[ebonho]

https://youtu.be/LhE-tCCaAlQ?si=WzJIJ8v_p0qWy34c

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wwjWDr4v...-l3esRTcluAh51

Cheers, Doc

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

9000 Km Update on my Viaterra Tundra WP Gloves

Just over a year ago, I picked up the Viaterra Tundra, the initial impressions of which you can read below if interested

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5422387 (A New Beginning | My 2022 RE Himalayan)

It has been just over 9000 km of use in literally all weather conditions (Extreme Sun, Rain, Humid Weather, Freezing Cold) and in all traffic situations (Peak BLR Traffic, Moderate Traffic on my Everyday Commute and Highway Use). I'll do my best to give a comprehensive review of these if anyone is planning to pick up this type (Non-Breathable WP/Winter) of gloves for the first time.














Wear and Tear
The only signs of age are the Viaterra Logo on the knuckle protector peeling off and the glove looking a little faded overall as compared to when it was new, both completely acceptable. I could also feel a small hole in the inner fabric at the tip of one finger. However, this IMO is perfectly acceptable. I think that my use of these gloves is not how a glove of this nature should be used (varying weather conditions), and in that regard, this thing is built like a tank. No threads have come loose, no permanent stains or scuff marks, no tears on the exterior despite it taking impact on a couple of tip-overs and no issues with the velcro or reflective as well, which, in fact, is just like new. The Goatskin Leather and Superfabric on the Palm are extremely durable and still feel supple.


Comfort
The Gloves will take some getting used to because of the slightly thicker fleece inside. They aren't as tactile as regular gloves. However, you do get accustomed to them pretty quickly, and I didn't find comfort to be an issue at all. The lever actions take less effort due to the thickness of the gloves, and this also dampens vibrations from the handlebar, if any.


Riding in Hot/Humid Conditions
This is one area where the glove shouldn't be used. If your palms sweat and get the inner lining moist, it takes a long long time to dry out and can get stinky too. I wouldn't recommend having this as your primary (All Weather) glove.


Riding in the Cold
The Coldest I've ridden through was at an air temperature of around 12 Degrees (but with wind-chill, it would be much lower, as I was cruising at 100kmph). They did a decent job of keeping me warm, the fleece lining helped a lot, but it didn't keep me completely warm. If you are planning on going to super cold areas, a thin underglove would help (Decathlon has these).

Riding in the Rain
These gloves excel on this front, as they should No water seeps through at least for a couple of hours of heavy rain. After this however, you can feel the inside getting a little moist. This is only the case when you constantly have to change gears (Clutch and Brake Action) and is the case with even more expensive gloves, too, as was demonstrated in the video below. Hence in my view, at the price point, this is excellent waterproofing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_bCmahsa1A

Additional Considerations
The Visor wiper is a handy feature to have in the city where the wind doesn't clear the water off the visor. The touch-sensitive fingertips also work well. The little buckle on the gloves makes it easy to clip onto a belt for storage.


Wash and Care
I reached out to Ajinkya from Viaterra to enquire about the same, and these were the instructions I received:

The gloves should not be washed frequently. However, if cleaning becomes necessary, follow these directions carefully.

1) Excess Dirt Removal: Start by using a damp rag to remove excess dirt.
2) Spot Cleaning: Spot clean using water & soft cloth only. If this does not suffice, then proceed with the following.
3) Gentle Soap Solution: Prepare a mixture of water and very mild soap. Do not use bleach or fabric softener. Spot clean with the rag.
4) You can also use a mild spray deodorizer or air freshener inside to help with odour
5) Air Drying: Air dry them slowly. Avoid using any heat source for drying.

Overall Impressions
I'm pretty happy with the gloves, and I will continue to use them as a secondary glove, only during rains and cold weather (Primary being the Viaterra Grid, a review of which I'll drop after using them for a significant time). I'd wholeheartedly recommend the Tundra to anyone having a similar requirement. Cheers

[Rajeevraj]

Recently purchased a new KTM Adventure 390- Review link here and picked up some entry level riding gear. Must confess that so far my riding gear was restricted to ensuring I have a good helmet (used an SMK one for the past 3-4 years) and also ensuring that I at least wear jeans and shoes when riding. My excuse was that I mostly ride around only in the city- Not a great excuse I know.

