[sanjbmw2001]

Originally Posted by bullet_chacha

Any suggestions for a budget of 2.5k? No crapsters please

You can try Solace. They have some good reviews.

[Urban_Nomad]

Royal Enfield protective jeans:

Royal Enfield is having a sale of up to 50% on some of its merchandise, including protective gear

I bought a pair of denims today @ Rs 2000 from their Saket store. A quick review:

- Fits well. Not a straight fit, the pants begin to taper in towards the bottom
- Looks nice. Almost passes off for a regular pair of denims, save for the stitching at the knees
- Fabric has a slight stretch to it. The label says its 70% cotton with a 30% Lycra mix
- There are no Kevlar panels. Bummer .... but should be as breathable as a regular pair of denims. A boon for the Delhi summers
- It is supposed to be an 11oz. denim with "toughmax" lycra that aids abrasion resistance. But my Levis and these jeans were pretty much the same thickness. I would take their abrsaion resistance claims with a big pinch of slat

Now, for the big disappointment - the armour

The whole point of buying these denims was the ease of wearing it without having to strap on external knee guards. The armour is "sas-tec", a soft armour that is CE rated. I had heard good things about this armour but I have to say, its rather useless. Here's why:

- The armour pocket is not properly placed, which means the knee pads are never where they are supposed to be. In fact, the pads were on my thighs with barely an inch of it covering the top of my knees
- The armour itself is very soft and kinda limp. It does not sit flush against the skin and is sort of hanging about
- The knee coverage is not that great. Does not completely cover the patella

This would be a great armour for body parts that dont require much articluation, such as your back. Come to think of it, this might work better for arms as well but is absolutely rubbish for knees

Verdict - The way I see it, you can buy a regular pair of Levis during their sale at around the same price. So think of it as buying a pair of regular denims at 50% price + free firangi armour. You can make small adjustments for it to make it work. Here'e what I am going to try:

- See how my Knox flexiform knee armour (from my textile riding pants) fits
- Try fitting my existing Klim armour from my jacket
- If the above two dont work - Take the jeans to a tailor and have the knee pads' pockets fitted to where I like 'em

For 2k, I think its worth a shot

Some other gear that I checked out:

- Full face helmet : Their entry level helmet is made by Vega. I think I can safely say that its the Axor in RE guise. I tried the Size "S" and still felt it was a bit looser than I like my helmets. My opinion - Save some cash. Get the Axor itself. The other premium one is made by Vemar I think. Did not get to try that
- Gloves - Tried their Darcha glove. One word - AMAZING!!! The perfect hot weather glove. Its made by Rev'it. Actually, it is the very popular Rev'it Sand Pro glove - http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/r...and-pro-gloves. The Sand Pro retails for around $120, or over Rs 8000. RE sells these gloves for around Rs 5500 IIRC. What an awesome glove and at a great price. It fit just like my Rev'it gauntlet. I wear a size L in most gloves and this one was no different. Getting your hand in takes a little effort, but once in .... the soft liner almost gives your entire hand a hug. The articulation on this glove is amazing. I can safely say, this glove would require little to no break in and will be comfortable since day 1. How many gloves can do that?

However, I am cheap. i will wait for these to go on sale as well and definitely buy them

Another Recommendation - Check out the RE sneakers. They are on 50% sale too and would cost Rs 1900 ... not too far from a pair of Converse sneakers, but the RE ones come with a thermoformed heel cup and toe box with some padding for your ankle bone + a leather reinforced toe shifter. Ideal for tooling around on a hot day in the city. Definitely worth a dekko

http://store.royalenfield.com/collec...as-sneaker-red

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Royal Enfield protective jeans:

Royal Enfield is having a sale of up to 10% on some of its merchandise, including protective gear

Urban thank you for this! The gloves especially the white ones look yummy! And you are right these are a dead on copy of the sand pro from rev'it! Makes them a steal even at this full retail price. Great looking summer gloves. I will probably get these as part of my starter pack.

Did you get to see the textile pants? Apparently 4 season, but well priced at 13k. Comes with knee and hip armor (no shin!). Looks like a nice buy. I will try and do a tech comparo in a bit. The only other ones I have shortlisted off the keyboard is the rynox advento. Have to get some reasonably priced gear to last me until early next year.

