[GreyNomad]

I finally got the Rynox Air GT3 jacket (Red and dark grey) from AH Helmets, Andheri West. Thank you Neil.jericho and surajonwheelz for your advice. The Air GT3 felt way lighter and comfier than the Tornado Pro3 (The other jacket I was considering). Did a short 20kms ride and must say confidence level increased. Planning a breakfast ride this weekend. Helmet, gloves and jacket done. Next up are riding boots. Planning on the Orazo Picus. Everything else seems way north of my budget.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by GreyNomad

I finally got the Rynox Air GT3 jacket (Red and dark grey) from AH Helmets, Andheri West. Thank you Neil.jericho and surajonwheelz for your advice. The Air GT3 felt way lighter and comfier than the Tornado Pro3 (The other jacket I was considering). Did a short 20kms ride and must say confidence level increased. Planning a breakfast ride this weekend. Helmet, gloves and jacket done. Next up are riding boots. Planning on the Orazo Picus. Everything else seems way north of my budget.

The Air GT3 is a solid pick for a regular jacket. I use the GT2 since the past 2+ years and have been quite happy.
I have a pair of Orazo Picus as well and that's my regular wear pick over my Alpinestars whose sole has prematurely worn off.

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

these are all highly potent motorcycles that can get you in a world of trouble as a completely new rider, especially on our dangerous Indian streets.

Thanks Neil. That's exactly what I said, albeit in very different words. I would've had the STR home already, but even after 10, quite long-ish test rides, I don't feel confident. So that's not happening.
Anyway, settled on the 300 for now. Anything bigger will just get me in trouble.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Once you have had a try on and if you have further questions, come back and write out your dilemma. Then folks here will be better placed to help advice you.

So here's what I have liked so far:

Helmets:
AGV K3SV
Airoh ST501
Scorpion EXO 1400 Air Carbon
Wild Card: HJC RPHA 11
Scorpion fits the best, has an air pump to adjust jaw fit, has a drop down visor and is the lightest at ~1250.
₹36000.

Jackets
Clover Ventouring 2
Klim Induction jacket
Clover fits really well, and comes with L2 armour. Klim has excellent ventilation, but the fit is typical American box.
₹26000 (30k with added D3O back armour)

Gloves:
Clover RSC 3
Slim pickins for gloves all around. Usually they don't have my size. But the clovers are quite good, with a scaphoid slider, palm base reinforcement, knuckle and finger protection, a mix of leather and mesh (very little mesh), they work with touchscreens, and felt quite solid. Would've liked more ventilation.
₹8500

Boots
A* SMX6.
Didn't like anything else. I'm a sneaker guy through and through so these boots don't make sense to me, visually speaking.
₹21000

Pants
No options in riding jeans except for bikeratti. There's only one model. Hip and knee/shin armour. ₹8400.

This is an expensive hobby.

Suited up:


Wild card: look at this beautiful crazy thing

Edit: looking to pick up stuff today, so any pointers, and finer points to look for appreciated. Thanks.

[Red Liner]

Are those jeans crash tested before you buy them LOL!

Motorcycle gear is a very personal thing. Buy what fits you best and makes you feel good. You will wear them for a long time to come.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Are those jeans crash tested before you buy them LOL!

Motorcycle gear is a very personal thing. Buy what fits you best and makes you feel good. You will wear them for a long time to come.

Exactly, also for the shoes if these are not fitting you well, go for the TCX waterproof one, looks like sneakers get the job done, but then you need towear riding pants to guard the shin.

Jeans are also available from Zeus. I suggest get a riding pant and riding jeans both, on highways recommended to go on riding pants.

http://www.zeusmotorcyclegear.com/ri...s/riding-jeans

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

Thanks Neil. That's exactly what I said, albeit in very different words. I would've had the STR home already, but even after 10, quite long-ish test rides, I don't feel confident. So that's not happening.
Anyway, settled on the 300 for now. Anything bigger will just get me in trouble.

