What riding gear do you have?

So finally got this bike up and running. Been riding it around the city for a few weeks now. Hopefully I won't have any major issues in the foreseeable future then I can say that I have owned this bike longer when it is running than when it was dead. So happy.. Well, getting to my original point. I have the basic, required by law, gear--- helmet. Plus I threw in for some gloves. I wanted to get an armored jacket but I do not know what to look for? How should I evaluate a jacket if its enough protection and good fit? Someone mention that I should get a back protector as well. Do jackets come with this armour that protects the spine. I bought my helmet right before I took the MSF course and before I got this bike. Its HJC. Its snell and DOT approved but why is at least 200 cheaper than say a shoei and arai. Why are those helmets so expensive? Without the glitz and glitter, will it protect me better. What kind of gear do you have? I love riding, its lots of fun but I want to make sure I can keep on riding for years to come.

 

Helmet:
Most importantly make sure it fits. Then make sure it is DOT. SNELL is a 50/50... I like it some people claim it doesn't mean much. Graphics add big money... as do better vents and better shield removal designs.
(xspeed summer with tinted/non-tinted visors, agv for winter (fits a balaclava))

Gloves:
I like gloves with a gauntlet. This protects your wrist in a getoff. I like padding on the palms - knuckle armour isn't as important IMHO... the palm padding is for when you face plant and put your hands down on the road to protect yourself. I have 3 pairs of gloves - winter, regular, hot weather. Winter gloves double duty for rain.
(ICON vented, Yamaha Winter/Rain, Technic armoured)
Boots:
Weather proof, armoured shins, ankles and a nice tread pattern for gripping the road at slippery lights. I like taller boots that come to the bottom of the calf and properly protect the ankle. Zip and velcro are nice for getting in and out. Bike boots are made to ride (bend/flex properly and are comfortable). Hiking boots are made to hike and bend/flex differently. They also weren't designed to protect your ankle from a high speed impact.
(JR Revolution)

Jacket:
Elbow, shoulder, back protection. Vents that open and close are nice - removable liner is also nice. Pockets are a nice feature.
(JR Ballastic 3)

Pants:
Knee, shin (if you boots don't have any) and hip armour is nice.
(JR Ballastics were nicer than my current technic ones)

 

Seca550 - what I did to decide what gear to buy:

1) I looked at some grisly pictures of motorcycle accidents (Live to Ride).
2) I read a lot of testamonials about ACTUAL crashes.
3) I looked at the idiots behavior that I defend myself from everyday.

And with that input, I decided that I needed:
*The best helmet I can buy (Shoei X-11) - I live in Texas and it is hot. Also - helmets last 5yrs+, so why not get something thats not going to piss you off for 5 yrs? Also - if you do research into helmets, you will find out the extra money is NOT just for comfort. Shoei/Arai/Suomy helmets ARE safer than any other, and I dare you to prove me wrong.

*Leather jacket (Alpinestars Stage), leather is best, hands down. Plus, it has great armor that fits. It is perforated, and honestly, I get just as hot in this jacket as I would with a heavy t-shirt in the hot sun. In fact, if you read testamonials from people in Pheonix - they are cooler with gear than without.

*Boots, Icon, Superduty. I got some that I can wear to work and protect my ankle. These are important because often your foot or ankle (ouch) is the first thing to hit the road.

*Pants - I don't wear these often, but I got some sort of Cordura that I can't remember. The only reason I don't wear them that often is that they don't have armor and they are very inconvenient. I have decided that the risk of road rash is worth the convenience. I am going to be adding armor and then I will wear them 100% of the time. moral of that story: buy something that will be convenient, because if you don't, you won't want to wear it!

*Gloves- Icon superduty- buy something that is not going to fly off of your hand! Gauntlets are a good idea, but way too hot here. Superduty are okay, but allow air to flow up my jacket. Which is important to me because I want to want to wear my gear.

Bottom line - buy something that takes care of the risk you aren't willing to take. And buy something that is not so inconvenient that you aren't going to wear it.

 

Helmet: As you can see in my avatar, I went for a "cruiser" 1/2 helm. I can't stand having my face covered. The shell is 1" thick and the padding design is very comfortable, aside from the wierd mark it leaves on my forehead. It's definately not the most expensive helmet but I plan on upgrading within the next few months. Just figure out how much your head is worth to you and go from there

Goggles: Being as I ride at night and during the day, on a daily basis, I wanted something with interchangeable lenses. Being as I was on a budget at the time I went with a pair of Bobster sport goggles. For only being 45$ these things have held up great. I was worried that changing the lenses out twice a day might cause them to become loose but it's yet to happen. I've taken in the eye, been sandblasted behind semi trailers and worn them in the rain several times. Hardly and scratches on the lenses and the foam around the eyes hasn't degraded at all.

Being as my bike is my only transportation, I ride rain or shine. I picked up a leather face bandana from Jcwhitney for rain riding. Simple leather triangle, covers my neck and face and it's lined with soft, fluffly felt. I'd definately reccomend one to anyone with a 1/2 or open face helmet.

Jacket: Simple leather with and Italian style stap collar. I'm 6'2, 160lbs and had a helluva time finding a motorcycle jacket in a size small for some reason. I agree that leathers the best choice. It doesn't have an armour in it but when it comes to road rash, I know I'll be safe.

Pants: Nothing as yet, I'm a daily commuter though so it's usally jeans. If I'm heading to work my khaki's or suit pants. I'm thinking of getting leathers next season as I want to take some longer road trips in the spring.

Gloves: Leather, padded knuckle. Again, simple but gets the job done. I've both a pair of gaunlets and wrist length (a guy I work with calls them "hitman" gloves). I've only worn the gauntlets a few times but I purchased them for wearing this fall, as it gets fairly chilly at night.

