[Rapidholic]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

, I have recommended the Nirvik to several riders and all of them are very happy with the jacket.

Bought Nirvik in Amazon sale for 10k, quite happy with the fit and finish

Earlier had a DSG nero which I got for about 6k in 2013, this appears to be a very good and VFM upgrade to that. Also looking for suggestions to replace my end of life DSG carbon gloves (3/5 fingers have started peeking out).

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

So the honeymoon period is over.

Originally Posted by TROOPER

So I dropped the boots at LABs on Saturday and now starts a max 8 weeks wait for the boots to come back.

An update on this.

I had dropped by Gaerne G Yuma Aquatech boots needing a velcro stitch repair under warranty, which were to be shipped to Italy for the same, on 23rd July. I was told it would take 8 weeks or less. Well the boots came in stock of LABs yesterday, after 10 weeks. Since it was Saturday today I could go pick them up.

Some thoughts on this experience:

Only reason I could keep cool, considering the promised duration shot over by exactly two weeks was because monsoons were on and roads around Bombay aren’t worth risking it in such weather. Another reason being LABs folk are professional. They pick up calls, revert back in a proper timeframe. Responses are always in a calm measured manner, especially from Dhaval.

Coming to Gaerne’s warranty policy, it’s worth investing in this brand if you have multiple pairs of boots. If not, better get an Indian brand, or an import if they have a replacement policy. Waiting for two and half months is not possible, especially if one is struck with an issue during a riding season. Say for a Mumbai folk post September to May.

Also it doesn’t help if you don’t live in Bombay. You have to ship it here. Post repairs get them back. That’s an additional expense.

Although I’d add that Dhaval mentioned my case needed the boots to be shipped to Italy. In other cases, if possible, the boots are repaired locally.

Coming to repairs, primary reason I handed over the boots was because of the monsoons. With all the delays I had lost hope on Gaerne. But I must say if I handed over the boots to you for a look, no way you could figure which one of the pair has undergone repair. So 10/10 on that front. Top class work.

[Urban_Nomad]

Looking for some user reviews of the Viaterra Spencer pants… especially with the knee armour placement (and if lack of adjustability of the knee armour is a cause for concern). Will be used for both street and off road / enduro riding

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Looking for some user reviews of the Viaterra Spencer pants… especially with the knee armour placement (and if lack of adjustability of the knee armour is a cause for concern). Will be used for both street and off road / enduro riding

A friend has the viaterra pants and it is not taking abuse well. Another friend wanted it and finally decided to spring for the revit.

Street and offroad enduro hot weather riding are two different genres. I have done both and the street pant will kill you offroad with weight and inflexibility.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Rapidholic

Bought Nirvik in Amazon sale for 10k, quite happy with the fit and finish

Earlier had a DSG nero which I got for about 6k in 2013, this appears to be a very good and VFM upgrade to that. Also looking for suggestions to replace my end of life DSG carbon gloves (3/5 fingers have started peeking out).

Rapidholic, do share some detailed first impressions and pictures of your Nirvik jacket, once you complete a few rides with it.

I am a former DSG Nero jacket user. Its the grand old uncle of all these modern Indian offerings.

What sort of gloves are you looking for? Street gloves? Half gauntlets? Full gauntlets?

[the_skyliner]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

An update on this.

With all the delays I had lost hope on Gaerne. But I must say if I handed over the boots to you for a look, no way you could figure which one of the pair has undergone repair. So 10/10 on that front. Top class work.

Thanks for sharing this update. I recently bought G Dakar from LABS and it's good to know that the warranty part is handled well albeit the delay.

I guess the delay part is something we have to live with considering India still being a tiny market for these brands.

[neil.jericho]

Ever since Royal Enfield launched the Carapace jeans, I was keen to check it out. It offers D30 L2 armour at the knee and hip, at a price of Rs 6,990. That is incredible VFM. Also, it looks like a regular pair of jeans that you can wear anywhere and everywhere.

I had suggested it to a friend, who promptly ordered one for himself. He really likes the fit and finish of it.

It took a while for the company to dispatch a piece in my size, to my local Royal Enfield company store. I found the fit at the waist to be a bit snug. That is probably down to the hip armour. Other than that, I liked everything about the jeans. The Carapace riding jeans look and feels like a regular pair of jeans, which is exactly what most of us want!

I will be buying it very soon.

