Gear Recommendations - Commuting | GTAMotorcycle.com

Gear Recommendations - Commuting

Onagoth

Onagoth

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Although I have ok gear now....I am looking to upgrade/renew pretty much all parts of my gear.

None of the colours match my current bike (red gear, green bike) and some of it is quite old....my lid is 15 years old now.

Can you all make some recommendations on best-value gear for street/touring? Not looking to break the bank but want something with adequate armor/protection. I generally only ride in dry weather.

Also looking to throw in a mesh jacket or have something that is very breathable for the summer.

I'm not in a huge rush, but as deals come up, I'm looking to buy....just not sure what brands/types I should be looking at.

Should I just be watching kijiji primarily or does retail offer up some decent deals once in a while?

Thanks in advance,
 
Deals on gear are often size related, if you can fit kid sized clothing you can get great deals on last years inventory in retail stores, if you are a more common size then the discounts just won't be near as good.
I find gloves (which should be mandatory gear) work best with a single layer of leather on the palm, the ones with padding give me calluses real fast ymmv. Jackets don't need to be motorcycle specific jackets to be good, important features are closures that don't let the wind through, easy to manage with gloves on and constructed of material that does not billow out like a sail when riding at speed.
There are some re-gear stores that specialize in resale of lightly used motorcycle apparel. Can't say as I would recommend any particular manufacturer as being outstanding unless we are shopping for trials riding boots.

I'm not big on body armour for riding, I dress for ride comfort not to crash. Helmet is the exception, I never go too cheap on helmets.
 
A lot of my stuff came from Regear in Oshawa. They often have new old stock from other retailers at much lower prices. They always seem to have mesh jackets in

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Helmet should be bought brand new. In addition to checking out Regear in Oshawa, I would also keep an eye out for GPbike's no HST event and Royal Distributing's tent sale. Last year, both were in April, IIRC.

Sometimes you may find great deals on Kijiji for brand new items. Last year when I was looking to upgrade all my gear, I saw tons of brand new items on sale for 20-40% below their retail price.
 
There's a lot of questions if you want specific gear recommendations. Since it is mainly for commuting, are you looking to change, wear over top or have it be off the bike fashionable. What style bike do you ride. What style are you looking for (young sportbike, heritage, cruiser, adv touring, Power Ranger cosplay).

You have a huge range from Joe rocket to dianese to Roland Sands to klim. Recommending a Joe rocket alterego set to someone on a Thruxton is not gonna be particularly useful.
 
Thanks for the feedback.

It's a sport touring bike that I will take to work...which is about a 30 min commute. Plus I don't plan on riding on days that call for bad weather....so it will be mostly heat and cold that I will be concerned with (cold in the morning, heat in the afternoon).

While I’m not ruling out re gear and gp, they are a four hour round trip. I’ll keep my eye out on them though
 
hard to recommend brands as it's a user-preference thing
they all fit a little differently - particularly helmets

like mentioned, spend the most you can afford on the helmet
and try it on first, there's a lot more to a helmet than just size
 
robertsonmatt said:
Thanks for the feedback.

It's a sport touring bike that I will take to work...which is about a 30 min commute. Plus I don't plan on riding on days that call for bad weather....so it will be mostly heat and cold that I will be concerned with (cold in the morning, heat in the afternoon).

While I’m not ruling out re gear and gp, they are a four hour round trip. I’ll keep my eye out on them though
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Mesh will work if you`re okay with layering up underneath in spring and fall, grab a balaclava for the face and neck under the helmet. The downside to mesh is it can just fall apart if you go down and slide. Maybe look into a partial textile/mesh jacket. You might sweat a bit more in the heat, wear a moisture wicking base layer underneath and change into a fresh shirt at work and you`re good to go.
 
check out the CLOSE OUT section on fortnine.ca and gpbike.com if you want new.
one shop for used check re gear in oshawa as above mentioned.
also there are lots of gear on kijiji.ca
 
robertsonmatt said:
Thanks for the feedback.

It's a sport touring bike that I will take to work...which is about a 30 min commute. Plus I don't plan on riding on days that call for bad weather....so it will be mostly heat and cold that I will be concerned with (cold in the morning, heat in the afternoon).

While I’m not ruling out re gear and gp, they are a four hour round trip. I’ll keep my eye out on them though
Click to expand...

For helmet, if you are commuting, I'd go with the HJC i70. A drop down visor and reasonable price. Be sure to check the manufacture date when buying clearance helmets. Its a matter of contention but many people say that helmets are done after 5 years as the foam begins to break down.