Once I booked this bike, I was sure that I need to get some proper riding gear. I don't know how much it will get used yet, but did not want to experiment renting etc. Spent quite some time on this thread understanding the various brands, options and requirements. Since I had no idea about the sizes and fit, decided to buy in-store only. Read some good reviews about Gear n Ride in HSR Layout, Bangalore. So headed there even before I took delivery and picked up the following gear. The are all mostly entry level ones, but based on all that I read, I hope are decent choices to start off with. In hindsight felt I maybe should have visited a couple of shops more and tried couple of other brands also, but anyways went ahead with the below purchases and generally was satisfied with what I got.

Sharing links to the products with all the details to avoid replicating the info here.

• Helmet: Axor Apex plain black with matt finish. The D Ring fasteners were a trouble at first. Now kind of used to it. Link
• Jacket: Solace Rival Urban V3. CE Level 2 Armor. Comes with an inner thermal liner and an outer rain cover. All three can be used separately. Link
• Riding Pants: Solace Ion Air Mesh Pant. I had initially not planned to buy the pant, but the owner was very convincing and I went for it. Link
• Gloves: Solace Rival Urban CE. Link

Did not get riding boots yet. Need to do that too. Still getting used to riding with gloves as that is not something I have done before.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Read some good reviews about Gear n Ride in HSR Layout, Bangalore. So headed there even before I took delivery and picked up the following gear.

Recently I had visited a few riding gear stores in Bangalore, which I was new to. One of them was Gear n Ride in HSR Layout. Honestly, the folks there were terribly under informed about helmets and other riding gear. Some of the sales advice which was being doled out to customers who didnt know anything about riding gear, wasnt in line with the real world feedback that we find on this thread and the Helmets thread. Ill just leave it at that.

My advice to anyone shopping for riding gear in Bangalore is to not get swayed by the sales folks because very often, they know less about motorcycle gear than you probably do. Visit different stores and try out different products. See what fits you and your wallet, the best.

Rajeevraj, this post is not to suggest that you picked up bad gear. You have ended up buying good stuff indeed. Im just sharing my disappointing experience with the store folks. I''ll probably post more about it on the Helmets thread.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

My advice to anyone shopping for riding gear in Bangalore is to not get swayed by the sales folks because very often, they know less about motorcycle gear than you probably do.

Agreed. Salespeople generally want to meet targets and push out whatever is not selling so they may have wavering opinions on the efficacy of the products they stock. Some of them may have knowledge just restricted to the specifications of the products without knowing much about their real-world applications too. I usually narrow down on options much before I visit the store knowing clearly in my head about the various pros, cons etc about products and go to stores to finalize my decisions. The forum is a lovely repository of information to be able to make a preliminary decision in most cases.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

My advice to anyone shopping for riding gear in Bangalore is to not get swayed by the sales folks because very often, they know less about motorcycle gear than you probably do. Visit different stores and try out different products. See what fits you and your wallet, the best.

Rajeevraj, this post is not to suggest that you picked up bad gear. You have ended up buying good stuff indeed. Im just sharing my disappointing experience with the store folks. I''ll probably post more about it on the Helmets thread.

Thanks for sharing that feedback. I had gone a lot through this thread and had listed down some specifications, recommended options before I went there and hence fortunately had some basic background thanks to this thread which is probably why what I got turned out to be ok. Having said that, will be honest and admit that I felt pressurized by the sales folks there. As I mentioned in the last line in the previous post, that pressure is probably why I did not go and try couple of other brands. I specially wanted to try Rynox also, but the pressure got to me I guess. . Only good thing is that they were pushing to get full riding gear for my wife also. Thankfully resisted the pressure on that as the first step is me going on rides and then we may get to a point where both of us go.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

In hindsight felt I maybe should have visited a couple of shops more and tried couple of other brands also, but anyways went ahead with the below purchases and generally was satisfied with what I got.

[neil.jericho]

While checking out track use helmets (Which Helmet? Tips on buying a good helmet) in Bangalore, I had visited 3 riding gear stores in HSR layout. Since we usually post about the products in depth and not the pre-sale experiences, it feels like a good time to share my thoughts on the 3 stores. When I'm visiting such stores for the first time, I find it best to not disclose the fact that I have some knowledge on riding gear and the riding gear industry, as a whole. This approach gives me a fair perspective on how the store employees deal with walk-in customers.

