So ive been looking into one piece racing suits, wanted to see what everybody was wearing. I was looking at some alpinestars (about 700) has a hump on back, then you have agv for like 500, and then there is frank thomas for like 400, their all leather, cant figure out what the difference is( quality, fit , comfort, ?)...when I did the keith code school lastmay I wore a agv and that seemed allright, any insight from you guys would be greatly appreciated..not quite sure what I should be looking for...

 

I also saw a rhino suit on ebay for 339, anybody heard of that?

 

if you buy the cheapest suit you can find, you'll be wearing the cheapest suit you could find...
You want to buy a suit that A) fits good B) is good quality and C) has a good reputation

Don't buy a suit without trying it on unless your prepared to have it altered to fit you, so trying some suits on should be your first priority. If you can't do that, you need to get all the necessary measurements so you know exactly what size you'll need, all good brands will have sizing charts to make sure you get the right size.

Obviously Alpinestars is a very popular brand and is pretty good quality, although they are getting more mainstream and spending less on quality manufacturing and more on cool designs but its stillgood stuff. AGV sport is well known and pretty good stuff. Never heard of Rhino, at least not that I remember. I believe Frank Thomas is a crossover brand from cruiser or touring gear isn't it? I wouldn't expect them to make anything very good especially not at that price. Teknic is pretty good

Personally, I have a Spidi suit and a Komodo. Both are very good suits. I've had 4 crashes in each I believe and the Spidis had at least one with the previoius owner and I've had to have minor repairs done to each one time. The Spidi is a bit better in overall quality of leather, seams, zippers, etc but the Komodo has slightly better armor, both are excellent though. Of course the Spidi was originally over $1,000 (although I bought it for a couple hundred used) and the Komodo was about $1200 so those are a good bit more expensive than the ones your looking at.

You want to look for things like double and triple stitching (Kevlar stitching is nice), good ventilation designs, good armor in the right spots, good zippers/hardware, extra leather in impact zones, etc but of course those factors don't tell you anything about quality. Its good to look for as many reviews as you can (google is nice) for each suit your considering to get an idea of how good a suit actually works in the real world. You can also shoot an e-mail to someone that does leather alterations like spyderleatherworks.com and ask what suits they suggest for that price range.

You might consider looking at used suits, there are plenty of them for sale on the club racing forums this time of year at really good prices.

 

thanks Wood, I think I will look into the used, that sounds like a good idea...

 

i have the JR speedmaster suit...the older, but much better looking, 2006 model. You can get it for about 800-900. I got mine used for 500. EXCELLENT SUIT!

 

If you want something really quality, look into Vanson (USA made) or Dainese (Italian). Very pricey though, but top of the line. I also hear that Taichi is good quality. I'm looking into a Spidi (mid level) for next year and also heard good things. I'd stay away from Joe Rocket, Alpine Stars and Moto GP personally.
I currently have a Joe Rocket two piece and it leaves a lot to be desired. Broken zippers, snaps thattore through the leather and are now worthless and even though it's my exact measurements, doesn't fit worth a damn in the elbows or shins.

 

i have a teknic 2 pc. I wouldnt get a 1pc unless you plan on alot of track days n/or race. A 2pc makes it so much easier while out riding to stop n rest, eat etc. on the streets.

 

spidi also makes great suits...as do motogp, and other lines.
whatever you get, make sure it fits SNUG...i mean hard to breathe, etc...then stretch that bi$h out to fit you like a glove. if you get roo hide, beware, they don't strech much. cowhide will stretch lots.