denim all around

[hang man]

I was looking around and thought a lot about gear and did some hard searching for something comfortable and protective at the same time , personally leather is not in my future so i looked at Denim and found this Jacket
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/39/552/ITEM/Cortech-DSX-Denim-Jacket.aspx    , does anyone use this jacket here and can give some feed back on it!!!!? , also I'm looking for Jean Pants with enough protection but not without enough protection , found these but they are expensive ...http://www.dragginjeans.com.au/  .......I am looking to be comfortable without looking like a street racer biker freak .

[happycommuter]

There are other textiles that are way more useful that denim, specifically ballistic nylon, aka Cordura (and some even techier variants).  They repel water and wind, endure way more abrasion.

Trust me, I've worn textile for seven years now, and it is a practical (motorcycle) look.  You look more like you'll be climbing Everest or putting out a fire somewhere than like a boy-racer.  Wear a solid colored helmet, keep a stock exhaust and sport riders (good and bad) will not really identify with you.

If you want to look old-timey (pony express stuff, IMHO) you will sacrifice function.

Check the closeouts at newenough.com, or visit the local BMW dealership.

[hang man]

I looked at those style pants Happycomuter but it's still too flashy sort of (not comfortable looking ), maybe it would be better to find a seamstress in my area and have them add padding on my regular jeans instead ....Hummm it's woth a shot.

[dbracing]

Number 4 grit sandpaper(road surfaces) goes through denim in just a few feet. Plan on only falling over at a stop if you only do denim. Consider your level of comfort sliding along the road at 35 MPH or so. Just be aware.

[Hondo]

Check out the gear at Tour Mater & Olympia.

IMO, investing in good gear that had armor is much less expensive than medical deductables and physical thereapy.

I truly believe in ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time).

But that just how I look at it.

[Bumblebee]

maybe it would be better to find a seamstress in my area and have them add padding on my regular jeans instead

IMNSHO: That's a really bad plan. Try this: Put those same jeans on, string a piece of wire 12" off the ground across a gravel or concrete sidewalk about 50ft away. Run as fast as you can down the sidewalk toward the wire. When you get to the wire, keep running full speed and let the wire take you down. Now imagine the results if you were to do that at say, 50mph. Now you should start understanding the crash hazards and usefulness of cheap/nonexistent gear.

I fell down too many times as a kid, and as an adult to depend on any denim type material (even triple layered) for abrasion protection. The stuff is near useless. It shreds on contact. THEN the belt sander motor (the Earth) engages and starts abrading anything it can touch. A fraction of a second after the jeans touch the ground, you're effectively wearing shorts.

....Hummm it's woth a shot.

Nope. Not worth a shot. Not even vaguely close.

Don't look at crash gear as annoyingly expensive stuff that makes you look goofy in public that you should try to bottom line or bypass. Gear is about survivability, not image. (There is good gear out there that doesn't make you look like a crotch rocket freak though) To heck with the money, corporate insurance policies or what people will think. That fluff is completely meaningless and totally unimportant and doesn't cut it in the real world. The real world plan that is of utmost importance is to avoid a ride in the Owie Wagon. If money is still important, look at crash gear as a one time health insurance payment. The right gear (usually moderately spendy) will help keep you from dealing with years and years of long term side effects. Spending $50 total (including helmet) would be nice however once the Earth slams into you, $800+ is, at best, an entry level survivability investment.

ATGATT


But what do I know...I mean I've only ridden the 4-grit belt sander then got up and rode home afterward totally unharmed except for a moderate headache that cleared itself that evening while I was disassembling the motorcycle for inspection and damage repair.

Just my opinion anyway...

[MrF]

Aerostich www.aerostich.com also offers some protective overpants that look a bit less like something a racer would wear.

[ROJ]

IMO it doesn't matter if your gear looks flashy, protection is paramount. Unless you are getting a full leather racing suit, people won't confuse you with sportbike riders, especially when they see you on your bike. The mesh or textile overpants just look like snowpants, and not flashy at all, and suprisingly comfortable. As soon as I can scrape the money together I'll be buying a pair of Joe Rocket Alter Ego over pants. Same concept as their alter ego jacket, removable rain liner and part of the outer sheel to reveal mesh for cooling. I odn't care if people think  I look like a racer or have too much gear on for my style of bike, I like my skin just where it is.

