Riding Gear Advise
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Riding Gear Advise
I'm starting from scratch and need a little advice on purchasing riding gear. For the past month I've been using my brother's and father's gear. I'm wearing out my welcome and need to buy my own. In terms of safety, quality amd comfort is their a particular clothing brand I should be looking at. I need it all, jacket, pants, boots etc.. Any advise would be most appreciated.
The BMW stuff is among the best, but pricey. I have the Savannah Suit and boots, and the Airflow 2 suit/boots/gloves, Freerider jacket, Summer pants, and some other stuff. Any of the Aerostitch gear is also top notch, but not the most stylish. Also $$$.
If I was buying my stuff all over again I'd buy it all from Rev' It- very well made and many thoughtful details. Like they say "BMW Quality at a First Gear price". It's A Dutch company that's been selling in Europe for over 10 years, and has started selling in the US in the last couple of years.
Speaking of First Gear, also very good, I have some of their stuff too.
Also try Olympia - good stuff, and some of their gear doesn't look too 'bikery". If you're into leather, the # 1 name is Vanson. A lot of guys like Belstaff also.
For good deals try: New Enough. com, street-bikes.ridegear.com, Roadgear.com...
Welcome aboard and good luck !
If I was buying my stuff all over again I'd buy it all from Rev' It- very well made and many thoughtful details. Like they say "BMW Quality at a First Gear price". It's A Dutch company that's been selling in Europe for over 10 years, and has started selling in the US in the last couple of years.
Speaking of First Gear, also very good, I have some of their stuff too.
Also try Olympia - good stuff, and some of their gear doesn't look too 'bikery". If you're into leather, the # 1 name is Vanson. A lot of guys like Belstaff also.
For good deals try: New Enough. com, street-bikes.ridegear.com, Roadgear.com...
Welcome aboard and good luck !
Tony
Lifetime #156
2013 K1600GT
Lifetime #156
2013 K1600GT
WNCBMW can fix you up with some good advice on the Olympia gear. I believe he is also an expert on Aerostich.
WHAYCOC can advise you on the RoadGear stuff, since he works for them and can vouch for their characteristics.
Since you live in western NC, you will have at least three seasons to ride in and some of winter. You probably will want to get two sets. One for cold weather to cool and a set for hot weather to mild.
It is time now to ask you how much money you plan to spend....or better still, have available to spend. As any here will attest you can spend loads on clothing and gear. Or you can economize and cut corners in many ways.
In summer I have military style air flow boots and wear Dragginjeans most of the time. My jacket is a FirstGear Leather mesh Tex and if it gets cool I can pull on a rain jacket over it or just plan ahead and wear the cortech Tourmaster with venting available. For long trips, like to the rally in Vermont I go better prepared with Darien pants over shorts or jeans and waterproof Rocky boots.
As you can see, and by what others will post here, there is a vast array of styles and clothing options available. Consider your wallet, safety, and comfort and start shopping around for advice and what you personally like.
WHAYCOC can advise you on the RoadGear stuff, since he works for them and can vouch for their characteristics.
Since you live in western NC, you will have at least three seasons to ride in and some of winter. You probably will want to get two sets. One for cold weather to cool and a set for hot weather to mild.
It is time now to ask you how much money you plan to spend....or better still, have available to spend. As any here will attest you can spend loads on clothing and gear. Or you can economize and cut corners in many ways.
In summer I have military style air flow boots and wear Dragginjeans most of the time. My jacket is a FirstGear Leather mesh Tex and if it gets cool I can pull on a rain jacket over it or just plan ahead and wear the cortech Tourmaster with venting available. For long trips, like to the rally in Vermont I go better prepared with Darien pants over shorts or jeans and waterproof Rocky boots.
As you can see, and by what others will post here, there is a vast array of styles and clothing options available. Consider your wallet, safety, and comfort and start shopping around for advice and what you personally like.
