ugh, just don't know what to get!! lol, so many decisions!

[vegas_rider]

so since i've had my R, i've been obsessed with what to get next for either it or myself: i've been desperately trying to weigh out which our my best options, and i have about 500 bucks accumulated by selling stuff i no longer had use for on craigslist...the nice thing is since it's all money i sold useless stuff for, it's kinda like the money was free...i.e. it's not coming directly out of my paycheck or going onto a credit card haha. so here's my list...

needs:

i need riding pants, to date, the most protection i've been riding with is some very soft jeans lol. i'm heavily leaning towards the BMW city pants.

i need riding boots, currently only riding with laceless sneakers. not the safest thing, but still better than some people i see riding around with flip flops on here in vegas...interested in bmw street sneaker 3.

as far as those two go, i'm open for suggestions as to more cost effective alternatives if anyone has anything to suggest. some requirements i have though that have been solved with these specific articles of clothing are, versatility of use off the bike. i commute to work/school, and have read that these two particular items function well off the bike as far as looks/comfort go. i know i can find cheaper, equally as good gear, but these require me to not change into different clothes to and from work and school.


wants: (important wants, but still wants nonetheless)

a modulating taillight. been debating between hyperlites, p3lites, and brake! LED...leaning towards Brake! because i don't have space or tools to really do any of my own work on the bike in my apartment, but i'm sure i have a screwdriver lying around somewhere to throw that in.

wind/fly screen. the windblast is not unbearable on the R, but i know i'd like a little more protection once i get into more serious riding.

new lid...my FF has seen better days...GM68S which was webbikeworld's 2007 helmet of the year...now considering arai, shoei or akuma as some decent end of the year closeouts are coming up.

new lids for my system cases. i currently havec the city models, which are TINY! especially since they have the divider in them.

new seat...this is probably the last option, i KNOW the stock seat will be uncomfy once i start hitting some distance, but i also know a good seat will probably run me about 600 bucks right now... which would in turn take some of my "real" money to buy. plus for commuting i can handle the stock seat just fine for now...



so based on my list, if any of you know a good resource as far as to get any of this stuff second hand/ used/ discounted i'd be greatly appreciative of that!!! i'm on MOA, here, and ADV and haven't seen any of this stuff availabile on their respective flea markets.

thanks!

[Daryl.Stamp]

MLW has the BMW sneakers and really likes them, comfortable on or off the bike.
I have some Fieldsheer mesh pants; I liked them until I got some Aerostitch Dariens. My experience is that the import stuff is good and a good value, ... but if I wouldn't do it over again. Having some of the really good stuff is much better than having all of the other stuff. Go with the BMW, Aerostich, Rukka, Belstaff etc., it'll hurt in the wallet but once you start using it you won't regret it.

DLS

[Canyon Runner]

Not sure if there will be opinons lurking on this one....

I, too, need to invest in some riding pants for the better wind/ weather/impact protection they provide. However, for in town riding, I purchased (at my BMW dealer) a pair of denim pants with Kevlar panels sewn into the interior.

Abrasion tests indicated that the pants would be good up to about a 45 mile an hour skid, at least in the areas with the Kevlar protection (mostly knees and butt).

Not ideal in terms of protection for a highway ditch, but for around town riding, they are super comfortable and look just like jeans (they are cut a little loose to accomodate riding position). However, and very important, this is all about protection from road rash. There is no protection there for straight impact. I always wear my jacket, which adds padding and plates to the simple baseline of abrasion resistance for my upper body, and for me (even in the Phoenix summer) the jacket, helmet and boots thing is mandatory. But I do like the Kevlar jeans when I am on a short ride and don't want to deal with changing out pants, etc, or looking like "Hi, I am a motorcycle rider."

Anyway, there are a few brands out there, and this might be a good thing to put on the list of things to investigate. I like mine...

Have fun!

-Kyle

[cycl2day]

One good budget alternative is to go with Fieldsheer. I have a Hydro coat and the Apollo pants. The pant has a liner for wearing with shorts etc, and if you get it a bit on the big side you can wear it without the liner as an overpant. The coat is like the more expensive coats but with a bit less style and fewer bells and whistles. They do zip together - they are warm and waterproof.

