Whats the best bit of MC gear you own?

**James Deuce** · 21st January 2005, 13:32

My Brain.

Hurts

**Hitcher** · 21st January 2005, 13:40

My helmet. Bless you Mr Shoei, for without you I couldn't ride bikes! I fart in the general direction of other manufacturers who wouldn't appreciate a "fuller head" if they fell over one.

My tankbag. The motorcycling equivalent of a handbag. Great for stowing all of those bits and bobs you need.

My selection of gloves: Tecknics powerskin for winter; Dririder Drimesh for summer. And others for those "in-between" moments...

My boots. Daytona Gore-Tex. A bit scuffed after 65,000km but still doing the business.

Pledge. Can of. Great for cleaning visors, helmets, screens, mirrors, lights, even the whole bike if you're keen.

Earplugs. The best thing you can have if you want to put in big distances and not hear the surf pounding in your head for hours afterwards.

**TonyB** · 21st January 2005, 13:44

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

OK as mentioned, leathers, Arai, Heated grips are good but the MX hand-shields on my touring bike are ugly but keep your hands dry as well.

I wonder why none of the bike maufacturers have tried putting hand-sheilds on their bikes. It must be possible to make them so they look good. Wet hands are a bitch.

Which reminds me on one of my less-than-good buys: my Technics 'water proof' gloves. What a joke! They're almost new and they leak everywhere. Just as well I've got heated grips!
I used to think my Technics jacket was shit hot (warm and dry) but now it leaks at the shoulders and zip. I know you're supposed to look after them and put water repellent on the outside, but should you really have to? The waterproof membrane is supposed to be under the outer fabric, so it shouldn't matter if the outside is repellent or not. If putting water repellent on the outside is so critical, then isn't it just a cordura jacket with water repellent? Hardly worth 100's of $. Then there's the issues you find at track days- you still need leather, so why not just buy leathers and an oversuit?

The only thing that makes the synthetic jacket so warm is the thinsulate (or copy) zip out liner- why not just put them in leathers? Sorry- rant over!

**Yokai** · 21st January 2005, 14:00

combination Alpine earplugs and iPod... When I get the remote it's gonna be superb.... No wind noise - music for when I want it ... GREAT!

**F5 Dave** · 21st January 2005, 14:00

Can’t explain the inability of synthetics not to be waterproof. If they were the all purpose touring kit then I may consider them but I still see the trou as a weakspot protection wise.

I keep the wet oversuit in the Tankbag I so fondly mentioned above.

One thing I believe with cordura is if you don’t wash them they are more likely leak as the water tracks through. Well so I’m told. Basically I don’t trust anything that is not PVC for waterproofness.

Waterproof gloves & boots. One word. Unicorn.

Earplugs. Goes without mentioning. Well only 'cause I wasn't clever enough to mention it first. Well done Hitman.

**FROSTY:Me** · 21st January 2005, 14:19

All my gear I'd rate highly. My most recent -Thank God i was wearing that would have to be my spine protector -I can say with a high degree of probability I would be in hospital now if I wasnt wearing it on new years.
My bike gear is far from the best or most expensve -but every item proved its worth on new years.

**TonyB** · 21st January 2005, 14:21

Originally Posted by Yokai

combination Alpine earplugs and iPod... When I get the remote it's gonna be superb.... No wind noise - music for when I want it ... GREAT!

So these are earplugs and speakers? Sounds cool. Who sells them? (needs to be more specific than "A shop"). Definitely agree that earplugs are a must. Lost some of my hearing in my early days of riding before I thought to use them. I have a mate who never wears them- reckons he doesn't get much noise- but then he nearly always answers anything you say with "Whaaa..."

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

Waterproof gloves & boots. One word. Unicorn.

Actually, my cheap Prexport boots have never leaked.

**Paul in NZ** · 21st January 2005, 14:26

Originally Posted by Jim2

My Brain.

Hurts

Yes.. It's causing us pain too.....

Paul N

**Paul in NZ** · 21st January 2005, 14:27

Originally Posted by TonyB

Actually, my cheap Prexport boots have never leaked.

Same here - 50,000km and 5 years in all weather. Shit hot things!

Paul N

**Slim** · 21st January 2005, 14:30

Oxford Sports magnetic Tankbag - awesome bit of kit (but not much use to me if I get the Triumph since it doesn't have a metallic tank D'oh!)

Sony In-Ear earphones + Minidisk

Icebreaker merino thermal stuff - absolutely awesome. Pricey, but awesome. 2 winters & counting and no sign of them wearing out so far.

**Paul in NZ** · 21st January 2005, 14:35

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

Can’t explain the inability of synthetics not to be waterproof. If they were the all purpose touring kit then I may consider them but I still see the trou as a weakspot protection wise.

I keep the wet oversuit in the Tankbag I so fondly mentioned above.

One thing I believe with cordura is if you don’t wash them they are more likely leak as the water tracks through. Well so I’m told. Basically I don’t trust anything that is not PVC for waterproofness.

Waterproof gloves & boots. One word. Unicorn.

Earplugs. Goes without mentioning. Well only 'cause I wasn't clever enough to mention it first. Well done Hitman.

I'm not going into it in detail 'cos we did that some place else.

Yes, you should wash waterproof synthetics to keep them clean as the dirt wicks the water through the weave. BUT don't use ordinary washing powder as it is mostly bulking agents (phosporous or something dangerous) which sticks in the weave and acts the same way. Use a 'sports wash' availiable from ant outdoor store.

Some jackets need a bit of time in a tumble drier to restore the thread as well.

The membrane on the jackets that have them will eventually wear out (the neglect to tell you this when you purchase it) but the more modern ones last longer. Again, treat them well and they last longer.

My Spidi is still mostly waterproof and only 1 westcoast deluge defeated it.

I bought a cheap pair of waterproof 'thunder gloves' from Motorad as my old ones were getting past it. Guess what. They ARE waterproof!

If you have a waterproof jacket with a membrane DON'T tuck it into your gloves. The water runs down your sleeve and fills your gloves. D'oh!

Paul N

**Motu** · 21st January 2005, 14:39

I'm happy with most of my gear,really enjoying my latest bit of stuff,the Fly MX helmet - closest thing I've had to no helmet for years,I just feel so freeee after the ''cosy'' street helmet.I really like my Camelback too,I can keep hydrated on the move,still have to stop for a leak,but on the roads I ride there are so many places I want to stop it's not really a drag.