Help me shop for a riding suit..

Tahoebrian5 · September 09, 2011, 06:03:36 PM

Thanks, I'll check out helimont. My primary concern is safety over dollars and I was very impressed with Dianese though.

n10sive · September 09, 2011, 06:17:50 PM

My dianese tore on a low side on the upper arm/shoulder. They were soft and comfy...but as far as I am concerned failed. I don't know how Dubs came out in his crash. So don't believe all the hype in the brand. The good stuff costs WAY more than what cycle gear charges LOL

Helimonts are considered one of the best, and will stand behind the quality and repair anything that breaks. If you can introduce yourself to Zoran here in Reno, he can help you out as that is all he buys for his race team.

Tahoebrian5 · September 09, 2011, 06:21:45 PM

Sold my crashed gsxr to Zoran. It wasn't the hype, in fact I didn't even like em till I saw in person... But yours tore huh...? Well I'll keep looking.. Willing to go up to 2k at this point to get a good fit and best possible protection... A bargain compared to a hospital bill.

CptnHornblower · September 09, 2011, 06:34:45 PM

I have a Dainese suit that I've crashed in three times and it did a great job of protecting me. The suit is obviously scuffed up but has held up pretty good. The metal plate on one shoulder is coming off (I ground it down on the pavement and one of the three attachment rivets is off). So I've got nothing bad to say about the suit. This year I got a sponsorship from Pilot and I really like their suit a lot. I have one of their EVO models and I think it compares very favorably to the Dianese in terms of construction, protection, etc. I'm pretty sure you could have a custom suit made for less than 2K. They are located in Murietta, CA, so a trip to the factory would be doable and then you'd have a really great suit. The owner is Josh Bennett and his email is joshb@pilotusa.com, I'd shoot him an email and find out what he can do for you.

Tahoebrian5 · September 09, 2011, 06:44:29 PM

Thanks, I guess I need to stifle the impulse buy and explore some options.

n10sive · September 09, 2011, 08:46:17 PM

Here's a pic. Notice, I don't have steel plates on the shoulders of mine. If I were to buy new leathers (and you'll notice the GP guys now have these), I would buy the external shouldere plate. I also have a nice burn on my shoulder from a previous set of leathers where the internal armor actually heated up and burned my skin off.

CptnHornblower · September 10, 2011, 03:11:19 PM

The shoulders do seem to take a lot of abuse. I had three offs and have three distinct ground down spots on the shoulders. So I think the external metal plates are very important.

GreenMachine · September 10, 2011, 05:33:22 PM

Metal? I've seen a lot of plastic shielded suits on TV and thought I read that Dainese puts titanium inside. But you're saying there are suits with metal on the outside?

CptnHornblower · September 10, 2011, 05:53:38 PM

Yep, they're painted black, but with a little scraping on the pavement they turn nice and shiny. I'm wearing the suit tomorrow, I'll show you.

dub · September 11, 2011, 08:25:51 PM

My Dainese is fine after a crash.

Tahoebrian5 · September 12, 2011, 10:37:28 AM

Any Taichi dealers around? I noticed they have several different fits for each size (slender, medium, etc...). The suits look good but have plastic instead of metal in the shoulders. Anyone have a Taichi suit or have any feedback on the amount of protection?

A DRAGON · September 14, 2011, 07:11:51 PM

I know late on the brake Andy had won and said it was pretty good as well. He now has ACT Leathers. (Their Sponsor) Remember When you go up in price they all seem to be pretty good. Some times to get the fit you want you have to go Custom. That's really not that bad. Considering all the hours you'll spend in them. Just rack it up to the cost of having a nice toy.

GreenMachine · September 15, 2011, 04:24:27 PM

Can it wait until Black Friday? I've been very successful picking up steals on bike merchandise on that day alone. I need some things for the bike and would like to pickup some nice Sidi riding boots, but I don't need any of it right this minute.

Instead I'm making a list. Come Black Friday, I'm going to be singing 'Merry Xmas to me.!'

Tahoebrian5 · September 15, 2011, 04:42:00 PM

Probly not with a custom suit but I'm sure I'll need something!

Just ordered a Leo Vince slip on and am getting the bazzaz TC fuel management with traction control.. Oh, and steel brake lines. Love blowing money on riding!

GreenMachine · September 15, 2011, 06:01:25 PM

Dude, it still won't be able to keep up with my Ninja!

Seriously. Isn't it a stout bike in current form?

Definitely take before and after shots.

I talked with Wills at Bike Night yesterday. He's conjuring up plans for a winter project on his CBR-1000 as well. Can't keep that boy off two wheels. Even though he has to carry a crutch and isn't 100%.