[Yellow Submarine]

How well do the trousers cut out the wind?

The pants work quite well in the weather. They keep every bit of it out. Wind, rain or cold. I don’t wear anything extra under them really. A pair of long John’s and that’s it.

I’ve now gotten used to adjusting the knee armor as I get on the bike. I’ve also taken to making sure it’s in the correct spot once I have them on so only minor adjustments required at the bike.

Still have not solved the zip to jacket issue but I’ve just been enjoying being able to ride and not worry about the cold or wet.

The jacket has also broken in a bit now and my electric vest fits comfortably underneath it. I don’t even need the high setting unless it’s like 36F or below. The mid setting works well most days.

Do you have any thoughts about what you're going to do about them?

The boots are most definitely water proof. After riding through a deluge of fairly epic proportions I can attest my feet remained warm and dry.

In the dry, the boot soles feel really grippy. Strange that they’re so slick in the wet. They have gotten better though only slightly. However I’ve gone from missed shifts on basically every take off from a stop to roughly 2-3 per ride.

In the dry I still miss one occasionally but I imagine once they break in more that will go away. Overall I’m not disappointed in all the kit. Individually though, there are some disappointing aspects like the zip and the boot soles. Otherwise, so long as I’m warm & dry when I get where I’m going, job done.

 

[Daedalus64]

Sorry for the late reply, been so busy these last few days!

I'm glad you've found it all positive, despite the foibles with the boot grip, which is totally ironic since they're designed to be used in the wet! I do get what you mean though, I've had shoes in the past where the rubber sole is so hard, with an almost shiny finish to it, it has taken time to "wear" in and the rubber to soften after which they are super grippy, I'm hoping this is a similar situation with these boots but time will tell.

I didn't realise you rode with an electric jacket (might have missed it in one of your earlier posts) I've never found my upper body to get that cold, and my Astars jacket is quite warm, its mainly been my hands. Your review of the heated gloves has piqued my interest though. I've got heated grips on my Bandit, albeit one is a bit temperamental but they only heat the palm. I don't have anything on the GSXR so the gloves might be the better option.

I've also been looking at some of the Knox clothing, it looks really good, but is quite expensive especially when I don't know anyone who has any of it. I'm guessing you guys get it in the states?

 

[Yellow Submarine]

Absolutely. We get Knox gear here….have for as long as I’ve known about them. Easily 2+ decades. Maybe more like 3.

Really like the Handroid gloves but can’t justify $450 US for a pair of gloves. I’ve worn some of their other armor in jackets that came with the provision for armor but without the armor itself. I prefer their stuff to most any other. Though there are a number of “OEM” gear manufacturers whose armor is now on par with Knox….then there’s Forcefield which I’m interested to try.

Our weather turned dry a few days ago…well a week now. It’s been 36-37F mostly so I’ve been wearing the whole kit most days. The boots….I’ve gotten to where I’m not missing shifts anymore at least. Will have to wait for more rain before I can comment further on how the boot soles are working. Seem pretty grippy in the dry.

Have not had the chance to revisit the waist zip to see if I can get it to work. Not been at the top of my priority list. Will update further after more seat time with the Berik stuff.

 

[Daedalus64]

Ah cool, I'm relatively new to riding, so still learning the best brands, which is why I was interested in your reviews of the technical clothing!

I've got a forcefield back protector in my AStars Textile, hardly know its there. It's not as flexible as their Nucleon kit but I much prefer it to that one that is in my Weise more casual leather jacket. The Handroid gloves look insane, but I guess give incredible amounts of protection. The only Knox kit I've got is a balaclava, it was discounted and I needed something warmer under my helmet! 🤣

That's good then, its been warmer here too, so much so I'm thinking about getting one of the bikes out of hibernation, although its definitely not warm enough for leathers alone! Those boots will be my go to unless I'm doing something more casual, I think you'll wear them in quicker than I but progress seems positive at least.

 

[QRO]

I think I will get the bikes taxed and back on the road too for Feb. January was cold, and still not 'nice' but not actually as cold as I thought, I'd have gone out a couple of times already.

Given my current situation (other thread, sold car) the 'kit' situation should get some attention. I am not into buying expensive branded kit, I have generally found that there is equal quality unbranded available, though it can be pot luck. I think I hit lucky with a reinforced and "armoured" cordura jacket, and a very good quality pair of leather trousers, they zip together. Happy with those, and I have some waterproof layers if needed.

