This warm weather is just teasing me

[ubernewb]

Well ill be getting my very first bike on the road in may...it took me selling my old truck and working 6 days a week full time while going to get it and I'm 2 months away and this nice weather is not healing one bit! I got everything figured out but the gear... i checked out online and everything but any recommendations? All the gear I'm interested in is brand new and not much reviews are out there....Thanks in advance!

I was thinking about just grabbing most of my gear from icon and maybe boots and gloves from alpine star....it all budgeted out to around $1000 so that's my limit...

2000 Honda CBR F4

Apology for the crappy quality :P

[Masked Bandit]

Be careful on the gear. Try the stuff on at a local shop first as some of this stuff fits wierd, especially helmets. A large Icon will fit very differently than a large Arai or HJC.

Sure you can find some of this stuff online cheaper but if you can find the person at a local shop it can make all the difference when you don't really know what you're looking for. Go see Brad at GW Cycle, he really, really knows his stuff.

[Graham_A_M]

Just came back from a 4 hour ride WOW that felt good... man



I'd highly recommend against Icon. Icon quite honestly makes poser wear. If you plan on having leathers that can stand up to anything more then one singular bail without shredding to pieces, keep looking. I'd recommend Dianese, Alpinestars and a variety of others. Joe Rocket makes some rather poorly designed & built leathers as well.
Just so long as you avoid those two, you should be okay. I've bailed several times at the track with my Alpinestars two-piece suit, and its still holding up extremely well.

I'd buy online, and check kijiji.ca and even ebay. I'd go to Blackfoot and size yourself up (remember you want the leathers tight, as they will stretch in time). From there, I'd buy online at a vendor such as www.newenough.com
There is a fair bit of gear here as well
(scroll down)
http://www.amra.ca/RoadracebikesForsale.htm

http://www.roadracing.org/phpBB/view...a1af669462e5fb
^ Both are local road racing forums. Yeah Blackfoot has the Dianese W-frame 1pc suit for $2400 I think it was IIRC, I found it online for $1100 shipped (and yes, it was new). So its very important you do your homework and look around. Otherwise you'll end up with shit gear, and a surprisingly thin wallet afterwards.

Buy your helmet online as well. Helmets are typically twice as much in stores as they are online, even after you factor in shipping & customs...
I have Suomy Vandal & Extreme helmets, and I got both for $1000. Bow Cycle and various other places wants $1k for each helmet.

[Eleanor]

I've got Icon gear, it's pretty heavy duty stuff. After talking to some people about Icon, apparently they've really improved their quality over the last few years.

I've only been down once, at low speed and went hand first, and I'm still using those same gloves, minor scrapes on them, same with the jacket, only minor scrapes.

Also, their helmets are manufactured by HJC and (don't quote me), but they're all Snell certified as well as DOT.

That being said, get the stuff that fits you best, cause that'll affect your protection more than any other factor.

[SOAB]

i've got a bunch of gear that is still in great condition for sale.

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/282130/fs...torcycle-gear/

[Graham_A_M]

Originally posted by Eleanor
I've got Icon gear, it's pretty heavy duty stuff. After talking to some people about Icon, apparently they've really improved their quality over the last few years.

I've only been down once, at low speed and went hand first, and I'm still using those same gloves, minor scrapes on them, same with the jacket, only minor scrapes.

Also, their helmets are manufactured by HJC and (don't quote me), but they're all Snell certified as well as DOT.

That being said, get the stuff that fits you best, cause that'll affect your protection more than any other factor.

They must have changed a fair bit. Back when I got my gear they were pure shit. Go for BSA certification over SNELL. With SNELL certified helmets, you're a lot more likely to end up with brain trauma then with BSA.

BSA (British Standards Association) Believes the goal of the helmet is to destruct in whatever way possible to minimize the energy that gets absorbed by the head. So after an accident, a BSA certified helmet would be a lot worse for wear then would a SNELL cert. helmet.

With SNELL, their design philosophy is to keep the integrity of the helmet in tact as much as possible. So Yes, after a good whack the SNELL cert. helmet would still be good tact, but the chances of their being brain damage or trauma are much higher.

I feel a lot more comfortable sporting a BSA cert. helmet then a SNELL, since in the end after the helmet is used for what its intended for, it *needs* to be discarded, and replaced with a brand new one. As at least with a new helmet it'll have the impact absorbing materials in as-new condition obviously, not partially or fully used as with a damaged helmet.
It sucked, my Suomy Extreme (Gambler) fell off the back of a car onto the alley... which was a $500 boo-boo for a 5month old helmet.

[03ozwhip]

graham im gonna have to disagree with you with icon. i worked for Parts Canada for 5 years in warehouse and as a logistics coordinator and while i agree at one point it wasnt the greatest, it has definitely been stepped up in the last few years especially since they are a big sponsor for people nowadays.

yes theyre made by HJC as their higher end stuff, but while HJC is lower quality, its tested and proven and is the HIGHEST helmet seller in Canada and Icon is getting to be up there as well. the quality is really good for everything they make.

i do have an Icon helmet and i have Icon gloves and an A-Star textile and i love them because of the airflow. that being said, i havent taken a dive in them yet, so as i post the above, i dont have first hand experience, only paper experience that i know directly from the HJC reps in China.

[oasis]

Icon gear is for kids that don't know any better or for broke asses.

[Cos]

Got all my gear from Walt Healy. A few members on here work there.