[tlwood28]

so since i've had my R, i've been obsessed with what to get next for either it or myself: i've been desperately trying to weigh out which our my best options, and i have about 500 bucks accumulated by selling stuff i no longer had use for on craigslist...the nice thing is since it's all money i sold useless stuff for, it's kinda like the money was free...i.e. it's not coming directly out of my paycheck or going onto a credit card haha. so here's my list...

needs:

i need riding pants, to date, the most protection i've been riding with is some very soft jeans lol. i'm heavily leaning towards the BMW city pants.

i need riding boots, currently only riding with laceless sneakers. not the safest thing, but still better than some people i see riding around with flip flops on here in vegas...interested in bmw street sneaker 3.

as far as those two go, i'm open for suggestions as to more cost effective alternatives if anyone has anything to suggest. some requirements i have though that have been solved with these specific articles of clothing are, versatility of use off the bike. i commute to work/school, and have read that these two particular items function well off the bike as far as looks/comfort go. i know i can find cheaper, equally as good gear, but these require me to not change into different clothes to and from work and school.


wants: (important wants, but still wants nonetheless)

a modulating taillight. been debating between hyperlites, p3lites, and brake! LED...leaning towards Brake! because i don't have space or tools to really do any of my own work on the bike in my apartment, but i'm sure i have a screwdriver lying around somewhere to throw that in.

wind/fly screen. the windblast is not unbearable on the R, but i know i'd like a little more protection once i get into more serious riding.

new lid...my FF has seen better days...GM68S which was webbikeworld's 2007 helmet of the year...now considering arai, shoei or akuma as some decent end of the year closeouts are coming up.

new lids for my system cases. i currently havec the city models, which are TINY! especially since they have the divider in them.

new seat...this is probably the last option, i KNOW the stock seat will be uncomfy once i start hitting some distance, but i also know a good seat will probably run me about 600 bucks right now... which would in turn take some of my "real" money to buy. plus for commuting i can handle the stock seat just fine for now...



so based on my list, if any of you know a good resource as far as to get any of this stuff second hand/ used/ discounted i'd be greatly appreciative of that!!! i'm on MOA, here, and ADV and haven't seen any of this stuff availabile on their respective flea markets.

thanks!

With my purchase two months ago of an R, I returned to motorcycling after some 15 years. I have since learned that buying a bike is only the beginning. The only true value was the bike itself. All the rest of the stuff you need and want gets expensive!

Looking at your list, here are my comments for what they are worth:

1. I would start with the helmet. Lose what is inside and nothing else matters. I went with an Arai believing it was the best. I consider that a mistake. They are expensive and no better than any other current, DOT certified helmet in so far as protection is concerned. Also, living in Vegas, you will want to change visors between clear and tinted. The Arai system is cumbersome at best. Go with a new Scorpion or the like on sale or closeout. $125 should do you. $50 more for a tinted visor. Total $175

2. You need to be well planted. Laceless sneakers? Come on. Buy some high top, rubber soled boots. You don't need BMW anything on a $500 budget. You need Red Wings! $100 or less. Meanwhile, buy some laces. $100 or $2.

3. You need a jacket before you need pants. Assuming you have one, buy pants cheap and used. Better yet, you can also buy motorcycle armor (in your case, knee guards) to strap over your jeans. Pretty cheap and practical. Take them off at throw in your side bags. $60.

4. Hyperlites are on the buy/sell site for $50. Buy them. $50.

5. Windscreen next. Touring and sport screens come up used often and therefore are cheap. Flyscreen less so and aren't. Besides, I want a flyscreen so you are competing with me. Don't do that. Buy the touring or sport for what, around $125 or so?

6. Seat. It's good enough. Toughen up.

7. City lids. Be patient, watch the forums, and someone will come along wanting to trade there touring cases for city lids. And you're in no hurry, you don't even have a windscreen, and you a** is soar, so you aren't going anywhere for a while.

Total < $500. So, how did I do?

[rockstercliff]

"Use the force,um I mean forums, young Luke", Yoda would say. I have a Triumph, and a BMW jacket, Sidi boots, BMW pants, 3 differing pairs of gloves that I either got from this forum, the IBMWR.org forum ,or ADVrider forum. A new Nolan N-102 at a healthy discount from Fleabay, PIAA 1100X running lites,with wiring harness from IBMWR.org, and tires from SWMoto. I think you get my drift, get a list of the possibilities of what you want, shop, and be patient. It all is for sale somewhere in time. I also agree that heavy composite toe goretex work boots would work well for less, I wear them everyday to and from work, and after a short break-in, will be more comfortable than a pair of AIR JORDANS.