The jacket however looks like daylight robbery in comparison at 22k. I wonder which line in rev'it these little guys are modeled off from. Couldn't get a lock in.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

The jacket however looks like daylight robbery in comparison at 22k. I wonder which line in rev'it these little guys are modeled off from. Couldn't get a lock in.

Did not see the textile pants as wasnt interested.

The gloves are not just a copy, they are actually made by Rev'it. I swear, the moment I wore it, the feel was the exact same as my Rev'it gauntlet. Same liner material, exact same "gives your hand a hug" fit. Best gloves for street riding in India IMO

Do have a look at this jacket though from RE - all @ 3750 bucks:

http://store.royalenfield.com/collec...-for-men-black

Its sold out online but you might be able to find one in a store. Well worth the cash IMO

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Royal Enfield protective jeans:
I bought a pair of denims today @ Rs 2000 from their Saket store. A quick review:

- Fits well. Not a straight fit, the pants begin to taper in towards the bottom
- Looks nice. Almost passes off for a regular pair of denims, save for the stitching at the knees
- Fabric has a slight stretch to it. The label says its 70% cotton with a 30% Lycra mix
- There are no Kevlar panels. Bummer .... but should be as breathable as a regular pair of denims. A boon for the Delhi summers
- It is supposed to be an 11oz. denim with "toughmax" lycra that aids abrasion resistance. But my Levis and these jeans were pretty much the same thickness. I would take their abrsaion resistance claims with a big pinch of slat

Now, for the big disappointment - the armour

The whole point of buying these denims was the ease of wearing it without having to strap on external knee guards. The armour is "sas-tec", a soft armour that is CE rated. I had heard good things about this armour but I have to say, its rather useless. Here's why:

- The armour pocket is not properly placed, which means the knee pads are never where they are supposed to be. In fact, the pads were on my thighs with barely an inch of it covering the top of my knees
- The armour itself is very soft and kinda limp. It does not sit flush against the skin and is sort of hanging about
- The knee coverage is not that great. Does not completely cover the patella

Hi

From what I understand, any certified (CE etc etc rated) are soft in construction and that is how they are supposed to be since they do the job they are supposed to do in the event of a slide. However, your description of the design of the denims presents a very unflattering picture of the product and makes me wonder about the authenticity of the product, given that the Persius knee guards by SPG, which is pretty much just the CE rated armor in a velcro pouch costs more than this product. Perhaps one is better of buying a pair of bionic knee guards if budget is a constraint or at least invest at an entry level pair of riding pants where the armor will stay where they belong

[psurelia]

Originally Posted by bullet_chacha

Any suggestions for a budget of 2.5k? No crapsters please

I use the Royal Enfield Short Riding Gloves. They are available at most of the Royal Enfield showrooms for exactly 2.5k!!! I find them pretty impressive for the price.

Warning! I am a fan of the Royal Enfield gears because of my experience with them (all my gears except the knee guards are RE branded). Therefore, my opinion may be slightly biased. But in all honesty, I find the RE gears of very good quality, the armors are CE rated and are cheaper than other products of the same quality available in the market.

[Dodge_Viper]

Originally Posted by bullet_chacha

What's your take on Rynox Kombat leather gloves?

Originally Posted by djpeesh

Not very good. Mine tore 200 km into my ride which was probably a good thing as they were terribly uncomfortable.

Surprising. I am using the same past 1.5 years and they are still good. Bullet_Chacha (nice handle ) maybe you should wear it and try it out. I find them very comfortable. Palms do not feel sweaty at all since it has perforations on fingers which keeps them airy.

However the main drawback being they are NOT waterproof and windproof.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Hi

From what I understand, any certified (CE etc etc rated) are soft in construction and that is how they are supposed to be since they do the job they are supposed to do in the event of a slide.

Hey - Most armour in our textile gear yes is the soft type, but the Sas tec takes it a step further. Regular armour has a fixed shape and cannot be bent beyond a small range without damaging it. However, you could actually bend the Sas tec armour into a ball, or like a paper airplane

The idea behind it is that the armour takes the shape of the body part it is being placed against and actually moves with you

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

However, your description of the design of the denims presents a very unflattering picture of the product and makes me wonder about the authenticity of the product, given that the Persius knee guards by SPG, which is pretty much just the CE rated armor in a velcro pouch costs more than this product.