Boots:
Oxtar Matrix Gore-Tex
They're good looking, comfortable, and waterproof. I wear mine year round. They work great with a nice pair of wool socks. The newer version has a rubber shift pad instead of the leather one. My leather shift pad wore through to the nylon backing, but that has held up.
Jackets:
I own an original Tour Master 3/4 Cortech jacket with liner for cool or cold or wet weather. For the hot rides I have a Roadgear Airtek Mesh Jacket. It has good protection for a mesh jacket.
Gloves:
Currently Tour Master GX Air mesh gloves for hot weather. Roadgear Multiseason Adaptive Tec gloves for mild weather. Some cheap ski gloves from Sam's Club called "Freestyle" for cold weather.
Helmet:
Schuberth Concept.
Pants:
Aerostich Darien good for cool, cold, or wet weather. Not so much for hot weather.
The olympia AST jacket is at the top of the list to replace aging Tour Master.
Oxtar Matrix Gore-Tex
They're good looking, comfortable, and waterproof. I wear mine year round. They work great with a nice pair of wool socks. The newer version has a rubber shift pad instead of the leather one. My leather shift pad wore through to the nylon backing, but that has held up.
Jackets:
I own an original Tour Master 3/4 Cortech jacket with liner for cool or cold or wet weather. For the hot rides I have a Roadgear Airtek Mesh Jacket. It has good protection for a mesh jacket.
Gloves:
Currently Tour Master GX Air mesh gloves for hot weather. Roadgear Multiseason Adaptive Tec gloves for mild weather. Some cheap ski gloves from Sam's Club called "Freestyle" for cold weather.
Helmet:
Schuberth Concept.
Pants:
Aerostich Darien good for cool, cold, or wet weather. Not so much for hot weather.
The olympia AST jacket is at the top of the list to replace aging Tour Master.
JOURNEY JUNKIE #187
OK - I guess I will weigh in on this. Last week, I had four sets of riding gear hanging up, not counting my old deerskin Thurlow jacket. They were:
- 2-piece Aerostich Roadcrafter
- Olympia AST jacket and Ranger pants
- Olympia Mesh Jacket and pants
- Vanson perferated jacket and pants
Today, I only have three sets. I sold the 'stich last week.
My opinion is the 'stich is top quality gear, good crash protection and weather protection. Very expensive but great stuff. But . . . ventilation in hot weather is not very cooling.
The Olympia AST and Ranger outfit is also good quality, water proof, CE armour in the elbows, shoulders and back, looks good and the arm, chest and back vents make it much cooler to wear. And much less investment.
Check out my review on page 5 of this forum.
The Olympia mesh stuff is also excellant and has all the right armour, although I have a hard time trusting the protection of mesh pants, so I have armoured shorts I wear under the mesh pants.
The Vanson stuff is the best leather around. The perfed stuff flows air like crazy, if fact, under 60-degrees will require something under or you can get cold. As soon as I get some rain gear, I will ride it often during the summer. All those years with an Aerostich, I didn't need raingear!
Disclaimer - As some on the board know, I got most of my Olympia stuff as comp for using my bike for the last two catalog shoots. But I also take riding gear serious and would not use it or recommend it if it did not do the job for me. Being confident enough to sell my Aerostich should say enough about how I feel.
Some of the other suggestions are also good. BMW makes great stuff, but even more expensive than Aerostich. And their stuff requires their liners inside the suit or a rain suit over it for rain. I do not like that for a traveling outfit. Again, too many years of just keeping on riding when it starts to rain.
Boots - I use Sidi On-Roads
Gloves - Aerostich elkskin.deerskin gauntlets. Next up is the Held Steve model though.
- 2-piece Aerostich Roadcrafter
- Olympia AST jacket and Ranger pants
- Olympia Mesh Jacket and pants
- Vanson perferated jacket and pants
Today, I only have three sets. I sold the 'stich last week.
My opinion is the 'stich is top quality gear, good crash protection and weather protection. Very expensive but great stuff. But . . . ventilation in hot weather is not very cooling.
