Hey guys, I previously posted on the forum about a week ago about being new here and that I will soon be a new rider. I have to renew my permitt and then take the MSF course In July ( This sux that It Is In Julybut that Is the earliest I can get Into the MSF ). Another thing that Is not so great Is that I will have to start out on a small bike and not my dream bike ( 2007 CBR 600RR In black ). I will be starting with a Kawi 250R 08. I will keep that for one year and then sell It for my CBR!

Enough of that, the question Is what Is the best riding gear? So far I have purchased Alpinestar gloves for the MSF course. I want to get boots, jacket, and helmet but dont know which are the best brands. Joe Rocket Is what I see most people use so I am thinking I should go Joe Rocket jacket, boots, and helmet? Shoei helmets look awsome but they are a bit expensive but I am thinking about getting one of them instead of Joe Rocket helmet. Well If you guys could help me with this I would be greatfull.

Thanks

 

Best bang for the buck, I love my Scorpion Exo-1000 Helmet. Its equivelent to the high end SHOEI helmets. I also have the Scorpion Burnout jacket which is nice but could have better padding.. Its a good summer jacket though.

 

scorpion makes sick, nice helmets. and a good thing about them is the visors are absolutely fog proof. deffinitely worth the money

shoei is nice, basically the sony to electronics of helmets. they are cool lookin and have lots of good stuff but tend to be really overpriced

arai are bad @ss mother F!@#!@n helmets.. they are like shorter then others and the visors are all small... i dont know but they are my favorite. also high quality but overpriced. if i had the money i would get one but im broke, always.

kbc is what i ride with. they are still high quality helmets but less expensive. the cooler they look, however, the more expensive. i have the gunmetal. i would say its a tight helmet, best one ive ever worn (and it has cool graffics) cant go wrong with a kbc

hjc is a similar brand but less quality i think. its the generic brand

then there are thousands of new- no names like 777 and whatever kawi calls their helmets. all mostly cheap or unknown i would stay away and wait for other people to give the ok.

now, for jackets, i like field sheer. nice brand, nice prices, good quality.
joe rocket is ok too. but over priced
icon makes cool stuff. i would buy some icon stuff.
scorpion always a good choice.

alpinestars makes, i think, the best boots. very expensive for shoes tho.
i wouldnt buy joe rocket boots.imo
i dont know of any other boot brands

hope this helps and have fun on that 250. seriously those new kawis look like old school 636's. just lighter and quieter

 

Lol, Thanks guys!

I have about two months before my MSF course so I have some time before I get the bike and all the gear.

 

haha how much you want to bet you will go out and buy gear only to find youself standing in front of your bedroom mirror checkin yourself out and goin... vrooooooooom, arooooooooooooom, vrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooooom.. waaaaaah wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. pretending your riding.

i know i did it when i had my cast on.

 

sidi boots...
the alpinestars are OK but youll need to try both brands on.

as for the rest of the gear.

you need to try it on.
the shoei and arai and other helmets ALL fit differently.
my head shape fit in a shoei the best, therefore i got that instead of an arai.

just stay away from the cheap crap ($89.99 clearance is a no go)
and make sure it is both DOT and SNELL approved.


for jackets i went with an alpinestars RC-1. the A*'s leather is IMO one of the best.
it is a full race jacket but once again, it fit me the best being 6'1 and skinny it was the only jacket that fit in the arms and wasnt too big in the torso/waist area but also came down far enough.

gloves is a toss up, just try them on and whatever feels the best on your hand and wallet.


another thing to keep in mind.
try it on at your local shop, then look online for a good price
i found my jacket for $350 shipped from an ebay store where it retails for $500 + tax.

it also never hurts to call the company if you like the way a certain item fits but dont like how it fits in other areas because they may have alternatives (thats also what i had to do with my jacket, they were very helpful with the whole process)

 

HJC seems to have the best bang for the buck when it comes to helmets. Good quality with features found on expensive brands, DOT & Snell on some models, and nice selectionof styles.
Icon has a wide variety and selction of quality gear. Good prices as well on comparable gear that can cost a fortune on some other brands. Certainly don't skimp on protective features but also don't go all out and buy stuff that costs ridiculous amounts of money. These being your first purchases of gear you don't really know what you will like and not like til you use stuff. So my advice is not to spend too much on the best name brands out there unless you have plenty of money and don't mind.

 

but also keep in mind that the bigger names and comapnies will have some features that the lower ones dont that may make riding more comfortable and safer (CE cert. armor in the shoulder/elbows/back, etc. ; material that wicks sweat, etc.)

 

You really can't go wrong with good, known name brands. I wear an Arai, but have an HJC as a backup. The HJC is a nice helmet, but noisier and doesn't fit quite as good...but it was also 1/4 the price.

I don't think Joe Rocket is overpriced, but like Arai, they are expensive. There's a difference. I've had lots of different jackets and suits over the years, I like JR for the quality. My buddy has Icon, another MotoGP, and another Frank Thomas. I've got some Dianese stuff, too. Good names, big price differences.

I like A* gloves and Sidi boots.

 

I have, Sidi boots, Alpinestar two peice suit, alpinestar gloves with carbon fiber knuckle protectors, and an AGV S4 helmet. all of my gear is comfortable,The Jacket has pads in the back, shoulders and arms. Here's a picture of me looking like a goof infront of my friends house