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The best option I think is to just buy a mesh riding jacket from USA. And when you are game for trackdays up here pick up a DSG, Cramster or AGVSPORT leather suit (Cost around 35K). YOu can also look at BLZ and Track Breed as options (I prefer Track Breed).

So get a mesh jacket preferably from Joe Rocket or Alpinestars for street use.

Note from Support - Please avoid quoting an entire lengthy post as it inconveniences our mobile users.

Hi Ashwin, I own the Icarus and have been using it for the last 10-15000 kms so I can review it for you.

For all the requirements that you listed the Icarus seems like a perfect choice. It is a comfortable daily wear jacket, complete mesh and of pretty good quality. All armor is CE rated and the fitting of armor inside the jacket is also snug, the armor does not move around once you wear the jacket. The fitting of the jacket itself can be adjusted at the arms, but not at the waist. The rain liner provided is of very good quality and I use it on cold winter morning rides as a thermal liner as well. Even though it is not a thermal liner but it acts the same - i.e. keep you reasonably warm even on cold winters.

However do note that without the liner you are at the complete mercy of weather, even a drizzle will soak your shirt and even slight cold will reach your skin.

Another point to note is that the front of the jacket is quite short, advantage is that the jacket does not bunch up when you sit on the bike. Disadvantage is that your T-shirt shows below the bottom of it and there is nothing you can do about it. This is true for Icarus,Helios as well as Atlas.

If you ride at night too much then Icarus does not have a lot reflective piping. It has just one reflective line at the back which will get hidden if you wear a backpack. And two small reflective lines at the front. Helios on the other hand lights up like tron at night.

Comparing Icarus with Helios, Helios has the Knox armor which is also CE rated but branded, imported and therefore costly. This is the main reason Helios is costly, this is also the reason why cost of Helios jacket was increased from 6000 to 6800 because the Knox armor prices had increased. The other reason Helios is costlier than Icarus is because it has additional features for example ability to adjust waist fitting, more internal pockets, water proof as well as micro-fiber lined pockets, removable micro-fiber neck lining, more reflective piping, hook to hang your gloves/keys etc. It also has the bold SPARTAN branding plastered all over the back of the jacket, which I completely HATE.

Note that the mesh quality, cordura quality and build quality of Helios and Icarus is exactly the same. The rain liner is also exactly the same.

Finally comparing the Icarus to Atlas - you loose out on one micro-fiber lined pocket. And probably the side pockets given are not water proof (I am not sure about this though) where as they are water proof in Icarus.

What you gain though is more Cordura at the front. So Atlas is slightly more water, wind and cold resistant than Icarus without the liner. With the liner they are exactly the same.

Coming to your question about Jacket or Gloves. My answer would be gloves absolutely. When you fall the first point of contact are your palms which reflexively come out to break your fall. And our bone structure all the way to the wrist is very complex and comparatively fragile. Breaking anything here is not only painful but also medically costly to fix.

My personal advice to you would be buy gloves first - my budget was 7000 and I bought SPG Centaur for 3000 first and waited some time and then bought Icarus for 4800. Atlas wasnt released then or else I would have bought Atlas. Go for full gauntlet full leather gloves.

I will also say that for your kind of usage and budget Icarus and Atlas are equally good. If you ride more during cooler times of the day like morning and evening then go for Atlas. If you want more standalone rain and wind protection go for Atlas. If you ride during hotter times of the day like late mornings/afternoons then go for Icarus. If you absolutely hate being hot and sweaty go for Icarus.

With your budget and use requirement no point in going for Helios.

Buy full gauntlet, full leather gloves first.

Hey Ashwin -

For 5k, if you absolutely must choose one over the other - I would say gloves (reasons covered very well in the post above)

Alternatively - Buy yourself a pair of cramster Flux gloves for 1600 and maybe increase your budget by Rs 650 get yourself a Spartant Atlas (again, very well covered in the post above)

If you are rigid with your budget till the last penny, look for some deals online for used jackets. You may land a pretty sweet deal on a jacket that may not have been worn much (many such examples around), that is if you are not averse to buying used

WOW.

Thank you so, so much. That is exactly the kind of review I was looking for.

Oh man. I was wondering how come no one replied and then came your long, detailed response.

That said, I was thinking the Atlas is more appropriate as well. It also looks better. lol: (in my opinion). And I don't really think I need the Knox armour considering my usage.

The Icarus vs Atlas is still a toughie. Creature comforts in the form of more ventilation vs added protection in the case of unexpected rain(which we are never short of, here in Bangalore). I think the latter wins over here.

As for the gloves over the jacket. My logic was that there is more surface area that is covered with a jacket. So felt a jacket would be safer. But your logic makes sense as well.

I was looking at the SPG Ares or the DSG Primal.

Hey Urban_Nomad. Thanks for the reply.

The budget is slightly flexible if I get more gear! So I don't really mind flexing it a little. The jacket will be a gift, so no used goods allowed.

So going by both your opinions, I believe the SPG Atlas will fit my bill just fine. I usually head out at around 9:30AM for an hour's ride and get back out at around 7:40PM and get home at 8:20PM. A little sweat is alright.

As for the gloves, I was confused between the SPG Ares and the DSG Primal, only to read online that SPG quality is superior to DSG. So for now, the plan is to get a SPG Atlas and an SPG Ares. (If only the Ares were available in a red and black combo, but alas stupid:)

Thank you for your inputs guys. Much appreciated. Will definitely post back here with updates.

