How tight should textile gear fit?

[doglover]

I've been reading through "Do you wear motorcycle protection and does it really help?" with much interest. But it is not mentioned how this gear should fit.
I am interested in buying the ninja 300 abs bike. I'm a novice rider and need some advice.

So I was tryIng on the textile gear that they sell in the big bike Kawa dealer in Khon Kaen (didn't get the gear brand) and I realized I don't know how it should fit. I would think that it should be snug to keep the protection in the right places. I'm 6'1" and 170lbs and the XL pants were a struggle to put on and I had to suck my gut in to get them in. When I upsized the knee pads were a little sloppy yet they were comfortable around my waist. The 2 XL jacket seemed a good fit although a little loose in the elbows and the bottom of the jacket seemed to be so high that I was always wanting to pull it down and was loose around the forearms yet tight in the shoulders. The boots felt snug in the toes. So how tight should jacket and pants be? How low should the bottom of the jacket be? And should the boots fit like normal boots in the toes? Do I need to find a different brand that caters to tall slim guys? Should I be buying gauntlet gloves or just wrist length riding gloves?
Pardon my ignorance, thanks for any help.

[Gsxrnz]

They should be tight enough so that all the armour stays where it's supposed to.  No point tipping off your bike with the elbow and knee pads 6 inches away from where they should be.

 

If you can rotate the armour away from the impact points, it's too loose.  Somewhat akin to an oversized condom (or so somebody once told me   ).

Edited August 5, 2014 by Gsxrnz

[RubberSideDown]

Textile gear doesn't break in very much (unlike leather gear, which should border on uncomfortably tight when it's brand-new). Basically, you want textile gear to be snug enough to hold the pads in place in the event of an accident- if the knee and elbow/protection can be moved out of place when you're casually wearing it, it's too loose and you risk having it shift out of position when you really need it. The bottom of the jacket should reach to around your belt line when you're on the bike- a small gap isn't a big deal, but you want your back protector (if you're using one in the insert pocket) to be properly seated over your spine.

At your height and size, most Western brands equate to 56-58 (46-48 using the US chart) in 2XL- I'm surprised it was tight in the shoulders, and you should have been swimming in it at the waist. I'm 6'2" 185lbs and I'm an L or XL (usually a 54 jacket, which is a bit snug up top and a bit loose in the waist)- unfortunately, off-the-rack gear isn't great if you're tall and not that heavy.

Basically, you want it as tight as you can reasonably wear it for a few hours.

Note, though, that you have to see how if feels on a bike (or at least when you're in a riding position of knees bent, leaning forward with your arms extended)- most gear isn't made to fit perfectly when you're in a standing position.

[Aussieroaming]

Agree..you need snug.

Nothing worse than when your jacket turns into a parachute and acts as a wind sock.

[Phra Ek]

Also depends on the style of bike.  The sports-bike crouch need a bit more room in the knees and a higher cut to the trousers to avoid having an unprotected 'builders bum'.  Yes the fit needs to be tight enough to keep the armor in the right places, but you also need to be comfortable when on the bike.  When trying on the kit try and crouch into the approx. position you'll be on the bike - you'll look crazy but it helps to make sure it'll fit right when you're riding.

[wantan]

For Ninja300 you want to get a jacket with sport bike cut. Best would be to get pants that can be zipped to the jacket. If the zipper can be closed without problems the jacket should be long enough. Try out different brands till you find something that fits you well. Maybe you should consider getting your gear in Bangkok as it sure has more shops to choose from.

[ll2]

if it is sportbike, it has to be very tight especially at the time you buy it still, it cannot be short on arms. legs etc. It will be quarter or half size bigger but not like leather as stated, leather gets larger more over the time.

When you wear it, you need to feel like in a glove, it needs to feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable.

Never get a comfy size if it is sportbike as it will stretch over time a little and will not be safe anymore as if the gear is larger size than your body and moves around your torso, arms, legs etc, it means during an accident, protectors move around too and will not do their job and even cut and damage your body!

all that matter is gear holding its place tight in every situation for sportbikes. 

But for other style of ride or bikes, such as enduro or trail, then different gear for different purposes. 

 

Moreover, sizes here are not all European. For example, all Komine's at Paddock has Japanese sizes so you need to get 2xl instead of xl. be careful for that.

good luck.

