Hi

Nearly time to buy some kit for my trip from Sydney - London.....

Have decided to get MX boots, know about the pro's & cons of them for a long trip, but am going to go for them anyway. Have decided on the Gaerne SG10 boots....any thoughts on these anyone? Are these the right choice? What about the BMW GS2 boots??

Also think I'm going to go for the BMW Rallye 2 suit - again, any thoughts on this compared to the HG kit?

And finally....Arai Tour X2 helmet? There doesn't seem to be any that are anywhere near as well known?

Thanks for any thoughts....

J

bm rallye suit bloody grouse mate! worth the cash.
cheers,
andy

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Hey J,

Before you lay out all that cash on the BM suit must be over 1200 bucks I think? Go online and have a look at Rev'It gear from Holland. Looks great and I have some very good reports on it. Oh and it comes with the waterproof membrane too (not an optional extra).

The only prob is that there is not a supplier in Oz I don't think but there is in NZ, they could send it over to you still cheaper than BMW! I looked at and ordered the Dakar Pants and Off Track Jacket.

Cheers

Using a flip-up helmet myself, so can't comment much on the Tour X.

I decided against MX boots purely on the freedom of movement. It's hard to walk just 100 meters away of bike to just take a photo and you have to walk like a robot, they're not waterproof eighter. I opted for enduro oriented touring boots instead with waterproof GoreTex inners - unlike the regular touring boot toes should have decent protection, also decent grip while on standing-up riding but ankle shouldn't be that hard-protected as on the MX boots, sill has to have some decent ankle support. There are couple of boots fitting into that category: Oxtar Infinity (same as BMW savanna boots) I'm using, couple of others too.

I was the same about HG or BMW suite. The higher quality, more complete and thus more expensive HG Touareg Rallye version (there were 3 versions of Touaregs when I was looking for Touaregs) of the suite I was looking gots some real good reviews and words from the users, but the lack of dealership, support and warranty backup in my country I decided against it. Also I looked into some of the Rukkas supposedly "adventure riding" suits, but they weren't up for my needs in terms of dominantly pitch black colours and inferior ventilation.

IMHO, altough I think the R2 is worth its higher dosh, the "street" prices are considerably lower than the list prices, so don't believe the crap about them being too pricey, you pay only for BMW badge etc. Got mine around half of the list price brand new. I checked the aforementioned Rev'It too before I decided to buy mine and the first thing you'll notice the Cayenne is a copycat of Rallye 2 suit, but the quality of materials and seams looked inferior compared to the original "godfather of adventure riding clothing" Rallye. So it turns out it's not always optimum way cutting costs by copycating others than to create one your own from the scratch - long live the innovation and innovators!

3 seasons and over 50K on mine, ridden from -10C to +45C - and it's up for its job - amazingly wide comfort range is possible with those advanced ventilations and goretex inner suits

PS: GoreTEX inner suits are included in the Rallye 2s, it's NOT an optional extra.

Ride safe, Margus

I'm on the road at the moment riding from the UK to Brisbane via The Arctic Circle. Have the BMW Rally 2 suit and Arai Tour X2. The suit is the best investment I have ever made. So far I've had heavy rain, heat(30 deg+) and cold(-4deg) and it's been absolutely magic. As I always say, you only get what you pay for. I realize that BMW gear is dearer but until I can find an equal to it, I don't mind paying the difference. I spent some time in the Hein Gericke and Louis shops in Germany but nothing really compared to the BMW gear. Hein Gericke makes some good stuff but it's not easy to get it in Aussie.

The Tour X is a good helmet too. It's quiet and the peak is great for those long days when the sun is low.

That's my sixpence worth. Have fun on your trip.

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Hi
Rally 2 suit- Have had 2 BMW suits. The first one was the marrakesh which was the Rally suit about 15 years ago. Brilliant suit, Lasted for the entire 15 years with no problems. All year motorcycling 117,00 miles and it was still going strong, except it was looking a bit too tired and my wife nagged me to smarten my self up a bit. So reluctantly , i bought a new suit. The Rally2 i have been wearing for 1 year now. I have had a problem with the zip on the jacket. It would undo itself from the bottom up. So, BMW replaced the jacket with no problem. The goretex in the trouser leg, had worn through wear it was in contact with the top of my boot. Again BMW replaced the trousers , not just the goretex but them both. The ventilation is excellent with many air vents in the right places. Washed the suit 6 times already, (i have a dirty habit) and still looks brand new. Hope this helps.

Ok, owning all of those..heres my recommendations:-

Boots - go for it, best by FAR

Helmet - the visor will scratch and fail to stay in the 'up' position after about 6 months. Try arai chaser or similar instead.

BMW gear - Despite the hype, it doesn't keep you warm or dry. There is absolutely no windproofing element to it except for the goretex membrane. Sure there are some poseurs who'll say its the dogs doodars, but honestly -I ride my bike all weather and all year. Its good for an offroad weekend or sitting in shops talking the trash about how much better I am than any paris dakar legend...

