[surjaonwheelz]

Annual Dainese sale is ON at their Bangalore and Chennai stores. Wonder why they don't have an website yet?

/surjaonwheelz

[neil.jericho]

I spotted the new Royal Enfield Streetwind V2 jacket at a local showroom when I had gone to test ride the Meteor. They had the grey, red and black versions all available and the build quality looked quite impressive, considering the entry level price tag of Rs 4,950. Just looking at all that mesh made me think that this is a perfect jacket for those in warm coastal cities like Cochin, Madras, Bombay etc! I didnt try it on since I was a bit sweaty already.

The Streetwind V2 comes with Knox Level 1 armour at the elbows and shoulders and you will need to upgrade the foam protector at the back. But for those on a very tight budget who are looking at their first jacket, this can certainly be a great option while they save up for a certified back protector at a later time.

[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by tanayr

Sure. I went to Pathpavers in Delhi.
As for the jacket, I looked at a bunch of different options (you will know that there is not a whole lot of variety when it comes to mesh jackets) and then in a moment of "over-enthusiasm" got a Klim Induction. Must never reveal actual price at home. Also I got them to swap the armors for L2.

PS: I forgot to mention, I am a fan of your posts on Riderzone.com too!

Thanks! Sorry I missed your post just before mine. Klim is certainly on the costly side, but well worth the investment I would say, especially with Level 2 all round.

Originally Posted by JoeTheWanderer

I just checked mine and it looks like both the hip and knee armors that come with the black denims are Level 1 as well.

Lol, I should probably stop being so hard on squids, a few years away form bikes and I'm practically indistinguishable from them!

You're right, this time I got confused because the shape of the LP1 protector in the Raven jeans "looked" like Level 2, at least compared to the T5 Evo armors in Steam jeans.

[dinodavid]

Received my RS taichi drymaster explorer pants from Custom Elements . The sizing chart was not true to size for me. It's kind of loose around the knees. What do guys suggest about that?

Well even its marked as waterproof I haven't tested it yet. There's one flap just above the knee and one on the back lateral area with zips for ventilation. The hip protection is just foam padding but the knee which is adjustable is actually level 2 , I'm planning on replacing both with either Knox or d30 in future. I loved the design actually and the waterproof quality sealed the deal. Cost was 16k with free shipping.
Easy to wear over my Sidi adventure.

[shyamg28]

Originally Posted by TheVaas

...It will feel 'overwhelming' akin to Thanos and his infinity gauntlet (from the Avengers movie) for the first few times.

So I re-read your entire review and it just hit me as to how accurate it is!

I just bought the Grid today. Tried both Viaterra Grid and Rynox Storm Evo 2.
The Rynox Storm Evo 2 are definitely a snug fit if I'm being honest, so right off the bat, they just fit. I almost got the Rynox just for this reason. But the leather on the fingers seems way thinner than how it is on the Grid.

I then tried the Grid and the "built like a TANK" statement hit me. The knuckle positioning was irritating and I had to go for a size bigger to get the perfect fit.

On the ride back, it certainly was "overwhelming". Everything took more effort than necessary and I almost felt unsafe for the first couple of minutes. I decided to ride much much slower and cruised my way back just trying out different positions.

What swung me toward the Grid was,
- Your crisp review.
- Build quality based on feel.
- 1 year warranty.
- Storm Evo 2 has been launched only recently whereas the Grid has already garnered rave reviews.

My short cuff Mototech gloves have been absolutely brilliant, especially how snug they are at almost providing the natural feel to the wrist and fingers.





So right now as things stand, it is still uncomfortable. I'm attributing that to the gloves being new, as well as these being my first full-gauntlet gloves. Let's see how it goes

[TheVaas]

Originally Posted by shyamg28

I then tried the Grid and the "built like a TANK" statement hit me. The knuckle positioning was irritating and I had to go for a size bigger to get the perfect fit.

On the ride back, it certainly was "overwhelming". Everything took more effort than necessary and I almost felt unsafe for the first couple of minutes. I decided to ride much much slower and cruised my way back just trying out different positions.

