Time to Upgrade gear...where to spend the $$$

So I am suddenly feeling the need for an upgrade in the riding gear department. I recently picked up a new vfr1200 and while I am enjoying and getting used to the new toy a little bit at a time, I think some upgrades to my own protection wouldn't hurt as well. maybe I just realized I'm not quite as invincible as I used to be?

My current setup is:

Shoei rf-1100 helmet
Shift racing jacket
Draggin jeans
Leather gloves from http://www.foxcreekleather.com/. Well made, no armor
Redwing 11" pull on boots

I am pretty happy with the helmet and jacket, but would like to do something better for boots, pants and gloves. I would rather "buy once cry once" I can't likely buy the best there is, but don't want to buy junk either. What would be the best order to start replacing gear?

Here is what I have been looking at; thoughts, opinions, experiences, anything helpful?!

Pants:
http://www.revzilla.com/product/joe-rocket-pro-street-pants
Or
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/icon-overlord-prime-leather-pants
The above if I can stand the leather pants idea, otherwise maybe:
http://www.revzilla.com/product/joe-rocket-atomic-pants

These are for street riding, I would like to avoid the full race/"boy racer" look!

Boots:
I like the look of these, I don't necessarily have to have "track ready" but bonus points for gear that is in case I want to use them that way.

http://www.revzilla.com/product/sidi-canyon-gore-tex-boots

Gloves:
I don't have any specific ones in mind, thought or suggestions? Again, bonus points in the choice is track suitable.

I'm 6'2", 205lbs and in pretty decent shape if that factors into a suggestion.

Any help?!

 

Boots look good, try Sidi for gloves, or Alpinestars, Spidi or Joe Rocket. Is there a Cycle Gear near you?

If you're considering pants in those price ranges, check out Aerostich.com. Ditch the Shift jacket and just get a two piece suit.

 

I'd start by upgrading the gloves... you want the best protection you can get for your hands. Leather is great for preventing road rash, but you also want armor/padding to reduce the risk of breaking/crushing bones. A pair of Alpinestars GP Plus carbon-fiber armored gloves prevented some serious damage to my hand when it got trapped between the gas tank and handlebars on a lowside.

I'd recommend a pair of track gloves--they are unlined so you get great feel and they typically have excellent protection. It's tough to pay $200 for a pair of gloves, but my accident taught me it was absolutely worth it.

 

Not sure what size your hands are but theres a guy on S-T.net selling a kick ass set of Klim gloves right now. If I hadn't just picked up a set of Dianese track gloves for a song I'd be all over these...
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,91090.0.html#.U3mESPldXNk

As far as boots go you want something that will stay on your foot. A slip on boot by nature will slip right off with crash like forces. Also as a co-worker found out last year a 4-500lb biking coming down on your ankle with a soft leather boot will likely cripple you up temporarily at a minimum. He now has several plates and screws holding his right ankle together. Was unable to walk for damn near 8mos and is just now getting to the point where he can ride again.

I'd go with something with some lateral support and armor
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sidi-armada-gore-tex-boots

I've went through so many pairs of pants trying to find the happy medium for protection, comfort and foul weather protection.
The ones that I have settled on are these...

http://www.revzilla.com/product/tour-master-flex-pants

Armor that stays in place and can be upgraded. A rain and separate thermal liner that is good down to 20 for extended rides if you layer an additional set of thermals under them. And the ability to zip off panels on each leg and turn them into a set of armored mesh pants when it gets damn hot. 3 weeks ago I had to ride through 40+ miles of rain so heavy it was forcing itself past the gasket on my visor and the only wet spots I had after that were the hem of my jeans and one small spot on each hip where my jacket had ridden up and exposed my jeans to the rain.

 

The best gloves IMO http://shop.helimot.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=9&cat=1+-+Motorcycle+Gloves

expensive but well worth it. I have three crashes on the same pair including one high speed crash at Thunderhill. The gloves still look good with no rips and the leather did not wear down.

