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Dick Burglar posted:EPS = ? Expanded polystyrene. AKA styrofoam. The white part in this cutaway:  The foam is crushed in a strong impact, absorbing energy in the process and reducing the amount transferred to your head.
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Apr 2, 2017 19:54
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Anyone have any experience ordering from Motostorm.it to the US? Found some mostly positive anecdotes, and a few negatives
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Apr 2, 2017 20:05
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MSF course. Check. 😎
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Apr 2, 2017 20:08
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Dick Burglar posted:EPS = ? - Outer shell: This is the outside of the helmet that you can visibly see. Its purpose is to prevent objects from piercing through the helmet in the event of a crash. Outer shells come in two forms: A) Polycarbonate (aka plastic), or B) Resins, such as fiberglass, kevlar, carbon fiber, and the like. Lower-end helmets tend to have polycarbonate shells, whereas higher-end helmets use resins. There are arguments as to which is "safer", but for simplicity's sake, we'll just say that both types will protect you in a crash (they will). The biggest advantage of a fiberglass helmet is going to be weight savings. Less weight means less means less strain on your head and neck, which means more comfort, which means more concentration on your surroundings. - EPS: As others posted above, this is literally styrofoam. This is the part of the helmet that is going to save your life. When your head hits the ground, the energy from the impact is going to transfer to the EPS, compressing it. The EPS only compresses a few millimeters, which is why you never want to buy a used helmet - it can often be impossible to tell if it has been crashed in or not. Once the EPS in an area of a helmet is compressed, that's it - if you crash again and your head hits the same spot, it cannot compress further and thus your head takes the full impact. This is why helmets MUST be replaced if you crashed and your head has hit the ground. Similarly, you don't want to hang your helmet on the mirror of your bike, or carry it from the back - both of these things can compress the EPS. When you're carrying your helmet, always carry it by the chin bar. If you must hang it on your mirror, hang it by the chin bar. It's exceedingly rare to hit the chin bar, and if you hit it you're probably hosed anyway. - Inner liner: This is for comfort. Most helmets these days have liners that can be fully removed for washing (always hand wash and air dry, otherwise it's not going to fit back in the helmet correctly). A lot of them are made of antimicrobial materials, and some of them can be adjusted to fit your head better. The most important part of the inner liner is the cheek pads, and I'll tell you why. - Helmet fitment: First and foremost, you MUST try helmets on in person. Everyone's head is shaped differently and every helmet is shaped differently. A proper fitting helmet will fit snugly around your entire head. You don't want any gaps where the helmet is not touching, and you don't want any pressure points (most commonly in the temples and back of the head). It should be snug, even pressure - think of a well-fitted baseball cap. This next part is why cheekpads are important (or unimportant, if you prefer). THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS HOW THE HELMET FITS AROUND THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD. If it fits on top of your head but it's loose in the cheeks, nearly every helmet can be fitted with different sized cheekpads (they do have to be purchased separately, however). Similarly, if the cheekpads are way too tight, you can swap in smaller ones. Properly fitted cheekpads will give you "chipmunk cheeks" and will be snug to the point that you won't be able to chew gum. They will compress after a few weeks of riding and then should fit perfectly. If they're not pretty drat snug in the store, once they compress, your helmet is going to be bobbing all over your head. Don't buy a helmet that is too big or too small on top of your head just because the cheekpads don't fit right. In fact, if it wasn't busy and I had the time, I would remove the cheekpads completely when sizing someone for a helmet. Sun visor: Here's the thing. You need to be comfortable and not distracted while you are on a bike. It's a matter of safety. If the light is going to be bothering you and taking up some of your attention, then that makes the helmet less safe. A SNELL/etc helmet may pass quantifiable tests, but safety is not solely based on numbers and tests. You are less likely to crash - and thus more safe - in a DOT only helmet that you can actually see out of than a SNELL helmet that distracts you. Things like internal sun visors aren't gimmicks if they legitimately help you while riding. Sure, you can get a SNELL helmet and just carry around a clear and tinted shield, but you have to ask yourself if you're realistically going to go through the effort of swapping them daily, or if that will even be viable if you need to constantly change brightness in the middle of a ride. With motorcycle gear - unless you are on a racetrack - there are always decisions you'll have to weigh. If you want to be as protected as possible, then you should ride in a skintight 1 piece leather suit. But are you going to wear that thing to the grocery store? Are you going to wear it when it's 90 degrees outside? Probably not, and despite being more protective on paper, it is completely worthless if it's hanging in your closet. I've helped customers who were so claustrophobic that they could not wear a full face helmet without having a literal panic attack. In cases such as those, I had no problem fitting them into an open face helmet. Do you lose protection? Yes, but it's safer than the alternatives. -Inu- fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Apr 2, 2017 |