I stopped using my rallye 2 pro gear in favour of cheapo third of the price akito desert. At least it has a proper thermal lining!

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well basically I have used all the gear you mentioned over the last 5-6 years. (apart from Rallye 2 trousers)

here is what I think,

boots, Gaerne SG10, I like the look and the solid feel and support,

however for overlanding are a bit unwieldy not very easy to walk about.

Also bike trousers don't fit Over them! (Can't have that stormtroper look with trousers flappiing all over the place)

If I was buying new boots now I would go for something more enduro less MX, however I wouldn't go for goretex which is good for winter / rain but not very good in humid / hot conditions.

I have a pair of Alpinestar "no stop" which is a trial boot with off road soles!! (worked good in winter and summer riding, in Europe / North Africa / Balkans ..etc

BMW Rallye 2 Jacket.

Had one for years, (may be 4 or 5 years)

The rallye 2 It is not an excellent very hot weather jacket nor an excellent very wet / cold weather jacket but It is an excellent compromise.

I never had the R2 trousers, I just can't carry off the BMW suit look, although I suspect the trousers will be as good as the jacket,

- I have HG touareg (goretex) trousers which are good although they don't have air vents.

ARAI Tour X,

I am still using the same one I got 4 / 5 years ago, Its is a good all rounder, comfortable for all day riding, washable inner, altough at high speeds the peak catches the wind. !

The visor is not a good as in other helmets, it scratches, mists, and because of its shape has some kind of reflection (at half open point) which can be annoying

I am about to buy a new helmet and I am having a flip up, It doesn't look as cool as the Arai but I like the added flexibility.

Thanks for all your replies!!

Think I'm sold on the Gaerne SG10's....i know they're not going to be great for walking about in, but keen on the extra protection.....

If I'm not going to walk far, I reckon I'll just put up with it. If i'm walking about for a bit, i reckon I'll take them and the rest of the kit off and use a pacsafe to leave it all with the bike. This'll be practical enough won't it?

Tour X sounds like a winner too - appreciate the comments about the visor, but I guess I can put up with it. Not sure why, but not keen on a flip-up helmet....

Re. the BMW suit...still not sure....there seems to be mixed opinions of it by the sounds of things. I guess a compromise is what I'm after. I think its going to range from fairly hot to bloody hot from Sydney to India. But may get a bit cooler at times from there. It is primarily for the trip, but seeing as I'm spending that much, keen to be able to use it in the UK after.

The other option I can see is the HG kit, but from what I've seen on here, maybe not that great in the heat?? Will definitely check out the Rev'It stuff too.

Luckily, I'll be in the UK for a few weeks in August, so can buy all the kit there - its bloody expensive here in Oz. The BMW suit seems to be around $1950 which is over £900!!

Any other thoughts?

Thanks again

J

My father met me in Namibia on my way down through africa. We rode 8.7km together when he hit a wobble on a dirt track. His foot slipped forward off the peg and hit the ground. The peg then followed and broke his shin bone in 5 places.
It took 11 hours before we could get him to a hospital. He had ankle high boots!!!
I will never ever do a big trip without MX boots!!!
The doc said it will take 9 months to heal.
Hope that helps
orrin

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Well that's me getting MX boots for sure!!! Hope the recovery is going ok...sounds nasty!

J

Not sure about the other suits - HG trousers just didn't fit me and BMW seems expensive - I went for Rev'it on the UK2CapeTown and I would recommend the OFF_TRACK jacket and pants (trousers please). It has a waterproof inner liner that I sent home from spain because it doesn't rain in Africa (right?) but overall I just like the fact that it's tough, light coloured and protects you in crashes (I had too many).

Also I had Diadora boots and TourX lid (the peak is the key when the sun is low! Otherwise it's just a noisy nuisance).

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I have just spent the last day and a half riding through unbelievably heavy rain through Switzerland and Austria, and thanks to my BMW "Clown suit" aka Rallye 2 Pro, am as dry as a bone. The lining in these suits is great! Sometimes I wonder why people are so quick to rubbish a really good product.

Kenny

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Sometimes I wonder why people are so quick to rubbish a really good product.

Kenny[/QUOTE]

Experience of BMW products might be one reason .
And they look daft .
But hey if you are happy with yours ,that's all that matters .

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"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

I think you will always get mixed reviews about BMW kit.

From a personal perspective, I have done over 20,000kms in the BMW Rally 2 Pro suit. I would strongly recommend it for hot desert climates, where the venting is fantastic. However I have found it doesnt perform anywhere near as well in cold wet climates, where the gore-tex inner lining isnt always waterproof and you will need to wear a lot of layers underneath to keep warm.

I have also had a number of off road crashes and the suit is still in excellent condition. I have never crashed it on tarmac, but I expect the fabric mightn't take too kindly to sliding down the road.....

If you are set on MX or enduro boots, make sure you try Alpinestars Tech 8s before finally deciding. Excellent protection and good inner booties. Downsides are not waterproof and rather heavy.

cheers