[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

This is not original rev-it. Fine for tooling about in the city but there are better options available locally IMO

Never claimed it was original. But my 30 years of riding experience has taught me to identify a good product. The touch and feel is replicated only by products made to some standards and this feels like one. And this to me seems more like a surplus than a fake. Crass humor aside, you are welcome to spend 4 times more.

Cheers...

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Never claimed it was original. But my 30 years of riding experience has taught me to identify a good product. The touch and feel is replicated only by products made to some standards and this feels like one. And this to me seems more like a surplus than a fake. Crass humor aside, you are welcome to spend 4 times more.

Cheers...

Its quite the misnomer when you use words like "original packaging", "feels like original quality", original this / that and then in the next post say that its maybe not an original (with a high probability of it being an "export surplus". Ali Express seems to have a lot of "export surplus", if you know what I mean)

Have you owned Rev-it gloves in the past so as to make that touch - feel - fit comparo? If not, I recommend heading over to High Note Performance the next time you are in the capital and check these very same gloves out, which by the way retail for Rs 6000. You asked me to do the math; and math tells me its not 4 times the price. Link - http://www.highnoteperformance.com/c...nt=17266815237

Are the gloves worth it at 6k? Absolutely YES! And by the way, H.N.P. is selling it at almost the exact same price it retails for in the states. Having experienced Rev'it quality first hand, I rate them very highly. No cheap fakes for this guy

In conclusion, its fine if you are happy with your purchase of fake Rev'its. Its not Ok to insinuate these are original

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Have you owned Rev-it gloves in the past so as to make that touch - feel - fit comparo?

You are jumping the gun concluding they are not originals, are you not. So I had a chance today to actually check out my mate's Revit Fly gloves and voila... they are exactly the same! The fit, the finish, the stitching, everything. As they were being sold at 90$ internationally, I presumed they should have been 10k here, my bad. So even if these are selling here at 6k, was I not better off getting them at 2300 bucks, when they turn out to be exact same and not replicas! So, don't presume I am insinuating anything. I was not sure that they were originals hence did not claim the same in my earlier post. Now that I am, why would I not recommend them? Even otherwise, I found a good deal on a good quality product which I confirmed first and then I shared. If you are not interested you can always skip it. But why do you want that others should not benefit from that post?

Cheers...

PS - I have been to High Note Performance many a times and have found their products to be mostly over priced. But you are free to splurge. Not everyone wants to waste their hard earned cash. JFYI I got my Cobra Slip-Ons for my Heritage Softail from amazon.com directly for 27k including customs and shipping whereas Jasjiv Saluja, the owner of High Note Performance gave me a quote of 38k. You do the maths now. And I shared that deal too. If I can find better deals and share it, why not!

[Red Liner]

The only reason I would be wary of the protection products on Ali express is...

1. I wouldn't really be able to figure out what they used in the contrusticion of the product. Imitation stuff sells because it imitates the real thing pretty darn well. Fake leather or kangaroo leather?
2. The armor that's used is something I will not be able to verify unless I open it up. Which will happen only in a spill. Which might be too late.

It's gonna be one set of riding gear, and I would rather just go with the best.

[neil.jericho]

My TBG gloves started giving up very quickly after last weekend's good old fashioned pre monsoon soaking. They only lasted for a rather short 9300 kms over 18 months which is surprising considering that my previous Cramster TRG2 survived 4 years with much more usage. So while the leather quality on TBG gloves seems superior to its Indian competition, the short lifespan is a major bummer. I checked with a few other recent buyers of TBG gloves (including a fellow forum member) and they said that they were facing problems with the stitching.


I tried visiting Lets Gear Up on Saturday but they werent open till 11:45 so I decided to move on to Orion and Biking Spirit. Orion only had A* gloves and Biking Spirit had Rynox full gauntlets. They mentioned that they are getting 3 different semi gauntlet Revvit gloves this week. I also checked out the Royal Enfield options, the quality was quite acceptable really. I did a bit of research and finally decided to go in for a trusted product this time and shortlisted the A* SP2 and the GP Plus. Orion Motors had quite a few SP2s but no GP Plus gloves which made my decision making easier and I picked up an all black SP2. I will share feedback once I do a fair bit of riding with the A* gloves.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

How do I break in boots quickly? Just walk around the house in them?