That stuff is OK on a long trip down to 5C or a pinch less. I think we are there now. I am not keen on leather jackets, personally I find they tend to restrict the head movement, OK otherwise but the bulk of leather around the shoulders and neck don't really suit my style to move my head around a lot.

Whether I need to get a warmer winter suit, I guess nothing would be practical to go over that sort of arrangement so it'd need to be a single piece with due protections in it. That sounds expensive.

It's my hands that I am now worried about. I have developed instances of 'Raynauds' syndrome which has been quite significant this winter where the fingers stop flowing blood.

So I think the biggest expense is that I have to try to get some heated gloves. The ones @Yellow Submarine posted about look good, about the cheapest you can get and I noticed the list price from the manufacturer direct is like 250 euros. Thing is they are not CE rated, and I am actually struggling to find 'any' heated gloves rated for CE protection. I'm not overly anxious about that, but looks like it might be the biggest single expense of clothing. Even getting a new quality lid might not come to more.

 

[Daedalus64]

I think I will get the bikes taxed and back on the road too for Feb. January was cold, and still not 'nice' but not actually as cold as I thought, I'd have gone out a couple of times already.

Given my current situation (other thread, sold car) the 'kit' situation should get some attention. I am not into buying expensive branded kit, I have generally found that there is equal quality unbranded available, though it can be pot luck. I think I hit lucky with a reinforced and "armoured" cordura jacket, and a very good quality pair of leather trousers, they zip together. Happy with those, and I have some waterproof layers if needed.

That stuff is OK on a long trip down to 5C or a pinch less. I think we are there now. I am not keen on leather jackets, personally I find they tend to restrict the head movement, OK otherwise but the bulk of leather around the shoulders and neck don't really suit my style to move my head around a lot.

Whether I need to get a warmer winter suit, I guess nothing would be practical to go over that sort of arrangement so it'd need to be a single piece with due protections in it. That sounds expensive.

It's my hands that I am now worried about. I have developed instances of 'Raynauds' syndrome which has been quite significant this winter where the fingers stop flowing blood.

So I think the biggest expense is that I have to try to get some heated gloves. The ones @Yellow Submarine posted about look good, about the cheapest you can get and I noticed the list price from the manufacturer direct is like 250 euros. Thing is they are not CE rated, and I am actually struggling to find 'any' heated gloves rated for CE protection. I'm not overly anxious about that, but looks like it might be the biggest single expense of clothing. Even getting a new quality lid might not come to more.

AStars, REV'it and RST both sell CE KP1 rated heated gloves, the former are available from SBS, although the RST are out of stock. They're also cheaper than the ones that @Yellow Sub listed however I haven't read any real world reviews of the other ones.

I'm all for good quality unbranded, and lets face it there are a lot around, but as you say its pot luck, and can the ratings really be trusted in the case of an accident. I suppose it the stitching, seams and protection all look and feel good there should be no reason not to trust them. Anything to make riding a bit more affordable whilst staying protected. I'm still learning.

I did read your thread about selling the car, I would firmly be in the "cheap runaround" camp, but I guess I'm a bit biased in so much as I do have access to multiple vehicles, all of which are old so owe me nothing and I fix them myself when required, but my main transport is cycling as I live close to work and amenities. I use it to go to and from the gym, have a big rucksack to go shopping if I need to, but when the need arises (specifically to move large things like logs or go out with my family) my WJ Jeep GC comes into service. I couldn't totally be without a car, but I commend your choice and think some good kit would certainly benefit you. Where in the UK are you? I'm fairly central, so whilst it does get cold when we have bad weather, it isn't as bad as further north, or west compared to some areas.

 

[Yellow Submarine]

Thing is they are not CE rated, and I am actually struggling to find 'any' heated gloves rated for CE protection.

Really? Maybe I’m the one in the dark then as I thought the CE on the tags & in the “features” meant they were.

These are really better described as “mobile warming” versus “heated”

Heated tends to be used to describe gloves that plug into the motorcycle electrical system to generate heat. Mobile warming means they’re independently battery powered so are able to heat on or off the motorcycle until the battery goes dead.

According to the interwebz the tag is read:
1. The motorcycle pictogram shows the glove has been tested as a bike glove.

2. The numeral 1 shows its CE rating (1 is a basic pass, 2 would mean more advanced testing)

3. “KP” shows the knuckle protector has passed an impact test.

