Riding Gear

[gwilburn]

New to riding as well as the spyder... my 2013 RT will be delivered next week. Looking for suggestions on riding gear (helmets & jackets) for myself and the wife. I have a lot of snowmobiling gear and I know that the right gear makes all the difference. Thanks.

[SPYD1]

For summer I just picked up a Castle mesh jacket for about $125 and it is great. Helmets, that is by choice, try a bunch on.

[Bob Denman]

I've got a TourMaster Mesh jacket that came with an insulated liner, and a solid outer shell. when it's got all three components, it's good for riding in freezing temperatures. Strip it down to just the mesh, and it's comfy through the Summer heat.

[beanoil]

I really like my Olympia gear. It has held up well, and is made by people that ride. I have worn TourMaster as well, and it is high quality. Check out motorcyclegear.com . They currently have a Joe Rocket jacket for 69., as well as JR helmets made by HJC for 69. Both are good quality, and would last some time if cared for. I bought the JR Abyss for my nephew as a gift and was really impressed with the quality, especially for the price. There is no reason not to have gear to protect you from the elements at the prices available on line.

[2 Cruysyn]

New to riding as well as the spyder... my 2013 RT will be delivered next week. Looking for suggestions on riding gear (helmets & jackets) for myself and the wife. I have a lot of snowmobiling gear and I know that the right gear makes all the difference. Thanks.

Tour Master Intake Air 3 here, in Hi-Vis. Liners work as Bob has already stated.

Shoei GT-Air, in white, is our current brain bucket. Much better than black in the summer heat. What ever helmet you go with make sure it fits properly.

[cbell1]

I like this jacket for summer/winter wear in Florida. http://tourmaster.com/product/Textil...3_Jacket/368/3 For helmets, you need to narrow down whether you want half, 3/4 , full face or modular. I like Arai full face helmets but they are pricey. BRP has a new helmet that can be configuered several different ways and looks intrigueing to me.

[Chupaca]

your now like a kid in a candy store..so many to choose from so many to see, look at all the pretty colors, shapes and sizes. You have entered a place where you are sadly alone. Everyone likes what they have and went through this same process to get there some are not happy yet. In the end you have to choose according to the seasons you'll be Riding in. I will say the convertible wear is the best. We have the "Built" jackets and the HJC modular helmets with the Scala G9 communication system. Now I always recommend going to big shops to try the stuff then shop for best deals online etc..good luck and congrats on the new ryde and meeting up with us at spyder lovers....!!

[cdavid]

Can Am gear is not too bad. Saw some early breakdown on some jackets at SpyderFest. My jacket is doing well. I like the Shoei Neotec modular helmet I use, very much.

I can also highly recommend Aerostich stuff. I had a Roadcrafter jacket and pants setup in 2004 that was great. I have recently ordered a Darien jacket and pants from them. The have an excellent website and a wonderful catalog. The catalog is a great thing to get, even if just to read thru it.

http://www.aerostich.com

Enjoy the Spyder!

[Bob Denman]

I've got the Can Am RT Riding Boots; they are waterproof and comfortable!

[sledhead]

I have used the Can Am gear since day one. Seems to work pretty well and hold up decent.
Not sure if you need a jacket but I have have one posted for sale here:
http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...-riding-jacket
I also noticed that BRP has 20% off on all accessories on their website until the 15th.

[EllijaySpyder]

My wife and I are newe owners and just got Olympia Jackets The MOAB for me and the Air Glide 4 for my wife. We got the Shoei Neotech modular helmets. So far we like the jackets and helmets, both are good quality.

Jerry & Melody Meinhardt

[ARCTIC]

New to riding as well as the spyder... my 2013 RT will be delivered next week. Looking for suggestions on riding gear (helmets & jackets) for myself and the wife. I have a lot of snowmobiling gear and I know that the right gear makes all the difference. Thanks.

Welcome to the spyderlovers site and congrats on the new purchase I recognize your name.... I'm Sled208 on HCS I Don't think we have any lingering battles over on the other site but if we do... I'll give you a clean slate on here and ask the same in return

Oh yeah, gear... I wear a KLIM Everest Jacket and a cheap ****ty helmet (sometimes ) . I'm pretty much a newbie also so I don't have any good advice on gear.

[ARtraveler]

The fun is just beginning.

Since I have ridden for many years, I have quite a collection of gear--two 6 ft racks. I like it all, and I can change for weather or the "mood of the day".

Your basic choice is textile or leather, BRP branded or not.

Most textiles come with zip out liners, allowing you to ride in three seasons. Most have zippered vents for use in warmer weather, and most outfits are waterproofed.

For hot weather riding, mesh jackets are great.

If you are into leather, a set of chaps and a leather jacket makes up a basic outfit. Styles for jackets are all over the place so you can go from casual to biker.

Boots: Many varieties available. I have settled on Euro style, waterproof, or biker style engineer boots.

Gloves: depends on the temperature and the weather. I have 4 pairs. Light, medium, cold weather and waterproof.

Helmets: get good ones that fit you well. Lots of threads on helmets and they will give you lots of ideas.

Most of my stuff is Firstgear, Hein Gerike, or Alaska Leather. I do have a BRP textile jacket, and a BRP leather jacket. They are pricey, but stand up well. Both BRP items purchased in 2008 and still look like new.

Enjoy the hunt.

