suggestions for riding clothes: jacket, gloves, shoes, pants

Hey all,

I'm waiting on my tank to come back from paint, and was just curious for some suggestions on decent riding gear. Your feedback is appreciated!

Jacket:
not looking for a leather jacket but rather a synthetic one

Gloves:
just some simple low profile gloves that'll protect my digits

Shoes:
Do they make anything other than the big clunky black leathers?

Pants:
Perforably jeans, I'll save my assless chaps for my GF :lol:

thanks ya'll

 

Jacket - any of the syn Jackets are good. I have a Joe Rocket Vallastic jacket and it's served me well... even tested one of them out at 60mph -worked fine and is now my pillion jacket.

Consider your climatate before purcahsing. I have a removeable liner and vents so it works quiete well in any tempatrue as long as you are moving.IOf you plan on commuting in arizona your milage may vary.

(typing is abit diffult now as my cpu is tied down - I'm literally waiting for the text to appear as I type.)

For pants - stick to the same brand as your jacket. I prefered the JR Balistic over the technic pants I now have - the KR's breathde better and had a full leg zipper - really nice if you wear boots.

For gloves - I have a summer weight pair that are good for most rdiding conditions - not waterproof but have a decent cuff that keeps the wind out of your sleeves. Look for palm padding more than knuckle padding - two different types of accidents - pams go down to save you when you face plant and will take alot of weight and friction. Knuckles won't get scrapped as much, but can get slammed into the ground as you flail about.

I have a seperate pair of hot weather gloves and wet/cold weather gloves.

Boots. You said shoes but the real foot injury I worry about is ankle. I wear synthetic plain black waterproof *AWESOME FEATURE!* tall Revolution boots by JR. No riding boot will feel great walking about, but on the flip side, no hiking boot will feel great on a bike. The advantage of a riding boot is that it is built to flex in the right places and have proper protection for your ankles.

I did ride 5 years in army boots - they were good and cheap. They were not waterproof and they did not flex for the foot pegs as nicely - the bike boots are like slippers when you're riding - no preasure points and nice and dry/warm in the rain. I can't tell you just how much of a difference good gear makes to bad weather riding.

Jeans - jeans are better than shorts - but I can show you pictures of what jeans will do in a simple low side. What happens is that you land on them - they grip the road and you side past them - ripping them to shreds in a few feet. If you get off at 60mph you will slide over 40 feet anyhow - meanign you'll slide at least 35 feet on bare skin. Not at all pleasant.

If you plan on riding carefully and keep it slow in lowside territory then maybe jeans will work for you. Certainly a leg injury is no where near as debilitating as an upper body injury but I can assure you that if you ever do find yourself sliding - the recovery from a leg injury is frustrating.

Proper riding pants will also have impact cushioning material in the knees hips and tailbone area - sometimes even the shins if they were designed without boots in mind.

Cheers,
woot.

 

Pants I said KR but meant JR - joe rocket.

JR is cheap and workable gear. If you plan track time then get a real leather suit. If you plan on spending alot of money get the roadcrafter one piece all weather suit... otherwise you're left in the cheap synth gear or faux leather gear.

 

Re: suggestions for riding clothes: jacket, gloves, shoes, p

thanks for the great info woot,

It's not that I'm against leather, and dead-set on wearing jeans, I guess I just feel that I'll leave the leather fringes to the harley guys.

I know it's not about fashion but moreso about function, but I just think leathers would look odd riding along on my 83 750 maxim. :?

Jackets
I'm located in Northeastern Wisconsin, so our riding season is rather short. I nice jacket with a removable liner would be a great idea.

Pants
I've seen reinforced 'biking jeans' before, some that had protective inserts here & there...are any of them quality items? If not 'jeans, what other materials are they made of, got a quick example of one?

Gloves
yeah a simple summer weight pair would be all I need I think.

Boots
If I go with actual riding boots, I'd like to find a pair of just simple plain boots, nothing fancy, just a quality, comfortable pair.


thanks for the feedback!

 

The pants I used to have were JR Ballastics...



Men's Textile Pant

I have JR Revolution boots... they are tall but they are also pretty plain.

I'm not a leather fringes guy at all - my gear is sport-touring... good all-weather and decent crash protection while relatively cheap.

The best comment to make - go down to a local dealership and try some stuff on - I find the new gear fits well and is relatively affordable.

Glad to see you taking all this interest in it... I'm the resident gear evangilist

 

Re: suggestions for riding clothes: jacket, gloves, shoes, p

I wear a perforated leather jacket year around (100F here). I can't imagine something being any cooler when you are moving! Then again - I have never worn a mesh. But I certainly am not going to go away from my leather! I am just NOT uncomfortable in it!

It is an Alpinestars stage jacket - not cheap.

Next time, I will be getting Vanson full perf - even less cheap!

 

Re: suggestions for riding clothes: jacket, gloves, shoes, p

When I had my big wreck, they found my high top sneakers 100 yards from the crash site, with all the laces torn in half. Now I use Surplus French Paratrooper boots, they are designed to support the ankle of crybabies that jump from planes, so they have to be good! (Try Sportsmansguide) Another thing to be careful of is long laces that can get caught in the chain at high speed. Unless you are really cool and have a shaftie!

 

Eeek, that sounds painful! I used to ride with hightops until an article about a rider who got run over appeared in the base paper. He had high ankle leather work boots and they got the heck torn out of them, he ended up with a bruise. Not pretty but sound evidence of proper protection. I use a pair of motorcycle police issue riding boots myself. Armored greeves, oil resistant soles, flame retardant treatment (they are used by the fire department in Brazil as well), and retro reflective patches on the back. Can't say that I use the boot knife sheath but it's a nice touch.

