Greetings from new rider of Kawasaki Sherpa. So far I've had a great experience riding mostly on street but also on some mountain dirt roads. Adventure riding sounds great, but I also want to ride as basic transportation.

Here's a question with surely more than one answer: I'm about to invest in good textile gear, and I think saving on protection isn't a good idea. Given what you know about gear protection so far, if you had to buy only one set of gear to wear year round and be able to ride (almost) anywhere, anytime, what would be your best pick?

Thanks,

t

hi mate. ive had a hein gericke voyager 2piece suit for 4 years now, and no complaints about the quality or waterproofing. i also like the practical bits, waterproof pockets, bib'n'brace option on the trousers, neck/mouth guard etc. zipped together with the thermal liners in its like wearing your duvet cover, fantastic on the coldest, iciest days.

the only thing i dont like about it is its billed as "all-season" but i find the jacket still too hot in the summer.

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dave

Good gear is expensive. Too bad you don't have snowmobiles there. I have a yamaha snowmobile bibs and jacket. The jacket has foam body armor and a removeable liner, hot or cold it works. The one piece of gear for cold that I personaly like is a electric vest and chaps. I use the widder brand and they work. www.wybecold.com. This is US stuff but I thought I would just give you something else to ponder. Happy trails to you.

I don't think there is a single option that is 100% siutable for all four seasons. Location & climate etc also play a big part in your choice.

I use a Hein Gericke textile jacket with a removable Goretex liner for most of the year & a waterproof Belstaff nylon jacket with removable liner when it's raining heavily.

You'll find that most experienced riders build up a collection of gear over time. Keeping old gear also provides you with an alternative to wear in the event of destroying riding gear if you crash (lol)

Same with gloves, I always take a spare thicker or thinner pair to what I'm wearing in case conditions change, especially on longer trips.

Steve

Jackets - I agree with everything that's been said, I have a gorgeous warm Hein Gericke for when it's cold or when I will get wet - nice high collar etc AND a loevly Dianesse jacket for the summer - loads of armour still (not in the back though) and light on really hot days....

trousers though

I ride most of the year with a pair of belstaff waterproof textiles, little foam padding in the knees (like you need it or it will do any good !?!) but nice and high waist, rear 9inch zip to connect any of my jackets to.... wear then hot days or cold days, just vary what I'm wearing underneath, shorts in the summer and work trousers through the week, jeans in the winter... never been cold OR too hot in them... but I always question what armour I could/should have....

So

The Alternative

I have a pair of Hood Jeans -



No that's not me

But they are great, know armour in the knees, Aramid lining down to the top of my boots, know hip armour for those long days out.... I raise this as I think if I was going a long way and was keeping the kit light and small - I would probably opt for this as I can carry a pair of cheap waterproof trousers for over them in the rain, I have also got a zip on the back of mine so I can connect my jackets....

cool in summer.... warm in winter.... Beets the Leather option as I can go straight out in them if I want to....

Anyway - just a thought.

Tony.

PS: I agree Steve P about the gloves, always got a pair of big warm ones on long days and eith my leathers or Mx Aramid/carbon gloves for the everyday use...

[This message has been edited by Tony Robson (edited 11 June 2004).]

As already stated, lots of gear to chose from. There are always trade-offs.

I wore an Aerostich Darien suit for 4 years travelling RTW, logging over 100,000 miles on the trip. Picked up my second set of gear in the third year, and still wearing same set now. If I was to do it again, I'd get the same gear. My wife was wearing when she was clipped by a delivery truck in Malaysia at 70km/h -- after hi-siding, flipping over the bike, and sliding 15 meters down the road, she was able to walk away -- bumped and bruised, with nothing broken (er, on her at least).

The pants have a great zipper feature that lets you slip on/off with boots on, and fit like a pair of jeans = comfy! Jacket is a bit stiff at first, but heaps of pockets and good ventilation. Gear is made with Gore-tex, but you will eventually get wet in a long/heavy rain. No worries in a half-hour spring shower situation.