[AirForceDirt]

Buy gear before you buy farkles for your bike.

BMW gear is usually rather expensive and not always the best.

Boots: Buy boots of some sort with ankle protection, as that's an important part.

Helmet: Should be your first gear purchase, if you plan on wearing one. Find a helmet that fits right, and is comfortable. Then worry about how much it actually costs, and from what manufacturer. Try on a bunch of different ones until you find one that fits. Fit and comfort are most important (in that order). Price and color are secondary.

Jacket: Probably either second or third purchase. It'll depend on your riding climate.
Gloves: See jacket, above.

Farkles: Work on visibility first. The rest is entirely subjective.

Have fun, enjoy your bike.

[vegas_rider]

hmmmmmm...valid inputs.

i have 2 good jackets already. my scorpion coolrod mesh for when the triple digits roll around, and teknic pursuit for the 3-4 months its actually "cold" here.

my helmet is in good shape function wise, not so much cosmetically lol. it's just dinged up from being locked to the bike so on and so forth. i've seen some shoei's locally on closeout for like 230...not too bad! i'm currently using a GMAX GM68S, which i already mentioned was webbikeworld's 2007 helmet of the year. beat out nolan, arai, shoei, scorpion etc...bought the helmet solely based on that review, and it's super cheap! highly recommend it to anyone, fits me great, good features/function. reason i am thinking of replacing it is the aforementioned cosmetic dings, and also i just recently broke the clear visor fitting attachment...the replacement visors are like 30 bucks and the whole helmet is on closeout now on some sites for 80...figured it'd be better to just get a new setup lol.

i called the local cycle gear and they have a pair of puma riding boots on closeout for 140, if they fit well i'm going to snag them cuz they look just like sneakers and are supposed to be walkable and what not too!

think i'm going to order the bmw city pants tomorrow. also need cold weather gloves lol.

[boxermania]

Don't know how long you've had the bike, but if it is a reasonably short time may I suggest the following:

Send me $250, enjoy the bike for at least 2000 miles and continue to add and delete to your wants/need list. After the 2000 miles have at it.

You will probably ask....Hey, what about the $250 I gave you....my response will be: Sorry, I forgot to tell you, my advice is free, the striking of the submit key is $250......

[wncbmw]

The Olympia line of riding gear offers good value with protection as good as any reasonably priced gear out there, better than most.

Higher end gear offers more features and protection for more money. Check out the IBMWR marketplace, ADVrider and others for a way to buy used higher end gear at a discount. Sometimes only slightly used!

Also, check out newenough.com for closeouts.

And get rid of the sneakers!

[iowabeakster]

I am with the folks that say ditch the sneakers, even the BMW sneakers. Go for some genuine riding boots. Foot and ankle injuries are amongst the most common. A slow speed crash can tear a foot off when a moving 500 pound motorcycle lands on it...then you'll understand real discomfort while walking. Put the sneakers in the cases. Switch footwear once you have arrived. I personally know a guy with only one foot...from motorcycling without proper boots.

My girlfiend picked up a some First Gear pants and jacket at New Enough.com. First Gear makes good stuff, at prices that are reasonable (not cheap, but reasonable). They were on closeout, and heavily discounted. I must say I am really impressed with the quality of the gear and the price was outstanding. I am a little jealous, I think she might have better gear than myself. New Enough.com are also very easy to deal with if the fit is not correct.

[vegas_rider]

ok, so went to cyclegear and ordered a pair of these today:

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L ... 62-02-42_G

they only had them in stock in an 11.5 which was a tad too big around the heel area, but another puma street racing boot in 11 was available and i tried it on and it fit perfectly. just a tad snug, but i'm sure after break in will be perfect!

i was actually really impressed with the quality, the hell has outstanding protection against impact, and i'm sure the rest of the boot will do well against abrasion. got them on closeout for 140+tax, cheaper than the bmw boot, better looking, probably about the same amount, and possibly, more protection since these are all leather except the sole...these were pretty comfy too, shouldn't have too much trouble going to work in these.

