| Author | Message | ||
     Froggy |
Hey all, as you may know, I’m getting back on my feet and back into riding. I need new of everything gear wise, so I want your opinions and suggestions. Helmet: Arai XD ( http://www.araiamericas.com/helmet_details.asp?mod el=XD )or Scorpion Exo 1000 ( http://tinyurl.com/2sztq4 ) Suit: Aerostich Roadcrafter 1 piece (http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Roadcrafter-On e-Piece-Suit-p-16133.html ) Boots: Aerostich Combat boots (http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Comb at-Touring-Boots-p-16558.html ) That’s all I got figured out so far. I know I need gloves, but because they are probably the cheapest part of the setup I haven’t put much thought into them. Is there anything else I am over looking? | ||
| Rocketsprink |
May seem like overkill for the road, but a chest/spine protector, like the one Icon sells isn't a bad idea. The rest looks great. But don't cheap out on the gloves. And do yourself a favor, get leather. The mesh/textile ones are nice in warm weather, but I'll take leather over them any day of the week. Hell, we rode Deal's Gap a couple of years ago in full leathers, and it was in the 90's. Saved my @ss when I went down on a nice patch of oil! | ||
| Spiderman |
EB says gear is for Punks!!  | ||
| Rocketsprink |
apparently so is balance! | ||
| Nevrenuf |
i tend to like leather myself. it give me a more secure feeling than textile does. i've heard people talk about the mesh melting and what not. i really don't want to find out on the buell. on the ultra, i probably would go with some textile for warmth. maybe next fall. i got some joe rocket boots that fit under the jeans without any problem and these things are warm. one pair of socks with it being about 42 out and my feet were comfortable. with gloves, i heard the kangaroo one's are the best as well as with leathers in general. | ||
| Leeroy_jenkins |
The comic book character is stealing my spy pix  | ||
| Xl1200r |
I also prefer leather, but I head lots of good things about textile stuff - just never seen in action. That Roadcrafter is about as nice as you're gonna find. Some of the people I ride with have Olympia gear and they really like it - worth looking into. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
If I had to do it over again, I'd go with the Olympia gear instead of the Aerostitch. It's not that the Aerostitch stuff is bad, it's that it's not as tailored as the Olympia stuff is. It's the difference between a cover-all and a suit. | ||
| Froggy |
I am kinda biased to the nylons instead of leather. Leather has a slightly higher abrasion resistance, but you slide and roll more. My Buell Adventure suit held up great in my last wreck. Yes it melted a little, but it did its job.  For the Olympia, is there a specific model or range or something I should investigate? I never even considered them before. Thank you again for your input  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I prefer two piece rather than one piece. I'm built like a gorilla, but it's also because two piece suits are more versatile. I wear my Darien pants from Aerostitch with everything. I think Carlos has the AST and it crashed VERY well. It's probably the closest analog to the Aerostitch Darien jacket. The Ranger 2 pants are the closest to the Darien Pants. Both Jacket and Pants come with insulated liners. It doesn't look like much, but it makes a huge difference. The pants also zip to the jacket, something that the Aerostitch items don't. The pants come with cargo pockets that the Darien pants do not. The thickest denier cordura in the Aerostitch is double layered 500 denier on the shoulders and elbows. The Roadcrafter has 1050 denier on the shoulders, elbows, and knees. The AST has 2000 denier on the shoulders and elbows, and the Ranger 2 pants has 1500 denier on the knees. Aerostitch can do more modification and alterations than Olympia can. I don't know if Olympia has any sort of repair service. I do know that Aerostitch does. Olympia is out of Henderson, NC. Aerostitch is larger and out of Duluth, MN. Both are great companies with good products. You can't go wrong with either. Like I said, I probably would have gone with the Olympia in hindsight. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
As I can see from your selections we have similar tastes. My main gear is as follows. 1) Custom 1 peice aerostich 2) Arai Profile helmet 3) Held racing gloves (forget model) 4) Sidi Canyon Goretex boots http://tinyurl.com/3yvs4j I love my aerostich so much they will have to pry it from my cold dead hands. It is the only suit you will need. Order it with the optional hip pads, and also get one of these liner jackets http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Flee ce-Jackets-p-18200.html They are very warm, and all of the zips/pockets are designed to match an aerostich suit so you can access everything without taking the suit off. I ordered the "grey" lighter version. It is actually a soft green (very stylish), and very warm. Any Arai helmet is great, just make sure you find the model that fits your head shape. Seek out an Arai rep that will spend the time to fit it to your head. I have rarely found the stock cheekpads a perfect fit. They carry many sizes so try several on. I am on my second set of Held gloves. I went down with