Leather or Textile? Suit or Jacket/Pant?

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EastCoast

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When I rode twenty years ago I was pretty stupid with what I wore. T-shirts, jeans, tennis shoes. Most of the time it was t-shirt, some kind of nylon jacket and my Levi's. Never rode without a helmet though.

Occasionally you would see the guy in leathers. I just figured this type of rider was the crazy, racer elitist kind.

I would like to have good gear when I get my Busa. So I am asking you what you wear when riding. Leather, textile. Suits or jacket/pant combo, leather jacket and jeans.

Throw out some brand names that you like. Links to sites, if you have them. What kind of shoes or boots do you wear. Gloves? Any kind of info will be helpful. Thanks.



<!--EDIT|EastCoast
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One pice leather suit by intersport

A-star (aplinestar) boots and gloves

Sucky HJC helmet (CL-12)

Chatterbox for com.
 
First Gear textile/leather jacket (leather placed in all the vulnerable places).
When it's really hot I have a Joe Rocket Sante Fe jacket which is mesh but the shoulders and arms are all perforated leather. Both have plenty of padded armor which I would never remove no matter how hot it is outside.

For pants I wear Draggin Jeans. Heavy denim and lined with kevlar in all the right places. I also have the CE rated armor that fits in the knee/shin area.

http://www.dragginjeans.com/
If you look back a week or two there was a discussion about these jeans with a few good pictures showing how they held up after accidents.

http://www.newenough.com is an awesome place to buy gear as long as you're not the type who needs the newest 2006 fashions. You can't be their prices or customer service.
 
I'll wear leather only until Rossi starts wearing mesh on the track!
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I wear full leather 2 piece zip together suit, with protected long gloves, racer style boots, helmet and on occasion, a back brace. Accidents are USUALLY pretty unpredictable and I enjoy life
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It's a Teknic but I didn't care what brand as long as it was stitched well and was somewhat wellknown
 
leather, no doubt about it. Alpinestars is fine, so is Dainese and SPIDI.

If you must wear jeans, I would go with dragginjeans.com.

Boots? Alpinestars are pretty alright too...but I'd prolly go with a pair of SIDI boots.

Gloves? Held gloves are considered one of the best out there, but they also have the price to go with it. Icon Ti-Max gloves aren't too bad either....

Just my .02....
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I use my bike for work, not play...for the most part. Anyway, I have a required uniform, and 4 stops a day to make. So I had to get something that would keep me dry, warm, protected, not screw up my clothes, or make me sweat to death on warm days. Also, getting changed in the parking lot isn't the best idea for me.

Anyway, I just bought the Fieldsheer Zero condition jacket, and booster pants. They are textile, but I'm rather impressed with the build quality. Hard pads in all the right areas. I've use it from 37 deg - 92 deg so far, and was quite comfortable. I don't wear the pants unless it's real cold, or gonna rain. For the money I've spent, and other reviews about these products, I give them 2 thumbs up, and hope I can never give a crash rating.
 
Have varied between mesh and leather, but spent this season in leather.  Leather gets hot even if perforated, but the protective qualities is unbeatable.  Don't do much racing, but I think you have to dress for the crash not just the ride.  SIDI boots which is a step up from the 'cover the ankle' boots I used to wear.  Joe Rocket leather gloves and a SHOEI helmet.

Must add that I bought an Alpinestars 1-piece suit that I am starting to enjoy.



