Glove suggestions....

ND4SPD · 09-02-2003, 1:06 PM

for a new pair of gloves. My Violator Pro's have worn out in the last ~2 years and it's time to replace them. I'd like to try something else. I'm happy with the overall quality of the glove, but I noticed that on longer rides(over 2 hours) the plastic knuckles start to hurt my knuckles. Is this something that all gloves do and I'm just gonna have to get used to, or is this glove specific?

I've been thinking about the Alpinestars GP Plus gloves, but is $180 really worth it? I don't want to get anything cheap, I want to protect my hands, but that seems kind of steep for a pair of gloves. If it's worth it, I'll pay for it, but not if a $100 pair of gloves offers the same protection.

Thanks for the input

Chain · 09-02-2003, 1:16 PM

I think many of the race spec gloves out there are terribly overpriced.

You would do well to consider Tour Master 'Roadrace Comp Carbon' gloves, available for the paltry sum of $65.00 from site sponsor Kneedraggers. They offer great fit and comfort, no bleeding (they're fully lined), a modicum of venting, heavy double stitching with Kevlar thread, several carbon fiber contact panels for added protection, a nice long gauntlet, and the aforementioned tasty price. I've got a pair in black/black and would not be without them.

Personally, I think they're the best street glove value on the market right now, regardless of price and manufacturer.

Spend more if you want, but you don't have to.

http://www.kneedraggers.com/index.ph...no=33-TM-3&s=1

CBRjack · 09-02-2003, 1:24 PM

Held. I have two pair of Held. They're really comfy and you can feel good knowing you're wearing the best. My first pair is still in great shape even after more than five years.

jafo · 09-02-2003, 1:27 PM

I read in roadracing world the alpinestars did well in crashes,of course every crash is different,your results may vary.I have the same complaint with carbon fiber knuckles.I recently bought some rs taichi gp max for my girl,these gloves are sick!I have also heard good things about held,cycle gear carries them now.I dont know too much about frank thomas(cycle gear again)but cycle gear tells me lifetime warranty(excluding crash damage),I am considering since I go through gloves every 1-1/2 years.It would be nice to just go in and exchange them when they wore out.

Baketech · 09-02-2003, 1:44 PM

In a perfect world, I would own Held.....but they do not fit my deformed hands....
I do own one pair of Held Goretex for winter/rain riding. Great pair of gloves, built for a specific purpose. I had to get an oversize pair to fit my fingers....but since I wouldn't be riding them on the track or for sport, it seemed like an ok compromise.

I am currently riding my 2nd pair of A/S GP Plus, and they have been a fantastic. They are very comfortable and functional. Have not crash tested them though....

I have owned several pairs of Tour Master gloves in the past as well. They are quality made stuff that offers a lot of bang for the buck.
Haven't crash tested those gloves either....

freq · 09-02-2003, 2:17 PM

your choice of A-star GP Plus is a good one. just shop for the best price, cuz, unless you know someone, they are $$$ and if you mail order go one size larger, or find someone who stocks them and size them that way.

Baketech · 09-02-2003, 2:28 PM

Kneedraggers has decent pricing right now.....

GP Plus - $161 includes 2nd Day Shipping
GP Pro - $180 includes 2nd Day Shipping

coderedcbr · 09-02-2003, 2:50 PM

Quote:

Chain : I think many of the race spec gloves out there are terribly overpriced.

You would do well to consider Tour Master 'Roadrace Comp Carbon' gloves, available for the paltry sum of $65.00 from site sponsor Kneedraggers. They offer great fit and comfort, no bleeding (they're fully lined), a modicum of venting, heavy double stitching with Kevlar thread, several carbon fiber contact panels for added protection, a nice long gauntlet, and the aforementioned tasty price. I've got a pair in black/black and would not be without them.

Personally, I think they're the best street glove value on the market right now, regardless of price and manufacturer.

Spend more if you want, but you don't have to.

http://www.kneedraggers.com/index.ph...no=33-TM-3&s=1

I have a set of them. They are a nice set of gloves for the price. I only crashed once in them and it was at a low speed but no damage.

HondaGalToo · 09-02-2003, 2:51 PM

I swear by the Helds. I have a pair of the Galaxys. Not cheap, but excellent protection! They have the hard carbon knuckes, too, but are completely comfortable. The Akira is also excellent, and a bit cheaper than the Galaxy.

ND4SPD · 09-02-2003, 4:24 PM

Well, looks like I have quite a few choices to pick from.

moregrip · 09-02-2003, 7:51 PM

my spidi carbovent's are real nice and seem to offer alot of protection. no idea on cost though?

HondaGal · 09-03-2003, 9:13 AM

I crash tested my Held's. Boy, was I impressed! Not one seam split, the leather didn't tear on the palms where my hands dragged across the tarmac and into the dirt. And, the carbon fiber knuckle protector probably saved one of my knuckles from being crushed. The protector was smashed but no damage to the knuckle.

The extra cost of the glove was soooo worth it.

I looked at the Helimot site, they have a new decent glove of their own. Look at this one.. It may be what you're looking for.

HondaGalToo · 09-03-2003, 10:34 AM

Yeah, Helimot no longer carries Held gloves. *The new importer is Intersports Fashions West. *You can find them at Held USA
They still make sizes smaller than 8, but they need to be special ordered, unfortunately.

Helimot is designing their own line of gloves now, and based on their leathers, I'm sure they're excellent quality.

Edit: Helimot has some leftover stock of Held gloves on closeout, check them out, too.