my first set, and I only scuffed up the Kangaroo hide. I like them, but I am not in love with them. I might get something new this year. The boots are something interesting. I looked long and hard are the Aerostich boots. I nearly brought a pair until I came upon the sidi canyons. These are the best boots I have ever seen/owned. They are built like a ski boot (ratchet mechanism, ankle protection), but are styled like a hiking boot. In fact you can wear these off the bike (as long as your pant leg covers the calf of the boot). They have an oil resistant sole that is patterned along the line of a pair of Dr. Martin boots. They provide excellent traction even on wet cross walk paint. They are fairly temperature neutral. So you won't freeze in the winter, nor bake in the summer. The goretex lining is implemented in a logical way. There is a one piece inner lining that prevents any seem leakage. Last thing they look like they were meant for my cityx, they have a rough "urban" look to them | ||
| Ulywife |
I think Carlos has the AST and it crashed VERY well. Yes, Carlos does have the AST jacket. What we liked about the Olympia was the fabric seemed more abrasive where you were most likely to hit if you went down. Guess Carlos just wanted to test it out. His jacket shows very little to no damage from his ride on the Dragon last March. He also likes the fact that the AST is a good all around jacket until it hits 90 degrees or so. He also has the TourMaster riding pants that held up very well during that Dragon encounter. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
I don't know if Olympia has any sort of repair service. I do know that Aerostitch does. Olympia does NOT do repairs. Olympia is out of Henderson, NC. Aerostitch is larger and out of Duluth, MN. Olympia is BASED in Henderson. their products are imported (this is straight from the owner's mouth). Aerostich's Roadcrafter suit is hand-made in the USA. Both are great companies with good products. You can't go wrong with either. i couldn't disagree more strongly that BOTH are great. i've waited a long time for a chance to rant against Olympia. me 'n Gentleman Jim (Berry here on BWB) rode around the country in the fall of 2006. Jim bought a new set of Olympia gear especially for the trip. i don't remember exactly which model, but it was the full-meal deal, and wasn't cheap. about half-way across the country the crotch seam blew out on his pants. he had the correct size gear, so sizing wasn't the issue, but a piss-poor stitching job certainly was. this was embarassing at best, and uncomfortable for him in the rain, and probably dangerous in the event of a crash. (at the time i had to wonder how much effort had been put into the OTHER seams on the suit.) as we were literally going right by Henderson, NC on our way to see my son in South Carolina, Jim called ahead to see about getting a repair or replacement while we in the neighborhood. nope, no replacement considered AT ALL, even tho the gear was about a week old and Jim could fully document the purchase. repair? yeah, right, take it to somebody, have it fixed, and send us the bill. sheesh. well, we happened to end up IN Hendersonville about 5:15 one afternoon, and Jim was bound and determined to get some satisfaction. he called Olympia, got the owner on the phone, explained (again) that he just ridden 3000 miles from Seattle with brand-new defective gear, and could he swing by the company and at least have the suit looked at. "Nope, sorry, I'm on my way home, maybe you can come back at another time." what a prick. we were probably five minutes away from the company at this point, and from the calls Jim had placed in the days leading up to this, the owner knew full well who Jim was and why he was calling. over the course of the next few days Jim played phone tag with the MF, and finally had to leave our group as we rode up the Blue Ridge Parkway and blow one night and most of the next day going BACK to Henderson and getting the problem resolved. it was during all of this that i got on the phone with the owner and basically bitched him out for poor product and poor service, and this is when he admitted that all their gear is imported (after i'd asked him if his in-house gear fabbers could simply take the crotch apart and sew it up right). shit happens, and when it does, the cream rises to the top. in other words, i sell you something, you have a problem with it, and by God i do EVERYTHING in my power to make it right. not only is it the right thing to do, it's probably the BEST advertising money can't buy. Olympia gear sucks HARD in my opinion, the gear AND the people who run the place, and i wouldn't give them a penny if my life depended on it. Aerostich? serious gear for serious riders. take a look at the next gathering of Iron Butt'rs you see, and see how many 'Stiches there are in attendance. leather is great, but the Roadcrafter is right there with it in terms of overall crash protection, with the added benefit of being waterproof (i've got thousands and thousands of miles on mine, have NEVER gotten wet, sure is nice not having to put on and take off raingear when the going gets tough), plus all the other additional features that come standard or are available, including armor, spine protector, colors, etc., etc., etc. i've got the one-piece Roadcrafter, cheerfully custom-fit to my squatty-body shape, and the suit is top notch in every regard. that said, if i had it to do over again, i'd go with the two-piece suit, for ease of moving around and cooling off at gas stops, etc. the one-piece, however, takes all of about ten seconds to put on or take off. the folks at Aerostich are true enthusiasts, their customer service is fantastic, and so is their product offering. i say this from personal experience. Andy Goldfine, by ALL accounts, is good people, a rider just like the rest of us, and there's no effin' way he'd leave a fellow rider stranded three thousand miles away from home with defective gear. FWIW. FB | ||