Congrats Neil. Lovely boots.

Thanks Red Liner, I use the walk around approach to try to break in new boots. Ultimately though, a few rides do the job best.

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

Niel

That A Star boots is one of the best investment that you would've ever made.

I had a major spill in UAE, exactly one year back to the month - my foot was 100% OK and the boot which was an exactly same pair was without even a serious scratch.

Even rest of my body was totally OK thanks to other ridding gear. I walked away from it all.

Helmet (Shoei - GT Air) took the full impact and my head was safe (the concussion caused a SIADH situation - which needed hospitalization for about 15 days to correct, is another matter).

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

Thanks Ram, glad to hear that the great SMX2s have proved their worth. I fully agree, the boots are a great investment.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by dkaile

You are jumping the gun concluding they are not originals, are you not

Not at all. Its Aliexpress for crying out loud. A guy cut up a $250+ glove for you and everyone else to see whats what. Don't know how else would help anyone be convinced

Originally Posted by dkaile

So even if these are selling here at 6k, was I not better off getting them at 2300 bucks, when they turn out to be exact same and not replicas! So, don't presume I am insinuating anything. I was not sure that they were originals hence did not claim the same in my earlier post. Now that I am, why would I not recommend them?

Recommending them is fine. Calling these original is not

Originally Posted by dkaile

Even otherwise, I found a good deal on a good quality product which I confirmed first and then I shared. If you are not interested you can always skip it. But why do you want that others should not benefit from that post?

You bought a cheap Chinese fake mitten for cheap. Is that a "good deal"? Not to me it isn't

And you have asked me to "splurge" or spend XX times YY amount on whatever on more than one occasion. Not something I appreciate; especially because I don't have money to splurge and I wish that I did and also the fact that this is a bit personal to tell someone what they should or should not spend; especially when the said person is a complete stranger. But here's how I have chosen to spend my money and what counts as "deals" for me:

- A one piece Cortech Latigo leather race suit - Rs 10,000
- Wife's Alpinestars jacket including a level 2 back protector upgrade - Rs 6000
- Sidi MX boots - Rs 7000

And a lot more than what I have noted above, all phoren maal (no, not Aliexpress). To further clarify the point (that there's a difference between a deal and just buying something cheap), I have bought a cheap Chinese action cam (called Mobius) for less than Rs 5000 shipped, with mounts. I would not go around calling it a great "deal". Its a cheap Chinese camera, that's all. Now if I get a go-pro (not a knock off "No Pro") at that or even double the price, that would be a deal for me

Point is, there's a difference between a deal and simply buying something cheap

If you still have doubts on whether or not that glove is the real deal, try contacting Ali Express or even Rev'it to help claim manufacturer warranty. Say something like stitches are frayed or make something up. Let us know the response you get

Just so you know, I am not holding my breath

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Not at all. Its Aliexpress for crying out loud. A guy cut up a $250+ glove for you and everyone else to see whats what. Don't know how else would help anyone be convinced

You have concluded that everything sold on AliExpress is fake just because a particular company wants you to believe it and rake in more profits and wants everyone to buy from them when the gloves in question do not even belong to the said company. That the same holds good for all the stuff off AliExpress in itself is a paradox . You are not convinced, don't be. Let me enjoy my 'originals' and let it be. Nobody is forcing you to buy these nor am I a business representative of AliExpress. And I will keep sharing these good deals. Please agree to disagree.

Cheers...

[Full_Minchingu]

Review of Pro-X Knee and Elbow guard:

Purchased it from an Automotive shop from JC Road, Bangalore.
Price: 1300/- Rs.

What I liked:

1. Liked the product very much. Outer side is made of hard steel and it can easily protect our knee or elbow during a fall. Inner side is padded enough and its comfortable to wear for longer rides.
2. Easy to wear and remove. No buckles or buttons to fasten. Velcro is of top quality. It holds tightly without moving around.
3. There is only one universal size available and it fits every individual of Indian origin.
4. An economic buy.

What I disliked:

1. No air gaps for air flow, can accumulate sweat during sunny weather.
2. Not water-resistant, can easily get wet during rainy season and drying it up will be a big task.