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I wear AlpineStars all leather, Jacket , Pants, and boots....Ive laid two bikes down and if I hadn't had leathers with body armour I may not be here. You can never pay to much for protection..
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There are a number of leather manufacturers. If it were my money...it would be Vanson. I wear Vendramini Marathon boots. Handmade out of real leather, waterproof and have a thermal transfer lining called Outlast. Awesome boots. Link below for a review. I also found a Finnish company called Rukka that makes textile products with flexible armour. They make a touring line and a race line. Not for those with limited funds though. Link supplied for a distributor below.

http://www.vansonleathers.com

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-boots

http://www.adventuremotogear.com
 
The more you spend on gear the less you spend at the hospital. I've crashed a number of times and always walked away with no more than bruises. I did bite my toungue once. Made me lay off coffee for a while til it healed :-)
I wear 44/46 jacket and 34/36 pants. I have a joe rocket textile pants and jacket as well as an alpinstar leather pants and jacket as well as size 10 alpinestar race boots I'm going to put on ebay soon. If anyone is interested in a great deal on cheap used gear, drop me a note. I have a few other items like a joe rocket mesh jacket etc. that are going as well. Just time to clean out my closet!

I have found you really need two sets of riding gear if you live in a cool climate. One suit for hot days and another for cold days. While leather gives you the best protection, textile will keep you warm on cold days. Gloves expecially. Textile gloves are great in cold weather.
 
I haven't ridden in 20 years before buying my 05 this year. I have two kids and decided to spend any extra money on gear before mods. I ended up with Joe Rocket Blaster 2.0 jacket, JR Blaster pants, The two have a full 360* zipper and I like the idea of keeping everything zipped together. I have SetUp boots which are manufactured under Sidi, JR Sonic gloves and of course a lid, Shoei.
The bike came with an AGV Suzuki textile jacket and it seemed warmer in summer wearing that than my leather.
I tried to find leathers that are more "street oriented". I like my skin where it is, and really don't want some Doctor to have to move it around to cover asphalt induced bare spots for me!
I dealt with Megan at NewEnough and had great results.
Here'a a pic of the package.

buasrider_001.jpg
 
Most definitely New Enough gets my vote. They know their product and treat thcustomers great. Not to mention they have some kick a$$ deals. I ALWAYS look there first.
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Leather is the best but can get too hot in summer.
Therefore:
Icon Burner Jacket (leather) for temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees
Fieldsheer Mach 4 Jacket (mesh with leather on elbows, shoulders and back) for temperatures over 80 degrees
Fieldsheer Glen Scott Jacket (textile) for temperatures between 45 and 65 degrees
Firstgear
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Jacket (textile) for temperatures below 45 degrees
Joe Rocket Ballistic pants (textile) for temperatures below 60 degrees
Leather jeans from Jamin Leather for temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees
Fieldsheer Titaniium Air pants (textile mesh) for temperatures above 80 degrees

I guess my favorite brand is Fieldsheer
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My favorite helmet is Scorpion EXo-400 (Octane graphics)

Hope this helps
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<!--EDIT|motorkar
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(motorkar @ Nov. 16 2005 said:
Leather is the best but can get too hot in summer.
Therefore:
Icon Burner Jacket (leather) for temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees
Fieldsheer Mach 4 Jacket (mesh with leather on elbows, shoulders and back) for temperatures over 80 degrees
Fieldsheer Glen Scott Jacket (textile) for temperatures between 45 and 65 degrees
Firstgear
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Jacket (textile) for temperatures below 45 degrees
Joe Rocket Ballistic pants (textile) for temperatures below 60 degrees
Leather jeans from Jamin Leather for temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees
Fieldsheer Titaniium Air pants (textile mesh) for temperatures above 80 degrees

I guess my favorite brand is Fieldsheer
wink.gif


My favorite helmet is Scorpion EXo-400 (Octane graphics)

Hope this helps
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Click to expand...
Thanks for the breakdown... nice list.
 
No problem,
now I didn't buy all that stuff at once.  Just buy what you need for right now and then save up for different seasons.
I have couple more jackets that are more mild weather (Joe Rocket Atomic and Biker type heavy leather jacket from Jamin Leather)



<!--EDIT|motorkar
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I like the Joe Rocket Ballistic gear its worked for me. High speed and track go with leather. We can all agree get a good helmet. I would go with Arai or Shoei just shop around they can be found 50% off of MSRP or less.
 
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