[whencut86]

Originally Posted by Abhi_abarth

I have been riding since 2003 and my only protective gear has been my helmet till now. Even if I am a pillion I do use the helmet. All these years my ride has been purely for commuting and within cities. Now given the road conditions and the unpredictable road manners of others I do feel I should start adopting the protective gear. I am also developing this itch of touring of late and I may or may not start touring sometime soon (subject to my bike upgrade). I am a noob in this department and need advice on the equipment (read gear) I need to buy as a starter.

Request the gurus to suggest the preferred brands based on their experience.

If you have the money and less patience, go to the Dainese store in Bangalore and personally pick the riding gear which you would need. Would be a big dent on your budget.

If you have money and more patience, then you can get deals in RevZilla/MotorcycleGear or reputed international websites which offer all brands of riding gear like Dainese, Alpinestars, Joe Rocket, Revvit, TCX, etc.

If you are on a budget, then Spartan Pro Gear and Lets Gear Up(TBG) are some Indian brands which of late are really good.

[Abhi_abarth]

Originally Posted by aargee

First of all, I would suggest you to understand what's in the market rather than asking any self proclaimed guru stating you should buy this or that as no one known you better than you do



Few years ago, I wrote this article in Gearheads, however, TBhp blocks the link to Gearheads so I cannot provide that link to you here. Would suggest going through it as starters, Google for "gearheads, aargee, riding gears" & click on the first link

Um err !! Seems I have used the Wrong words. I only meant gurus as bhpians who have used the gears extensively and know which all a starter would need. For example I am not sure which one is preferable, knee guards or riding pants. Will search out the link you sent. Thanks bro.

Off topic: I am a fan of your cbr thread. Appreciate the level of detailing. Hoping the upgraded 250r or 300r launched soon.

Originally Posted by whencut86

If you have the money and less patience, go to the Dainese store in Bangalore and personally pick the riding gear which you would need. Would be a big dent on your budget.



If you have money and more patience, then you can get deals in RevZilla/MotorcycleGear or reputed international websites which offer all brands of riding gear like Dainese, Alpinestars, Joe Rocket, Revvit, TCX, etc.



If you are on a budget, then Spartan Pro Gear and Lets Gear Up(TBG) are some Indian brands which of late are really good.

Thank you bro. I am hard presses on budget and will take the third option.


So I guess the gear constitutes of the following:

Helmet
Jacket ( fabric /mesh or leather)
Gloves - again which quality ?
Rising pants or knee guards ?
Rising boots.

Let me start doing some research and arrive at shortlists.

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by Abhi_abarth

Let me start doing some research and arrive at shortlists.

Arriving at a budget limit would be a great way to start.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by Abhi_abarth

Um err !! Seems I have used the Wrong words. I only meant gurus as bhpians who have used the gears extensively and know which all a starter would need. For example I am not sure which one is preferable, knee guards or riding pants. Will search out the link you sent

Thank you for your kind words sir; regarding knee guards there was a huge noise a few pages back; the regular motocross makes protect most of the bones, but don't stay in one place; riding pants are superb abrasive resistance, but don't protect that great. Finally a bionic seems to be a good option however its not abrasive; conclusion is...to each his own!!

Preferably, a bionic + Kevlar jeans w/o knee guard helps...may be.

Originally Posted by Abhi_abarth

Hoping the upgraded 250r or 300r launched soon

There's no 300, 250 has been launched with new stickers that HMSI believes as "upgrade"

[girimajiananth]

Planning to purchase a new pair of gloves and a riding jacket. Budget for gloves would be a maximum of 2.5k and for the jacket would be around 5.5K max. Kindly suggest good pair of gloves , jacket and where to buy them . What all do I need to lookout for purchasing these two ?

[neelemail]

Gifted myself a MT Blade today. Got it from Moto101, Bandra. The fit is excellent and comfortable with specs too. It comes with dual visors and a pull on strap.

Attaching a couple of pictures.

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

Planning to purchase a new pair of gloves

Budget for gloves would be a maximum of 2.5k

I have been using cramster blaster gloves for nearly an year now. They are street gloves and I found them quite comfortable even when worn for nearly full day. Would fit your budget as well. Even though many members have complained about quality issues, mine have been rugged and haven't shown any wear or tear. Another friend has brought the same very recently and is satisfied.

where to buy them.

Cramster store at Cunningham Road would be a good place considering you appear to be in Bangalore.

What all do I need to lookout for purchasing these two ?

Ensure they fit well and do not restrict your fingers' movement. Look for gloves which offer protection for palms and little finger.

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

I have been using cramster blaster gloves for nearly an year now. They are street gloves and I found them quite comfortable even when worn for nearly full day. Would fit your budget as well. Even though many members have complained about quality issues, mine have been rugged and haven't shown any wear or tear. Another friend has brought the same very recently and is satisfied.

