Motorcycles

[Cool The Kid]



Ride Apart's boner for the CB500X has me thinking about it over the CB500f

Which one is a better fit for you... thats the real question

I dont really get the adventure bike thing. A sportbike can do a track day. An adventure bike cant go off road and makes you even more of a tent on the highway. Probably comfy as **** in town though.

 

[Cool The Kid]

Also ever since I got a car after a 3 year hiatus I'm starting to realize how much I hate highway riding. At least on this bike. Wind is a PITA and the engine vibrates like crazy. I wonder if a V twin runs any smoother.

 

[BostonHedonist]

Yeah @Cool The Kid you're probably right. But a second hand leather suit? Nas-TAY!


[seasonal outburst removed]

 

[TRINI]



Which one is a better fit for you... thats the real question

I dont really get the adventure bike thing. A sportbike can do a track day. An adventure bike cant go off road and makes you even more of a tent on the highway. Probably comfy as **** in town though.

I thought highways are where those ADV bikes really shone.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

I'm just trying to figure out a happy medium that's safe, but still office friendly.

My office is pretty laid back, as it is I wear jeans, boots and a botton up or knit most days, so it would not look out of place if the boots were a bit more bike oriented, and the jeans too.

best bet is to leave a pair of shoes at work. If you can't do that then use a pillion bag and walk with shoes and a spare pair of socks. Your feet will thank you

 

[epb]



I thought highways are where those ADV bikes really shone.

Nope, the riding position is very upright and there's minimal wind protection. Cracks me up to see guys riding around downtown Chicago on adventure bikes with motocross helmets.

 

[BostonHedonist]

DINGDINGDING Spring's here. Time to think about new gear.

Let the enabling begin. Who's for boots?

I'm making the jump from cruiser to Street Triple and I've realized I could be in a whole new world of hurt if I'm wearing my cheap cruiser gear in a "sports" off.

Two options:

Sidi ST Boot, perforated version. For track-level protection with full breathability.


Pros: Safe as hell. Warm weather friendly. Durable. Matches white/black/red bike.
Cons: Look like a Transformer

. Doesn't match "civilian" clothing in any (non-Halloween) scenario. No water resistance. Minor insulating capabilities.


Sidi Armada Gore-Tex Boot. For beautifully conquering 84% of normal riding conditions.




Pros: Waterproof. Sport touring suitable. "Convertible" exterior ankle braces remove for more off-bike flex. Less "track day" more "denim friendly." You know Gore-Tex is picky about the leather that bears their name.
Cons: Most likely unbearable in August anywhere in the continental United States. Not exactly track material. One color option: black (also a pro). Not as modular as other Sidi boots.



What's protecting your feet this year?

 

[Matto]

Why no kevlar jeans? Way I see it, if you go down you're going to wreck any jeans, kevlar or not. Besides that, kevlar jeans are stiff and have bad breathability. I say keep some nicely perfed kevlar next to your balls, armor around your knees and cool jeans to hide it all.

As someone who's actually crashed in kevlar jeans (https://www.dragginjeans.net/), my opinion is that they are worth their weight in gold.

Yeah, they're stiff and hot. I used to ride into work and live in the jeans all day, and that was bearable in the AC but not ideal. After you break them in they get softer, but they're never going to be light and breezy. Also, there's no structural armour in them, so there's no impact protection or support for your leg or knee. IE, you hit something hard, and you're going to feel it.

Personally, I was hit from behind on the highway - traffic slowed down to around 80kph, guy behind me wasn't paying attention and locked the brakes straight into the back of the bike. The bike low-sided onto me, trapping my leg underneath as we scooted down the bitumen. Bike eventually went into the centre divider, I scooted on my butt into the outside lane. The 18-wheeler next to me luckily saw what was happening and got out of my way. The car in front of me didn't have a clue and kept driving. My knee was hurt, but the abrasion resistance of the jeans was phenominal. The denim shredded quickly, of course, but there was only a thumbnail-sized hole burnt in the kevlar (and consequently, my kneecap). The skin all around was burnt from the friction, but no skin off save that one spot.

In a lot of ways, it was the perfect scenario for kevlar jeans - no impact, no debris to collect, an easy fall and slide. But I'd argue that a lot of in-traffic accidents are similar. They're not the most stylish things to wear, but I'd imagine jeans baggy enough to hide knee armour aren't exactly going to be form-fitting either.

Jacket was a RJays textile, scored scrubbing all done one arm and across the back, cosmetically damaged but functionally fine. Gloves were probably RJays as well (because they would have been cheap), and were similarly damaged but functionally fine.

I agree with the rest of your gear choices - good stuff. Good gloves and a jacket are my absolute non-negotiables. I've ridden without any gear before, but I don't feel comfortable. Even if I have to go without the jacket, I buy a pair of gloves - first thing you do is put your hands down, whether you want to or not. The rest of it changes depending on what I'm doing - leather jacket is good for over a t-shirt, textile jacket over work clothes, textile pants over dress pants if wet/cold, etc.