| Rich |
I believe in leather. | ||
| Ulynut |
Froggy, I was down at the Scorpion dealer and tried on the EXO-1000. Tight fit. Their sizes seem to run really small. I would suggest you try one on before buying on the web. The flip down sun visor seems really nice.  | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Froggy...... No one is stating the obvious. Get what you will wear. Try it on, wear it around the store a bit. If your not comfortable in it then you will not wear it. So no point in buying it. Remember you are going to need a couple of jackets and pants for the changing seasons. I don't own the big name gear....well excepting my helmet. Quality leather would be my first choice, There are a lot of cheap leather goods out there that are more fashion than function. Be careful in what ya chose. I, on the other hand am a textile kinda guy not by choice, but by budget. For the cost of one leather jacket I have purchase a mesh jacket and pants, and a winter textile jacket and pants. I have not tested any of it, but it is better than wearing jeans and a tshirt. | ||
| Froggy |
Thanks for the great input guys. In some ways you helped me pick, in other ways you made me more confused, lol. Ulynut, where was this dealer? The only place I found that carries Scorpion is Duchess Recreational. They didn’t have a 1000, but I tried the 700 and liked it. The medium felt a little small, but the large was too big. Jerry_haughton, thanks for the rant. I haven’t ruled out Olympia completely, but it will make me think twice before a large purchase from them. Corporatemonkey, those boots look nice, it looks like I will be getting those instead. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Jerry_haughton, thanks for the rant. I haven’t ruled out Olympia completely, but it will make me think twice before a large purchase from them. Froggy, you're welcome, and if i can lose them at least ONE sale in my lifetime, then my time here will not have been spent in vain. i don't consider myself to be a nationality bigot (the best all-around motorcycle i've ever owned was made in Japan, not in America), but one wonders how much care the folks who make Olympia gear (who are in China? Pakistan?? Sri Lanka???) put into the contruction of their gear. do they even ride? very doubtful. if a person's lucky, they never need service after the sale. but if you DO need service, it's nice to know it's available. from first-hand knowledge i can tell you that Olympia does NOT care about you when it comes to service. i've never crash-tested their gear, but i have to wonder if they care about that, either. good point above about being comfy in your gear. my 'Stich IS comfy, but i overheat easily in it on hot days, even with all the vents open. that said, i know i'd overheat in leather on a hot day, too. i have a Joe Rocket mesh jacket that i thought would be a Good Thing on hot days, but IMO it actually exposes you MORE to the heat than being fully enclosed in something. plus, there's no question that something with a million holes in it can't protect you as well as something with just a few holes in it. a BIG bonus for me with the 'Stich is not having to stop every time it starts to spit a little bit (or a lot) and put on my raingear, plus it goes on easily over "regular" clothes, so you can wear your normal stuff underneath it and simply climb out and be your basic nattily-dressed human when you get to your destination. good luck in the decision-making process. Ferris | ||
| Tom_b |
I have to agree with mr. Haughton about olympia customer service. I could rant, but jerry seems to cover a very similar experience very well. I personally like leather, but aerostitch is TOP NOTCH in every way | ||
| Court |
I've got 5 of Andy Goldfine's Aerostich suits hanging here. You can not buy a better product. You can not deal with better people or a better company. They have been EXCELLENT since the day I bought my first one in 1994. