Team-BHP - The Riding Gear thread
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Quote:

Originally Posted by ebonho (Post 3188748)
Aditya, how is the DSG Nitro compared to the Revive? Does not have as long a waist (not really a proper reinforced armored guantlet) as the Revive, but the construction and the knuckle protectors look better built. And both are in the same price range, and leather.

I've been using the Nitro for a couple of years now. The palm area as well as the fingers get perforated leather. This makes them comfy even in sultry weather.
The inner lining strikes the right balance between being comfy and providing decent feel.

All things considered, they're a good buy if you do not want your gloves to extend past the wrist.
P.S: The stitching on the Nitro somehow feels and looks a tad better than the Revive's.

@n_aditya


Can you provide us with some feedback, now that you have used the Spartan riding pants for a fair bit of time? In terms of comfort and quality. Also would like to see a couple of pictures with you wearing those.

PS :- Do these pants have the conventional belt loops also or just the adjustable velcro waistbands?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad (Post 3194110)
How is the fit of the Spartan pants; Especially around the ankles. I ask as I would not prefer a baggy fit. I went riding with my Cargo pants on a few days back. Almost every time I brought my foot down to the road on traffic lights; the bottom of the pants invariably fouled against the foot peg; almost disbalancing the bike once.

Just thought I'd let you know that I rode a couple of times a few weeks back, with the Spartan pants tucked into the boots and they were very comfortable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motormania (Post 3217820)
Can you provide us with some feedback, now that you have used the Spartan riding pants for a fair bit of time? In terms of comfort and quality. Also would like to see a couple of pictures with you wearing those.

PS :- Do these pants have the conventional belt loops also or just the adjustable velcro waistbands?

The pants are very comfortable and the material is very robust and construction is well built.

Yet to take any pics of me wearing the pants, will do so and post them up here.

The pants have velcro straps for the waist. No loops for a belt. But the straps allow for 4 inches of adjustment which is quite a bit and they are super sticky too.

Only thing you need to keep in mind is that if you have to stop for a bio break, to open the fly you have to open the velcro strap on the right side of the waist, open the fly velcro and then the zipper. If your body is asking for a break, don't wait till the bladder is about to burst as it takes a few seconds to get ready. :D

^^ Thanks Aditya!

Did not manage to try out the Spartan pants as they were out of stock at Meandering India. The DSGs did not inspire confidence; mostly because the armour kept sliding around.

For now; riding pants are off my list. I have ordered the Dianese Knee V Guards along with Thor Sector (CE rated) knee guards.

My gear is stuck in transit (delay caused by an idiot who was supposed to carry the stuff for me) along with my Teknic Aquavent jacket.

With the Indian Rupee (INR) today touching a historic low of Rs. 68.80 vs. the USD$, its definitely not good news for the rider community looking to buy / import riding gear, with US generally being the most preferred destination to buy / procure / import most of the stuff for individual buyers & seasoned importers in India. Financial wizards had predicted that the rupee will touch 70 by the end of this calendar year. However, going by its current performance vs. the $ this month, looks like its going to touch this historic figure in the next couple of days!!!

Needless to say, all the importers selling riding gear across India will be forced to increase prices and pass on the burden to us or have already done so...depending on their inventory levels. This write-up is obviously not to highlight the current state of the Indian economy, but to explore and evaluate the options ahead of us if any one of us is still willing to invest in purchasing riding gear, but is hesitant to do so given the current havoc played by exchange rates:Frustrati

So what are the options -
Buy merchandise / gear manufactured locally. If looking to buy imported merchandise from an Indian retailer, look for prices / consignment imported upto March / April 2013. By then the USD $ was quoting at Rs. 55. If someone still desires to be adventurous and is firm to buy gear from abroad, first take a look for closeout items from online retailers - my personal picks in this department in terms of variety and prices offered have been -

www.revzilla.com
www.motorcyclegear.com
www.sportbiketrackgear.com

Amongst the 3, Revzilla has been the best in terms of customer service and lightning fast delivery and also variety of gear offered. They are also competent when it comes to prices across brands. Motorcyclegear also surprises in terms of closeout items offered. In fact that's their USP. They usually buy items from manufacturers which are typically 1 or maybe 2 seasons old and they buyout the entire remaining inventory across the US. This inturn gives them a tremendous advantage on prices offered across various merchandise. Of course, exceptions are always there and cannot be ruled out. Name of the game is to do a search across various web sites for the items you want to shop and see which online retailer fits your bill in terms of price / shipment / delivery conditions. Quality offered by brands is uniform across all online retailers. Hence what it boils down to is price / shipment terms / product exchange policy & re-stock fees (if applicable). Also, given the current situation (rupee depreciating more than 20% vs. the $ this year), it makes no sense to ship the products to India and pay an import duty of 30%!!!....atleast for now. Instead, be patient and wait for your next visitor to come to India who can bring the items for you DUTY FREE.

Some of the prominent closeouts I've come across are listed below -

Revzilla - Teknic, Alpinestars, REV'IT & Dainese Closeout Sale Sportbiketrackgear - Icon, Knox, Alpinestars, Scorpion, Dainese, Speed and Strength.
Motorcyclegear - Scorpion Ventech Jacket (Mesh Jacket), REV'IT Bullit One piece race suit, Shoei Qwest Helmets

Listed above are the ones that I have come across. As we all know, its an ocean out there to discover, depending on your riding style & gear preference.

There's something for everyone across all budgets. Sizing needs to be looked at carefully since items offered on closeout are generally discontinued once stocks are over.