Edited August 5, 2014 by ll2

[doglover]

if it is sportbike, it has to be very tight especially at the time you buy it still, it cannot be short on arms. legs etc. It will be quarter or half size bigger but not like leather as stated, leather gets larger more over the time.
When you wear it, you need to feel like in a glove, it needs to feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable.
Never get a comfy size if it is sportbike as it will stretch over time a little and will not be safe anymore as if the gear is larger size than your body and moves around your torso, arms, legs etc, it means during an accident, protectors move around too and will not do their job and even cut and damage your body!
all that matter is gear holding its place tight in every situation for sportbikes. 
But for other style of ride or bikes, such as enduro or trail, then different gear for different purposes. 
 
Moreover, sizes here are not all European. For example, all Komine's at Paddock has Japanese sizes so you need to get 2xl instead of xl. be careful for that.
good luck.

Thanks for all the helpful replies! I definitely felt claustrophobic and uncomfortable in the XL jacket and pants (Japanese sizes I would imagine). But at the same time thought it would be necessary to keep the protection in place. Thanks for the confirmation.
RubberSideDown mentioned that the bottom of the jacket should be at the belt line. The jacket that fit snug ended at the top of the belt line. Is that a reasonable compromise to have the jacket fit tight? They don't have any gear that zips pant and jacket together. So if I do go to Bangkok (unlikely), where should a tall slim guy go? And why the heck is all the gear black?
Also, boot fit didn't get touched on. Should the sidi boots fit tight on the toes or comfortable like normal boots?

[RubberSideDown]

Boots will break in a bit (note that if the Sidi boots you're looking at are made of Lorica synthetic leather, they won't stretch quite as much as real leather)- again,snug but not uncomfortably tight- track oriented boots will be tighter and more confining than touring boots as it's assumed you won't be walking very much in them- do you remember the model?

As I mentioned, if you're tall/slim or short/heavy finding properly fitting gear will always be a struggle- European cuts (especially Italian manufacturers) tend to be cut slimmer, as are most Japanese brands.

[ll2]

Boots will break in a bit (note that if the Sidi boots you're looking at are made of Lorica synthetic leather, they won't stretch quite as much as real leather)- again,snug but not uncomfortably tight- track oriented boots will be tighter and more confining than touring boots as it's assumed you won't be walking very much in them- do you remember the model?

As I mentioned, if you're tall/slim or short/heavy finding properly fitting gear will always be a struggle- European cuts (especially Italian manufacturers) tend to be cut slimmer, as are most Japanese brands.

 

for boots i totally agree with rsd, same for gloves.

always get footwear late afternoon even night time.

and be sure that your fingers, heels and toes touches the rear and front of the shoe snugly but not very very tight. same for gloves.if too tight, then your feet and hand will get numb and you cannot feel the levers and rearset. 

op, boots and gloves stretch over the time especially gloves more. so buy accordingly.

also as rsd said, jacket needs to be at the belt line for safety and comfort but than better get a two piece suit and kill this problem too - which if i were you, i buy a two piece suit -

hard to find many sizes here.

Edited August 5, 2014 by ll2

[A1Str8]

Your abs should be visible.

[doglover]

Your abs should be visible.

You mean the sticker? Why is that?

[koo]

Agree..you need snug.

Nothing worse than when your jacket turns into a parachute and acts as a wind sock.

 

A second to this. While loose gear might feel good and and even offer more ventilation in slow speeds, the flapping of the gear makes riding very inconvenient in higher speeds. This is especially true for sidewind, gusts of wind, or maneuvering around a truck or bus that has a lot of "wake". A loose jacket will shake you around when this happens.

 

Wake = turbulence or airflow that is formed by a vehicle with low aerodynamics - there are gusts and swirls of airflow near the vehicle. Just ride fast, and the next oncoming truck will hit you with a blow of air when passing. Sometimes it is very frustrating to ride behind a truck or bus because of the wake behind this vehicle; you either have to leave a lot of room between (which is wise for visibility as well) or overtake it. And whilst overtaking, you can feel the direction of air changing just as you approach the cockpit level of the truck/bus.

 

 

[Pink Mist]

Due to the age of the OP and no posts made in 8 years this topic is closed