Universal : Riding Gear Thread

[B7ACKTHORN]

Hi all,
On Sunday (13th Jan), I finally went to visit a few shops in NCR for bike gear. A short summary on those who may in interested in biking gear in NCR region:

1. Redline Racing, Mansarover Garden - dealer for Performance Racing - wanted to try Joe Rocket Sonic R boots but he didn't have it in stock. This shop is a good option if you wanna buy tankpad, bar-grip, levers etc. They also stock AGVSport jackets as well as exhausts. I just bought a 'CBR' keyring from there...
2. Kaulson Racing, Naraina - dealer for Planet DSG and Forma shoes - could not visit them as no one was picking the phone - may be the shop was closed on Sunday.
3. Meandering India, Vasant Kunj - dealer for Cramster and Planet DSG - Has a lot of riding gear like jacket, pants, gloves and guards from Cramster and DSG. Very cordial sales staff. Rajeev Pradhan, the owner of the store, was out riding in Rider Mania 2013 and his friend was managing the shop - and he was quite helpful in advising on gear etc. I wanted to buy the Alpinestar SMX-1 riding boots but the size seemed slightly big and they didn't have the smaller size in stock so could not buy. Also tried the Cramster Velocity riding pants - seems good but, atleast for me, the knee armor was a bit too low - may not protect the knee in case of a fall and no way of adjusting/tightening it. They did not have the Knox Cross knee guards in stock which I wanted to try. Also tried the Cramster Eclipse all-season jacket - slightly heavy but looks well built - can be converted to half- mesh for summers, or can be used with thermal liner for winters. The leather portion looks good and should provide better protection in case of a fall! Also wanted to buy saddle and tank bag but since I did not go on my bike, I was not sure if they will fit properly or not and the store-person too said that it is better to try on bike and then buy. They had Cramster as well as Dirtsack bags. Didn't have Cramster Tundra gloves in stock though they had DSG Acqua gloves but I did not find them too comfortable.
4. Adventure 18, Satya Niketan, Dhaula Kuan - dealer for Cramster and Planet DSG. The main emphasis for them is on trekking gear and not bike gear. Bought Cramster Tundra from them as they had the stock - but he did not give any discount. Also saw Rynox gloves - one of the models seemed good (check them out on Rynox's site). Note that they open after 3PM on Sundays...

Short review on Cramster Tundra:
These are mainly for winter riding as they have an inner thermal liner (non-removable) that is also claimed to be water resistant and breathable. Wore them today morning and they seem to protect quite well against Delhi's winter and good enough on speeds of 80-90 kmph. Palm side is made of leather and though they do not provide as good a feel as my Alpinestar GPX, they are still good enough considering that they have to be thicker due to thermal lining. Have embedded protection in knuckles and fingers, as well as some foam padding on palm side. All in all, they seem to be value for money but I can only comment on comfort and durability only after some long-term usage.

Nicely narrated. Don't forget to post teh photos and a detailed review without fail.

Cheers!
VJ

[vikram kumar]

Hey guys,

I need some help from you.
Had a pair of cramster MX3 gloves for quite a while now. The're pretty worn out from the inside and its about time to change them.
Most of my riding is city based but with a frequent weekend getaway.

I need to buy a replacement now. Some factors that need consideration.

1> Preferably mid to full gauntlet ( MX3 had none and there was always space between the jacket and the glove)

2> Should be easy and fast to wear and remove. (Its a real pain if you need to stop and answer some phone calls while riding if the gloves take time. TOUCHSCREEN...SIGH

Saw a few from the DSG website and thinking of Revive, Primal and Carbon.
Which one would you suggest for my needs. And any other that you would suggest.

Thanks for your help.
Appreciate it.

[B7ACKTHORN]

Hey guys,

I need some help from you.
Had a pair of cramster MX3 gloves for quite a while now. The're pretty worn out from the inside and its about time to change them.
Most of my riding is city based but with a frequent weekend getaway.

I need to buy a replacement now. Some factors that need consideration.

1> Preferably mid to full gauntlet ( MX3 had none and there was always space between the jacket and the glove)

2> Should be easy and fast to wear and remove. (Its a real pain if you need to stop and answer some phone calls while riding if the gloves take time. TOUCHSCREEN...SIGH

Saw a few from the DSG website and thinking of Revive, Primal and Carbon.
Which one would you suggest for my needs. And any other that you would suggest.

Thanks for your help.
Appreciate it.

Primal and Carbon more or less cost the same. If you prefer full gauntlet, go for Primal. No glove, would be good using a touchscreen, at least as far as I've used. YOu can either use a handsfree or remove the glove manually and dial/answer a call.

I'd say Revive having CF bits, at tad cheaper than Carbon and Primal should be a good bet.

Cheers!
VJ

[vikram kumar]

Primal and Carbon more or less cost the same. If you prefer full gauntlet, go for Primal. No glove, would be good using a touchscreen, at least as far as I've used. YOu can either use a handsfree or remove the glove manually and dial/answer a call.

I'd say Revive having CF bits, at tad cheaper than Carbon and Primal should be a good bet.

Cheers!
VJ

Hey thanks for the quick answer.

