Which jacket/gloves/etc?

Obviously, safety gear is EXTREMELY important. But how do I know which jacket I should buy. Looking around online I found jackets for $80 bucks, for $350, and everywhere in between. I'm already deathly afraid (pun intended) of even laying the bike down, nevermind actually hitting something. So I want to make sure I'm very well protected.

Joe Rocket makes a very affordable and quality line of leathers. I would recommend buying a 2 piece set of leathers for street use. A jacket alone is not good enough. Denim will do nothing to protect you from road rash, and it certainly doesnt have any armor to absorb and mitigate impact. I use Sidi boots, Alpinestars gloves, Teknic back protector, Joe Rocket GPX leathers, and an AGV helmet. All of which I am very pleased with. They are holding up great so far, and I didnt spend an arm and a leg.

If you are not willing to accept the fact that you have very little chance of riding for any substantial length of time without crashing at some point, I would seriously reconsider riding. The worst thing you can do is fool yourself into a false sense of security.

If you are not willing to accept the fact that you have very little chance of riding for any substantial length of time without crashing at some point, I would seriously reconsider riding. The worst thing you can do is fool yourself into a false sense of security.

I agree.

No that's the reason I made this post; I know I am going to fall at some point and would really like it to not hurt so much. Of course pants and boots and anything that will help me not get dead. I just didn't know if one brand was better than another.

Anyways, I also was wondering: where do you put it all? I mean if I ride to a party or something, I don't want to be wearing leathers. Do you carry a backpack and just change at your destination? Do you wear it under the leathers? Mainly I'm wondering about shoes vs boots and where I would carry my shoes while riding somewhere.

back packs are very useful. i used to ride to work with my suit under my leathers and i was fine but u need a backpack for all the little shit u cant fit inside ur jacket.

as for paties i never ride incase i get tanked and wanna ride home or something....also helmet hair looks kinda funny

as for paties i never ride incase i get tanked and wanna ride home or something....also helmet hair looks kinda funny

not if you shave your head, haha, plus showing up in "crotch rockets" usually have an upside for picking up chics afterwards, not that I condone it.

anyway, on to topic, best protection you can put on yourself is helmet, full leather, gloves, back protector, and GP boots. if you're riding day to day, people wear textile or mesh jackets which are easily foldable and light to carry on a back pack. sometimes I dont wear leather pants from point A to B, although I am taking a risk. usually I'd ride wearing helmet, leather jacket, and full cuff GP gloves and casual boots.

but even with all the gears, there's still the chance of getting injured or even death, difference is reduction in injury or open casket vs closed one. and you're 10 times as likely to receive injury in the street than the track. you could go 1 year... 2 years... 5 years... or even 10 without any accident. but still there could be that one ordinary day just like any other, and you feel you have complete control of the bike, until a cage decides to prove to you otherwise.

I wear Teknic speedstar jacket with back pad and air flow hump, Teknic Lightning GP Gloves, and Suomy Spec-1R helmet. They're all great, and helmet is very light, never feel it while riding. Jacket is pretty heavy, feels like close to 10 lbs. :D

Yeah I have a shaved head so helmet hair isn't an issue, and neither is drinking because I just don't do it.

I wear a Textile/Leather MotoGP Padded Jacket in Gray to match the Bike. For gloves.. I dont know the name brand. but I bought them with my Jacket.. they are black leather with Gel in the palms and Knuckle protection. I also Buzz my head For summer riding, my GF doesnt care for it much but it keeps things cooler under the helmet. :p
-Jimmy

I have to say that helmet, jacket, boots and gloves are the quintessential pieces of gear. If you want to ride hard or do more riding than to get you from point A to point B, then you can add the rest.

Granted, that's just the minimum that I suggest. I love my HJC helmet and my Teknic gloves. The rest of the stuff I have is female, so it won't be of much help for you. ;)

What commonly happens with jeans/leathers combos is that the upper body slides as the leathers are designed to do, and the denim grips. This causes the rider to twist at the midsection and often breaks ribs. In addition to that, it promotes tumbling. Tumbling is a major cause of broken bones and dislocations. Then, of course, not having any impact protection on major joints like the knees can make even the simplest of crashes into a trip to the hospital. Dress for the crash, not for the ride.

There are some textile pants that you can zip over denim that have basic CF armor built in that would be good for a trip to the office or something where leathers simply cannot be used, but my personal philosophy after being hit by a car on the way home from work (5 mile commute) in street clothes is that I wont ever get on a motorcycle without leathers again. 2 dislocated shoulders, permanent nerve damage in my ankle, and plenty of road rash were the result of that relatively low speed accident. In contrast, I lowsided at about 80mph in full gear a few months ago (at the track), and I rode it back without a single scratch. Gear works.

yeh good call bro..... if that shit didnt work smart ppl wouldnt use it.

U might feel safe in denim but after i came off i had road rash under my denim without a scratch or mark on the fabric at all so it really is no camparisson to leathers.

and although iv never been seriously injured on a bike (touch wood) im lucky i was in my full gear during the times i have come down.
Bouncing accross a road under a bike isint the best feeling on earth...... where as standing up afterwards is.......

how many of us are strangers to road rash really, what, never fell of while bicycling or skating? haha... I had so many cuts and bruises... luckily no broken bones. although on a bike, it's 100 times worse.

Sure, jeans aren't the same as leather... but cheap leathers tear apart at the seams REAL quick like... seen it. I'd rather have my jeans that will more than likely stay on until they wear through.

Besides, almost anything is better than textile which melts when sliding. ;)

Wait, are you trying to say you'd rather not wear protective gear because you might damage it in some way by crashing?