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Apr 2, 2017 20:53
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Revvik posted:Anyone have any experience ordering from Motostorm.it to the US? Found some mostly positive anecdotes, and a few negatives
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Apr 2, 2017 22:13
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Internal sun visors are cool af and I love mine so loving much. I've got a Scorpion AT950 and its a really nice lid. It's not SNELL, but it is a modular helmet from a reputable brand, which gives me some confidence in it. The mechanism feels solid, there's no flex when its locked, and zero play in the hinges. When I grab the chin bar, I can wrench my head around and there's no movement at all. The field of view is huge, the mouth vent works too well, and the internal visor is fast and the perfect level of tint for me. I think all of that adds up to just enough more safety that I didn't have too much hesitation about trading the extra protection of a one-piece. Plus, it's a little easier to get on and off and I look like cobra commander.
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Apr 3, 2017 06:10
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The internal visor on my Shark is awesome when conditions are consistently changing as it allows quick switching between tint and no tint. However on bright days I mostly prefer my mirrored visor as it's really good in sunlight and doesn't dull shade that much, but if it's overcast the shade can be a bit dark.
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Apr 4, 2017 12:45
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-Inu- posted:Right, sorry. Here's a breakdown of how a helmet works:
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Apr 6, 2017 19:15
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Now, there are a couple of helmets that are changing poo poo around. The new Bell Something has 2 different liners: one of them is a regular EPS styrofoam liner, and the other one is a proprietary whatever thing that is supposed to minimize brain movement within the skull somehow. The idea being that most helmets protect your skull, but this one also protects your brain, and it performs better in low-speed impacts as well as high-speed ones. The other thing is...is it 6D? Something like that. I think that maybe the EPS liner is replaced with tiny rubber cushions shaped like hourglasses that are supposed to be an improvement on head-banging? People in magazines seem to be jazzed about these new things. I like the fit of the Bell plus it has some other fun features. I'll get one maybe this summer or at some point.
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Apr 6, 2017 19:43
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My pants arrived and the top of the knee armor is midway down my shin. Oops. Ordered some short length pants, and the transition shield. Going in at lunch to start the paperwork on the bike.
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Apr 6, 2017 19:48
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How does insurance work for the first bike. Presumably I need to be insured to drive the bike away from the dealer, but also presumably the insurers need to know what kind of bike I'm riding before I get the insurance. (UK if that affects it).
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Apr 6, 2017 22:06
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I can't say about the UK. In the US I bought insurance same day as the bike. I just called them on the phone. It's a good idea to get quotes in advance and shop around assuming you know the model of the bike you are getting. Some insurers here charges 3 times more than others.
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Apr 6, 2017 22:32
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pokie posted:I can't say about the UK. In the US I bought insurance same day as the bike. I just called them on the phone. It's a good idea to get quotes in advance and shop around assuming you know the model of the bike you are getting. Some insurers here charges 3 times more than others.
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Apr 7, 2017 03:18
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ilkhan posted:My pants arrived and the top of the knee armor is midway down my shin. Oops. Your knee armor will be higher when you're actually sitting in the bike. But yeah, that seems a little low. The top of my knee pads touch around the bottom of my knee when I'm walking around.
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Apr 7, 2017 15:53
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Knee armor is also oftentimes adjustable.
