[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Has anyone used the Royal Enfield Vamos or the Rev'it Monster 2? Can you share some feedback on these? Are there any other options that members here can suggest?

Two gloves I had shortlisted are the bikeratti Equator summer gloves. The tan color looks nice. Second one being the Shima RS-2. Both fall in your above two categories, below 5k and above it! I've seen the Shima physically, seems decent compared to Alpinestars equivalent. (I've not owned A*)

Equator will replace my Richa Desert gloves and RS-2 is a bit too technical for me, a STR-2 meets my replacement criteria for my AGV Sport Rivet gloves. But both are going strong

surjaonwheelz

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Two gloves I had shortlisted are the bikeratti Equator summer gloves. The tan color looks nice. Second one being the Shima RS-2. Both fall in your above two categories, below 5k and above it! I've seen the Shima physically, seems decent compared to Alpinestars equivalent. (I've not owned A*)

Equator will replace my Richa Desert gloves and RS-2 is a bit too technical for me, a STR-2 meets my replacement criteria for my AGV Sport Rivet gloves. But both are going strong

surjaonwheelz

Thanks, these are great suggestions indeed. I never thought of them, as I have not got a chance to experience these gloves so far. The Shima gloves appear to be extremely solid VFM. A friend here is using the STX, below is his feedback on the gloves
- Good quality
- Ventilation is not meant for humid climate
- Comfortable for long rides
- Need to be careful with sizing
- Stitches are intact even after all weather usage
- Colour running on the inside happened around 8 times but it washed off easily.

Unfortunately, the local dealer here doesnt have XL in stock for any of the Shima models and isnt sure about future availability.

I plan to check out the Macna Airpack full gauntlets as well.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I really wanted to buy gloves from Rynox or Viaterra, as they meet all my requirements on paper. But the quality issues dont give me a lot of confidence. I had bought a pair of TBG gloves a few years ago and they gave up so fast that I decided not to spend any more money on their products. Consistent quality is what seems to differentiate the Indian brands from the international ones that cost more.

FYI
#REVIT gloves comfort is hit or miss. I have owned 5 pairs. One pair fit right but the fingers were so narrow blood supply cut off when riding and hands went numb. Pretty idiotic design. Sold them to a dear friend who has slimmer fingers lol. Another pair bit right through my fingers and knuckles to the point that when i lost one of the pair i figured good riddance but was 12k down the drain. Even the sand 3 gloves gave me grief for 2 months before they broke in. And i do ride a lot.

#klim gloves have generally had lots of quality issues and dont last as long.

So generalising this way is probably not the right thing to do. Gloves are all hand made and i understand that even the same brand of gloves will fit and feel different on the same hand. Its why i now stick to the brand and style in the size i know works and dont experiment with new ones any further.

Good luck!

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

FYI
#REVIT gloves comfort is hit or miss. I have owned 5 pairs. One pair fit right but the fingers were so narrow blood supply cut off when riding and hands went numb. Pretty idiotic design. Sold them to a dear friend who has slimmer fingers lol. Another pair bit right through my fingers and knuckles to the point that when i lost one of the pair i figured good riddance but was 12k down the drain. Even the sand 3 gloves gave me grief for 2 months before they broke in. And i do ride a lot.

#klim gloves have generally had lots of quality issues and dont last as long.

So generalising this way is probably not the right thing to do. Gloves are all hand made and i understand that even the same brand of gloves will fit and feel different on the same hand. Its why i now stick to the brand and style in the size i know works and dont experiment with new ones any further.

Good luck!

Whoa, in what time frame did you run through that many pairs of gloves?

Ive been using riding gloves since late 2008 or so, Ill just share a short summary of the ones Ive used below.
- DSG street gloves : Used 2 different pairs between 2008 and 2010. At that time, we only had DSG and Cramster stuff. Inexpensive and served their purpose.
- Cramster TRG 2 full gauntlets : Fabulous pair of gloves. Went through 4 years of monsoons and summers, got used on a trip to the Himalayas and for daily commuting. They performed brilliantly. Think I paid Rs 2,100 or so in 2010. Fantastic VFM.
- TBG full gauntlets : More than double the price of the Cramsters and didnt even last half of that in terms of usage or time. Complete disappointment.
- A* SP2 full gauntlets : Great for sport touring. Used in all sorts of riding conditions - commuting, touring, track riding. They probably lasted me for around 4+ years, I dont remember when I bought them. In hindsight, they have held up well.
- Dainese Full Metal D1 full gauntlets : My wallet cried a little when I purchased this pair of gloves. Ok, maybe more than a little. Quite a lot, actually. From a fit and finish perspective, this pair of gloves made me fall in love with Dainese. Now I know why many people swear by Dainese gear. Im an A* guy, but the premium commanded by Dainese for their gloves is well worth it, to me. When I had a fall recently, I was wearing them and they got a little scruffed up but saved my hands. They look a little worse for wear though.

