*UPDATE* PAGE 2
I haven't been riding long (since last may), but i've accumulated some gear. It was such a nice day out that after my ride/wash i decided to take pictures of it all and write my opinions on it. So without further ado, the pics:
New Motogp Corkscrew jacket:
Inside
I marked the two inside pockets. One vertical zipper breast pocket, and one pouch style pocket on the bottom inside-right with velcro closure. Both work great and i hardly notice i have stuff in them (wallet, phone ect.). The back pad is a step above foam, but i would like more. The jacket has a standard down vest liner, but even with that in the wind that comes through the perforated sleeves is enough to chill you.
Front
Back
Standard CE approved armor in shoulders, elbows, forearms. Two outside pockets up front. Nice smooth velcro wrist closers make getting long cuff gloves over sleeves easy. The jacket utilizes some kind of very smooth, soft leather around the wrists and neck so it's not abrasive to the skin. The jacket fits great, although i wish they would employ a different way of sizing than just S-XXL. A chest size would be nice. It's very comfortable when i'm riding, and the velcro waist closure helped suck some slack up. It's perforated on the front and everything that's black on the sleeves. The jacket breathes very well and i don't see any problems with wearing it in the summer (as i will be). It's got a full 360 degree waist zipper for pant attachment, but Motogp does not make pants with a 360 degree zipper. I ordered their apex pants and i'm going to have the zipper sewn on. All in all, great construction, comfort, and breathing, all for a really good price (www.ridersinc.com). I'd give this jacket a 9/10
Alpine* SPS short cuff gloves:
Great gloves. Can't argue with $60 price tag. Don't get hot. Have pretty decent protection, although nothing really for finger knuckles. Not really any wrist protection (they are short cuffs). Easy velcro wrist closure over the top. Very fast to get in and out of, and they fit nicely into the cuffs of all of my jackets.
I'd give them a 7/10, just cause they're not long cuff.
Shoei RF-1000 helmet:
I freakin love this helmet. Alot cheaper than most Arais and Suomys, and it fits like a glove. Pretty good on wind noise, although ear plugs cut out alot. Breathes well, and hardly fogs up at all with the included chin cover and breath guard. Lots of choices for visor color. I'm sporting the dark smoke. Compared to the crappy helmet (i will talk about it later) i was wearing before this, this helmet is a dream. Pretty darn aerodynamic too. I give this helmet a 9/10.
Alpine* SMX boots:
These are great boots. Kinda complicated to get in and out of, but really easy to walk around in (if you don't mind an audible squeaking noise). They never really get too hot, and i love riding in them. There's a scrunchy-like lacing system inside, then a zipper up the side, then a ratcheting system at the top. But once you're in there, you're good to go. Good boot for the money, i give it a 9/10
I haven't been riding long (since last may), but i've accumulated some gear. It was such a nice day out that after my ride/wash i decided to take pictures of it all and write my opinions on it. So without further ado, the pics:
New Motogp Corkscrew jacket:
Inside
I marked the two inside pockets. One vertical zipper breast pocket, and one pouch style pocket on the bottom inside-right with velcro closure. Both work great and i hardly notice i have stuff in them (wallet, phone ect.). The back pad is a step above foam, but i would like more. The jacket has a standard down vest liner, but even with that in the wind that comes through the perforated sleeves is enough to chill you.
Front
Back
Standard CE approved armor in shoulders, elbows, forearms. Two outside pockets up front. Nice smooth velcro wrist closers make getting long cuff gloves over sleeves easy. The jacket utilizes some kind of very smooth, soft leather around the wrists and neck so it's not abrasive to the skin. The jacket fits great, although i wish they would employ a different way of sizing than just S-XXL. A chest size would be nice. It's very comfortable when i'm riding, and the velcro waist closure helped suck some slack up. It's perforated on the front and everything that's black on the sleeves. The jacket breathes very well and i don't see any problems with wearing it in the summer (as i will be). It's got a full 360 degree waist zipper for pant attachment, but Motogp does not make pants with a 360 degree zipper. I ordered their apex pants and i'm going to have the zipper sewn on. All in all, great construction, comfort, and breathing, all for a really good price (www.ridersinc.com). I'd give this jacket a 9/10
Alpine* SPS short cuff gloves:
Great gloves. Can't argue with $60 price tag. Don't get hot. Have pretty decent protection, although nothing really for finger knuckles. Not really any wrist protection (they are short cuffs). Easy velcro wrist closure over the top. Very fast to get in and out of, and they fit nicely into the cuffs of all of my jackets.