So right now as things stand, it is still uncomfortable. I'm attributing that to the gloves being new, as well as these being my first full-gauntlet gloves. Let's see how it goes

I'm glad you found my view useful. It definitely would feel uncomfortable in the beginning because the 'full gauntlet' feel is very new. In my case, coming from probiker types to royal enfield half cuff leather gloves - the GRID seems like a massive upgrade - but it'll just feel fine soon.

Good to know that you went for a size that gets the knuckle protection position in place. Keep trying out the various positions while in cruise mode; in time you'll figure the ideal position over the handlebar.

On a side note, I recently went for a weekend ride, trying to find some secret lake - where we encountered absolutely no roads (loose rocks, loose sand types) for about 12-15km stretch. I had the Grid on me throughout and it didn't feel heavy or obstructed the handling of the bike. I even fell on a rocky incline, full of stones and landed on my palms. The gloves absorbed all the impact and I didn't even feel a thing! I'm not encouraging off-roading with such gloves (others have better experience on this subject) - but contrary to my earlier 'heavy' view, I found that with almost frequent usage, weight becomes a relative concept

Happy riding, Shyamg28!

[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by dinodavid

Received my RS taichi drymaster explorer pants from Custom Elements . The sizing chart was not true to size for me. It's kind of loose around the knees. What do guys suggest about that?

Very difficult to tell from here, but they look spot on from the photo of you wearing them. If the waist is a good fit, and it's not too tight around the crotch/thighs, I'd say that's as good as it's going to get.

I'd once bought the Spartan Odysseus pants, in the showroom they fit perfect, but on the bike the knee guards were too tight, so much so that I couldn't use the pants at all without removing the guards completely. Sit on the bike for a few minutes, that's the ultimate test, the knee guards being a bit loose might end up being a good thing.

[Juggernaught]

I bought the Rynox Advento pants a couple of years ago. Everything seemed fine until on a ride in the last month where the buckle, to be used as a loop to fasten the velcro strap came off. I took it to a tailor nearby who seemed to have fixed it and assured me there shouldn't be any problems now.

But as somewhat expected, that turned out too good to be true. Barely had I ridden 20 odd kms until the cloth where the buckle was stitched to, itself came off (pic below). I've reached out to the Rynox support team but just wanted to see if there's any better solution since the store is in Mumbai while I'm put up in Bangalore. They've already communicated they do not have tie-ups with anyone outside of Mumbai for the repairs.

Also, since the product is not under warranty I would rather get it fixed quickly in my city instead of shipping it, waiting and paying a whole lot more in the process. Any leads appreciated

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by dinodavid

Received my RS taichi drymaster explorer pants from Custom Elements . The sizing chart was not true to size for me. It's kind of loose around the knees. What do guys suggest about that?...

Once you sit on the bike and ride, the knee protectors will move up a bit. My solace pants has this problem. There are two velcro straps to keep these in position, but if I keep it tight, its too uncomfortable. I have to keep pushing my knee protectors every 15 mins of my ride.

[abhi_tjet]

Bought riding gear from ProBiker.

1. Jacket - RRGear Ranger (with chest protector). Cost - 9K
2. High length Boots - Orazo. Cost - 5K
3. Riding Pants - Solace. Cost - 7K

I haven't yet used the riding pants and boots, thought of breaking in one by one. Will post update once I start using them.

Jacket - Did a Lavasa group(organised by Triumph Pune) ride on this. Very comfortable and snug fit. Chest protection is an added safety.

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by Axe77

...Secondly, I saw this really nice concept which is quite compelling. Fully customisable jacket...
https://viaterragear.com/shop/appare...t-mesh-jacket/

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

They exceeded my estimate, the base price starts at 11,099/-

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

This is an excellent initiative from ViaTerra.

Not to belittle any brand; but to be clear, the Munro jacket is NOT bespoke. It is customisable in terms of some colour splatches here and there, and some custom embroidery. But the jacket is NOT made to measure.

They have set sizes and they will try to see which one you fit into properly thru their iterative process. The process gives the impression that the jacket is made to measure, which it isn’t. In that sense, the Munro is no different from any other brand’s jacket.

