[JVH]

Thanks again Aditya!

Like you said, I think the best bet for Dainese is to try out and for that will have to wait for a few months for an EU trip approval :-( Since am not in a hurry, will wait.

P.S - Not a big fan of A* jackets but am having second thoughts on Joerocket super ego. Fabulous leather cum mesh jacket.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by razorBlades

New Addtions

Love the shoes! How much did you get them for and from where? What's the model number?

[IronH4WK]

about a year or so back i got a GPR helmet. need to get a new visor - current one got lots of scratches:



and just got myself a MX-3 from Cramster this afternoon (after reading this thread). pretty decent stuff. i can operate my touch screen cellphone and also my DLSR wearing this - not that i recommend doing that









the kevlar knuckle protection can help in self-defense, if ever the need arises.

[kph]

Originally Posted by given2fly

Where can I find Bungee cord in Pune or Mumbai to tie stuff on the back seat? How much do they cost?

Nanapet in Pune. Almost all the shops where they sell two wheeler accessories, you get the net or cord.
Net costs around 80 and the cord around 60 bucks.

[JVH]

Dainese riding pants and jacket have arrived. While the jacket is a perfect snug fit, the pants are slightly lose on the thighs. Waist and knee down is quite a good fit. Maybe I've to work on my thighs...lol!

Am waiting for HJC scratch helmet. Should be home by next week. Will post pics once the complete gear is with me.

[n_aditya]

* Generic post *

Some misconceptions on the topic of riding gear:

1. Too hot to ride in traffic and in summers with the gear

2. Just going for a short quick ride

3. I've been riding for years, never crashed

4. Can't happen to me

5. I've got Bruce Lee reflexes

6. Helmet is more than adequate

etc. etc.

Most of us have had such thoughts cross our minds at some point in life.

Read this. View Blog Post — “Extreme RoadRash: Cause Effect and Lesson Learned” | Motortopia

Still think its too hot and uncomfortable to gear up?

P.S. Quality comes at a price. So always buy good quality gear. If it means saving up, then do so and buy the best possible gear you can afford. Gear up for a crash. Its an investment and will save your skin (literally) if you crash (God forbid).

Chuck that cheap lid, that windcheater, the cheap pair of gloves that show exposed fingers which are sold on pavements.

ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) should be every riders mantra.

[IronH4WK]

^ 100% agree with that!

June 17th 2009 - my wife and i were heading to Infant Jesus church in Viveknagar; it was our anniversary. on the Domlur flyover, on the ramp heading in the direction of Koramangala, my bike skidded (a water tanker had passed earlier spilling water on the road) and we fell. both of us were wearing helmets, my wife was wearing a jacket too; i wasn't.

since the bike didn't have the crash guard, i hit the asphalt knee first. long story short, i ended up with muscle tear in my palm, loss of paintwork the thickness of a cheese slice on my knee, bruises on my feet and torn jeans. surprisingly, my wife didn't sustain any injuries. she just was in shock and had a small tear on her jacket!

three days later we were supposed to drive down to Pondy with friends (and we did; i drove with the injury)!

since the accident, any trip on my bike not involving errands to the local supermarket i ride fully armored so does my better half.

moral of story: learning things the hard way isn't always fun!

i'm upgrading my armor and need some help.
- is there a place in Bangalore other than Orion Motors where one can get the DSG Nero? they're out of stock for my size.
- got myself Cramster MX3; hope this will suffice for daily use.
- is a knee guard recommended for daily wear to office (i like to ride than drive)? can you suggest a good knee guard? not looking for very expensive stuff like Alpinestar
- i've a GPR helmet; is it a good one or should i change it?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

moral of story: learning things the hard way isn't always fun!

Sorry to read about your fall. Luckily it was nothing major.

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

i'm upgrading my armor and need some help.
- is there a place in Bangalore other than Orion Motors where one can get the DSG Nero? they're out of stock for my size.
- got myself Cramster MX3; hope this will suffice for daily use.
- is a knee guard recommended for daily wear to office (i like to ride than drive)? can you suggest a good knee guard? not looking for very expensive stuff like Alpinestar
- i've a GPR helmet; is it a good one or should i change it?