Fantastic decision.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

So here's what I have liked so far:

Helmets:
AGV K3SV
Airoh ST501
Scorpion EXO 1400 Air Carbon
Wild Card: HJC RPHA 11
Scorpion fits the best, has an air pump to adjust jaw fit, has a drop down visor and is the lightest at ~1250.
₹36000.

You are comparing different types of helmets that slot into different prices and different usage types. The AGV K3SV and Airoh ST501 are more all round helmets that are suited for touring and have drop down internal visors. Priced between Rs 20 - 26K. I havent checked out the Scorpion Exo 1400 but I believe its a light, sporty helmet with the drop down visor. The RPHA 11 is a top of the line racing helmet from HJC and will have more ventilation and a better single visor with a much better fit. I would say, think about your usage first before deciding on which type of helmet and then finally, which helmet.

If you going to do a lot of long rides, a more touring based helmet will make sense. If you are going to do short morning rides over the weekend, a top of the line race helmet might be a better option. If so, give the Airoh GP 550 a very strong look, its the same price as the Scorpion but is probably a better option than the RPHA 11. You can find reviews of it on the helmets thread.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

Jackets
Clover Ventouring 2
Klim Induction jacket
Clover fits really well, and comes with L2 armour. Klim has excellent ventilation, but the fit is typical American box.
₹26000 (30k with added D3O back armour)

Get the back armour at the time of purchase, its a must have to save your spine.

But again, decide on the jacket based on your usage. The Clover seems to be more of touring based jacket and the Klim seems to be more of a mesh jacket. Buy one which suits your purpose, or if you are like me, buy one for touring and one for city use. Ive not seen either of your options in person but maybe RedLiner will know better and can suggest based on your intended usage.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

Gloves:
Clover RSC 3
Slim pickins for gloves all around. Usually they don't have my size. But the clovers are quite good, with a scaphoid slider, palm base reinforcement, knuckle and finger protection, a mix of leather and mesh (very little mesh), they work with touchscreens, and felt quite solid. Would've liked more ventilation.
₹8500

You can get a good pair of A* gloves for around Rs 10K as well, check that out (if you havent) before finalizing.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

Boots
A* SMX6.
Didn't like anything else. I'm a sneaker guy through and through so these boots don't make sense to me, visually speaking.
₹21000

Try the SMX1R as it will suit your preference. TCX also has a good equivalent of it. Look up the model name and your nearest dealer to see where you can try it out before buying.

With riding gear, I always suggest doing as much research on the products as possible, since we hear so many stories of riders new to these products deliberately being sold the wrong gear (wrong sized, wrong for purpose, old stock etc) by some unscrupulous dealers.

[Red Liner]

The Klim Induction has a kind of mesh which is almost kevlar like.

https://www.rideapart.com/articles/2...saster-tested/

My choice easily. I would also look at the new Baja s4 if after a more relaxed fit rather than a more sporty cut.

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

If you going to do a lot of long rides, a more touring based helmet will make sense. If you are going to do short morning rides over the weekend, a top of the line race helmet might be a better option. If so, give the Airoh GP 550 a very strong look, its the same price as the Scorpion but is probably a better option than the RPHA 11. You can find reviews of it on the helmets thread.

Thanks. How long are long rides? A full day? Multiple days? 500kms?

Right now I don't see myself riding for more than a few hours at a time. Maybe more for the first few weeks if I'm too excited.

But I'd rather not have to define it right now. Maybe I'll like touring. Maybe I'd want to get on the track. Maybe I'd give up riding after a few months.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

Thanks. How long are long rides? A full day? Multiple days? 500kms?

Right now I don't see myself riding for more than a few hours at a time. Maybe more for the first few weeks if I'm too excited.

But I'd rather not have to define it right now. Maybe I'll like touring. Maybe I'd want to get on the track. Maybe I'd give up riding after a few months.

