Yeah, this is the part I can't brain. Obviously if you can afford a superbike, affordability of gear isn't an issue. The irony is, I'm sure they have a few sets of it at home.

Sure you might have full confidence of your own ability not to crash..but I can't say the same about the other road users, all the time. Just look at the recent karak crash that wiped out 5 bikes. They weren't really doing all that fast, just that someone else didn't see them. Anyone that has ridden a fair bit of miles will tell you all sorts of close calls.

But I have been seeing older gentlemen on smaller scooters (mostly adv150s) in full gear now. Must be newer riders dumping cars for bike for the daily commute.

Why wouldn't they? Hahaha.

No point trying to sell you a rm68,000 Shoei if you ride a kapchai................

My late grandfather, bless his soul, when he bought me my first bike (EX5) when I was 16 much to the chagrin of my mom....., just had only one thing to say to me when we went to collect the bike. 皮包铁. Translated "skin wrap iron".

I would very much appreciate a few more extra layers of fabric, foam and plastic over the skin.......

Although I only rode the EX5 for a year before going overseas and another 6 months on my FZR..... Some 25 years later when I got back into biking, those words still rings clear.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Feb 7 2023, 08:51 AM

race to the bottom. Nothing beats leather.


Worst is the PU material. All start to crack and peel after a year.

You see all that TPU reinforcements on the shifter pads on boots, they will deteriorate and fall apart even not used.

Have seen a few TCX boots which are new old stock, already falling apart. That day at a shop they were selling PU TCX boots on sale, new old stock... i ask them this same question, he just sheepishly grin...then say pick the leather ones. hahahaha.

My TPU ankle protectors on my china boots also cracking and breaking already after 2 years and 40k of use. But its no fault to the manufacturer, its just the material limitation.

Got a big bruise after the bike fell on my leg after jatuh bodoh off-road. Front slipped off a big wet rock, speed too slow, lost footing, went down. Happens a lot going off road.

Happens to the best of us.

Always gear up. New riders, wear full height boots.

Same accident if bike fell on ankle and you don't have boots, you'd be in hospital for a fractured ankle.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Feb 15 2023, 01:59 PM

An immaculate bike shows a good rider.

A beat up bike shows a GREAT rider.



You will only learn to be a good rider after you are not afraid to go past and find your limits.


Everyone can ride fast. Its riding very slow and tight that is tough. Why do you think they expect you to do minimum speed for Titi test?

Im sure we have all heard stories about people falling off the Titi and end up with a broken leg.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Feb 15 2023, 04:00 PM

Mine are mid cut boots. I do walk in them quite a lot. Full height too impractical. A compromise.

Just a bruise. Nothing serious. Didn't realize until I saw the bruise 2 days later. Not the first time....won't be the last.

The guy at pertama complex shows on his FB that he does helmet linings also.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100...mibextid=ZbWKwL

Ic. Good to know.

I wonder if it's worth it to get the linings redone compared to getting new replacements. Provided you can still find them or is a Shoei.

Come to think of it, if my helmet linings wears off in 3-4 years, it's time to get a new helmet anyway.... The visor is going to need replacement also.

Seeing a lot of micro-chips and fine scratches on my 2 year old visor after 40k of riding. Like it is getting sandblasted. Usually ok but when the sun is low , it gets pretty distracting.

Anyone puts on PPF on their visors?

No shit. Once I went over doing a wheelie.

Stung for 2 weeks. And that was like a 30kmh crash. Early riding life experience for how not be an idiot and gear up.

It's so easy to loose your front even if you got working ABS. Sand, oil, moss will do that for you...although I've mostly gotten the rear out of shape before the front lets go...which is even scarier, since you could end up with a highside.

Well most injuries are forearms and lower leg injuries. Even a small crash will do it to you if you don't have at least some sort of protective wear.

I once mildly fractured my wrist after I endo when my bicycle getting caught in a rut. When you fall off something like a bike, you instinctively reach out to catch the fall.

I'm sure everyone would have at least heard of someone breaking thier leg when they fell off the titi during testing. If that crash bar lands on your lower leg, GG.

Actually, close to home taman type of ride is far more dangerous than speeding on a highway than many people tend to realize.

It is a well known fact that often people let thier guard down near to home. They loose concentration, make the usual turns without checking, or tired after a days work.

I know for a fact that all of my bumps and scrapes are done when driving low speed, distracted by kids and mental distraction of all sorts. Wife often states the stark difference of how I can do laps and laps of high speed precision driving and drifting on track without incident even getting all crossed up but yet still somehow bump into my own gate when parking at my own house........

If you somehow end up meeting a distracted driver like that, it's not going to bode well for you on a bike...even if you aren't going that fast.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Mar 3 2023, 10:56 AM

I only consider adventure, MX boots, and full race boots to be full height. Those will come up to the bottom of your knee protector.

Usually street or sport boots don't go up so high. My "3/4" height boots comes up to middle of my shin, leaving about 3-4" of space unprotected from the bottom of my knee protector to the top of my boot.

Street boots should be ok to walk on daily. It's only a matter of aesthetics if you want to do so or not. Worst case, just keep a spare set of comfy loafers in your office to change into if you don't want to trod along daily on "full height" boots.

Get the tallest boot you can feel comfortable getting in and out and walking in them.

See which one fits lor.

Also see what bike you ride and what features you want. Both are "sport" helmets.

Personally, I won't go for either because I like the convenience of a drop down sunvisor as I daily ride.

If you ride for leisure and don't mind a separate dark visor then the x spirit 3 looks damn good. But if you want a helmet riding longer distances on a more upright position, maybe can consider the RF1400/NXR2. Touring helmets are usually more comfortable and quieter at speed.

The "Kominie" sports riding pants does have longer knee protectors...they are same ones used in jackets as elbow protection. Even then, there is still around 2-3 inches space between the top of my 3/4 street boot to the bottom of my knee armour.

This discrepancy is to allow for real full height boots to fit.

As an aside, if your pants/ jeans have adjustable pockets, adjust the knee protectors lower to protect more of your shin. Most times they usually sit too high.

So where is your helmet made?

Missing from the list is Scorpion...which is also in the China camp...as is MT and Lazer.

Does it matter? Yes and no. I'm ok with them as long as it meets ECE22.05 (now 22.06).

But build quality can be hit or miss.

Even HJC farms out the lower end helmets to vietnam. The higher end Rpha line is from Korea.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Mar 7 2023, 05:40 PM

Lazer was a Belgium brand. Now saved from bankruptcy and made in china.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Mar 7 2023, 05:45 PM

If you can't afford a premium helmet then just get a lower end one.

They all still need to pass the same minimum safety standards. Premium helmets maybe pass them with a higher margin but at least you know they are at some minimum acceptable level.

The main draw of a premium helmet for me is just they are usually more comfortable, better build quality, quieter, smaller and lighter....not so much the safety aspect.

The major bugbear of a lower end helmet for me is I wear a M size, usually they have only 2 shell sizes spanning xs/s and M to XXL. So I look like a bobblehead with them.

This post has been edited by jaycee1: Mar 8 2023, 09:32 AM