1. You can order the DSG Nero directly from PlanetDSG : Motorcycle Riding Gear, Accessories, Apparel and... Not sure if a size chart is present on the DSG site.

Look at other options as well such as RJays jackets. These are very good quality jackets and VFM. Official distributor for RJays products in India is Bachoo Motors, Mumbai (Home - Bikes, Riding Gear, Performance Accessories and Spares). Speak to Zulfi. He is very pleasing to deal with and very prompt on orders. There is a sizing chart on his site. You can use that as a reference and order your jacket.

2. Cramster MX-3 should suffice. But for added protection, a pair of leather gloves are best. Textiles provide least abrasion resistance and will tear away easily when you fall and slide on tarmac. I use the DSG Revive gloves. Search for my posts related to the DSG revive. Very good quality and suitable for city/highway runs too. Costs 1900/- bucks only. Highly recommended.

3. Knee guards are definitely recommended. The knees are the ones that take the impact of a fall... and the hands too, of course. Orion has the Fox Knee and Elbow armor for some 3.5k bucks IIRC. Avoid the ones that sell for 1k odd at JC road. They are cheap replica's and might do more damage than good.

4. No experience with GPR lid's but have seen a few RD owners using them. If they exceed ISI safety norms (like DOT / SNELL / ECE22.05 certification) then you're good. Just ensure that the lid is secured via the chin strap. This is most important. If the lid is not strapped on, the helmet will fly off your head if you crash. Also the helmet has to be a snug fit and should not move too much when worn. A loose helmet can snap the riders neck in the event of a crash. A balaclava or a skull cap (available at all helmet shops in JC road) should provide a tighter fit to an otherwise loose helmet.

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

1. You can order the DSG Nero directly from PlanetDSG : Motorcycle Riding Gear, Accessories, Apparel and... Not sure if a size chart is present on the DSG site.

Look at other options as well such as RJays jackets. These are very good quality jackets and VFM. Official distributor for RJays products in India is Bachoo Motors, Mumbai (Home - Bikes, Riding Gear, Performance Accessories and Spares). Speak to Zulfi. He is very pleasing to deal with and very prompt on orders. There is a sizing chart on his site. You can use that as a reference and order your jacket.

i thought of ordering online, but wanted to make sure the fit was good before making the purchase. lets face it, its not everyday one buys a riding jacket!

have a query though - RJays sizing chart for jackets lists Medium size as 40-42, but at Orion they said 40 (my shoulder size) would be Large. now i'm confused. is it a brand thingy (sizing differences)?

Originally Posted by n_aditya

2. Cramster MX-3 should suffice. But for added protection, a pair of leather gloves are best. Textiles provide least abrasion resistance and will tear away easily when you fall and slide on tarmac. I use the DSG Revive gloves. Search for my posts related to the DSG revive. Very good quality and suitable for city/highway runs too. Costs 1900/- bucks only. Highly recommended.

i already have leather gloves, but wanted mesh gloves since my hands get kinda sweaty; but i'll look them up! thanks!

Originally Posted by n_aditya

3. Knee guards are definitely recommended. The knees are the ones that take the impact of a fall... and the hands too, of course. Orion has the Fox Knee and Elbow armor for some 3.5k bucks IIRC. Avoid the ones that sell for 1k odd at JC road. They are cheap replica's and might do more damage than good.

a dumb question. which is better - wearing the knee protectors inside or outside the pants? the reason i ask is i just bought a pair of Levis 541's and they don't exactly have room for a knee protector underneath

Originally Posted by n_aditya

4. No experience with GPR lid's but have seen a few RD owners using them. If they exceed ISI safety norms (like DOT / SNELL / ECE22.05 certification) then you're good. Just ensure that the lid is secured via the chin strap. This is most important. If the lid is not strapped on, the helmet will fly off your head if you crash. Also the helmet has to be a snug fit and should not move too much when worn. A loose helmet can snap the riders neck in the event of a crash. A balaclava or a skull cap (available at all helmet shops in JC road) should provide a tighter fit to an otherwise loose helmet.

i didn't find any markings on the helmet (like the ones you've mentioned). it has detachable pads inside and a wind breaker for the nose. also, it has three air intakes. feels like a solid build. also, this one is a exact fit - no unnecessary gaps.

its been a old habit to have a pre-flight check (tires, brakes, accelerator/clutch cable, fuel), zip the jacket, click the chin strap in before starting the bike. has saved my behind many a times

[bblost]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

- i've a GPR helmet; is it a good one or should i change it?