For those of you who are absolutely unaffected by the current exchange rates, do watch out for the fall 2013 / 2014 collection released across most of the brands. You definitely won't be disappointed.

As mentioned earlier by most of my fellow riders, I repeat - better to invest in a quality riding gear when the going is good. We always have closeouts to opt for when it comes to buying quality riding gear. In case of injuries, hospital bills don't come with a closeout price optionlol:

So go ahead and take your pic

Finally after a good amount of hard work and saving money, got the DSG Triton.

Sorry for the crappy pics

Help needed (again)!

My a star ridge boots r under quite a bit of stress. I ride an RE T bird n it is ridiculously easy to scrape the foot pegs on that bike. While I love draggin pegs, The problem is that I'm also scraping the side of my boots. I wore my cat steel toes for some time but its a seven yr old shoe who s sole is now almost off (needs glue). I have tried really tucking in my feet whilst cornering but not much luck.

Are there any clip on type sliders I can put on the boots to avoid getting road rash? Do not want to spend much over a grand. The other alternative I can think of is to buy a pair of army dms boots for my mid night cornering sessions. Suggestions please. Tx!

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditya.bhardwaj (Post 3232613)
Finally after a good amount of hard work and saving money, got the DSG Triton.

Sorry for the crappy pics

Hey Aditya; the jacket looks good. I did check it out in person at Meandering India. Where did you buy this from?

This jacket seemed pretty hot and not at all suitable for summer riding. How has your experience been?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motormania (Post 3217820)
Can you provide us with some feedback, now that you have used the Spartan riding pants for a fair bit of time? In terms of comfort and quality. Also would like to see a couple of pictures with you wearing those.

PS :- Do these pants have the conventional belt loops also or just the adjustable velcro waistbands?

Here is a short review of the Spartan riding pants.

As requested, pics are below:

The Riding Gear thread-20130908-05.54.15.jpg

The Riding Gear thread-20130908-05.54.52.jpg

The Riding Gear thread-20130908-05.55.34.jpg

As mentioned earlier, the pants have velcro straps for the waist. No loops for a belt. But the straps allow for 4 inches of adjustment which is quite a bit and the velcro straps are super sticky too.

Only thing you need to keep in mind is that if you have to stop for a bio break, to open the fly you have to open the velcro strap on the right side of the waist, open the fly velcro and then the zipper. If your body is asking for a break, don't wait till the bladder is about to burst as it takes a few seconds to get ready. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad (Post 3236746)
Hey Aditya; the jacket looks good. I did check it out in person at Meandering India. Where did you buy this from?

This jacket seemed pretty hot and not at all suitable for summer riding. How has your experience been?

Thank you. I got it from Meandering India itself.

Yes it is impossible to wear this one for summer riding. I went for a small ride in the evening a few days back and was sweating like anything. I guess a mesh jacket would solve this problem. Still the vents in this one do a good job of venting and circulating air. Anyway i have got this one for long tours only and as winter is coming soon, riding with the triton would'nt be a problem :D

Bought a Sparx lid in preparation for the extra 28 horses I get to experience (Zma to D390).

Here are some pics !

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavericK46 (Post 3237791)
Bought a Sparx lid in preparation for the extra 28 horses I get to experience (Zma to D390).

Here are some pics !

Congratulations. Sparx helmets are very qood quality VFM helmets for those who don't want to spend a bomb. Priced under 10k the fit and finish of these helmets are excellent.

Do carry them around in the helmet bag to avoid scratches and dings. Apply a coat of wax once in a few months to protect the shine and finish. :thumbs up

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavericK46 (Post 3237791)
Bought a Sparx lid in preparation for the extra 28 horses I get to experience (Zma to D390).

Here are some pics !

Where did you pick it up from? And the price if you don't mind sharing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_aditya (Post 3238463)
Congratulations. Sparx helmets are very qood quality VFM helmets for those who don't want to spend a bomb. Priced under 10k the fit and finish of these helmets are excellent.

Do carry them around in the helmet bag to avoid scratches and dings. Apply a coat of wax once in a few months to protect the shine and finish.

Roger that Adi ! :)


Quote:

Originally Posted by slicvic (Post 3238472)
Where did you pick it up from? And the price if you don't mind sharing.

I wouldn't mind in the least mate !
Seeing as it would help you make an informed purchase :)

Anyhoo, I wanted to test the fit and comfort on wearing the lid and hence decided to visit Orion Yamaha. This is the showroom bang opposite to The Forum.
I'd originally planned to have a cousin bring one down from the US of A; but the exchange rate spike put paid to that plan...

I paid 8.5k for it mate and the salesperson wasn't willing to drop the price by even a buck-fifty :D

And here's what I got for me money:

No spare visor. Helmet comes with a clear one.
All I received was the helmet in a orange-and-black helmet bag, a ziploc bag with a manual, a couple of stickers and a pair of earplugs.

Cheers !

Been on the look-out for a riding jacket in the 5-6k range.

The current options are -

1. SPG Helios - The best and my most favourite one of the lot but have to look at other options as there is no way for me to try the sizes out and SPG has no standard sizing chart on their website. :Frustrati
2. DSG Nero - A decent jacket, specs similar to Helios. In consideration for now.
3. DSG Phoenix - Spec to spec with the Nero it seems the same except for the two extra pockets. It's even available in blue (my bike's colour) and it's around a 1000 bucks cheaper too! Only issue is that I haven't heard any reviews of it yet!
4. RJays Swift - Somehow it has never really appealed much to me but still keeping it in the list.

Now my question is- which one of these to gor for?
I really want to get the Helios but due to time restrictions can't go to another city to test it.


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