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Hi All,

Firstly, I totally appreciate your concern and repeated highlight of buying good quality riding gear. I fully agree on these recommendations and will certainly invest in good riding gear

I would need your inputs in buying best gear that I can in this budget.

Jacket : 8-10K
Helmet-6-8K
Riding Pants : 6K
Riding Boots: 8K

Please point me to right place online/offline with contact info and do suggest brands that have large size as iam not a slight built guy:D

As a start how are these jackets?

http://performanceracing.in/Products...et-solare.aspx

http://performanceracing.in/Products...n-textile.aspx

And, this helmet?

http://performanceracing.in/Products...shock-mc2.aspx

Avi, for the jacket do you want the touring 3/4 "frock" style or the cropped waist length street style?

For pants, I would recommend the ones I wear. Dri Rider Nordic.

My jacket is Dri Rider Apex - but its a bit on the big side and I plan to replace it after a while.

Just bought myself a pair of Spartan Proteus Riding Pants for Rs. 6,300/- from Hyderabad.

Was waiting to get my hands on these since long. The pants suit my needs perfectly and compliments my Olympia jacket very well.

Good quality construction, mesh panels at all the right places for intake and exhaust, KNOX flexiform knee armor and dual density hip protectors, Dynatec material at the seat for better grip - Loved it while riding in 40+ degrees temp!

mobike, at that price, do look at the SOL SF1 or the HJC CL STII lids. In the 8-10k budget, check out the SPG Hyperion with complete KNOX protectors!

Thank you Ram for your suggestion. I am fairly new to the riding scene myself and relying on veteran riders like yourself for guidance. I will stick to riding pants instead of the external guards for highway rides and use the external guards for the 2km round the block rides..would this be ok?

I think the textile jacket would be better suited for our climate..and AGV as per my limited knowledge is a good brand. The HJC shock helmet is what i am also going to get myself but in green to match my bike for now and when i do change the colour of the bike i shall get an Arai helmet.

Incase you decide to purchase the gear from P.R.S. please do let me know, the owner is a friend and i can ask for a discount.:)

Not from what I have heard and personally seen based on the experiences of two rider friends of mine.

Doc, I have no clue what you mean by these? Are you referring to a tight waist hugging jacket or one that is bit loose on waist ends?

Thanks. Are those pants stretchable at waist? And, will they fit my perenially enlargening girth?:uncontrol

How much the pants and jackets cost? And place to source from?

Nice. Sounds like i need to check them out. Similar question to you, those pants are stretchable at waist? What sizes are available?

Can you post a picture of it here? Also, where did you buy from? Dynamic Riderz?

Thanks will check them out? Are they available in any store in Hyderabad?

Also a general question, whats the largest size ( in cms) a helmet is available in market?

Avi, a suggestion. Given that you stay in Hyderabad which peaks above 40 degrees in summer, dont buy textile or leather jackets or pants. You wont even be able to wear it for half an hour. Go for Mesh jackets. I would suggest Spartan Helios. A desi brand with top notch quality .Comes with CE KNOX armor. I got one recently and am totally happy with the product. It also comes in XXL size to fit your generous frame. Advantage is it also comes with a rain liner which you can remove during summers and put on during winters to give respite from cold.

http://spartanprogear.com/Details.as...=0&cat=0&typ=1

Your jacket budget is ok (on sale). You will need to increase your pants budget. Not you speciafically but I don't know why most riders have higher budgets for jackets than pants. They cost near about the same. In fact the Nordic pants I have were more pricey than the Apex jacket at the time (depends on what type of deal is available, what sizes are available, etc.)

The pants cost me around 10+ k and the jacket around 8 k. Both were around 180-190 dollars MRP.

Check them out here .....

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ml#post2640469

P.S. Yes the pants are adjustable with side looped cinches between a certain waist size range. If you go above that (or drop below) you need to lose weight (or put it back on) or buy new pants.

Thanks Sagar. I use Spartan gloves , This is the exact model and totally love it, light and comfortable with all protective stuff in place :-

http://spartanprogear.com/Details.as...=1&cat=2&typ=8

I am liking the jacket which you bought. I see only Red/Black & Black are there in XXL size. If there is any issue with sizes will they exchange or refund as i will be ordering online?

How are these riding pants? I kind of like them too

http://spartanprogear.com/Details.as...=1&cat=4&typ=4


I think thats the general mindset of everyone to protect the upper body more than lower body.

Lower body is generally more stronger than upper one and legs can be used to slow down a fall but, if upper body makes contact to ground only hands can slow down a fall and according to me is more injury prone than using legs.

Nice gear Doc. Where can it be sourced in India? or you bought it online? Iam wary of buying online due to the sizing issue. Besides, Iam still old fashioned in clothing aspect as i would like to feel the fabric/try it out before buying but, for these gear i may not have that luxury

Thanks Speedy. That would be really nice if you can get a discount if i decide to buy from him. Infact, he was suggested by fellow moderator ( Manson) who also knows him and insisted i should buy from him due to good branded stuff with genuinety

Iam now confused between buying the AGV or Spartan as I kind of like both of them and they fit into my budget

What were the problems with AGV?

Yes the jacket is very good. I would suggest you drop into the spartan store in Hyderabad and check if XL or XXL fits you . Remember the jacket should fit snugly. Even if you have to pull in your stomach while zipping it , it should be fine as long as the fit is perfect.Another nifty tip to check if the jacket size is correct for you is after you have worn it extend your arms loosly ahead as if you are lifting weights. The jacket should reach the wrist.If it reaches your palms then its over size.

I brought a Orange jacket in Large size :D

If XL does not meet your size then you can safely order XXL from online.

No, they don't have a policy of refund for online purchase i think. Call them up and confirm

44-46 inches is XL
46-48 inches is XXL

Measure your chest and see which size you will fit in.

I don't have info on Riding pants. Contact fellow mod n_aditya. He uses spartan pants and will be able to give you correct picture.

AGV jackets have lot of quality issues. Have heard that stitching starts coming off and zippers getting interlocked . I would also suggest you stay away from them

Thanks Sagar.

Avi, I use these pair of riding pants from Spartan. They are built very well and offer good protection for the knee, shin and hip area. The Spartan pants are equipped with Knox armor which are CE rated and offer superior protection. The pants you have shortlisted have generous amount of mesh thrown in so it should be very comfy in summers whereas the pants i have are full cordura with only vents for fresh air.

My suggestion is to go ahead and pick up a pair and you will not be disappointed. Best if you can try before buying. Try it on and squat on the floor or sit on your bike for a while to know how comfy it would be. If not, get a bigger or smaller size.

All the best. :thumbs up

1. I know that this might sound absurd and crazy, but can knee brace likes these used instead of conventional knee guards.( zero shin protection, I agree)

PS- wasn't my idea, it was suggested in the comments section in a website for a cheap alternative to cheap knee guards.

2. Saw Axo and Fox raptor knee and elbow guards set on ebay which retail around 600 bucks a set. Are they any good?

Akhil -- can you please tell me what according to you it could protect? :)

http://www.cramster.in/Products/Cram...d-6423514.aspx

Not sure of Cramster has been referred, pls. Ignore if this was already discussed/ shared.

I have seen couple of my close friends use and have heard very good of them.

As I already told, this a really absurd idea. The knee braces keep the patella and all the ligaments in place and provide some protection( some models cover the patella as well, unlike the one in the picture I posted). May be they are enough to protect one from a bicycle fall.
I understand that a fall off motorcycle usually involves forces of higher magnitude. Just wish to know if they make any sense at all and if knee guards are designed on the same principle.