The other options in the segment are the Bikeratti jeans and the Korda riding jeans. From what I can gather

1. Royal Enfield Carapace Jeans
+ D30 Level 2 armour at both the hip and knees
+ Attractive VFM price (Rs 6,990 and you get a 5% discount now on the Royal Enfield site)
+ Can be worn anywhere
+ Easy availability online and offline in Royal Enfield's stores
- No Kevlar lining

2. Korda Riding Jeans
+ Safe-Tech Level 2 armour for knees
+ Kevlar lining in the knee and buttock region
- Stretch panel at the groin area is of a different colour and potentially, makes this pant unusable for regular usage
- PowerSports International doesnt have a retail partner in Cochin, which is the riding capital of the state!
- Hip armour has to be upgraded to Level 2
- Priced at Rs 7,990, it should have offered all round Level 2 armour

3. Bireatti Jeans
+ Offers a base (L1 armour) and a pro version (L2 armour) of blue and black jeans.
+ Lined with Dupont Kevlar (I assume throughout the jeans, since its not mentioned otherwise)
- Expensive offerings with the base jeans costing Rs 8,900 and the pro version costing Rs 9,900.

Here are some pictures of the Royal Enfield Carapace jeans.

[Thamps]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Here are some pictures of the Royal Enfield Carapace jeans.

RE have already updated their riding jeans.That's fast!
The ones I bought did not have the accordion panels on knees. It seems that they have also updated the armor from inside pocket to external ones.

This version looks better than the old one, though less stealthy.

During the recent sale at FC moto, I was just browsing the deals and the Alpinestar GP Plus R gloves caught my attention. The gloves were retailing at 42% discount (approx 9.4k) and the sale was offering a further discount of 15%. After some research, I learned that the GP Plus R gloves are Alpinestars entry level gloves in their racing series and are slotted below the GP Pro, GP tech and Supertech gloves, which are used in MotoGP. I also found that the same glove retails for a super inflated price of 25k in some of the indian stores, whereas the converted price from the Astars website hovers around 15-16k.

Due to the super "low" custom duties which would be slapped in our country, irrespective of the item imported and slab it falls , getting a deal on the discount sales abroad for us seems to be out of question. A discount of more than 50% may get us a somewhat decent savings.

SO I ordered a pair in Size 'L' as the website indicated my measurement falls under L. Gloves from Indian Brands fit me in 'S' and recently bought RS Taichi GP gloves fit me in size 'M'. Since all the reviews warned of Astars race gloves fitting one size up, I decided to stick to the Astars website measurement.

The rate of gloves after all discount were approx 8k plus shipping came to around 1.6k and the final price after all charges were Rs 9903/-.

Customs charged me Rs 3466 making the landing price Rs 13369/-. The gloves are made in China. I could not find the manufacturing date anywhere. However, the instruction booklet indicates its print version as 2020.

Considering the price and specs, I feel this falls under the same category as RS Taichi GP WRX Gloves which I own. But the difference in quality of leather and wear comfort is beyond comparison. This is my first pair of gloves from a premium brand like Astars and the difference does show. The gloves are extremely comfortable and leather is super supple and smooth. Astars have used external stitching for comfort on fingers and internal sticthing elsewhere for safety. It also has triple velcro closures which makes the fit more snug. This being their entry level racing gloves I cant fathom what their premium offerings would feellike.

That being said, it does not have any TPU wrist protection and it offers only a single SPS slider. But, I feel the comfort and quality of leathers overshadows these cons.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Thamps

RE have already updated their riding jeans.That's fast!
The ones I bought did not have the accordion panels on knees. It seems that they have also updated the armor from inside pocket to external ones.
This version looks better than the old one, though less stealthy. ��

By now, Ive used the jeans on at least half a dozen occasions. Let me use this for a few more weeks, before sharing some detailed feedback. In the real world, it is discreet enough for it to slip under everyone's radar, which is exactly what I was looking for.

If someone from Royal Enfield is reading this, how about the Carapace jeans in black ?

[100Kmphormore]

Extremely good and informative discussion on riding gear has a plethora of information on which riding gear you could buy. I would like to add my opinion on the Raida Discover boots, which I have been using for a couple of months now. Fully waterproof and a strong build for just 5.5k. Bought it from Autobots, Jayanagar 3rd block.

Mods, please merge into an appropriate thread the information below if I’m mixing in between threads here. It pertains to the recent series of accidents on the Bengaluru mysuru expressway and how it really is true.

Please ride safe. With power comes responsibility too. Understand your bike, what it is capable of doing and what are the safe speeds you can push it to. By the time you get to the 5000 km mark should give you a broad idea of this. Donning all riding gear before you even get on the bike is a no brainer. No such thing as, let me get to the highway, I shall wear the gloves, boots etc. I have seen several do this. Some remove the gloves/jacket once the weather gets uncomfortable and ride out the rest of their journey. Please don’t. You’re killing the purpose of what it is for. It is better to sweat than to bleed. Please read the below for why I’m writing this.