The Olympia AST and Ranger outfit is also good quality, water proof, CE armour in the elbows, shoulders and back, looks good and the arm, chest and back vents make it much cooler to wear. And much less investment.
Check out my review on page 5 of this forum.
The Olympia mesh stuff is also excellant and has all the right armour, although I have a hard time trusting the protection of mesh pants, so I have armoured shorts I wear under the mesh pants.
The Vanson stuff is the best leather around. The perfed stuff flows air like crazy, if fact, under 60-degrees will require something under or you can get cold. As soon as I get some rain gear, I will ride it often during the summer. All those years with an Aerostich, I didn't need raingear!
Disclaimer - As some on the board know, I got most of my Olympia stuff as comp for using my bike for the last two catalog shoots. But I also take riding gear serious and would not use it or recommend it if it did not do the job for me. Being confident enough to sell my Aerostich should say enough about how I feel.
Some of the other suggestions are also good. BMW makes great stuff, but even more expensive than Aerostich. And their stuff requires their liners inside the suit or a rain suit over it for rain. I do not like that for a traveling outfit. Again, too many years of just keeping on riding when it starts to rain.
Boots - I use Sidi On-Roads
Gloves - Aerostich elkskin.deerskin gauntlets. Next up is the Held Steve model though.
'02 in black - the real BMW color! (Now gone to a new home)
Vann - Lifer No. 295
Vann - Lifer No. 295
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yjleesvrr
- Member
- Posts: 1803
- Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:23 pm
- Location: Blacksburg and Haymarket, VA/Basking Ridge, NJ
It sounds like you're getting started on motorcycling as well. Or at least returning to it after a long hiatus. I recommend trying cheaper gear that'll still serve you well for a number of years. Most things made by First Gear and Joe Rocket are affordable but good enough to last about five seasons or more depending on how often you ride. Get a heavier cold weather jacket (about $200) and a light mesh jacket ($140) for the summer. Likewise on gloves - one for summer and another for the rest. I bought a Shoei RF900 helmet and have used it for over four years now. it cost about $320. The successor to this model is the RF1000. For pants, I stick with a thick denim pair of jeans and that's it. A good pair of waterproof boots will set you back about $150. I splurged four years ago and spent $270 on my Sidi Sympatex boots and they have been fabulous for comfort and keeping moisture and even 20 degree wind at bay in the winter.
At the very least, plan on spending about a thousand bucks to get started. Motorcycling is not a cheap alternative to driving a car.
At the very least, plan on spending about a thousand bucks to get started. Motorcycling is not a cheap alternative to driving a car.
Member #93, June 2002
'14 BMW R1200RT "Wethead"
'77 BMW R100/7 "Airhead"
'14 BMW R1200RT "Wethead"
'77 BMW R100/7 "Airhead"
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dragonmojo
- Basic User
- Posts: 255
- Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:23 pm
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Outfitting properly for riding will seem expensive initially, but BMW riders tend to amortize the cost over the number of miles traversed. Thus, spending $1000 on your gear and having ridden 10,000 miles with it equates to 10 cents per mile. Extend that to 20,000 miles and the cost is only 5 cents per mile. And people wonder why BMW riders put so many miles on their bikes!
On the other hand, the cheap alternative is skid lid, T-shirt, shorts and sandals. You'd probably recoup the cost by riding a few weekends out of the year... but who would wanna do that?
On the other hand, the cheap alternative is skid lid, T-shirt, shorts and sandals. You'd probably recoup the cost by riding a few weekends out of the year... but who would wanna do that?
Traffic signals timed for 35mph, are also timed for 70mph.
