Team-BHP - The Riding Gear thread
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Quote:

Originally Posted by neil.jericho (Post 4761727)
I was rather surprised when I was found out that my pants had arrived but Rynox had sent it to their dealer minus the armour!

Ive had my eyes on the GT Air 3 jacket as well, its the one offering in the market that fits me perfectly but apparently Rynox sent a big batch of jackets but all of them were missing their armour as well.


I had a similar experience where they forgot to pack the rain covers for the pants with the Stealth Evo and also their "feature" list is inconsistent within the same model across different sizes. (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super...ml#post4760815).


They still haven't reverted to my query on this inconsistency neither shared any crash testing related data or testimonials etc. If the company is shipping stuff with items missing in batches they must be aware of it and ok with these omissions or they have no clue and there is a disconnect within the company. In either case it does not bode well. Now I am finding it a bit difficult to believe their claims of slide and impact protection.

Got the Forma Adventure high boots. It's amazingly comfortable, almost like a large hiking boot and it looks beautiful as well.

AGV Sport Rivet Short cuff Gloves Review

Here's a short pictorial review of my Gloves. Gloves are the most affordable piece of riding gear and you tend to acquire them more often. If you're used to wearing gloves on a regular basis then you tend to wear them out more often too. I've at least 3 more pairs of gloves from Icon and Richamoto. I didn't need these pair but a casual surfing session on motorcyclegear.com resulted in this acquisition.
Short cuff of AGV Sport are enough to go below your jacket sleeves. This ensures air flow in your arms through the jacket sleeves. I've a pair of full gauntlet gloves but they are used the least!
I got these bought in the US of A and carried home by a friend for only $36 clap:

Check out this link for more details.

I'll attempt to explain each feature from the website with pictures.

Genuine cowhide leather palm
The Riding Gear thread-0.jpg

Digital Amara reinforcement on palm and thumb areas
The Riding Gear thread-1.jpg
Protectors on palm for added safety

Ventilation holes on palm and fingers
The Riding Gear thread-5.jpg
There are no holes in the palm! But the perforations between the fingers are effective. Just spread your fingers in your cruising phase to let in air.

Titanium mold tips on fingers
The Riding Gear thread-6.jpg

Superfabric used on little finger and thumb
The Riding Gear thread-3.jpg

These are for the contact with the tarmac (sliders)
The Riding Gear thread-4.jpg

Titanium knuckle mold for added safety
The Riding Gear thread-8.jpg

Leather gathering under knuckle for maximum comfort and flexibility
The Riding Gear thread-9.jpg
This is also called the floating knuckle. This enables you to grip the bar comfortably with adequate stretch. One more use in India is to carry petty cash at gas stations. You can securely keep a Rs.500/- currency note in the cavity if you have a planned fuel stop. :)

Strap on cuff for better wrist grip
The Riding Gear thread-10.jpg

Polyester lining for comfort
The Riding Gear thread-7.jpg
The feel is plush, this is my only glove with such lining.

The knuckle mold is extra large, catches your eye but you can live with it. These also have pre-curved fingers.
The Riding Gear thread-11.jpg

Color red is my favorite so selection was quick. One more interesting fact is that this pair is made in Pakistan. I so wish that we had an undivided nation with such quality hide craftsmen to make our riding gear locally.
The Riding Gear thread-12.jpg

Over the years of purchasing closeout gear, I was looking for that one minor defect that has caused the price drop. I found that the room in the left pinky finger is slightly cramped than the right one! Absolutely fine for me as these effectively costs Rs.2,700/- only.

Few more features, boxed fingers (meaning with seams on the outside rather than inside), which make a glove comfortable to wear. Pinky fingers are covered with a bridge with the ring fingers, much needed!
Overall I got a substantial pair of gloves which are comfortable to wear and materials feel plush!

The gloves are more than a year old now and I use it in rotation with other gloves but are best suited for cooler to moderate climates.

Photo credits: The legendary sukiwa

Ride safe,
surjaonwheelz

Quote:

Originally Posted by RabidBull (Post 4763911)
Got the Forma Adventure high boots. It's amazingly comfortable, almost like a large hiking boot and it looks beautiful as well.

From where? Now that Spartan pro gear is selling them it should be easier to get them!

