Here's a c/p from another board:
Well it's time for a gear thread.
So, who do you buy your stuff from? Who do you trust? What do you actually wear? What do you want to know? Feel free to tell me what should be in this first post And correct me if I'm wrong.
I'll be adding to this post as people add good information. To start off, here's a short incomplete list. I'll be adding links to all the manufacturers as time allows.
Cheap Gear:
http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com (closeouts rock..)
http://www.newenough.com
Manufacturers:
Fieldsheer: Textile, Leather, Gloves
AGV: Helmets, Textile, Leahter
Arai: Helmets
Icon: Helmets, Textile, Leather, Boots, Gloves
Sidi: Boots, Leather
Shift: Boots, Leather, Textile, Gloves
Daniese: Leather, Gloves
Joe Rocket: Boots, Leather, Textile, Gloves
HJC: Helmets
KomodoGear: Leather, Textile
KomodoGear
Firstgear: Textile, Leather
http://www.firstgear-usa.com
Vanson: Duh.. Leather
http://www.vansonleathers.com
Alpinstars: Boots, Gloves, Textile, Leather
http://www.alpinestars.com
Tourmaster: Boots, Gloves, Textile, Leather
http://www.tourmaster.com
Aerostitch: Textile Masters.
http://www.aerostitch.com
FAQ:
Q: Is leather safer?
A: Yes. Textile however is not suicide. Leather is the best we've got, and if you want the best protection without considering any other factors, leather is what you wear.
Q: Why can't I wear my normal leather jacket?
A: Well you
can wear it riding. Just don't pretend to think it will protect you. Riding leathers are made from 1-2mm leather. Some seriously thick stuff, that is also tanned for strength. Your average fashion leather jacket is half grain or less, some fraction of a mm thick, and contains no armor, no facilities for cooling, no design features to prevent it from riding up, no way to attach it to pants... And I could go on.
Q: What does Snell and DOT mean? What's it mean to me?
A: Snell and DOT stickers on a helmet mean they've gone through an approval process. DOT is mandatory for any street helmet. If your helmet doesn't have a DOT sticker on it, it's not a helmet. Snell is a voluntary testing standard for helmets. It's required by most racing bodies. It is a much more stringent test, and it costs the MFG a signifigant amount of money to retain the right to put that sticker on a helmet. The stickers can be taken away at any time.. so MFGs are apt to do everything they can to keep this approval.
How to fit a helmet:
This is not something you can do without going to a motorcycle shop. Please, please buy the helmet from the shop you try it on at. We need to keep the local buisnesses around.
Go find the display helmets, try one on. Don't strap it on yet. Shake your head violently. If the helmet moves in relation to your face, it's to lose. Go try the next size down. The helmet will feel quite snug, do yourself a favor, and wear the helmet for five or ten minutes if you can. If you don't feel any hot spots, or sore spots you probally have a good helmet on.
All helmets are NOT made alike. Each manufacturer has their own shaped head that they use. (or several heads) So if one MFG's helmet fits but leaves your forhead hurting, another may not. Try a few on, see what feels right.
Now you may not find a "perfect" helmet. Remember you can do a little sculpting of the inside of the helmet. If you have one particular spot that's giving you a problem, take a spoon and rub the spoon against the inside of the hemlet where you're having the sore spot. That will depress the foam a little and alievate the issue. (it's likely only to need 1/16" or less, so you're not exactly hurting the safety of your helmet, and if it's more comfortable, you're more likely to wear it!)
Fitting Leathers:
Leathers should be snug. If they can move around signifigantly their protection is reduced. When you chose leathers for street riding you should also consider a little extra room for a long sleeve shirt or long underwear. Nothing off the rack fits me, so I'll need to defer to others here who can for further advice.