I actually mentioned the phone as an incentive for quick removal of the glove.
I am fine with either a full gauntlet or half. Main factor being ease and time required for putting on and removing them. Basically easier to live with.

any other suggestions?

[B7ACKTHORN]

Hey thanks for the quick answer.

I actually mentioned the phone as an incentive for quick removal of the glove.
I am fine with either a full gauntlet or half. Main factor being ease and time required for putting on and removing them. Basically easier to live with.

any other suggestions?

I'd suggest you go for semi gauntlet glove instead of a full gauntlet considering your requirement and for your ease of application. A semi is far quicker to remove than full gauntlet. Try Spartan Pegasus or Phaeton.

Spartan ProGear | Product

Cheers!
VJ

[Sandeep Patnala]

Hello Guys I have recently purchased Spartan Helios riding jacket with KNOX shoulder & elbow armor. I have been using an Adidas wind cheater before and those A* gloves since past 2 months . MPA helmet and woodland boots since 3 years. If you are interested in knowing my reviews about any of my armor, do let me know

[B7ACKTHORN]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]90922[/ATTACH]

Hello Guys I have recently purchased Spartan Helios riding jacket with KNOX shoulder & elbow armor. I have been using an Adidas wind cheater before and those A* gloves since past 2 months . MPA helmet and woodland boots since 3 years. If you are interested in knowing my reviews about any of my armor, do let me know

Two requests, please. Can you remove the entire set of armor from the jacket and take a portrait shot of them all four armor in elbow, shoulder and back armor as same detail as the above pic, that'd be real cool. Also the inside of the jacket with a little little more clarity, would be so helpful for us from your side.

Thanks!

Cheers!
VJ

[christo]

re: Universal : Riding Gear Thread

Hey thanks for the quick answer.

I actually mentioned the phone as an incentive for quick removal of the glove.
I am fine with either a full gauntlet or half. Main factor being ease and time required for putting on and removing them. Basically easier to live with.

any other suggestions?

Why don't you try cramster twister? Good for city use, half gauntlet, all leather.

Sent from my WT19i

[Sandeep Patnala]

Here are the pics of my Spartan Helios Jacket ( Black ) . I have purchased it with KNOX shoulder & elbow armor. The back armor is the basic one which i have got with the jacket, i haven,t upgraded it to KNOX as it costs Rs 1200/- but the basic back armor that came with jacket is very light and good. I don't know how to remove it out as it has got stitches all around it so dint felt like risking as the inside material is very light and may prone to tear if i force it hard.

The jacket is really serving good and the ventilation is superb and it is the best part of the jacket i can say. The internal 100% waterproof pocket serves well in storing mobiles while riding and to the right there is another pocket where you can store your sun glasses or your wallet and it has got 2 more pockets outside of the jacket for storing .

Haven't got any chance still to test the rain liner, so cant review it.

But the sad part is, its really not so easy to remove the KNOX armor from inside the jacket you need to do it carefully as you may prone to tear the inside thin material of the jacket. I already did it, so be cautious while removing the armor and the best thing about the KNOX armor is it fits well and is very flexible never felt poking sensation :P. **I felt the jacket would be really good if the inside material is built of more better quality** this is the only remark i have about the jacket.

The reflective piping is superb, i saw many people staring at me when i zoom in at nights and the jacket is so stylish that if you are at a traffic signal surely people will turn their heads towards you.

^^^** Be cautious if you are ordering it online. Coz the waist line of the jacket is not loose like dsg nero and other jackets, So if you have big belly choose the next size. **^^^ LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES

[bluejoy]

Here are the pics of my Spartan Helios Jacket ( Black ) . LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES

Thanks Buddy for the review.I wanted to have an Inside look of Helios , Thanks for saving my trip to the store.

[Sandeep Patnala]

You are welcome . Let me know if you have any more doubts.

[Mithungo]

....
^^^** Be cautious if you are ordering it online. Coz the waist line of the jacket is not loose like dsg nero and other jackets, So if you have big belly choose the next size. **^^^ LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES

Thanks for the pointer. Helps a lot of us
The jacket looks awesome. Good buy Sandeep.

Regards,
Mithun

[Nagesh Patankar]

Thats a great buy Sandeep... and thanks for the details . This will surely help a lot of people here.

[Sandeep Patnala]

Thanks for the pointer. Helps a lot of us
The jacket looks awesome. Good buy Sandeep.

Regards,
Mithun

Yah, after seeing other jackets waist line i felt that Helios will also have the same type of waist line, but to my surprise it doesn't. But the best thing of this kind of thing is that the back armor will not be moving from its position it stays intact. Spartan guys are planning to launch riding pants too it-seems in a while need to see how well they fit for this jacket.

By the way what is the mileage that you get on ur Ninja 250R ! in highways as well as in city ?

[Sandeep Patnala]

Thats a great buy Sandeep... and thanks for the details . This will surely help a lot of people here.

You are welcome.

In fact i was searching for this kind of detailed pics of Helios before my purchase when i have rounded off Cramster Breezer 4.0 and Spartan Helios and no where i have seen detailed pics of Helios. So i thought of posting them after my purchase so that my fellow riders will get some idea before purchasing

I felt like giving a review about my Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon limited edition monster gloves too, but dint hear any one asking about them :P So kept quite