Re: CUSTOM LEATHERS?

I just bought a one-piece road racing suit from Syed. I bought it for track
use. I'm not sure whether I'll wear in on the road. I probably won't ever
wear it around Atlanta, but if I trailer my bike up to North Georgia to hit
the mountain roads, I might wear it, as it would seem more appropriate up
there. I saw some other riders in full leathers up there.

So my needs were a bit different from yours, because, I'm guessing, you want
something primarily for street use. I would still seriously consider a
leather suit with armor, but I might favor a two-piece rather than a
one-piece if I was you, for the sake of flexibility. Not only can you move
around better with the whole suit on, but you can just wear half of it if
you want.

I have not road tested my suit yet. But I have worn it at home for a few
hours just to judge the fit and to start breaking it in. I could not be more
pleased so far. The suit looks fantastic, and fits remarkably well
considering I took all the measurements myself. I may need a small
adjustment or two, but that is to be expected. I cannot wait to get on the
track now, as I finally have all my gear assembled. The suit is thick,
comfortable and is nicely finished. It weighs about 10 or 12 pounds I would
guess. Wearing it inspires confidence, I can already tell that.

I got full perforation and full armor (shoulders, elbows, thighs, knees,
chest and back) plus stretch panels in the crotch, back of the knee and
inside the elbows, plus knee sliders (plastic), all for less than $1,200.
That's pretty much every option except for the aero hump. Yes, that is still
a lot of money, but I found the price to be competitive. Barnacle Bill's
prices are comparable if not nearly identical. You will pay considerably
more at Helimot (and anyone at Helimot will claim that their suits and their
service are worth it -- I certainly am in no position to argue as I have not
owned one) -- say around $2000 for those options. With any of the three, you
are getting a suit tailor made to your measurements, in your design and in
your colors.

Based on my experience (none of it first-hand except with my own suit) and
research, you cannot go wrong with Syed (based in Orlando) or with Barnacle
Bill's (based in Kentucky). I have spoken at length with Stefan at Syed and
with Bill at Barnacle Bill's, and both of these guys are thoughtful,
conscientous people who care about their work, in my opinion. Also, each
said good things about the other. I originally was going to go with Barnacle
Bill but went with Syed because Bill was backed up with orders and also
because I like the way Syed's designs look (I wasn't prepared to design my
own from scratch having never owned one). I like Bill's too, and many of
them are similar to Syed's. But Bill's are a little more old-school looking
in my opinion, which might be what you want if you want a street suit (In
particular, Syed is liberal with branding. You might not want a street suit
with logos all over it, so be sure you ask about this if you get someone to
make you a suit).

There is also Jay at motorcycleleatherexchange.com. He sells used suits. If
you give him your measurements, he will look through what he has to see if
something fits. You never know. You can save a bundle that way if you get
lucky.

There are other options, these are just the ones I know something about.
Consider your goals and needs. Do you want something only for aggressive
sport riding, or do you want something for cruising or general purpose
riding? Do you want something you can just slip on over your clothes, or are
you prepared to "suit up" every time you ride?

Oh yeah, if you go with a bright color, such as yellow, I would consider
going with an earthy version of that color, rather than a pure
version. That's just my opinion. I went with white, gray and black. That
might sound plain, but the suit definitely says "racing" to my eyes. So,
just be forewarned, it doesn't take much to call a lot of attention to
yourself. I would bet that's why black suits are so popular despite the heat
they would absorb. So I think you have the right idea trying to be
conservative. You might get some ideas by looking through the photo
galleries on svrider.com.

I will write a review of my suit eventually and more than likely will
publish reviews of all my gear somewhere.

Good luck and enjoy your SV.

Erik




On 2/24/06, Keith Nyberg <[email protected] > wrote:
>
> Ok recently started riding about a month ago. Picked up a 99 sv650s. I
> love it. I like that the engine complains but still works around my bad gear
> selections. any way I got a textile icon jacket and some gortex  technic
> pants. this combo will get me by but I am starting to think about a set of
> leathers. Frankly speaking, most leathers on the market are hideously ugly.
> I want a set of leathers that is mainly one color. think Uma thurman in kill
> bill. sadly I will blow your line of thinking by saying i am a pudgy baldy
> 31 yr old dude. basicly simply but a bright color. any one have any tips on
> a custom leather shop or possible a manufacturer that makes simply and
> bright.
>
> Keith
>

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