to ride with or without leathers !

[Revlis]

I think Icon and Joe Rocket now both make some reinforced jeans with padding in the knees. Might be worth a look, Still not leather but probably better than regular 501's...

 

[VaBusa]

I'm definitely in search of full leather riding gear for winter, but seriously - how do you guys handle it in the heat of summer? Might be a dumb question, but I get pretty hot just wearing the heavy leather coat and full-face...I need to do it though...I've read far too many a$$ saving stories to not...I'd hate to be in the hospital with most of my skin scraped off...

 

[HP Junkie]

you can never have enough protection. although i dont have any leather pants i will be getting them now. man it pisses me off when some azzhole says good enough to a biker who racks himself up, like he deserves it,i hope karma catches up with those haters:angry:

 

[WWJD]

Vabusa in heat:  First I grin and bear it in leathers, second, you can ventalate A LOT as well as do weird stuff like soak your shirt and underwear down first so it stays wet, provides cooling, collects your sweat and recools you.  Also, I'm sure someone sells ice packs for mountain climbing or similar

Third:  keep the wind moving by going more than 30 MPH most of the time.  

Revlis:  keep on rocking the truth, baby!  The life you save could be a n00b. I see a couple guys here riding in town with FULL GEAR on and I total admire them. mentally it helps that I always wanted to be an Astronaut.

 

[jetset]

Man you should always wear proper gear

 

[Revlis]

Well There are times when I wish some American attitudes were a little more European. Nudity, education, and of course proper gear for the ride...

 

[blas32]

If I am going to ride hard I have a J.R. Highside that fits great and is very comfy in 80 degrees and below. I think NewEnough has it for about $450. Not the best full 1 piece but should do the job if I need it. If the temp is 80+ I wear J.R. Reactor jacket and J.R.Phoenix pants with Hein Gericke boots and Alpinesrar sp2 gloves. Traffic and heat makes me ride in the fall and winter more, so it works out perfect for me. I sure feel more confident when I am wrapped in leather though...makes me push it a little harder!!!

 

[WWJD]

I ride nude under my leather.... is that European enough??

 

[Revlis]

If I am going to ride hard I have a J.R. Highside that fits great and is very comfy in 80 degrees and below.  I think NewEnough has it for about $450.  Not the best full 1 piece but should do the job if I need it.  If the temp is 80+ I wear J.R. Reactor jacket and J.R.Phoenix pants with Hein Gericke boots and Alpinesrar sp2 gloves.  Traffic and heat makes me ride in the fall and winter more, so it works out perfect for me.  I sure feel more confident when I am wrapped in leather though...makes me push it a little harder!!!

Ho wdo you like the Phoenix Pants? They seem to be about the best option for daily wear In Tampa...Any thoughts?

WWJD, thats an image I didn't need

 

[Revlis]

I'm definitely in search of full leather riding gear for winter, but seriously - how do you guys handle it in the heat of summer?  Might be a dumb question, but I get pretty hot just wearing the heavy leather coat and full-face...I need to do it though...I've read far too many a$$ saving stories to not...I'd hate to be in the hospital with most of my skin scraped off...

VA The leather really isn't to bad, make certain they are ventilated, and have a zip out liner.  My Full perf leather is good stuff and when it gets really cold just zip in the vest and I am good to go.  
  Mostly make sure your jacket has a lining you can remove and is perforated, should keep you pretty comfortable year around.  

 JR Phoenix or similar are the other real hot weather option, bonus is they are cheap..

 

[VaBusa]

Hrmmm...riding nude with full leathers on? Well, might be cooler, but what do ya do when you need to sit down and have some lunch?!

Okay...next question...what's better - a full leather body suit? Or go for the separate pants/coat? I'd think the full suit would be comfy and possibly more safe, but it might be more practical to have the separate items so you can take your coat off when you stop without having to strip out of an entire body suit...

Personal preference, I know...

WHAT I NEED IS A SHOP WITH LADIES ITEMS!!!! I tried on several coats at a local shop over the weekend, and I just don't fit in to a size 44 or 54! Even the gloves were huge...nothing there in my size at all...I guess I'll become a mail order queen...

 

[VaBusa]

I'm definitely in search of full leather riding gear for winter, but seriously - how do you guys handle it in the heat of summer?  Might be a dumb question, but I get pretty hot just wearing the heavy leather coat and full-face...I need to do it though...I've read far too many a$$ saving stories to not...I'd hate to be in the hospital with most of my skin scraped off...

