*** New Gear Advice ***

[MD-M50]

Coming up into the real world after 8,000 mi on an old 500, have the M50 & want to take gear more seriously. Any suggestions on brands, etc for the following would be much appreciated:

* Helmet - going full no matter what, even in summer. Is there a black helmet with vents, fits snug, high quality?

* Gloves - looking for vented, washable (summer sweat), quality... maybe fingerless

* Jacket - Not leather but super high quality durable under $250? Reflectors on back would be good

* Boots - Black, good quality, simple (no buckles, etc)

Thanks much and ride safe!

[Gixxerdale]

Welcome Dale!

I'm not into cruisers but here is my 2 cents on a helmet for you.

http://www.shoei-helmets.com/solids/solidsrf1000.html

Dale (not you, me!)

[DanoHB]

Helmet- I bought a black full Scorpian model for $140. It's dot and snell approved with vents everywhere. Looks good on a cruiser too.

Boots- You can buy the expensive ones, or get classic work boots from just about anywhere.

Jacket- I bought a Joe Rocket Jacket. They are a little more than you are looking to spend, but it depends on what you are after. It is the safest in all conditions, including rain, heat, and cold. has several removeable layers, also padding in elbows, shoulders, and back area. Cost was about $350 from a suzuki dealer.

I hope this helps. As far as gloves, just get some that fit nice, but not tight. Have two or more pairs. Some for weather and some for cruising. Have fun and be safe.

[St0nkingByte]

Helmets - HJC and Scorpion are good brands that I have first hand (head?) experience with. They seem to have the style and construction of the more expensive brands without the big price tag. They are a tad heavier than the expensive brands. The Scorpions in particular have really good venting. That said you really have to try on a helmet because different brands and different models will fit different head sizes and shapes better.

A full face helmet should be snug on your head, you shouldn't be able to rock it up and down or side to side without your head moving also. It should also press pretty firmly against your cheekbones. Remember when you buy a helmet if its a little snug that's OK because the liner will conform to your head over time and it *will* loosen a bit.

If you just bought a bike from a dealer they usually give a 10% discount so you might want to look there first, especially if they have a large selection.


Gloves - look for a mesh glove, fingerless or not won't matter much if its mesh.

Jacket - there's a bunch of good ones. Most people have good things to say about Joe Rocket's mesh jackets. In general textile jackets don't last as long as leather so expect to replace it every 2-3 years depending on how much you ride. They also cost a fraction of leather. Make sure you get a jacket with armor, at a minimum in the shoulders and elbows.

You might want to look into some mesh pants too, they can be had for around a $100 with armor, not a bad investment and if armored I think they're likely better than chaps, they cover your rear and hips too!.

Boots - I wear a pair of black hightop RedWing work boots with a steel toe when I ride

[Gixxerdale]

I don't know what style of jacket you want, but lately I've been real inmpressed with the quality and offerings from Tour Master. Like the coat in this link for $189.00, a steal!

http://www.tourmaster.com/product.html?sku=85-260&bn=y

Check out the rest of thier stuff. I own several items from them and have no complaints. Which is good because my gear sees a lot of miles year round.

Dale ( waiting on new tires from last Sundays "incident")

[St0nkingByte]

Oops I forgot to mention. Markup on motorcycle gear and accessories can be horrific. When I bought my HJC full face helmet I thought I was getting an OK deal at $150 and then last month my wife bought me a second helmet, the exact same model, for $70!

You might want to go to a dealer and try on all the different helmets on then buy some gloves or something relatively inexpensive to compensate them for the time, go home and shop the net for a good deal on the helmet you want.

[nickmimi]

Leatherup.com has harley boots for a great price and reasonable shipping. I went with a jacket from Power trip. I think it was called the power shift. It has removable panels to expose mesh. It has a removlable liner. The top half of the sleeves and the shoulders are leather. It is also waterproof. It goes for a range of 279-289.

[c50tiger]

[quote=MD-M50]Coming up into the real world after 8,000 mi on an old 500, have the M50 & want to take gear more seriously. Any suggestions on brands, etc for the following would be much appreciated:

Helmet - I love my HJC Sy-max, although there are some who are dubious of the safety of flip-faces. Whatever you do, don't cheap out on your lid. Then again, not everyone can pony up for a Shoie or an Arai without saving up a bit first.

Gloves - I'd personally recommend spending a couple more bucks and getting gel-palmed gloves. Other than that, you can find gloves at just about any dealership or online supply house.

Jacket - Check out the textiles and mesh at newenough.com (disregard your first impression on the name; all the gear is, in fact, new). My Teknic has CE Knox armor in the back, shoulders and elbows, reflective piping, and cost less than $100.

Boots - I love my Magnum mil-specs ($90): http://www.martyshoes.com/store/mag-s055512.html

or, if you'd rather have the ANSI approved safety toe (also has side zipper) for $10 more you can get:
http://www.martyshoes.com/store/mag-f045501.html

[QuacktheDuck]

* Helmet - KBC Vr2 (full face only for me too) in black. Good ventilation looks great and comfortable. Cost was 180 something, i forgot. I tried on a shoei first but the fit was not for me. Used to have an arai and i feel like the kbc is a similar fit and low weight like the arai for less than half price.

* Gloves - Dainese firestarters, had them from my old bike. They saved my hands when I went down. Only a scuff on the wrist strap as I slid across the ground. No other damage...a great glove.

* Jacket - Summer: Teknic supervent mesh jacket, 100 bucks shipped on ebay new. Excellent jacket, highly durable and got great reviews. CE approved armor in forearms, shoulders AND back. Stylish and has 3m reflective strip across the back. Two zippered external pockets, 1 internal.

Colder Weather Use: Dainese Leather...again, saved me once with hardly any damage, I swear by it. On the pricey side though =/.

*Pants- I only use regular jeans, but a friend at work recommended draggin jeans? I think that's the brand...they are kevlar lined and supposedly hold up nicely in a slide.

* Boots - I dunno, I use regular timberlands...but there's plenty of good ones out there.

Good luck and take care.

edit: I think c50 tiger above me is talking about the same jacket as I was, didn't realize til now. hehe.

[Scourge]

I'm no aficionado on gear, but as for helmets, most DOT/Snell approved helmets are gonna be pretty good. The difficulty is in getting a good fit. I recently purchased an Arai, and after a little breaking in, (the cheeks seemed really tight, but I decided to trust the dealer on break in), it is definitely superior to my old Shoei's. They always left a mark on my forehead after rides longer than an hour. So my helmet advice is to go out and try on as many brands as possible, and for as long as possible. Everybody's head is shaped differently and ever helmet is a bit different in shape as well.