'04 R1150Rx (GRN)
'88 Hawk GT
'04 R1150Rx (GRN)
'88 Hawk GT
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leno
The gear you wear is a personal thing. I have built up a huge pile of stuff over the years. Refining an item here, an item from there. I use a lot of hien gerick stuff as there is a good store near me. A lot of BMW stuff is sorced from the same factories but the Gerick stuff is always cheaper. You will have to workout what fits you and suites your riding. Differant brands fit differant shapes better. The only rule I have is don't skimp on the things. Cheap stuff falls apart under the daily grind in all weathers. And the amount of time I spend in the gear it's worth getting good stuff thats comftable
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motorrader
- Basic User
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 7:45 pm
- Location: Buffalo, NY
I have had Gerich for years good but not great. After reading wncbmw
review of Olympia's AST I bought the jacket and ranger pants. I have now ridden in both and in hot weather and heavy rain and in cool . The AST is GREAT in every situation. The pants are way too hot in 80+ degrees, so I'll look for summer pants. Boots in the summer I ride with honda cordura,cheap from Sierra Trading post,$19.99. But for long rides with some hiking you can't go wrong withPrexsport, from New enough, they recomended these as I love to ride and hunt for mushrooms. I still haven't found a decent pair of gloves that is comfortable for eight hours.
review of Olympia's AST I bought the jacket and ranger pants. I have now ridden in both and in hot weather and heavy rain and in cool . The AST is GREAT in every situation. The pants are way too hot in 80+ degrees, so I'll look for summer pants. Boots in the summer I ride with honda cordura,cheap from Sierra Trading post,$19.99. But for long rides with some hiking you can't go wrong withPrexsport, from New enough, they recomended these as I love to ride and hunt for mushrooms. I still haven't found a decent pair of gloves that is comfortable for eight hours.
Michael
MG 78 LeMans
2002 R1150R
78 R100S
MG 78 LeMans
2002 R1150R
78 R100S
fwiw, twice a year my dealer has open houses. They discount a lot of gear at these events, up to 25% off BMW stuff. Don't forget rallies too.
You could spend a fortune on gear. literally the sky is the limit.
FirstGear Kilomanjaro Air has a removable liner that makes it a great summer jacket, as well as a colder temp and rain jacket with the liner in.
It's a nice lower priced jacket that can serve as 2 jackets for the price.
In the winter, it's gerbing for me.
mcollect, I have BMW air flow gloves. They are fantastic for all day riding.
http://www.bmw-riders-gear.com/BMWRA_pr ... mmer%2Ejpg
Boots? I wear Wolverines! I also picked up a pair of BMW summer boots/street sneakers at a heavy open house discount.
You could spend a fortune on gear. literally the sky is the limit.
FirstGear Kilomanjaro Air has a removable liner that makes it a great summer jacket, as well as a colder temp and rain jacket with the liner in.
It's a nice lower priced jacket that can serve as 2 jackets for the price.
In the winter, it's gerbing for me.
mcollect, I have BMW air flow gloves. They are fantastic for all day riding.
http://www.bmw-riders-gear.com/BMWRA_pr ... mmer%2Ejpg
Boots? I wear Wolverines! I also picked up a pair of BMW summer boots/street sneakers at a heavy open house discount.
Freedom is dangerous. Those in power that steal freedom are more dangerous.
Riding gear
Hi Catapult,
I had not bought any decent gear in a while so decided that I needed some new stuff to go with the first new bike in thirty years. The old leather jacket just wasn't as nice as it used to be.
The local dealer convinced me to buy a Streetguard 2 jacket. I almost choked on the price, but after using it for a month can say that it has some fantastic features.
Rain for 30 minutes at highway speeds doesn't leak into you. Two front zipper flaps seal it up tight. Yet the unit is breathable in the heat and mugginess in the Toronto area. It has a storm collar attachment that seals the neck area up snugly and the cuffs are airtight. It comes with some armour that imparts a comforting sense of confidence. There is also a back protector that only feels comfortable if you have the removable liner in-to me anyway.
Dainese has a pair of armored waterproof gloves that run 200 bucks Canadian and are excellent in the rain and breathable in the cool and around town.
One of the posters mentioned the Oxtar waterproof boots-I have them also and they are very good. Made in Italy.
HJC makes an open face helmet where the robust screen flips up in increments and gets rid of the hot, claustrophobic feeling of a full face helmet. A iron butt guy I know rides with a flip up Zuess full face that he likes.
