habitual crashers - your glove experiences please

[Mr Skid]

I'm going to be purchasing a pair of race gloves shortly, and I'm keen to hear the opinions of people who have crash tested them.

I was originally looking at the Alpinestars GP Plus gloves, but talking to owners and reading reviews on the web, it appears that there may be some quality control issues on them. In particular seam bursting, and non-uniform quality of the leather on the gloves.

So what's your experiences of gloves?

I'm primarily interested in how well they hold up in a bin, but would like to know about build quality on what you choose to protect your hands with.

Any thoughts/feedback/suggestions appreciated!

[FROSTY]

ill be updating my report on my racetechs tonite.--basicly a bloody good glove -held up well--and no sore hands.

[750Y]

stay away from technics..., stitching fails

[Mr Skid]

stay away from technics..., stitching fails
I keep hearing worse and worse stories about teknic stitching..

The stitching on the palms of my gloves disappeared when i put my hand down while still sliding. It was only on the ground for 1-2 seconds, and I was initally suprised at this, though in hindsight, they are Spidi winter touring gloves, so I can't really expect too much of them - single row stitching, probably cotton, as opposed to something fancy like concealed rows of kevlar stitching or similar.


ill be updating my report on my racetechs tonite.--basicly a bloody good glove -held up well--and no sore hands.
Sounds good, I'll be keen to hear about them. They are an option at the moment, also the Spidi sport composite h2out gloves have stood up to much abuse from Two Smoker, and are sounding like a possibility.

[WINJA]

DONT GET GLOVES WITH STEEL RIVETS THEY CAN HEAT UP WHEN IN A SLIDE AND BURN YOU, LOOK FOR KEVLAR REINFORCED PALMS WITH KEVLAR STICHING. I CRASHED AT OVER 200K AND MY TECHNICS HELD UP SAYING THAT I BOUGHT ANOTHER PAIR AND THEY RIPPED PUTING THEM ON GO FIGURE

[Motu]

I'm probably not much help as all my testing is ancient history,but I'm all for the real world,not some doom and gloom of what might be....

I have some vague memories of sore hands from my early experiments of going around corners.Had an off road crash in 1972 on my ONE WEEK old CT2,bizzarely I had a head on with an identical bike,2 days older than mine - the big knurling on his front brake lever went between the knuckles of my left hand,down to the bone...but I rode home anyway,we were kinda tough in those days...these days I guess I'd sue Yamaha for making such a dangerous bike.2 weeks later I slammed it into the side of Trekka,opening it up like the tin can it was,so much for my new bike eh.

From then on I have always worn gloves,getting a pair of unlined dress gloves,and I've stayed with light gloves ever since,can't stand fat gloves.Worn the palms out of my 1st pair and had a 10cent sized blister.I used leather MX gloves for years,but these days they are synth leather,still use them off road,but struggle to find unlined gloves these days.I have had countless bins on and off road over 35 yrs of riding - the only times I've done damage is the previously mentioned blister,once with a leg trapped under the bike and sliding down the road I tried to stop myself by digging into the road with my hands...in fingerless gloves,they kinda stung afterwards.Once I pulled in the clutch as I was going down to keep the motor running,but caught my finger between the lever and bar,lots of blood and still a bit numb after over 10yrs.

Get the best gloves you can afford,that feel good I might add - and the best protection is not to do dumb things with your hands when you crash...learn how to fall,in my case,practise makes perfect.

[Hitcher]

When I went for a skate on the Takas last January, the palm of my right hand did a bit of a dance along the tarmac (at about 60kmh, plus or minus) but my summerweight Orina kevlars have only a few scuffs to show for it. None of my other pairs of gloves have had a close encounter with Mr Bituman and, hopefully, never will!

[Two Smoker]

Yep, im a big fan of my Spidi H20ut Race gloves.... Handled crashes at 60 upto 150-160kmh, i think i have crashed in them about 3-4 times now, and are only now getting to the stage of needing replacement.... Only problem is the get smelly in summer due to being so warm.

Saw a guy crash in some Alpinestar GP Plus Gloves today..... at about 160-180kmh, didnt hold up very well at all :crazy:

A must is knuckle protection... I had a crash, and no knuckle protection, dislocated finger :crazy: but i had knuckle protection it would have been fine.....