On the other hand, helmet is probably the piece of gear where money spent gets you the most meaningful improvements. The weight of the helmet and how much wind noise are all helmet qualities that most riders are willing to spend money on. If you can spare it, choose instead an HJC RPHA ST 70 or Shoei GT Air 2. If you don't want the drop down visor, then the Shoei RF-1200 or HJC RPHA 11.

For jackets I'd recommend the Alpinestars T-GP Plus R v2 and have a plan for a base layer for sub 20 celcius riding. Perfect for the summer months of riding and since you have indicated you don't plan to ride in bad weather, I am going to assume that includes late fall/early spring riding too.

If you want to stretch out the season and just meant no riding when the roads are wet, then you definitely will want a mesh with a liner. In which case, you might want to look at the Joe Rocket Alterego 13.0. The style isn't my cup of tea but it is fantastic value because you can wear the outer waterproof layer or the inner mesh layer on its own. It is also on closeout right now.

For pants, some Kevlar jeans. Your pick as some people like skinny jeans and others like straight cut. I would recommend some textile pants but most people wont wear them on a daily basis.

For shoes, do yourself a favor and go with at least a mid height boot. Don't get the riding shoes that look like some Converses. Absolutely no point. Personally I love my TCX's for commuting but don't get waterproof unless you like the smell of sweaty feet. My pick were I buying current stock is the TCX Vibe Air.

Gloves are your preference but the more leather the better. Alpinestars Celer and Dianese Mig C2 are good short cuff gloves.
 
Get gear that fits comfortably, so you will be more inclined to wear it. You end up getting a whole collection as time goes on. Summer mesh, fall and cold full coverage, etc. I dress for the crash. No point in wearing gear if it's not going to protect you when it's needed.
 
robertsonmatt said:
Thanks for the feedback.

It's a sport touring bike that I will take to work...which is about a 30 min commute. Plus I don't plan on riding on days that call for bad weather....so it will be mostly heat and cold that I will be concerned with (cold in the morning, heat in the afternoon).

While I’m not ruling out re gear and gp, they are a four hour round trip. I’ll keep my eye out on them though
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I find FortNine often has great deals on gear -- another thread mentioned they were selling Fieldsheer Highland touring jackets for $137 Fieldsheer Highland Jacket (get the silver for the summer -- you won't need a mesh). I had one in my cart then noticed they werer closing out Klim Dakar's for $220 -- I got that instead. Just after Christmas I picked up a Scorpion GT3000 modular from them for about $220 -- less than 1/2 price.

I like deals as much as anyone. I also like my skin and what few brain cells I have left -- that's why I don't buy used or bargain brand gear. If you're getting 15 years from your stuff, $500 on a good helmet and jacket will cost you about $30/year.
 
Mad Mike said:
I find FortNine often has great deals on gear -- another thread mentioned they were selling Fieldsheer Highland touring jackets for $137 Fieldsheer Highland Jacket (get the silver for the summer -- you won't need a mesh). I had one in my cart then noticed they werer closing out Klim Dakar's for $220 -- I got that instead. Just after Christmas I picked up a Scorpion GT3000 modular from them for about $220 -- less than 1/2 price.

I like deals as much as anyone. I also like my skin and what few brain cells I have left -- that's why I don't buy used or bargain brand gear. If you're getting 15 years from your stuff, $500 on a good helmet and jacket will cost you about $30/year.
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Yes...I have spent a chuck of money at Fortnine already...:) They make it pretty easy and I've been happy so far.

I also value my skin....but I think used equipment (excl possibly the helmet) can be had for very cheap in practically new condition. Mostly though, I just hate paying 13% tax on my higher dollar value purchases....
 
MacDoc said:
That is incorrect information. :rolleyes:
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Was going to say the same. Its ballistic nylon on the arms and back. The mesh is only in the chest... Abrasion damage on the chest is very unlikely in an off.



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Unless you have a really really big chests.
 
As mentioned, everyone has an opinion on gear. I have a solid JR ballistic jacket and pants for early spring and late fall and then use Olympia mesh jacket and pants for the balance of the season. Mesh gear with layers, including heated gear, works well and is very flexible. Boots are Alpinestars SMX 1 or 6 depending on temps.

Don't cheap out on a helmet. The HJC IS Max 2 offers pretty good value and rates well in tests.

HJC IS MAX 2 - SHARP

https://fortnine.ca/en/hjc-is-max-2-solid-helmet
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