I'd give them a 7/10, just cause they're not long cuff.
Shoei RF-1000 helmet:
I freakin love this helmet. Alot cheaper than most Arais and Suomys, and it fits like a glove. Pretty good on wind noise, although ear plugs cut out alot. Breathes well, and hardly fogs up at all with the included chin cover and breath guard. Lots of choices for visor color. I'm sporting the dark smoke. Compared to the crappy helmet (i will talk about it later) i was wearing before this, this helmet is a dream. Pretty darn aerodynamic too. I give this helmet a 9/10.
Alpine* SMX boots:
These are great boots. Kinda complicated to get in and out of, but really easy to walk around in (if you don't mind an audible squeaking noise). They never really get too hot, and i love riding in them. There's a scrunchy-like lacing system inside, then a zipper up the side, then a ratcheting system at the top. But once you're in there, you're good to go. Good boot for the money, i give it a 9/10
Dainese TT-72 jacket:
Ahh, my first jacket. I bought this jacket slightly used off a friend. Not a very good summer jacket as it doesn't breathe at all, unless you leave the cuffs open and let air fly up your sleeves. But does have the option of this:
Hardly even know it's there when it's in. Otherwise the jacket has good armor like most jackets. The button closures at the wrists and waist are a little annoying, especially if you already have your gloves on. Plus they don't allow for anything in between, it's either this snap, or that snap. Consequently my cuffs are either too tight or too loose. The jacket has a full sleeve down liner so it's a great jacket for slightly cooler weather. I wore it in the rain in 50 degree weather for 3 hours, and although it leaked through at the zippers a little, it kept me warm for the most part. Great jacket, too expensive though. For the price, i give this jacket 6/10
Frank Thomas Strike jacket:
I actually got this jacket through a friend who works at cycle gear, so i only paid $110 instead of the list price near $300. So i'm keeping that in considering as i think about this jacket. I haven't heard alot of great things about FT, and from what i've seen/read about accidents with this stuff, the seems split alot and they're pretty much trashed. Beyond that, it has CE approved armor in all the right places, and i was able to fit that Dainese back protector inside the jacket, replacing the factory memory-foam-like back pad. The front and back are entirely perforated, and the sleeves have a textile/kevlar on the inside of the arm that breathes extremely well. This jacket stays very cool. It comes with a down vest liner, but i promptly lost it some where. There is no waist adjuster, which kind sucks. The wrist closures are velcro, and suck bad:
They stick out like a half inch, making it really hard to pull a long cuff glove over. The "silver" color for this jacket also sucks bad, i feel like the tin man in this thing. Another thing i noticed about this jacket is that there's a panel of leather inside the arm pit and then the sleeves are lined with a smooth plastic-like material making it very comfortable on the arms:
All in all, for the money i paid, this is a very nice jacket. But the frank thomas pants (and boots and gloves) suck terribly. The pants in my size didn't fit. There was so much extra leather behind my knee that i couldn't bend my legs. I had to go up 2 sizes just to be able to bend my legs. At that point the leather was so baggy i might as well be wearing jinco jeans. All pairs i tried on were also very baggy in the calf area and basically were the suck.
The jacket gets a 8/10 because of the deal i got. But otherwise i'm not sure i trust FT.