[Coyote]

I got some cheap gloves ($80). They handled a 100k crash on my motard fairly well, allthough they can become uncomfortable while riding

[Vagabond]

Sounds like you planning another run down the 22 ?






P.S. Dont put your hands out !

[sels1]

stay away from technics..., stitching fails

Also ArmourTech - stitching failed under 6 mnths (without any bins)

[Kickaha]

I'm using Spool SP23 http://www.spool-bikewears.com/gb/gants.htm I think they were about $180?

I 've been down the track three times in three years and they've stood up quite well

The palm has two layers of leather and although the top stitching has abraded away in a couple of places where I had my hand down they are still in good shape,the hard knuckle protection has also saved me on one occasion going by the marks on them

They have little vent thingys on them as well and a padded area on the outside of the forearm,I'm also using these as my road gloves

very comfortble to use and after three years use with at least one race meeting a month have a fair bit of life left in them yet and when they finally die I will be buying the same thing again

[Groins_NZ]

I've brought some KBC gloves not too long ago. They have double padded leather palms, Kevlar pads on the knuckles, padding across the top knuckles and upper forearm. They have double stitching in the palm area.

The only grump I have about them is the Velcro strap around the wrist started to fray from the seam it is sewn into on the side of the glove. I also had to unpick the Velcro patch and re-stitch it on the strap so I could tighten it around my wrist properly (seems to be a common design fault of most gloves). Unable to tell you how they hold up during a skate across bitumen however. Oh and I see the label inside says they are made in Pakistan (see Secret #1 below)!

What about this type of thing? http://www.foxcreekleather.com/128.html (probably not everybody’s cup of tea I know). Has anyone tried this type of product? Interesting to see in the list of features: “Dual-duty thread provides the strongest seams and won't cut through leather like Kevlar thread.” – didn’t know that about Kevlar thread…

And for your convenience…

“
Four Dirty Secrets Glove Manufacturers Don't Want You to Know

Secret #1: U.S. deerskin is superior to cowhide in comfort, protection & utility.
The reason most gloves are made of cowhide is because over 90% of motorcycle gloves (including Harley Davidson's) are made in China and Pakistan where labor is dirt cheap and deerskin is not readily available.

Secret #2: Most gloves fail at the seams.
With the majority of manufacturers more concerned with adding flashy features than real protection, they end up with overly complicated designs with too many seams. Each seam is a potential failure point. Count how many seams are in your own gloves. Most have as many as four seams on every finger, but Lee Parks Design gloves have only have four seams in the entire glove! Fewer seams mean real safety.

Secret #3: Thin Kevlar thread reduces seam strength.
Unlike textiles, more threads per inch in leather makes it weaker, not stronger. Kevlar is a ver strong aramid fiber made by DuPont but it makes a lousy thread for motorcycle gloves because it doesn't stretch when the gloves undergo stress. That makes it act like a cheese knive cutting through the leather and letting the gloves rip open. Lee Parks' gloves use a special "dual-duty" design that has two strong nylon threads perh hole, engineered with just enough elasticity to maximize the seam strength.

Secret #4: Hard carbon fiber shatters (not deforms), creating a safety hazard.
Popular carbon fiber knuckle guards turn into dangerously sharp shards of fiber-reinforced epoxy resin which can aggravate a wound.
“

[k14]

Those facts do seem quite right, apart from the 4th. I do know that carbon fibre shatters, but it isn't there for impact protection. It is there so that when your hand is stuck under the bike and you are sliding along at 200kph the glove won't instantly disintegrate and you will loose the back of your hand (like aaron slight in the early 90's).

But I would definately recommend alpinestars. I've had mine for about 4 or 5 months now. Haven't had a crash while wearing them, but have done probably 2000kms or more wearing them and they still look in perfect condition. My mate got some teknics at the same time and they have come apart in a few places at the seams.

Apparantly kangaroo leather is the best stuff to use now. Something like 2 times stronger than cow leather.

[Mr Skid]

Sounds like you planning another run down the 22 ?
P.S. Dont put your hands out !

