| Author | Message | ||
     Jlnance |
I'd like to start a discussion here concerning gear. There is lots of good advice on this site about specific pieces of gear. But I have not seen any that deal with the fact that all the gear money comes out of the same pot. So spending extra on one piece means there is less left for other pieces. This is particularly a problem for new riders, who are buying every piece of gear at the same time, and probably a bike to boot. If I had the experience I have now, I would have made better choices with the gear I bought when I started riding. So I'd like to ask the following question in the hopes that new riders will find the answers useful. If you had $500 to spend to buy all your gear, what would you buy? Here is my answer to that question: 1 - Get an HJC helmet. They are the least expensive DOT+Snell helmet I have been able to find. My current helmet is Black, which is a decision I regret. Get a bright color to increase visibility and have a little added personality as well.  2 - Get a summer weight mesh jacket. Summer weight is good because you can still use it in the winter if you put extra clothes on under it. Mesh is important because it is significantly cheaper than leather. Make sure it is a motorcycle jacket. You need something that won't disintegrate if you fall off the bike. 3 - Gloves. Make sure they are motorcycle gloves, again so they wont disintegrate in a crash. 4 - Boots. I wish I had bought better boots, and I wish they didn't have laces. I don't know what I should have bought. Hopefully someone else will have some suggestions. 5 - For budget shopping avoid buying gear at the HD dealer. You pay a lot for the HD logo. | ||
| Lornce |
Your choice of HJC helmet is excellent. I've had four of them to date, and remain impressed with the comfort, fit and build quality AND the reasonable price. I'll have to trust the DOT and Snell ratings as I've not impact tested any of them. Don't know of a better product on the market in the same price range. Many m/c journos compare them favourably to more recognisable brands costing much much more. Sorry, I'm not much help on modern style riding boots. Can't get my taste around them. Bought my favourite pair in 1979 from a Canadian cowboy boot mfg'r. They're m/c specific with extra leather on the toes, low heels and sturdy soles. Had them rebuilt about four times now and dread the day they're no longer rebuildable as they're no longer in production. Hot tip for gloves (imho) is deerskin work gloves. Deerskin feels wonderful, stays cooler in hot weather and warmer in cool weather and is more abrasion resistant than cow hide. Paid $29 Cdn at Home Despot for the Stanley brand presently in use and love them for the street. Buy them a size small and alow them to stretch to fit you like a... well, like a glove. If you don't mind wearing last year's model, or three year's ago's model, there's lots of good deals out there on riding gear. Bike shows tend to be the best places to scoop the super good deals on drastically reduced items. Have fun shopping, Lawrence | ||
| Dustyjacket |
I have an HJC flip-up helmet. (A flip up is good if you need to talk to people, as beginners often do.) I got a Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket at motorcyclecloseouts.com which has panels that unzip to reveal lots of mesh, yet is warm with the panels zipped on, and has waterproof liners for rain or really cold days. Those 2 items are a good $400 total, though. | ||
| Niceharleystuff |
I like my HJC AC-11. Nice fit and low price.  | ||
| Jackbequick |
I'm a new owner of a 2000 M2, am going thru the gear thing now. I found a good deal on a Aero/Darien jacket in the regional Uncle Henry's weekly. I got a nearly new jacket, the electric vest, and the elbow, shoulder, back armour pieces for $300. A major investment for me but about half the catalog price. eBay is another place worth checking out for both new and used stuff. Some good deals can be found there. Jack | ||
| Xb12burner |
I third, fourth or fifth the HJC helmet choice. For the money, hands down an excellent helmet. On the other gear choices, there are some places around that carry discounted motorcycling gear. Usually in some dang ugly colors, but still good protection. Maybe do a search for closeout or discounted motorcycle apparel. On the deerskin gloves I'm getting an ugly image of John off of CHIPS in my head! No go away....I'm pretty sure they'd do the trick though. |