Ahh, my first jacket. I bought this jacket slightly used off a friend. Not a very good summer jacket as it doesn't breathe at all, unless you leave the cuffs open and let air fly up your sleeves. But does have the option of this:
Hardly even know it's there when it's in. Otherwise the jacket has good armor like most jackets. The button closures at the wrists and waist are a little annoying, especially if you already have your gloves on. Plus they don't allow for anything in between, it's either this snap, or that snap. Consequently my cuffs are either too tight or too loose. The jacket has a full sleeve down liner so it's a great jacket for slightly cooler weather. I wore it in the rain in 50 degree weather for 3 hours, and although it leaked through at the zippers a little, it kept me warm for the most part. Great jacket, too expensive though. For the price, i give this jacket 6/10
Frank Thomas Strike jacket:
I actually got this jacket through a friend who works at cycle gear, so i only paid $110 instead of the list price near $300. So i'm keeping that in considering as i think about this jacket. I haven't heard alot of great things about FT, and from what i've seen/read about accidents with this stuff, the seems split alot and they're pretty much trashed. Beyond that, it has CE approved armor in all the right places, and i was able to fit that Dainese back protector inside the jacket, replacing the factory memory-foam-like back pad. The front and back are entirely perforated, and the sleeves have a textile/kevlar on the inside of the arm that breathes extremely well. This jacket stays very cool. It comes with a down vest liner, but i promptly lost it some where. There is no waist adjuster, which kind sucks. The wrist closures are velcro, and suck bad:
They stick out like a half inch, making it really hard to pull a long cuff glove over. The "silver" color for this jacket also sucks bad, i feel like the tin man in this thing. Another thing i noticed about this jacket is that there's a panel of leather inside the arm pit and then the sleeves are lined with a smooth plastic-like material making it very comfortable on the arms:
All in all, for the money i paid, this is a very nice jacket. But the frank thomas pants (and boots and gloves) suck terribly. The pants in my size didn't fit. There was so much extra leather behind my knee that i couldn't bend my legs. I had to go up 2 sizes just to be able to bend my legs. At that point the leather was so baggy i might as well be wearing jinco jeans. All pairs i tried on were also very baggy in the calf area and basically were the suck.
The jacket gets a 8/10 because of the deal i got. But otherwise i'm not sure i trust FT.
KBC TK-9 (a.k.a. the suck)
I got this helmet with the bike and wow, it's terrible. First thing i find out it that there was a massive recall on this helmet just months before this one was made. It's the right size (technically) but it fits terribly, and actually floats on my head in high winds. It doesn't ventilate at all, and the stupid vents on the top look like some kind of dead sea animal. The mouth cover is absolutely uneccessarily huge. The visor is slutty loose and vibrates alot. Basically, i wouldn't pay money for this helmet. How could the tk-8 be such a better helmet than this? Is this helmet even made anymore? 0/10 yikes.
Icon tank bag (the only icon i'll ever own)
This bag friggin rocks. I got it through the same cycle gear friend so i only paid like $50. Lots of compartments for organizing stuff. Nice non-abrasive sticky pad underneath for sticking to the tank. Four very strong little magnets hold it on there, and there's a removeable strap to wrap around the steering tube or triple tree. The outer flap is clear plastic so you can stick a phone or an ipod in there and be able to see it. I've used it for several long rides and really enjoy resting on it sometimes on the highway. It's easy to deattach at a gas station or restaraunt so you don't have to worry about theft. And the best part is, in under a minute (kind of complicated, but you get used to it) you can convert the bad boy into a real-deal back pack with straps. It can also hold a helmet underneath it with the same soft non-abrasive sticky pad. It's the macgyver of backpacks. I'd recommend it to anyone that is looking for a decent do-it-all tank bag. Comes in colors too, i'm not sure which ones, i know black, red, and blue for sure, possibly yellow. If you've got a 600rr though, careful, the front two magnets have nothing to stick to on your bikes. The back two magnets kind of stick to something. But there's still the triple tree strap, and sticky pad underneath to hold it on there.
10/10. Great bag.
Gratuitous bike shot:
(not my car in background)
And my birthday present to myself:
PCIII USB
If anyone is wonder, that extra junk in the top of the picture, in my trunk, is an electric trunk acuator. When my key is in the on position i can hit a little button under my seat and the passenger seat will pop up (thus the zip-tied spring).