[Hondo]

My gear -

Tourmaster Flex jacket, Olympia Airglide 2 overpants, and (for street) Tourmaster Solution boots.

This is a pic for the Forum Staff page I am creating at KLRWorld.com. I'll be making one for our home page as well.)

[Bumblebee]

My gear -

Lakewood area. That gear. Hmmm..  I think I've seen you around here Hondo. I don't recall when, but I think I've seen you at least once.

I'm really close to the Red Rocks Community College and ride in the foothills near Golden quite a bit.

[hang man]

Nope. Not worth a shot. Not even vaguely close.

Don't look at crash gear as annoyingly expensive stuff that makes you look goofy in public that you should try to bottom line or bypass. Gear is about survivability, not image. (There is good gear out there that doesn't make you look like a crotch rocket freak though) To heck with the money, corporate insurance policies or what people will think. That fluff is completely meaningless and totally unimportant and doesn't cut it in the real world. The real world plan that is of utmost importance is to avoid a ride in the Owie Wagon. If money is still important, look at crash gear as a one time health insurance payment. The right gear (usually moderately spendy) will help keep you from dealing with years and years of long term side effects. Spending $50 total (including helmet) would be nice however once the Earth slams into you, $800+ is, at best, an entry level survivability investment.

ATGATT


But what do I know...I mean I've only ridden the 4-grit belt sander then got up and rode home afterward totally unharmed except for a moderate headache that cleared itself that evening while I was disassembling the motorcycle for inspection and damage repair.

Just my opinion anyway...

There is no Question that i Value your Opinion Bumblebee , i was just thinking outside the box , i had my share of face plants , i used to hang glide (hang man) (sometimes face plants are unavoidable) , but i see your point and to tell the truth i like Hondos gear , after looking closely at the jacket it does look good and with all the stuff you can do in all weather conditions to modify it ....well i couldn't help placing an order on it  (same color too , i hate buying some of the same as others but the fact that the Black and White will be more visible than just black gave me no choice but to impersonate Hondo LOL.

As far as Pants , would still like Denim but i did find a good pair by Tour Master and it has the same versatility as the jacket  http://www.newenough.com/browse/view_product_images/1200

Now as for a Helmet i'll post in the helmet Thread

 

[hang man]

BTW , now i see why youre called Bumblebee 

[Bumblebee]

i was just thinking outside the box

No penalty there. That's usually the best way to learn. I mean bouncing strange ideas around is how we ended up with motorcycles and airplanes in the first place. There are a lot of goofy ideas out there and some really work. If they don't work, it's best to learn before you're bouncing down the road on your derrier.
I'll have to try hang gliding one of these days. I'm a private pilot - single engine land.

Black and White will be more visible than just black

Bright colors can make all the difference. You would not believe the change in cage behavior just by going from my old blue helmet to the new screaming yellow helmet. Everything else stayed the same except for the new helmet with the color change. It's like they can actually see me now - sometimes anyway - at least it's a LOT more than before and they actually leave a hole around me and don't tailgate so close now. It's like magik! 

BTW , now i see why youre called Bumblebee

Uh. Yea. All my friends started calling me that when I walk in with my gear on and the name kinda stuck. Care to take a wild guess on what color the 1200GS/GSA will be when I place the order next year?

