Long tall thin riding gear recommendations?

Discussion in 'Gear & Accessories' started by sfdownhill, Jun 27, 2018.

  1. sfdownhill

    sfdownhill New Member

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    Hello community. My nephew is 6’3’ and weighs about as much as a beanpole of the same height - he is thin. He just got home from his first year of college, is looking toward starting out on our two wheeled means of transportation, and, bless him, is making it a priority to gear up for safety. We’ve also got him scheduled for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class to get his technique started on the correct foot.

    Question - does anyone have suggestions for riding gear (jacket, pants, etc) that are tailored for the long, tall, lean type of rider? In my experience, the sizes with longer sleeves and pant legs all skew toward the heftier rider.

    Thanks for any assistance offered.
     
  2. Zapp

    Zapp New Member

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    I'm thin but not tall and even finding jackets that fit well for me has been a pain at times, I'm 5' 11". I have two RS Taichi jackets, they aren't very common in the US as they are a Japanese brand but it's just about the best fitting jacket I've ever owned. I found them at sportbiketrackgear.com. It's possible the XXL may work, I usually wear a medium, sometimes small and I had to buy a large. Another thought is any of the Euro brands like Alpinestar or Dainese may be the way to go, they are generally cut for a slim build. Good luck.
     
  3. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Dainese started to make short and Long versions of some of their suits. The numbering scheme is a bit different, for instance a 54 regular might be something like a 112 or some other triple digit number. Although I’m quite familiar with most of their gear, I haven’t deciphered this new numbering scheme. I’m sure my friends at the D Store can help remedy that.

    As far as the RS Taichi, there’s a shop in OC that carries them. They’re called JC Motors, unfortunately they’re not open on the weekends. I’ve been to their shop a few times and they did have some of their gear on display. Might be worth a phone call.
     
  4. sfdownhill

    sfdownhill New Member

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    Thank you gentlemen, your recommendations were put to good use. My nephew Ayden visited and I was able to let him try on Joe Rocket L and XL jackets, Bilt XL jacket, large and extra large riding pants, and a Dianese jacket size 56.

    He observed what most members have: the American cut XL garments were long enough for his frame, but left yards of fabric billlowing loosely around his waist and arms. He could tell that the large Joe Rocket was fitting better, and that he’d better have gloves with long gauntlets to cover the cuffs.

    The Dianese gave him the best fit, and would clearly keep its armor in place, if needed, better than the looser jackets.

    We suited him up, booted, gloved, helmeted, and, thanks to a loan from OOTV, we had Cardo Packtalks to discuss the riding in real time. He rode on the back of my 5th gen and we took back roads out to my Dad’s place. I keep my dirtbike out there, and there’s room to ride. At 6’4” he had no problem standing over the full size CRF. He knew how to drive a manual transmission, and had taken a class on mini dirt bikes years ago, so getting going, shifting, and stopping the Honda pure dirt bike came pretty easily. It was fun to be able to coach him over the Packtalks and answer questions he asked as he rode the dirtbike - an application of rider-to-rider communications I hadn’t thought of before.

    All in all, the day was a very positive introduction to protective gear and riding for Ayden. That night at dinner my Dad and Mom (his grandparents) gave him a generous gift of enough enough money to buy a decent used car.

    Sadly, the ability to purchase a car put an end (a temporary end, I hope) to Ayden’s interest in motorcycling.
     

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