Best Motorcycle Brand

[gee200]

Hey Everyone,

Just wondering on your opinions for what you think are the best motorcycle brands. I'm looking at buying a motorcycle jacket, and I'm wondering which to go with.

I know the bigger brands are Alpinestars and Icon, but are there any others?

Also, many have told me to go with leather rather than the mesh kind. What do you think?

Thanks again!

[Archea]

I was told yesterday if you are a novice driver start out with a textile jacket...that way when you put your bike down you dont lose a 500$ jacket as well :P :dunno:

[Supa Dexta]

HA!.. yeah take less protection because you want to save money...:rolleyes:

[5hift]

yeah except that textile jacket will fall apart saving you, if it does that even. If you have a decent leather jacket it will survive a crash as mine have several times. In fact I know Icon is labeled as crap by some and as squid gear by others, but I've crashed twice wearing my Icon and if you looked at my jacket you wouldnt even be able to really see any wear and tear.

Go with leather. IMO Alpinestars will be the best for the money.

[BlueGoblin]

I suppose to some extent it depends on what you mean by 'best' - best value, best quality, best performance, etc...

Joe Rocket for instance makes some mid-level gear, but I find that while not all of it is stellar quality, it tends to be of remarkable value for money.

Vanson makes some of the best quality leather jackets, but they are hard to find here and are expensive.

First Gear used to be top notch, but has imho, slipped in quality in recent years, but still make a good jacket.

I have never been impressed with Icon quality or styling; it seems like squidwear to me, but then I am not in their target age group and don't ride a GSXR with crash damage.

Though they have shut down or scaled back their motorcycle gear, Belstaff makes/made some very nice kit. There are waxed cotton Trialmasters still around and usable after 50-60 years of use. I have a new Trialmaster that will likely outlive me if I take care of it, but it doesn't offer modern armour or abrasion resistance.

The leather vs. textile debate has and will continue for years. Again it comes down to what you want. Leather is unsurpassed in its crash resistance, but is not waterproof and can be very hot in the summer. If you just ride around the city, you might be fine with leather. If you tour, you might look at something like the First Gear Kilimanjaro or other 3/4 length textile: they are pretty watertight, breathe in the warmth, and have lots of venting.

The true mesh-style jackets offer minimal portection as far as abrasion goes, however they are dirt cheap and feel like riding in a t-shirt when its really hot out. I would only recommend one as an occasional second jacket.

It ultimately comes down to what you are willing to spend. I would suggest that you look at the style of riding you intend to do, and look for the best value within that style and price range.

Finally, it sounds like you are new to riding. I would hope that you take a rider's course such as Too Cool or the Safety Council. The instructors there will be a valuable resource for questions such as these.

[rony_espana]

Originally posted by BlueGoblin
I suppose to some extent it depends on what you mean by 'best' - best value, best quality, best performance, etc...

Joe Rocket for instance makes some mid-level gear, but I find that while not all of it is stellar quality, it tends to be of remarkable value for money.

Vanson makes some of the best quality leather jackets, but they are hard to find here and are expensive.

First Gear used to be top notch, but has imho, slipped in quality in recent years, but still make a good jacket.

I have never been impressed with Icon quality or styling; it seems like squidwear to me, but then I am not in their target age group and don't ride a GSXR with crash damage.

Though they have shut down or scaled back their motorcycle gear, Belstaff makes/made some very nice kit. There are waxed cotton Trialmasters still around and usable after 50-60 years of use. I have a new Trialmaster that will likely outlive me if I take care of it, but it doesn't offer modern armour or abrasion resistance.

The leather vs. textile debate has and will continue for years. Again it comes down to what you want. Leather is unsurpassed in its crash resistance, but is not waterproof and can be very hot in the summer. If you just ride around the city, you might be fine with leather. If you tour, you might look at something like the First Gear Kilimanjaro or other 3/4 length textile: they are pretty watertight, breathe in the warmth, and have lots of venting.

The true mesh-style jackets offer minimal portection as far as abrasion goes, however they are dirt cheap and feel like riding in a t-shirt when its really hot out. I would only recommend one as an occasional second jacket.

It ultimately comes down to what you are willing to spend. I would suggest that you look at the style of riding you intend to do, and look for the best value within that style and price range.

