Gear recommendation for track days

[SCBQQSTN]

Hi guys, I am 6'9 245 lbs. I went to Cycle gear the other and bought all "Bilt" gear because of the great value. However the old saying "you get what you pay" still applies, because I started reading reviews and saw quite a few stories and the zippers and stitching blowing out... the last thing I want went going down at track speeds is something like that to happen.

What to you guys suggest for track use. I don't exactly feel like spending $1,500 on a premium Dainese suit, however I don't mind spending more for better quality than Bilt.

Is A* a good medium for looking?

 

[Tiller]

Alpinestars is a good brand, but their sizing runs WAY SMALL!!! I tried on a pair of 38 leather pants and couldn't get my knees in them, meanwhile 38's in everything else fit great.....

FWIW, I run in advanced group at track days when I ride, and I am wearing Frank Thomas 2-piece gear. If you aren't familiar, Frank Thomas was Cycle Gear's house brand prior to Bilt coming in. Very inexpensive but I really like the quality of mine. I have also crash tested mine in a low-side on the blue ridge parkway and the held up great! I also had Frank Thomas gloves that the finger stitching finally started to come apart after 2 hard years of street and track riding...

Pretty much any medium to high end price gear is going to be good stuff: however, if you have already purchased the Bilt stuff, I wouldn;t throw it away until you try it out

 

[skydivr]

You might want to talk to Flicka, he had a custom suit made to fit him and it was very reasonable (Pilot I think). And yep, he's already tested it..

 

[TreyYoung]

Alpinestars is a good brand, but their sizing runs WAY SMALL!!! I tried on a pair of 38 leather pants and couldn't get my knees in them, meanwhile 38's in everything else fit great.....

FWIW, I run in advanced group at track days when I ride, and I am wearing Frank Thomas 2-piece gear. If you aren't familiar, Frank Thomas was Cycle Gear's house brand prior to Bilt coming in. Very inexpensive but I really like the quality of mine. I have also crash tested mine in a low-side on the blue ridge parkway and the held up great! I also had Frank Thomas gloves that the finger stitching finally started to come apart after 2 hard years of street and track riding...

Pretty much any medium to high end price gear is going to be good stuff: however, if you have already purchased the Bilt stuff, I wouldn;t throw it away until you try it out

Not sure about the two-piece Alpine, but remember they are European sizes. I wear a 46-48 US and my Alpine is 58. Link: Alpinestars Trigger One Piece Leather Race Suit Red 58 Euro 48 US | eBay

I have put about 20,000 miles in it with no issues. I am not into crash testing like Jay, so can't tell ya how well it will hold up in a crash.

I use these gloves with no issues: Red Black M Joe Rocket Speedmaster 8 0 Glove | eBay

 

[Twobrothersbusa]

If you bought the gear rock it and move on if you ever need to replace it. For every crappy crash story there is another good one saying how good it held up.

Flicka had a pair of new Dainese gloves bite the dust after a simple low side. (Sorry Flicka, I'm sure it didn't feel like a simple low side!) I ride a two piece Dainese set and have had good luck with them.

 

[Flicka]

Flicka had a pair of new Dainese gloves bite the dust after a simple low side. (Sorry Flicka, I'm sure it didn't feel like a simple low side!) I ride a two piece Dainese set and have had good luck with them.

It actually wasn't all that bad. Hurt the wallet more than anything else, and even that wasn't as bad as expected. (Thanks, Justin )

But yes, even name brand gear can fail.

Like Charlie said, if you already have gear that works for you, wear the heck out of it. The one thing I'd recommend if you don't already have one is a separate chest/back protector. Very useful! However, if you decide to try custom now or in the future, here's a little bit about mine.

My suit is from Spartan Leathers, and I've been very pleased with it. The company is run out of the owner's house, which meant I was able to go straight to the boss to get my measurements done and select the design and all the options of my suit. It is very high quality, and held up surprisingly well through my little spill. I thought it would at least need some leather panel replacement or seam repair, but nothing at all was required for the suit. I can't imagine doing any better for than $799 for a fully customized suit of this quality. It has been worth a lot more than that to me. Review still to come, since I know Bots will be asking. Here's a couple of pics though...

 

[GsxrBots]

Review still to come, since I know Bots will be asking. Here's a couple of pics though...