4. Designation number showing the recognized standard the article has been tested to.

In the case of these gloves, there is not a #4 on the tag. I’ll have a look at the box when I get home. However, the CE standard for motorcycle gloves is EN 13594:2015 so in order to display a CE level 1 rating that is the standard the glove must be tested to.

 

[Daedalus64]

The main thing to look for is the number, either 1 or 2 (designated harshness of the test) and the KP code, which stands for Knuckle Protection, they usually have a longer 5 digit code which determines the test type, then followed by a year, but in general all European products that have undergone a safety test have a CE mark. Gloves designed and/or pre 2018 didn't have the same regulations, so might find whilst they are kitted out, might not have needed a test to certify their specification.

It is however quite easy to forge, so unless an unbranded, or not known brand gets checked, or asked for the test certificate there is no way to really guarantee it I guess.

Edit: When I was looking before at these test/certification codes, in particular for helmets, I noticed that outside of the UK some of the same type tests are coded/labeled differently (perhaps because the UK is now not part of the EU) So whilst I was looking for a specific number (I can't remember which) I was actually able to look for an alternative one, which gave me the same certification. If that makes sense?

 

[QRO]

Really? Maybe I’m the one in the dark then as I thought the CE on the tags & in the “features” meant they were.
View attachment 300057

View attachment 300058

These are really better described as “mobile warming” versus “heated”

Heated tends to be used to describe gloves that plug into the motorcycle electrical system to generate heat. Mobile warming means they’re independently battery powered so are able to heat on or off the motorcycle until the battery goes dead.

According to the interwebz the tag is read:
1. The motorcycle pictogram shows the glove has been tested as a bike glove.

2. The numeral 1 shows its CE rating (1 is a basic pass, 2 would mean more advanced testing)

3. “KP” shows the knuckle protector has passed an impact test.

4. Designation number showing the recognized standard the article has been tested to.

In the case of these gloves, there is not a #4 on the tag. I’ll have a look at the box when I get home. However, the CE standard for motorcycle gloves is EN 13594:2015 so in order to display a CE level 1 rating that is the standard the glove must be tested to.

Ah, thanks.

It was not intended to be a pejorative on the gloves, it just didn't appear in the list of features where they usually list these things.

Glad to see it. I'll consider them but I'm now looking at some others that are not much more and seem to have more battery and more leather. Will put your choice back on the list!

 

[QRO]

No mention of the CE rating on the desktop website, seems it appears on the phone version. Odd .. well, now we know!

https://www.fc-moto.de/epages/fcm.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/10207048/Products/Orina-Tesla-Heated-Gloves/SubProducts/Orina-Tesla-Heated-Gloves-0001

 

[Daedalus64]

Yeah weird, it doesn't "technically" mention it on the manufacturers own website, only an image of the CE logo as @Yellow posted above 🤷‍♂️ The label in the gloves has all the right codes, albeit the actual testing code is missing which is a bit dubious, however I cannot seem to find anything which states it must. the only thing I have with me today to check is a snowboard helmet, which I wear in the winter to cycle in as its warm and offers protection 🤣 however it does have the relevant EN code on the label followed by CE, and a pair of DeWalt work boots, which again, has both CE and the EN code.

Ultimately the fact that neither the manufacturers website, or the gloves officially state the EN code could give some level of concern, if that information was the deciding factor in purchasing these gloves 🤷‍♂️ its up to you. @Yellow is happy, and his review was thorough, they look well made.

 

[Yellow Submarine]

Went out the front door this morning to be greeted by a gentle misting drizzle. Checked my weather app which showed driving rain in the next half hour.

Finished gearing up, making sure my glove gauntlets were UNDER my jacket sleeves and headed off to work. I didn’t make it a mile before it came chucking down.

I noted a few things on my way in. 1st, I really like my KYT helmet in the rain. I left the visor cracked slightly open which served to assist in de-fogging. 2nd the combination of Berik riding gear and the Orina gloves works superbly at keeping me warm & dry. 3rd, the Richa boot soles are still incredibly slick on the foot pegs.

They’re fine, stellar even at gripping the pavement when I come to a stop….but on the legs they feel like I’ve stepped in some super slick lube. Based on how different the feel is from dry to wet, I’m guessing it’s the OEM foot pegs that are causing the issue. I may try some stick on grip tape later this weekend to see if that changes things. (My youngest is a skater so plenty of board tape about)

I dunno about getting aftermarket pegs….had some bad experiences with contact between those and my shins while wearing shorty riding boots. More later