Ride Safe With Motoroids: How to buy a full riding gear set in less than Rs 15,000

Ever wondered how safe Tony Stark would have been without his Iron Man armor or how Captain America would have defended himself without his Shield. Imagine the man in the lead photograph, riding the red Pulsar RS200 on Bajaj’s home track, in a t-shirt, short pants and rubber slippers. Not a pretty sight, is it? Yet, many people ride their motorcycles wearing clothes that are suitable for a walk in the park or an evening on the beach. So why do many motorcyclists refrain from using even the most basic of riding accessories?

One of the reasons why many motorcyclists do not prefer buying a full riding gear set is due to the rather unaffordable price tags that these products carry. But you really do not have to spend a great deal of money to get reasonably good protective gear. It’s all about basic safety, so we set a reasonable budget of Rs 15,000 to find out if you could buy your entire riding gear set for that money. Here’s how you can pull it off.

Helmet

You might have a pretty face but make sure you flaunt it only when you are off the motorcycle. A full face helmet is undoubtedly the most important part of the riding gear. Beginners can look at a range of full face Vega or Studds helmets. Selecting the correct size is the next big thing. Do not buy helmets that easily slide onto your head. A correct size helmet will require an extra effort to be worn properly.

We would like to add here that affordable does not necessarily mean boring. Vega and Studds helmets are available in some really good graphics and some of these products also come with a built-in sun visor which comes handy during day rides. A decent quality basic helmet would cost you about Rs 1,500-2,500. You can also opt for an entry-level THH or SOL helmet which will set you back by little over Rs 3,500. A decent Cross or LS2 helmet would cost you anywhere between 2500 to 3000- though they are available at a higher range too. Spend an extra Rs 250 and get yourself a balaclava which would soak up most of the sweat and give the helmet padding a longer life.

• Vega Axor: Rs 2,400
• LS2 FF350: Rs 3,500
• THH TS15: Rs 3,800

Riding Jacket or Body Armour?

All those who are on a super-saving mode and cannot invest a lot of money for a riding jacket can get themselves a set of body armor. These body armors have almost all the required padding that a jacket offers but come at really affordable prices, sometimes as low as Rs 1,500. These protectors might not be great alternative for a riding jacket but they can offer decent level of protection. As in the case of motocross riders, you might just slip over a jersey to hide the outlandish look of the armor.

But there is a minor drawback. Body armor do not offer protection from rain or cold weather and this is where riding jackets earn extra points. Brands such as Spartan, RJays, Cramster and DSGear are known to offer value for money riding gear. While these jackets would not provide as much protection as their leather counterparts, they offer decent protection in case of a minor mishap.

• Pokomoko – Riding Gear Body Armor: Rs 1,500
• DSG Evo Mesh Jacket: Rs 5,000
• Rjays – Swift Protective Riding Jacket: Rs 6,500

Riding Pants/Jeans or Knee Guards?

The difference between riding jacket and body armor also applies in the leg protection department. So while knee guards can be bought at affordable prices, they do not offer much protection from rain and cold weather. Moreover, knee guards do not provide safety to the hip region which can be a minor drawback. Good quality knee guards can cost you anything between Rs 2,500-3,500. But another couple thousand rupees over the price of a knee guard can get you riding pants which offer protection from rains and cold weather along with pads to save the hip region. Basic or entry level riding pants can cost upto Rs 5,000.

• Nexxt – Raptor Motorcycle Riding Knee/Shin Guard: Rs 730
• Cramster Bionic Knee Protector- Rs 1950
• Scoyco Knee Guards And Elbow Guards -set Of 4: Rs 3,400
• Cramster Velocity All Weather Riding Pant: Rs 5,550
• RJays – All Seasons II Protective Riding Pant: Rs 6,000

Riding Boots

Riding boots are a crucial part of saving your precious ankle, feet and toes. Now you don’t have to go through the range of Alpinestars or Spidi boots. You can opt for well built military style boots which offer considerable protection at really (and we mean REALLY) affordable prices. The military style boots would cost about Rs 1,500-2,000 while Alpinestars and Spidi would set you back by at least Rs 15,000-20,000. Woodland usually have offers going around the year and you can fetch a decent pair of boots for less than Rs.3000.

• Benera Magnum High Ankle Boots: Rs 2,000
• Woodland High Ankle Boots: Rs 3,000
• You can have a walk in shoe market near your home for good deals

Gloves

Over thousands of years of evolution, human mind has been trained to protect itself from falling with the use of hands. Hands suffer a considerable damage in the event of an accident and hence a good pair of gloves are a must. While you can pick up Probiker gloves for as low as Rs 500, we recommend you buy better quality products i.e. DSG Primal or the Cramster TRG2 full gauntlet gloves that would cost you in the region of Rs 3,000/-. Good quality gloves have better knuckle protectors along with good padding on the palms to absorb and protect you in case of an accident.

• Range: Rs 500-3,000

Here is an estimated total of all of these products put together. In case you are willing to shell out some extra cash then the last column is a pretty good deal:

Product	Cheapest	Average	Expensive
Helmet	2,400	3,000	3,800
Jacket/Armor	1,500 (Armor)	5,000 (Jacket)	6,500 (Jacket)
Pants/Knee Guard	730 (Knee Guard)	1,950 (Knee Guard)	6,000 (Pants)
Boots	2,000	2,000	3,000
Gloves	500	1,000	3,000
Total	7,130	12,950	22,300

One more tip we’d share is if you have a friend coming from the USA, you might probably buy a renowned branded gear from online websites such as Motorcycle-Superstore.com, CompAcc.com etc. They usually have CLOSEOUT deals happening all round the year and if you happen to grab an offer, then nothing like it. Simply buy it online and get it delivered at your friend’s address in the US.

While a complete riding gear will protect you to a certain extent we believe that prevention is the best cure and advice our readers to ride responsibly. Streets are not race tracks and anything can pop a surprise in the middle of the road. Look well ahead on the road before you twist that throttle and zoom into the horizon.

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