| Author | Message | ||
     Mayerhd |
Hello All, Well I recently sold my 00'Night Train to allow me to purchase a Ulysses. I plan on buying the uly in spring or possibly fall if the deals are better, but I am kind of set on the 08's so I don't know if there is a ton of wiggle room yet. I live in Madison WI, I have a Harley/Buell stealership 5 minutes from the house, should I even bother talking to them or is Appleton the place to go? And to get to the "riding gear" question. Does anyone have any experience with FirstGear? I kind of like their stuff but would appreciate any feedback before I drop any money on it. Thanks for any input, love the board! | ||
| Jungletym |
I have a Kilmanjaro jacket and I am extremely happy with it. Durable and the removable lining is great for summer riding. First Gear in my opinion is a great company to deal with too. One of my zippers broke they replaced the jacket and paid for shipping to and from. | ||
| Molly_hatchet |
first gear = good gear.... | ||
| Pregrid |
Have had the same First Gear Jacket and pants for 7 years now. Good quality and they've held up great. That's actually the only drawback, though. I'm lusting for some new gear but can't justify hanging up the still good stuff I have now. | ||
| Jackbequick |
You live in a place with a winter (to say the least) and the Aerostich line is certainly worth considering for riding in cooler climates. Jack | ||
| Steve_mackay |
Mayerhd, Budc from Hals HD/Buell can also help you out on a Uly purchase. Only about an hour and 15 minutes from madtown. | ||
| Sleez |
my only experience with first gear is with some gloves i received as a gift. they fit and performed great, until you got the least amount of sweat in them. then the lining would bunch up inside and make it almost impossible to reinsert your fingers. i ended up tearing out all the lining and found a thin membrane (rubber/latex ??) between the leather and the knitted liner that was what was bunching up. i don't recall the model of glove, but they were mid length, all leather outer. (no armor) so i have been a bit leary of first gear products based on that one experience. i would however consider first gear products otherwise. | ||
| Ulywife |
Mayerhd - we have some First Gear in the house as well. I have a First Gear Mesh Jacket that I really like. M2nc has a Kilimanjaro jacket and HT Overpants from First Gear as well. Carlos took a spill on Black Ice while making a left hand turn (very low mph). The gear protected him, but did suffer enough rips and tears that it no longer kept the water out. Upon replacing these items we looked for gear that had CE armor versus dual density armor and also looked for gear that had a stronger or re-inforced fabric on the arms and legs. We ended up buying an Olympia 3/4 jacket and a pair of Tour Master textile riding pants. Since we're all short here, we also looked for manufacturers that carried "short" lengths. We also looked for the 3-way position of knee armor. Ill fitting gear doesn't give you full range of protection. In March of this year he went down on the Dragon at 35-40 mph. The gear held up GREAT! No rips or tears in the fabric. We were very impressed with how well both items held up and he walked away with only a scrap on his knuckle from inside his glove. Long story short, before settling on the name of gear, look at what type of riding you do and what type of protection is offered in the gear you're looking at purchasing. Each time we buy gear we seem to learn something new. Now I always look for CE armor in the knees, shoulders and elbows, I take a closer look at the fabric, seams, zippers, etc. Good luck on your search and remember, ATGATT (all the gear all the time). Kristi | ||
| Slaughter |
Realistically, unless you buy leather, you pretty much have to count on most riding gear being a "one fall" outfit. I have leathers that i'm the third owner. They were crashed at least twice in before I got them - I crashed in them 3 times again and they're still usable (though ugly) The CE type armor is better protection. TIGHT fitting protective gear is MUCH BETTER protection in a fall. Trade-offs on comfort against safety is always a tough call. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I have firstgear two-piece leathers and I have been really happy with the quality of the gear from top to bottom. IIRC Firstgear is made by Hein Gericke which is one of the premium motorcycle gear companies. Be sure to try on any piece of gear before purchase since the sizing and cut of each model and brand is different. If at all possible check the fit while sitting on your motorcycle. Fit on and off the bike are different. Snug is good. You do not want the gear to bunch up on you. what feels minor in the show room can be a major annoyance after a few hours in the saddle. The bottom line is no matter how good the gear is it does you no good if you don't wear it. ATGATT is serious business. Every ride, no matter how short, wear your gear. | ||
| Coal400 |
Man, the "bad boy"/"night train" is my favorite HD, next to the 68 FLH with the generator style shovelhead. Not as much chrome to clean on that FXSTB  FWIW, I think Andy at Appleton is doing a fine job. I'd suggest, at least, giving Andy a call before you make a purchase. I'm sure he'll make it worth your while or at least give you piece of mind if you do purchase somewhere else. Either way, time well spent. Good luck | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
+1 on an Aerostich Recently I was practicing my Superman moves in Montana. The suite held up fantastic. In fact I have to point out to people where I were I went down. The damage is so slight. Buy once, buy right... You'll end up spending the same in the end. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
mayerhd, I was at Hal's just a couple weeks back and they had a cameo colored Ulysses on the floor. That was a nice looking motorcycle, I couldn't believe how good it looked in person. I had only seen pictures of one before. Besides if your not in any hurry to purchase your motorcycle, why not look at several dealerships! Appleton always has a nice selection of Buells, check out Hal's and also talk to your local dealer and see what dealer will give you the best deal. I've never been in that dealership in Madison, been by it several times but never stopped in. also check out the Buell demo fleet, I think it's going to be either in Janesville or Rockford the first week of September. It's posted on Buell's website. | ||
| Mayerhd |
Thanks for all of the info, I pulled the trigger on the FIRSTGEAR JAUNT Jacket last night, I liked the fit and the features. It now has the CE armour in it too. I bought my wife the KARMA too. I didn't care for the riding pants though, I don't much like the tapering with the FIRSTGEAR. I'm 6'3" and I'd like to get a pair of riding pants that have a straight leg cut to them, offer some waterproofing with some protection built in too. Anyone have any ideas on that order? I think that I will be calling around to several dealers, I guess I will see who is willing to move an 08' Uly! I did love the Night Train, I put about 25,000 on it (not a ton for a 7 year old bike) but I got tired of my buddies waiting for me in the curves. One has a Triumph Thunderbird, the other a ZZR600. I had done quite of bit of motor work to it too, 98HP and 104TQ on the dyno, I used to think it was fast, until I test rode the Uly! Turns out it was still a 650lb brick. But it looked cool. |