Finally, it sounds like you are new to riding. I would hope that you take a rider's course such as Too Cool or the Safety Council. The instructors there will be a valuable resource for questions such as these.


Ditto....I would recommend getting both like he mentioned, I see people not wearing anything when its too hot out, so its important to have both. Although I have an Icon Merc jacket and it very uncomfortable.....but it doesn't get hot like leather.

I personally like Alpinestar!

[cmodem]

dainese.

hands down, too bad its super expensive.

[bigboom]

Originally posted by cmodem
dainese.

hands down, too bad its super expensive.

+1 thats all i liked to wear when i rode. still have a daineses 2 piece suit for sale if anyones interested :D

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by cmodem
dainese.

hands down, too bad its super expensive.
If you want superexpensive, check out BKS leathers. Their UK based. They custom build the leathers to your measurements, and use the materials you specify. As in if you want Stingray skin around certain areas (stingray skin is by far the most protective, although at the expense of rider feedback) then they can do that for you, if you want Kangaroo skin (very good feedback but not too protective) they can put that in other parts too. (and so on and on with the different materials available)
As cheap as they come is $3k for a full tailored suit.
Level II armor will run you around $5k for a suit.

I use Alpinestars myself, and just love it. A bit hot in the summer though, as the breathing isn't the best.

The Dianese "W frame" 1 piece suit has reportedly: incredible breathing characteristics. Very ingenious airflow design & choice of materials. :thumbsup:

[gee200]

thanks a lot guys. i assure you i am looking into the schooling. it's hard to get in though! i started booking too late, so now the registration has moved on to june!

a little background, i am new, and i'm thinking of going with a kawi ninja. i'm 22, and i'm looking for a jacket that has style and protection. cost, isn't too much of a factor... but don't throw the uber trendy brands at me that have diamonds embedded into the stitching. i'm willing to spend a fair amount, hopefully under $600.

i was thinking of leather, but now that you guys are saying it's hot during the summer... i have to think about this. i'm just going to be basically commuting around the city... but i still don't want to come out all smelly.

in any case, thanks for the posts

[stunta666]

Alpinestars is a really good way to go. It's got good styling,the price is decent and its considered a cool brand. Leather is only a real problem on 25 plus days, thats when you wear the wife beater(joke, i've seen it done though). The leather will definately save your ass if you wipe out at high speeds. What ever you go with try to buy it online.

[DSM_1]

Id go with Dainese for quality, if money was no object.

[SRT_Watcher]

Not gonna lie...
I crashed in a textile jacket last year, and it is almost unuseable...
BUT; I purchased another textile jacket; due to the fact that breathability and airflow is a huge ++ when it came to my choice...
I looked at a Dainese perf. jacket, but they didn't have it in my size...and they said it'd be a month or two before they could get my size in....


So, I opted with a cheese 250$ Icon textile :) (Temporarily of course...I will get the Dainese perforated one eventually)


I hate riding around town, getting stuck in traffic and just melting because you have a leather jacket allowing your sweat to fester! haha

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by gee200
i'm willing to spend a fair amount, hopefully under $600.
If your serious about protection, I recommend checking the local classifieds sites for some very slightly used gear, as $600 wont go very far in terms of new stuff... at all. You can get some fairly decent gloves & boots/ a jacket for that price, but not the full suit. If you check the "Misc for sale" section of the marketplace here, you'll find a thread of a guy selling motorcycle gear with some WICKED deals.
Also, try online to www.newenough.com You can get some amazing deals on gear from them as well. my buddy brought his Dainese two piece, Sidi Boots and his Spidi gloves for $1100 shipped to his door.

Originally posted by gee200
i was thinking of leather, but now that you guys are saying it's hot during the summer... i have to think about this. i'm just going to be basically commuting around the city... but i still don't want to come out all smelly.

