Reader Question: Gear for a New Rider

Hi,

I found your site on Google. I know you usually do motorcycle gear for women but I was wondering if you had any strong suggestions for great for first time riders.

I was very much against my son getting a motorcycle but his father decided to gift him one for graduation. He's graduating from usf this semester. With that, he is signed up to take the motorcycle courses in two weeks. The bike his dad got him is a kawasaki ninja zx6r? I think which is a 600 engine which people don't usually recommend for a first time bike. My son likes to go fast but he's a safe driver if that even makes sense.

I am much more concerned for his safety as San Francisco drivers, Bay Area drivers all together are very dangerous.

So I only agreed if he got all the gear and classes necessary. I also had him sign up for maintenance and motorcycle knowledge classes at motosf and he wasn't very happy but he agreed just to make me feel better.

He lives in San Francisco but from time to time he will be commuting to South Bay for his new job. I've been doing my research and do you recommend him get a one piece suit? Two piece?

He gets hot very easily so he's not a fan of very heavy clothing. What would do the job? His dad bought him an arai rxq helmet as well as dainese gloves. Not sure which. But I wanted to know more about the protection and clothing he would be able to wear in commute vs shorter rides. Is there something he can wear over his work clothes of snacks and a button up shirt without getting sweaty and smelly?

What brands do you recommend. What protection? Also sizing... He likes to wear baggy things. Not super baggy but he likes to have room. Is that not recommended when buying motorcycle jackets? Also what do you recommend in leather vs textile jackets?

Thank you so much for your opinion and time.

Kirsten

Hi Kristen,

I totally understand your hesitation and anxieties concerning your son. I would have to agree that a sportbike such as the Ninja ZX6R is not exactly the perfect first bike for everyone. However, if he's a fairly levelheaded person, he'll probably be okay. I think you've done everything you can by pushing him to get training and educate himself on how to ride and take care of his motorcycle. It's definitely a good idea to know exactly what he's getting into. I'm not sure where he's signed up for classes, but if he hasn't checked out  Bay Area Moto Shop in San Francisco, I highly highly recommend it. It's a fantastic community of riders for him to get comfortable and excited about riding!

As far as gear, he could definitely do a 1 or 2 piece, depending on his lifestyle. It will also depend on his body type and overall fit profile. If he hasn't already, I recommend going to the Dainese Store SF. They are extremely knowledgable and have an incredible selection of 1 piece suits. I also recommend going to Scuderia in SF as well, and ask for big Dan. :D It also sounds like he has

Personally, I'm a fan of 2-piece suits because it allows flexibility when you go places. You can take your jacket off if you need to, or wear your jacket with different pants. If you wear a 1 piece, you always wear the 1 piece. He can definitely find overpants and jackets to wear over work clothes. He can also find vented gear that allows air to flow through the jacket so it's not too warm. There are many options, especially for men!

Everyone has different preferences in how they want to dress, but the one thing that is definitely important about motorcycle gear is Fit. Gear must fit close to the body so the body armor sits on top of the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and back so it doesn't move upon impact. Unfortunately the baggy fit doesn't translate with gear. There's almost no point in wearing any if it isn't fitting you properly, as motorcycle gear's #1 purpose should be to protect the body. Anything can be labeled as motorcycle gear, but if you read my Basics then you know how to tell if it's real motorcycle gear.

As far as leather v. textile, it's definitely a personal choice. Basically you choose leather if you want more durability and a little more protection. However, not all leather is the same. There's everything from lightweight, 0.9mm casual style leather to 1.3-1.4mm high quality, heavy leather. So you definitely have to look at each one individually and see what that jacket offers in terms of protection.

Generally, textile offers a little more functionality like the Revit Tornado Jacket on the left;  it has one removable liner that is waterproof and warm. The outside has mesh panels so he'll stay cool, but when he has to get back up to the City he has a warm liner.  Most people prefer textile at first because it's immediately comfortable, doesn't feel as restrictive as leather and just feels good from the get go.

Leather requires break in time, because it starts out stiffer and less comfortable. Many new riders (including myself when I was new) aren't willing to make this investment until it feels more comfortable. It certainly can offer more protection, but it's all about what feels good to the rider. If it doesn't feel good or comfortable, a rider won't wear it.

These are definitely options that each rider has to explore on his/her own and possibly make the wrong decision(s) to make the right one. It sucks but sadly that's how most people realize they need better gear, or gear in general.

I hope this helps, good luck to your son in making great riding choices!

Women's Motorcycle Jackets for Fall

Fall is coming..... much sooner than most of us would like. So if you need a new jacket for Fall, here are a few ideas to get you started. 

Scorpion Dominion

$239.95. Sizes XS-2XL. The Dominion features a waterproof membrane and removable, full sleeve thermal liner. One thing I appreciate from Scorpion is the fact that all of their women's gear features CE and EN rated SAS-TEC armor at the shoulders and elbows. You'll only need to upgrade your back protector! The fit seems to run on the long side, longer arms and torso. There's very little ventilation on this so you won't be able to push this past early Spring. Nice price for a Fall weather jacket!