Today morning while on a ride to Maddur Tiffanys for breakfast with a friend. I was cruising at around 90 kmph on the new Bengaluru - Mysuru expressway. Was flanked with a passenger bus in the right lane and was around 200 m away from a slow moving Dzire taxi in the middle lane. Had crossed Channapatna and was headed towards the outskirts of Maddur, when in a flash, a Himalayan and a Dominar who had been doing the flyby kind of riding (suddenly stopping and suddenly speeding) gave a flyby to us. The Dominar escaped the Dzire narrowly, while the Himalayan rammed into it at approximately 120 kmph, unable to shift lanes or slow down like the Dominar. I immediately slowed down and shifted to the left lane while shell shocked by the Himalayan rider, who fell off into the right lane and narrowly missed the bus running over him and the bike. All of this in a span of 3 seconds - the flyby, crash and him on the divider.
Immediately stopped and checked upon the guy, brought the bike to the road shoulder etc. he had worn complete riding gear and rode away without a scratch or broken bones. Only damage was to his aux lights and his riding jacket which was torn. The Dzires bumper came off and the boot crumpled.

[rt363]

Originally Posted by rt363

Finally got the TCX SP Master for using with the 650f.

Was really confused with the three choices in 20k category. Special thanks to BHP-ian Neil for his review of Falco and his comment about the adv boots. Tried falco oxegen 3 & SP master in Autoqueen, Kochi and decided to move ahead with TCX.
Price differential between the two was around 4.5k and was personally justifiable for the build quality of TCX. Although the TCX claims to be ventilated, my feet has a different opinion . Oxegen 3 on the otherhand is waterproof.

Covered some 150 odd kms on the boot and initial impressions are excellent. Only pain point is that the right leg rests on the rear brake pedal on a slightly pressed manner. Might be that the boot has to break in or I have to break my angle. Not sure if the pedal can be further adjusted to bent position.
Attachment 2319897

Attachment 2319896
Notice the red padding inside. Its all inside the boot as well.
Attachment 2319898

After using for 6 months approx., now the TCX just feels like an extension of my body. Earlier concerns are fairly addressed now.
Now I ride without resting my right leg on the rear brake. Its being etched into the muscle memory like @red liner mentioned.

Although the boot is not waterproof, I had to use it in mild to moderate Kerala rains and the water swept in only at the joint area and near the thumb finger. Otherwise the feet was dry. Rode it during heavy downpour en-route Ooty, the boot stayed dry enough.

I must say that now I feel comfortable walking around the boot although the grip offered is minimal. Not to forget the fact that after each ride, cleaning and storing it is another major task

[neil.jericho]

While picking up my Royal Enfield Carapace jeans, I spotted a new pair of boots from Royal Enfield. This was the waterproof E-39 short riding boots. In a market where solid, usable boots are hard to find, this is a welcome offering for Indian motorcyclists. I didnt try it on but it does look to be quite sturdy. Like many of their recent riding gear launches, Royal Enfield has placed the company logos in a manner that gives the final product a subdued look. This design philosophy will certainly enhance its appeal in the mass market.

However, unlike many of their other riding gear products, this one isnt priced aggressively. With its MRP of Rs 12,990, the price is creeping dangerously close to imported boots from the big name brands. However, the availability of those products pan-India is limited, whereas the E39 boots will probably be easily available. Also, you can avail of the usual 10% Royal Enfield discount, through your nearest Royal Enfield store. That makes the price more digestible for riders like us.

Another point to keep in mind is that Royal Enfield only mentions "Conforms to high safety standards" in the product description. Take it for what you will.

If you are in the market for a pair of riding boots that you can wear everyday, you should consider this option.

[karanddd]

Any suggestions for gear usage in very hot and humid weather, like in Goa. I can only manage to wear shorts, t-shirt and crocs because of how hot anything else would feel. A mesh riding jacket could work, but what do you do when you have to get off to run errands or whatever? Where do you keep it? Because keeping it on would feel way too hot. Same with pants and shoes.

[100Kmphormore]

Royal Enfield simply overprices it’s products. That pair of boots is similar to my Raida discover boots and costs 5.5k. Jackets worth 8k are 14k.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

2. Korda Riding Jeans
+ Safe-Tech Level 2 armour for knees
+ Kevlar lining in the knee and buttock region
- Stretch panel at the groin area is of a different colour and potentially, makes this pant unusable for regular usage
- PowerSports International doesnt have a retail partner in Cochin, which is the riding capital of the state!
- Hip armour has to be upgraded to Level 2
- Priced at Rs 7,990, it should have offered all round Level 2 armour

Here is a picture of my friend wearing the Korda riding jeans. Hes very happy with it.

Originally Posted by karanddd

Any suggestions for gear usage in very hot and humid weather, like in Goa. I can only manage to wear shorts, t-shirt and crocs because of how hot anything else would feel. A mesh riding jacket could work, but what do you do when you have to get off to run errands or whatever? Where do you keep it? Because keeping it on would feel way too hot. Same with pants and shoes.

Goa's weather is as good / bad as Cochin's. A mesh jacket is the answer.