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Apr 7, 2017 15:57
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Sort of related to this discussion - when buying pants, do you go a little longer on inseam to make sure they are long enough when your feet are on the pegs? My current riding pants fit fine when standing, but my bike has forward pegs and the pants come up over the top of the boots, below my shin. It gets a bit breezy. Not sure if this is just an issue with the forward position. I don't like having the wind going up my pant legs but I also want to make sure my knee armor is in the right spot.
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Apr 7, 2017 17:54
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Professor Wayne posted:Your knee armor will be higher when you're actually sitting in the bike. But yeah, that seems a little low. The top of my knee pads touch around the bottom of my knee when I'm walking around.
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Apr 7, 2017 18:03
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betterinsodapop posted:I just want to say that this post was really informative, well-written, and easy to understand. Great post. I actually feel much better equipped to go out and get a new helmet after having read it. Thanks! No problemo! Glad it helped.
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Apr 7, 2017 19:37
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Just bought a new jacket on closeout. http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/sport/leather+motorcycle+jackets/alpinestars_gp+plus+r+leather+jacket+ I went for leather, with CE padding, and some ability to wear in fall/spring as well as summer. How'd I do?
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Apr 10, 2017 16:56
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Pretty well. Afaik that particular jacket is getting replaced by the v2, but is very highly regarded.
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Apr 10, 2017 17:31
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Finished my BRC and got the completion card, now off to the DMV later this week to do the written test and get my endorsement 
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Apr 10, 2017 18:58
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betterinsodapop posted:Just bought a new jacket on closeout. Just remember to condition it once a season, and every time it gets wet (after it dries). Otherwise the leather will lose its natural oils and start to crack. I destroyed a $200 pair of gloves by not conditioning them often enough.
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Apr 10, 2017 19:50
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Thanks for the input and advice, my dudes. Glad to see I picked a good one at a decent price. Reading through this thread def helped with narrowing it down.Butt Reactor posted:Finished my BRC and got the completion card, now off to the DMV later this week to do the written test and get my endorsement 
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Apr 10, 2017 21:10
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-Inu- posted:That jacket is really nice. I've had my two A/S jackets for 8 years and 7 years, respectively, and they're still in great condition even after multiple crashes. Is there an effort post/video somewhere on how to do this properly. I think I need to do this...
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Apr 10, 2017 21:48
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pokie posted:Is there an effort post/video somewhere on how to do this properly. I think I need to do this... Just grab a rag (I use terrycloth) and put some leather conditioner on it. Shake the bottle first. Make sure the gear isnt still wet if you were riding in the rain, Then just rub down whatever piece of gear it is so it has a thin coat and a nice shine (you don't have to drench it). You can let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then wipe it off, though I never bother. I personally like to condition it so it has a nice shine and immediately go out on a nice hour ride. Helps keep the leather completely custom molded to your own body. Leather conditioner is also useful for breaking in new gear. You generally want leather jackets, gloves, suits, etc to be as form fitting as possible when new. It will naturally stretch a little bit over time, but that natural break in period can take a while. To speed it up, throw some conditioner on it right before you go riding in it for the first time (you need only do this once). Then go for a nice long ride. It will help the leather flex, stretch, and conform to your body and movements. This is especially useful for gloves. I've heard otherwise extremely knowledgeable people say to spray it with water before your first ride, but that's dumb. All that's doing is weakening the leather (however slight it may be). Use conditioner. They also make leather cleaner, which can be useful for cleaning bug guts off your stuff. If you want to use it to keep your entire jacket flawless though, I wish you the best if luck. Last thing I'll mention is they do make leather conditioner with a water repellency component (Nikwax is the most common brand). If that's up your alley, feel free. I don't use it myself because it's more expensive, and my posts have probably made it apparent that I'm a purist. If I'm conditioning my leather, I'll use a product thats only purpose is to condition. That's just my personal bias though; Nikwax is properly formulated and pH balanced and tons of people use it, so if you want to spend the few extra bucks, there's nothing wrong with that. -Inu- fucked around with this message at 00:11 on Apr 11, 2017 |
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Apr 11, 2017 00:05
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betterinsodapop posted:Just bought a new jacket on closeout. I've had that same jacket for a year and a half now and have only good things to say about it. You can stretch it into surprisingly cold weather if you have a decently warm long sleeve base layer (and probably a bike with fairings), too. I've done over an hour on the freeway at around 2°C with some under armour brand long sleeve thing and a neck warmer.