How does the toe box interface to the bike's controls. I find adv boots too bulky. But these are great. Does they require any break in?

surjaonwheelz

Quote:

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz (Post 4764856)
From where? Now that Spartan pro gear is selling them it should be easier to get them!

How does the toe box interface to the bike's controls. I find adv boots too bulky. But these are great. Does they require any break in?

surjaonwheelz

Got it here in the UK, will be bringing them back to India along with me. Got them for £170, so Spartan Pro gear isn't charging much premium at 20k.
Haven't tried it on a bike, but wore it for 2 hours inside the house to get used to them. They do require a little bit of breaking in essentially for it to mould around the shape of your foot. Didn't find any pressure points or anything uncomfortable. Am not used to riding boots, so feels like am walking on stilts. Having said that, I can see myself getting used to these very quickly.
Oh and on the sizing, would recommend going a size up. My normal shoes are 43, went for 44 here and glad that I did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepfreak15 (Post 4762185)
They still haven't reverted to my query on this inconsistency ......

So they did revert and initially it felt as if they were brushing it off but eventually offered to alter any one jacket to the version of my preference (either single runner or double runner) but since functionality was not impacted I decided to leave them as is. Though credit to them, they seem to be a company that values customer feedback and thats a good thing.
Though when I removed all armor from both jackets to wash them today I noticed something amiss with the elbow armor on my Mrs jacket. Both left and right elbow armor had a weird discoloration (like fungus) and was really floppy (felt as soft as a wet tissue) . I have had multiple knox inserts and have never come across this consistency. Will shoot them and email and see whats what.
The one on the left is from my Mrs jacket and the one on the right is from mine, the one on the right is really firm and hard .

The Riding Gear thread-img_20200308_174901.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by neil.jericho (Post 4761331)
I picked up the Rynox Stealth Evo pants from DJ Helmets in Cochin towards the end of January. The pants were available in my size but Rynox had forgotten to ship the liners with the pants and hence I had to go back later and pick it up. The guys at DJ were good to deal with as usual and informed me when the liners arrived.

I took the pants for the first time on a short ride in early February and found a small tear in the stitching at the knee area on the right side. After coming back home I noticed that the right side stitching had only a single line of stitching but the left side one had dual stitching at the knee area. So I returned the pants to DJ Helmets who in turn sent it back to Rynox soon after that. I was told that the replacement should be with them around mid February so I dropped in by the 19th or so and surprise surprise, Rynox still hadnt sent the replacement pants back to DJ Helmets.

I finally picked up my replacement pants with armour from DJ Helmets yesterday but was not very happy to find that now the right side of the pants has double stitching below the accordion section while the left side does not have any visible stitching in that area. I pointed this out to the dealer staff who accepted it.

Meanwhile, I visited Gearbox, which is the other authorized Rynox dealer in Cochin. I didnt know about them until I did a quick check on the Rynox site to see if there were any other dealers from where I could source the Air GT 3 jacket. I checked the same Stealth Evo pants there and all of them had double stitching below the accordion area. Ive dropped a note to Rynox on this today, lets see what they say.

The Riding Gear thread-20200310_165910-large.jpg
Right side

The Riding Gear thread-20200310_165918-large.jpg
Left side

Gearbox also had the Rynox Air GT 3 in black in my size (XL) and I had actually gone there to buy that jacket since it is the only jacket that fits me well. Ive tried every mesh offering available in Cochin from brands like Alpinestars, Revvit, RST, Solace, Taichi, Furygan and Rynox and only the Air GT3 fit me well. After deepfreak15's documented experience with Rynox armour, I had planned to check the armour and was genuinely surprised to find that the tags along with the jacket showed the shoulder and elbow armour to be Level 1 whereas it is advertised as Level 2 on the website. The dealer pulled out the armour and confirmed that it was Level 1 only and not the expected Level 2.

Rynox has selected some really good dealers, I had very positive experiences with both DJ Helmets and Gearbox. But at the same time, Rynox surely needs to spend time and money on their QC processes. I would recommend that anyone going in for a Rynox product should do a thorough check of the product before picking it up, the quality is great no doubt and in terms of value for money, nothing seems to come close, but the quality isnt consistent. Meanwhile the wait for my black Rynox Air GT3 jacket continues.

The good news regarding my replacement Rynox Stealth Evo riding pants is that I received a call from a gentleman who is part of Rynox's sales team yesterday. He proceeded to explain the circumstances behind what had happened. To summarize, it was a combination of missteps from their dealer that led to where I am today. Rynox has processes in place to deal with warranty returns but these were unfortunately circumvented at the dealer level.

