jackets and boots.

Try www.helmetharbor.com for cheap helmets (free shipping-gotta factor that in!)...hey, you're on a budget so do what you can but don't skimp...if that means internet shopping then so be it. You're dealer will likely get some of your business anyway. Do what you can. Even if they don't carry a jacket they can order it for you. My shop didn't have the jacket I wanted either, or the pants I ended up buying and they just had them shipped special for me. They did the same for the bike cover I wanted. Don't settle for what they have in stock if it's not what you want.

and Kerry is right- your end of the country, 3 hours ahead...I thought I was bad but you were up much later than I.

newenough.com has *really* nice Joe Rocket Gloves on sale right now for dirt cheap... I got mine (JR, but another style) from them, also sale, also dirt cheap.

for everything else, find a nice motorcycle accessory shop... leave your money at home, and go try stuff on.  then once you know what you want, see if you can find it online for cheap (consider shipping), or if you feel better supporting a local shop.

if you are ok with "last years model" you can find your gear for not too much.

For helmets... I have a Shoei RF900.. its nice.. low wind noise.  A friend of mine has a HJC... A Lot of wind noise.  But Pablos right... Buy a helmet that fits right.
Also make sure your gloves fit well and are comfy.

Good luck!

For pants, I highly recommend Draggin' Jeans.  They're basically regular jeans with kevlar reinforcement in the knees and seat.  They are very nicely constructed and will provide a huge improvement in protection over regular jeans.  They look like normal jeans except for some extra stitching where the kevlar is.  I've worn them at the office a few times, no one noticed until I pointed it out.  And at $90 or so, they're not that much more expensive than regular jeans.  

They're not going to provide you with the same level of protection as full on armored leathers, but they're a huge improvement over regular jeans with almost no drawbacks.

jeff

Just a thought, but maybe you should buy the best equipment that you can afford.  ESPECIALLY a helmet.  You only get one head right?

ARAI's are cool, indeed.  But there are TONS of other good companies too.....and they won't cost half as much as an ARAI.  I wear an HJC AC-10, and it's a sweet bucket.  It fits good, breathes well, and looks alright too.  What more do you want?  In Canada, we need our helmets to be DOT and SNELL approved, so if the helmet passes both, it's just as safe as any other.  Just something to think about.....but don't be cheap.

Clothing is the same deal.  Ordinary jeans are just as good as anything you can wear outside of FULL leathers....which would look silly on a GS.  Textiles are good too....Joe Rocket is fairly cheap, and quite good....with different coats for different climates, situations, etc...buy whatever grabs your short and curly's.  

In my opinion, blowing your dough on a Nicky Hayden ARAI,  Alpine Star leathers, and some JR titantium gloves is just plain crazy....[just an example ]you can squeak through the MSC with jeans, work gloves, and a $100 bucket on your noggin'.  Think about it.   :nana:

Quote from: J-LoOrdinary jeans are just as good as anything you can wear outside of FULL leathers....which would look silly on a GS.  

No way. Ordinary jeans are useless in a slide and have no impact protection. Even the draggin jeans are better than ordinary jeans. Then textiles, then leather. Leathers dont look silly on a gs...you can still go down at 80+ mph on a gs so why would they look silly? You can still ride a gs hard enough to drag pegs and knees so why would leathers look silly?

Textile is FAR SUPERIOR to jeans too...

Quote from: J-Lo
In my opinion, blowing your dough on a Nicky Hayden ARAI,  Alpine Star leathers, and some JR titantium gloves is just plain crazy....[just an example ]you can squeak through the MSC with jeans, work gloves, and a $100 bucket on your noggin'.  Think about it.   :nana:

Yeah, and you're also riding 250cc bikes in first gear at no faster than 20mph in MSC. Good protection works and is worth the money. Although the extra money for an Arai (for example) is only worth it if thats the one that fits and will be useful.

btw-shoei and HJC helmets are both very good helmets but from what I've read (here and elsewhere) the shoei's are quieter than the HJC which can be a consideration.

Enough of the HJC bashing  because I really like mine. I read the same noise critisism about the cl-12 but the newer cl-14's are pretty much air tight and not very noisy IMO. I tried earplugs for the first time the other day and I hated them. Just my .02

I have a HJC - it sucks! --- thats why I call it "Head ... City/central"  :lol: (Im sure you can work out the three ...)

I am trying to organise a Shoei TZ-1 Shogun from America, but am finding it hard to get someone to ship to Australia. Just as a side note, anyone from Australia or this region, NEWENOUGH will NOT ship to us guys!  

I have to wear earplugs with my HJC otherwise my ears ache after a long ride, its almost as bad as an open faced helmet for wind noise.  :x

HJC are cheap! What do we expect?

Are Draggin Jeans "hotter" then regular jeans in summer?

Stay Safe

What model HJC helmet are you talking about
I have heard Draggin Jeans are a little bit warmer than regular Levis.

what do you guys think of AGVsport?
if three-time AMA winner matt mladin wears it it has to be good right? RIGHT? or am i being squiddy? hehe....
agvsport seems to make some good stuff and reasonably priced.....
i dunno about the helmets tho.....they seem to cost way too little to be good.......$100? u get what u pay for right? i hope shoei's and arai's fit me fine.....

Valentino Rossi also wears an AGV helmet.

their adds quote him as saying, "My helmet is the best in the World."

I've never even seen any in stores so I have no clue how they fit.  But if it's good enough for Rossi, it's good enough for me.  (Yeah, right like I could actually afford one.)

Racers wear what sponsors give them-and say they love them to sell sponsors wares...so I wouldn't use that as criteria for purchase.

Having said that, AGV seems like a reputable euro company that makes quality products, if not a little obscure to find. Should be considered...

yeah but don't you think Rossi could pretty much get a free helmet from anyone he wanted?