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Ride safe, ride far, ride often!
Chris & Erin Ratay
<A HREF="http://www.UltimateJourney.com
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[This message has been edited by ultimatejourney (edited 21 June 2004).]

I just purchasd a Darren Jacket and find it excellent. It is cool in the hot summer and with the heavy liner very warm. I use the liner on trips as a jacket or sweater to cut down on gear I need to carry.

I use a set of goretex rainpants from Cabbelas (sp) and ther are excellent to keep the lower half dray. Can be worn over jeans on cold days as well. My wife adds a set of water proof gaitors as the pants drip into her boots.

I've found that good quality leather pants seem to be more comfortable than the textile stuff. They seem to breath better. Even though they are generally heavier than thier textile counterparts, I prefer them. I use the BMW waterproof ones (Atlantis II). They are expensive. Paired with a good textile jacket, the two cover most weather except for the really, really hot stuff.

Kurt

Recently I invested in a BMW jacket. Before I had Hein Gericke stuff.
since I am so happy with the BMW quality my girlfriend and I decided to switch all our gear systematicly to BMW.
We find it is worth the money and the patience to save up for it.

The only alternative I can think of is Glover. But that one isn't cheap eather.

In the States there are some other brands that I don't know but that get good feedback. Shipping them to europe makes them quite expensive.

Good gear, wind & waterproof when you want it, but well ventilated if needed, and decent protection if you've lost it... it just doesn't come cheap.

[This message has been edited by fireboomer (edited 01 August 2004).]

Though not a lover of BMW bikes I'd go for their clothing everytime. Its expensive but worth it. I'm currently touring the Americas with my better half (wife not bike although its a close call) amd the BMW stuff has been great.

Chris

Gore-Tex and Velcro - two modern inventions that didn't keep what they promised to me.

Bought a Hein Gericke Dri-Rider suit about 3 years ago. The pants leaked badly in the crotch the first time I hit rain (unfortunately after 1.5 years, out of warranty. That's the trouble with living in biker's paradise: it hardly ever rains!). The dealer replaced them on his own nickel (HG refused), but the new ones leaked exactly the same.

The jacket was waterproof until now. The velco strap at the collar doesn't like being closed... It's very warm, though, so I'll keep using it in winter.

On top of that I have the problem of being tall and skinny. Everything you can buy is either too short or too large for me.

I have a set of tailor-made Harro leathers. 20 years old and been through Asia they are pretty ugly now, but I think I'm going to use them again on our trip to NZ. Will take plastic waterproofs for rain. Never get wet that way.

One thing: whatever waterproof you buy make sure it's labelled waterproof and make a point of testing it thoroughly in a few heavy downpours. If it leaks it goes back under warranty.

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

Peter,

Concerning Hein Gericke, I am not at all suprised with your experiences. My 'Touareg' jacket didn't hold it 25000k's. The pants, also 'Touareg', have never been waterproof. And I do about 30.000 a year. I took them back to the dealer. They tolk me they would send it to HG so that they can test the jacket. But I would have to miss it several weeks. Since I only had one jacket and the dealer couldn't provide me one in place that was no option... So within a year I could start saving money for other, more decent gear.

Both pieces statet to be waterproof, but they are not using Gore Tex.
Haven't bought anything from HG since.

Pieter.


PS: exactly the same thing happened with the velcro at the collar. Very, very irritating.

For all of your velcro repairs, find a local sailmaker or sail repair shop. These folks will have the right stuff and the heavy duty machines to go thru even leather gear. Usta be one, I know.

Good tip, thanks. But if you put needles through GoreTex & Co. ...

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

concerning velcro's I keep an eye on the followin:
The collars where you simply put the velcro right away on the opposite part so it sticks wont last. The direct forces applied are, imho, to big and within time it wont hold.
The solutions are the ones that you fold back through a loop. That way the forces applied to the velcro becomes much less and it will hold for a lot longer.

Not too many yackets have this, but in the long term it makes the difference between a cold breeze down your chest or nicely cosey warm in winter.


Pieter.