I have Zero doubts on the authenticity of the armour. Its the placement that is an issue. After I went home, I actually tried placing them in my Klim textile pants and they fit beautifully. It weighs so little as compared to the Knox armour. It almost felt like my very heavy riding pants went on a diet. So comfortable

I also "home tested" the effectiveness of the armour. I put the Knox armour on one knee and the Sas tec on the other, and went to town on it with a TV remote. I hit as hard as I could and barely felt anything on either knees. So its actually an armour that is light, soft, very comfortable and protects as well as the traditional armour. Two thumbs up

On the price - it was on sale. The original cost of the pants was 4k. Plus, I find the current range of Spartan gear to be rather overpriced

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Perhaps one is better of buying a pair of bionic knee guards if budget is a constraint or at least invest at an entry level pair of riding pants where the armor will stay where they belong

I have bionic guards as well as riding pants and I can tell you that no strap on guard will be as comfortable as the armour that sits in your riding upper / lower; provided it fits well

Even on the protection, I personally know of more than one case where the strap on guard twisted out of place upon impact. Plus, you have absolutely no abrasion resistance that a textile pant or dedicated riding denim will provide you

Lastly - remember this video? -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqzhnzQYxIc

I can say with utmost confidence that he was wearing the RE jeans unless someone else can prove otherwise. The funky stitching on the knees gives it away. Last I heard, this guy walked away with very minor injuries. So, we probably have a successful crash test as well

[AWD]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

I can say with utmost confidence that he was wearing the RE jeans unless someone else can prove otherwise. The funky stitching on the knees gives it away.

RE Jeans have armor pockets for knees only. Personally I didn't like RE gear. They also do not divulge the source from where they are getting the gear & rebranding it as RE.

[Kameshwar]

Picked up these hi viz suspenders from outdoor travel gear store in candolim during my trip to Goa.
http://www.quipco.in/product/quipco-...-suspenders-2/
This was after my hi viz jacket tore in the way there. I have to say 500 buck well spent. Greatly enhanced visibility in the night, drunk drivers was a concern and these did a good job. Drivers took instance notice and was also able to filter through traffic unimpeded. Useful to note that the strip is very bright. Also these need minimum adjustment while on the move. Adjustable size ensures a good fit.

[Red Liner]

Those suspenders look nice. Light to carry, easy to slip on, won't flap around like an additional vest. Perfect. Shortlisted. Thanks!

[sandeepmohan]

My Cramster gloves were long over due for replacement. They were bought 7 years ago and had served long enough. The gloves had given up a long time ago. They were tearing and the inner lining had gone. I have to say that they were an excellent pair. The only thing that held me back from going back to Cramster was the innumerable comments on the quality of their gear sold today.

When I first invested in riding gear, Cramster was pretty much the only local brand available and one that was affordable. The variety of riding gear available today can confuse you.

I had gone to Royal Enfield, Kammanahalli to check out the Himalayan. There was no display motorcycle nor was there a test available. With little else to do, I looked around their show room and headed over to the riding gear section. Before heading to the showroom, I did check out their online store and fancied their full leather gloves. They did not have the leather glove I wanted. They had all the other models. I did think the Darcha gloves were nice. They had the GT long leather gloves too.

Next, I headed over to the Yelahanka Royal Enfield outlet, which in my opinion is the best place to sample one of their motorcycle as the highway is beside the store. Took a short spin of the Himalayan. They had the gloves that I was looking for too, the Leather Glove, as named and listed on their website. I opted for XL and it was a perfect fit. I did think they were well made too. I am a big fan of leather, though I know they are unsuitable for our climes. However, I liked the pair and picked it up. Set me back Rs. 3700. It is too early to comment on longevity and whatever else. Early indicators, based on the 25km ride back home, do indicate that the gloves are superb for the money.

[Dodge_Viper]

Does anyone have any first hand experience with waterproof shoe covers similar to the one below:

http://store.royalenfield.com/collec...cover-v2-black

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I am a big fan of leather, though I know they are unsuitable for our clime the gloves are superb for the money

These look like winter gloves that simply will not work for summers. Hope you have a pair handy for summer rides

I too found darcha to be an amazing glove. The best summer glove in the country today that's available locally

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

These look like winter gloves that simply will not work for summers. Hope you have a pair handy for summer rides

You are right. They are winter gloves. Ah well; can't do much, now that I have bought it. Don't want to loose money selling it.

I don't remember the mobile website saying they were winter gloves.

Let me write to them asking if they will exchange it.