Maintenance of your expensive riding gear

[46wannabe]

Another way to keep leathers clean is by using milk. It's a tried and tested method for leather goods. Take a piece of cloth and soak it in milk. Squeeze out the excess and wipe down your leather article. Very good for immediate results from stains. Dry the article & wipe down with newspaper. Always wrap leather goods in newspaper when storing without use.

A cheap and quick solution for those times when you don't have your Leather Master around.

*Source:Home Encyclopaedia by J.B. Lobo [Retired Divisional Forest Officer & Ex-Chairman, Derebail Panchayat, Lower Kottar, Mangalore]

[kaynmantis]

For Helmet:
First, the preventive method. Helmets have a notorious way of getting all smelly with sweat, oil(for those who uses hair oil), and dirt. I don't use oil, but still I sweat, especially on summer. I find the best way of keeping my helmet clean as long as possible is by using cotton Balaclava, especially on hot days. I simply clean the Balaclava once or twice a week. My helmet's inners are still clean and fresh for months.

For cleaning the outer shell I simply use damp cloth and wipe them. I found partly damp tissue paper especially good for cleaning visor.
Now for the inner parts, Its somewhat crude but effective. My inner paddings are removable so I remove them and clean it with detergent along with my other clothes in the washing machine . Most importantly I spin them dry. Since paddings are thick, it takes very long to dry without machine spin. squeezing/twisting is a no no.

Ah! but thats not all. Unfortunately, not all the inner parts are removable (at least in my case). So I dunk the entire helmet in detergent water in a HUGE bucket. This cleaning is only once in a long while. After cleaning, I use piece of cloth to absorb as much water out of it as possible as use hair blower on it at medium setting. I don't like things to remain damp for long. The straps can be cleaned easily with soap & water any time. And No! it wont fit inside the washing machine spinner.

Gloves:
Been using sneakers all my life. My gloves are not very different, so I figured cleaning them can be done by same method. Dunk it in detergent water in a bucket. After washing, machine spin dry. Voila.

Jacket (Mesh):
First remove all paddings, then machine wash along with other clothes. Not forgetting machine spin dry. I can wear it within minutes . Been doing the same with my bags for years. They are more or less the same materials...so.
Jacket gets embarassingly dirty within a week (I use daily). I dust them every day but theres a limit to my tolerance.

Knee pads: Too new to comment

No riding shoes, no riding pants, no one piece riding suit.

Oh! almost forgot, My tank bag. Another one that gets dirty as hell within a week. Machine wash and....you know.

Told ya! its crude. Not recommending to anyone. Just posting what I do. No problems so far.

[bluevolt]

An update before I forget:

Today I saw the Lifestyle department store in Opus( near Richmond road), Bangalore selling Leather masters (Dr Tork) leather care products, imported from Italy. It is on the third floor, in the furniture section close to the elevators.

Someone had pm'ed me on where to find leather master products, so here it is. If you know a pricey piece of leather riding gear, then look no further than Uniters (leather masters). The cleaner+conditioner set is Rs.1600 and is cheaper than what I paid abroad. That pack should last you a couple of years, even on a full leather one piece suit.

[LoneWolf]

nice article very well written

[armourofgod]

Jacket Maintaining:

Well as far as my experience goes, I simply Machine wash my DSG Nero Jacket (off course after removing the guards). But here is the tricky part, after the wash the main zipper should be dipped in oil (even a coconut oil would do) to ensure the smooth running, or else initially the zipper becomes very hard to manage and it simply won't close.

Helmet:

I am using COLIN to wipe off the dirt which is stuck on my Helmet. Works best especially if you happen to use a cotton cloth or a BANIYAN would also do.

[sheelpriye]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

If you have locked your helmet to your pillion grab rail in a public parking, chances are you will find new scratches and chips on your lid when you come back. Carrying your helmet around can be a pain sometimes, but keeps it pristine. Also make sure NEVER to drop your lid from a height - if you do so, its crash absorption properties will get compromised (though it might appear fine from the outside) and it might not work when you need it most. If you drop your lid badly, it needs to be replaced, no matter how undamaged it looks from the outside.
To prevent all that ugly stuff from happening, we wear helmets. Modern, full-face helmets, if we have enough brains to protect, that is.