Overall, I havent heard of many riders complain about quality issues with A* gear, as well as other international brands. So your post was very informative from that perspective. I do read and hear of a lot of warranty claims and issues with Indian gloves. I too had an issue with a pair of brand new Rynox riding pants.

What brand and style of gloves are you using now?

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Whoa, in what time frame did you run through that many pairs of gloves?



What brand and style of gloves are you using now?

2016-2021. At the moment, revit sand 3, revit goretex, and acerbis trail gloves.

Honestly for me Rynox is at the bottom of the pit in terms of mainstream indian riding gear. I bought those advento pants thinking let me scrimp, its a riding pant after all. Sold it in 3 rides and got myself a klim overland pant and its been about 75,000 kms now.

Your mileage as always, may vary

[Vikashmalya]

This thread is highly informative and thanks to you all for that.

I am fairly new to motorbike gears though i have been riding since 2000 till about 2010 i have never used riding gears except for helmet. For the past 10 years or so i have been using cars for daily commute and long trips with my family. I love driving cars but still have that soft spot for biking. I had got a Gixxer in 2014 but could not drive it due to back pain and had to give it then.

I have now got a RE Meteor and am planning to begin my riding experience again. I am planning to buy a complete set of riding gear and i am looking for fairly decent priced equipment. I am seeking your advise if i am going in the right direction:

I am not looking for anything fancy and would love if it is in brown, black and grey colors. I am hitting 40 next year and my love for bright colors such as yellow, green has faded especially on Bikes, Cars and related equipment. I still love wearing bright Tshirts though .

Usage: I am planning to do weekend trips and few long trips as well. Specifically down south. So 80% of the time i will be using it in humid conditions.

Gears planning to be purchased (in the same order of priority)

1. Full faced helmet ( i now only have a Vega and RE half face). Budget 4k - 6k. Shortlisted:
a. Axor APEX VENOMOUS / Hunter - 5k - There is no size S in Axor.
b. MT - Targo - comes with Turbulators - 5.7k
c. Axxis Draken - 4.2k

2. Riding Jacket: Budget Max 8k
a. Rynox Air GT 3 - 6.8k
b. Solace Urban L2 - 6.4
c. Tarmac Drifter 2 - 4k (comes with L2 elbow, shoulder and back) but could not find any dealer / sellers in chennai who has stock.

Both Rynox and Solace carry similar specifications. Safetech L2 @ elbow, shoulder and back. I am slightly inclined towards Rynox but it is not available anywhere.

3. Riding gloves: Budget Max 3.5k
i am totally confused here. I am planning to get Rynox Air GT along with the jacket but not sure. I will be using it predominantly in chennai / south weather conditions.

4. Riding Boots: Budget under 5k - I know there are no options here for the budget
a. Orazo Picus - 4k - 5k
i currently use Woodland shoes. I know it is not meant for riding. Should i just continue using what i have or would Orazo make any difference.

5. Riding Pants - Budget 8k
a. Tarmac Drifter - 4k (only one that comes with L2 at this price range)
b. Rynox storm evo - 7.5k L1
c. Solace cool pro - 8.5k L1

For me, after reading all your posts, L2 level safety is minimum required. So L1 is ruled out. I would preferably want to spend the minimum required to achieve the desired protection (l2). Any advise on this would be helpful. Thank you.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by Vikashmalya

.... I am seeking your advise if i am going in the right direction:

1. Full faced helmet
2. Riding Jacket:
3. Riding gloves:
4. Riding Boots:
5. Riding Pants:
b. Rynox storm evo - 7.5k L1
c. Solace cool pro - 8.5k L1
....Any advise on this would be helpful. Thank you.

1 - Spend a bit more on this upfront and get a better helmet in the ballpark range of 10-20k. RTFF for many options in that bracket.
2 - Air GT3 if you can find one.
3 - Rynox options are good.
4 - Orazo Picus will do. I have Dainese, A* and Orazo and find the latter okay for regular usage.
5 - Solace or Rynox

----Fellow 40+ years young

[TheVaas]

Originally Posted by Vikashmalya

5. Riding Pants - Budget 8k
a. Tarmac Drifter - 4k (only one that comes with L2 at this price range)
b. Rynox storm evo - 7.5k L1
c. Solace cool pro - 8.5k L1

For me, after reading all your posts, L2 level safety is minimum required. So L1 is ruled out. I would preferably want to spend the minimum required to achieve the desired protection (l2). Any advise on this would be helpful. Thank you.

