Looking to start using the bike for commuting when the snow disapears and need to get some textile clothing! I've always had alpinestars leather's but know where local has any textile? I have seen the hein gerrick stuff which looks ok! A local dealer has wolf titanium stuff which also looks good? Ideally looking to spend about £500-600 tops! But most importantly want to stay warm and dry when using the bike any recomendations? Also where best to get stff on-line?
I've got a HG Gore-tex suit from a couple of years back, not the uber-expensive one but the one priced a few rungs down (Nagano and Atlas, I think?). I rate it very highly for comfort, protection and weather-proofing. It's been through all sorts - heat, snow, lots of heavy rain and a low-side that wore a 2" hole on the outer layers of the trousers around the hip area that hasn't let in a single drop of water at all, even going through torrential downpours. ETA: They also do their own Sheltex clothing which is a pretty good cheaper alternative.
Halvarssons/Lindstrands stuff is Swedish made and what I would call mid range price wise but in terms of quality far better than that. Really good kit Halvarssons Motorcycle Clothing | Branded Biker Halvarssons Motorcycle Clothing
I am sorry to disagree Martin but Frank Thomas and quality in the same sentence is like CBR1000rr and slow. It is the worst gear I have even had the misfortune to buy, Frank Thomas stuff leaks, falls apart and is utter crap,no wonder they went bust.
I have a pair of Kushitani Goretex trousers and they are bloody fantastic, even in the freezin snowy stuff! and on a side note for the first time ever i bought TCX goretex boots instead of alpine stars for the winter and they a really bloody good too
As above The tcx goretex race boots are utterly brilliant. Waterproof and full on protective (don't ask). And the Halvarssons gear - Zen + Spartacus combo is tops too. I wash mine in the Nikwax gear and then brush a load of Fabsil Gold on. Leakless!
I'd recommend Held - solid midrange performer. HG is ok-ish however has a slight "simple" feeling to it (my jacket still performed well at fraction of the cost tho). Then there's Rukka, Dane, Kushitani - all use goretex with textile but at the top pricerange. I buy a lot from online German retailers - prices tend to be lower: moto24; biker-land.de; fc-moto.de etc. Most brands with the price tag above £300 per item would perform well i'd think. My advice however would be - if it's a commuter outfit - get a gore-tex. and not just any - PRO Shell performs best under heavy rain. Personal experience (Ireland in September - HG leather PRO Shell pants kept my bollox dry at all times . And avoid them plastic zips they've developed(Gore lockout) - it's a total waste.
i have some frank Thomas stuff and it has been brill never leaked or fallen apart perhaps I just been lucky It's been out in all weathers too
I've got a pair of TCX touring boots and got the S race goretex boots for Christmas....bit tight across the top but seem to be breaking in nicely. Worth a web search though as Mick byrne is doing them very cheap; TCX Boots S-Race Goretex Motorcycle Boots £159.99 I love my Furygan textiles...removable liners which make them toasty warm...100% waterproof and the new range come with the new fangled CE approved armour.
I looked at these at Millenium Motorcycles in St.Helens on Sunday and am very tempted to get a set - They look smart enough to wear to work, on a tour and when away use as a jacket with jeans without looking daft - Think it was Paragon I saw at about 320 for the pair / set from memory and quality looked 1st rate, lots of features etc. RST Paragon III Textile Jacket | rst-moto.com RST Ventilator III Jacket | rst-moto.com RST Ventilator III Jean | rst-moto.com RST Ventilator III Jean | rst-moto.com
Worst thing Brian Sampson from BKS Leathers did was allow his name to be used by the FT group. Frank Thomas went bust for a reason, well apart from the directors filling their pockets the product was crap and the returns were frequent. If your FT clobber is doing OK your one of the lucky ones. Wolf gear's not bad but expect a price rise very soon. RST will also be going up in price and we see a few coming back in with faults, more of a budget range If your going to be commuting and need reliable kit definitely look at gore tex to keep the water out, personally I would recommend Rukka and worth the expense for a warm and dry journey to work every day.
Yes, seen a few sites selling last years TCX S Race boots cheap but they all seem to be the unpopular sizes, i.e. Girls feet or Sasquatch sizes!
P.S. Someone mentioned CE approved. FYI 2 categories CE Approved and CE Certified. Most products can become CE Certified as it's a self certification classification which can be awarded if the product meets some of the CE criteria. CE Approved is awarded to products that meet all of the criteria so there is a difference. Very few products at the moment meet the CE approved category, armour yes but jackets trousers and boots not many. Daytona offer one set of boots and Rukka one jacket at the moment. Even the standard Rukka back protector is not CE approved where the arm and leg armour is. Any CE Approved product will shout about it with labels adorned all over it. Just a bit of info for when the salesman starts the BS.
Cheers guy's given me plenty to look at! WIll have a proper look at hien gerrick + held stuff as local shops have them! Looked at rst stuff before but it felt quite cheap especially the leathers! Hadn't actually thought about boots more to think about now! If ordering from europe are then any additional taxes to pay?