[hang man]

 "and they were all yellow"

[hang man]

Figure i'd give an update on the gear after reading DaHawks thread , i've returned the denim jacket as it was flimsy when it showed up and also returned the Tourmaster Jacket too when it showed up as i found a leather one that really got my attention and bought it (i've got the black naked one )
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/39/10919/ITEM/Scorpion-All-In-Jacket.aspx and i have to say that it is the most comfortable jacket ever and it looks so slick in plain black , can't even feel that it has armor in it (i'll post some pics while wearing it soonz i find the camera)
As for pants i'll have 2 pairs of these bad boys on order soon  http://www.dragginjeans.com/category.aspx?categoryID=1 (i've talked to some folk who crashed at 60mph and walked away without any loss of skin , they did say it doesn't prevent bruising so knee guards under them would work real well)

  Edit...As promised here are some pics of the jacket , sorry but taking a picture in the mirror allways comes out fuzzy



And some clearer ones

[Deadly]

Care to take a wild guess on what color the 1200GS/GSA will be when I place the order next year?

Man, that is so un-fair!   


You gotta at least let me take it for a spin when you get it.   

[detdrbuzzard]

with all of you fussing at hang man about protective gear i don't need to add any comments. i'll just say i don't have protective pants yet but i will have two or three pair by spring

[FAITHBIKER]

No protective pants for me yet either.  I've got a black leather jacket with armor coming for Christmas and a pair of leather protective gloves too.  I plan on getting black leather racing pants too, but not yet...all in good time.  Mostly just want to make sure my important insides are safe first, then I'll worry about my legs.  They're important too, but I can live without em if absolutely necessary, I mean, this guys even riding without legs }}}}}}}}  I know cheesy, but hey...I'm bored.

[nh700]

i gto sum redroute denim pants with the padded knees and they helps keep crap out my knee when i dropped my bike...the pants didnt tear but the pad slippd to the side so the pad didnt help and i got a joe rocket mesh jacket with padded shoulders elbows and ribs n back and Had joe rocket gloves and icon boots, the jacket saves my shoulder when i hit the asphalt and the gloves took the road rash but got tore up and the boots saved my ankles from gettin crushed by the bike....so gear does help for sure

[Bumblebee]

Man, that is so un-fair!

Minor update: It'll be a GSA, not GS. Special order as I want it. (It'll be the first full up brand new specific use toy that I've ever bought for myself so it's going to be what I want, not what the local dealer is pawning off on whoever walks in the door that day)

You gotta at least let me take it for a spin when you get it.

That'll be a problem. It'll be single seat. Pax seat area will be for long range cargo or aux fuel. No pax seat unless they just throw it in the shipping crate for some unknown reason. (To paraphrase from my aviation life, every pound of dead weight pax is a pound of useful fuel or cargo not carried)

No protective pants for me yet either.  I've got a black leather jacket with armor coming for Christmas and a pair of leather protective gloves too.  I plan on getting black leather racing pants too, but not yet...all in good time.  Mostly just want to make sure my important insides are safe first, then I'll worry about my legs.  They're important too, but I can live without em if absolutely necessary, I mean, this guys even riding without legs

Your general priorities are straight but I'd recommend you need to jump past the sequence of events to get to ATGATT. If you're wondering why, get on your dining room table and take a running leap onto the floor and land on your knees. Even with padding you'll know you've hit your knees hard. The real world ground doesn't play nice like your dining room floor does.

[Zugzug]

The ATGATT podium  I must say it does hurt like a BiAtcH to hit the road with no gear on. I been down a few times, and flipped a MC over railroad tracks at about 45mph. With that said, the only time I ever wore ATGATT was on a MX track. I wear a helmet all the time, boots most of the time. Once and a while I wear my leather jacket or denim jacket. Almost always wearing bluejeans. If I go out and get hurt on my bike its no ones fault but my own if it could have been prevented by gear. Next thing ya know they will be telling me to wear ATGATT when I body surf....oh yeah they already do. But I dont listen to them either. If im comfy I ride safer and im more alert. If im sweating or the clothing feels restrictive Im less attentive and not relaxed. Im athe same way when I drive my truck at work. I take my seat belt off and roll my window down and turn the radio off when Im backing up to a dock. Of course no ones gonna run my arse over in the truck... I say do what your comfortable with, but know the consequences and be responsible for your own actions. Rant over

[CraigF]

The equipment/gear section of ADVRider has me fearing my feet and ankles.   So many posts over there make me feel that if I don't get an MX boot my feet will just fall off while I'm riding.     