Third time lucky right? F/F has offered to chaperone me next time I do 22. He wasn't specific whether he meant on his R6, or following me with a trailer.

P.S. You're welcome to join us, just don't put your arse out! :moon:

[Mr Skid]

Yep, im a big fan of my Spidi H20ut Race gloves.... Handled crashes at 60 upto 150-160kmh, i think i have crashed in them about 3-4 times now, and are only now getting to the stage of needing replacement.... Only problem is the get smelly in summer due to being so warm.

A must is knuckle protection... I had a crash, and no knuckle protection, dislocated finger :crazy: but i had knuckle protection it would have been fine.....I saw you can get an unlined version of your glove - $199 v. $249 for the h2out model at motomail.. It's definitely a consideration at the moment.

Whatever I choose will definitely need to have knucle protection.
External armour is becoming the way to go - alpinestars, spyke, dainese are or have started to incorporate it into their suits.

WINJA'S comment about metal inserts is also a good point.



They have little vent thingys on them as well and a padded area on the outside of the forearm,I'm also using these as my road gloves
I've noticed that padded bit when looking at gloves, it's to protect the Ulna head (knobly bit on the outside of wrist) which seems like a damn good idea. In fact i wished I had have had it in my first bin when I chipped part of the bone off :wacko:

[Mr Skid]

What about this type of thing? http://www.foxcreekleather.com/128.html (probably not everybody’s cup of tea I know). Has anyone tried this type of product? Interesting to see in the list of features: “Dual-duty thread provides the strongest seams and won't cut through leather like Kevlar thread.” – didn’t know that about Kevlar thread…

And for your convenience…


Four Dirty Secrets Glove Manufacturers Don't Want You to Know
/snip

Thanks for that information. I do wonder how much of those 'dirty secrets' is marketing spiel on behalf of that manufacturer.

I often hear the argument about 3rd world workmanship being inferior, but I think it comes down to the quality assurance processes in a factory.

I did come across this company in China http://www.s-gloves.com/about1.htm
They make gloves for Dainese, Spidi and Nankai (never heard of the last one), and claim ISO9002 acreditation. So maybe a point in favor of Spidi gloves based on that.


Regarding the stitching, I came across an australian site. http://www.roadsafety.mccofnsw.org.au/a/88.html
It had some useful information about construction of safety gear. In particular it discussed the optimum stitches per cm to use in construction of a item. The optimum stitch/cm value differs between leather (11-14stitches/5cm) and fabric (13-16stitches/5 cm) I suspect the risk of stitching cutting through leather/fabric would revolve more around the stitches/cm than the actual thread used.

[onearmedbandit]

Nankai are a Japanese brand, and from what I've heard they make quite a good product. You should be able to find info on them on the web.

[andy1]

Hey, let me know i can normally get $150 off any gloves. Spidi i can get for good price 2. i got a spidi glove for my mate for $120 and here sale for $329.
Let me know.

Peace.

[Bonez]

Hey, let me know i can normally get $150 off any gloves. Spidi i can get for good price 2. i got a spidi glove for my mate for $120 and here sale for $329.
Let me know.

Peace.
Just goes to show the fucken markup thats been put on kit.

[Coyote]

Also ArmourTech - stitching failed under 6 mnths (without any bins)
!!!!!!!

Crap, I've got an ArmourTech 1 peice suit :crazy:

[F5 Dave]

A low speed dump on the bucket resulted in me smacking knuckles on the ground & they swelled so in a fist they were flat. Took a week to go down. Hence make sure there is padding of some sort.

Kushitani gloves are my fav. Mine have held up perfect for about 6 years but road use only.

[scroter]

stay away from technics..., stitching fails

as most of you know i recently had a large crash at taupo race track. speed = dunno but somewhere near 150-200kph. i had teknics on and the stiching didnt fail but the leather wore right down but i got no marks on my hands at all. corse these gloves are about 5 or 6 years old and i dont know what they were like back then compared to now.

