I just bought a 1996 YZF600 (maroon) last week as my first bike and I have a few questions mostly about gear.

I've been shopping for the last 2 weeks for a jacket, pants, helmet, boots, and gloves and maybe a back protector, and I am set on wearing it everytime no matter how hot it gets (Charlotte, NC). I also only want leather and not mesh or textile. Of course I have not seen a single rider in charlotte wearing pants or boots in the 8 months I've been here. Not one. So maybe I'm not being realistic but whatever. This thread isn't about saving their skin...it's about saving mine. Anyway, here's what I've looked at:

Helmet: I walked into Excel Motorsports in N. Charlotte, tried on a silver Shoei RF-1000 in medium and loved it. Compared to my Bell M2 (autocrossing and track days in car), it was 3x more comfortable and it fit more snug. I don't think I want to even bother with an HJC and they didn't stock Arai. Is the Shoei a mid-level helmet?

Jacket: I am set on A* but I want something that I can wear to a trackday and wear during the commute to work. They only had a Spinner available which felt good but doesn't have a 360 zipper for pants. They guy behind the counter let me try on his A* Vector (which was awesome but too $$$ for me right now) and it fit great. So he suggested the TZ-1 which apparently has a similar fit as the Vector and with a 360 zipper. It has perforated shoulders so I may survive the summer heat with it. It looks like the jacket will come with a CE back protector (new law for 2007 apparel) so I dont' need to bother buying one of those too. A couple of people have suggested I get a textile jacket too just to make sure that I'm always wearing something but I can't imagine sitting in trafiic in a leather jacket is much worse than sitting in my car in traffic with no A/C and no fan.

Boots: I tried on some SMX Plus's which were nice and fit OK (wrong size) but had the ankle and shin protection I'm looking for. How do these compare to the Oxtar Techs or the Sidi Corsas? I'm really paranoid about ankle injuries after witnessing my friend demolish his ankle when he slid into an SUV.

Gloves: I didn't get a chance to try on anything but will get a gauntlet style glove. Anyone have any suggestions?

Pants: Didn't try on any. I'd like something like with knee pucks and hip armor. I also want to wear these every time I ride so they would have to fit over jeans yet I could drag a knee with...is this asking for too much?

Finally, I think it would be a good idea to invest in frame sliders since I will probably drop the ****** at some point. I have no idea what to look for or where to find sliders for a mid-90s YZF.

Short story: Shoei RF-1000, A* TZ-1, A* SMX+, need gloves, need pants, need frame sliders.

MSFGearInsurance? NotYetNotYetNotYet. The bike is sitting in my apartment waiting for me to take the MSF and buy some equipment. As you can see I really like the A* stuff; I don't see a point in buying cheaper **** only to have to replace it later and I'm trying to find gear that I will be able to keep as my skill (hopefully) advances. I haven't bought anything yet just in case I fail my MSF course 3x and am a horrible rider. Thanks to those who took the time to read this.

 

The Shoei RF1k is closer to top-level stuff. If the Shoei fits you best, then go with that. But, it would be good to try on the other manufacturers to see if possibly, maybe, there's one that fits your nogging even better.

A textile jacket would be marginally cooler, but I'd stick with leather. Any jacket will be stifling hot when you're sitting in traffic. A fully perf'd leather jacket/suit pays off when you're moving.

For boots, it is possible that no matter what boot your friend was wearing, his ankle may have gotten messed up. The Daytona boots offer the highest security, but the A*, Sidi, and Oxtars are good compromises without having to shell out a lot of cash.

Try on as many different gloves as you can. You want them to be a little bit tight when you ball your hand into a fist (akin to gripping the clip-on), but not too tight that it's cutting off circulation (especially between the fingers).

You aren't going to find leather pants that have knee sliders AND can be worn over jeans. The problem is that they won't fit you properly, and if you have a get-off, the leather will bunch and roll and provide little protection. You could stuff the jeans into a backpack, tankbag, or saddlebags and change when you reach your destination. You could also get textile overpants, but again, they'll be a little baggy (and fairly uncomfy) when worn with jeans and on the move.

Direct bolt frame sliders (the ones that utilize the engine mounting bolts) are the strongest available sliders. The adapter-plate types can crack if made improperly. Just remember, frame sliders are designed to protect your frame, not necessarily save your plastics. Sometimes it's an added side-perk, but not always. Terra Powersports can help you with whatever accessories or gear you need to purchase. Tell them Herb sent ya.