We discussed the typo issue with the Air GT3 jacket safety levels as well. It turned out that they had made a small mistake while uploading the content on their website. This is what it says on the site.

Quote:

Impact Protection

Shoulder and Elbow: Safe-Tech (Italian) CE Level 2 protectors certified to standard EN1621-2:2012
Back: Safe-Tech (Italian) CE Level 2 protector, with superior coverage, certified to standard EN1621-2:2014
To my knowledge at that time, the way to read the safety ratings was EN1621 reflected the standard, the number after that indicated whether it was level 1 or 2 (here I was incorrect) and the number after that indicated the year in which the standard was adopted. Actually, the number after the hyphen indicates what the protector is meant for. One is for all armour except the back and two indicates that it is only for the back. Read more here.

As you can see, the Rynox website still has the jacket showing both are back protectors while the tags on the jacket are correct. This is what led to the confusion the other day. The gentleman from Rynox has said that they are correcting this issue on the website.

Which brings me to my second positive update, after my discussion with the gentleman from Rynox, I went to their authorized dealer Gearbox Motorcycles in Mattanchery and bought the black Air GT3 in XL size. As I mentioned before, it is the only mesh jacket below Rs 25,000 that fits me well and it gives me level 2 protection and the price makes it seem like a massive bargain. And, before I forget, it comes in black. Win, win, win and win!

Shopping from Gearbox Motorcycles was also a great experience. I didnt even know they existed despite being fairly well clued into the motorcycling scene here and they deal with Rynox and Via Terra and 100kmph.com. If anyone is heading there, please note that the shop may not be easy to spot. It is in the same line of stores as what Google Maps leads you to, it is just that it is a few stores ahead. I actually drove right past it the first time and didnt even see it despite having having my eyes out for it. I am waiting on them to send me the bill which should be coming in today. Two thumbs up.

Back to Rynox, I really appreciated their candour in dealing with the whole warranty issue. I will update this thread after I hear back from them (expected to do so today) and get the replacement to the replacement pants. Rynox was thoroughly professional and are approaching the Indian market with a customer first mindset which is refreshing to see.

My only qualm with Rynox gear (this observation applies to both their dealers and the company) is that it never seems to be available. If you look at their site, it says that quite a few items are sold out. A year and a half ago, I wanted to buy their Stealth Evo jacket but it just wasnt available in any store. After a long futile wait, in the end, I bought the Royal Enfield Khardung La jacket (itself a very close derivative of an excellent jacket from Revvit) at a higher price but had the Rynox jacket been available, I would have bought it instead of the Royal Enfield one. Even for their current range of jackets, availability of different sizes and colours is not easy. I understand that these issues are inevitable for a growing company, but if Rynox can sort out their supply chain and demand supply, their gear will be flying off the shelves.

My suggestion to Rynox will be to add a few darker colour jackets to their range. I know more colours in more models with 8 sizes per model will lead to further inventory nightmares for Rynox but riders like me prefer having riding jackets that dont scream HEY LOOK AT ME IN MY RIDING GEAR! Maybe the market doesnt agree with me and I am in the minority. I will be interested to hear the feedback from other members.

I should be able to post first ride impressions of the Air GT3 in a few days time.

Orazo Picus Riding Boots Review

I was looking for a budget riding boots yet not compromising on safety and comfort while riding and upon much search online and browsing through various reviews on riding boots finalized on the Orazo Picus riding boots ( Black and Grey ). Bought it on Amazon during Deepavali festive season with good discount, link below for the same.

https://www.amazon.in/ORAZO-Picus-Ri.../dp/B07263334N

The Riding Gear thread-orazo.jpg

Reviewing the boots after my ride to Nepal and specifically to Mustang region so that you all can get an idea what these boots have gone through.

What i liked:-

1. Price - Very well priced for the quality and safety it offers.
2. Comfort - The inner cushion is made up of soft fabric which gives a nice comfortable feeling in long rides.
3. Water Proof - Did work pretty well in the water crossings of Mustang.
4. Steel toe - Did protect my foot in the roughest of roads in Nepal.
5. Velcro - Easy to slip on the shoes and remove with ease as compared to a laced boots.