I was quite skeptical about cramster. How about DSG ? I visited lets gear up and the price for their gloves was 3.5K , its beyond the budget . I liked the gloves though , it has air vents too.What is the difference between street gloves and touring gloves ?

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

I was quite skeptical about cramster. How about DSG ? I visited lets gear up and the price for their gloves was 3.5K , its beyond the budget . I liked the gloves though , it has air vents too.

I don't have first hand experience of using DSG so can't comment. TBG street gloves by Lets Gear Up look great on paper. May be fellow members can pitch in with their experience. I think all gloves have some amount of vents to circulate so unless you have very sweaty palms, it should be fine.

What is the difference between street gloves and touring gloves ?

Touring gloves have protection for wrists in form of gauntlet which street gloves lack since they end at the palms.

Whichever type or brand you choose, my only recommendation will be to go for good protection and not skimp on safety. Palms are quite delicate and vulnerable and hence deserve complete protection. Any investment on this front would be worthy investment.

Ride Safe!

[Shanenanigans]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

I was quite skeptical about cramster. How about DSG ? I visited lets gear up and the price for their gloves was 3.5K , its beyond the budget . I liked the gloves though , it has air vents too.What is the difference between street gloves and touring gloves ?

Well I bought the Blaster 3 months ago, it is falling apart here and there, some 7k kms later. Not entirely nice.

I'm looking to change as well. And have no idea what to get. But I can live with the small issues on the gloves.

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

Planning to purchase a new pair of gloves and a riding jacket.

More than the jacket or riding pants, the story of gloves is very much like underwear - if they are uncomfortable they will distract you no end from the task at hand - that is, keeping your attention focused on the road.

In fact of all riding gear, gloves & shoes have the maximum direct impact on your riding experience, because riding involves operating the clutch, brakes & throttle through them, so choose wisely.

So my recommendation is to increase your budget slightly and go for a comfortable, well fitting pair of gloves - Dainese, Alpinestar, Revv'It, Spidi, Furygan, Held etc are brands I've used over the years and can recommend whole heartedly. These should last you much longer as opposed to cheaper ones and in that sense work out much more economical.

Start with textile gloves as they are a bit easier to 'run in' and get used to. Leathers are a bit stiffer to break in and to get used to from a 'riding feel' perspective. They of course last much longer and are the best option in the long run.

Also, choose one with some gel or padding in the palm area if you plan on doing long distance touring.

Coming to jackets, in my experience, one can surely get decent enough jackets in the ballpark budget you have mentioned.

Stick with a textile jacket (with mesh for the hotter months) and with CE rated protection in chest, back, shoulder and elbow areas. Try to choose a lighter shade or a Hi-Vis design with reflectors etc.

Apologies for no specific brand recommendations here as my experience of budget jackets is only of the Chinese variety which will not be available in Bangalore.

[neelemail]

Please stay away from DSG EVO jacket. I bought it only a couple of months back and 1 snap button in the arm has already come off. It's actually a very important piece to hold the elbow guard firm and to hug the arm. The whole purpose of the jacket is defeated due to this snag.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

What is the difference between street gloves and touring gloves ?

As Sameer has already mentioned touring gloves have protection at the wrist. Having said that you can very well use the full gauntlet for street use as well. Outofthebox has provided some good general insight. You can look at the full gauntlet gloves from Spartan Aspida - Ares. It is a very good glove and it has been through hell and back when I was owning it, with pouring rains, hot humid weather, cold winters etc for the last 8k kms. Not a stitch was out of place even after this kind of (ab)use.
They got stolen on a ride a couple of months ago. After scouring through many new Indian brands in the same budget, i ended up buying the same gloves again as the build and leather quality for the price of 3800/- is top notch. TBG is very good on paper but in flesh, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the leather and finish quality. You can surely look at Ares or Centaur which is a half gauntlet glove which will suit both touring and city riding. Centaur costs around 3000/- so you have to stretch your budget by around 500/- only. Hope it helps.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

After scouring through many new Indian brands in the same budget, i ended up buying the same gloves again as the build and leather quality for the price of 3800/- is top notch. You can surely look at Ares or Centaur which is a half gauntlet glove which will suit both touring and city riding.

Yes, even I have recently got the Aspida centaur. Amazing quality and costs 2900. Comfortable and good quality.

[djpeesh]

I'd update on my Icon Reign boots but apparently all shipments are held up because the customs Commissioner who inspects every consignment was on leave and then 'not in a good mood' (go figure!). Also held up are my Ixon gloves.

Coming back to the topic at hand, I decided to pay a visit to the nearby OTG store and I've noticed that the quality of Indian branded gear has suddenly dropped. Spartan, Rynox and Cramster all seemed to have gone down the crap road. I used both Cramster and DSG branded gear in the past and was very very happy with their gear.

Anyone with inside dope on what happened? Merely cost cutting or make in India or just general sloppiness? The owner of OTG was pretty apologetic and said that he's been getting quite a few complaints.