[vifferman]

While being a habitual crasher (hopefully only in the past), I've only ever had my hands down once that I can remember, when I locked up the front of the FahrtSturm and put my hand out as it turfed me off onto the road. I was wearing my Orina waterproof glubs and it ended up with a small hole through the suede bit on the butt of the palm (if that's the right term). It didn't go all the way through, but I think there's some kevlar or summat underneath the suede.
I'd never buy Orina stuff again, as these gloves came apart at the seams in fairly short order, just from normal riding. As I wore them as little as possible, they'd gone past any guarantee period they may have had.

When I crashed the VFR, I think I was wearing my Spidi Pro-1 glubs each time, but didn't get a mark on them. However, the last time, I ended up with some sore fingers, but I think they may have been pinched between the clutch and handlebar or summat. They (the glubs) now have holes worn through the ends of two fingers from 4 years of almost daily use, so I bought some Dri-Rider gloves for myself a couple of weeks ago. I'm quite happy with them so far, as they have good knuckle, wrist and finger protection, but compared to the Spidis, they're a little lacking in protection for the fleshy part of the thumb - where the Spidis had double leather+kevlar, these have a single layer of leather. Wish I'd noticed that before I bought them, but they fit well, and so I bought 'em.

[That Guy]

I'd recommend Spidi Carbo 1s if they weren't so damned expensive (nearly $500 I think). No wait, they're your hands, stuff the cost - Spidi Carbo 1s. If you can get 'em. Bullet proof. When I worked in GPs riders who weren't sponsored by Spidi used to wear Carbo 1s anyway and black out the logos. Can't get a better recommendation than that.

[inlinefour]

I'm going to be purchasing a pair of race gloves shortly, and I'm keen to hear the opinions of people who have crash tested them.

I was originally looking at the Alpinestars GP Plus gloves, but talking to owners and reading reviews on the web, it appears that there may be some quality control issues on them. In particular seam bursting, and non-uniform quality of the leather on the gloves.

So what's your experiences of gloves?

I'm primarily interested in how well they hold up in a bin, but would like to know about build quality on what you choose to protect your hands with.

Any thoughts/feedback/suggestions appreciated!

Way back in my stupid days on a Yamaha RD250LC with a pair of fox motorcross gloves. Used to ride the RD pretty hard (generally within an inch of its life once disconnecting the rev cable) and every so often slide off the bike while going too fast around a courner and hitting something slippery. The gloves where great for protecting my hands, but poor at keeping them either warm or dry. I've got spool racing gloves and in crappy conditions my hands have stayed both dry and warm. I'm really hoping that I never get to crash test them though :crazy:

[Zapf]

I've brought some KBC gloves not too long ago. They have double padded leather palms, Kevlar pads on the knuckles, padding across the top knuckles and upper forearm. They have double stitching in the palm area.

The only grump I have about them is the Velcro strap around the wrist started to fray from the seam it is sewn into on the side of the glove. I also had to unpick the Velcro patch and re-stitch it on the strap so I could tighten it around my wrist properly (seems to be a common design fault of most gloves). Unable to tell you how they hold up during a skate across bitumen however. Oh and I see the label inside says they are made in Pakistan (see Secret #1 below)!

What about this type of thing? http://www.foxcreekleather.com/128.html (probably not everybody’s cup of tea I know). Has anyone tried this type of product? Interesting to see in the list of features: “Dual-duty thread provides the strongest seams and won't cut through leather like Kevlar thread.” – didn’t know that about Kevlar thread…

And for your convenience…

“
Four Dirty Secrets Glove Manufacturers Don't Want You to Know

Secret #1: U.S. deerskin is superior to cowhide in comfort, protection & utility.
The reason most gloves are made of cowhide is because over 90% of motorcycle gloves (including Harley Davidson's) are made in China and Pakistan where labor is dirt cheap and deerskin is not readily available.

Secret #2: Most gloves fail at the seams.
With the majority of manufacturers more concerned with adding flashy features than real protection, they end up with overly complicated designs with too many seams. Each seam is a potential failure point. Count how many seams are in your own gloves. Most have as many as four seams on every finger, but Lee Parks Design gloves have only have four seams in the entire glove! Fewer seams mean real safety.