- Moto ProGear
The sole store employee / manager was quite knowledgeable about the helmets that I was looking at. He was able to answer all my questions on the products, their availability, spare parts pricing etc.

Overall, this was easily the best experience of the three.

- PowerSports International
There were a few other customers that the staff were dealing with. Nobody seemed interested in dealing with a customer that was keen to pick up the most expensive product in their showroom. But, in all fairness to the staff, the other customers needed help in picking out the right colours / sizes of products and were being well attended to.

Overall, a fair experience, which on another day would likely have been a good store experience.

- Gear n Ride
Ufff, where do I start ! From top to bottom, nobody seemed to know anything about riding gear. I had to point out and pick out the right helmets from the rack because the staff had absolutely no clue on what constituted a track use helmet, even after making phone calls to find out. They claimed that a LS2 track use helmet and another LS2 sports touring helmet were the exact same product, when they had different vents, different build elements and one came with a drop down sun visor When another potential customer questioned them on a popular Indian brand that they do not stock, the owner / store manager claimed that the company only sells riding jackets with foam inserts and many customers have returned their jackets due to crumbling armour. Now, Im not a fan of many of the Indian riding gear brands (for reasons that I have clearly listed on this thread, in the past) but these preposterous claims seemed to be a clear deviation from reality. The clearly pushy sales responses to several other customer queries ranged from baffling to head scratching to making up on the fly in the hope that the customer doesnt know a thing. I left the store shaking my head in amazement.

If you know what you want to buy and just need to pick up the product from the nearest riding gear shop that stocks your size, you should consider visiting the store. But if you need to learn about whats available or understand which products best suits your requirements, I would strongly suggest that you avoid Gear n Ride. Such riders really ought to visit other riding gear stores which have knowledgeable staff.

Overall, two thumbs down.

[iguana]

Tear and Abrasion Strength by the numbers
Pounds of force until fabric tears Abrasion cycles on pavement until fabric fails
CottonJeans 4.5 pounds to tear 50 cycles to failure
70 Denier Standard Nylon 4.5 pounds to tear 165 cycles to failure
500 Denier Polyester 8 pounds to tear 180 cycles to failure
200 Denier Standard Nylon 7.5 pounds to tear 275 cycles to failure
500 Denier Cordura 22 pounds to tear 710 cycles to failure
620 Denier Cordura 35 pounds to tear 1200 cycles to failure
NEW Competition Grade Leather 80-110 pounds to tear 1200-1700 cycles to failure
1000 Denier Cordura 110 pounds to tear 1780 cycles to failure
Air Mesh Kevlar 1260 pounds to tear 970 cycles to failure Stretch Kevlar Blend 420lbs pounds to tear 1800 cycles to failure

This is how quickly some materials take to hole:
Material Seconds
Denim 0.2 to 0.5
Some race gloves 0.6
Most leather gloves 1.0 to 1.8
Keprotec stretch material 0.9
Poor Kevlar 1.0
Two layers of waxed cotton 1.3
1.3mm thick cow hide 3.8
Two layers of 1.3mm thick cowhide 18
Three layers of 1.3mm thick cowhide 55
Two layers of Kevlar plain weave 5.6
Suede 18
Boot leather (generally 2.2mm thick) 20
Leather stretch panels 20.4


There is also this test from a while back:

Drag Test

"For the Drag Test, samples were stitched to a bag that held a 75-pound
sandbag inside a milk crate, then dragged behind a pickup truck..."

New, 100% Cotton Denim Jeans ----------------------- 3' 10"
Senior Balistic Nylon ----------------------------------- 3' 10"
Leather, Lightweight, Nude Finish, 2.25 oz/sq. ft. --- 4' 3"
Leather, Fashion Weight, 1.75 oz/sq ft. ------------- 4' 4"
Two-year-old 100% Cotton Denim Jeans ------------ 4' 5"
Cordura Nylon Type 440 ----------------------------- 18' 3"
Kevlar 29 Aramid Fiber, Style 713 ------------------ 22' 1"
Leather, Competition Weight, 3 oz/sq. ft. -------- 86' 0"


Taber Test

"For the Taber Test, the specimen was mounted on a rotating platform and
scuffed by two rubber-emery grinding wheels." The numbers represent the
number of revolutions until the fabric totally fails. A vacuum clears
debris.