And congrats on the bike purchase! Sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders and are off to a great start.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Helmet: I walked into Excel Motorsports in N. Charlotte, tried on a silver Shoei RF-1000 in medium and loved it. Compared to my Bell M2 (autocrossing and track days in car), it was 3x more comfortable and it fit more snug. I don't think I want to even bother with an HJC and they didn't stock Arai. Is the Shoei a mid-level helmet?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Shoei makes great helmets. Arai for oval heads and Shoei for round heads. Don't worry about brand name between suomy/arai/shoei, get whichever fits best.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Jacket: I am set on A* but I want something that I can wear to a trackday and wear during the commute to work. They only had a Spinner available which felt good but doesn't have a 360 zipper for pants. They guy behind the counter let me try on his A* Vector (which was awesome but too $$$ for me right now) and it fit great. So he suggested the TZ-1 which apparently has a similar fit as the Vector and with a 360 zipper. It has perforated shoulders so I may survive the summer heat with it. It looks like the jacket will come with a CE back protector (new law for 2007 apparel) so I dont' need to bother buying one of those too. A couple of people have suggested I get a textile jacket too just to make sure that I'm always wearing something but I can't imagine sitting in trafiic in a leather jacket is much worse than sitting in my car in traffic with no A/C and no fan.

Pants: Didn't try on any. I'd like something like with knee pucks and hip armor. I also want to wear these every time I ride so they would have to fit over jeans yet I could drag a knee with...is this asking for too much?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just get a 2 piece suit. A* SG1 has a **** load of perforation (you seem worried about heat) and it is $600.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of 2pc suits, so I own a 1pc suit and also a stand alone jacket for commuting. Problem is I am guilty of commuting in jeans because riding to work in a 1pc isn't really practical for me. In your shoes I would just get the 2pc to save money, since you have no problem commuting in full leathers.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Boots: I tried on some SMX Plus's which were nice and fit OK (wrong size) but had the ankle and shin protection I'm looking for. How do these compare to the Oxtar Techs or the Sidi Corsas? I'm really paranoid about ankle injuries after witnessing my friend demolish his ankle when he slid into an SUV.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Don't go cheap on boots. Read this thread. https://honda-tech.com/zerothread/1989171

I would not buy anything but the supertech boot in alpinestar's line. I don't have experience with oxtar or sidi but make sure they have plenty of ankle support. And if you think SMX Plus has good ankle support I would have to disagree.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Gloves: I didn't get a chance to try on anything but will get a gauntlet style glove. Anyone have any suggestions?</TD></TR></TABLE>

A* gp-tech you can get them for $160 brand new on ebay. If that is too rich for your blood (after spending $350 on boots) Held Panther gloves are really nice.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Finally, I think it would be a good idea to invest in frame sliders since I will probably drop the ****** at some point. I have no idea what to look for or where to find sliders for a mid-90s YZF. </TD></TR></TABLE>

http://www.kneedraggers.com/de....html

 

Gspeed: congrats on the yam. a note on gear: fit and construction are the primary concerns, so make sure you try stuff on before you buy.

lid: the RF1k is a good helmet. upper crust of the helmet world. I've come to realize that people either have shoei heads, arai heads, or suomy heads. every helmet maker has a different head shape in mind (in the case of arai, they've got 5, iirc diff head profiles), so fit is brand specific. I like my RF1K, but after wearing X11's, can't really go with anything else. The price sucks ($500+), but the level of comfort makes it worthwhile. Still, the RF1K or Quantum2 (arai) are both good lids, not the absolute top of the line, but certainly good quality.

jacket: if you're looking into A* stuff, i personally like their stage jacket better than the rest of their old range, and they are generally priced pretty reasonably and have a "360" zipper. also, since you are basically in the market for a 2-pc, it'll probably be cheaper to get a 2-pc. i got quoted on a stage 2pc for $500 from cyclemartUSA. the octane 2pc also looks like a decent 2pc that's reasonably priced. Also, when you're trying on jackets/suits, make sure you're wearing the back protector you're looking for while test-fitting. jackets/suits should fit snugly, but a BP might make it really uncomfy if it's really huge (like the a* tech protector. as opposed to the a* tech "race" protector which has a smaller profile).

back protector: i really like the RS-taichi BP because it's affordable ($80) and offers good protection (kidneys and tailbone and a hard spine protector w/ good foam backing), but there's a few diff camps when it comes to BP. some like a soft BP like the bohn, others like the turtle shell like the RS-T, A* and Dainese, but having any BP is better than 95% of the level of gear that most riders adhere to wearing.

