I have made it a goal to ride a track-day on the Honda this year. It won't be my first track-day, but it will be the first once since I sold my TL1000R and gear in 2005.

Back in the day (wow, saying that makes me feel old) I had an Alpinestars 2pc suite (their cheapest model at the time), A* gloves and boots. I ran into some financial troubles when my fiance lost her job and was forced to sell the bike and most of my gear to make ends meet.

Flash-forward to today, and I am doing much better. The time has come to get back on track, and that means new gear. I already have a Shoei RF-1000 and X-11 helmet, as well as the aforementioned Alpinestars boots in good condition. We all know however, that riding with just boots and a helmet would leave a little bit of exposed skin, and would likely end badly... so, let's change that.

This time around I would like to invest in better equipment; I am done growing (have been for a while) so any gear that I invest in will be around for a while. I was thinking of venturing outside of my A* comfort bubble and looking into other brands of gear, like: Dainese, Spidi, and maybe even the high-end stuff from Teknic or Joe Rocket. I am not terribly picky about the style of the suit (graphics, color, etc.); my main concerns are: protection, fit, comfort and quality in no particular order. I will be trying on a slew of suits to find the right one, but I am open to suggestions as well. I prefer a 1-piece suit this time around, and will be looking to spend around $1,500 (or less).

I also need to invest in a nice pair of racing gloves. Again, I am not picky about color and such, so long as the protection is top-notch. I hear a lot of good things about Held Phantom gloves, but have never found a pair locally to try out. I am looking for gloves in or around the $250 range.

Cliffs:
-1-piece racing suit, good protection, quality construction, what do you recommend for ~$1,500?

-I need racing gloves, what do you recommend for ~$250?

 

You could look into this:

Teknic Speedstar 1 piece: http://stores.sportbiketrackge...Suits

Held Phantom Gloves:

http://stores.sportbiketrackge...loves

 

Thanks for the input/link.

 

I have a set of those Phantom gloves, in the red/blue/white. Those gloves are FANTASTIC. The only comparable brand I've tried so far are the Kobe gloves, but I like the Held ones much much more.

If you look on eBay, STG has a few auctions where you can make an offer for those Held Phantoms. I got my pair for less than their asking price...not much, but every little bit saved goes towards diapers and formula.

 

for $1500 i'd go custom or Spidi. I love spidi suits.

but it all depends on what fits you the best. the high-end A*, Teknic, Dainese, Spidi, AXO, etc suits are all going to be high quality--what fits you best is going to be the determining factor.

Bells and whistles like Roo leather, drink systems, etc are nice, but non-essential imo.

As far as gloves go, i had a set of held akiras that i thought were marvelous gloves. The A* gp-pro or gp-plus gloves are also very popular.

Remember to pick up a back protector while you're shopping!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bad-monkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Remember to pick up a back protector while you're shopping!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I've got that one nipped in the bud already with my A* Bionic back protector; but excellent advice as usual.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marmaladedad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have a set of those Phantom gloves, in the red/blue/white. Those gloves are FANTASTIC. The only comparable brand I've tried so far are the Kobe gloves, but I like the Held ones much much more. </TD></TR></TABLE>

That seems to be the concensus. I want to try on a pair and make sure they fit well, then I'll pull the trigger on them.

I'll be keeping an eye on eBay for a good price.