A motorcycle helmet has two major parts: the outer shell and the energy-absorbing inner liner. The inner lining is made of expanded polystyrene or EPS, the same stuff used in beer coolers, foam coffee cups, and packing material. Outer shells come in two basic flavors: a resin/fiber composite, such as fiberglass, carbon fiber and Kevlar, or a molded thermoplastic such as ABS or polycarbonate, the same basic stuff used in face shields and F-16 canopies.

The shell is there for a number of reasons. First, it's supposed to protect against pointy things trying to penetrate the EPS—though that almost never happens in a real accident. Second, the shell protects against abrasion, which is a good thing when you're sliding into the chicane at Daytona. Third, it gives Troy Lee a nice, smooth surface to paint dragons on. Riders—and helmet marketers—pay a lot of attention to the outer shell and its material. But the part of the helmet that absorbs most of the energy in a crash is actually the inner liner.

When the helmet hits the road or a curb, the outer shell stops instantly. Inside, your head keeps going until it collides with the liner. When this happens, the liner's job is to bring the head to a gentle stop—if you want your brain to keep working like it does now, that is.

The great thing about EPS is that as it crushes, it absorbs lots of energy at a predictable rate. It doesn't store energy and rebound like a spring, which would be a bad thing because your head would bounce back up, shaking your brain not just once, but twice. EPS actually absorbs the kinetic energy of your moving head, creating a very small amount of heat as the foam collapses.
more found here--
Motorcycle Helmet Design, Helmet Standards and Head Protection - Gear Box - Motorcyclist Online

I use the wet-dry tissue technique in a left to right sweeping motion to clean the visor everyday - this also improves vision while riding! Lubrication is also important when it comes to the attachment area where the visor is hinged to the main shell. To do this, detach the visor, wipe it clean and then apply silicon lubricant to the visor area which comes in contact with hinge mechanism. Below is a picture of my silicon lube supply, again easily available online:

I use colin and spray them repeatedly till they dislodge the bugs, else i try manually to remove them and i used a GP-One(not known for its visor) which required a dark visor once a year, clear visors required change more frequently
using a Sparx now
^any help on lubricants Rahul?(i can't get them on-line)

For the rest of the helmet with fabric bits which cannot come off, I simply dunk the whole lid into a large bucket with the lukewarm water and repeat the cleaning process as I do for the lining. After the lining and helmet has dried, I use a wet tissue to wipe the surface of the shell and visor and then use a dry tissue. This takes care of any hard water stains.

How do you make the helmet dry? certainly not in the sun? AC? fan? or AC + fan combo?


I am using these and they are neither mesh. nor leather, how to clean them?

JoeRocket.com

JoeRocket.com

*pics of my riding gear is attached below

^^we have enough of --"great thread Comments"

[freesoul_sj]

can someone please tell me where can i find a helmet bag like its shown in the picture. it is actually good.. i am in Delhi so please tell me according to that.
thanks in advance

[sheelpriye]

Originally Posted by sheelpriye

How do you make the helmet dry? certainly not in the sun? AC? fan? or AC + fan combo?


I am using these and they are neither mesh. nor leather, how to clean them?

JoeRocket.com

JoeRocket.com

^Bump
any help

does colin come with some chemicals which shall harm the coating of the visor? its specifically made to clean glass
please help, kinda confused

[sheelpriye]

Err, still no help

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by sheelpriye

^any help on lubricants Rahul?(i can't get them on-line)

I don't know of any shop which sells Silicon lubricant - online is the easiest, 20north.com has them.

Originally Posted by sheelpriye

How do you make the helmet dry? certainly not in the sun? AC? fan? or AC + fan combo?

Unless the ambient temperature is very cold, the helmet dries overnight by keeping it in room temperature. Before drying, put a bedsheet/towel inside and absorb the excess water trapped in the lining.

Originally Posted by sheelpriye

I am using these and they are neither mesh. nor leather, how to clean them?

These are mesh(textile) jackets alright. Use a warm water/detergent combo to clean the surface. Hand wash, rinse.

Originally Posted by freesoul_sj

can someone please tell me where can i find a helmet bag like its shown in the picture. it is actually good.. i am in Delhi so please tell me according to that.
thanks in advance

Online....always the best bet.

Originally Posted by sheelpriye

^Bump
any help

does colin come with some chemicals which shall harm the coating of the visor? its specifically made to clean glass
please help, kinda confused

Never used Colin on a visor so don't know. I use a hand sanitiser on tours/rides and use a nifty chemical called 'Krud cutter' at home. I put some on a dry tissue and dry it.

I sometimes use warm water and Pril/dish washing detergent to clean up.