yes some helmets are more stable at high speeds then others. But as far as making you faster no helmet is going to make you faster. Again all the helmets i mentioned any of the top model's are going to be very aero efficent at speeds.

 

Just make sure you get race worthy stuff. Avoid mesh anything and you get what you pay for most of the time. Shoei, Soumy, Arai etc. helmets fit much better, in general, than cheaper brands. I still wear the first helmet I ever bought regularly, they can last a long time.

I have vanson and alpinestar gear. I have a* gear that's not perforated for the winter and vanson perforated for the summer. Please do not buy mesh, it's like tissue paper when you crash hard. I prefer a* gloves, I have the 2nd highest tier ones; I believe they are about 120. Those will also last you at least a couple seasons, I average 3 and I ride year round in all weather.

Boots are subjective but sidi are most popular. I like/have a* once again. I wear work boots if racing boots are not an option and sometimes they aren't. Whatever you do, try not to get in the habit of wearing shoes that are going to fly off on the first sign of impact. A poster on the 1st page was dead on-almost every accident involves damage to the ankles/feet if they aren't protected. I have two friends who had relatively minor crashes but have about 12 and 15 grand respectively of titanium their feet/ankles.

Only buy gear you realistically see yourself wearing.

 

Have your A* gloves held up? Theres a post in here describing one member's nightmare with 4 or 5 pairs of them failing without going down.

I am staying away from mesh completely. I will most likely get perf. boots b/c it's hot as shit in FL the majority of the year and only gets into the 30s rarely during the winter.

As for the leathers, I'm still debating between a 2 peice suit or a jacket and then some pants that can zip up to it...which is still a 2 piece now that I think about it lol.

As you stated, I'm only buying gear that I will wear. I've already made a list of the specific types of gear I want, I'm just waiting for a day to go to the local shop to try the brands on to make sure they fit me well, if they don't, then I'll find some that do.

 

So I'm guessing the higher end shoei (just an example brand) helmets will have less sound dampening to save weight, right?

As for the 'traction reserve', are you referring to your tire tread or meaning you never push the throttle hard enough to where you may lose traction around a turn b/c of the possibility of slime or water patches?

 

My a* gloves have help up very well, and I've had several pairs that I've used from brand new until there were holdes in the fingers just from use.

I suppose it's possible the cheaper a* gloves aren't as durable but if you are in the $100+ range [I can't recall the exact name of my gloves] they won't last as long. I have been 100% satisfied with all my a* products. The first leather jacket I ever bought for riding was an a* and it looks brand new today.

Perf. is a good idea especially if you aren't riding year round. I live in TX and there are 3-4 months out of the year that perf. won't be warm enough without a lot of clothes under it which may or may not be possible if your jacket fits correctly (tight). Perf. leather pants are cooler* than jeans in my experience. I'd suggest getting a jacket that can also zip up with some 'track pants'. A* has this setup and so does Vanson among other brands. IMO when you get serious about racing you will want at least a partially custom fitted suit that won't be comfortable or practical for trips to and from school/work.

 

No helmets have what I'd call sound dampening. The helmets are quieter the better they are sealed, but louder the more venting they have. So some Arai helmets with a lot of vents really should only be worn with ear plugs. It's arguable that every helmet should be worn with ear plugs but I do not so I can't say it's absolutely necessary.

I wouldn't be concerned about how "loud" they are, you can always wear plugs. You want something that vents well and fits as TIGHT AS POSSIBLE without making you pass out. Do not try to buy your 1st helmet online having no clue as to whether it's going to fit correctly. Shoei's, soumy's, arai's, etc. fit much, much better than the 100-150 helmet brands I've tried.

 

I was the one who had the multiple pairs of astar gloves come apart and they were the highest level glove the Gp tech. astar has now moved their production of gloves again to now china for the 07 models

 

My newest set of gloves GP-PLUS are made in china, I just checked the tag. All I can say in that situation is to contact a* and hope for a resolution. I'd try to make up some excuse/reason as to why it may be something you are doing but I've put all the pairs of gloves I've bought from a* through every imagineable test; snow, rain, houston heat, several hour rides daily year round, etc. Besides crashes obviously, you can't expect them to handle those over and over again.

 

good read