I have a GPR. Bought it in Chennai as it looked and fit very well. Then realized I had no idea on the brand. A lot of googling later I was 70% satisfied that its not a bad helmet.

Last year I kissed the road. The helmet saved my face.

It did not shatter or anything and the impact was on the jaw area.
Left a bunch of scratches on the helmet and the visor. The visor also did not break.

I still use that helmet when going to nearby shops etc. Less than a km or two away.

My riding gear is a mesh jacket with armour and a kidney belt.
Since I also wear my laptop bag, the belt helps my back. I don't have any back problems but considering the weight of my helmet, laptop and jacket, I guess its a good thing to wear.

I do have knee guards, but don't wear them on my daily office run.

It would be interesting to wear them inside my pants. Will try it sometime. Never thought about it.

[IronH4WK]

@bblost/n_aditya: which knee protectors are good (and cost effective) other than Fox (which i believe is not available everywhere)? also, are normal knee pads better (for daily use) or bionic ones?

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

i thought of ordering online, but wanted to make sure the fit was good before making the purchase.

have a query though - RJays sizing chart for jackets lists Medium size as 40-42, but at Orion they said 40 (my shoulder size) would be Large. now i'm confused. is it a brand thingy (sizing differences)?

Sometimes sizing charts from different manufacturers vary. If you are going with RJays refer to the Rjays sizing chart.

Speak to Zulfi from Bachoo Motors. He will exhange the jacket if you have sizing issues. Just confirm this before you order.

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

a dumb question. which is better - wearing the knee protectors inside or outside the pants? the reason i ask is i just bought a pair of Levis 541's and they don't exactly have room for a knee protector underneath

Bionic ones are worn outside and they have a strap that goes a little over the knee area. They offer better protection. The Fox ones i mentioned are non bionic, best worn inside the pants but can be worn on the outsides too.

Originally Posted by bblost

Last year I kissed the road. The helmet saved my face. It did not shatter or anything and the impact was on the jaw area.
Left a bunch of scratches on the helmet and the visor. The visor also did not break. I still use that helmet when going to nearby shops etc. Less than a km or two away.

I hope you have a spare lid for the longer rides.

All helmets are good only for single impact. Even if there is no visible damage the structural strength of the helmet would have been compromised. Best to get a new one.

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

@bblost/n_aditya: which knee protectors are good (and cost effective) other than Fox (which i believe is not available everywhere)? also, are normal knee pads better (for daily use) or bionic ones?

You can order for Fieldsheer armor from abroad (eBay or any motorcycle stores). Performance Racing Store (PRS), Mumbai has the Thor Knee Guards, ECE 22.05 certified and better than the Fox ones. Speak to Vicky Jaising from PRS for details.

Bionic ones are best, but the non bionic ones also do the job. Something is better than nothing, so bionic or not, your knee is safe.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

All helmets are good only for single impact. Even if there is no visible damage the structural strength of the helmet would have been compromised. Best to get a new one.

Absolutely agree with your point.

My daily wear helmet is a Seven-0-Seven that is Snell 2010 + DOT Compliant.

To elaborate your point. I would like to add that the helmet outer shell plays a very small role in protecting the head. Its is the inner layer which cushions the head and distributes the force of the impact. This layer however cannot get back its shape once it gets depressed. Any accident is bound to cause it to deform and depress. Which is why even an accidental drop of the helmet can cause it to lose its effective protection ability.

[IronH4WK]

@n_aditya/bblost - thanks guys! you've been a great help. will update once i get my gear

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by bblost

....Which is why even an accidental drop of the helmet can cause it to lose its effective protection ability.

Uh oh!! Cause for concern for me I guess. My helmet has fallen twice on the ground from my hand when holding the helmet. The impact was not much and hence I am using it as my daily wear to office and back. Do you recommend changing the helmet?