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Apr 11, 2017 07:07
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Danke, -Inu-.
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Apr 11, 2017 07:13
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So I picked up a bunch of starter gear the other week, including a pair of Bilt pants. Reconsidered, and returned the pants to CycleGear today. The clerk didn't really know what to recommend; I wanted something textile (not overpants) that could zip into my AlpineStars jacket. Ended up ordering a pair of these: https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/alpinestars-ramjet-air-pants I'm in the SF Bay Area, so we get summer weather about 9 months out of the year, I figure these should work okay until next Winter. Would anyone advise against these? Also, I got a lead on a bike. A friend of mine is selling his 2006 SV650. Miles seem okay (10k) but I wonder about some of the mods he mentioned: New handlebar - "to make it more upright" Some things changed in the front suspension to make it firmer, including thicker fork oil Swapped out the rear suspension for one from a ZX-14 - says he did this because it's adjustable I'll be going over there this coming weekend to take a look. The guy's a good 4-5 inches taller than me, and probably 100+ lbs heavier, so I worry that he's got it set up as a huge-guy bike. Obviously I need too sit on/ride the thing first, but does this raise any red flags? E: I should mention that I'm 5'10 and about 165, so I'm in that sweet spot size-wise for most bikes. Capn Jobe fucked around with this message at 06:12 on Apr 18, 2017 |
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Apr 18, 2017 03:09
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I just started, but I got those same pants. Working well so far. And I'm in Sac, so we'll ride together at some point. As to the bike, get a friend / CSB so test ride it, don't do it yourself as a first bike purchase.
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Apr 18, 2017 05:03
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Capn Jobe posted:So I picked up a bunch of starter gear the other week, including a pair of Bilt pants. Reconsidered, and returned the pants to CycleGear today. The clerk didn't really know what to recommend; I wanted something textile (not overpants) that could zip into my AlpineStars jacket. No red flags. Those are all good upgrades to basically any stock bike. You'll want to get the suspension tuned to you a little better, but it's probably still going to be better for you than stock. Most bikes are pretty undersprung from the factory. Upright bars is good for newer riders too, within reason.
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Apr 18, 2017 05:44
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A bunch of us Bay Area riders hang out on the slack channel. (registration server link, takes a little while https://afternoon-everglades-24325.herokuapp.com/) I would not be averse to looking over any bikes you want to consider buying if you'd like. CSB is a great sport too. The goon hive mind in general leans towards smaller cc bikes than the sv for a starter, but it's a sensible choice from all I hear. How much does your friend want for it?
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Apr 18, 2017 06:24
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I'm game if you want extra eyes.
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Apr 18, 2017 06:49
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pokie posted:A bunch of us Bay Area riders hang out on the slack channel. (registration server link, takes a little while https://afternoon-everglades-24325.herokuapp.com/) Sweet, I'll see about getting on Slack (I'm on slack most of the time for work anyway). We haven't discussed price yet, but NadaGuides pegs it at about $2k average, but I'm not sure how that translates to Bay Area dollars. We'll see what he starts with; I work in sales, no stranger to negotiating; the guy's a friend though, so I'm not interested in going too low. I should also mention, the bike's in Pleasant Hill (I live in Redwood City), so I may enlist him to ride the bike to my place. I'd rather not have my first ride on the thing be too long, or involve a bridge. As to the size of the bike, I used to ride a Nighthawk 700 in college. Granted, that was 10 years ago, but the nighthawk was close to 100 lbs heavier. I don't anticipate any issues. Capn Jobe fucked around with this message at 07:27 on Apr 18, 2017 |
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Apr 18, 2017 07:17
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In regards to pants, would wearing jeans underneath whatever reduce their effectiveness? Like if I got a pair of padded leather pants and sized up so they fit over trousers? I haven't really seen 'overpants' in Australian shops. I'm also shopping for boots and it's almost broken me because I'm shallow and want them to look a certain way but also want shin protection. How do these compare to each other? I can't tell anymore but they're the ones I least object to and I really just need to buy some now  https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/oxford-explorer-boots https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/cortech-accelerator-xc-boots https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/icon-1000-prep-wp-boots https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/forma-cape-horn-boots
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Apr 18, 2017 13:28
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Snagged a pair of Alpinestars GP Plus Leather gloves on closeout for cheap. Holy poo poo, they are tight. Kind of thinking this might be normal/good, because that means they'll stay on really well and they may expand a bit over time. Can anybody chime in?
