Originally Posted by learningtoride
There are a few retailers who stock the BEEEG (and usually more pricey) brands, and there are also some local stores who do their own stuff. For the big names:
Dainese, Rev'it - Motomail
Alpinestars - Cyclespot Honda
I mentioned the above as they carry the largest range of those brands. If you're willing to drive a lil then there's Mr. Motorcycles in Pukekhe who carry a decent range for ladies (from what I've seen on their website).
Now if you wanna go local, Motorcycle Safety Wear in Morningside (http://www.msw.co.nz/) do custom gear and will make something to suit your needs. I haven't used 'em (but came highly recommended, and I've enquired) so you'll have to get in touch with 'em to see what they can offer you. Then there's 1tonne (http://1tonne.co.nz/) out of Taranaki who do their own stuff ranging from full on race suits to relaxed-style leathers. I have used 'em before through their website. Still have a pair of their gloves. Good quality, and still going strong (though I only use 'em occasionally).
There is also DriRider (http://www.dririder.com.au/) out of Aussie (and available at a number of local retailers), who do awesome textile stuff and at a very good price point. There is a decent amount of their stuff available here, but it's always good to have a look at their full catalogue. If not available here, then you can always import it from an Aussie retailer.
A lil advice when shopping for gear:
1) Always try it on first, or at least use their size chart down to the millimetre. Sizes vary from brand to brand, but expect European brands to have a similar snug fit, and local stuff (Aussie and NZ) to have a lil more room.
2) Get into the riding position, or on a bike if possible. Irrespective of what motorcycle you ride, gear will always move up a lil (or a lot) so make sure the gear covers the areas it should and the protectors stay in the areas they should.
3) Move around in the gear for a few minutes and look at yourself in the mirror 100 times. Motorcycle gears' first purpose is protection and it might feel a lil odd if it's your first time. Yes, leather will give a lil over time, but even with textiles and all those accordian stretch areas and kevlar here-and-there, just don't expect gear to fit like a sweater or track pant.
4) Speaking of leather, as I said above, it will give a lil. So if you're going for leather, you'd want it to fit a lil more snug. At the same time it should cover all the areas it's meant to, and the protectors should sit where they're meant to.
5) As for type of gear, well it largely depends on your riding style/purpose and your personal taste. Nothing protects as well as leather, but higher denier textiles come a good second place. Also take into account the weatherproofness (waterproof/windproof), and possibility of layering.
6) And last but not least, ATGATT.. All The Gear, All The Time. You don't have to wear full on leathers all the time, but 1) leave no skin uncovered, and 2) at least make sure it's riding gear (especially with jeans and shoes). And you don't have to look like a powerranger either, brands have started making more casual-looking gear, and these days it's becoming harder to tell this casual line from normal clothing (it's that good).
Anyway, that's my 2c. Now I'm sure some will agree here and others will disagree there. I'm no expert by any means, this is just what I've come to learn (sometimes the hard/uninformed way) about gear.
Happy shopping, and PM if you need more advise..
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