Heavy-Dee · 09-03-2003, 10:36 AM

Take a look at Deathrage. I bought a pair at Mid Ohio. Expect to spend about $100. They are really nice. Next best thing to bullet proof. My only complaint would be that there is a pad in the outside of the palm that presses into your palm pretty hard. I don't wear them on the street.

Oz · 09-03-2003, 11:03 AM

I have a pair of Held Galaxy gloves - I haven't crash tested them (knocks wood), but they're well-built and very comfortable, even on all-day trips to the twisties. Worth the money to me.

RacerCutie · 09-03-2003, 3:09 PM

I really like the Held's. The only complaint I had was that the palms were thin. On the track, my hands would sweat and I'd get blisters from the kangaroo leather rubbing on my hands.

Has anyone tried Helimot's version yet?

tigerblade · 09-03-2003, 3:38 PM

I currently have a pair of Spidi Tech Composite. I like 'em. They seem like they'll hold up fine but didn't really test them in my crash (barrel roll instead of sliding). Not bad at <$100

KD LINK

CanyonCarver · 09-04-2003, 8:27 AM

Quote:

ND4SPDSHO : I've been thinking about the Alpinestars GP Plus gloves, but is $180 really worth it?

Absolutely, IMO. $180 is cheap insurance, the way I see it. How important are your hands to you? I couldn't earn a living without one of them.

I've crashed 3 times in my A-Star GP Plus (not that I'm proud of it ) and they have done an excellent job of protecting my hands. I'm about ready to replace them, as the palm on the left hand is a bit thin now, but will gladly throw down another $180 if that's what it takes. There are others that are good, too. Held immediately comes to mind, but I haven't used them b4.

Bonus: the A-Stars are very comfy, once they're broken in.

red929 · 09-04-2003, 11:54 AM

Make sure you try on a pair of Alpinestars GP Plus gloves before you buy them ... even better if you get a chance to wear them for a little while first too. I tried mine on before I bought them and thought they fit and felt pretty good expecting them to get even better after breaking in. Boy was I wrong! This is the first pair of motorcycle gloves I've owned that I got blisters when riding =:-( IMHO they've done a rather poor job with the seams on the inside of the fingers. The tips try to work between your finger and nail which becomes pretty annoying after awhile and the I found the back (knuckle side) of the fingers to be rough enough to rub my knuckles raw. Anyway, I guess I wasted my money on them because even though they still look like brand new, I've decided to replace them with Held Akira's. These are way more comfortable even from day one. The leather is soft like my old pair of Dainese gloves, but offer quite a bit more protection. Not quite as much as the Nankai Racing gloves I tried to replace with the Alpinestars, but pretty darn close. BTW, the Nankai's where awesome gloves too. They where a bit uncomfortable when new, but after riding them through a downpour at the IOM they fit perfect =;-) ... maybe I sould try drenching the Alpinestars ...

Anyway, sorry for babbling on. My suggestion is to checkout Held or Nankai.

jafo · 09-04-2003, 12:32 PM

Red929,funny what you said about drenching your gloves,I just did that with some new gloves to speed up the break in process.

Joel · 09-05-2003, 11:41 PM

I currently wear Held gloves. My first pair lasted me 100,000 or more miles, and I was very happy with them, so I bought another pair, and I'm still very happy with them.

I think next time I would seriously consider these ones: http://www.leeparksdesign.com/default....MQ542R0 Motorcyclist recently did a review and gave them .

HondaGal · 09-06-2003, 8:54 AM

I have the Held Akira's too, along with the Held Galaxy model. The Akira's protection are more comfortable for me and they required basically no break-in period.

The deerskin gloves are nice but where's the protection?? The extra layer of leather on top of the knuckles doesn't provide any real protection. There's no armor for the forearms, fingers, or knuckles. Wazzup with that??? Sure they're soft and supple but in a fall your hands can be broken/smashed. I think this glove was made for the 'cruiser' folks who have basically no regard for hand protection.

Joel · 09-06-2003, 10:27 AM

Quote:

HondaGal : The deerskin gloves are nice but where's the protection?? *The extra layer of leather on top of the knuckles doesn't provide any real protection. *There's no armor for the forearms, fingers, or knuckles. *Wazzup with that??? * * Sure they're soft and supple but in a fall your hands can be broken/smashed. *I think this glove was made for the 'cruiser' folks who have basically no regard for hand protection. *

I disagree. The most common injury for hands that I've seen is due to abrasion, not breaks / crushing injuries. Besides, a bit of CF on your knuckles is not really going to protect your hand should your motorcycle land on it.

IMO, good quality leather that's stitched together in such a way that the stitching is the last thing to fail is your best protection.

ND4SPD · 09-07-2003, 7:56 AM

Quote:

Joel : IMO, good quality leather that's stitched together in such a way that the stitching is the last thing to fail is your best protection.

That is THE ticket to the answer to this question. However, no real way to find out without crash testing, eh?

Joel · 09-07-2003, 11:13 AM

Quote:

ND4SPDSHO : Quote (Joel @ Sep. 06 2003, 10:27am)IMO, good quality leather that's stitched together in such a way that the stitching is the last thing to fail is your best protection.

That is THE ticket to the answer to this question. *However, no real way to find out without crash testing, eh?
Yeah, and I'm NOT volunteering.

HondaGalToo · 09-07-2003, 9:00 PM

True, it's the quality and stitching of the glove that's just as important, but I think armor in gloves helps, too. I've also heard, that while deerskin is nice and supple and doesn't need to be broken in, that it is too soft to hold up well in a crash. The kangaroo skin used by Held holds up better because of the pore structure.