Motorcycle gear questions....

Having recently gone down, I can speak from my experience-

My head bonked once- Arai RX7 or whatever helmet- no problemo. Worth every penny and light, comfy. Will replace with same or better. Arai v. Shoei is a fit issue- I find the Arai more comfortable but own helmets, car and bike, from both companies and then some.

Leather Jacket w/Armor- both are reputable brands- I was wearing a Vanson perf leather when i went down. Because there was no shoulder armor, i took the brunt of the impact, but i'm not sure having armor there would have made any difference- the blunt force would have probably been the same.

Boots- Good boots a must- not just for protection, but for control and feel. The Daytona Winner is a great not super expensive sport boot. Other reputable brands too.

Gloves- I didn't appreciate why some of my gloves had a gauntlet, and others were shorties. The gauntlet saved my wrist area from abrasion, although the get off damaged my nice Panerai watch (which was still ticking but bruised- but mywrist was fine).

Leather Pants- I've got all kinds of moto pants, from Kevlar draggin jeans and BMW all weather, to Joe Rocket perf synth. fabric, to Dainese racing leathers with hard armor. The latter are the only things i feel really safe in- i didn't skid much when i went down, but these suckers probably would have protected me if i had. They are tight, hot and not cheap.

Once you buy this stuff, wear it. I would have been more messed up without it, and helmetwise, probably dead or seriously mind-****ed.

 

Check out Dainese gear, If price isn't a concern. It's Italian .

 

My recommendations...

Helmet - I have used HJC, Shoei, Arai. My current fav is an Arai Quantum which is light and fits me nice. Lighter almost always means more wind noise but I will take noise fatigue over weight fatigue anyday. You can always wear earplugs. For a helmet that looks cool and has great reviews, check out Vemar.

http://www.helmetharbor.com/streethelmets/helmets/vemar/opening.htm

They have an awesome looking carbon fiber super light helmet that got great reviews. They are selling off their stock and pulling out of the US market so you can get these $900 helmets for $300. Check around or check eBay.


Jacket - VANSON all the way. The synthetic materials do not compare to leather IMO and in my experience. I've gone down with synthetics and they do not hold up as well, and I have heard that from others too. Vanson is a premium product at a premium price but it's premium quality too.


Pants - I like Draggin Jeans. They look just like regular jeans but they have reinforcement inside. They are the best thing next to a leather race suit. I used 'em for commuting.


Boots - my personal choice is Sidi. I have Sidi Vertebra boots with reinforced metal parts that constrain your joint movement. After suffering a dislocated ankle with a compound fracture of the ball socket with an exposed fibula, I would always wear a boot that protects the ankle joint and constrains its motion to prevent dislocation. That accident HURT like a mofo!


Gloves - dont have a specific brand but gauntlets all the way with wrist coverage is a must - as well they must secure well without too much play. I have a nice scar on my left hand that is the exact shape of a Movado watch I was wearing when I went down. The watch caught the tarmac and took the skin off where the watch was.

The most important thing to wear is a helmet, followed very closely by boots and gloves and a jacket. The legwear is the last thing to worry about.

The S2R is a pretty big bike for a first bike, IMO its too much. I would be VERY careful on it. Take the MSF course at all costs.

As for Dianese gear, its got the rep of a premium product but in all tests I have seen it has come up short. Just my .02

 

Dave- I'm sizeable also, and the Monster is not that big a bike physically. It's quick though, and that's what Mike is talking about, i think- while i haven't owned the exact model you are thinking of buying, my 750 Monster was probably similar in size and performance. The bike is light, and quick and the throttle, at least on mine, was pretty binary- on/off. Also, the steering is quick because there is no rake, so it could bite you if you don't know what you are doing.
Funny, I learned on my MOnster, never having owned or ridden before that (and having taken the MSF course as my only real bike experience). I found it to be a great and easy bike to learn on- subject to what's said above. Also, it is fatiguing to ride if you are physically large.
Oh, and not to sound like a 'grandma' but its the time when you feel 'comfortable' that you've got to be careful most. There is this tension between riding with a bit of an edge and feeling into it 100%. I love the feeling of being one with the machine- swooping, leaning, accelerating. But, when you gain that confidence, you might not be as cautious. ON the other hand, riding tentatively, and hestitantly, is more dangerous- your motions are not as fluid, and you will be stiff, rather than working with the machine. So, it's a real art to balance this. At least in my experience.