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Apr 18, 2017 15:57
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Tighter is better than looser, and yes, leather gloves will break in over time. All of the good-quality motorcycling gloves I've bought I had to wear around the house for a day or two to get them to start to conform. That said, if they're so tight that you can't bend your fingers or something, that's too much. The key is that you just don't want them to be sliding around on your hands. hatbadger posted:In regards to pants, would wearing jeans underneath whatever reduce their effectiveness? Like if I got a pair of padded leather pants and sized up so they fit over trousers? I haven't really seen 'overpants' in Australian shops. I don't think it decreases safety to any noticeable extent . However, wearing two layers of pants is definitely bulkier and hotter than just wearing one. I did the overpants thing for a while before deciding it was more comfortable to just wear proper motorcycling pants (with long underwear underneath), and embrace being a Space Lord. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Apr 18, 2017 |
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Apr 18, 2017 17:21
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hatbadger posted:I'm also shopping for boots and it's almost broken me because I'm shallow and want them to look a certain way but also want shin protection. How do these compare to each other? I can't tell anymore but they're the ones I least object to and I really just need to buy some now I have the shorty version of the Icons (El Bajo) in brown, and I've had them for a couple of years now. The interior material in the heel wore away eventually, but I put gorilla tape back there and now it's good again. They're not the coolest (in terms of temperature), but they fit well and all I have to do is hit them up with mink oil every once in a while and they're good. The soles hold up really well, but I don't really drag my feet when I ride. I crashed in them once but I have no idea if my feet/ankles were involved in the crash. No injuries to feet or ankles, and the boots survived without a scratch.
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Apr 18, 2017 17:52
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betterinsodapop posted:Snagged a pair of Alpinestars GP Plus Leather gloves on closeout for cheap. Holy poo poo, they are tight. Kind of thinking this might be normal/good, because that means they'll stay on really well and they may expand a bit over time. Can anybody chime in? e: hatbadger posted:In regards to pants, would wearing jeans underneath whatever reduce their effectiveness? Like if I got a pair of padded leather pants and sized up so they fit over trousers? I haven't really seen 'overpants' in Australian shops. quote:I'm also shopping for boots and it's almost broken me because I'm shallow and want them to look a certain way but also want shin protection. How do these compare to each other? I can't tell anymore but they're the ones I least object to and I really just need to buy some now https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sidi-agueda-boots Sharpie over the white if you want them all black. No, I'm not joking; people do it all the time. Also, as far as those Icons go, the buckles love to break off. The Forma's are good. Wouldn't buy Cortech. Oxford, I don't even loving know. I've never sold or even been asked about Oxford in the 8 years I was in the industry. Wait, actually I think some guy wanted to order an Oxford cover once. -Inu- fucked around with this message at 04:42 on Apr 19, 2017 |
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Apr 19, 2017 04:30
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-Inu- posted:They should be pretty tight, but not so tight that they're cutting off circulation or anything. They will stretch quite a bit. Go put some leather conditioner on them and go ride for an hour or two. They'll break in much quicker. Also, if you're making a fist to see how tight they are, remember that you're going to be holding onto your handlebars so the leather isn't going to pull as much. My A* jacket is supposed to show up tomorrow, so pretty stoked!
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Apr 19, 2017 05:00
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Capn Jobe posted:Sweet, I'll see about getting on Slack (I'm on slack most of the time for work anyway). For what it's worth, I will also be happy to ride the bike home for you  . I live in San Jose - if you want to try riding my WR250X, let me know - I don't mind letting most people ride it.
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Apr 19, 2017 05:07
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