Boots: US Army issue combat boots. Gore-Tex liner, heavy leather outer, vented sides and thick soles, steel reinforced shank and toe. They're easily the most comfortable boot I've ever worn. A buddy of mine came back from Iraq about 2 months ago and he'd been issued 3 pairs so he gave me one.

 

I agree with the others. Helmet is key. Good ones cost a lot, but they tend to be comfier, lighter, and almost certainly safer. I also found that Shoei's fit a hell of a lot nicer on my odd shaped melon. If you fall off your bike at 100 km/h I wonder if you'll be regretting the extra $200 you spent to get a Shoei / Arai.

Helmet - Shoei. I would rather have my face open, but I feel safer with a full helmet. To each his own.
Jacket - Joe Rocket textile armoured jacket. I don't really like this actually, but I couldn't find a leather jacket that I both liked and fit. I'm continuing the search. I agree that almost nothing beats a good leather jacket.
Gloves - Leather gauntlets from Watson (a Vancouver company!), I like being protected from the wind on most days.
Boots - Leather biker boots with ankle support and steel toes

Corey

 

I see alot of good information up here. I think the most valuable thing mentioed though is comfort. It cant' protect you if your not wearing it.

Jacket - Leather for me is the way to go. A good heavy proper motorcycle jacket is key. For warm weather you need a jacket with vents. If you want to wear a non gauntlet style glove you definately need a vented jacket or else your going to be riding around like the Stay-Puft Marshmellow man from the Ghostbusters movies. Another note about jackets, you need one with the strap style collar as mentioned above. If you use one with a standard collar with flaps on it, you will quickly learn how irritating they can be once you hit cruising speeds.

Pants - I wear heavy jeans most of the time. You will never catch me riding in anything less. For when it gets a little cooler or when im on a harder ride i'll throw on a pair of chaps. The pair i have is a store brand and was pretty cheap really ($70can) and works wonders.

Boots - Personally i wear a pair of Red Wing Shoes 767 motorcycle boots, sort of like a cowboy boot with a square toe. Things i like about these are they have a thick non skid sole. The sole is also heat resistent, so when your waiting at thoes long lights on that fresh blacktop in the blazing sun you stay in perfect comfort. These boots also come up most of the way to my knees. This is nice for when im stretched out on my highway pegs, the heat of the engine dosent get to your calfs like it does when your wearing shorter boots. And probably the main point, these boots are very comfortable. I wear them alot, not just for riding.

Gloves - Something with a gel pad and protecting for the heel of your hand incase you go for a slide.

Eyewear - If you have an open face or 1/2 helmet you must get some quality motorcycle eyewear. Things to look for, shatter proof, foam backing to eyepeices so they don't get blown around on your face. Interchangable lens are a definate plus. Just like a helmet, cost for performance is not an issue. What good is a bike if you can't see?.

Rain gear - Even if your only a fairweather rider, you will more then likely get caught in the rain at some point or another. I ride alot and i always have a rainsuit in my bags. You don't want to go super cheap on one of these. I started out with a discount one and not only did it leak, it teared the 2nd time i used it. Bought a moderately priced one and have used it probably 30 times. No tears, no leaks as of yet. The onyl downside to it is the fact that it dosent fold up that well. Even squished as i can get it, it is still bulky. Harely Davidson makes desent rainsuit that folds up into a pouch about the size of a large wallet. It's pricey though. Might go with one of them next time.

Like i said before, comfort is the key. Don't be afraid to walk around the store for a while wearing the gear your looking at buying. Ignore the strange looks. If you can't wear it for atleast 15 mins your not going to want to ride with it either.

 

Helmet: HJC CL-15 (A lot cheaper compared to other brands and it actually fits my egg-shaped head)
The more expensive helmets in the HJC line are more lighter and the designs are more sleek. My next helmet purchase would probably be with Shoei or one of HJC's carbon fiber helmets.

Gloves: First Gear Mesh Tex (these dont offer too much protection except for the carbon knucles, but they do offer great ventilation. I should have bought leather for more protection, like Tourmaster Dear Skin gloves. The stiches on my gloves dont seem like they will hold together in a high speed crash so i dont have a lot of confidence in them)

Jacket: Tourmaster Intake (I like this jacket. Lots of CE approved protective padding and lots of airflow to keep cool, but for the most protection and longevity, leather is a better choice)

Pants: Jeans (again i would go with leather if i can afford some)

Shoes: Work boots from Sears (terrible for riding a motorcycle. Shifting gears can become tiresome because of these rigid boots. If i had the money i would also buy Tourmaster boots instead)

 

Helmet: HJC CL-15: Snug fit, nice venting DOT and SNELL approved full face with two visors (smoke & clear)

Gloves: Unknown bike leather with padded palm and back.

Jacket: Mossi leather with zip sleeves and waist belt

Pants: Jeans - but looking at 'steel jeans' for Xmas.

Shoes: Milwaulkee biker boots - cover the ankle knuckle, zip up and go.

This is what I wear EVERY TIME I ride. Okay - only one of the visors, but you know what I mean...

 

http://www.webbikeworld.com has a lot of good reviews for equipment...

Helmet: Bell (very cheap one.. )

Jacket: normal leather, want a mesh or perferated with armor.

boots: 3/4 leather boots

I live in central texas also... below 95 or so i am comfy even in moderate traffic... with the 100+ mid summer i get fairly warm. I refuse to ride without the jacket tho.. came in handy last week when i did a low speed low side.... jumped back on with nothing worse than 2 spots like carpet burn where my arm/knee slid inside my jacket/pants. (and a bruise on my pride ;p )


upgrading to body armor style gear is a priority, read a number of stories where people in full (decent) gear had bad spills and walked away with minimal pain.