 

WHART had a lot of good points. As far as helmets go , if you want something quiet, go with a Shoe or AGV. Shoe has a pattented winshield design witch sits flush on the helmet,no overlapping plastic securing plates, this is what causes most of the noise.AGV licenses this same system.
Also do a search of Motorcyclist mag. They did a Very informative scientific study on motorcycle helmets. Very suprising results, a lot of the BIG name companies (Arai just to name one) did not do as well as some $ 120 helmets.
The reason was they were too hard, and therefore transmitted too much energy into the head. Infact they bashed the SNELL rating ,stating it was causing the manufactures to design helmets that were too stiff.
I would recomend anyone who is looking to purchase a new cycle helmet to read this article. It was an eye-opener to me.
Darrell.

 

Dave,

I went through this same process a few months ago and recieved some great advice from F-chat members, (im not being a 'search the archives' baby)

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60092

I went with Alpinestars leather jacket and gloves, and alpinestars synth. pants and full height boots and have been very pleased with all of them.
like Whart said, wear as much gear as you can, dosent do you anygood if your not wearing it.

I have pretty limited experience, but have seen the benefits of full height/length boots/gloves, the extra protection makes a differance, thats why its there.

 

I read that article too, but frankly, the only 'real world' experience you can have is an experience, and in my experience, you don't want to experience it if you can avoid it. Dropping bricks on helmets isn't the same as what happens to your head.
My head hit once, after my shoulder absorbed the brunt- dislocating it and breaking my collar bone (ouch). Other than the shock of trying to get up by leaning on that arm- I didn't know I had done anything to it until I put my weight on it and that sent me reeling in pain- my head was OK. No funny after effects, no headache, nothing, nada, zilch. Granted, I was probably doing 20-25 when i hit, and maybe that supports the thesis of that article- that you don't need a helmet to withstand a huge impact, and softness might protect better than stiffness, I dunno, but FWIW, i was wearing an Arai.
And, after i got over the initial pain of the shoulder, all I wanted was a drink of water, and a cigarette.

 

I've seen a few people go down with Joe Rocket jackets and still wear them. One friend wrecked at 100 with a JR jacket and he didnt even get a bruse. I'd say go with JR and their a little bit cheaper then AS. Personally I recomend buying the Icon field armour and wearing it underneath any jacket you have. But the BEST absolute BEST leathers you can own is VANSON this is the kind racers wear, they are made of far better material than what any other company uses they cost alot more and you have to order it but well worth the money... The X-11 is a good snug-fitting lid and very quiet, Little wind resistance GREAT choice for a lid. I currently wear the Vanso 1pc suit, Icon Kitty set pants and jacket for winter riding and summer riding I wear my textile Icon TiMax Jacket... My lids are my HJC (crash lid) for stunting and for riding I wear my good Arai rx7 corsair... I also reccomend wearing leather ONLY for gloves, The cheap textile ones are very comfy but when you go down even at slow speeds they tear and will wear out after a couple months I suggest the Teknic racing gloves that go past your wrist

Also for fitting get everything snug as you can wear because leather straches and molds better to your body and if its too loose you dont get the full benifits of the gear

Good luck and have fun riding. BE SAFE and take a MSF class, It will really help!

-Amanda

 

Buy good boots like the sidi they will protect you ankles and also give you a good riding postion

 

glad to hear all the good comments about good gear. I wear mine. I have a few nice 1.3 - 1.4 mm leather jackets, and a textile getup as well. I always use armor. I also am a big believer in BOOTS I have some OXstar boots that are basically bullet proof. Save your ankles.
Best of luck. Gear up, ride safely, don't be a squid.