pants: a* pants are pretty pricey. 279 retail, iirc. And they're not practical for commuting in if you don't have pants to change into. it's fine for rolling around town, but sitting in em for 8 hours will be uncomfortable. when buying pants, you don't necessarily need to get the same brand, as long as the zippers are compatible. i'm pretty sure joe rocket and a* use the same zippers. also, if you want a compromise, you can wear some good kneepads under your jeans, or get some textile overpants. still, i think 2pc is the way to go.

frame sliders: http://www.indysuperbike.com/c...23468. prob not the cheapest price, since indysuperbike is rape, but they're out there. i'm sure terrapowersports.com + the "herb" (aka marmaladeboy) discount will get you a better price.

boots: the SMX+ are good boots, but squeaky. so if you're commuting to work and want to retain the ability to sneak up on people, keep a spare pair of shoes in the cube. sidi vertigo corsas and oxtars are also great boots, so you can't really go wrong with any of your choices. i'd get the one that fits best. Sidi's are generally narrower than most boots.

gloves: the a* SP1 are a popular glove, because they're affordable and are beefily constructed. i didn't like them b/c they didn't offer enough feel, but i also didn't wait for them to break in, so i might have given up too early. I just picked up a pair of spidi evo's and i like them. they're not a full on CF/Kevlar raced out pair of gloves, but the leather is top notch, as is the stitch work. I'll probably end up with a pair of spidi carbo sixes when the budget allows. other popular gloves: A* GP+, A* GP pro, held akiras. the new line of teknic gloves looks ok too.

rr/ax/de guys make the best new riders

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GSpeedR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

gloves: I didn't get a chance to try on anything but will get a gauntlet style glove. Anyone have any suggestions?

Pants: Didn't try on any. I'd like something like with knee pucks and hip armor. I also want to wear these every time I ride so they would have to fit over jeans yet I could drag a knee with...is this asking for too much?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I would recomend for everyday riding that you take a look at textile pants. There good for short trips and not stifling like leather. You can take them off easily as well. I would not recomend some fancy racing glove for riding on the street. I have some A* sp1s and while they look cool, they are not comfortable for long distances. I wear some Joe rocket guantlets; they don't look as cool, but are way more comfortable. I would not recomend a fancy pair of SMX+s either for the street. If you look through old posts you'll see that people get tired of the hassles of putting them on and how uncomfortable they are for walking around.

I have some SMX-4s that go on easy, provide good protection, and are comfortbale. I wanted to spend money on the fancy race stuff to when I got a bike, I soon realized it was a waste of money. I'm not against safety, but I like praticallity. I wear some motoGP brand overpants, a teknic chicane perforated jacket (gets hot, looking at textile), JR golves, HJC helemet, and SMX4 boots. I feel safe. Your not going to be hitting the track just yet, don't blow a bundle on race gear that is overkill for the street.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by slm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I would recomend for everyday riding that you take a look at textile pants. There good for short trips and not stifling like leather. You can take them off easily as well. I would not recomend some fancy racing glove for riding on the street. I have some A* sp1s and while they look cool, they are not comfortable for long distances. I wear some Joe rocket guantlets; they don't look as cool, but are way more comfortable. I would not recomend a fancy pair of SMX+s either for the street. If you look through old posts you'll see that people get tired of the hassles of putting them on and how uncomfortable they are for walking around.

I have some SMX-4s that go on easy, provide good protection, and are comfortbale. I wanted to spend money on the fancy race stuff to when I got a bike, I soon realized it was a waste of money. I'm not against safety, but I like praticallity. I wear some motoGP brand overpants, a teknic chicane perforated jacket (gets hot, looking at textile), JR golves, HJC helemet, and SMX4 boots. I feel safe. Your not going to be hitting the track just yet, don't blow a bundle on race gear that is overkill for the street. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i wouldn't want to walk around all day in SMX+ either, but he wants ankle protection, and any boot w/ substantial ankle support is going to be more cumbersome than something like the SMX4. that said, i wear my setups on the street, because i can't handle walking around in my SMX+'s.

if you've got a regular routine, it's easy enough to commute in full gear. takes a little extra effort, but for some it's worth it.

 

i have gear for sale.

 

Looks like your well in hand here already with the responses... one thing is for certain, DO NOT compare car helmets and bike helmets as they are not created equal.

When looking for gear I personally buy quality over quantity, but there is a niche for every budget and most needs can be met for fairly responsible money. In any gear purchase, PROPER fitment is critical, make sure all armor fits and stays in the its proper position on your body through a range of movement. Ballistic fabric and leather are both good, Leather for track.