[NancysToy]

Jacket - Textile is most versatile. Hi-vis has been proven to reduce the accident rate. You can use solid textiles for cooler weather (to 70 or 80) and mesh at anything above 50 or so. I like the FirstGear Kilimanjaro for solid and the Tourmaster 3/4 length for mesh.

Pants - Not as essential on a Spyder as on a bike, but textile overpants help keep you warm and reasonably dry, and provide protection. We wear Tourmaster.

Helmets - Wear one that fits your head. It should be snug, touching evenly all around, with no pressure points or hot spots. Too large, in order to get it to feel better, is unsafe. We like Arai because they have several head shapes available.

Gloves - Leather, at least in the palms. There are many varieties. You may end up with several pairs. I like deerskin work gloves for all-around riding, but I also have mesh, gauntlet, winter, and rain gloves.

Boots - Over the ankle is best. Not as important as on a bike. Waterproof is handy, but not necessary. I wear custom Bates Leathers boots to fit my skinny feet, but my wife wears Tourmaster Waterproof. Mush of the time I just wear my hiking boots.

Raingear - There are a lot of variations, ranging from fulll one-piece (sometimes as a riding suit) to Frogg Toggs. Things to look for include a hood to put on under your helmet to keep water out of your neck, a good double-fold closure over the zipper, full length velcro for the closure rain-flap, a tall, tight-fitting neck that can be adjusted snugly, double-cuff wrists and ankles or adjustable velcro closures, and bright colors and/or reflective trim. Gear should fit over your riding clothes, but not be so large that it buches up in front. "Puddles" will leak! One piece suits are more waterproof. I wear a Teknic 2-piece or a BMW coverall. Nancy wears FirstGear.

[SPYD1]

I didn't mention that Honda East, a SL sponsor, still has Can Am Boots on sale. I bought a pair and like them, especially for the value.

[Jeriatric]

After years of wearing leather. Switched to textile when riding the spyder (Offered by BAJARON site sponsor). They/he offers products to outfit you for every season.

Helmet preference - Aria.

[Cuban Spyder]

A couple of places you might check for gear are:

leatherup.com

jafrum.com

They have a variety of jackets in all price ranges as well as gloves, boots, helmets, etc.

Oh, just thought of another:

revzilla.com

Congrats on your new ryde.

[gwilburn]

Wow... great response.... thanks everyone. I can see patterns emerging. It's really hard for us to get to a bigger "store" to look at this stuff. We are a long way from just about anywhere (Spyder dealer is 1.5 hrs away). Lots of good suggestions and websites to visit... I knew I was going to open a can-o-worms with this one.

[gwilburn]

Welcome to the spyderlovers site and congrats on the new purchase I recognize your name.... I'm Sled208 on HCS I Don't think we have any lingering battles over on the other site but if we do... I'll give you a clean slate on here and ask the same in return

Oh yeah, gear... I wear a KLIM Everest Jacket and a cheap ****ty helmet (sometimes ) . I'm pretty much a newbie also so I don't have any good advice on gear.

Thanks! Definitely recognize you now. And no, we've had no "battles" that I'm aware of. I love the KLIM stuff too. Won a Jacket a few years back (wore Arctic Cat everything before then)... Liked it so well that I bought KLIM boots too. Their stuff is pricey as well, but top notch quality. My Arctic Cat jacket (shell) would work great on the spyder, but the lime green would clash with the blue metallic. Why doesn't my <enter> key start a new paragraph on this forum? Oh... and revzilla.com is awesome. Best website that I've every purchased from.

[NancysToy]

Thanks! Definitely recognize you now. And no, we've had no "battles" that I'm aware of. I love the KLIM stuff too. Won a Jacket a few years back (wore Arctic Cat everything before then)... Liked it so well that I bought KLIM boots too. Their stuff is pricey as well, but top notch quality. My Arctic Cat jacket (shell) would work great on the spyder, but the lime green would clash with the blue metallic. Why doesn't my <enter> key start a new paragraph on this forum? Oh... and revzilla.com is awesome. Best website that I've every purchased from.

The <enter> key issue is a result of Internet Explorer 10. Revert to IE9 and you will be OK.

[gwilburn]

The <enter> key issue is a result of Internet Explorer 10. Revert to IE9 and you will be OK.

Man I hate Microsoft... didn't even know I was running ie10. Upgraded on it's own

[ironbuttdean]

I've got a TourMaster Mesh jacket that came with an insulated liner, and a solid outer shell. when it's got all three components, it's good for riding in freezing temperatures. Strip it down to just the mesh, and it's comfy through the Summer heat.

Agreed. I have been a long term fan of Tour Master. Well made and reasonable pricing. Check out NewEnough.com; been ordering with great satisfaction from them for several years.

[NancysToy]

Man I hate Microsoft... didn't even know I was running ie10. Upgraded on it's own

That's why I turn off automatic updates.

[crossbowme]

When I teach MC safety I ask my students to imagine that they have just done something stupid and they have been thrown from their machine at 60 MPH. They are now 1 milli second from hitting the asphalt.

Now, what do you wish you had worn?

[gwilburn]

When I teach MC safety I ask my students to imagine that they have just done something stupid and they have been thrown from their machine at 60 MPH. They are now 1 milli second from hitting the asphalt.

Now, what do you wish you had worn?

My Ram Quad Cab