[b-king]

I have Icon gear and its great,also have done about 30,000km with all kinds of weather its good stuff.I think if its aproved and it keeps you safe even in one fall its done its job.You should throw out a helmet if it falls off your bike on the ground as it cracks inside you cant see it .So when you need the helmet to work it will just blow up into broken fiberglass due to the cracks. The leather well 4mm is good but 5 mm is better and track speed and street speed are not the same unless your speed is well over the limit.Oh and track boys dont have cars and other objects to hope not to hit on a fall .I ride a hayabusa and do break speeds but gear has only one job to do get you up after a fall .

[Graham_A_M]

^ What I was alluding to that seems to be so poorly received: is that yes its great if the leathers can last one fall. Its even better if you pay the same amount of money for leathers that hold up to countless falls. Am I wrong? tell me if I am. I'm not talking about helmets as they serve a very different purpose.
I've never made claims into how good the leathers are until I've bailed in them, leave alone countless times at the track.
Its great they held up for 30k kms, as for leathers thats the absolute least I'd expect. Thats not their job though, their job is how well they last for their intended purpose. Paying out the ass for a decent 1 or 2 piece suit, and having it disintegrate after merely one bail isn't my idea of "quality". Not too sure about you guys but.

[japan_us]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M

They must have changed a fair bit. Back when I got my gear they were pure shit. Go for BSA certification over SNELL. With SNELL certified helmets, you're a lot more likely to end up with brain trauma then with BSA.

BSA (British Standards Association) Believes the goal of the helmet is to destruct in whatever way possible to minimize the energy that gets absorbed by the head. So after an accident, a BSA certified helmet would be a lot worse for wear then would a SNELL cert. helmet.

With SNELL, their design philosophy is to keep the integrity of the helmet in tact as much as possible. So Yes, after a good whack the SNELL cert. helmet would still be good tact, but the chances of their being brain damage or trauma are much higher.

I feel a lot more comfortable sporting a BSA cert. helmet then a SNELL, since in the end after the helmet is used for what its intended for, it *needs* to be discarded, and replaced with a brand new one. As at least with a new helmet it'll have the impact absorbing materials in as-new condition obviously, not partially or fully used as with a damaged helmet.
It sucked, my Suomy Extreme (Gambler) fell off the back of a car onto the alley... which was a $500 boo-boo for a 5month old helmet.

This. All of this. SNELL transfers the most force to the brain. Suomy FTW!

OP, go to Blackfoot and try on everything, and then buy online. If you know anything about the good folks at Blackfoot, you'll know that you're not going to bother them one bit. They likely won't even notice you walk in.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of ICON, but that's cuz I'm a Dainese/A* whore.

Also, I picked the wrong weekend to wingman for a buddy up in Edmonton. Looks like 10+ all weekend long. The Ninja wants to run!

[ubernewb]

I've been to blackfoot, the only person I heard talking was my buddy and the sales rep arguing over sea-doos haha

[ekguy]

Does anyone have tips on convincing family and gf on letting me get a bike? haha. I've always wanted one but have a problem with liking fast speeds so they all say no to me getting one hehe.

Should I be playing the it's good for the environment card?

[japan_us]

^^
This is how I broke the news to my woman:

Woke up one Saturday, turned to her and said...

"I'm getting a motorcycle."
"Ok. Today?"
"Yup. Get dressed."

A couple hours later I bought my first bike. lol

[BrknFngrs]

With the exception of your helmet; it's well worth buying used motorcycle gear of kijiji. That way you can get higher quality gear and spend alot less.

Last year I picked up a Dainese leather jacket off kijiji that had never been down, added a proper back protector at retail price and I still ended up spending less than I would have for a new textile jacket.

In terms of brands, the Alpinestars stuff is really solid but the Dainese stuff seems to feel just as solid but more comfortable at the same time. I can't really comment on the Icon stuff other than it doesn't feel nearly as sturdy just trying it on back to back with the brands mentioned previously.

[Cos]

Originally posted by japan_us
^^
This is how I broke the news to my woman:

Woke up one Saturday, turned to her and said...

"I'm getting a motorcycle."
"Ok. Today?"
"Yup. Get dressed."

A couple hours later I bought my first bike. lol

[GQBalla]

Originally posted by ekguy
Does anyone have tips on convincing family and gf on letting me get a bike? haha. I've always wanted one but have a problem with liking fast speeds so they all say no to me getting one hehe.

Should I be playing the it's good for the environment card?

its actually worse for the environment as the cats suck compared to cars.

[japan_us]

Originally posted by GQBalla


its actually worse for the environment as the cats suck compared to cars.

Yeah, but they don't need to know that.

Honestly, if you're firm with your decision, others will learn to live with it. If you sound iffy, and seek their approval, they'll be less than convinced that you should be on a bike.

Why do you need to ask for approval anyways? If anything happens to you (knock on wood), they'll feel like sh!t knowing that they helped sway you into riding when you yourself weren't convinced.

Just make up your mind, let them know your intentions and never look back.

[03ozwhip]

it took 6 years of begging and pleading to get a bike. i just kept on pushing and pushing, then my bro in law said he was getting one and he has alot of influence on my wife so i was allowed to get one all of a sudden.

theres no real way to go about it, believe me, i tried BUT this helped along with the deal that i buy her anohter ring and a laptop....good deal for me, i got a bike i dont care what she gets.