The hardest thing that took a while getting used to was my gloves. I remember when I had first got them, I had problems overreving the engine by accident and then pulling out the clutch and.........wazzaam!.....up goes my front end! Its not that doing a wheelie is scary, but when you don't plan on it, it can be. Moving around takes a little bit getting used to (especially with new gear) but after a while you get used to it. Its all worth it thou.

Buying a 2 pc suit is the same as buying a jacket and pants seperately, right? Just a jacket and pants? Is the only difference that the 2 pc is guaranteed to match, or what?

And I also assume more money = better quality (usually)? I was looking through the Kawasaki site and they have helmets for around $80, whereas another site had Shoei helmets for up to $500.

Wait, are you trying to say you'd rather not wear protective gear because you might damage it in some way by crashing?
What I meant to imply was that if the leathers are cheap and not made well, they won't last you any longer than the jeans. I've seen leathers tear apart at the seams from very minor impacts... leather won't protect you if it doesn't stay on. ;)

A 2pc suit will ensure that you can zipper the 2 pieces in together. Unless you check before you buy, you could end up with pants that have a different size or different length zipper than your jacket. From my experience, the only time the zipper-thing will matter is if you race at a street track and the group sponsoring requires a full circumference suit.

What I meant to imply was that if the leathers are cheap and not made well, they won't last you any longer than the jeans. I've seen leathers tear apart at the seams from very minor impacts... leather won't protect you if it doesn't stay on. ;)

I'm starting to wonder if you even know what leathers are. We aren't talking about the assless chaps the cruiser boys wear here. Any real set of racing leathers is going to stay together through a crash. You may have some stitching burn through or need some other type of repair afterwards if it involved lots of high speed asphalt contact, but nothing even remotely comparable to denim. Not even remotely close.

You don't have to pay a ton of money for good leathers. I've got middle of the road Joe Rocket leathers and they're holding up just fine with no repairs needed after 3 crashes. There really is no way to compare anything else to leathers. It's a second skin that won't burn through, won't cause any friction like other material, and houses body armor to absorb and mitigate impact. They save lives, and often allow a rider to walk away from an otherwise major crash. Jeans do absolutely nothing.

I've never seen racing leather pants sold seperately. You'll have to buy it as a complete suit. You definitely want them zipped together, track rider or not. The equipment wont work if it's not held in place. If you planned to race you'd want a 1 piece suit, but 2 piece suits are much more convenient and work just fine for track day/street riders. I'd look in to something in Joe Rockets line for a good bang for the buck type of suit. Many other brands will require a higher price bracket for the same level of quality simply because of the name (Teknic is a good example).

More money does not equal better quality. You'll nearly double the price for joe schmoe's race replica graphics on your helmet than you'll pay for the same helmet with a generic design or solid color, for example. It will take some research on the particular product you're looking for to determine if thats the case there or not. For helmets, you want SNELL and DOT approved no matter what. I had a massive head impact using an AGV Demon helmet that I paid under $200.00 for that left me with no head or neck injury, so you don't need a $600.00 lid to get quality protection. I wouldn't pick up a $50.00 bell from a pawn shop either, though. My head is worth more to me than that. Again, research will be key. There are no blanket answers or price ranges to get quality unfortunately.

how much did you pay for your joe rocket, assuming it was 2 pc??

how much did you pay for your joe rocket, assuming it was 2 pc??

I got mine used from a friend who was my size and decided to quit riding after 1 or 2 uses, so I got them for around $400.00, but the street price for the new version of the GPX 2 piece leathers is $550.00-$600.00.

That doesn't sound much different from Teknic (which you said would be more expensive). The Teknic Chicane 2 pc suit is 550. But I see what you mean about paying for the brand name. Or is the chicane just not very good?

Obviously, money is no object (within reason) when it comes to protecting my skin.

I use Joe Rocket Leathers

That doesn't sound much different from Teknic (which you said would be more expensive). The Teknic Chicane 2 pc suit is 550. But I see what you mean about paying for the brand name. Or is the chicane just not very good?

Obviously, money is no object (within reason) when it comes to protecting my skin.

Teknic makes lower end suits too, but they're known for making some of the best high end leathers on the market, and are the suit of choice for many top racers. Because of this you tend to pay premium price for their equipment when you can get an equivalent suit from a company like JR for less money. Things like leather type and thickness, construction, stitching and reinforcement, certification level/placement/amount of armor, features, etc, are usually very good for the money from JR suits.

Ya I have a Teknic leather, heavy but solid. It has some perforations for air when you get moving. Lowsided twice in low speed, didn't feel a thing. Has all the armors, including back pad and air flow. It was pricey, but only reason I got it somewhat cheap because it was a 2003 model.

im a fan of alpinestar, got my v4 2 pc suit for only 450.00 brand new. oh and with alpinestar, they also off jackets and pants seperately if u wish. as far as price, usually the better the ventilation, the higher the price.

Deal's Gap: I know precisely what "leathers" are... I've done street days at the track. As for "good leathers..." I've seen people who have spent way too much money on shitty leather... The leathers that I've seen fall apart at the drop of a hat were Joe Rocket... No offense to you, cause sounds like yours are not a lemon, but I do not know a single person who was happy with ANY of their JR purchases... jacket, suit, textile, leather, etc. Their stiching quality is usually garbage, IMHO. Unfortunately, they are one of about 3 companies who bother to make female suits. :(

That said, you're right, coverage needs to be in place to keep you safe, but if you buy a suit that fits you properly, having them zipped won't make the biggest difference b/c both pieces will stay on your body, which is the point.