Folks,

I have made the mistakeof buying Cramster TRG2gloves, it hurts after an hour. Cramster Flux also doesn't serve its purpose for long rides and hurts on my knuckles constantly. So I'm binning both of them soon.

I need two distinct opinions, for someone who rides a Street 750 and does not race on tracks or roads, but still needs adequate protection:

1. What is the best VFM gloves? (TBG, Rjays, Rynox, DSG etc. etc.) for city/short rides.
2. Which glove (gauntlet) would you buy if budget is not an issue, for long rides?

Thsi would help me immensely to decide and buy (before we leave for IBW)

It would be interesting to see what has worked with bikers in India :)

Grateful for your inputs. Thanks!

Ride safe
Rakesh

Long ride, short ride - Spartan Ares; been using it for 45000 Km now & I'm waiting for it tear - http://spartanprogear.com/Men.aspx?m...t=2&typ=9&sc=5

Hey Rakesh - May I ask how long you have been using these gloves? All leather gloves will have a break in period and should actually be a little tight initially. The break in period will vary from one glove to another

I have heard that TRGs are actually quite comfy post break in and offer reasonable protection too. No personal experience here though

I have worn the TRGs for almost two months for most of the rides (1700 Kms +). Sometimes Flux, when in City or some short rides (threw away the A* SMX Air2, crappiest gloves for 4.5K).

TRGs leaves deap lines on my hands after sometime and it aches. I felt it most during the Waynad trip recently. I had to change my gloves after couple of hours (somewhere near Najangud) as it started hurting. I had carried an extra pair of HD short cuff leather gloves, bought recently. I was immediately relieved when I changed into them. They have been fantastic from day one. For the rest of the trip I stuck to HD ones.

TRGs have pressure points and they are uneven all over. And perhaps it takes long to break in. But I still believe a good quality glove shouldn't hurt this way. They could be less flexible in the beginning, but not hurt. While the size is correct (L), the entry area of the glove feels constricted and stays that way, even if I keep all loops and closures, absolutely loose. Then it hurts all over the back of my hands.

Maybe I picked up a bad pair, but then the faith is lost. At the same time I would swear by the Cramster mesh jacket, its really good for regular use.

The HD ones were comfortable from day one. Recently I tried a pair of gloves from A* (don't remember the model name) and they were devine to say the least, but cost 14K :) So are the Knox ones at similar price.

From the experienced bikers here, I'm looking at some inputs that can help me decide.

Thanks!

Thank you very much Akshay. Yeah, I have the same opinion. I have always been an Alpinestar fan but this time I am really interested in Dainese. I like the fit of their pants. Lets see what kind of discounts I can get.

Thanks
Regards

My two cents:
I got the TBG gauntlet gloves, wore them for a couple of short rides and then had them on for 3 days of CSS last weekend. They were quite comfortable and I really did not have any issues with the ventilation as well and this was in Chennai. I used to have the DSG gauntlet before that (cant remember the name) and even after using those for almost 1K kms, they just didnt get comfortable.

Gotcha. Its the internal seams that are bothering you. I had a similar experience with DSG Primals on a not so recent longish trip. Have you tried wearing them with an "underglove" / liner? Should be better, although you may go through the break in process again (will be tight with the glove liner's addition)

Otherwise try looking for gloves that have external seams. None of the Indian made gloves would help here I think. You will have to go firangi. Lots of reviews online for you to choose from. Although, local availability will be a questionmark

Wow if its Dainese that you are looking forward to then there is no looking else where mate. They are the best and as their tagline says Inspired By Humans ;)

Just a quick update on my latest purchase. The Speed and Strength Under the Radar mesh jacket.

Ordered it on Amazon.com, as they had a special for 3 day global shipping at the same price as regular International shipping.

Cost $116 plus shipping. Landed cost, including duties was ₹10k. The reason for choosing this jacket was:
1. Stealth CE armor in the back, shoulders and elbows. Most jackets, including my AGV Sport Laguna perforated leather jacket come with only a dual density back pad

2. The mesh air flow has been praised roundly on the internet.

3. My RJays Octane 2 started coming apart at the seams.

4. I didn't want to look like a billboard for a brand but wanted something with understated branding.

Shipping took less than 3 days including the day I placed the order and I had the jacket in my hands, without having to deal with the customs duties to the postman. Overall, very pleasant shopping experience using Amazon Prime.

Testing:

I took it for a spin and the fit and airflow was excellent. The jacket felt snug, didn't flap around and the back pad felt secure. The only downside was that I found the arms were a little too short and so they rode up a bit on my wrists. I suppose gauntleted gloves will help here.

The zipper is a YKK one so it didn't move an inch even at high speed, and the arms have an elastic-esque feel so you don't feel hemmed in by the sleeves.

Overall, excellent build quality (at least on my short 30 km ride this evening). The true test of course will be at rush hour in peak summer. That we'll worry about then I suppose.

In terms of security, the AGV still feels more robust and I'd feel more confident riding with that on the highway but just to get around the city, the jacket is perfect.








I didn't take out the back pad but here is a picture I found of the armor on the internet.

I am planning to get riding boots for track use, my budget is slightly limited(around 10K) and I am looking at Tarmac Venom. How good is this?

http://www.bachoomotors.com/index.ph...duct&id_lang=1

Safety features are good but please check for reviews online. If this is an international brand, finding reviews online wouldn't be an issue.