I'm going to get myself a leather suit this coming month or so (finally), and was wondering which brand should I go for? I think everyone in my riding group wears dainese (about 20 guys or so)..is dainese the best brand or what? should I join the bandwagon or look somewhere else?

cheers,

Leo

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I wear dainese. The newer stuff is a lot better than some of the older suits, but thats probobly the same no matter what you go with. To me though, it seems dainese runs just a bit big in the sizes. Depending how close you are to there size chart, you may want to go down a bit just to let it stretch to fit you. If price is an issue, than check out newenough.com. They are great! I just bought a dainese 2piece from them and once again am very happy with their business. By the way, what do you other people wear under your leathers (pants anyways)? I've always just had a jacket, no pants (leathers) but jeans dont fit so great under the pants. Is there a better way?

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: God ]</p>

VANSON!!!

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Very happy with my dainese leathers. Under 'em? Boxers and socks (and a t-shirt if it's under 80 degrees when I leave - my leathers are pretty well perforated, with lots of breathable material and it gets cool at the top of the mountains).

Haven't bought anything from newenough.com (yet), but all I hear about 'em is good.

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http://www.weather.com/weather/us/zips/91101.html

yesterday I just bought an AGV Rage sport full suit .....used but no scuffs for $255 !!!! Marietta Motorsports here north of Atlanta rocks! go check out their site at http://www.1888fastlap.com
I bet you can get a great deal from them, they had lots of leathers they need to move! watch out for the 1-888-FAST-LAP bikes (I think they have a GSXR750 and an RC51) in a race near you!

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: God ]</p>

i to am planning on getting a suit, im looking at the agv wolf $430 or the agv rage $440, anyone have either of these?

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: God ]</p>

I've had good luck with Hein G., FirstGear, Teknic, Vanson and Spidi. I usually wear bike shorts and a t-shirt underneath when riding in the summer. I got my Widder electric vest for the colder days.

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: God ]</p>

I prefer Syed but whatever suit you buy get it custom fitted. If you dont have the money to get it fitted save up. It is really worth the extra cash to have it done right. And it will last you a long time if you buy a quality suit

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: God ]</p>

I think the decision is similar to choosing a bike. Performance (protection and durability) they are very similar. I think fit is the most important. If you don't like the fit you are not gonna wear them. I have a Spyke one-piece. It fits me very well. So that's why I went with them.

On a budget I did alot of comparing and ended up with a Fieldsheer XSpeed two piece suit with CE armour. Mail ordered it from Brockton Cycle (.com) on sale for $400. Everybody is right who tells you that custom sewn fits the best, but this still fits pretty good. Watch out for sizing, it varies alot between brands. I didn't think that the perforated sections helped at all in an Arizona summer, but found every one of the perforations on the first cold day.
Underneath: bike shorts and a t-shirt in the summer, everything I can fit in the winter.
I was told to not even consider a two piece for racing, but it would be just as safe and easier to get in and out of for street rides.

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: God ]</p>

Alpinestars are going to be available in the US in about 2weeks, check out the latest Performance Bike mag, that red/black suit just ROCKS

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00 GSXR600-street
99 GSXR600-track

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Leonardo629:
I'm going to get myself a leather suit this coming month or so (finally), and was wondering which brand should I go for? I think everyone in my riding group wears dainese (about 20 guys or so)..is dainese the best brand or what? should I join the bandwagon or look somewhere else?

cheers,

Leo

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The newer the Dainese, the better the product. At one time, all you could get off the racks in North America was so-so, never the racer quality. But now the rack stuff is good and if your flush and have patience, they'll do a full custom for you.

One big argument I have is why 2 piece? Of all my bud's that ride in 2 piece suits, none of them ever use just the jacket, ie for jacket and jeans. Also, 2 piece kind of screws up the quality of back protector you might want to get into down the road. You can't get the damned coccyx part to fit right with the zippered waist in the way, so normally have to trim it off. Also, one piece are just more comfortable when riding. That little ass bulge wouldn' work on a two piece, but makes for top notch shit when riding. Mind you, I am kinda referring to custom. I've never fit anything off a rack in my life and don't expect I ever will.

I also second Phat's thumbs up for Vanson. I'd say its the best USA made shit available. They sure as hell know how to cut a custom suit!

Bates made me a really nice custom suit in 1990. Back then they were the equivalent of Vanson etc. Don't know if they still are. See a lot of there stuff at the drags and fucking road luge!!!!

ABSOLUTE JEWELLRY: Already raved about it on another thread, but my wife picked up her set of Kushitani one-piece leathers last weekend. These are the nicest I have EVER seen. Crazy Japs keep their own herd of Holstein cattle chosen/bred purely for their skin and kept in soft enclosures so that there isn't any wire/splinters to scar the hide. They are quite heavy for their size (wife is 5'1"). All sorts of wild (smart) features as well. Haven't a clue how much from the USA, but damned expensive from Canada. Sort of like everybody is happy with the 289 Mustang, when all of a sudden, somebody drives by with a Boss 302. That's the diff with domestic and Kush. FUCK. Anyhow, back to my bates. http://www.gixxerforum.com/ubb/images/icons/smile.gif

PS: even if you AREN'T in the market for a custom set of Vansons, go to their web site and check out the major info on fit and sizing. Good m/c leathers are meant to fit well while riding. Cheaper ones fit well while walking/drinking coffee. Checking out their site might help you avoid the pitfalls.