Thanks for reading this, and remember, i'm by no means a profressional, or heck, even a seasoned rider, i'm just another ass hole on the internet, and these are my opinions. Enjoy.
I got this helmet with the bike and wow, it's terrible. First thing i find out it that there was a massive recall on this helmet just months before this one was made. It's the right size (technically) but it fits terribly, and actually floats on my head in high winds. It doesn't ventilate at all, and the stupid vents on the top look like some kind of dead sea animal. The mouth cover is absolutely uneccessarily huge. The visor is slutty loose and vibrates alot. Basically, i wouldn't pay money for this helmet. How could the tk-8 be such a better helmet than this? Is this helmet even made anymore? 0/10 yikes.
Icon tank bag (the only icon i'll ever own)
This bag friggin rocks. I got it through the same cycle gear friend so i only paid like $50. Lots of compartments for organizing stuff. Nice non-abrasive sticky pad underneath for sticking to the tank. Four very strong little magnets hold it on there, and there's a removeable strap to wrap around the steering tube or triple tree. The outer flap is clear plastic so you can stick a phone or an ipod in there and be able to see it. I've used it for several long rides and really enjoy resting on it sometimes on the highway. It's easy to deattach at a gas station or restaraunt so you don't have to worry about theft. And the best part is, in under a minute (kind of complicated, but you get used to it) you can convert the bad boy into a real-deal back pack with straps. It can also hold a helmet underneath it with the same soft non-abrasive sticky pad. It's the macgyver of backpacks. I'd recommend it to anyone that is looking for a decent do-it-all tank bag. Comes in colors too, i'm not sure which ones, i know black, red, and blue for sure, possibly yellow. If you've got a 600rr though, careful, the front two magnets have nothing to stick to on your bikes. The back two magnets kind of stick to something. But there's still the triple tree strap, and sticky pad underneath to hold it on there.
10/10. Great bag.
Gratuitous bike shot:
(not my car in background)
And my birthday present to myself:
PCIII USB
If anyone is wonder, that extra junk in the top of the picture, in my trunk, is an electric trunk acuator. When my key is in the on position i can hit a little button under my seat and the passenger seat will pop up (thus the zip-tied spring).
Thanks for reading this, and remember, i'm by no means a profressional, or heck, even a seasoned rider, i'm just another ass hole on the internet, and these are my opinions. Enjoy.
Like i originally said, the helmet came with the bike. I don't wear it. I wore it for like a week until i got my Shoei. I know all about helmet taboos and rules and what not.
But, thank you 919, your sunny disposition really cheers me up.
But, thank you 919, your sunny disposition really cheers me up.
*UPDATE* 5-13-06
Motogp RPM gloves. These are last year's model, but i got them for $60. The new Nitrous gloves from them have carbon fiber for each knuckle, and look like something you'd play rollerball with. I LOVE these RPM gloves. They're made from the finest napa leather, end quote, and it's really smooth and soft. The leather doesn't stick to the controls or anything like my A* gloves do. I could never let the clutch lever slip off my fingers with the A*s, but with these i have a more personal feel with everything i touch. They're very easy to get on an off and require only the wrist strap. Once on, they're comfortable, and i don't feel any tight spots. They only come in this color, but it looks like it would work with everything.
And the other new addition is my pair of Motogp Apex pants (apparently i'm a motogp whore). These pants have a full waist zipper, even though they don't advertise it (and the outdated pictures show a little 8 inch zipper), and pads in all the right places, including hip and buttocks. They fit great and don't bunch up and get uncomfortable. Also, the crotchular area is perforated and breathes really well when i'm at speed, making it feel like i have central air. For the money, i couldn't beat this Motogp setup. Great stuff
Motogp RPM gloves. These are last year's model, but i got them for $60. The new Nitrous gloves from them have carbon fiber for each knuckle, and look like something you'd play rollerball with. I LOVE these RPM gloves. They're made from the finest napa leather, end quote, and it's really smooth and soft. The leather doesn't stick to the controls or anything like my A* gloves do. I could never let the clutch lever slip off my fingers with the A*s, but with these i have a more personal feel with everything i touch. They're very easy to get on an off and require only the wrist strap. Once on, they're comfortable, and i don't feel any tight spots. They only come in this color, but it looks like it would work with everything.