 

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/tcx-x-five-plus-boots

I just replace a pair of Alpine Star with these. I love them......
Waterproof, and a good balance of protection and walk around comfort.

 

Kind of depends on how much you want to spend. The Joe Rocket stuff is iffy..

Great quality but pricy

Gloves: Held
Leather jackets: Vanson
Boots: If ya have to have the Ricky Racer types, go for it. If not and for both walking and riding and long wear, Danner's out of Portland or Dehner's out of Omaha.
As an alternative to leather togs, Aerostitch.

 

Thanks for the great suggestions so far! I think I am going to look for better boots and gloves first, and pants later but not too far away. Unless I catch better prices than I am seeing anyway. It is not as though I am riding in shorts and a t-shirt now, so I would rather wait and buy better gear than cut corners if price is the issue.

I never new of Cycle-gear as a brick and mortar store, and it turns out there is one 90 minutes away. I will get down there sometime this week and get a hands on look at a few things. That will help quite a bit.

 

I wear a skorpion jacket and have their gloves as well as a set of Icon gloves. Jeans a RHOK (kevlar lining) and boots.. well, I wear combat oakley combat boots

 

You would be hard pressed to find any better protection than these boots.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sidi-adventure-gore-tex-boots

If the $550 price is troublesome, you can buy directly from Europe for $378 including shipping (ebay).

As a plus, you can walk around in them and they are water resistant. They are very comfortable. My only complaint has been they tend to squeak unless you periodically oil them. These boots are Anthony@Revzilla's favorite boots of everything they sell. He personally wears this model.

 

Like with most things motorcycling related, clothing will be a personal choice IMO and sometimes one type of item cannot cover all aspects of riding without sacrificing something. i.e. Rain gear doesn't work too well in the summer, unless you like "baking" in your gear. Although I tried at first to find the "one" item that would do it all, the VFR of clothing if you will, but ultimately I found different items that work for the majority of when/where I ride and bought "specialty" items for the rare occasion that didn't, worked out better. There are also a personal preferences in style and comfort, not all manufacturers make the same cut even though the size is the same. Personally I would recommend that you find a local shop or two and try on the gear before you make any purchases. It's great that a lot of online stores have free shipping and exchange policies but to me the hassle of waiting for the gear to arrive, trying it on and then get it boxed up and then shipped out if it doesn't fit, is more troublesome than finding/going to a local shop to get fitted.

That being said, I have gotten real lucky a few times when buying "blind" and I only bought the items online without trying them on because I did have trouble finding a dealer who stocked the item(s) I was looking for, TCX boots in these cases. Fortunately TCX boots fit me just right and now I have several pairs, race, street and touring boots. As far as what I typically wear, for commuting to and from work, I wear textiles and depending on the time of year, usually a vented jacket and Kevlar pants ('Sliders' from Competition Accessories) with "street" boots (TCX Jupiter 2) and full gauntlet gloves (Teknic Lighting). I also wear body armor, Dainese knee/shin guards, Knox back protector and Alpinestars padded shorts and sport a modular helmet. For touring much the same but I usually wear a 3 season jacket that can cover any unexpected changes in weather. However, if I'm in the canyons carving it up, I always turn to my leathers, I have two sets, one perforated and the other non-perforated for when the temps get lower. Here I wear a full face helmet (Shoei GT-Air), full gauntlet gloves (Knox Bio-mech) and the TCX "race" boots and my Knox back protector. All told I think I have as much invested in riding gear as I do in my 5 Gen (including purchase cost), but like many of my fellow long time riders, falling off and getting hurt will take a higher toll than the cost of any gear that I've purchased. I'm not "old" but I'm no 20 something that can spring back in little to no time i.e. Like current MotoGP racers

 

Your lid is good to go. Does your Shift jacket have a zipper to zip pants to? See if Shift makes a leather pant that could zip to it. Nothing like have your jacket or pants ride up or down as you slide.
Gloves: I have used Held for a long time, pricy but not nearly as much as a hand surgeon.
Boots: If your going to stay in them after riding that should be a consideration. I currently have a pair of Tourmasters that are very comfortable for all day wear and decent protection. Sidi full race boots for the track.

