Enduro/Adventure Gear Needed

[garry]

Looking for suggestions on good brands and/or models of gear for dual-sporting (50/50 street/trail). Not looking to spend huge bucks, but not cheaping out either. Specifically looking for boots, pants, jacket, body armor, gloves. I'm guessing knee/shin armor is separate from most off-road pants, so I'll need that too. Moose Racing appears to make some nice stuff (XCR line, Expedition jacket).

I plan on crashing and old guys don't bounce well.

[FrontlineAuto]

Thor makes some nice stuff, Their jackets and pants are really good quality.  Boot wise--- nothin better then alpinestars,  they make a comfortable trial boot that gets good feel on the pegs, not too hard like mx boots.

[XLR8]

This is what I have and I like it.

Pants & Jacket
http://www.mooseracing.com/catalog.jsp?level1=1352&level2=1370&category_id=1370

Boots
http://www.newenoughmx.com/sidi_discovery_page.htm

[FrontlineAuto]

Moose does make nice stuff.  i like that jacket alot.  Here's the Thor jacket it's $60 less and it might have more pockets if you're lookin for room.http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Chaparral/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=14387&gift=False&0=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D1985%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D%2CThor&1=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D1991%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D0%2CThor%20Jackets&mscssid=8F6C70D5EE8C4ED6A94C3947114210B1

[FrontlineAuto]

The Sidi boots look really nice too.  

[Mac]

The ARC line at http://www.rockymountainatv.com/ are very good and not too expensive.

[marc11]

I picked up the Berik boots from New Enough that were on close out.  AMAZING boot, but way more off road than on, however, for the price, I do not think you could get better.  One note, no need for shin armor with these boots, they come up very high and in fact, using my knee/shin armor with these boots made getting on the bike a challenge at times.

Newenough.mx has some pretty good deals on armor and gear, worth looking at them.

[garry]

I was looking at Fox Offroad *somethings* today. I would expect I want a hiking boot type sole, not a smooth one, since smooth soles and mud make picking up a dropped bike more of a challenge.

[marc11]

Yep, agreed.  I think it is called an ATV sole?  Or maybe it is the other way around, MX sole has more grip??  The nice thing about New Enough, drop them an email detailing what you are looking for and what you want to spend, the owner will email you back with suggestions.

[techieguy]

I was looking at Fox Offroad *somethings* today. I would expect I want a hiking boot type sole, not a smooth one, since smooth soles and mud make picking up a dropped bike more of a challenge.

Take a look at Gaerne boots.  There is a dealer on eBay that has several for about $150.  Good boots for the money.

Techieguy

[garry]

Did some Googling and it appears I'm in the market for an ATV/dual-sport boot. Oh, and the boots I saw a local dealer were the Fox Offroad Tracker. Pretty affordable at $140. I ran across the Gaerne boot too. More research needed. Boots first (obviously have dirt helmet already). Feet take a beating off-road.

[marc11]

My son has a set of Fox Trackers.  Of course he is a little kid (only 6) but the boots, to be honest, are less than impressive, specifically the buckles are cheap and hard to adjust.  Good enough for the little guy, but I would look for something better.  If you are considering the trackers then seriously look at the Berik Contenders from Newenoughmx.com  $129 and they are serious off road boots....very water proof too.

[black hills]

Moose stuff seems to work fairly well. I love my Alpinstar tech8 boots. If you look around you can usually find some last years models or blemished items (they are going to be scratched up anyway?). I would reccomend getting some decent knee/shin gaurds, you can't believe the hits your knees take... I've broken 3 pairs, but no injuries.

[FrontlineAuto]

Whatever you get, I wouldn't recomend Ocelot.  Their stuff is crap.

[OhioPT]

Check out the MSR VX-1 ATV boots.  Only ~$90 from MotorcycleSuperstore.com, with free shipping too.  I just got a pair a few weeks ago, and tried them out on a 2-hr dirt ride today.  They were pretty comfortable and broke in easily.  I also heard a lot of good things about them (good quality and protection) from others before I bought them.  As far as the Fox Trackers, I heard mixed reviews, with most of them advising to stay away from them.  I also read that Oneals suck.  If you want to spend more money, I read a lot of good reviews on the Thor Quadrants (also available with a ATV/lugged sole), and the aformentioned Berik's.  The MSR's fit a little big.  I were a 11-12 shoe (depending on the type and brand), and the 11 boot was plenty big.  

I also have a pair of the Thor Quadrant Knee guards, which stay in place well when combined with these boots, and have enough flex in them to be comfortable.  

When your ready to ride, let me know.  I'm basically a newb just like you, although I kept up pretty well with the group of 4 other experienced riders this morning (except for the couple times I got stuck in muddy/rocky uphill sections).  It's nice to be able to drop your bike and not have to worry about it (unlike a streetbike).

Mark

[garry]

Still shopping for gear. I see 2007 model Fox F3's can be had for $199. Just got the DRZ on the road (legally). Had to make a run to Wheeling to get parts the previous owner stripped off that are required for inspection in PA (chain guard, sprocket guard, reflectors). Luckily West Virginia doesn't care about such stuff and I found a guy that had removed the exact stuff I needed.

Time to do some moto wrenching in the garage. Got a Wee Strom to prep for ESTN and a DRZ that still needs a little TLC and jetting tweaks.

[marc11]

Did you check out the Ocelot SX3 boots?  On sale for $69?  No idea if these are any good, but for that price, for an MX boot, for the casual dirt rider, wow!

[Wanderer]

I'd suggest the Thor 'Ride' pants and jersey. I contemplated buying the Thor 'Phase' Jacket, but realized my FG Kilimanjaro is just as good, so I ride in that.  For boots, I'd go with whatever fits best. most boots are similar in workmanship.  I have a pair of A.R.C Corona boots and really like them.
I ride dirt in the above mentioned pants and jersey, they are a bit warm when really spinning it up in the summer, but they  don't look all 'Racer Joe'(see: over the boot) , have nice cargo pockets on the thighs, and are personally crash tested many times over. They are bomb-proof. the 'ride' gloves are very water-resistant and well made.  Can be warm.

Moose has always been a personal favorite for me, but they were so expensive and the over-the-boot pants are ugly.

[dgunther]

I got some Sidi Force SRS boots after being scared by broken foot and ankle stories on advrider.  I was gonna go for the Sidi Discoveries, but just wasn't convinced that they offered adequate ankle protection for any real dual-sport riding.  The Force SRS were $250 at newenoughmx.com - the same price as the Discos.  They aren't nearly as comfortable as street boots, but at least I can walk in them far better than I could in the lower-end Alpinestars boots.  My local dealers had limited selection in size 13/14 so I didn't get to try to many different models on before I made my decision.

For pants/gloves/jerseys, I just got a random assortment of stuff (also from newenoughmx.com) of "practice gear".  You pick the size and color and they give you what they've got.  My stuff doesn't "match" from a particular series or whatever, but the colors are all close enough that my gear is not what makes me look like a dumbass!

The only thing I haven't decided on is chest protection.  I'm not keen on the idea of a normal "roost" protector for dual sport use.  I think I want something more like a 661 Pressure Suit, or a Velocity Gear jacket or EVS Ballistic Jersey.  They have better back protection, and some of them seem to have pretty decent rib coverage.  After bending some steel handlebars with my chest last year and not being able to breathe correctly for a few weeks, I've decided that I'd like better frontal and side rib coverage