Everything About Bike Riding Gears!!


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Re: RIDING Gears!!! Long Awaited

HELMETS : Helmets the most important gear while riding and for which government is pleading us to wear it for our own safety. However Most of our Janta ( Population) is careless about it.
Wherever you are riding to, even if it is 1 km away from your home, you must compulsorily wear one. Reason being, a mishap could happen anytime, anywhere, and most importantly, sometimes, due to no fault of your own.

A survey showed that helmets reduce the risk of death by around 40%. So go ahead and purchase a lid immediately, if you have not done so already.

There are many types of helmets in the market, but the only one to consider is FULL-FACE. Never ever think of going for a half-faced one, as it hardly provides any protection.

Now, while buying a helmet, ensure you are buying from an authorized reseller to avoid any fakes that are readily available.

The helmet should be ECE, DOT, or SNELL Certified. Certification is extremely important as this means that the helmet meets the minimum safety standards. The certification is mostly printed on the chin strap, and/or inside the helmet, and/or on the back side of the helmet.

The next step would be to ensure the helmet fits your head shape. Each helmet is made for a specific head shape. Some may have a round head, some oval, or some narrow. The only way to ensure a comfortable fit is to try on the helmet at the store for at least 10 min.

Now, the next part is one that most people are not aware of, but of utmost importance: The importance of a snug-fit helmet.

At first, a loose fitting helmet may seem to be the best, as it is the most comfortable. But come to think of it, a loose fit most certainly means the helmet will simply come off your head in case of an impact.

Last but not the least, do not buy a second-hand helmet, as one is not sure if it has already suffered an impact.

good helmets with ISI starts from 900- and can go upto 35,000 or more depending on the facility you need

and DOT helmets start from the range of 2800- going North

Gloves : The primary motto of wearing riding gloves is protection to your palm, fingers, knuckles and wrists in case of an accident.when one falls during an accident, the body’s natural reaction is to pull out your palm and brace yourself for impact and hence, in most cases, your palm and fingers are the first to hit the road. This is why wearing a pair of decent protective motorcycle riding gloves is paramount.

Leather Gloves

Protection: Leather, having very good abrasion resistance, should be your material of choice when looking out for a pair of motorcycle riding gloves. Depending on your use, you have the option of open finger, semi-gauntlet or full-gauntlet ones. Forget about open finger ones as they are useless when it comes to protection. Semi-gauntlet ones do not provide wrist protection, but are however, easier to use as they can be easily removed and put on. On the other hand, full-gauntlet ones provide protection to your wrists as well, have a secure fit around your hand, but are however, a tad more time-consuming while putting them on and removing them. Personally, since safety is our prime objective, I would suggest going in for a full-gauntlet one.
Most gloves have added knuckle, palm and wrist protectors. These can be made out of hard plastic, kevlar, carbon-fibre or titanium studs. One critical area to look at is the palm area. It should have an extra leather layer, and should preferably have an added rubber padding as well.

Comfort: A riding glove should be comfortable to wear even over a whole day of riding. One crucial advice: If you have never worn leather gloves while riding before, then the first time is going to be agony. You no longer have feedback from the handlebar, your fingers feel totally cramped up, you are unable to operate the switch-gear easily, and your hand feels tied up. But hold on, leather breaks in pretty quickly. What this means is: within two to three days of usage, the gloves will feel comfortable and all your qualms will be erased. So do not shy away from full-gauntlet leather gloves for this very reason. Ensure the glove is snug-fit: it should not come off your hand on impact.

Weather compatibility: Leather by itself is not waterproof, so these can be used in summer, and in mild to cooler conditions. If you want waterproof ones, look out for those with Gore-tex lining or other waterproof membranes. For cold winter days, look out for ones with good insulation. You also get the option of battery powered heated gloves. For hot weather riding, look for perforations in the areas of lesser impact probability.

Textile Gloves

Protection: In essence, textile based gloves are generally made of strong nylon or other textiles, and provide lesser impact abrasion resistance than leather. However, with the inclusion of strategically placed armors made of Kevlar, leather patches and further reinforcement at the impact areas, textile gloves could provide good protection too. In general, I would recommend using leather gloves on rides where you would be riding at speeds higher than 70 kph/43 mph, and textile gloves can be used for city commuting at relatively lower speeds.
Comfort: Since we have different type of leathers and textiles, the comfort will vary from product to product. Do note that textile gloves will not exhibit as much break-in effect as compared to leather ones.
Weather compatibility: Textile gloves are more breathable than leather ones. On the flip side, rain resistance is virtually non-existent. Again, a sewn-in Gore-tex lining should help turn this into a waterproof one.
 