Secret #3: Thin Kevlar thread reduces seam strength.
Unlike textiles, more threads per inch in leather makes it weaker, not stronger. Kevlar is a ver strong aramid fiber made by DuPont but it makes a lousy thread for motorcycle gloves because it doesn't stretch when the gloves undergo stress. That makes it act like a cheese knive cutting through the leather and letting the gloves rip open. Lee Parks' gloves use a special "dual-duty" design that has two strong nylon threads perh hole, engineered with just enough elasticity to maximize the seam strength.

Secret #4: Hard carbon fiber shatters (not deforms), creating a safety hazard.
Popular carbon fiber knuckle guards turn into dangerously sharp shards of fiber-reinforced epoxy resin which can aggravate a wound.
“

these gloves do look good thou.

http://www.foxcreekleather.com/images/large/128_1_black_1_426x500.jpg

[Bonez]

these gloves do look good thou.

http://www.foxcreekleather.com/images/large/128_1_black_1_426x500.jpg
Back to basics, minimal stitching troughout, long kneck to keep those pesky insects at bay, offer weather protection and black of course ;) (good for staining the hands when wet-the mark of a real biker I might add :devil2: Thanks to JackRat for this enlightening essy - http://www.chopperhandbook.com/neatstuff/black.htm). I note they have a seam on the tips of the fingers. Could be a source of discomfort on this cold winter trips down south. Chill factor and all that. :cold: Mind you we all have heated handle bar grips these days don't we? :whistle: Can also be used as an emergency drinking at a rally :beer: or a container to top up a leaky sports bike coolant system when the inevertable stone through the radiator event occurs. :scooter:

[DEATH_INC.]

Ok so death says that bruce didnt use his brakes and you saw a guy crash at 180... hmm and i know a TL rider with Alpine star GP Gloves.
mebee i should be speeddetective. I see a picture here.
Do I need to go dig a TLS grave next to my TLR grave?

What is it with you and Suzuki's Chris..
Ummmm,I was talkin about him not stopping to wait when we did.......nothing else....
I've crashed a few times,the gloves that held up best were the then top of the line Spidi's.They've been superceded now though...

[Quasievil]

Thanks for that information. I do wonder how much of those 'dirty secrets' is marketing spiel on behalf of that manufacturer.

I often hear the argument about 3rd world workmanship being inferior, but I think it comes down to the quality assurance processes in a factory.

I did come across this company in China http://www.s-gloves.com/about1.htm
They make gloves for Dainese, Spidi and Nankai (never heard of the last one), and claim ISO9002 acreditation. So maybe a point in favor of Spidi gloves based on that.


Regarding the stitching, I came across an australian site. http://www.roadsafety.mccofnsw.org.au/a/88.html
It had some useful information about construction of safety gear. In particular it discussed the optimum stitches per cm to use in construction of a item. The optimum stitch/cm value differs between leather (11-14stitches/5cm) and fabric (13-16stitches/5 cm) I suspect the risk of stitching cutting through leather/fabric would revolve more around the stitches/cm than the actual thread used.

ISO9002 means quality standards in the production and doesnt relate to the desigh of the gloves.
ISO9001 is the one you want it covers the design and production.
Just a point

Oh anyone see my gloves on TM ??
http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=20649898

I have a few pairs if anyone keen ?

[Quasievil]

Just goes to show the fucken markup thats been put on kit.
Thats why we love Ebay so much:Punk:

[Mr Skid]

ISO9002 means quality standards in the production and doesnt relate to the desigh of the gloves.
ISO9001 is the one you want it covers the design and production.
Just a point

Oh anyone see my gloves on TM ??
http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=20649898

I have a few pairs if anyone keen ?
It all becomes clear! Thanks for that Quasi.

I'm working on the assumed premise that alpinestars, spidi, dainese et al spend big coin on their R+D budget, so that their gear is designed well.

The varying experiences people have had with alpinestars gloves suggests that while being designed well, the production standards vary greatly. This is why I've been doing some research into the production standards of different manufacturers.

Those Teknic gloves looks quite nice, but I seem to be a wee bit crash prone, so I'm keen to get the best I can afford.

I haven't heard a bad word about Spidi gloves so far, it looks like they have respectable quality standards, so that's what I'm keen to get.

I've PM'ed Andy1 to see what price he is able to get on either the Spidi 3composite or penta, so will probably get either of those..

