Custom Leathers?

Finally got the Sparten leathers. Took about 11 weeks. Quality is very high, amazing how soft the leather is. All seams tight and clean. They are very tight but feel perfect when sitting on the bike. Standing up they are almost painful! I seem to have added a couple inches since I was measured for these. Need to work on dropping a few pounds before track day season. BTW yes I am holding my breath on the first picture :laugh:

Spartan 01.jpg


Spartan 02.jpg


Spartan 03.jpg
 
I have a set of Joe Rocket leathers for sale too if anyone is still needing them.
 
I must say that I was surprised at the level of protection the suit offers. I am an AGATT guy and I wear a Joe rocket leather jacket zipped into a pair of JR ballistic pants (had the zipper put into the pants). But the hip pads, chin protection, knee sliders and the really stiff back protection are truly on a different level. Further the snugness of the suit keep all that stuff exactly where it belongs (no floating CE armor pads!). It is also clear that a race suit is different than a sport/touring suit. For example the Spartan suit offers no neck protection which works in only the best weather conditions. Also there is no storage, sort of obvious but just doesn't work in a touring situation. For example I insist on having my IPhone on my body when riding. I do this in case I get separated from the bike in a crash and can't get back to it (thanks to SENA for the Bluetooth connection to everything). No place for even an IPhone in the race suit. Finally there is how tight the suit is. This is necessary for both protection and to keep flapping leather quiet at crazy speeds. But I don't think this would be comfortable for 10-14 hour rides. I am thinking about having a second top made that is lose and has pockets for those rides (when I can save up some money of course!).

Anyway I would like to tell Tuff that since getting my suit I am much more talented as a rider. Just like all the bling, buying cool stuff definitely make me a faster rider.:thumbsup:
 
Well I was feeling really fatigued last week. I had a regular doctor maintenance check as I have on going BP issues and they found I had a potassium level of 2.3. I get a call from my doctor at 10:30 PM on last Wednesday and he said got to the emergency room immediately and have them give me some potassium. If you don't know, potassium controls your muscle function, including the heart. Your heart is not controlled by the brain - that's why people can survive when technically brain dead. My potassium level was 2.3 and the normal range is 3-5.

At 2:00 AM Thursday morning they told me in the ER that I was going to be admitted into the hospital! So I spent the last 6 days in a 20' x 15' room flat on my back with 2 IV lines in my arms and people taking blood samples every 2-3 hours. Got out yesterday (you may have noticed I have been more of a jerk than usual in my posts over the last week!). So there are 2 points here:

1. When they told me I was going into the hospital my first thought was awesome, I'll lose a few pounds and fit in my suit better!
2. You really need to pay attention to your body and what it's telling. Like most guys, I focus totally on what I want to do whether its eating a ham or working 63 days in a row without a day off.

Take care of yourself people!
 
Wow, arch! Sorry to hear about your experience. You are always a bit grumpy, so I didn't notice any excessive... whatever you called it. LOL

Keep it together, man! I am so used to arguing with you online that I will miss it greatly if you go off the grid.

Off the top of my head, I think bananas have lots of potassium. So, visualize you are a hungry monkey in the middle of a jungle, and desperately want some bananas. I personally love bananas, especially the soft ones. But I know some people hate them.
 
IG. said:
Wow, arch! Sorry to hear about your experience. You are always a bit grumpy, so I didn't notice any excessive... whatever you called it. LOL

Keep it together, man! I am so used to arguing with you online that I will miss it greatly if you go off the grid.

Off the top of my head, I think bananas have lots of potassium. So, visualize you are a hungry monkey in the middle of a jungle, and desperately want some bananas. I personally love bananas, especially the soft ones. But I know some people hate them.
Click to expand...

IG that's silly. Everyone knows bananas are the best before they are ripe. Thanks guys! You and Skydiver are fun to jab at and I too would miss having you guys around to remind me I am always wrong!
 
So I rode on Sunday with the new leathers and all is not well. I could not get comfortable on the foot pegs as the pants would not let my legs bend properly. Also the crotch of the pants seems odd as it doesn't let my legs move freely. I was actually not able to move around the bike or get in the right position in turns. I'm trying to decide if this is a wear-in issue or if the leathers need to go back for alterations. The leathers are tight but comfortable standing and feel pretty good when in the straight up position on the bike but you can't move around at all.

On the good side the ride is really quiet! I guess my old gear was more lose so it was flapping around. I was doing 100 mph and thought I was doing 60! That was pretty cool.
 
Hey Fallen how many times have you wore the suit? I can't say with 100% certainty but a new suit like that is gonna take a little time 2 break in and also time for you to get adjusted. I know when I 1st put on my suit I felt exactly like you did. It felt great standing up but when I sat on my busa to ride I didn't feel comfortable. Felt like my mobility was hindered and was unable 2 hit turns like I usually do. It took me a few solid hours of riding 2 get adjusted and break it in. It'll never feel totally comfortable like a pair of jeans and a jacket but I imagine it's not supposed 2 for obvious reasons

I would wear the suit around the house for a little while. Sit down in chairs and do some deep squats and such to try and break it in some more. Then give it a couple more outings on the busa. If the fit is still not to your liking then maybe you do need some alterations. I'm not an expert but this is what worked for me. I hope it helps

:beerchug:
 
Well I discovered that the guy who measured me measured the thigh standing up rather than sitting like the instructions say. This makes a difference in almost 1 1/4 inch for me. Spartan gave the name of someone who could possibly alter the suit but I'm over the mail thing and me taking the full liability for bad measurements. The guy the measured me originally was a tailor at Men's Warehouse. So there is a place in Richmond (1 1/2 hours from me) who does leather repairs so I'm going to try them. If they don't think they can fix them or the estimate is over $350, I guess I'll have to order another pair of pants from Spartan.

Not blasting Spartan but I am not a happy camper. Riding on a dam track better be really, really fun.
 
Arch, highly recommend contacting the below. He's been making suits and repairing them for about 30 years and is legendary in the southeast region. If he couldn't fix it, I don't know who could..

barnacle bill's
1106 logan road
springfield, ky 40069

859 336 7375
 
skydivr said:
Arch, highly recommend contacting the below. He's been making suits and repairing them for about 30 years and is legendary in the southeast region. If he couldn't fix it, I don't know who could..

barnacle bill's
1106 logan road
springfield, ky 40069

859 336 7375
Click to expand...

Yup, that's who Dave at Spartan recommended. But I kinda don't want to do this long distance again if I don't have to. The person in Richmond is supposed to be pretty good and the racers around here all go there (even the Ducati people!). Going to she what they say first then check Bill or just re-order the pants.

I figure you and Tuff will pitch in for the new pants since this is all you all's fault anyway (it's got nothing to do with me not pushing away from the table)! :whistle:
 
You know what's interesting arch...the off the shelf leathers I've bought - felt ok when I was on my bike in riding position, but were very tight when standing up...
 
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