And the other new addition is my pair of Motogp Apex pants (apparently i'm a motogp whore). These pants have a full waist zipper, even though they don't advertise it (and the outdated pictures show a little 8 inch zipper), and pads in all the right places, including hip and buttocks. They fit great and don't bunch up and get uncomfortable. Also, the crotchular area is perforated and breathes really well when i'm at speed, making it feel like i have central air. For the money, i couldn't beat this Motogp setup. Great stuff
Soundave
Yea, the seat is definitely comfortable. I've ridden as long as 8 hours and never gotten sore spots on my arse.
Luudog55
Thanks, if someone wants to give me a job writing reviews i would gladly take it:-P
Yea, the seat is definitely comfortable. I've ridden as long as 8 hours and never gotten sore spots on my arse.
Luudog55
Thanks, if someone wants to give me a job writing reviews i would gladly take it:-P
UPDATE 9-26-06
My back ordered Suomy Spec1R Bostrom Tattoo finally came in! Upon first opening the package i was instantly greeted with a very nice yellow and black helmet bag. Like a little kid on Christmas morning i franticly opened the bag and pulled out my brand new helmet. My first impression of the helmet was that it was light, and had one of the most amazing paint jobs i'd ever seen on a helmet. I had also ordered a dark smoke visor, so my first order of business was to put that on. That turned out to be a tall order. I knew beforehand about Suomy's visor system, but i didn't expect it to be this difficult. After popping off the side pods with a special tool you have to do some serious prying and moving around before setting the visor free. After that, getting the new visor on isn't much different, but i had a particularly hard time getting the side pods back on. This is something to consider if you're going to be switching out visors alot due to time changes.
After mounting the dark smoke visor i quickly flipped the helmet over in my lap, pulled the straps to the side, and slid the helmet down over my head. It was like slipping my head in to cloud nine. The materials used inside the helmet are very soft and the pads are all firm, but forgiving. The side pads apply pressure from the temple to the bottom of the jaw it seems. Compared to my Shoei, which only feels like it's putting pressure on my cheeks, the Suomy has a more secure feeling. The mouth guard is also a good distance away from my mouth. I could kiss the mouth guard on my Shoei with little effort. Also, placing my hand on the front of the helmet and pushing towards my face yielded little results. This helmet gets on and stays snug. I should also ad that my head is 58.4cm big, and i could hardly put a medium on. The medium left marks in my face and felt like some kind of hostile animal trying to choke the life out of me. Contrary to that, the large felt fantastic and has a similar comfort level to that of my medium Shoei, while lending a more secure fit. My friend also wears a medium Shoei and the large Suomy was far too big for him. It seems that Suomys run slightly smaller, but it all might depend on head shape so i really recommend trying several on before you buy.
The visor is very nice looking and extremely easy to operate. The only downside i found with the visor was when riding in the sun it seems to show a reflection of my face in it giving the impression of glare. But it's slight. The finger grip on the edge of the visor is very pronounced and easy to use even with gloves on. I also really like how the Suomy visor does not ratchet up and down like other company's helmets. As soon as you pop the visor lock the visor is free to smoothly move up and down. Riding at speed with the visor up doesn't create any awkward pulling feelings or anything else, but there's almost no need to pop the visor as this helmet breathes so well.
With the mouth vent open on the front of the helmet it feels like a gently fan is blowing on your face. This keeps fog and feelings of drowning in heat to a minimum. The only downside i noticed was when riding in aggressive areas i tend to breathe out of my mouth and experience a little dry mouth from all the cool air blowing on my face. This is no problem to remedy though as the mouth vent can be operated pretty easily, even with gloves. Even with bare hands, a manual and some serious determination i could hardly every get the Shoei mouth vent to move.