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Re: RIDING Gears!!! Long Awaited

Riding Pants : Protective Armor:

Riding pants consist of protective armor at the knees, and sometimes at the hips as well. Whenever you go to purchase riding pants, do ensure the armors are CE certified/approved. There are various armor manufacturing companies and various certifications for different types of armor, but the minimum certification should be a CE level 1 certification. Look for engraving on the armors and documentation to ensure authenticity. If you want better protection, then look for armors that satisfy the CE level 2 tests. To summarize, riding pants should be called so, only when they are equipped with protective armor. Without them, its use as protective gear is virtually non-existent.
When purchasing riding pants, the most important thing to do is wear them on, and sit on your motorcycle. Now ensure that the knee armors fit perfectly over your knees. They should be snug-fit and you should not be able to easily move them around. This is important because the armor should not move away from your knee on impact. Also make sure that you feel comfortable and ensure that the armors do not pinch or hurt you in any way.

Materials used/Types of Pants:

Synthetic textile: Synthetic textile materials include polyester, nylon, cordura, Kevlar, mesh and other fabrics. Riding pants made up of these fabrics are comfortable in hot to mild weather conditions and are intended for casual riders and long distance tourers as well. These type of riding pants are generally more comfortable than leather ones, especially in hot weather.
Leather: Riding pants made of leather are primarily intended for track days or aggressive riding, or for short runs in relatively cold conditions. Leather being the most abrasion resistant material apart from Kevlar, provides maximum protection in case of a fall (Note: Leather pants also need to have protective armors to protect the impact points). However, leather requires more care vis-a-vis textile based ones, and is generally best avoided in hot summer conditions.
Denim: Some motorcycle riders do not like to wear riding pants all the time while riding. For them, denim style pants are the best bet. However, denim is not abrasion resistant at all, so I do not recommend using denims as riding pants. That being said, there are denim riding pants which have protective armor and also come reinforced with Kevlar at the impact points, which should provide decent protection( Still not as much as leather or textile based ones ). Denim styled pants are best suited for short city commutes where you would not be riding too fast.


Features:

Some important features of most jackets are:

Pockets: Most pants come with two front pockets, which should fit in a wallet and a mobile phone.
Adjustable straps: Most pants have adjustable waist straps. These are important to provide a snug-fit.
Slit ankle cuffs: Most riding pants are equipped with adjustable ankle cuffs, which allow you to wear them over or under your riding boots, as per your convenience.
Adjustable armor: Some riding pants have adjustable positioning of the armors that ensure a perfect snug-fit.
Weather proof: Most textile based pants come with a detachable rain-liner/thermal liner. Others are multi-weather ones whose construction material is waterproof, breathable, and windproof as well( like Gore-tex). Some pants are equipped with cooling vents which help in further ventilation.
Further safety: For further safety, many riding pants are reinforced with abrasion resistant Cordura or Kevlar at the knees and/or hips, and most come with reflective material on the back of the lower leg or on the outside of the thighs, which enhances visibility at night.
Cleaning: For cleaning, textile based pants can be washed in a washing machine as well, after removing the armors.
Riding pants are often one of the most ignored piece of protective riding gear. This is one of the biggest mistakes you should avoid. During a fall, your knee is the first/second impact point along with your palm. Now if you do not have riding pants with protective armor on, chances are: you will most likely end up with a fractured knee that will probably never fully recover a 100%. With riding pants on, chances of having your skin scrape the road are very less owing to the abrasion resistant materials used to fabricate the pants. So I strongly urge all motorcycle riders to wear riding pants along with all other protective gear, you shall not regret it. Moreover, riding pants are comfortable and most are well ventilated too.

Riding Boots are generally the last piece of protective kit one buys, but they are equally important as riding jackets, gloves and pants in terms of safety. Riding boots provide protection to your toe, heel, shin and most importantly, to your ankle. Let us see how this works:

Riding Boots:

One of the most common form of injury in a motorcycle accident is an ankle fracture. What happens is: on impact with the road, the ankle bends with such force and speed that it simply snaps and breaks. One of the most important safety feature of riding boots is to prevent this. This is how it works: Most riding boots are stiff around the ankle to prevent the ankle from bending beyond a certain limit. They also have armor around the ankle area for added impact protection.
Most riding boots come with toe protection in the form of a hardened toe section. They also provide heel and shin protection by employing steel plates and/or by using hardened materials and/or extra armor.
Some boots also provide Achilles tendon protection with the inclusion of reinforcements.
Riding boots also provide abrasion resistance during a fall, as they are mostly made up of leather and other abrasion resistant materials like Kevlar.

Types of Riding Boots:

Touring/Commuting: Riding boots aimed for tourers or for short commutes are made of leather, which is highly abrasion resistant. These type of boots ensure good protection to the toes, heels, shin and ankle, and are comfortable too. They are manageable to walk with off the bike. These type of boots are again classified into two types: Ankle length or full-length. Ankle length ones will provide reduced protection to the ankle, so I would recommend going in for full-length ones, as ankle protection is one of the prime benefits of riding boots.
These boots generally do not have a completely flat sole which helps to have good grip on the road, and also makes it easier to walk with them on.