Two-year-old 100% Cotton Denim Jeans 168
New 100% Cotton Denim Jeans 225
Kevlar 29 Aramid Fiber, Style 713 506
Cordura Nylon, Type 440 559
Leather, Lightweight, Nude Finish, 2.25 oz./sq. ft. 564
Leather, Fashion Weight, 1.75 oz./sq. ft. 750
Senior Ballistic Nylon 817
Leather, Competition Weight, 3 oz./sq. ft. 2600

More to consider...

"Finally, protection from road abrasion cannot be guaranteed by a
materials abrasion resistance alone. A jacket may have panels of
highly abrasion-resistant materials, yet if low-quality stitching joins
those panels and the seams come apart upon impact or during a slide, then
the abrasion resistance of the panels could count for nothing.
Furthermore, an ill-fitting garment may ride up in a slide, contorting
the body and exposing the skin. And the best jacket in the world, left
unzipped and/or unsnapped, won't give riders the protection they pay
for. When it comes to safety, the issues are more complex than just the
abrasion resistance of materials." __________________

From another site:

The textiles vs leathers debate is all about tradeoffs. Choosing which material to use to cover your hide with and spend your pennies on depends on how much you value individual tradeoffs and ultimately, your intended use and riding conditions. Sounds easy enough, but deciding between textiles vs leathers has had great rider minds in a muddle and increasingly so over the last couple of years as the quality and versatility of both materials has improved so much! Just type in “textiles vs leathers ” into google and you will find that 90% of the results are from forums with the answer ultimately resulting in the fact that it depends on your personal preferences. The problem is that this does not help those new to the biking world who have not had the time or experience to develop their own, well-guided preferences… and so the argument goes on.
But, it’s really quite simple if you use the BMI (Best Motorcycle Information) textiles vs leathers test. This test takes the four most differentiating attributes of the two materials into consideration – price, maintenance, comfort and protection. Each attribute is also assigned to either leathers or textiles, depending on which material has the greater advantage in terms of the attribute. After reading the brief summary on each, assign a score out of a hundred to each attribute, giving those attributes that are most important to you higher scores, so that in the end the total score of your four attributes adds to 100. Then add up the score that you gave to the leather attributes and textile attributes, and the material with the highest score is your answer – and best of all it will be unique to your personal preferences.
Price - Textiles
Motorcycle textiles are cheaper to buy than leathers. It is also much harder to judge the quality of leathers and so you take the risk of paying a lot of money for a suit that does not have quality stitching and construction. (Just beware however that it is widely accepted that your textile suit will probably only survive one crash before you have to fork out for a new pair.)
Maintenance - Textiles
This one is simple – motorcycle textiles can be thrown in a commercial washer, while leathers will need to be sent to the cleaners.
Comfort - Textiles
Motorcycle textiles have an all weather capability: vents for when it is warm, liners for when it is cold and water resistance for rain. It breathes more easily than leather, and water slides off it like a ducks back.
Leather is also much heavier than textile.
Protection - Leather
Tests are conducted all the time to compare the abrasion resistance of motorcycle riding gear materials and leather always comes out on top as the most durable material. Furthermore, leather does not melt from friction, it will cushion your fall more than motorcycle textiles would and it offers the best protection against a road rash. The fact that leather also lasts through multiple crashes whilst textiles will probably only last through one, says a lot about the difference in protection and impact between the two materials.
The textiles vs leathers debate basically comes down to protection vs everything else

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I had recently picked up a pair of Royal Enfield's Cooper sneakers during their sale and have used it for a few short rides and while running errands. So Im posting a short review to help other readers.

2. Many riders new to riding gear, tend to put boots as the last item on the list and prefer to manage with their sneakers or other rugged footwear. Spending upwards of Rs 10 K for a pair of boots while on a budget can be challenging. Sneakers with some protection like this are a lot more affordable and are surely better than what they were using earlier.

Apologies for quoting a very old post but was searching on the topic and this very relevant post popped up. I am in this bucket and doing exactly as mentioned above. I am a very 'sneakers' person even for regular wear, use any kind of formal shoes as a last resort and normally am very uncomfortable with it. So don't want to invest in a full fledged riding boots yet and at the same time don't want to continue riding around with regular sneakers.