 

I have a Vanson Highwayman jacket (http://www.vansonleathers.com/product_p ... wayman.htm) - HEAVY frakin' leather - no fringe - wish it had more vents for the summer, but other than that, _I_ think it looks fine atop my '81 (my wife informs me I look 'gay' however, so YMMV - I don't mind - she's my proof I'm not ).

I wear jeans, but would like to get something more substantial (on my one low-speed lowside, the jeans held up, but I did get a cherry on my knee).

For boots, I love my Redwing steel-toed work boots. They, too, (older pair) serverd me well in my get-off. The toe leather was scuffed, but not worn through (I basically slid on my right knee and toe). Plus, the ankle support from good boots is great when you're putting your heel print into the door of the cage that's trying to press you into a guardrail. And on a more serious side (though I was being serious) pay attention to your soles. Oil-resistance is keens on some sloppier roads.

Oh, and Phred is dead-on about long laces, whoever chain entaglement isnt' the only worry. I was once riding in stop and go traffic in Chicago. I'd hit a stretch (Sheridan road by Calvary Cemetary) where I actually had a chance to put by feet up on the highway pegs for a few blocks. When I got to the next red light, I found I couldn't put my right foot down to use the rear brake or stand the bike up - the laces were wrapped around the peg. I managed to stay on one foot and the light, then get into 1st and limp off to a gas station whne it changed green without dumping it, but at the moment of discovery, I just about dumped my pants. Laces now get wrapped around my ankle a few times and the bows get tucked into the boots.

For gloves, like a helmet, you really need to go and try them on. On some the thumb it too big, the pinky it too short, etc. There are plenty to choose from out there, just find the ones that work for you. And yeah, no one said you can only buy one pair. It can get chilly/damp on those Wisconsin evenings riding through the woods. You might want a heaver pair stuffed in a bag or jacket (I love my fairing for this). Oh, and I don't have to mention the deer, do I (I spent some time and my folks now live in NW Wisconsin)?

Speaking of helmets, I noticed it was absent from your list. Maybe you've already got one, and if you don't I'm not going to preach at you, but please think long and hard before riding without one - especially if you're smart enough to be asking about other gear. You seem a _little_ concerned about appearances and 'cool' (no fringe, no chaps, etc). There's nothing uncool about wearing a brain bucket, IMO. That's it. Soapbox be gone.

Good luck in your quest. If you're doing it right, the gear will likely cost more than the bike.

 

what do you think of these jackets?

just wanted to post these jackets and get your thoughts:



Heavy duty Polymide mesh outer
Zip-out insulated vest liner
Perforated high-density armor in shouolders, elbows/forearms and back
Metal main zipper
Sleeves are pre-curved and angled foward
Adjustable waistband




400 denier Carbolex® nylon
Anatomically fitted for the riding position
Polyester mesh non-allergenic main liner
FS Rainguard- 100 percent waterproof, breathable jet liner
Removable zip-out satin quilted vest liner
RamAir® ventilation system in front and back
Reflective Phoslite® for visibility at night
Velcro® adjustable micro fleece collar with padding
Volume adjustments for sleeves
Velcro® adjustable waist
Zipper and Velcro® wrist closure

Armor:
Removalbe CE approved armor equipped in the shoulders, elbows and back

Pockets:
2 zippered hand warmer pockets
1 zippered map pocket
1 inside zippered pocket
1 mobile phone pocket and 2 pen holders

 

Re: suggestions for riding clothes: jacket, gloves, shoes, p

anybody? basically I'm looking through Motrocycleclosouts.com to find me some gear...

 

It's really hard to say without trying them on. What works and is comfortable for me, on my bike, might not work for you. Just going by the picture and the listd features, I like the second one better - waterproof, front and back vents, reflective detailing, etc. What are they priced at?

 

Re: suggestions for riding clothes: jacket, gloves, shoes, p

1st jacket, normally $130, sale: $116

2nd jacket, normally $110, sale: $70

I thought the 2nd jacket was better myself, but I agree with the statement that I need to go in and try things on to make sure they fit first.

 

Holy wow. At those prices, I'd buy both - one for a back-seater I think I dropped $450-$550 on my leather jacket about 10 years ago, and it's not nearly as well-featured as those. But it is super-thick leather. . . .

 

Bartman, have you made any decisions/purchases?

 

Re: suggestions for riding clothes: jacket, gloves, shoes, p

sorry Oblivion for the delay in replying, I've have yet to purchase anything, as I just got the bike back together this past week, and I'll be making purchases soon.

Helmet - already have a scorpion full face

boots, I think I'm gonna try and find a pair of redwing boots, either their motorcycle ones or just a pair of steel toes.

jacket, haven't decided yet, I like the PowerTrip Jet Black jacket, and the Icon Strongarm leather/denim jacket

Pants, not sure, I don't do that much riding yet, so I may stick with jeans until I get more comfortable riding and out on the highway, but I think I'll get a pair of draggin jeans with the armer inserts they offer.

 

Re: suggestions for riding clothes: jacket, gloves, shoes, p

finally ordered a few things,

Boots: Milwaukee Accelerator boots

Jacket: PowerTrip Jet Black Jacket

Gloves: Icon Pursuit Gloves

To be purchases when in stock:
Jeans: Sliders Kevlar Motorcycle Jeans