Tarmac Drifter is CE Level 1. The Nomad II riding pants are CE Level 2 and costs about 6k. I know this because I use the Nomad and my wife uses the drifter Also, the drifter is a bit of a slim fit as compared to the Nomad. Same with the jacket you mentioned - Drifter is L1 and Drifter II is L2.

Since you mentioned that there are no Tarmac dealers in your area, you can check out bachoomotors (dot)com. They are the official dealers for Tarmac. I had ordered the pants from their website using their size chart (during the lockdown) and it fit us perfectly. Also prior riding pant sizing helped.

Rynox and Solace are tried and tested brands. I think Solace Cool Pro v3 (just launched) is L2.

Cheers!

[Vikashmalya]

Originally Posted by TheVaas

Since you mentioned that there are no Tarmac dealers in your area, you can check out bachoomotors (dot)com. They are the official dealers for Tarmac. I had ordered the pants from their website using their size chart (during the lockdown) and it fit us perfectly. Also prior riding pant sizing helped.

Cheers!

Thank you for the suggestion.
I am skeptic about buying any of the gears online. I would want to try the sizes before i could buy them. I tried the size chart to buy gloves, for the length of the palm the size indicated is "L", whereas the circumference at the knuckle is "S". I know it has to do with my hand and not to blame the chart, i don't want to go around in circles with orders / returns etc. Similar is the case with jackets and pants. Maybe when i am purchasing it for the 2nd time after a few years, i will know exactly which size to buy.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

1 - Spend a bit more on this upfront and get a better helmet in the ballpark range of 10-20k. RTFF for many options in that bracket.
2 - Air GT3 if you can find one.
3 - Rynox options are good.
4 - Orazo Picus will do. I have Dainese, A* and Orazo and find the latter okay for regular usage.
5 - Solace or Rynox

----Fellow 40+ years young

Thank you. For the helmets, one of the concern i have is that i am not sure how to look for additional value for the difference in money. For e.g. there are helmets that are ECE and DOT certified with polycarbonate shells available for 4k and also at 30k. Now i know that the key difference will be in features and comfort, however i really don't feel uncomfortable with 4k helmets or even lesser ones either.

From safety standpoint are there any major differences from the ECE / DOT certified under 10k and over 10k shells. Can you pls let me know what other parameters should i be looking for other than the following that i cannot have under 5k helmets.

Some of the key aspects i looked and that are available in 5k helmets.
1. ECE / DOT certifications
2. Polycarbonate shells
3. D Ring Fasteners
4. Weight - lesser the convenient (under 1500 gms)
5. Pinlock (with pinlock or pinlock ready)
6. Removable and washable interiors
7. Dedicated space for Bluetooth to be fit in
8. Anti-glare visors

Please let me know if i am missing it totally.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by Vikashmalya

For e.g. there are helmets that are ECE and DOT certified with polycarbonate shells available for 4k and also at 30k.

From safety standpoint are there any major differences from the ECE / DOT certified under 10k and over 10k shells.

Some of the key aspects i looked and that are available in 5k helmets.
1. ECE / DOT certifications
2. Polycarbonate shells
3. D Ring Fasteners
4. Weight - lesser the convenient (under 1500 gms)
5. Pinlock (with pinlock or pinlock ready)
6. Removable and washable interiors
7. Dedicated space for Bluetooth to be fit in
8. Anti-glare visors

Please let me know if i am missing it totally.

- Look for a Sharp 4 or 5 rating. The DOT rating is increasingly looking meaningless based on the tests they do. ECE seems to be a bit better, but right now SHARP is supposed to have the best testing framework.
- Double D ring is not a must - in fact can be avoided for regular use helmets due to the slight inconvenience.
- Pinlock or pinlock compatibility is good to have.
- Ability to wear goggles inside is good in case your model doesn't have sun visor.
- The weight of the helmet goes up with a sun visor and if it is going below 1500 g at a low price point then it is likely cutting corners where it should not!

[ownerofazkaban]

[
Above Rs 5K
- ]
[/quote]

There is SCALA trekker model for 6.5K with goat leather and KNOX. It’s an import, however I just cannot find it online on million rides website .