Leather is the way to go, Textiles dont offer much protection at all, its better then nothing, but.....:dunno:
When it was stupidly hot out, as in last year when it was 32 during that July heat wave; I was wearing the full suit gloves & boots, and just used freezer packs in my chest pockets to keep me cool. I didn't sweat or stink or anything. Its actually a great way to beat the heat on a bike. Even in stop and go traffic I was still fairly cool. So if you only plan on wearing a jacket (which I assume you do to keep the costs & "style" down) : then that should work great for you.
Also, check into light colored leathers, mine are white, red with a bit of black here and there. They dont attract heat like my buddies do, as his are all black. According to him, when your not moving its unbearable in the hot sun. :thumbsdow

[CLiVE]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M

If your serious about protection, I recommend checking the local classifieds sites for some very slightly used gear, as $600 wont go very far in terms of new stuff... at all. You can get some fairly decent gloves & boots/ a jacket for that price, but not the full suit. If you check the "Misc for sale" section of the marketplace here, you'll find a thread of a guy selling motorcycle gear with some WICKED deals.
Also, try online to www.newenough.com You can get some amazing deals on gear from them as well. my buddy brought his Dainese two piece, Sidi Boots and his Spidi gloves for $1100 shipped to his door.



Also try www.ridegear.com
Good prices, about the same as newenough. I have puchased gear from both. Great customer service.

Check out cortech gear also, if you want decent entry level gear at a good price. The impulse II leather jacket has great airflow.

[choirboy]

I would definitely go with Leather, nothing beats the protection that it provides. Keep in mind also, Calgary weather sucks, it doesnt get as warm, so for the most part Leather wont be as bad to wear.

The majority of time you have a chance to ride in this city will not be 25 plus degree weather. Especially since the weather here is never really hot or warm for the most part.

[Go4Long]

I actually am one of the people that would recommend a textile to start...statistically most people will have a low speed oops sometime early on, it'd suck to wreck a $500 leather coat because you tipped over in a parking lot, or tipped over turning around a corner from a stop...etc.
also, for someone just looking at getting in to riding, who isn't sure if they'll like it or not, might want to look at it from that angle as well.
call it what you want, I call it common sense...mind you I don't recommend riding for any longer than a couple months with a textile as your primary jacket. basically by the time you start feeling like 100 km/h is slow on the bike it's time to get leather.

and +1 for dainese, I wear the santa monica jacket and the hell racer gloves...

[maxer900]

Originally posted by Go4Long
I actually am one of the people that would recommend a textile to start...statistically most people will have a low speed oops sometime early on, it'd suck to wreck a $500 leather coat because you tipped over in a parking lot, or tipped over turning around a corner from a stop...etc.
also, for someone just looking at getting in to riding, who isn't sure if they'll like it or not, might want to look at it from that angle as well.
call it what you want, I call it common sense...mind you I don't recommend riding for any longer than a couple months with a textile as your primary jacket. basically by the time you start feeling like 100 km/h is slow on the bike it's time to get leather.

and +1 for dainese, I wear the santa monica jacket and the hell racer gloves...

Your post makes practical sense but is not common sense.

-new rider
-most likely to go down in the first year of riding, we all know it's likely
-only recommending the jacket with the most protection is common sense.

The last thing going through your mind as you slide down the road is "Gee I'm glad I'm not going to ruin my nice leather jacket"

It take alot to totally wreck a good leather jacket and if you scuff it up a bit it's called adding character to it.

[8Ball]

Originally posted by maxer900


if you scuff it up a bit it's called adding character to it.

:werd:

[Go4Long]

Originally posted by maxer900

-new rider
-most likely to go down in the first year of riding, we all know it's likely
-only recommending the jacket with the most protection is common sense.


at 60 km/h the armour plating in a good textile jacket is more than enough...heck, almost all cold weather riding gear is textile, are you saying people that ride in cold weather are all idiots because they're riding in textile? I rode until december of last year and again starting family day this year(textile last year, new leather this year), even in a top quality lined leather jacket I'm colder than I was in my textiles...and I still ride in textile pants.

I'm not suggesting that riding the highways long term in a textile is a good idea...really having two jackets is the best solution, then you can wear whatever is suiting what you're doing, if you're running to the store on a cooking hot day, you probably want the textile jacket, if you're riding the highway on the same day, you're gonna go with the leather cus worst case scenario you're covered. A new rider would hopefully be learning around neighbourhoods and what not where highway speeds aren't coming in to play yet, and like I said, once you're comfortable with pushing over 100km/h it's time to look in to leather...

but in the mean time, a stop sign tip over isn't going to damage a textile jacket at all, or at least nothing that a wash isn't going to take out.

call me an idiot all you want, I don't care. bottom line is, anything is better than jeans and a hoodie.