What i did not like :- Nothing negative about these boots.

Boots when i received them
The Riding Gear thread-img20191105wa0044.jpg

Personally i liked these boots and recommend to anyone who is looking for riding boots in budget with safety and comfort.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neil.jericho (Post 4768612)
Back to Rynox, I really appreciated their candour in dealing with the whole warranty issue. I will update this thread after I hear back from them (expected to do so today) and get the replacement to the replacement pants. Rynox was thoroughly professional and are approaching the Indian market with a customer first mindset which is refreshing to see.

After my positive discussion with the gentleman from Rynox, I was extremely surprised and a tad annoyed to find that Rynox had slipped into a slumber. They did not send any email on the way forward (which is what they had committed on the call), and so I had to drop them a reminder email a few days later. Finally, someone from their support team woke up yesterday without reading any of the emails and replied to the first one that I sent on the 10th of March! Rynox sure could do with shoring up their support team's response time and attention to detail. After another email exchange, it appears as though things are finally moving from Rynox's end and they will be sending out the replacement pants from their side tomorrow. I hope there are no further delays from them on what should have been a simple, straightforward warranty exchange.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neil.jericho (Post 4768612)
Shopping from Gearbox Motorcycles was also a great experience. I didnt even know they existed despite being fairly well clued into the motorcycling scene here and they deal with Rynox and Via Terra and 100kmph.com. If anyone is heading there, please note that the shop may not be easy to spot. It is in the same line of stores as what Google Maps leads you to, it is just that it is a few stores ahead. I actually drove right past it the first time and didnt even see it despite having having my eyes out for it. I am waiting on them to send me the bill which should be coming in today. Two thumbs up.

No bill so far from here as well. I have had to drop them a friendly reminder today on this.

Onto some positive updates, I have ridden with the Air GT3 for a few hours and it is a great jacket for sure. I love the ventilation and light weight of the jacket. I will share a more detailed update regarding specific fit, ventilation and so on, once I do say 50 hours or so of riding with it but for now, the Air GT3 seems to be a great jacket at a great price.

The Riding Gear thread-dsc_0022.jpg
A tad flashier than my old A* jacket

Just remember that the abrasion protection from that air gt is next to none. One fall is all it takes, and I doubt you will escape unscathed on a high slide.

I know because I fell in a Dainese mesh, and it was no different. Tore right up like paper. Luckily I fell straight down instead of sliding across the road. So abrasion wasn’t an issue, but the jacket still has a gaping hole I patched up.

That Dainese cost 25k full retail.

That’s why better mesh jackets come with material that just don’t tear on asphalt. Expensive yes. Think KLIM induction and similar.

I am telling you, because I know you ride the street triple which is probably not ridden at 60 kmph.

Idle time and devils workshop, so I was doing some research on my next possible riding boots.

The Riding Gear thread-whatsapp-image-20200322-12.21.45.jpeg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Liner (Post 4774289)
Idle time and devils workshop, so I was doing some research on my next possible riding boots.

Are you sure you wanna promote this as 'Riding Gear' on this thread?? I think this belongs more in the Jokes thread! lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe (Post 4774591)
Are you sure you wanna promote this as 'Riding Gear' on this thread?? I think this belongs more in the Jokes thread! lol:

Well I don't think anyone can help the person who takes that as gospel :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TS09SRITOG (Post 4771313)
Orazo Picus Riding Boots Review

I was looking for a budget riding boots yet not compromising on safety and comfort while riding and upon much search online and browsing through various reviews on riding boots finalized on the Orazo Picus riding boots ( Black and Grey ). Bought it on Amazon during Deepavali festive season with good discount, link below for the same.

I have the Orazo Ibis (long) riding boots, and sure they are awesome. I didnt feel any break-in required, they are very comfortable always. Your usage for Mustang trip speaks volume about this stuff.

I made a video review:

https://youtu.be/3Rld_NrUvEw

In my long boots, the upper part is some textile material gets wet easily (lower leather part is still good to hold). Before this monsoon, I will try one of the waterproof spray on that upper area.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Liner (Post 4774619)
Well I don't think anyone can help the person who takes that as gospel :)

I remember reading in some international forum, one of guy posted (as a joke) to apply WD40 on brake pads, and strangely someone really did that, next day complaining that no brakes!! hahaha. So you never know who thinks what !!

take care all, regards,
Pranav


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