[theredliner]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Has anyone used the Royal Enfield Vamos or the Rev'it Monster 2? Can you share some feedback on these?

I have Monster 2 in brown. Have used it only for 3k km (My Spartan glove developed a hole at 1k km) and looks as good as new (may be better due to all the care). Workmanship and quality of materials are absolutely top notch. It looks like a luxury item in front of the stuff made by local brands.

I don't generally use it on highway runs as I prefer full gauntlet ones for that. So, it's mostly for city use (includes rides on ORR and in-city expressways at 60+ km/h) and it is very comfortable for that. My palms are very sensitive and generally start to develop mild irritation if I wear riding gloves without inner gloves, but no such thing here as the lining is made of some nice material and I don't feel any poorly cut/finished rough edges on the insides.

It is expensive for city use, but it definitely is a very premium product. I haven't regretted spending the money on it so far.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I plan to check out the Macna Airpack full gauntlets as well.

Thanks to some excellent feedback on Macna jackets by alphadog, I went to the SPG store to try out the Macna Airpack gloves. They appear to be high quality gloves that are very well made, considering the price. I was very impressed but unfortunately, the XL wasnt a perfect fit and the L was tight at the wrist. I probably could have gone with the XL sized glove if I didnt have any other options.

I tried out a couple of their mesh jackets as well, the quality is something else! The fit is more towards the slim side, so its not really suited for the typical middle aged Indian rider, but it reeks of quality.

Originally Posted by Vikashmalya

For me, after reading all your posts, L2 level safety is minimum required. So L1 is ruled out. I would preferably want to spend the minimum required to achieve the desired protection (l2). Any advise on this would be helpful. Thank you.

The shortlisted options are all very good. Try and buy. On the jackets, my only suggestion would be to think of getting a lighter coloured jacket since it will keep you a lot cooler than a dark colour jacket would. Get the Orazo boots as well, they will offer better protection that a basic pair of Woodlands.

Originally Posted by ownerofazkaban

There is SCALA trekker model for 6.5K with goat leather and KNOX. It’s an import, however I just cannot find it online on million rides website .

Thanks, I cant find it anywhere here.

Originally Posted by theredliner

I have Monster 2 in brown. Have used it only for 3k km (My Spartan glove developed a hole at 1k km) and looks as good as new (may be better due to all the care). Workmanship and quality of materials are absolutely top notch. It looks like a luxury item in front of the stuff made by local brands.

Thanks a lot! I was caught between the Monster 2 (fit me perfectly), the A* SP8 V2 (fit me very well). I will check out both once again and finalize. I was leaning towards the Monster 2 despite the higher price and your post has only served to make the case stronger for the Monster 2. I completely agree with your last line, it felt like a premium pair of gloves. I only wish it was priced more reasonably.

[Vikashmalya]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

- Look for a Sharp 4 or 5 rating. The DOT rating is increasingly looking meaningless based on the tests they do. ECE seems to be a bit better, but right now SHARP is supposed to have the best testing framework.
- Ability to wear goggles inside is good in case your model doesn't have sun visor.
- The weight of the helmet goes up with a sun visor and if it is going below 1500 g at a low price point then it is likely cutting corners where it should not!

I found a MT Thunder 3 helmet that is DOT / ECE and also SHARP 4 rated and it is priced at 6,500. Of all the MT helmets and other brands in similar price range, this seems to be the only one with SHARP 4 rating. It also comes with built in sun visor.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The shortlisted options are all very good. Try and buy. On the jackets, my only suggestion would be to think of getting a lighter coloured jacket since it will keep you a lot cooler than a dark colour jacket would. Get the Orazo boots as well, they will offer better protection that a basic pair of Woodlands.

Thank you. I was also planning to get the lighter shade jacket and pants from the above options. Though all black would look good, for me comfort takes priority over looks. I tried the orazo boots and it feels comfortable. The jackets are not available (Rynox and Solace) and I am just waiting for the stocks to arrive so that I can make the purchase all at once in one shop.

[hiren.mistry]

Hello folks,
Picked up the Rynox Storm Evo riding jacket last week. It will be replacing my first generation Rynox Air GT jacket who's protection has disintegrated literally.

My first choice was the Rynox Tornado V3 jacket, but it was out of stock. So the choice was between the Raida Tourbine (extremely lightweight) and Storm Evo, chose the later.

The fit of this one seems to be lot better than the Air GT that it replaces, and man is this jacket heavy. Picked up the off-white colorway. It is going to be a struggle to keep it clean though.

This is how it looks on me.. Size XL.