Long rides can be anything more than a few hours. YMMV. Since you are starting out your motorcycling adventures and dont know where they will take you, I will suggest that you dont go all out on your riding gear right now. Get some good stuff but keep some cash in your back pocket. You just might end up liking only touring or track riding or Sunday morning breakfast rides. Depending on how that goes, you might realize that you need to upgrade / change your gear to something more appropriate, 6 months down the line.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

The Klim Induction has a kind of mesh which is almost kevlar like.

https://www.rideapart.com/articles/2...saster-tested/

My choice easily. I would also look at the new Baja s4 if after a more relaxed fit rather than a more sporty cut.

I was just reading up on the Induction and it seems to be a very nice jacket but for the life of me, I cannot figure out why it is missing the side straps. How do you tighten the jacket to ensure a snug fit at the waist? Does it have an elastic in it that you can pull to tighten it? Or is it meant to be slightly loose at the waist for maximum airflow?

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I was just reading up on the Induction and it seems to be a very nice jacket but for the life of me, I cannot figure out why it is missing the side straps. How do you tighten the jacket to ensure a snug fit at the waist? Does it have an elastic in it that you can pull to tighten it? Or is it meant to be slightly loose at the waist for maximum airflow?

Personally, I hate the side straps on any jacket. All the jackets I have today apart from a Dainese do not have side straps anymore. It almost feels vestigial.

I tried on an induction sometime back and I felt the cut too sporty for me as is. The fit was weird as well, I think the arms were too long, and the waist was too small or something like that.

One thing with mesh is, the jacket should not be snug against your skin. If snug against your skin, the air just hits your skin and you evaporate your sweat even before it has had a chance to form, dehydrating yourself extremely quickly.

Mesh should float above your skin everywhere, in a such a way that air doesn’t bounce of your skin, but circulates inside the jacket, ensuring a more sustained cooling effect as opposed to a constant wind blast on the skin.

Hope that was useful.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Personally, I hate the side straps on any jacket. All the jackets I have today apart from a Dainese do not have side straps anymore. It almost feels vestigial.

I tried on an induction sometime back and I felt the cut too sporty for me as is. The fit was weird as well, I think the arms were too long, and the waist was too small or something like that.

One thing with mesh is, the jacket should not be snug against your skin. If snug against your skin, the air just hits your skin and you evaporate your sweat even before it has had a chance to form, dehydrating yourself extremely quickly.

Mesh should float above your skin everywhere, in a such a way that air doesn’t bounce of your skin, but circulates inside the jacket, ensuring a more sustained cooling effect as opposed to a constant wind blast on the skin.

Hope that was useful.

That was very informative, I didnt know about the air bouncing off the skin theory. It is something that I need to read up on further for sure.

I was actually wondering about the missing lack of straps at the waist which would usually sit just at or say, above your hip bone. It is visible in this picture of the Air GT3 from the Rynox site.

This was present on my previous A* mesh jacket and Im pretty sure the DSG Nero that I used before that, had it as well. Even the Royal Enfield Revvit touring jacket that I have features this at a slightly higher position along with internal elastic right at the bottom.

These side straps would help ensure that the jacket wasnt too loose at the waist and also would prevent flapping from the rear bottom of the jacket while riding in a semi crouched position. There is no skin - jacket contact here, it is only shirt / pant to jacket contact in the case of the mesh jackets that I have seen. Of course not tightening it would increase air flow through and through the jacket.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

These side straps would help ensure that the jacket wasnt too loose at the waist and also would prevent flapping from the rear bottom of the jacket while riding in a semi crouched position. There is no skin - jacket contact here, it is only shirt / pant to jacket contact in the case of the mesh jackets that I have seen. Of course not tightening it would increase air flow through and through the jacket.