Technic makes a good rainsuit-the jacket has breathing mesh and fits into it's own pouch and the pants slip on over boots.
For road pants, right now I use a pair of slip on Scotchguarded snowboarding pants for the cool crappy weather-they have lots of pockets and seem OK for the kind of riding I do.
I had not bought any decent gear in a while so decided that I needed some new stuff to go with the first new bike in thirty years. The old leather jacket just wasn't as nice as it used to be.
The local dealer convinced me to buy a Streetguard 2 jacket. I almost choked on the price, but after using it for a month can say that it has some fantastic features.
Rain for 30 minutes at highway speeds doesn't leak into you. Two front zipper flaps seal it up tight. Yet the unit is breathable in the heat and mugginess in the Toronto area. It has a storm collar attachment that seals the neck area up snugly and the cuffs are airtight. It comes with some armour that imparts a comforting sense of confidence. There is also a back protector that only feels comfortable if you have the removable liner in-to me anyway.
Dainese has a pair of armored waterproof gloves that run 200 bucks Canadian and are excellent in the rain and breathable in the cool and around town.
One of the posters mentioned the Oxtar waterproof boots-I have them also and they are very good. Made in Italy.
HJC makes an open face helmet where the robust screen flips up in increments and gets rid of the hot, claustrophobic feeling of a full face helmet. A iron butt guy I know rides with a flip up Zuess full face that he likes.
Technic makes a good rainsuit-the jacket has breathing mesh and fits into it's own pouch and the pants slip on over boots.
For road pants, right now I use a pair of slip on Scotchguarded snowboarding pants for the cool crappy weather-they have lots of pockets and seem OK for the kind of riding I do.
I have been happy with my FirstGear Kilimanjaro Jacket, and HT overpants. When it gets hot(90F +) I jst wet my tee shirt, and open the vents for a little air conditioning.
I have worn BMW Goretex boots for the last 3-4 years, and they have been great, plus I got them for only $77.
Roadgear deerskin gloves are my everyday gloves, and I recently purchased a pair of MAGIC Alpinstar waterproof gloves. Put them on and it quits raining.
I have also been very impressed with my Nolan N102 helmet. It is quieter than the N100, and has decent ventilation.
ps - Vann, I will send you a pic of my old rain suit that you can buy. Was going to post it, but I am having trouble getting the link to work.
I have worn BMW Goretex boots for the last 3-4 years, and they have been great, plus I got them for only $77.
Roadgear deerskin gloves are my everyday gloves, and I recently purchased a pair of MAGIC Alpinstar waterproof gloves. Put them on and it quits raining.
I have also been very impressed with my Nolan N102 helmet. It is quieter than the N100, and has decent ventilation.
ps - Vann, I will send you a pic of my old rain suit that you can buy. Was going to post it, but I am having trouble getting the link to work.
Jeff (lifer #289)
'17 F800GSA
'04 R1150R
There ain't no education in the second kick of a mule!
'17 F800GSA
'04 R1150R
There ain't no education in the second kick of a mule!
gear
As far as hot weather riding pants, keep in mind, any quality overpant (be it Olympia, First Gear or Aerostich's Darian) will have higher abrasion resistance than jeans and will have padding. Which means, you can probably wear shorts under it to better circulate the air.
I discovered Saturday, I could zip off the legs of my lightweight Columbia pants and remove them without taking off my Ranger pants. And I could feel the difference afterward also! Probably adds 10 degrees to the comfort range at least,
Plus, much of the mesh gear, at least the Olympia stuff, all somes with liners to extend the range.
I discovered Saturday, I could zip off the legs of my lightweight Columbia pants and remove them without taking off my Ranger pants. And I could feel the difference afterward also! Probably adds 10 degrees to the comfort range at least,
Plus, much of the mesh gear, at least the Olympia stuff, all somes with liners to extend the range.
'02 in black - the real BMW color! (Now gone to a new home)
Vann - Lifer No. 295
Vann - Lifer No. 295