| Author | Message | ||
     Eexb |
I'm hoping to be ready for a track day by early summer (June ???) and am wondering where to look for good quality (and good fitting) leathers ??? Is it best to go for custom mades, or are there some brands "on the shelf" a guy should look at ??? Thanks for any advice, EE | ||
| Eurotwins |
I went with custom made by Vanson. I wanted perforation on front,extra armor and a perfect fit. It is one of the best suits I have owned....John (Message edited by eurotwins on April 05, 2005) | ||
| Truk |
WWW.newenough.com is a good source | ||
| Race_pirate |
I bought a "last years" style Tecnic fully ventilated & body armor. Paid $375 for a $800 suit, for an off the rack it fits perfect. Motorcycle Accesory Warehouse (MAW online) seems to have clearance sales all the time. Im going on 3 years and a few get offs and its holding up great. My next suit will be a Vanson, they just make a great product and they are made here in the USA. | ||
| Wheelsleaning |
I second the vote for NewEnough.com! | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Before you drop the expense for leathers, decide how much you want to spend. Compare how much you want to spend with how often you plan on actually wearing them. For trackday events, figure out what class you will be in, and how many events will you be running that class before you can move up. Be honest with yourself. Don't assume that you will take one class at novice then jump straight to intermediate. Unless you have a few events under your belt, plan on at least 2-3 events at the novice level, then 3-4 at least in the next level up. Those lower levels allow you to wear two-piece leathers. So for an initial investment you might just see if you can pick up a pair of leather pants to go with your current riding jacket, take your jacket to a tailer and have them add the right zipper to match your pants. This way you can focus more on other things, like an extra set of tires or some extra spares instead of blowing a big part of your budget on an item you may only use 3-4 times in a year. | ||
| Fbolt |
I paid a good price for off the shelf AGV leathers. I think under $400 over the internet. Research and find a good price v. protection. | ||
| Jerseyguy |
I got a set of Alpinestars for $488 | ||
| Norrisperformance |
I remember a conversation I had years ago with a seasoned racer . I asked what mods I needed on the motor, suspension, gearing, ect. He said, spend all your money on riding gear and forget the other stuff until later. That was some very good advice. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
As the resident cheapskate, I might suggest that you take a look at lightly used Joe Rocket gear on eBay. I was able to put together a Speedmaster pants and Blaster Jacket combo for about $250. They zip together nicely, are fine for novice track days, and have the great advantage of being usable on the street in different combinations. Of course you need to be sure of your Joe Rocket sizes before buying: no returns on eBay. | ||
| Rageonthedl |
I have the Alpinestars TZ-1 Jacket (list $300ish)and ICON MotoHead Boots (list $180). Im gonna get the pants that zip to my jacket.....you need full leathers at the strip if you run 120mph or faster...i fastest yet was 117mph | ||
| Donutclub |
My recommendation is to go with a custom set of leathers that fit you correctly. I've been down in a cheap set of AGV's that were "off the rack" and I got pretty banged up. The leathers slid off my shoulder and bunched up on my arm, thus producing a severe bruise around arm. Not a good thing! I now wear a custom set of SYED leathers that I've been down in several times. They have held up well and do not slide on your body. In case your wondering, I'm a roadracer..........not a squid on the street. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Check my personal website www.geocities.com/koz5150 It has links to a bunch of different discount motorcycle clothing sites. | ||
| Eexb |
THANKS to everyone !!! Great advice that will make it easier to make the right choice. EE | ||
| Henrik |
Vanson sometimes has specials and discounted prices on returned suits. They also annually get used suits back from track schools - refurbish those and sell them cheap. That's what I wear, and it's held up well in 3 track-day crashes so far. Henrik | ||
| Race_pirate |
Norrisperformance said it best, When I started roadracing I had the ugliest Honda hawk on earth, it ran good and wasnt falling apart, But I did spend my money on the best gear I could afford, the bike can be rebuilt, you cant... I second the opinion on AGV-Sport leathers, I saw a guy at Loudon crash once, low speed low side and the leathers were toast. | ||
| T9r |
New Enough.com doesn't have the selection it once had on 2nd hand leathers, have they gotten out of that side of the business? | ||
| Mikej |
It's a somewhat seasonal business. | ||
| Blake |
I like my AGV leathers just fine. They fit me well. Crash tested one time. Passed with flying colors. You do pretty much get what you pay for though in leathers. You can spend anywhere from $500 to $5,000 retail for a set of leathers. | ||
| Ortegakid |
E-bay,e-bay,e-bay, and buy last years,etc,do try them on as off the racks fit different from each manufacturer, I used to sell my last years leathers, then felt bad about, it so's I just keep them for fun days. | ||
| Typeone |
FYI, for those in the area, Vanson is having an open house this weekend i think. I took advantage of an early sale in the showroom last weekend and snagged a new jacket, $200 off! Henrik is right, they have lots of discounted suits, jackets, pants, etc. They'll also put demo garments on the racks at good prices. Samples as they're refining the design, usually $200+ cheaper than final production run. Vanson Leathers, Inc. 951 Broadway Fall River, MA 508-678-2000 | ||
| Starter |
I'm backing E-bay as well. The prices we can get this sort of stuff in Aust just blows me away compared to the stores. |