[loosebruce]

I'm going to be purchasing a pair of race gloves shortly, and I'm keen to hear the opinions of people who have crash tested them.

I was originally looking at the Alpinestars GP Plus gloves, but talking to owners and reading reviews on the web, it appears that there may be some quality control issues on them. In particular seam bursting, and non-uniform quality of the leather on the gloves.

So what's your experiences of gloves?

I'm primarily interested in how well they hold up in a bin, but would like to know about build quality on what you choose to protect your hands with.

Any thoughts/feedback/suggestions appreciated!

hey paps yeah i had some gp plus astars, and tested them to the full the other day, thats another story, but beleive me they were will tested, seam bust on the right plam and and tore apart round wrist cuff will try and get some photos for you, i'm sure they are a good glove, just i wasnt messing around when i hit the deck, i used to have a pair of technic gloves and they were shit hot, had them for over 4 years and crashed in them 5 times and only replaced them cos they were looking old.

have a look round and choose wisely. there's prob no need to spend $350 on a pair of gloves when a cheaper option will prob do just as good a job.

cheers

[Drunken Monkey]

...but beleive me they were will tested, seam bust on the right plam and and tore apart round wrist cuff will try and get some photos for you, i'm sure they are a good glove, just i wasnt messing around when i hit the deck...

They worked well enough that he could send me a TXT about his escapades the other day. He appears to be up to typing now as well, unless he just had someone do all his dirty work for him... :)

[750Y]

i have the spidi composites for over 3 years & stood up to daily riding in wet/dry. only been down once in them and although did $200 damage to leathers, the gloves were almost untouched although i broke a finger and grabbed the road to slow the slide... only now looking at replacing & i see they're $195 in the kiwirider mag. i will buy them again...

[loosebruce]

They worked well enough that he could send me a TXT about his escapades the other day. He appears to be up to typing now as well, unless he just had someone do all his dirty work for him... :)

lol i have one finger working well enuf to txt/type, takes farkin ages though.

my next set of gloves, teknic speedster 2, well when i get some coin and a bike to ride that is :disapint:

[Quasievil]

If anyone interested I have a couple of gloves HEHEHEHE put up a new set (like mine) on TM before, they are all new and good quality.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=20649898

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=20832702

I can get all soughts of shit , I have a mate who owns a Suzuki Franshise in the States:o

[loosebruce]

I can get all soughts of shit , I have a mate who owns a Suzuki Franshise in the States:o

Hmm i'll be in touch :crazy:

[pritch]

G'day y'all

Haven't crash tested my gloves and have no immediate plans to do so.

Held is a German brand with a reputation for quality. An Internet search should lead to some good sites. OK, buying gloves unseen can be tricky but there is good info on sizes available. Just be careful.

Mine are from the less expensive end of the range (but they ain't cheap).
They have kangaroo skin palms, they also have rivets but these are backed with kevlar and Nomex, all of which hopefully deals with the heat problem.

The kangaroo skin has higher abrasion and tear resistance than cow hide which could mean that you had nearly double the protection. In practice though what it means is that the leather on the front of the gloves can be thinner giving much better feel for similar strength.

Good luck

[vtec]

I've got the same gloves as these, teknic ones
http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/...asp?id=20649898

I've had 5 low-speed come-offs with them, and they are still in really good condition, but they started to smell funny when they got wet repeatedly through winter this year. Have had them for about 4 years so by my standards I think thats pretty good quality, the stitching is still there on the palm where my hands would have hit the ground, so its all good.

[Two Smoker]

I can get all soughts of shit , I have a mate who owns a Suzuki Franshise in the States:o

I also will be in touch....

[Coldkiwi]

I concur on the teknics stitching being a bit suss. My fore finger stitching came apart on my chicanes (2002 model) on its own accord after two years and no bins. They got used everyday in summer though but it was still a bit dissapointing (unravelled rather than broke) . They'll do me for now while i'm paying off repairs and a new lid (another good thing to spend plenty of coin on!) but they're on my list of priorities right after 1) eyes 2) back and 3) ears

[Holy Roller]

My gloves only have 3M Thinsulate on a tag cost around the $100 mark after several bins The stiching has come apart slightly at the valleys between the fingers. Time to replace them I think.