Wind noise is higher on the Suomy, as expected. I wear ear plugs every time i ride so this was of no consequence to me. I actually like the added noise that comes through as i feel more connected to the outside world then i did before. With almost no sound getting in through my Shoei (with ear plugs) i felt numb. The Suomy gives me a nice mix of my own exhaust and some light wind sounds. But nothing detrimental to my hearing.
The helmet is incredibly aerodynamic. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as the Shoei since the RF-1000 has such a big duck bill, but the Suomy really felt stable at all speed. Also, when in full tuck my RF-1000 used to always fog up, but the Spec1R has no problems in any position. Even at 100+ mph with strong head winds the helmet never bobbed or weaved.
With the price i got from ridersinc.com i would definitley buy Suomy again. This is a fantastic helmet and for the price I feel it's an amazing deal. However, my Shoei will stay around for off weather days and its easy visor changes.
Here we can see the awesome mouth ventilation and plush cheek pads
Gratuitous bike/helmet shot
And finally, my rack of helmets. Spec1R, TK-9, RF-1000, TK-8 (girlfriend's).
My back ordered Suomy Spec1R Bostrom Tattoo finally came in! Upon first opening the package i was instantly greeted with a very nice yellow and black helmet bag. Like a little kid on Christmas morning i franticly opened the bag and pulled out my brand new helmet. My first impression of the helmet was that it was light, and had one of the most amazing paint jobs i'd ever seen on a helmet. I had also ordered a dark smoke visor, so my first order of business was to put that on. That turned out to be a tall order. I knew beforehand about Suomy's visor system, but i didn't expect it to be this difficult. After popping off the side pods with a special tool you have to do some serious prying and moving around before setting the visor free. After that, getting the new visor on isn't much different, but i had a particularly hard time getting the side pods back on. This is something to consider if you're going to be switching out visors alot due to time changes.
After mounting the dark smoke visor i quickly flipped the helmet over in my lap, pulled the straps to the side, and slid the helmet down over my head. It was like slipping my head in to cloud nine. The materials used inside the helmet are very soft and the pads are all firm, but forgiving. The side pads apply pressure from the temple to the bottom of the jaw it seems. Compared to my Shoei, which only feels like it's putting pressure on my cheeks, the Suomy has a more secure feeling. The mouth guard is also a good distance away from my mouth. I could kiss the mouth guard on my Shoei with little effort. Also, placing my hand on the front of the helmet and pushing towards my face yielded little results. This helmet gets on and stays snug. I should also ad that my head is 58.4cm big, and i could hardly put a medium on. The medium left marks in my face and felt like some kind of hostile animal trying to choke the life out of me. Contrary to that, the large felt fantastic and has a similar comfort level to that of my medium Shoei, while lending a more secure fit. My friend also wears a medium Shoei and the large Suomy was far too big for him. It seems that Suomys run slightly smaller, but it all might depend on head shape so i really recommend trying several on before you buy.
The visor is very nice looking and extremely easy to operate. The only downside i found with the visor was when riding in the sun it seems to show a reflection of my face in it giving the impression of glare. But it's slight. The finger grip on the edge of the visor is very pronounced and easy to use even with gloves on. I also really like how the Suomy visor does not ratchet up and down like other company's helmets. As soon as you pop the visor lock the visor is free to smoothly move up and down. Riding at speed with the visor up doesn't create any awkward pulling feelings or anything else, but there's almost no need to pop the visor as this helmet breathes so well.
With the mouth vent open on the front of the helmet it feels like a gently fan is blowing on your face. This keeps fog and feelings of drowning in heat to a minimum. The only downside i noticed was when riding in aggressive areas i tend to breathe out of my mouth and experience a little dry mouth from all the cool air blowing on my face. This is no problem to remedy though as the mouth vent can be operated pretty easily, even with gloves. Even with bare hands, a manual and some serious determination i could hardly every get the Shoei mouth vent to move.
