Leather Shopping

Hi all,
I've just bought myself a nice new (blue) Yam YZF R6. Whilst still running
it in and attempting to stick below 6000rpm, I'm pootling around the bike
shops and looking for some new leathers to replace my current Frank Thomas
jacket and jeans. I'm on the lookout for a 1 or 2 piece suit (probably 2
piece) and was wondering if anyone can advise me on good makes to check
out. Obviously Dainese and Alpinestars are highly regarded but beyond that
I'm not well up on what are good and bad names in the leather trade.

 

Kangeroo is better than cow, which in turn is better than hamster.

 

I've got coffee dribbling through my nostrils.

 

I'm sure Gavsta can help you with colour schemes.

 

Bugger - now I'm dribbling too

 

Hein Gericke are a good compromise. They also crash quite well.

 

Sounds like the voice of experience?

D

 

Mine are falling apart after 4 months off and on riding. Seams going,
zips coming off and a hole in the jacket inside pocket. Must get
round to taking them back.

Haven't tried yet, but my FT ones kept me together in 3 offs.

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Doesnotcompute"

Quite unseemly.

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10

 

Frustrating isn't it?

I have an Alpinestars two piece at the mo, but my previous leathers
(although very garish) were Spyke and were far more rain proof than the
Alpinestars. The Alpinestars attract rain and soak through almost
instantly, whereas I could ride for half an hour through fairly heavy rain
with the Spyke leathers. They were good although the joining zip between
top and bottom no longer fastens properly (after 2 years of daily use
through all seasons).

The Alpinestars crashed/slid fine at ~50mph without tearing the stitching.

 

heh.

****.

Latest idea here: http://www.stoof.co.uk/celtic-leathers3.jpg

 

Celtic Leathers, as wore by all the best riders.

You even have an easy choice of designing them, and then have a group of
your peers taking the piss out of them. ;-)

 

But lemming rates slightly above hamster.

 

Dont, you'll have me in stitches!

 

Steve says...

I wouldn't waste my worst enemy's money on either Dainese or AlpineStars
leathers. They are monumentally shite for what you pay. Spidi are medium
ground as are Spyke. Good value for money are RST, Wolf and the Hein
Gericke Tribal one piece.

If you were willing to throw away good money on shit like Dainese[1] or
A/stars[1], then you may as well buy some proper quality made to measure
MJK Leathers for about the same price. MJK are worn by myself, a growing
number of happy ukrmers and many of the riders in KRC Endurance and
World Endurance series.

There's a link in my sig to their website.

[1] I bought some Dainese KC2 racing boots for 170 quid thinking they
would be quality kit. They virtually fell apart after one years use and
leaked like a seive in a rain-shower, so I retired them. I have had the
replacement Daytona GTX boots and Hein Gericke PSX2 boots about 3 times
longer and they're just worn in.
[2] I have one piece of A/stars kit and it's the only thing of theirs
I'd wear and trust to do its job properly. It's a T-shirt.

 

I adore my Alpinestars SP-1 gloves, and am on my second pair.

 

I'm considering a pair of those when I wear out my current gloves - are they
the top of the range ones - retail for around £120?

 

I think mine were about 50. They the most comfortable gloves I've
ever worn. And they don't have hard knuckles - which I hate. I
believe that Gower uses them, too, and has a similarly high opinion of
them.

http://www.ukrm.net/KIT/Gloves/alpinestarben.html

 

Those are the GP Tech ones with external plastic armour on the wrists,
they look a bit gay IMO. I got the GP Pro ones (£100) which are
comfortable and have plenty of armour & double leather - stitching and
general quality seems better than my previous Hein Gericke gloves. I
don't like the sticky-out armour on the back of the fingers though, it
looks cool but gets in the way.

Tim

 

Just to add to the general approval of Alpinestars gloves - I've had
my GP Pluses for 3 years now, crashed 6 times in them, and they're
brilliant. ISTR that I bought them from Graham at MJK sells them, so
they can't be too bad