ace_402
Parking Attendant
Posts: 13
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posted July 22, 2007 05:19 PM
what gear should i wear?
hey im gona be riding on the streets for the first time on a motorcycle. im getting a sportbike if that makes any difference. i know i have to wear a helmet and i was gona get an arai, but if u have any other suggestions of helmets be sure to tell me but its gota be full face. i see some guys wearing jackets, gloves, some with nothing, some with just jackets. so u can see i dont really know what i should be wearing. i mean if things hit u all the time why in the world would someone ride there bike shirtless. any suggestions on what i should wear when i ride would be great. thanks
  
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Old Guy
Expert Class
Posts: 470
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posted July 23, 2007 10:41 AM
helmets;
If the Arai fits, go for it. But also try the Shoei. The two fit different heads. (for example, I wear a Shoei with thicker cheek pads, but a Arai hurts it fits my melon so wrong.)
Both top of the line helmets and affordable.
You live in Pa. so find a jacket that is waterproof AND vented. With CE approved padding.
Joe Rocket makes some sexy stuff for a young cat like you.
Get good gloves and boots too.
A good trick is to try stuff on at shops and then find it much cheaper on the web. Start with www.denniskirk.com or see if there is a cycle gear store nearby.
Back in the day we used to say" A ten dollar helmet for a ten dollar head."
Whats your melon worth to you?
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Living the good life...,
On a XZ !!!!!
Tsukigi stainless full system
pcIII w/custom map
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GP suspension forks
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Rich's custom seat
And a whole bunch of other stuff.
97 zx6r full race bike with all the
good stuff
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scorpion king
Parking Attendant
Posts: 2
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posted July 29, 2007 06:01 AM
In short.... your head is worth something.... buy something accordingly.
Sweat wipes off...... skin and bones take longer to heal if not lost.
Have fun.
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D
Needs a job
Posts: 3365
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posted July 30, 2007 07:13 AM
All your gear all the time.
Helmet, gloves (gauntlet style with wrist straps), leather pants and jacket - that's my list for EVERY ride.
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted July 30, 2007 02:49 PM
there is a fairly recent school of thought that says the $ of the helmet doesn't determine how safe it is, as a recent test done by one of the big magazines actually showed superior performance (in one aspect at least) from some of the cheaper helmets. the most important thing arguably is that the helmet fits you correctly, and that's a harder thing to achieve than you might think. it does seem price & performance are a bit more linear in other gear tho, like leathers or textiles. again, that's not a hard and fast rule. but from what i've seen recently, that $700 1 piece kangaroo suit works about as well as the value of the tax on the purchase price. if you do go textile, try to go kevlar, as nylon/cordura seems to be hit and miss.
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stu64
Zone Head
Posts: 548
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posted August 05, 2007 12:15 PM
http://www.newenough.com/
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Sticks_n_Stones
Needs a job
Posts: 3930
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posted August 07, 2007 12:53 PM
 Edited By: Sticks_n_Stones on 7 Aug 2007 13:55
Yeah textile is cheaper, is available as waterproof (no, leather is not waterproof, don't even go there I've tried), and can keep you cooler in hot summer heat. However, most textile is barely adequate in a fall over about 40 mph. It also tends to melt into your skin from friction heat. Do Not assume you will be sliding on the armor, you won't, you be sliding on forearms, calfs, and ass. Good leather (no, that cool leather jacket your mom bought you for christmas is not a riding jacket, it takes special grade and thickness leather designed for abrasion resistence) is designed to handle high speed get-offs, though I've heard of some textiles that can match leather I also heard it costs as much as leather. And denim (Levi's etc.) is not riding gear, lasts about 2 seconds sliding. If you want to wear denim, by underarmor or better yet underarmor and official riding denim pants. Sucks paying for all that stuff up front ($500-1000 to equip right) but just roll it into the price of the bike, or take out a loan. Whatever it takes I and others here will agree after your first roadrash hospital visit you'll be kicking yourself for not doing it right. Look around the forums for used gear, you can save alot of money that way or use clearance rack at http://www.newenough.com/ and equip for around $300 not including helmet. Good luck and safe (not necessarily sane) riding!
PS: being a new rider I have to highly recommend getting frame sliders and swingarm sliders for your bike. Fairings and paint jobs are expensive and easily damaged!
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Flies out K&N in!
