New gear - couldn't be happier!

[woodcycl]

I lost 40 lbs over the past 6 months (low-carb) and feel MUCH better. Needless to say, I have purchased all new riding gear due to the size change. I luckily was able to sell my riding pants and jacket to help pay for the new stuff. I am VERY happy with my new gear ... so much that I wanted to share my experience:

Tourmaster Cortech Coaster Leather Jacket
This is one sharp leather jacket! Very clean lines, good fit, nice protection, easy to wear on and off the bike .... and the black with red dual-stripes is geat looking. This jacket has the regular fold-down collar (same as a regular off-bike jacket) which I like. The liner is top-notch with zip off arms. Ventilation works well as expected. Did I mention it's sharp with clean lines?? :p I previously wore the Joe Rocket Speedmaster Leather jacket and was happy with it. However, I can most definitely state that the Coaster jacket feels and wears better IMO.

Tourmaster Cortech GX Air Mesh Pants
Last year I wore the First Gear Air Mesh pants which worked fine. However, I absolutely love my new Tourmaster Cortech GX Air pants! The GX pants are more comfortable and fit me better. Also, they offer better front zipper pockets and easier to use and more durable zippered legs. The armor pads also feel more substantial.

ICON Super Duty Riding Boots
The last couple months of last season, I wore my new Alpinestar Racing Boots (a hefty $250!!) and 'eventualy' got used to them ... as this was my first experience wearing full race boots and they were/are stiff and quite different (I'm sure most of you had a similar experience when you first started wearing these kinds of boots) from any other kind of shoe or boot when riding. I read a couple of decent reviews of the ICON Super Duty boots and thought it might be a good idea to get a pair for regular riding (everything but hard twisty riding). Boy ... was this the BEST decision I have made in a while!!! I must say .... these boots absolutely ROCK! They are comfortable, fit well, and work great on the bike. They don't get caught under the toe-shifter like the racing boots .. it's much more natural when shifting. The biggest benefit for me (given I'm 5' 7") is that they add just the right amount of extra leverage to help me be a little closer to being flat footed and assist with backing up the bike on a slight incline. Being 5' 8" or shorter and riding the VFR isn't the easiest thing in the world ... oh ... and with a 29" inseam! With these boots .... I may NOT have the lowering link installed as I was planning. I opted for the tan/beige colored boots ... even though my pants and jacket are 98% black. The boot uses a lace-up with a lever-action thingy to ensure the laces are secure and that the boot stays tight and in place. All in all ...I'm much happier with the boots than I expected.

ICON Super Duty Street Gloves
I was somewhat hesitant to get the ICON Super Duty Gloves ... only due to not being able to try them on ahead of time. However, once again, my satisfaction is higher than expected after my first 140 mile ride. These are the 'short' gloves ... which I wanted. For some reason, the typical long cuff gloves just don't feel right to me unless it's below 50 degrees and I'm all bundled up. My new gloves vent pretty well and are made of durable leather ... with a tripple layer of leather over the knuckles for protection. They are very comfortable to ride in ... my hands had NO numbing as they used to with 2 or 3 other pairs I had tried. I opted for the tan/beige color to match the ICON boots. All in all ... I'm very happy with the ICON Super Duty Gloves.

Arai Quantum 2 Helmet - Racing Red
Don't have this helmet yet .... it should arrive from CA this Tuesday! But, I did try them on at my local BMW Motorcycle dealership and I have to say .... leaps and bounds ahead of my HJC Symax helmet!!!!! But, of course, most folks who are used to the higher-end helmets already know this! By the way, if anyone is looking for a "good" price on Arai helmets and you already "know the shape & size" of the Arai that fits your noggin .... email me or PM me and I can share the contact info for place that I bought my helmet. $390 shipped to my door .... and that's from CA to IN!! Hey -- can't beat that!!

Nelson-Rigg AX1 2-piece Rain Suit
Haven't needed it yet ... and only bought it for those long touring trips where you sometimes have NO choice but to ride in the rain! However, I unpackaged it and tried it on over top of my full riding gear and sat on the bike with it. I must say ... This is top-notch rain suit .... very durable and heavy-duty. Got the red/black of course .... to match the faster 'red' Veefer.

Yeah ... if you haven't guessed by now ... I'm quite happy with my latest purchases. It's not often that you get this much new gear ... and end up this satisfied overall with the whole lot! :D :beer: :wheel:

Thanks for listening! "Thank you SPRING" -- it's about time!

Brian