I don't know if I should go to a dealer or somewhere else. What brand is the best ? For a good price ? I wanted bluetooth in my helmet but people say just buy a separate one and put it in yourself . What do you think ? I would love to listen to music while riding
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My rule of thumb is this... go to a dealer if you want to get raped. Period. Whether it is buying a used bike or buying gear, you will almost always pay more than you should. That is unless of course you happen to be very educated and know a good deal when you see it, which you dont, which is why you are here. You are smart to ask first.
I go to LeatherUp.com, JakeWilson.com, Motorcycle Superstore etc...
Helmets can be had for $50... dont buy that crap.
Buy a helmet that is DOT and SNELL rated (that is my opinion). Go to each vendors clearance section, you will save 50% or more on GREAT gear, that happens to be a year or two old stock (who cares if you have this years new Rossi graphics?)
You are in FL, Id buy a nice armored mesh jacket with elbow, shoulder and back pads.
Buy a good pair of gloves.
Buy a real pair of riding boots, when you crash, you will be thankful...
Buy a pair of proper riding pants. Nice pair of kevlar lined jeans with knee pads, or even a nice pair of leather street pants....
Look, you could go buy a 2 piece A* riding suit that is perforated leather and much better/nicer but I dont think you are looking to spend $600 and up for a jacket and pants.
Your helmet will cost you about $120
Jacket $100
Gloves $30
Boots $120
Pants $100
You shouldnt skimp on gear, but very few people are pimping $2000 race suits on the street either.
Go online, buy smart, read reviews from other riders...
I have owned HJC and Scorpion helmets... if you want to be a pimp buy an Arai or something else that costs $1000, but you dont have to.
I personally have a Scorpion helmet/jacket/gloves and A* street boots. I also wear kevlar lined riding jeans with pads. I am looking seriously into a nice 2 piece leather street suit, like an A* or the like, but I have been riding longer and faster than you and know I will continue to do so, and perhaps do a track day or two this coming season.
You need suitable protection, without breaking the bank in case you drop the bike at Starbucks and decide you dont want to continue riding.
At the bare minimum, you want a quality helmet, boots, jacket, and gloves. A lot ride without riding pants. I don't, and I can accept the risks. Just be aware, jeans provide next to no protection in a crash.
For me:
Scorpion EXO-400 Helmet (DOT/SNELL Approved)
Jox Thunder Helmet (DOT-Approved; has speakers for an mp3 player, and was <$100)
Joe Rocket Atomic 4.0 Jacket
Icon gloves
Speed and Strength boots-though they're really only good for grip; only protect the ankles--I need some good ones)
I spent less than $400 at a dealer (my brother is sponsored by them for dirt biking so I get a 20% discount).
-Will
__________________ KEEP CALM AND CHIVE ON "Trust me; I'm a pilot."
I recommend trying the gear on at the dealerships to ensure you can find something to fit, then look around online for the best prices. STG, revzilla, motorcycle-superstore, comp acc, etc. all typically have similar pricing, but sometimes one of them may have a coupon or sale going on. Also check out the premium vendors here (STG and Riders discount), and send them a PM for some truly awesome pricing.
Only time I recommend buying at the dealer is either a.) it's something small/cheap and you need in a hurry, or b.) sometimes they'll price match (though again, I only typically do that with cheaper items). Otherwise, you can almost always find a better deal online, typically get free shipping, and not pay sales tax...just gotta be patient and wait a few days. But I still recommend trying stuff on at the dealerships whenever possible to make it easier to order the correct size first, and not guess and run the risk of shipping back and exchanging for a different size.
FWIW, online vendors tell you how to measure for proper fit, and allow free returns on items if they don't fit the first time. I have always had superb luck buying online by using my measurements.
always buy online. do a lot of research prior buying shit too; cheaping out on something might not be in your favor, you may end up not liking it and want to get something else and selling the item for near its purchase price will be impossible.
like everyone said, the online vendors can help you with sizing.
once you figure out sizing, ebay is good for finding good used/barely used items for extremely cheap.
off the top of my head, a few good bang for buck companies are scorpion for helmets, cortech has an assortment of good shit for fair price, teknic has some stuff as well but i dont like their sizing.
alpinestars will ahve the biggest variety of everything, pricing will have a hugggge range.
go to the dealer to try things on in person if possible. and from my experience, aftering wearing leather, textile feels extremely inferior fit and protection wise. there are still times i wear my textile jacket
Use REVZILLA to check out specific gear. They have great videos that go into detail about pros and cons of gear. Even if you decide not to buy from them, definitely check them out.
RidersDiscount gives us members 10% off. I've bought from them and have had great service with them.
As for a helmet, I use Scorpion and they fit and feel amazing IMO. It cost me maybe $100. And I have 3 different jackets all made by SHIFT which fit me nicely.
On a side note: if new isn't a big deal to you, you can find good deals on Craigslist on jackets and gloves. Although I wouldn't buy a used helmet.
__________________
2005 White ZX6R | Yoshimura RS-5 exhaust | Power Commander III | 6k HID Headlights | Vortex Rearsets | Vortex Clip-ons
off the top of my head, a few good bang for buck companies are scorpion for helmets,
go to the dealer to try things on in person if possible. and from my experience, aftering wearing leather, textile feels extremely inferior fit and protection wise. there are still times i wear my textile jacket
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZX6R>CBR
As for a helmet, I use Scorpion and they fit and feel amazing IMO.
On a side note: if new isn't a big deal to you, you can find good deals on Craigslist on jackets and gloves. Although I wouldn't buy a used helmet.
+1 on Scorpion; they saved my head once. Stay away from used helmets. You don't know what has happened to it nor how it has been treated. If they always left it sitting on top of the tank, gas fumes may have weakened it. If it has been dropped, there's the potential for damage (helmets are one-time use devices; if you're in a crash, destroy it and toss it. You're not supposed to use it if it drops from a height, either).
As for what Glocken said, maybe it's just my jacket's sizing, but textile just doesn't fit right; I don't like how it's baggy. I'm getting a leather one for Christmas. Again, look at discounted items online and go through the reviews for it.
Don't completely avoid non-Snell approved helmets. There's research out there showing Snell-approved helmets can sometimes cause more harm than good. A helmet's purpose is to prevent the brain from slamming into the side of the skull (along from keeping the skull from being crushed); the helmet's shell cracks and the foam crunches to slow it down.
With some Snell-approved helmets, the helmet's so strong that the shell won't crack. Snell helmets are strong because, from what I remember, they're tested to withstand two impacts as opposed to one for the DOT-approved ones.
The Scorpion EXO-400 is not Snell-approved and I trust it completely. Go with a quality helmet, and you'll be fine.
-Will
__________________ KEEP CALM AND CHIVE ON "Trust me; I'm a pilot."
buy gear from dealer or where ?
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