I see guys admiring rack suits that fit them to a T in the shop. Just like a suit. Except the ass is tight like jeans and the knees fit at the knees when standing normally. I dunno if I'm describing this quite right, but the few places where my leathers aren't tight snick into place when I'm riding, but look a touch odd when just standing around.

I relate it to downhill skiing. You can either buy boots that are shit hot in the restaurant and wandering through the village. Or you can buy boots to ski in, which normally suck big time when not on the slopes.

Babble enough...good luck..important decision. Don't get sucked in by style over function, or fake bits of carbon armour instead of decent stuff.



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Fat Bastard's bike: '93 GSXR1100wp CDN version w/ thoroughly ridiculous # of mods :)

I have been looking real hard at Kushitani leathers for a month or two now. I believe I am going to get the "Real Ride" 2 piece leathers. I'm glad to hear the above post, and find out they are as good as they seem. A ton of top notch racers wear them, because they are supposed to be very flexible, and really well designed, both in fit and function. Fighting urge to go ahead and order them on the ole credit card http://www.gixxerforum.com/ubb/images/icons/smile.gif



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Rob Nance
97 Suzuki GSX-R 750
00 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT
Both paid for, yeehaw!

What's a "damned coccyx part"?

I put a full length back protector under my two piece without any problems. Just remeber to size the suit with a back protector on if you're smart enough to use one. And yeah, it looks like you've got a load in your pants when you're off the bike.

As far as AGV...for the same money the Fieldsheer came with CE armour instead of the "dual density foam" in the AGV. That stuff is so soft I can't figure out what it's good for other than advertising.

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Rbike
92 GSXR 750 for the track
86 BMW R80 for the street

I would recommend staying away from AGV. Their quality has dropped in the "off-the-rack" stuff, and not many shops will carry their race line. Dianese suits are ok if you want to look like a poser (their suits are so "loud" everyone will see you coming).

I would recommend Helimont, out of San Jose California. Many of the racers, not sponsored by a brand name wear Helimonts. Their suit prices are about the same as Dainese, Kushitani, and RS Taichi.

And for less expensive custom made, look at Syed.

Another option to the custom made is Z Leathers. They make a nice suit for about the same price as Vanson.

One final note on the custom suits: Most of the companies who make them offer a better warranty/guarantee then the the big brand name companies. You will difinetely get the best fit and quailty from a customs suit.

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Focus Grasshopper

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by bimotasb6r:
I would recommend staying away from AGV. Their quality has dropped in the "off-the-rack" stuff, and not many shops will carry their race line. <hr></blockquote>

Well I'm gonna recomend the AGV suit as long as you get the top of the line stuff (made by Corner of Italy). The suits have hard armor in the sholders, elbows and knees as well as a good amout of hip (soft) padding.

I've also tested one of my suits 4 or 5 times at speeds up to 80 to 90ish and they hold together very well.

my .02

njracer

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: God ]</p>

Just in case someone is looking for the Helimont info here you go:

Helimont European Accessories
1141 Old Bayshore Hwy
San Jose, CA. 94112
408 298 9608

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Focus Grasshopper

'99 GSXR-750 - Ti Yosh RS-3 Bolt-on

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Rbike:
What's a "damned coccyx part"?

I put a full length back protector under my two piece without any problems. Just remeber to size the suit with a back protector on if you're smart enough to use one. And yeah, it looks like you've got a load in your pants when you're off the bike.

As far as AGV...for the same money the Fieldsheer came with CE armour instead of the "dual density foam" in the AGV. That stuff is so soft I can't figure out what it's good for other than advertising.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sounds like yours are custom AND that you know what and where to leave room. Most of the folks I see buying 2-piece off the rack have a waist tight enough to replicate a pair of jeans, which means that the portion of the bottom of the back protector that goes down to the end of your spine (coccyx) can comfortably pull through the waistband.

My opinion: you're the exception to the rule re the sizing, at least per my obs. Good on you! http://www.gixxerforum.com/ubb/images/icons/grin.gif



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Fat Bastard's bike: '93 GSXR1100wp CDN version w/ thoroughly ridiculous # of mods :)

Marietta Motorsports, aka 1-888-FAST-LAP, is importing Kobe gear with no middlemen.....great stuff. Their suits and other gear sound like the bomb diggity. Go to http://www.1888fastlap.com for more info. They also are the exclusive importer and distributor for Venom exhaust systems in the US.....

Be on the lookout for the FASTLAP dudes at a show near you:
Feb9-11 Donald Stephens Convention Ctr, Chicago, IL

Feb16-18 Cobb Galleria, Atlanta, GA

Feb23-25 Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY

I wont be able to make the Feb 16-18 show here in ATL http://www.gixxerforum.com/ubb/images/icons/frown.gif but hope gixxer.com maybe represents.

[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: God ]</p>

just letting it be known i do have a daniese k eries suit and sidi boots for sale. please check the for sale sec. for sizes and price.

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'00 Toyota Celica GT 5-speed (Blue)

'00 GSXR 600 Blue/White
Yosh RS-3 Oval Slip On

(The only one with an Autobot sticker!!)

Home Page (http://www.geocities.com/miked_1978)