Full leathers

[Okey Dokey]

Hi. I've owned a 2 piece Dainese leather suit for over 10 years. Great quality and certainly recommended. Happily, I haven't crashed, but it is not crappy gear and I expect it would do the business as well as other leather suits.

[Quasievil]

I will take the word "crap" back, a bit OTT I admit, I was kinda taking the piss, however I will say that for the Big Brands in under the $2500.00 mark you are buying a name and not the quality garment I would expect for that kind of money.
yes I have seen top brand suits fall apart after the first crash, even this week we have been asked to fix a top brand italian suit (made in Vietnam) as its seams pulled apart after a crash, this doesnt surprise me.
I study the other brand products carefully and my belief that they are inferior to my brand stands strong, this is usually based on Leather thickness and quality as well as stitching quality and quantity.
I was in Strada motosport in Tauranga (our new retailer) and I ws looking at the IXION gear, the jackets where leather but paper might have offered a similair protection level, it was so thin it was a joke, the jacket looked Awesome, but it looked like very low crash quality, I see this alot when looking at the market competition.
As an example (only one) this is what you can expect from a QUASiMOTO suit.

Quoted from kickingzebra, one of our sponsored riders usint the old spec gear, since then we have upgraded in many areas.

"As the resident expert at crashing in Quasimoto gear, I would HIGHLY reccommend it... The list of crashes in one single set of leathers which look worse for wear but are still serviceable?

Manfield Lowside 160 kph
Wanganui, stoppy over the bars into haybales
Teretonga, 90 kmph lowside
Teretonga, 220 kmph lowside (with roll)
Taupo, Lowside 110 kmph
Taupo lowside 120 kmph
Manfield, Lowside 150 kph
Manfield, Highside 140 kph
taupo lowside 70 kph
and the most recent, taupo highside 160 kmph.

10 GOOD crashesd on one set of leathers?? That is MINT!
For the record I have only ever had to resew some seams twice."end quote

Jimmy Whitetrash could say the same extensive list, as well as a bunch of other racers and customers.

I know that for $1795, you will not be able to buy a set of leathers that will offer that kind of protection for that amount of crashes.
let alone a custom color custom fit set of leathers.

So I can stand behind my comments and to a great extent I have to, being 4 years in the business now, I have not had a negative crashed gear experience, Dianese or Spidi or Alpinestar couldnt say that, nor would they know as they are not as heavily involved in the NZ biking scene as we are.

in saying all that, I think buy what you like, what fits what looks cool to you etc, but do keep in mind its not all about that, its about not getting your skin scraped off !

[les king]

2 pc Dainese going into year 15 without any special care and a couple of offs approx. 250,000kms in all weather paid $1500 would def. buy again. for wot its worth.

[YellowDog]

I bought 3 sets of secondhand leathers before finding a good fit. I recon it cost me as much as having new ones fitted, which would be my advice. Make do and save up for a decent set.

I have just ordered a new bike and if use my AB King pro every day, stop eating so much crap, and get my weight down 5Kg; my leathers may then be able to match the colour of my new bike (spare set too good to sell).

[YellowDog]

BTW - The lady in K'Road will make you a tailor made, fully armed, set of Kiwi leather leathers for $1500.