Alpinestars Stella T-Jaws WP

$269.95. S-2XL. The T-Jaws is a sporty, waterproof jacket with a removable full sleeve, thermal liner. It's hard to find winter gear that's cut specifically for sportbike riding. After all, who rides their sportbike in the Fall or for more than 15 minutes at a time? (ME!) Perfectly fit for your more aggressive riding positions.

Dainese Elysee D Dry

$369.95. Size Euro 38-54 (~US 0-16) The Elysee D Dry jacket is a jacket with a really simple, clean look. Something that would work well around town if you don't want a "motorcycle" look. To me it looks like a casual, winter coat. But the bonus is that this one is waterproof, fully armored on the shoulders and elbows and abrasion resistant. If only I needed *another* jacket....

Alpinestars Stella Bogota Drystar

$349. S-2XL. The Bogota is all new for Fall 2014, it's more ventilated than the Andes, with extra vents to help you push this through 4 seasons. In my mind it's better as a 3 season cold jacket (Fall, Winter, Spring) but if you live somewhere with mild summers you could definitely wear it year round. There's even a matching pant! I think the fit on Bogota is a bit slimmer (like New Land) than the Andes as well.

Icon 1000 Fairlady

$535. XS-2XL. I'm not normally an Icon fan but I actually like the Fairlady. The fit is nice and they're using a really nice grade of leather to make this jacket fit and feel more luxurious. If you like brown, this one's available in that color as well. The high collar and vest liner helps but you'll need to wear a good winter baselayer to keep you warm.

Taichi Drymaster Prime

Check out my recent blog post about the Drymaster here.

RS Taichi Drymaster Prime All Season Jacket

If you aren't familiar with RS Taichi, they're a little known brand from Japan that makes high quality, premium motorcycle gear.

Unfortunately they don't offer very strong options for women, specifically leather or a lot of highly technical riding gear but they do offer a few textile jackets and pants for us. I have a pair of these Crossover Mesh Pants which I only wear on really hot, humid days to and from work.

I recently discovered the All Season Jacket above, and was thrilled to see it's offered in a women's specific size. It has an integrated waterproof membrane, has large, direct ventilation, sealed zippers and a removable insulated liner. It's called "All Season" due to the venting scheme. Full armor also comes with the jacket including shoulders, elbow, back and chest.

Look out for a full review in an upcoming issue of Sportbikes Inc Magazine!

Back Protector Issue

Reader Emily wrote me recently about a back protector issue she's having while riding 2-up. Check out what she had to say along with my reply:

Hi there, I live in Berkeley (I know you've decamped to Philly) and my b/f and I ride a BMW 1200GS Adventure with me on the back. We recently upsized from an 800GS. Because I found it hard on my lower back to not have no backrest, when he got the new bike he had a box put on the back with the backrest cushioning installed.

Now I am getting a bruise mid-spine from the top of the box (even though it is cushioned as well). I have a FirstGear Kilimanjaro Air jacket that I've liked but the back armor goes down just to the place where the top of the box hits. I went into the BMW dealer in SF yesterday to try their jackets and found they have the same problem. I am 5'8" and long waisted and BMW jackets for women don't come in long sizes, though their men's apparel does. Kent in the BMW store suggested I try Rev'it because they make better apparel for women then BMW (actually he suggested I start my own company making women's motorcycling appa rel).

However, I note in looking at the Rev'it website that the women's gear also does not come in long sizes. Do you know how long the back armor is in the women's jacket (I wear an 8 in the BMW GS Dry) or do you have any other suggestions? We're taking a two week trip in Montana in September and I've got to have this figured out by then or I will be be super uncomfortable.

-April

I have a couple ideas for you:

1) Rev'it Levante Jacket + Seesoft Back Protector

This combination gives you two things including a longer cut in the torso and sleeves as well as a back protector that's fairly long. It shouldn't be taller than your shoulder blades but I think it'll alleviate the issues you're having with the top box. This jacket is one of the only ones that work well for women who are looking for a jacket that's multi season (removable thermal layer with a mesh shell) and have a longer torso fit as well a sleeve length. Unfortunately you have to use Seesoft with the Levante because the pocket is specifically cut out for Seesoft. Alternatively, you could also use D3O instead, you'll just have to trim the sides to fit. To find out more about this jacket, check out my tall co-host's review here.

Keep in mind that all back protector inserts will never be higher than the shoulder blades because it's just too uncomfortable in riding position and the jacket just won't fit right. It would really restrict the driver's ability to fully turn their head from side to side.

 

2) External Back Protector

If the previous combination doesn't work, try wearing an external back protector underneath like this one by Spidi. I like this one because it's pretty long but really thin. You can also adjust the waist belt to your height via velcro. I think this would fit perfectly underneath the Levante as well.