Good work on the Street Triple too - awesome machine. I've just sold my 1050 Sprint, and have already been looking at Tiger 800XCs, just for something different.

My $0.02 - worth considerably less that you paid for it.

Cheers,
Matto

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Top boot brands (in no particular order)

Daytona: very safe but expensive. Evos run close to $800. The 2 boot-in-1 design makes it kinda impractical for street/everyday wear




Sidi: variety of styles, very popular in my area) - You really can't go wrong. I like the fact that they have replaceable parts including the soles

Mag-1





Vortice






Alpinestars: variety of styles, quality and protection level. Stick with S-MX Plus or their top-o-the-line Supertech (which like the daytona is 2 boots in 1) and you will be fine. I had some S-MX Rs that were just ok but squeaked like crazy. Make sure you look at the perforated version



S-MX Plus (perforated)


Supertech




Dainese: they have a variety of "in" boots that are slim enough up to wear with regular width jeans (as opposed to boot cuts). The "in" system only works with Dainese leather suits/pants so that might be problem since Dainese gear isn't cheap. Their soles are not replaceable and aren't the sturdiest for walking. They just feel like they will wear out from walking long before they wear out from riding.


Torque RS In

Torque Race In




Axial Pro In






TCX/Oxtar: I have a pair of the previous top of the line competizione rs. Euro testers all seem to love them. Very safe secure boots that breathe very well - bye bye swamp foot. Comes with both stealthy plastic and stainless steel heel and side sliders. The newer S-race cut down on some of the bulkiness as well as the squeaing problem and the RS-2s supposedly have a customizable fit due to an internal air bladder.

RS-2 Evo


S-Race





Gaerne: not as popular but safe boots. Great value for the money but not very stealthy. Buddy of mine swears by them





Puma: Good reviews for the v1000 v2/v3. They haven't updated them in a few years so you can get them for a steal. Very safe. Ski boot-ish and a little clunky. They look very Imperial Storm Trooper-ish if you get them white. Problem is perforated only come in white

perf









DId I forget anyone?

 

[MarioImpemba]

The wire/clasp closure is annoying to deal with, at least for me.

 

[akatsuki]

I used to have Sidi's but have moved to Daytonas and find them just a huge amount better.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

i hate those wires too. Hated em on the sidi boots, hated em on the handroid gloves. Hate em all!

 

[BostonHedonist]

@Matto - Thanks for sticking up for Kevlar jeans. I suppose it'd be good to have a pair for everyday casual short rides. Maybe I'll give 'em a second chance...


@Rumpelstiltskin - Way to make my decision even harder. If I were going to be tracking the bike often, I'd go right for the Vortice. But realistically, I'm more likely to fall into the "commuter" or "sport touring" bucket. The hard choice is between perf and gore tex. If you're going to spend $300+ on an item that's only useful for riding, it's less painful to only have to do it once. Those pretty much all look like good options. Except the Pumas, I can't imagine those would be fun to own.

I'm also thinking about:

Dainese Latitor Gore Tex:


CE-2 rated and looks both waterproof and breathable. Possibly ideal for New England riding.




Dainese TRQ-Tour Gore Tex


More aggressive but still not really "trackable"


Currently my only "sport" riding boot is the

Sidi Astro:


Every day warm-ish weather riding boot. Lyrica construction with those cool Sidi ratchet laces. A little extra protection around ankle, heel and toes. Virtually unbendable sole. Looks weird with riding pants.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

hahahaha

Is goretex truly necessary? You're in Boston, not Portland.

@Matto - Thanks for sticking up for Kevlar jeans. I suppose it'd be good to have a pair for everyday casual short rides. Maybe I'll give 'em a second chance...


@Rumpelstiltskin - Way to make my decision even harder. If I were going to be tracking the bike often, I'd go right for the Vortice. But realistically, I'm more likely to fall into the "commuter" or "sport touring" bucket. The hard choice is between perf and gore tex. If you're going to spend $300+ on an item that's only useful for riding, it's less painful to only have to do it once. Those pretty much all look like good options. Except the Pumas, I can't imagine those would be fun to own.

I'm also thinking about:

Dainese Latitor Gore Tex:


CE-2 rated and looks both waterproof and breathable. Possibly ideal for New England riding.




Dainese TRQ-Tour Gore Tex


More aggressive but still not really "trackable"


Currently my only "sport" riding boot is the

Sidi Astro:


Every day warm-ish weather riding boot. Lyrica construction with those cool Sidi ratchet laces. A little extra protection around ankle, heel and toes. Virtually unbendable sole. Looks weird with riding pants.

 

[TRINI]

Matches your Striple...