Racing: These type of boots have maximum safety features. They are generally made up of leather, along with a lot of extra protective armor and reinforcements at the impact points. These boots are highly crush resistant as well.
These type of boots mostly come with flat soles, to help you move around your feet on the pegs while cornering. The downside to this is, they are relatively uncomfortable to walk with off the motorbike, and they are less grippy especially on a wet surface. This can cause problems while maneuvering your motorbike in say, a parking lot.
The racing style boots also contain replaceable components like toe sliders, which wear out during cornering (Of course only when the toe slider scrapes along the tarmac).

Military style: These are generally full-length boots but do not provide protection to the ankle, because that portion is not stiff, which will cause your ankle to bend in case of a fall. These boots will however provide some basic protection to the toes and the heel. These boots are the most comfortable and practical ones though, as you can wear them to office (if your office mandates the use of formal shoes that is), you can walk comfortably and use them as trekking shoes too.

Features:

Use of velcro closures and zippers: Almost all riding boots have velcro closures and zippers to do up your boots. This gives a customized fit depending on whether you decide to have your pants tucked inside the shoe or outside. No laces are used, which eliminates the possibility of them getting caught up in the foot pegs or gear shifter.
Weather Proof: Depending on the conditions you will be riding in, different boot types are available. For hot weather riding, boots with perforations are your best bet. For riding in the rain, you may go for waterproof boots. (Note: You must preferably go for ones which have a breathable membrane like Goretex, else the lack of breathability will cause excessive sweating in hot weather and result in foul odour)
Extra material or a shifter pad: Most riding boots come equipped with an extra layer of material or a shifter pad at the point where the shoe is most likely to come in contact with the gear shifter. This prevents the leather from wearing out at the rubbing point.

Riding boots are often the most ignored piece of protective gear. People generally believe a pair of trekking or military styled boots are good enough, but come to think of it, they provide absolutely no ankle protection and very little toe, heel and shin protection.
When purchasing riding boots, ensure that you try them on and sit on your motorbike, ensuring you are comfortable and can easily operate the gear shifter and the rear brake lever. Also ensure that the boots are snug-fit, without being overly tight. Do note that a bit of break-in will occur, so a slightly tight boot initially will loosen up after a few rides.
Also make sure the sole flexes along its length to facilitate walking, but make sure it does not flex along its width.
In any case, the boots should be stiff at the ankle and not bend too much. To check this, wear the boots on, and try bending your foot.


I hope the above info helps will write more about the gears i have used and the fit and finish of it.

Note For Mods: the reason why 3 posts were made back to back is they were not getting accomodated in a single post , please dont consider it as back to back post.
 
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What sort of riding gear do I have to buy to go on a 500km ride?

Hi Everyone,
I and my friends are decided to go for a trip of 500+ km. This will be my first 100+ km ride. I am looking for some suggestion about buying motorcycle riding gears as I do not go on long rides regularly. I am putting same question on various forums and getting few good reference store like High Note Performance, Bike Gear.
I am looking for few more suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
 
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Re: Bike riding gear suggestions!

I would suggest you to buy cramster I bought my jacket and gloves in 2006, still it's working good and do use products will last long it's worth paying for them and then not highly expensive 5 to 6000 you'll get a very good jacket they have a store in Cunningham Road
 
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i Second Milemuncher cramsters are by far good and reliable in their riding gear quality. even DSG is equally good. do not go for economical stuff now and later repent. main thing while riding is safety do not compromise on it at any cost.
 
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Guys please suggest a jacket according to my below mentioned needs:

1. Atleast CE approved armors.
2. High abrasion resistant mesh construction for use in 40-44'C
3. Thermal liner. Rain liner is optional
4. rugged built. I will use it for daily commute. It will be kept inside a laptop bag after use. So armors must be flexible enough to fit in such tight space.
5. Budget 5-6k
 
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Looking For Perfect Motorcycle Riding Jacket

Hi All,
I am just looking for a motorcycle riding jacket that will have the following qualities.

1. Adequate padding. Including shoulder, elbow, and back armor.

2. Ventilation. You need a jacket you want to wear, even when it's 95F out.

3. Some form of slide protection. Whether it be leather or textile.
4. Fits well. Not baggy, not too tight.

I get advice for buying Rev'it Jacket from one of my friend but I looking to check out few other options as well.

 
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Re: Looking For Perfect Motorcycle Riding Jacket

Checkout DSG.

Textile Jackets & Pants

Their textile jackets are good. I've used it for long rides. Has good ventilation and a removable waterproofing on the inside. Wont make a big hole in the pocket too.

NOTE: They have alpinestars too.
 
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Re: Looking For Perfect Motorcycle Riding Jacket

Checkout DSG.

Textile Jackets & Pants

Their textile jackets are good. I've used it for long rides. Has good ventilation and a removable waterproofing on the inside. Wont make a big hole in the pocket too.

NOTE: They have alpinestars too.
Thanks for your valuable suggestion.
After too much research, I finally decide to buy Rev'it! Adrenaline Leather Jacket.
Its classic leather jacket by the renowned brand Rev’it with a removable thermal lining. I want to share a click with you as well.
Cheers.....[:)]
 

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