Which jacket/gloves/etc?

[Vtec95Civic]

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.

[speediva]

Originally Posted by DealsGap

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.

[speediva]

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.

[DealsGap]

Originally Posted by saturntangerine

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.

[Z_Fanatic]

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

[DealsGap]

Originally Posted by Z_Fanatic

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.

[Vtec95Civic]

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.

[JTRACING]

I use Joe Rocket Leathers

[DealsGap]

Originally Posted by Vtec95Civic

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.

[Z_Fanatic]

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.

[tran_nsx]

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.

[speediva]

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.