Any newer options/brands that I need to consider apart from the ones reviewed? The below brand keeps popping up in search, did not see any feedback/reviews for these.

Clan Shoes

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Clan Shoes

Dont touch clan by a bargepole. Look for cabo boots rebadged by RE from TCX. They are quickly going out of stock so look hard online to see if you can spring a pair for yourself.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Apologies for quoting a very old post but was searching on the topic and this very relevant post popped up. I am in this bucket and doing exactly as mentioned above. I am a very 'sneakers' person even for regular wear, use any kind of formal shoes as a last resort and normally am very uncomfortable with it. So don't want to invest in a full fledged riding boots yet and at the same time don't want to continue riding around with regular sneakers.

Any newer options/brands that I need to consider apart from the ones reviewed? The below brand keeps popping up in search, did not see any feedback/reviews for these.

Clan Shoes

Rajeevraj, I have never heard of this brand and hence, dont even know anyone who has considered it, much less used it. The Royal Enfield casual wear with protection options are very good. You can try them out in any Royal Enfield store.

Several TBHPians are happily using them for regular wear. Its a lot better than using Woodlands shoes or regular sneakers!

[Happysmiles]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Dont touch clan by a bargepole. Look for cabo boots rebadged by RE from TCX. They are quickly going out of stock so look hard online to see if you can spring a pair for yourself.

Totally agree with you.
I got the Clan shoes on a Discount Launch Price.
There was lots of advertising then on social media.
Best thing is that, they look good (rather used to look good).
Rest everything else is a fail.

Advice by a Bhpian friend, who we call Professore "Buy Nice or Buy Twice".

[Sebring]

Is it true that the Indian Govt has restricted Shoe imports? Since they come under safety gear. Like helmets, even these will need certifications (I'm told)

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Dont touch clan by a bargepole. Look for cabo boots rebadged by RE from TCX. They are quickly going out of stock so look hard online to see if you can spring a pair for yourself.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Is it true that the Indian Govt has restricted Shoe imports? Since they come under safety gear. Like helmets, even these will need certifications (I'm told)

This is what the folks at Orion in Bangalore told me as well when I went to pick up my boots.

Section 17 of the BIS Act talks about prohibition to manufacture, sell, etc., certain goods without Standard Mark. wherein no person is permitted to manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit for sale such goods without a Standard Mark.

However, all the notifications and circulars released pertaining to banning the sale of non ISI helmets, specifically mention the notification or QC order to be applicable to "Protective Helmets for Two Wheeler Riders"

I couldn't find any other notification or circular as of now on the internet stating it applies to all personal protective equipment.

[ebonho]

Have any of you had the curiosity to ever weigh your total gear or exoskeleton that you put on when you step out to do battle on the roads?

I guess the weight weenie cyclist in me took over today, and I set out weighing my gear. To have a fair idea of what is actually sitting on the bike with the luggage we strap on. Or just sitting on a solo ride.



Mesh DSG jacket (no liners) = 2 kilos (a tad under maybe ... spring type luggage weighing scale is not the most accurate, but will do to get the broader picture)



Vented RST textile jacket (no liners) = 2 kilos (a smidgen over maybe - but with my wallet and phone ... not weighed with the mesh jacket, so ...)



Vented textile DriRider pants (no liners) = 1 kilo



RST WP GoreTex touring boots = 1 kilo (these are a tad lighter than the heavier armoured Alpinestars, even with the mid and inner linings)



DMS city ride boots = 1 kilo (a tad under ... understandably, with no armour save for the toe and heel cups plus the thick sole, this is the lightest boot ... just about)



Refurbished Alpinestars (will go back for more hard leather cladding work in a day or so ... the plastics are a huge letdown ... will NEVER buy Alpinestars again, as a brand ... not just boots) = 1 kilo (a tad over)



AGV helmet + balaclava + Leather full gauntlets = 2 kilos



CamelBak filled with a tad over 1.5L of water = 2 kilos

So around 6 kilos of exoskeleton normally with full gear + another 2 kilos of hydration on longer all day rides or should I choose to carry it.

As a cyclist, that's literally like strapping on a road bike on to me when I set out to ride my motorcycle! LOL

The CamelBak has been another storage casualty with the main strap on one side and the cross chest strap giving way of the webbing. The bladder and bire valve and zippers and the main bag are thankfully okay.

Cheers, Doc