 

If you ever do a one-man fashion show, post up some pix.

 

Check out "Competition Accessories" online. They carry "Sliders" pants which are Kevlar lined and very affordable as well as all other gear you are looking for. I use them and Revzilla for the majority of my online shopping

Ride Red!

 

I try REALLY REALLY hard to wear all the gear all the time... with that being said, I have the following:

Shoei Neotec (new to the fold this year, love it)
Held Galaxy gloves
Sidi On Road boots
Aerostich Roadcrafter 1pc

Couple of quick comments: The gloves are astonishingly good. I had a pair of higher-end Alpinestars, and I thought they were great.. but the Held are just another level. One of the best ways to avoid an accident is to have great control over your ride, and having gloves that offer a tremendous amount of feel really contributes to that IMO.

Love the Roadcrafter except when it's 90+, the sun is beating down, and I'm creeping in traffic. Aside from that, it assures me that I'm not leaving home w/o lower body protection. Probably looks a little dorky, but then again I'm never going for style points. Most people at work think it's a snowmobile suit. At the same, they also liken me to James Bond. Within minutes of walking in the door all suited up, I'm ready for full on corporate america in higher-end business casual.

-Jeff

 

When harleydoods walk in the door they are likened to James Bondo.

So many of the gloves on the market have succumbed to form over function that the "transformer" look seems to be the in thing.

Short of Helds, deerskin is a good choice. Washable and does not get slick when wet. Elk is of the same characteristic.

 

Thanks for the advice, I think boots and gloves will be my first purchases, followed shortly by pants with some armor. I am going to go down to Cycle Gear and take a look, try things on and see what works. If their store prices are reasonable and they have what I want I will just buy there instead of ordering. I like to support a brick and mortar store when I can, even if it costs a few $ more.

Any opinions on Dainese boots as a whole?

This model is one I was looking at:
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-st-trq-tour-goretex

 

I could care less what anyone thinks of my appearance in riding gear. I have given up enough flesh to the asphalt gods.

Perforated leather works.
I wear the same Held gloves I wear at the track. Yes they are full gauntlet style but they have great dexterity and unsurpassed protection. Titan model is really a blend of old school and modern technology. Kangaroo, Kevlar, carbon fiber, titanium and believe it or not, eel skin which is unbelievable in abrasion resistance and slid ability. They also have a sorbothane type of shock absorbing material in the forearm and palm heal. Riding boots that incorporate protection in the form of a shock absorbing heel cup, outside bone skid pad and other forms of protection that regular boots just do not have is a good idea too.

 

Don't be afraid to ask them to price match. I just missed a "We, as in Cycle Gear, pay the sales tax" event and asked if they would still honor it as I wasn't available on the weekend of the sale, they didn't do the sales tax but they at least gave me a 5% discount on what I bought. As far as the Dainese boots, my buddy has a pair and he seems to like them, hasn't said anything negative about them.

 

Price matching is fast becoming the highway of potholes ruled by the lawyers, and beancounters.

Here's one that I ran into yesterday without dumping my bike. Short story: I was looking for one of those pens that are used to mark on CD's and DVDs. These do not have hot solvent base inks that will dissolve the top coating (usually shellac) on single side, regular CD's and DVDs.

Staples has "price matching" my Walmart does not have this particular pen. BTW, some are made by Sharpie. Wally can get them from another store. They come in packs of four. Staples has them in packs of three for ten bucks. Wallys has them for nine bucks for four. So I go to Staples page on price matching.. The Book of Genesis with all the begats is shorter than their price matching policy..

May the Lord be with ya'll and keep the rubber out of those potholes..