Regards,
-Badri

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

Outer side is made of hard steel and it can easily protect our knee or elbow during a fall.

"Hard steel" would transmit most of the shock to your knee/elbow.

[sagarpadaki]

No offense. But this is not an armor that I would trust my legs with. If you are serious about riding, invest in well engineered riding gear. The premium you pay for such products are anyday a pittance compared to human body. Ride safe

[djpeesh]

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

Review of Pro-X Knee and Elbow guard:

Purchased it from an Automotive shop from JC Road, Bangalore.
Price: 1300/- Rs.

What I liked:

1. Liked the product very much. Outer side is made of hard steel and it can easily protect our knee or elbow during a fall. Inner side is padded enough and its comfortable to wear for longer rides.
2. Easy to wear and remove. No buckles or buttons to fasten. Velcro is of top quality. It holds tightly without moving around.
3. There is only one universal size available and it fits every individual of Indian origin.
4. An economic buy.

What I disliked:

1. No air gaps for air flow, can accumulate sweat during sunny weather.
2. Not water-resistant, can easily get wet during rainy season and drying it up will be a big task.

Regards,
-Badri

No offense but there's a reason why soldiers no longer wear steel armor into the battle field. This is a bit like the 'flimsy plastic bumper versus steel bumper' argument. Riding gear is meant to be there to crumple so your knees don't.

After a bike accident tore my knee ligament and forever made me swear off sitting pillion (bike taxi in Bangkok so no gear except helmet) and seeing good quality armor saving my life (on my own rides), I sincerely hope that you buy some quality riding gear.

If anything, I'm willing to give you my unused knee guards (knox) gratis but please don't use these. In the unfortunate event of a crash, these will do more harm than good.

[Full_Minchingu]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

"Hard steel" would transmit most of the shock to your knee/elbow.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

No offense. But this is not an armor that I would trust my legs with. If you are serious about riding, invest in well engineered riding gear. The premium you pay for such products are anyday a pittance compared to human body. Ride safe

Originally Posted by djpeesh

No offense but there's a reason why soldiers no longer wear steel armor into the battle field. This is a bit like the 'flimsy plastic bumper versus steel bumper' argument. Riding gear is meant to be there to crumple so your knees don't.

Thanks friends for your feedback, these points did not come to my mind until you specified. I will definitely discard this and purchase a well engineered gear.

Regards,
-Badri

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

Thanks friends for your feedback, these points did not come to my mind until you specified. I will definitely discard this and purchase a well engineered gear.

Mate I am glad you are taking the suggestions of fellow BHPian's seriously. Just to think of this scenario where one has a crash and tears his skin to the bone, the pain will be terrible leave aside hundreds of thousands which one will spend on hospital bills. Besides it will cause a trauma for self as well as one's near and dear ones especially parents. I had an incident long time back when I fell off my motorcycle inside my building compound while taking a turn. Fortunately I was doing about 5-10 KMPH. The motorcycle fell to its right hand side and my palm of my right hand struck the ground bearing my entire body weight. Next thing I saw was deep wounds and scars due to concrete floor mixed with small pebbles and stones. I wasn't able to use my right hand for more than a week, that's when I realized the importance of hands and other body parts. Spending on good quality riding gears is nothing compared to one's body parts which are irreplaceable and as important as ones own breath. Then on I always make it a point to wear protective gloves even when I have to go out to buy grocery or fill petrol.

There was a friends' friend who had a crash at about 40-50 KMPH, his right side knee was ripped apart wherein the broken bone beneath the skin could be clearly seen. Needless to say he was wearing those useless duplicate FOX/AXO stuff. He spent about two weeks in the hospital and another couple of weeks to walk.

At the risk of repeating myself again I would say one has to invest at least 10-20% of the total motorcycle cost on good quality certified and reputed protective riding gears. It will be well worth it mate and you will thank yourself for taking this decision.

[pramodkumar]

I am part of an RD 350 group and we recently had a heated discussion on whether to wear any protective gear apart from a good helmet or not. It went on for over 1500 messages, with various people sharing their views and some defending their turf. Now I believe falling from a bike is inevitable and even an experienced biker falls when your odds are stacked up against you.