VA The leather really aren't to bad, make certain they are ventilated, and have a zip out liner.  My Full perf leather is good stuff and when it gets really cold just zip in the vest and I am good to go.  
  Mostly make sure your jacket has a lining you can remove and is perforated, should keep you pretty comfortable year around.  

 JR Phoenix or similar are the other real hot weather option, bonus is they are cheap..

Thanks Keith...I'll see what I can find online...

(DELETED dumb question I had; Keith had already answered it...damn, having a seriously bad blonde day today!)

 

[Revlis]

Hrmmm...riding nude with full leathers on?  Well, might be cooler, but what do ya do when you need to sit down and have some lunch?!  

Okay...next question...what's better - a full leather body suit?  Or go for the separate pants/coat?  I'd think the full suit would be comfy and possibly more safe, but it might be more practical to have the separate items so you can take your coat off when you stop without having to strip out of an entire body suit...

Personal preference, I know...

WHAT I NEED IS A SHOP WITH LADIES ITEMS!!!!  I tried on several coats at a local shop over the weekend, and I just don't fit in to a size 44 or 54!  Even the gloves were huge...nothing there in my size at all...I guess I'll become a mail order queen...

Full leathers generally offer better protection though there are alot of 2 piece leathers out there that have full circumferance zippers that effectively make them a one piece. The two piece leathers are a little more practical though for running around town, simply because you can just pop the jacket off.

Contact Newenough.com. They will be able to help you find all the gear you need in the sizes you need, if you are unsure about sizing they are the only folks I would deal with because of their return policies and excellent customer service. Tell em' you heard about them on the Hayabusa.org board.

Their is gear out there to fit you, just not a whole lot in your local shops. All the shops around Tampa blow when it comes to gear.

 

[VaBusa]

Just when you think you've had enough of me...

Question #8975...I did try on some way oversized Joe Rocket jackets this past weekend that were completely perforated...sure, it seemed great for the hot days, but even with all the padding and shields, how well does that fabric hold up to road rash?

The material seemed like it wouldn't withstand much...

 

[VaBusa]

Hrmmm...riding nude with full leathers on?  Well, might be cooler, but what do ya do when you need to sit down and have some lunch?!  

Okay...next question...what's better - a full leather body suit?  Or go for the separate pants/coat?  I'd think the full suit would be comfy and possibly more safe, but it might be more practical to have the separate items so you can take your coat off when you stop without having to strip out of an entire body suit...

Personal preference, I know...

WHAT I NEED IS A SHOP WITH LADIES ITEMS!!!!  I tried on several coats at a local shop over the weekend, and I just don't fit in to a size 44 or 54!  Even the gloves were huge...nothing there in my size at all...I guess I'll become a mail order queen...

Full leathers generally offer better protection though there are alot of 2 piece leathers out there that have full circumferance zippers that effectively make them a one piece.  The two piece leathers are a little more practical though for running around town, simply because you can just pop the jacket off.

Contact Newenough.com.  They will be able to help you find all the gear you need in the sizes you need, if you are unsure about sizing they are the only folks I would deal with because of their return policies and excellent customer service.  Tell em' you heard about them on the Hayabusa.org board.  

Their is gear out there to fit you, just not a whole lot in your local shops.  All the shops around Tampa blow when it comes to gear.

Damn Keith...I was just getting ready for my next question...

"Think I can find more selection in Tampa?"...guessing not...

I'll check out the "newenough" site...good place to start, and if they've got a great track record with returns, that's for me! I'll be sure to mention this site...think it'll get me a free toaster too?! :bounce:

 

[Revlis]

Just when you think you've had enough of me...

Question #8975...I did try on some way oversized Joe Rocket jackets this past weekend that were completely perforated...sure, it seemed great for the hot days, but even with all the padding and shields, how well does that fabric hold up to road rash?

The material seemed like it wouldn't withstand much...

Well...There have been a few folks who went down wearing the Phoenix stuff. The jackets do tend to come apart but they seem to protect pretty well. They are certainly a sacraficial jacket but at the price it's hard to beat.

I would focus on leather personally, I just do not trust the Joe Rocket stuff. There are some other companies that make similar mesh jackets, Vanson, Firstgear, etc., that seem better built than the JR stuff. Though Get a full perf leather and know that you are good to go. Generations of motorcyclists crashing in leather and walking away cannot be wrong. Besides Have you ever seen a guy racing on the track wearing anything synthetic?

