Originally Posted by bad-monkey

helmet:
Shoei X-11 Ukawa - my favorite helmet. though the lining isn't as nice as the rx7, i still love this helmet for the awesome ventilation, comfort, and weight. so much air flows through this lid, that i can't wear it when the weather's too cold b/c my face will freeze.

Shoei RF-1000 Joust - same fit as the x-11, not as many vents, but still a great lid. my one beef is with the "breath mask" being made out of leather/vinyl instead of a proper plastic like it is w/ the x11. it fogs a little quickly, and the breath mask tickles my nose always when i'm in the middle of a ride, never right when i put the helmet on

Suit:
teknic chicane 1 pc - this suit gives me major male camel toe issues, but is getting better as the leather stretches. it feels a bit cheap next to the a*, but it's not a terrible suit. comes with CE armor in the usual places as well as the hips and back (something missing in the a* suit), and it's majorly perforated. something that's great in the summer, but not so good for mid february canyon rides. the zippers are cheap, as i've broken one already, but for how much i got it for, i can't complain at all.

a* stage 1pc - this suit is comfortable and substantial. it's heavy as hell, i've never weighed it, but it's gotta be at least 15-20 lbs of cowhide plastic and foam. the kneepads are a little clunky making it hard to grip tank sometimes, but otherwise, no complaints about this suit. it's also perf'd throughout which makes it nice and cool when you're moving, and it's easier on the ******* than the teknic. YMMV of course.

jacket:
dainese flanker - when i first looked at this jacket and tried it on, i thought what perfect fit! of course, that's with the goose-down-parka for a inner liner still in the jacket. without the liner, the jacket's a little big (as it should be since i bought it 1 size too large) but leaves me some room for layers underneath. also, without the liner, the jacket is very very vented. it doesn't seem like it would be with such small diameter perforations, but i rode up the street w/ it on and froze my *** off. other than that, it's dainese.

joe rocket CBR textile - i love the way this jacket looks, and woe be the day when i no longer own a honda and can't really wear this thing anymore. granted, i could take the armor out and just wear it around i guess. thing is, i hate the joe rocket adjustment on the sleeve with the buttons. the thing doesn't stay button when i'm just riding around--how's it gonna keep that big piece of plastic in the forearm situated in a fall? other than that, and the armor being sort of awkward and uncomfortable, it's a nice textile jacket.

gloves:
AGVSport Exocet - some have questioned whether these gloves would hold up in a fall, and when i think about it, they might not (the palms seem a little flimsy) in certain areas, but other areas are well protected. carbon kevlar for each knuckle and the forearm area, i just gotta remember to fall off with palms up. the leather is nice and soft (which is probably the problem), which leads to less hand-ache's than using say, A* GP-1's.

Boots:
Setup Vision - made by sidi, and i love these things. considering they were 130 bucks, i can't complain. a decent boot through and through. may not have all the bells and whistles of the vertebrae or smx985,000+, but they're comfortable and look like they'll do their job a few times over. only thing that's missing is ankle support to prevent that highside-related ankle snapping injury...

Back Protector:
RS Taichi - i just got this BP, and surprisingly, it was pretty cheap considering it's RS Taichi JDM tyte. it's comfortable to wear under my suits, and it's nice and lightweight. unlike the a* tech protector that i've tried on, you definitely forget you're wearing this thing.