I know this because I have gone over this point extensively with Viaterra. I was under the impression that the jacket is custom-made to measure. That would have been right for me because I frequently have to buy a size larger to get the right fit for my torso, but have to tolerate longer sleeves.

When I spoke with Viaterra, they clarified that they use standard sizing and that the jacket cannot be made to fit me and my measurements in particular.

So, given that the Munro is no different from any other mesh jacket from any Indian brand, I think that the price is way too steep. Also, I don’t see the whole point in multiple shipping transactions and all that for a jacket that is basically off-the-shelf in terms of sizing and fit. Personally I care more about the fitting than I do about the cosmetic touches.

[pcpranav]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Once you sit on the bike and ride, the knee protectors will move up a bit. My solace pants has this problem. There are two velcro straps to keep these in position, but if I keep it tight, its too uncomfortable. I have to keep pushing my knee protectors every 15 mins of my ride.

About Solace Coolpro v1 pants:

Very true. I also have the Solace Coolpro v1 pants, and experience the same irritating issue of knee protectors coming up. Over the time, I did few minor adjustments to the straps, and now I've just increased the duration between those "push-down" movements - hahaha ! But those "adjusting" movement also allows a bum relax time for few seconds !
After a wash, again have do tweak a bit, and a tighter strap just hurts the knees!!

Rain liners: The rain liner which came with this Solace pant was well used in numerous rainy rides. Finally, during one of the trip, the bottom area of rain liner got torn - I fixed stapler pin as a jugaad that time. This year didnt do any rainy rides, heck hardly did any rides !! Soon will buy the Decathlon rain pant. I already have the Decathlon rain jacket (some 799 bucks), absolutely vfm stuff.


OT-1: Once this pant got stuck in some object and a bit material got torn near thigh pocket area, it was hardly 1-1.5 cm cut. I had a spare Kawasaki cloth patch which one of our K-Versys group member had made for us. Based on a ref by another biker colleague, went to a nearby tailor who does such repairs - he stitched this patch so well it sems like a OEM partnership of Solace and Kawasaki , and asked only Rs.40.



OT-2, since I spoke of washing, a tip:
After washing and drying the gears, I have been using the "Armorall Leather Care gel" on the leather parts of gloves / pants - to keep them soft and conditioned. This is non-oily, dries quickly, and doesn't give any slippery feel. I use the same on my car leather seat too.


About Viaterra Grid gloves:
Based on good reviews, I had purchased these gloves last year in Nov19, just weeks before a long trip. It took many rides and flexing to get a decent break-in done, and then gradually the gloves became softer and comfortable. In week-1 Dec19 I had a long trip (3000+ KM) - few Versys Riders Meetup at Nagpur, and the gloves were really good. Later I did few more short and big trips, the gloves are absolutely good. However, the break-in is more on left hand (clutch lever & horn usage) than on right hand (throttle & brake lever), which is quite natural as per hand usage.
The KNOX SPS (palm slider) could take few rides to get comfortable on the handle bar, nothing to worry. Overall the gloves are really well built.


In Mar-20, I noticed that velcro flap on wrist was not holding well, and used to come off. Just to be sure, I had not washed the gloves, or not gone to any heat area.
I reported to Viaterra team, and they assured to fix it. Then all this pandemic & lockdown happened, I was traveling, passing few months. Finally, I send them the gloves in Sept20, they re-applied (stitched) new velcro on both gloves and send me back. The whole transaction was very well handled, and in all these months we were in contact - assuring on both sides not to hurry or worry during these tough times.
On my query to them - why this issue happened - they said maybe one-off batch of velcro went bad.
Unfortunately, after this repair, I have not used the gloves.

Again, kudos to Viaterra team. Soon I plan to buy a short gloves (replacement of older Rynox ShieldPro), and would surely evaluate Viaterra's Holeshot.


PS: Its been a really long time I posted a long msg on this platform, occasionally I do peep in :-)


regards,
Pranav

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Not to belittle any brand; but to be clear, the Munro jacket is NOT bespoke. It is customisable in terms of some colour splatches here and there, and some custom embroidery. But the jacket is NOT made to measure.