Whatever makers you choose to go with, look at construction quality for no mater how pretty the product is, is worthless if it falls apart... This seems to be a real issue with leather jackets and gloves of lesser build quality.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ninja 6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i have gear for sale. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Used gear can save money, as long as it fits and is in good shape. One place to check is newenough.com, they sell good gear cheap, (its not used) and have a nice closeout section that can save a bundle. Always have had good service.

 

Opperative word is "GOOD" gear

 

Thanks for the responses. I've been browsing newenough.com and it has everything but I will probably end up ordering from the local shop so that I can try it on before I buy it, and also to repay them for answering all 500 of my questions.

When I go to work I will have an Ogio backpack (for my laptop) which I can put my jeans and sneakers in and then change at work. I work at a race shop anyway so there's lockers and such available. I can see where it might be a pain in the *** to have to bring extra clothes if I ride to a friend's house but I have to lug around the helmet when I get there anyway.

The 2-piece suit is actually a great idea. Both the Octane and SG1 look like they would work pretty well. I honestly don't see any different features between the Octane, Stage 2, and SG1...so I assume it comes down to fit and looks. As for the A* boots, I really didn't have anything to compare the SMX+ boots to so I was just regurgitating what the guy at the store told me. The Oxtar TCS Replicas and the Sidi Vertigo (non-Corsa) are some other ones I could afford. If the Sidis are narrow then I may run into trouble since I have duck feet.

I admit I am suffering bling envy while shopping for stuff but I can also bring up mental images of the rash on my friends knees, back, and shoulders and I get naseous.

 

Well after some more thought I've decided to put a bit more money into my gear budget.

A* GT+ gloves felt very comfortable, and had lots of armor. I think the A* Vector 2-piece ($900) is the top of my list for suits. I already tried on the jacket and liked it, and it seems to be a nicer suit than the SG1 I was considering before. I figure it's good enough for some track days when I decide to do that. I also decided against the SMX+s and will have to decide between the Oxtar TCS RX Replicas or Sidi Veritgos. I can't afford the Corsas or Supertechs unfortunately unless I get them off ebay (and screw over the local shop). I think the Oxtars seem like they offer the best protection between the two, though the Sidis definitely look better (ie not white), so I'm leaning toward the Oxtars. So right now I'm starting to approach the purchase price of the bike but I hope to be able to use this stuff for awhile.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GSpeedR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well after some more thought I've decided to put a bit more money into my gear budget.

A* GT+ gloves felt very comfortable, and had lots of armor. I think the A* Vector 2-piece ($900) is the top of my list for suits. I already tried on the jacket and liked it, and it seems to be a nicer suit than the SG1 I was considering before. I figure it's good enough for some track days when I decide to do that. I also decided against the SMX+s and will have to decide between the Oxtar TCS RX Replicas or Sidi Veritgos. I can't afford the Corsas or Supertechs unfortunately unless I get them off ebay (and screw over the local shop). I think the Oxtars seem like they offer the best protection between the two, though the Sidis definitely look better (ie not white), so I'm leaning toward the Oxtars. So right now I'm starting to approach the purchase price of the bike but I hope to be able to use this stuff for awhile.</TD></TR></TABLE>

its cool to support your local shop, but you can do alot better than 900 for the vector. i've been quoted 700 for that particular suit, so, i think asking your shop to cut you a bit of a deal for that suit is reasonable.

 

I would recommend the stage A* jacket and the A* track pants. I have the pants with a TZ-1 jacket. WHile the jacket is great - I envy my roommate with his perforated Stage jacket in the summer.

Also, for boots - I have the Oxtars. Not the replicas - but actually the model prior (I got on closeout for $100 instead of $200.) Great protection all around, uncomfortable to walk in (very flat soles) and VERY squeaky. They came with some "lube" for the ankle pivots, but it doesn't help a lick. Overall though for the price I think they're a great boot.

Race type gloves can be very comfortable - just as long as they fit right.

I think it's great you want to reward your local shop for helping you - but I've bought 75% of my gear used or on closeout and I've saved probably a grand. I would recommend you do the same unless you're made of money. I got my boots half off, my gloves more than half off, my back protector half off used from Herb, my super duty pants half off used from honda-tech, and a great deal on my A* leathers through a bit of a mistake, but eh. Helmet was HJC retail - probably the only thing besides my alter ego jacket that I paid retail for. If you can get better gear for the same price by going through e-stores I say do it to save your skin.