Im trying to locate some gear that can do dual purpose work for my, you guessed it, dual purpose bike

I do a decent mix of on and off road driving, really Im trying to find some gear that will help me in the event of a spill on the pavement, as well as a low speed spill on the rocks when I'm off road.  So really, leathers or one piece suits are kinda out of the picture...

I was looking pretty hard at some Joe Rocket gear, the coat/over pants looked like a decent option.  I'm somewhat fond of the padded joints, I think they would offer a good amount of protection on the rocks, as well as the road, which is probably what all the gear is made for.


I haven't really looked at MX gear, which would probably be the best option for off road, but I don't like the whole spider man look while Im cruising the streets.  

Back on Joe Rocket, I've heard some bad things about them?  Is it a quality issue?  

I bought a Meteor 5 late last fall.  Looks and feels to be quality made and reasonable priced.  Really only wore it about 10x.  Well padded.  No road rash with it on.    The length is typical motorcycle jacket or, waste length. Does'nt work well with a small backpack. The Ballistic looks to be more of a environmental jacket.

newenough.com had good prices.  They have a closeout on colored Meteror 4 for under $100.  Just ordered a pair of the JR padded jeans.

my DS ride: i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/Boomholzer/IM000797.jpg

Damn it, forgot the bike pr0nz...




Had to find a replacement for my 2000 TW200.

I think that is much more of a real dirtbike as far as Dual Sports go.  Great looking bike!  My DRZ has'nt seen much off-road since I got it, but I felt it up and got in trouble.   The tires on it suck hardcore offroad.  Got a pair of D606s waiting for it, still very heavy. The D606 front gets bad reviews in sand which is the soil where I off-road it.  Commuter, urban let some steam off bike right now.  Got a YZ125, hard to adjust but I can do more with the DS and not piss people off.  Thw world continually gets smaller.

The Meteor 5 coat will provide better arm protection over MX.  It's lacking the chest protector but the shoulder pads are heavy.  The jacket is way to hot and restrictive for tough riding.   That jacket with a pair of boots, and shin gaurds would set you up well for rocky trails as long as you get the chance to cool off.  If you dont have a good pair of boots, I'd opt for that first, especially in rocks and woods.  The one thing I always wore, even when putting without a helmet.

Quoted: Im trying to locate some gear that can do dual purpose work for my, you guessed it, dual purpose bike I do a decent mix of on and off road driving, really Im trying to find some gear that will help me in the event of a spill on the pavement, as well as a low speed spill on the rocks when I'm off road.  So really, leathers or one piece suits are kinda out of the picture... I was looking pretty hard at some Joe Rocket gear, the coat/over pants looked like a decent option.  I'm somewhat fond of the padded joints, I think they would offer a good amount of protection on the rocks, as well as the road, which is probably what all the gear is made for. I haven't really looked at MX gear, which would probably be the best option for off road, but I don't like the whole spider man look while Im cruising the streets.   Back on Joe Rocket, I've heard some bad things about them?  Is it a quality issue?

So why are leathers out?

Joe Rocket makes quality stuff at the price point their at. Good customer support if they did F something up.  Recently their was alot of counterfeiting with Joe Rocket so you had to be careful, but the bad guys got shut down from what I heard.

Will this be used equal parts on/off road?

Do you plan on wearing full protection every ride - pants, boots no matter how hot it is or just a jacket?

Will you always be doing both in the same ride or on some days will you be on the street and some days you'll be on the dirt?

Whatever you decide make sure that you know that MX gear is not designed for the street.  Example: MX gloves are popular for sportbike riders in the summer.  When you crash and slide the material melts into your skin.  Pretty much every company now makes hybrid stuff that has the mx-style but uses different material to hold up better in a higher speed/slide type crash.  

Edit to add: Just like one gun is not perfect for every situation, one piece of riding gear is not perfect for all situations.  You'll have to compromise or GET BOTH...

Quoted: Damn it, forgot the bike pr0nz... www.sitesled.com/members/hickwarrior/P3030001.JPG Had to find a replacement for my 2000 TW200.

Pic is a red X, but I'd love to have a TW200...just something about those big tires oin that little bike that makes it look like a lot of fun.





I do not like Joe Rocket gear. I have a Sonic jacket that I was dissapointed with, mostly because of cheapness ussues with the zippers and liner (all of which were fixed by my wife who can sew).
It isn't bad for the price and I did see a coat the other day that would be really good for dual sport riding but I can't remember the name.

I ride a Wr426, mostly on the road. I wear my normal street gear (First Gear Kenya and HT overpants, Arai Signet GTR helmet, Held Profi gloves, and Set-up Grand Prix H20 boots). For more dirt oriented riding, which I do very little of, I have a Thor SVR helmet and just ordered a pair of Set-up Adventure boots.

I am going to add some GP armor to my Kenya (hard plastic) and put it o the outside of the foam armor that is in it for more off road protection. Any brand knee/shin guards would be good if you are planning an extended off road ride...or just wear some street gear with knee and hip pads (like the HT overpants).

Basically you could wear the same clothing for street and dirt if you research a bit. Buy a decent 3/4 length (I would buy a longer jacket than the waist length Kenya if I were to buy a jacket again) jacket with some protection, then go HERE (or some place similar) and put some hard armor in it...do the same for riding pants.

I don't know what kind of riding you do...rain or 15 degree day trips...but I like the First gear stuff. It isn't too much more than joe rocket and is very good at water resistance (I wouldn't call it waterproof because it will eventually leak if you ride in a hard enough rain for a long time).

Another option are the new upper body armor jackets like the sixsixone pressure suit, rockgardn flak jacket, EVS suits, or something like that. You could wear them under a light jacket or jersey and still carry a rain coat in a tail pack.


Like stated above, everything is a comprimize when looking into dual sport stuff...even the bikes.

I have a Joe Rocket Ballistic jacket. I have it for 3 years. It works good but is not water proof. It has a zip out liner which is nice. Haven't crashed with it so not sure how well it holds up.

My webhosting seems to be down, thats the red X probloem.  Bah.


I'm not really into the hardcore foul weather trips on my bike.  I will do cold weather commute trips into work, like now, but thats 1.5 miles and no big deal.  I think a lighter setup to offer hot weather comfort would be a larger priority.  I could layer up if need be.  


The more I think, I really need lightweight clothes to support armor, nothing much heavier.  Im afraid if its a nice heavy peice of gear, it will be too hot at slow speeds on off road trails.  Getting my knees in the breeze on the highway makes everything nice and cool.


That link provided offers pretty good reviews on products, Definatly helps find what will offer air flow, and what won't.  I appreciate the help, hopefully I find something that will work.

www.motorcyclegearreview.com/

http://www.highvelocitygear.com/productpages/mpba.html

Better price here:

http://www.madisonsportbikes.com/vg.shtml

Looks like just what you're after...

Quoted: http://www.highvelocitygear.com/productpages/mpba.html Better price here: http://www.madisonsportbikes.com/vg.shtml Looks like just what you're after...

this thing works very well...although sometimes it can be a bitch to wear.

i ride my bike to school sometimes and if i wear that, i have to go and change in the bathroom cuz the pads are a little bulky to wear around the classroom.

as long as you dont mind changing when you get where you need to go its good.

I hae Tourmaster Cortech jacket and pants. Dont know ho wwell it woul dbe on dirt, but its armored, waterproof and has an insulating liner thats removable.