granted, it's not full size boot protection...but i think we can all agree it's better than any type of sneaker!!! a quick boot question though, someone made a comment about protection against my bike actually falling on my leg...can someone clarify what i'm missing here as far as how a boot can protect from this? only been riding about a year and a half, but the boots i ordered cover my entire ankle, with some reinforcement that i can see helping with the initial impact with the ground, and against the skid on ashpalt to follow...but i don't see how any boot could really prevent injury from a body part as fragile as the foot with all the weight of the bike coming crashing down on it??? i mean a full size boot will come up to around under the knee or 3/4 of the way up the shin, but it's still just leather and pads? some plastic on the other models? i mean i see some of the dirt bike boots with some heavy reinforcement, but those bikes must weigh about 1/2 of what ours do!! i'm not dogging the comment, i'm just honestly curious how any boot could really help here?? i used to have a full boot with my triumph, the sidi strada air evo, and i don't see how those could help in this situation eitheir.


ok so boots out of the way

now i need cold weather golves, a new clear lens for my helmet, and good pants.

i've decided i want the bmw city pants, can anyone chime in on sizing for those? my dealer only has XL sizing and up for all styles of pants, so i can't even try on a different size for reference...and the bmw size chart on the site is uselses for that particular pant. i have a 32" waist, and a 30" inseam, guessing the medium will probably be my best bet???

if anyone has a pair of those city pants they'd like to get rid of, i'll take em off your hands!!!

[AirForceDirt]

There are very few pairs of boots that are going to prevent the sheer weight of a motorcycle crashing down directly on your leg from doing much damage. it's going to hurt...a lot...for awhile. The key with full size boots is not only that they provide ankle protection, but they keep your ankle from hyper-extending or twisting too far due to a high 'anchor point.' Think of it this way: a pair of hiking boots that comes up just above your ankle only has <1inch of length to leverage against to keep your ankle from turning, while a pair of boots that come up to about mid-calf, have closer to 6-8inches of leverage to accomplish the same thing.

In essence, you're dealing with the concept of leverage in reverse.

Ahh! Say you're putting the ends of two boards together. You have two different brackets to hold them on, a 2 inch bracket, and an 8 inch bracket. Which bracket would you choose to hold the two boards together if you wanted it to be harder to break apart?

I hope my attempt at explanation didn't confuse you more. Maybe someone else can put it a better way.

PS. I have the BMW sport boots, and love them. They're comfy, they breathe pretty well, and they're much safer than wearing GI issue combat boots.

[spoon]

look in
www.webBikeWorld.com
now why didn't that link?

[vegas_rider]

There are very few pairs of boots that are going to prevent the sheer weight of a motorcycle crashing down directly on your leg from doing much damage. it's going to hurt...a lot...for awhile. The key with full size boots is not only that they provide ankle protection, but they keep your ankle from hyper-extending or twisting too far due to a high 'anchor point.' Think of it this way: a pair of hiking boots that comes up just above your ankle only has <1inch of length to leverage against to keep your ankle from turning, while a pair of boots that come up to about mid-calf, have closer to 6-8inches of leverage to accomplish the same thing.

In essence, you're dealing with the concept of leverage in reverse.

Ahh! Say you're putting the ends of two boards together. You have two different brackets to hold them on, a 2 inch bracket, and an 8 inch bracket. Which bracket would you choose to hold the two boards together if you wanted it to be harder to break apart?

I hope my attempt at explanation didn't confuse you more. Maybe someone else can put it a better way.

PS. I have the BMW sport boots, and love them. They're comfy, they breathe pretty well, and they're much safer than wearing GI issue combat boots.

no thanks that clears it up some for me. i didn't think of it in that respect as far as turning pressure goes. i was just thinking of the weight as a whole on the boot...thanks!

[vegas_rider]

woohoo snagged a barely used set of city pants off ebay for 142 shipped!!!

[vegas_rider]

hey guys, the city pants i snagged offa ebay came in today. i'm impressed with them, and the quality is good. HOWEVER, the pants fit me well, but the armor feels out of place when i'm standing upright...the knee/shin armor actually sits below my knee? and the hip armor also feels a bit low. however, when i'm on my bike the armor slides into the correct spots and sits there perfectly...

now this is where i'm somewhat confused, this is my first pair of motorcycle pants, and to my knowledge if i ever fall off my bike and meet asphalt i won't stay in the perfect "biker" sittin gposition. i'd assume that my arms and legs will probably inccur some sort of motion, thus moving the armor out of place...

can someone enlighten me? is the armor really supposed to just sit perfectly in place when i'm sitting on the bike? is the idea behind the pants to protect me like if i were to slide out of a turn i leaned into too far? as if my knee was the very first thing to hit the ground?


thanks guys....sorry, i'm new to this haha.