Really the JR Phoenix and similar are considered better than just riding in a t-shirt, and they will certainly keep more skin in place.

 

[(silencer)]

I wear full leather jeans and jacket 2 piece suite with CE armour, leather gloves, proper boots and helmet ALWAYS. I just would not feel safe without.

That's just me.

Seems as though wearing the proper gear is much more common on the other side of the pond.  I thnk there is still a large number of "bikers" inthe States who feel that they are too cool for leathers...  That it just isn't the in thing to do...
 Whatever the reasons I have yet to see a single person out riding who was wearing all the gear.  Part of this I am sure has to do with the 95deg F and 95% humidity but I think a lot of it still has to do with some imagined "cool" factor.  
 I have seen an increase in helmet usage though among the sport bike crowd anyway.  Allmost every Harley "Tough Guy" I see out there is still busy doing the organ donor thing.
 This of course reminds me that I really need to go get some proper riding pants and boots...

Rev, yeah I notice that a lot in Orlando too.. I think I'm the only one fully protected around here. Just last night I was driving a friend back from class in my cage and a R6 passed us at about 120mph in heavy traffic going 50mph - and he was only wearing a helmet, t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes.
si.

blas32: Hey, I grew up in Shalimar.. I'll be bringing a 'busa when I'm back there for a visit in '04

 

[Revlis]

I wear full leather jeans and jacket 2 piece suite with CE armour, leather gloves, proper boots and helmet ALWAYS. I just would not feel safe without.

That's just me.

Seems as though wearing the proper gear is much more common on the other side of the pond.  I thnk there is still a large number of "bikers" inthe States who feel that they are too cool for leathers...  That it just isn't the in thing to do...
 Whatever the reasons I have yet to see a single person out riding who was wearing all the gear.  Part of this I am sure has to do with the 95deg F and 95% humidity but I think a lot of it still has to do with some imagined "cool" factor.  
 I have seen an increase in helmet usage though among the sport bike crowd anyway.  Allmost every Harley "Tough Guy" I see out there is still busy doing the organ donor thing.
 This of course reminds me that I really need to go get some proper riding pants and boots...

Rev, yeah I notice that a lot in Orlando too.. I think I'm the only one fully protected around here.  Just last night I was driving a friend back from class in my cage and a R6 passed us at about 120mph in heavy traffic going 50mph - and he was only wearing a helmet, t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes.
si.

blas32: Hey, I grew up in Shalimar.. I'll be bringing a 'busa when I'm back there for a visit in '04

  Yeah the Florida Squids Favorite riding gear...  I have a guy here at work who is all hardcore about helmets use but rides in a t-shirt with no gloves...WTF?  
 I just do not know how to reach folks, but then...I don't worry too much about them.  Funny though. The Summer Plummage of the Floridiest Squidious...T-shirt shorts, flips flops, $600 helmet...      

 

[VaBusa]

(silencer)...I passed a guy on a TL1000 yesterday that almost looked too "preppy" for the bike! He was wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt, nice tan shorts, tennis shoes...he may have had the full-face on, but I'm not sure...when I see guys on those types of bikes dressed like that, well, I'd just hate to see them fall...

Having said that though...I had a guy on a Valkarie follow me home yesterday; we stuck together through traffic and talked at every stop light...he was wearing jeans and a leather vest, plus a very useless skid lid...I guess most just assume that nothing will ever go wrong...I hope they're right...

 

[(silencer)]

(silencer)...I passed a guy on a TL1000 yesterday that almost looked too "preppy" for the bike!  He was wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt, nice tan shorts, tennis shoes...he may have had the full-face on, but I'm not sure...when I see guys on those types of bikes dressed like that, well, I'd just hate to see them fall...

Having said that though...I had a guy on a Valkarie follow me home yesterday; we stuck together through traffic and talked at every stop light...he was wearing jeans and a leather vest, plus a very useless skid lid...I guess most just assume that nothing will ever go wrong...I hope they're right...

Considering I live half a mile from campus.. that look on the sport bike is most frequent around here. I've noticed how uncommon the full-face helms are on the cruisers the last couple days.. don't know what the logic is with that - they thinking it's only the top of the head that takes the hit in a fall? Usually it's the face or back of the head that seems to hit most.. I can't imagine riding without a full-face on.
si.

Not too crazy about the two colors available for 2004.. looks like I'll be ordering an LE or one from above the border within the next 6-9 months.. as a last resort I'll repaint myself.. love the dark metallic gray & silver look.