So i've decided to start the hunt (albeit early) for a 1pc. My Teknic gear is.....ok i suppose. It was a good value for "hey i think I'm going to try this track thing" but I've come to realize that I'm pretty much stuck with the track pipe, so i might as well be safe. I'm sure the Teknic would fair "ok" in a crash, but I'm not really about "just ok". So, how about a discussion regarding 1pc suits? I'm looking ( being realistic) at the sub/around $1000.00 range. I know the usual suspects: AStars, Dainese (tried on one at the D Store, and it was AMAZING) RS Taichi (a bit out of my range though) Held (a smidge out of range too) and the smattering of others. But what about grands NOT on STG? There has to be more manufacturers than that. What are some good quality brands that i may be missing at that price point? What are the various fits like? Edit: And awesome engrish style synopsis of teh Dainese Luguna Seca suit: Laguna Seca Pro suit in the summer, an essential and modern design merges with technical solutions result of decades of experience with motorcycle racing. Excellence in protection thanks to the co-injected shoulders with aluminum inserts, composite protectors on the elbows, knees and shins make this suit confezioanta the special D-Skin leather, a boss is very technical. Mobility and ergonomics are ensured by bi-axial elasticated to, suit-boots fastening, and inserts in S1 fabric. Aerodynamic hump with air inlet, localized perforation, and the removable cover NanoFeel allow a high level of comfort even in sportier driving.
check out off the rack suits by ACT. Protection and looks at a price that cannot be matched. Tons of WERA racers out west swear by their suits. I have a custom one getting made right now for just a little more. Shoot him an email or call, tell him Blake sent ya http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...vXPSDKPlmDQw3zX7Q&sig2=2tMnd9UjUUOEePzGJ_EugA
I live 20 min away from you, so I would be willing to show the suit, and you can check out my alpinstar suit too.
I saved a ton buying used (like new, only worn a couple TDs) searching around on various forums. I thought I bought a size too small going from a A* 2-piece US40 to a A* 1-piece US40 because I felt like the goods didn't have enough breathing room while standing, but on the bike in riding position felt perfect.
If you are wanting to stay in the $1k range... Right here: http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=8347 That suit retails for $1,099. But calling it "entry level" would be an insult. That suit has features like additional sliders above the knee, elbow sliders, back hump and a few other features that were only available on the $2,700 Race Replica suit about 4 years ago. I wouldnt hesitate to race in that suit...and thought about getting one myself.
Thanks Blake! I absolutely will check this out. Dont get me wrong, A Stars, RS, Dainese, etc are awesome, but i wanted to see what else was out there and this is teh kind of feedback i was hoping for.
u want something different yes but that ACT suit is the same price as the a* gp suit the guy put a link up for ... theres a reason a*, dainese, spidi, etc. are worn by all motogp guys .. simply cause it is the very best stuff out there ... not bashing this ACT suit or company but id be worried about a seam breaking during a fall or a zipper busting etc. if i suited up with anything other than an a*, dainese, rs, spidi etc.
We have been really impressed with Draik's LionHeart Moto suit. Fortunately, Draik only had one crash this year and it was into the sand trap at Roebling Road but the suit was fine, not really even a mark. Other things to mention, not a single thread has frayed or come loose all year. The zippers have been top-notch and not failed or hung up. The colors (red/white/blue) haven't faded or transferred. The liner has been great too. And keep in mind, this is a suit that has been to 13 race weekends and a trackday weekend and he wears it all day long, even when he running around the pits with his buddies playing on pitbikes/scooters. Other thing to note, Draik grew a ton this year, gained 20+lbs and 4'' in height (he's 13) and we had ordered his suit a little big to accommodate this expected condition. If it weren't for him out growing the suit he has worn all this season, he would be wearing it again in 2014. All and all, I would recommend LionHeart Moto suits! (regardless of sponsorship)
wait till around january and february. Retailers have great deals on suits from last year since the new stuff starts arriving. I bought my A* tech 1R suit that retails for $1400, which is right below the race suit line up for $650
Your welcome. Pm me your email and I can send u my custom suit mock up and more details on ACT suits. Andy is the owner and who answers the phone when u call, in addition he also repairs the suits. Can A* or Rs Tiachi say that? And all the era guys who rave about his suits switched from A*, Rs tiachi, dianese, and so on. Era west guys claim his suits crash better than the big names too.
Yea, hey, i was absolutely not bashing the big names. I very well may wind up with one of those. Who knows?! But, i wanted to see what else is out there. Never know unless you look and ask the experts right? As for my Teknic stuff, i purchased the "low" end stuff and so far i haven't been impressed. Left boot zipper will come "undone" at random times, and now the jacket is doing the same. I have no doubt that the "higher end" teknic stuff is great, but my stuff isnt. Although, i should note, my Teknic Lightning gloves are awesome.
Jeff, check out the Pilot brand suit. They come in one piece, two piece and two different styles. I had a Pilot suit made for me a couple of years ago and I absolutely love it. I opted for the two piece because I do a lot of the Novice coaching and it's very convenient when I come off the track and I can just take the top part of the suit off and head for the classroom. Mine was in the $1K range.....
I was wondering about Pilot. They sponsor quite a few of the AMA riders too. What was your ordering experience like? Did you get a custom fit? How long did it take?
Pilot will actually mail you a suit to try on for size before they start making your suit....and I guess that is included in the cost of buying from them. They are very detailed with the ordering process; they want it correct without any issues. The suit that they sent to me fit me very well with the exception of the calf area. I have larger than normal calfes, for someone my height/weight, so when they actually made the suit, I had them make the calf area about 1/2" more spacious than "stock" sizing. Unfortunately, I started the order process in one of the busiest times of the year...late May/early June. Mine took longer than normal as I wanted to get the STT patch that you see, and had to get Richard involved in helping me get that worked out.....the suit arrived in late September....so almost 4 months. I would think (not sure of this) that ordering a suit at this time of the year.....fall/winter months (before the first of the year), you should get a suit considerably quicker than I did. Oh, I almost forgot to mention....if you use them for a suit, make sure that when they send you a suit to try on, make sure that you put on everything that you would normally wear while riding......helmet, boots, gloves, any under clothing items and most importantly, your back and chest protector. I did do this, but lots of times I would think that maybe some people might forget that small point and then when they get their new suit, they can't hardly get the back protector on under the suit.
Arlen Ness is taking the business out of the US. Those are awesome in any aspect and now the few left on the market are being sold at a great price. I got mine like that!!!