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I agree completely with Aerostitch's quality and customer service. The only problem I had was that the gear I have from them doesn't fit as well as I would have liked. I have the genetic fortune to have a short neck. I HATE the collar on my Darien Jacket. I love my Kanetsu Heated vest. I haven't had ANY experience with the Olympia folks, but it doesn't sound good. Though their "repair" services don't sound any better than Joe Rocket, AStars, First Gear, etc. Good luck getting ANY of those folks to talk with you directly. You will get support from Cycle Gear, Newenough, etc., but the companies directly will do nothing for you. I believe from Jerry's experience that the owner of Olympia showed very poor customer service. Aerostitch will spoil you in that area. I get spoiled when I deal with Kelcey at NJKLeathers.com. When you call, it's his cell phone. When you email. It's his personal email address. You talk to him and him only. There is no "customer service department". I bought a mesh jacket. For some reason the shoulder seams on both shoulders blew out. I asked Kelcey if he could repair the jacket. He just sent me a new jacket from my order history. It showed up 4 days later. I asked Kelcey to sew some patches on a jacket for me and let me know what the cost was. Not only did he sew them on for free, but he shipped my jacket back at his cost. I continue to do business with both Aerostitch and NJKLeathers because of their customer service. I just wish the Darien Jacket I have was as comfortable as others I own. It's just not. | ||
| Etennuly |
Frog, Was there something about the Buell Adventure stuff that makes you want something different? Were you disappointed in the way they held up? I have the Adventure Jacket and I really like it. It held up real well through my get off at Road America. I have the other Buell pants though (XURP I think). They also did extremely well. For the price and function I haven't seen anything better. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
IMHO, as a mesh wearer, I am cooler in mesh while moving than I am in my heavier jacket with the vents open. Now ask me about being in stopped traffic, Jerry may very well be right about the stitch insulation you from summer heat in stopped or slow traffic. No experience with that. With that said, I ride a lightning,no windshield so YMMV. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Lost, My experience with heat in my aerostich in the heat is as follows. The highest official riding temperature I have ever had was 126 degrees (not a misprint). Last summer I had to stop in Spokane washington. The ambient air was over 103, but at the truck stop I was at was all blacktop and the radiating heat was much higher. I carry a relatively accurate thermometer when I travel. I thought it had malfunctioned when I read the temps. Turns out it was right on the money. I admit I was warm, but I didn't feel like being in a blast furnace. The other incident happened here in Seattle. I was heading home in traffic during rush hour. I was stopped in traffic completely surrounded by busses. It was a bit unnerving. The worst part was the heat. Just by chance I happened to be right near 3 of the busses radiators (2 at the side, one in front of me). The heat coming off of them was brutal. I was stuck in this little heat box. I looked at my temperature guage, but it had hit is high limit, so I do not know what the actual temperature was. The bike didn't go into skip spark, but you could tell it was not pleased. I was stuck there for all of 4-5mins, but by the end of it I was getting light headed. I am convinced without the protection of the aerostich I literally would have cooked my skin. | ||
| Brumbear |
On the last time out last season a fella went down in front of me pretty hard and pancaked accross the pavement he was wearing leathers and he stood right up completely fine I know thats not always going to happen but it was enough for me to see I went and bought tecnik chicane trouseres leather and a turbulant jacket and a better set of gloves just my $.02 worth Dave | ||
| Nevrenuf |
my chaps and jacket were both made in the us and have held up for over 13 yrs. there's a little freying on the jacket but other than that and one snap, i couldn't ask for anything better. i think for the most part, you can't go wrong when you get made in the USA. i'll look into aerostitch next fall. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
my ass less chaps and jacket were both made in the us and have held up for over 13 yrs. Fixed it for you   | ||
| Ferrisbuellersdayoff |
HELMET: KBC model VR2 JACKET: Taurus Leather(Hand-me-down) GLOVES: Alpine Star SMX Air PANTS: Draggin Jeans Utility CHAPS: Grandma made them from some 3/16" thick leather for my father, he has out grown them in the past 15 years. BOOTS: Redwing Shoes Steel toe highlace Electricians boots Pics tomorrow when I find my camera (Message edited by ferrisbuellersdayoff on February 10, 2008) | ||
| Nevrenuf |
thnks corporate, i keep forgetting to be politically correct here. | ||
| Oldog |
I have no experience with olympia customer service, I purchased a one piece as I could not afford a stitch, The workman ship is ok, I got a one piece in screaming yellow, armor & liner about 1/2 price of a stitch, thats the pro. any one who tells you that any other one piece is easy to get in and out of as a stitch is full of it, I have watched Ferris and Cyclone both just step out of the Stitch. just getting into the olympia with all of the velcro and stuff its a job, 3 zippers with velcro I work up a sweat every time and I need to sit to get in or out of it. I cant speak about the 2 piece suits but the one piece is not to good on the ease of use, I have never ridden in the rain with it but with all of the flaps zippers and so forth I doubt its water tight. I have made a big mistake and will probably e-bay the thing as it is cut for man about 6'9" ( to fit my waist ) its cumbersom and the armor appears to be "cheap" bad choice... my 02 |