Now, what does really make a difference in those situation? The answer to that as per me is your state of mind, a calm mind can actually make a difference between a rider freezing at the handle and making that split second decision whether you take it head on or slide down and reduce the impact if the obstacle is too massive to deflect.

I have been in tricky situations and it is always a combinations of things. anything can distract you and pull your guard a little down, an empty stretch, a winding curve, a nice looking lady, an exotic car/bike, for a fraction of a second you loose your focus and the next moment you are forced to take a decision which decides your fate, whether you deflect it or go numb.

I feel these decisions are influenced a great deal by your closeness with the machine and your faith on your protective gear, these form the basis of how you would spend your next couple of minutes to months ahead of a tricky situation. Having said that its no brainer we need good protection, its also important that our gear works as its designed to work.

If you ride a commuter bike, you might need little lesser protection compared to bigger bikes, because falls from a commuter bike at lower speeds is more forgiving than falls from bigger bikes at higher speeds, so it does make sense when I say I might not wear my riding jacket for my trip to the local milk vendor in my commuter however looking at the things that could go wrong, wearing a jeans would be helpful and of course a good helmet.

Why am I saying all this now, something which most of us already know and respect?

Riding gear separates the amateur from the pros, its a no brainer that it has a certain charm wearing those even if you ride a old 2 stroke commuter like the rx100, this market has really exploded in India, especially since the launch of the Harleys and triumphs. Most youngsters who are not that blessed by the money gods buy cheap knockoffs, which would surly be more catastrophic than not wearing the gear at all. Then there is make more profits drive by all shop owners, who are marketing such stuff to kids, I see a lot of knockoffs especially Chinese stuff in the market sold as originals, though it might look better than the rich neighbourhood kids gear who owns a hayabusa, it will not protect if there is a tricky situation. Buying from a showroom is not going to help, instead its better to buy from a place where the management still believes in quality, genuine products, lives and wellbeing stacks far ahead of profits.

A lot of us get conned while buying things due to sheer ignorance, I saw an LS2 at a shop here in Trivandrum, its a big place so I am not going to name it, same helmet was available at 1500 less at a smaller and not so well known shop, I spoke to a friend in cochin who knows someone and he promised me to get the helmet for 2k (MRP is 5K) now what really blew my lid off was all these were fake, so naturally a guy wont spent 5k for something which is available for 2k, so what are your options? Buying online has its perks, but has a downside of getting something which might not fit, yes you can return it for a new one but still, its missing something we are all used to.

I request each one of you who are considering buying something, to do your homework really well before investing your hard earned money into something that only gets you a poser status.

PS: I still don't have a riding jacket yet and yes I have not bought an LS2 yet.

Pramod

[n_aditya]

A few months ago, I had bought a pair of the Spartan Aspida Pegasus full leather gloves (link).

I have a sizing issue as my fingers aren't very long and the palms are chunky as well which means only a few (very few) brands fit me like a glove.

The Aspida that I bought was painful to use over long rides as it was crushing my little finger and the ring finger leading to numbness. Initially I thought that it was natural since the gloves needed breaking in and also I had just moved up to the Bonnie from the Ninja 250R. So getting used to a new riding position was what I attributed to the discomfort. However it was not so. Also, one size larger than what i bought was way too big for my hands.

So the search for another pair of gloves took me to Biking Spirit. They had the Rynox gloves in stock but I was told they were expecting stocks of Revit gear this last week so I waited. Over this weekend, I was at the Triumph showroom for installation of the LED aux lights on the Bonnie so I dropped into Biking Spirit. The Revit gloves sadly did not fit me. Too tight around my fingers so had to skip them.

Finally bought a pair of these.

I wore them on my way back home and they felt very comfortable. I intend to use the Aspida gloves for my daily commutes and keep the more comfortable Rynox for touring and long rides. The Aspida's are well constructed too, don't get me wrong, but they aren't suited for me on long rides for reasons mentioned above.

The Rynox gloves cost me around 2.5k and around the same for the Aspida's IIRC. I'll post a longer and more detailed review on the Rynox gloves in a while. We have a long ride coming up next month and I am looking forward to putting the Rynox to duty on that trip.