Wind noise is higher on the Suomy, as expected. I wear ear plugs every time i ride so this was of no consequence to me. I actually like the added noise that comes through as i feel more connected to the outside world then i did before. With almost no sound getting in through my Shoei (with ear plugs) i felt numb. The Suomy gives me a nice mix of my own exhaust and some light wind sounds. But nothing detrimental to my hearing.
The helmet is incredibly aerodynamic. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as the Shoei since the RF-1000 has such a big duck bill, but the Suomy really felt stable at all speed. Also, when in full tuck my RF-1000 used to always fog up, but the Spec1R has no problems in any position. Even at 100+ mph with strong head winds the helmet never bobbed or weaved.
With the price i got from ridersinc.com i would definitley buy Suomy again. This is a fantastic helmet and for the price I feel it's an amazing deal. However, my Shoei will stay around for off weather days and its easy visor changes.
Here we can see the awesome mouth ventilation and plush cheek pads
Gratuitous bike/helmet shot
And finally, my rack of helmets. Spec1R, TK-9, RF-1000, TK-8 (girlfriend's).
*traded*9-26-06
Sidi B2 Boots
I got these boots for $220 shipped from newenough.com and i'm in love with them. I know thus far i've been in love with almost all of my gear, but it usually takes something new and better to shed light on the previous "not so good."
Now before i go any further i'm not saying that the A* SMX plus boots were not good, they were very good, but the Sidi B2s offer ease of use, great comfort, and a low price. The B2s are a pretty "light" feeling boot. There's no support connecting the calf to the ankle. With the boot in your hands you can easily bend the ankle of the boot in directions you wouldn't want you own ankle to go. This was not the case with the SMX plus boots as they were very sturdy. Unfortunately i felt numb to the controls in the A*s. With the Sidis it's very easy to move the toe up and down for shifts. Putting the boots on is also a sinch. One zipper and some velcro and you're ready to ride. My somewhat loose Motogp Apex pants stuff in to the calf of the boot fine. The side zipper doesn't come up all the way as to allow for some calf adjustment by tightening the velcro. The heel of the Sidis is very flat on the back allowing for easy use of the kickstand feeler (a problem i was having with the A*s). There's not alot of breathing in these boots, so if you feel you get hot feet easily it might be worth getting the Vertigo Airs instead. All in all great boot. If you've never had a tall style boot like these before, these would be the ones to start on. They're very confidence inspiring and easy to walk around in with little to no noise. I wore them for an entire day and never got uncomfortable. These boots will make you want to wear them every time you ride!!
Sidi B2 Boots
I got these boots for $220 shipped from newenough.com and i'm in love with them. I know thus far i've been in love with almost all of my gear, but it usually takes something new and better to shed light on the previous "not so good."
Now before i go any further i'm not saying that the A* SMX plus boots were not good, they were very good, but the Sidi B2s offer ease of use, great comfort, and a low price. The B2s are a pretty "light" feeling boot. There's no support connecting the calf to the ankle. With the boot in your hands you can easily bend the ankle of the boot in directions you wouldn't want you own ankle to go. This was not the case with the SMX plus boots as they were very sturdy. Unfortunately i felt numb to the controls in the A*s. With the Sidis it's very easy to move the toe up and down for shifts. Putting the boots on is also a sinch. One zipper and some velcro and you're ready to ride. My somewhat loose Motogp Apex pants stuff in to the calf of the boot fine. The side zipper doesn't come up all the way as to allow for some calf adjustment by tightening the velcro. The heel of the Sidis is very flat on the back allowing for easy use of the kickstand feeler (a problem i was having with the A*s). There's not alot of breathing in these boots, so if you feel you get hot feet easily it might be worth getting the Vertigo Airs instead. All in all great boot. If you've never had a tall style boot like these before, these would be the ones to start on. They're very confidence inspiring and easy to walk around in with little to no noise. I wore them for an entire day and never got uncomfortable. These boots will make you want to wear them every time you ride!!