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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted August 08, 2007 07:38 PM
wear yo GEAR :P
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'08 R1 YAMAHA
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CBR600RR track bike
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
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posted August 14, 2007 10:19 AM
Sticks_n_Stones, i tend to agree about textiles. i had a cheap textile suit once that wore right thru in several places on a real gentle 30mph lowside. on the other hand my 1piece (race fit, not loose like the Aerostitch) kevlar suit worked beautifully on a 50mph smack 'n slide. i think the concern about textiles melting is specific to certain matierials because i defintiely experienced none of that on my kevlar suit despite a fairly long concrete slide. anyway, my suit runs $700 on sale, full price is a grand. same for the much-loved Aerostitch suit (#1G).
if you do insist on wearing jeans sometimes (say just to the corner store) get yourself some kevlar reinforced jeans at least. Draggin has been making them for a long time, and Icon makes them now too. i'm sure others do as well. hardly a comparable alternative to leather or good textiles, but alot better than straight denim.
oh, if you're looking at a real suit for high speed riding, do make sure it fits well. race suits are quite tight fitting because you dont want any folds. you slide on a fold and it will wear thru quick. you slide on a properly stretched panel and it will slide and wear properly.
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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted August 14, 2007 06:12 PM
+2
textiles!
____________
2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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Sticks_n_Stones
Needs a job
Posts: 3930
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posted August 15, 2007 05:25 AM
Edited By: Sticks_n_Stones on 15 Aug 2007 06:31
20mph in shorts/tanktop: 1 hour having friends mom(a nurse-I had no insurance) scrub the gravel outta my left calf, knee, ass cheek and arms. with alcohol and a toothbrush. WoW talk about events in your life that change you. I still grimace thinking about it. 20 years later. Seriously.
25mph in Joe Rocket textile 5.0: both butt cheeks holed thru to inner lining, right knee holed thru to the HARD armor I put in (great upgrade), jacket holed thru badly right arm, dang elbow pad slid on impact exposing my elbow to a small bit of rash. And of course hurt pride.
25 mph in my 1 piece race suit: Hurt pride and a small scuff I had to point out to see.
60+mph airborne sideways into a vertical rock cliff (don't ask) followed by a 10 foot drop into a very deep snow ditch, still going fast,rock on both sides, bike bouncing back and forth like a pingpong ball, shredding fairings like I was dropped into a food processor. Bike totalled, helmet split in half, steel in boots exposed, my 2 week old racing suit absolutely shredded, knee pucks torn off, cracked CE left knee pad. I walked away without any serious injury.
40mph in Carhart jeans and textile jacket: slid half the distance on road, other on gravel into ditch. pants wore thru on right knee, left calf, both butt cheeks again(gotta stop trying to sit up...), but not too bad. jacket wore thru to armor both elbows, right forearm burned nearly thru textile, leaving a bad skin burn on my forearm. I tried to "roll" with the momentum after I felt the burning figuring it was better than sliding on one spot. damn that was a mistake I was bruised all over, fractured wrist and ankle, and looked like some gangbangers took bats to me. All things considered Carharts did decent just need armor. decent for a lower speed getoff. If I woulda had my race suit still I know I woulda been off scot free. And woulda been heat stroked in the 105 degree heat.
Hope this helps, it sure as hell helped me form my opinion on proper riding gear for the conditions. I truly do miss riding around town in shorts and a tank top and flip flops (ok maybe not the flip flops  without a helmet. Kind of like how I would love to sit on the rear header panel of my friends convertible Porsche going around town, too. get the point? Those are my accidents, I've seen enough of my friends get hit or fall off around me to fill up a whole forum page but my fingers are getting tired.
____________
'06 zx14
Muzzy M10/M14
PCIII w/ Muzzy map
Flies out K&N in!
bits n pieces...
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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted August 24, 2007 02:41 PM
i've rode like one too
____________
2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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bigdtd
Needs a job
Interceptors
Posts: 4209
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posted September 01, 2007 09:22 AM
i lke the alpinestars racing leathers but they are way too hot for summer in florida
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reggiegroober
Expert Class
Posts: 376
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posted September 07, 2007 06:24 AM
S n S, given the impresive list of offs you've had, I'm suprised you're still riding.
Ace 402, Dainese make a good range of waterproof gear, which is all I use. cheap 2nd hand gear on the net is a great option, always buy a new helmet. 2nd hand just isin't worth the savings.
have fun
Reggie
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Ducati 1198S, Black as Satan's Heart and twice as fast....Fuck you Salsa
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