I think this is really clear from their website and most people who’ve posted on this have also clearly spoken about the personalisation / customisability of the jacket, whether visually or through protection features. I.e. choosing color combos, protection type, selecting or deselecting rain liners etc. I doubt anyone mistook it for being “made to measure”. With the added option of checking sizing with a courier before inking purchase because that is the second aspect many people get wrong while purchasing online or which deter’s people from buying online. In fact the assisted video on the main page (a really neat touch) also mentions up front exactly what is customisable.

Both of these are attractive propositions. Someone might want the slight configure on looks and its a neat option - for instance to match their bike’s color scheme. People often get online purchases sizes wrong so the ability to try a size for real despite an online retail model is a handy touch.

Price of course is subjective and I do not have a view off hand on that.

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by Axe77

I think this is really clear from their website....

Actually that is not clear at all. It wasn’t for me until I spoke to the guy. And at least one other guy I know also mistook the website language to mean made-to-measure.

Sure, they do not mention anywhere that it is custom tailored for sizing. However, the phrase “customise your jacket” or “customised for you...” etc. are being used a lot on the website. Now, that may not be inaccurate as some aspects of the jacket are certainly being customised for the customer.

But it is quite easy for the customer to get misled into thinking that the jacket is actually being tailored for him. More so when the customer isn’t allowed to choose size early on, and is being told that someone from Viaterra will call the customer to discuss sizing. That distinctly gives the impression that something is being made to measure for the customer specifically.

Finally I disagree that having a sizing conversation will solve the customer’s sizing problem when ordering online. Since the sizes are anyways standard, that risk continues to be there. Additionally, in Viaterra’s case, the customer is out a 1000 bucks if they don’t like the sizing. Why? Most other orders from online stores allow you a full refund or at least a store credit for the full amount so that you can buy something else at a later date.

Personally, I feel that it is best to dispense with all this sizing-conversation-will-happen-later line and just let people choose size based on a published sizing chart. As it stands now, Viaterra is asking customers to measure themselves anyways. Once the customer takes his own measurements, Viaterra then chooses a size for the customer based on the measurements conveyed to them. Why not just allow the customer to do it themselves? Assist them on the phone if you have to; but, there is no reason why the measuring party and the size choosing party have to be different when the sizes are standard.

I feel Viaterra’s process is needlessly complicated and, intentionally or not, gives the impression that the jacket is tailored specifically for an individual. They could allow people to choose a size and still customise the other aspects of the jacket like colour splatches and embroidery and rain lining. In any case, they do plan on taking these jackets to the market via retail outlets. They have said so themselves on Instagram. At that point, everything is pretty standard. So might as well just get to it now.

P. S.

I have not been on their site lately and they may have changed the language to state explicitly that the jacket is NOT made to measure. If they indeed have, then that is probably due to me prompting them to do so.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

I feel Viaterra’s process is needlessly complicated and, intentionally or not, gives the impression that the jacket is tailored specifically for an individual.

Overall, Viaterra has adopted a rather puzzling go to market strategy. The USP for the new jackets was supposed to be customization (even if it isnt built for custom sizes, as you had mentioned), but the whole they will send it, you measure it, send it back and they will send the final one back to you, is both time consuming and as you perfectly put it, needlessly complicated. Also, it means that logistics and courier charges are baked in the final cost of the product.

And the jackets do work out to be pretty expensive compared to its competition.

Originally Posted by mohansrides

In any case, they do plan on taking these jackets to the market via retail outlets. They have said so themselves on Instagram. At that point, everything is pretty standard. So might as well just get to it now.

But if the jackets are available off the shelf from retailer stores, then why even build the systems and processes to enable the above mentioned online customization. Conversely, why will retailers want to stock jackets from Viaterra when they know that the company offers additional customization options that customers will likely opt for instead?

Also with the number of permutations and combinations available, how will retailers decided what combinations to place orders for? Nobody will want dead stock. Also, I can see customers going to retailer outlets and trying Viaterra jackets for size and then going online and customizing the same model to their liking.

I understand that Viaterra wanted to do something different to shake things up, but this appears to be change for the sake of change.