Now I'm worried that I'll buy the wrong boot, or something that won't protect me well enough and I continue to ride in hiking boots while I decide.

Finding the "right" gear is hard, and getting other people's opinion on it usually makes it worse.

[Bumblebee]

Finding the "right" gear is hard, and getting other people's opinion on it usually makes it worse.

You have that soooo right. It's insane.

A summary of my ongoing crash gear research:
Riding boots, great, but hiking boots look and are better built than a lot of the motorcycle boots out there. Don't forget your back protector because crashing without one hurts more when your back bends the wrong way. (BTW, BTDT) Gloves, oh sheesh, there's a research paper in that one alone just so you can continue to wipe your own derrier after a tumble off. Good jackets still twist and expose your elbows in a crash. Don't forget the pants/jacket zipper. Good reviews then go look and it's junk. A 60mph get off handles the faceplant no problem, another rips the same exact gear to shreds at 25mph. Dirt gear on the street, no. Street gear on the dirt, no. But sometimes the mixed gear is a far better setup in either scenario...sometimes. Double up the padding, great but then you get into another series of bulk/twisting related problems. DOT is just a cheap sticker, SNELL is too hard, nothing in between. Heavily armored staypuff marshmallow man suit with the airbag add on kit, only in some specific crash scenario's.  

No matter what you choose, something out there does the job better...but it's only better in one kind of crash, not another. I'm beginning to think the real solution is trying to figure out what kind of crash you're likely to be in and get the gear that will protect you in that crash.

IMNSHO, company sales brochures and gear reviews are extremely questionable at best. I'm now trying to only select gear based on other riders face plant experiences with it. A crap review in print says one thing but a rider tumbling off at 90mph with the same poor review gear and walking away unharmed says something far more important to me. The same thing applies in reverse when the review is great and the gear shreds in a 10mph oopsie.

Next:
MX boots to replace hiking boots so my feet don't fall off. I think I'll take my chances with the mx boots.
Then double up on padding.
Then....then then then...

[CraigF]

Riding boots, great, but hiking boots look and are better built than a lot of the motorcycle boots out there.
<snip>

Next:
MX boots to replace hiking boots so my feet don't fall off. I think I'll take my chances with the mx boots.

Interesting.   I know this is somewhat off-topic, but I'll keep this tangent going a bit longer.

As I mentioned before, I currently ride in hiking boots.  They are falling apart--mostly due to the years they went unused and now the soles are cracking and splitting from sudden use (I guess). 

I need to replace them this spring and I'm considering hiking boots again because, like you said, they look like they'd protect as well (or better) than a lot of motorcycle boots.    Especially when comparing $100 hiking boots to $100 motorcycle boots.

I'm currently searching Shoes.com* for something that'll fit the bill.   

*full disclosure--shoes.com is one of my employer's retail stores.  I prefer to buy shoes there, or at Famous Footwear (also owned by Brown Shoe).

I am trying to get the buyers to start ordering true motorcycle boots--Sidi, TCX, Tour Master, Alpinestars--but I'm not sure if it'll happen. 

[Bumblebee]

I need to replace them this spring and I'm considering hiking boots again because, like you said, they look like they'd protect as well (or better) than a lot of motorcycle boots.

If you're going to stick with hiking boots, bump the price up a bit and get good quality boots.
Go to www.llbean.com
Look up Gore-tex Cresta Hikers. Pick your choice of leather or fabric/leather.
Item number: TA20557 or TA19630

They're totally waterproof and stick extremely well to precarious surfaces. I beat the stuffing out of them hiking on all sorts of crazy terrain as well as riding (including a face plant) and they last about 8 years or probably 1000 miles of hiking. Panzy out and don't hike much and you can probably get 10-12 years out of a pair.
Best $179 I've ever spent.

* in the silly game of full disclosure: I don't work for them or anything. I only recommend stuff that I know works good for me and I don't care who makes it. Those boots are my #1 choice for hiking boots based on thousands of miles of solo backcountry hiking and they haven't let me down yet. YMMV.