Its not theory for me, i have experienced it practically. It really does work and even reduces fatigue big time on longer multi day journeys. These are the things where Indian riding gear designers just dont even come close to what guys like Klim, Adventure Spec, or Moskomoto do. The materials, the design, fit, finish, and the thought behind everything makes it almost feel like you are buying a top class italian suit. I no longer wear suits

If you found that interesting you should also read about how a goretex jacket with everything zipped up shut and a wet merino wool shirt is a far better and safe experience on a 45 deg hot riding day as opposed to the preferred mesh experience. Its science at work.

Also, less hoops and spangles and general loose hanging stuff on your jacket the better. More stitching over stitching (includes pockets) means there is a higher chance of tearing or ripping on impact. The bigger issue is will those things catch something on the pavement, or a snag a loose hanging branch as you go tumbling down or riding by... For me, i have started veering towards less is more on my gear (except for boots). Hoops and straps are also a lazy way for a designer to make sure one size fits as many different but similar sized people at the same time. Think one helmet shell size + different sized inner pads.

Each to his own however, like i said riding gear is a very personal thing.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Roy.S

Has anyone here used Bikeratti riding jeans? I am not so keen on getting regular riding pants because I don't really like the look or feel of them but denims seem to be tolerable. Bikeratti claims to use a kevlar layer inside and the armour is D3O which you can't go wrong with.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

Pants
No options in riding jeans except for bikeratti. There's only one model. Hip and knee/shin armour. ₹8400.

Trust me, I used the same logic and my first pair of protective pants were bikeratti jeans. In time, I realised riding pants are much better to wear than bikeratti jeans and now I have both. I hardly ever find myself wearing the jeans to be honest. And if its raining, the Jeans are a complete non starter. In time if you feel you want to do city rides in Jeans, you might consider an external pair of knee guards. For anything that's more than 50-60 kms riding pants are just much more comfortable. You can wear them over and within boots in time depending on what type of boots you buy.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

So here's what I have liked so far:

Helmets:
Wild Card: HJC RPHA 11

Wild card: look at this beautiful crazy thing

I just love the HJC Marvel / DC series and can't wait to buy one for myself at some point.

For helmets, one suggestion is make sure you buy something with double D ring type of locking mechanism. If you ever visit a track, it is mandatory to wear a helmet with that mechanism.

Originally Posted by ach1lles

Gloves:
Clover RSC 3
Slim pickins for gloves all around. Usually they don't have my size. But the clovers are quite good, with a scaphoid slider, palm base reinforcement, knuckle and finger protection, a mix of leather and mesh (very little mesh), they work with touchscreens, and felt quite solid. Would've liked more ventilation.

I would say throw HELD into the mix as well. They are hands down some of the best gloves out there. Initial cost is high but see if you are open to buying their all weather dual gloves which have two openings, one fully goretex and one more breathable. That way one glove does everything. Alternately, buy one goretex touring glove and one smaller city glove which is cheaper.

Originally Posted by Roy.S

Suited up:
Attachment 2050568

That looks like the Alpinestar store in town (somewhere off Hughes Road) if I'm not mistaken.

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by Axe77

In time, I realised riding pants are much better to wear than bikeratti jeans and now I have both.

Are those jeans inferior in some way? For now I'm digging the jeans, the pants can wait till I feel the need for them.

Originally Posted by Axe77

For helmets, one suggestion is make sure you buy something with double D ring type of locking mechanism.

Yup. The other type hurts my apple anyway.

Originally Posted by Axe77

I would say throw HELD into the mix as well

Not available anywhere here. Most places are running low on stock and sizes.

Originally Posted by Axe77

That looks like the Alpinestar store in town (somewhere off Hughes Road) if I'm not mistaken.

This is in Delhi. Riderz Planet.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

Are those jeans inferior in some way? For now I'm digging the jeans, the pants can wait till I feel the need for them.



Yup. The other type hurts my apple anyway.



Not available anywhere here. Most places are running low on stock and sizes.



This is in Delhi. Riderz Planet.

You can buy HELD from Lazy Ass bikers - they are online (just google).

Just that wet jeans are awful to ride in. And pants are also much more comfortable on a ride than jeans.