dv8tion242

There is a really old thread, on cheap gear.. thought i would spin off of that a little bit since i started adding to it and then just starting typing..

I have been happy with motorcyclecloseouts.com as well as sportbiketrackgear.com a couple times . both places offer pretty cheap shipping, fast service, and iirc both offer pay by paypal if you have it.


the helmet i bought recently goes for a range of prices between 108 and 240(yeah yeah, i'm not rich enough to spend up on a 900 arai) dollars, even though the basic basic construction is identical. the paint job may look neater, but there is no difference in how well the 108 & 240 helmets will save your head. i do admit they look nicer though. it is the Scorpion EXO-700 (900 doesn't seem to offer enough to justify the extra cost - maybe my head isn't worth it ) Kevlar FTW! the noise level probably depends on the shape of the wearer's head butin my case the noise is noi worse than the HTC CL-15 even with all the extra vents on it. the down side is that even though they claim to be for free, the visors do fog up unless you take measure to counteract it.

the jacket i bought goes for just under 300 retail, but was found for 149( + 9.99 shipping) and protected me perfectly well in California.. same with the helmet. the jacket is the Fieldsheer Adventure Jacket (3/4 length. fwiw, i think they have a shorter one, but i dunno what the name is). if you ever needed pockets, this jacket has them. the shoulder padding is thicker and yet is flexible enough to move around in. even though this is a thick enough jacket to keep you drive, there is ventilation in both shoulders and a huge opening on your back. your back is protected with ECE rated padding but that is probably not as tough as a full on back protector.

gloves I bought locally, overpriced and if anyone has a better suggestion for comfort, they are the Cortech Scarab RR. they are the biz for ventilation and protection (see above with helmet and jacket *sigh* ), but really suck for longer distances. these gloves are not as durable as i would like, with the previous pair coming part in the stitches. they also take a fair amount of time to break in. but they were conveniently close.

the best rain solution i have found for rain is not motorcyle based, but just at REI. They are a pair of Marmot rain pants (i think they are or were $90). medium weight, so they are super easy to get into and out of, the zipper goes all the way up to the top, and they breath. probably not great for a serious down pour, but for day to day rain, perfect. these pants have no protection but are very light and can be rolled up into very small paces, which the motorcycle marketed rain pants i have seen, can't. true you need to have your own protection underneath them, but that is easy easy.

for cold weather, another great weather addition (not so great for the helmet unless the helmet is already too big) is a balaclava. these keep cold air from getting into your ears and stop your breath from making it's first stop, your visor. you can get these at various places but the one i use is the Seirus UltraClava.

boots... i'm still working on finding the 'right ones' as i want something i can walk in but be reasonably water tight, have decent traction, be able to get them on and off w/out wasting the whole day. the best boots so far have been found at Sports Authority, 80 bucks for reasonably water resistant, and vibration free(with a gel sole). and best of all, i can walk all day with no problem. these are the Magnum Stealth Wide Boots, and Magnum Viper 6 Inch Waterproof Boots. the Viper's took a bit of breaking in, but the Stealth was like butter from day one.

Try all the gear you want on locally, buy it online

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter