hey all, im looking at getting a new jacket, and wanted some opinions... i want nothing less than top of the market stuff. went down to my local yamaha dealer, and they stock the ixor gear, some of the stuff looks allright, with back protectors, n armour, and leather. what brands are the best? how can i tell how long its gonna last scraping down the road? do the leathers come in different qualities? and are there any industry standards that dictate the quality of leather? maybe someone can give me a run down on buying quality gear, my local dealer said "erm, heres a brochure, pick something u like" haha
Fair bit of info to be found here. Australia has no standards for this area as far as I am aware, apart from helmets. Next best bet are the euro standards. As for quality, ask people that have actually had a slide down the road how the gear held up. I have not. One thing I can offer is that fit is very important. If you want best of the best, custom fitted leathers is the only way to go. Also if you are just in the market for a jacket now, get one that has a zipper to attach pants to form a 2 piece suit.
Tiger Angel over there is very good, try their website ! <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s -->
How much are you looking at spending, and what other gear do you own? Personally I'd much rather have a cheaper set of boots, pants, jacket, gloves and helmet, than just the top of the line helmet and jacket. If you're really interested, do some market research. That site that ciaran recomends will give you the better information than you'll ever get off word-of mouth. Visit manufacturer websites and read their tech info. Daines, Alpinestar, Joe Rocket, Dri-Rider, are four manufacturers that come to mind immediately.
Don't have the websites on hand but Racemaster and Scorpion Race Gear are two small retailers in Victoria who do internet sales (eBay and their own shop). Really good quality gear and alot cheaper than the big name stuff. I'm currently using a pair of the Racemaster track gloves with carbon fibre knuckles, and they're standing up to the test of time fairly well. (I go through one pair of gloves per year). Last i checked, a two piece leather suit including armour was a little under $600.
I have tons of gear and buy regularlly off ebay. I have 3 pairs of pants: 1 Firstgear HT Overpants (Textile), Technik Flightline Leather track pants, and a 2 peice track suit I've had for 20 years. 5-6 jackets: Joe Rocket, Firstgear, ProTech, Hein Gerick, Prosport, 3 pair of boots: Bates, 2 pair of Alpinestars I don't know how many pairs of gloves. Other than the 2 peice track suit and 1 of the jackets, I'd say I've spent less than $600 on gear. The key is to go into the dealers and try on all the gear that you like, remember the sizes and styles and buy off ebay or online retailers.
