Getting motorcycle gear

[jdstapes]

Can anyone advise me on where best to pick up gear such as a helmet, jacket and gloves. I am planning my first trip to Thailand for April/May and have been convinced by my hours of gt-rider surfing that hiring a bike in Chiang Mai and doing some rides is the way to see the North. I have not had a bike for a while and was wondering if it would be best to rent gear, buy in Australia and bring, or buy in BKK or Chiang Mai.

I'm thinking of renting a helmet there but am not sure if jackets are available for rent or how much they go for in Thailand as compared to Australia in general.

If anyone has any idea or opinions based on their experience, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[BobS]

Easy answer - buy it and bring it.

You can't rent anything, and the gear for sale is limited in selection and large sizes. Prices are high on what you can find.

You might get a cheap helmet thrown in with the bike rental, but, it's your head.

April/May starts to get warm, so a mesh jacket is something to think about. Bring raingear as well.

BobS

"The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not and never persist in trying to set people right."

 

[scot harper]

Hey tapeo's, We took all our gear from "OZ", my mate bought the farm on the first leg out of C/Mai, his riding pants an oz standards helmet saved that black duck. You know the deal you got a $20 head were a $20 helmet.
Never had a problem with carrying helmet on plain, gave it away to a guy on Samui at end of holl's, a kind gesture to some nice but needy folk, so if you have some old gear, take it to C/Mai ride in it then do a noble deed, Hey it might even catch on!
Dave our F/L could become St Dave patron St of recycled rid'n gear, Assless chaps not alowed...Regards...Scott

 

[mark123]

Hi!
I will be riding the North of Thailand February 7th to the 23rd. I will be donating my XL full face helmet to someone at the end of the trip. Speak up if you want it, perhaps we can arrange a transfer, otherwise, I will leave it with whoever I rent a bike from.

Mark
USA

 

[gmazza]

I didn't bring any gear with me, so had to rely on what was available. Picked up a nice Index helmet (Shoei rip-off?) for 600B at a local shop along with some leather gloves for about 120B. After reading Motorcyclist mag's expose on the whole SNELL standard here in North America, I was more comfortable wearing it. The Index lid seemed on par with most DOT lids here. Just make sure you use the double-d as opposed to the easily broken buckle. Better than the lids at any rental place, most of which are missing buckles and are way too big...

I wasn't able to find ANY leather jackets in CM, not even the fashion type, so settled for a jean jacket. Probably not the best combo for the Samoeng loop and Ya's RVF Repsol rep, but better than a tshirt and shorts...

 

[Tom Forde]

G'day mate,
I did a quick trip up north last October between jobs, when you are in Bangkok look up a company called "PADDOCK" they specialise in bike clothes, gloves etc and are very cheap, I picked up a lightweight jacket with armour for less than $100 and still use it. They advertise all the time in the Bangkok post. Take your own helmet, and boots.
Another option in Chiang Mai is to rent a bike off Joe he has plenty of spare helmets in reasonable condition.
Hope the info helps

Cheers

"I used to spend all of my money on fast cars, women and booze, now I just squander it." George Best 1946-2005 RIP

 

[Peter R]

You can get reasonably priced gear in Thailand, Shark helmets are available at considerably less than half the UK price. Don't kid yourself that Index etc are equivilent to so called Brand name helmets, they are not, face shields are not toughened and will shatter when hit with stone. The layup is usually just GRP or an ABS moulding. They are produced to a very low price and standard.

 

[BobS]

Consider this:

You have 3 or 4 months until you leave for Thailand. When you finally arrive, do you really want to waste a day or more looking for a helmet and jacket, or would you rather be out riding?

You may have to spend some time finding a rental bike in good condition. Why not do the other shopping before you leave Oz? Price and selection will be better.

BobS

"The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not and never persist in trying to set people right."

 

[scot harper]

Mark, thats a right neibourly gesture, you made to ,wots his name.
You could say thats a deal, its a steal, its the sale of the F@##%% century. Say hi to all of C/Mai tell'm I'll be there soon, an we can have a Chang together.
Regards Scott....Front wheels wre made to loft!!!

 

[scot harper]

Mark, thats a right neibourly gesture, you made to ,wots his name.
You could say thats a deal, its a steal, its the sale of the F@##%% century. Say hi to all of C/Mai tell'm I'll be there soon, an we can have a Chang together.
Regards Scott....Front wheels wre made to loft!!![][^]

 

[LaudJohn]

Considering the heat in SEA in April (hottest month in Cambo at least) consider getting some plastic body armour instead... heaps cooler.

I have bought all my gear over from OZ with me. Helmets cost about $20 in Cambo or Thailand... but I am afraid I want Aussie standards as the only thing worth protecting about me is my brain ( I don't work with my hands). I also prefer bicycle golves ($A20 in oz) over leather gloves as I can access my pockets and don't have to take them off at beer stops. Think also about bringing some decent dirt boots as well. Mine cost $A476 but were well worth it, they have saved my feet a couple of times on tree stumps. Also think about bringing a camelback so that you can drink as you ride in the heat.

Basically my riding gear cost as much as the Cambo new 250cc Dejbiel I bought in PP but I consider it worth it... I would hate to have an accident and when in pain and off work from a well paid job be lying in bed thinking... "if only I had spent a mere $1500 (... just a few days work) on good protective gear I may not be in this situation"....

cheers,
LaudJohn

 

[helenk]

We left our gear at home and had to buy in Thailand:

Pro Paddock, Bangkok
XL Shoei with great (daft) paint, 7000B, bargain.
Lady helmet (HHC? HCC? Not sure of the make), 7000B, quality seems okay.
RS Taichi lightweight gloves (XL and M), 750B each pair, brilliant.
RS Taichi mini tankbag, 2000B, fell to bits.

Fast Corner, Pantip Plaza, Chiang Mai
XXL airflow jacket with armour and stupid logos (strong as a horse, etc) 8000B, great in the heat but look a twat.
Lady size airflow jacket with armour and less daft logos, 8000B, great in the heat.

I also got a black visor from ebay and got it brought out by family. I'd really recommend one, the visor not the family.

If I'd brought my gear from home I'd be riding in the heat wearing 2 piece leathers. The airflow jacket is much better but I really should improve the leg protection (jeans with combats over).

We had no trouble with sizes. I am 6'4'' and 84kg, Helen isn't.

Hope this helps,
you can probably spot some of the gear in our photos,
Dave

Look at our photos:
Link removed

 

[jdstapes]

Thanks all for your advice. Great to know what's available and where if needed.

I've come round to bringing a helmet from oz at least. It's illegal to ride here without a lid with an Australian Standard sticker on it anyway. A friend of mine pulled the sticker off his Shoei cause he didn't like the look and the cop that pulled him over told him he now had a $A600 door stop and a $A150 fine for 'not wearing a helmet'.

The prices there seem similar unless you're bargin finders like Dave and Helen. Thanks for the recommendation and your offer Mark. If I nail down what I'm after I may take you up on that.

Cheers.
jd

 

[DavidFL]

Shark helmets are available in Chiang Mai at Sa Moto.
The helmets pictured below cost 7,500 baht each

Davidfl
Keep The Power On

 

[jonadda]

Leather jackets can be picked up at second hand shops here in C/Mai for 300 baht but this time of year they dont stock up until near winter time, also down near the railway station i've seen a range of leather pants and jackets for bikes hanging up in front of the shop including a full piece suit i think its a cheap light weight leather from China but its probably enough to protect you from the elements and bit of a slide down the road.
John

 

[BarryBBQ]

I happen to live near the Paddock in Bangkok. Yes, they have a large selection of Shoei helmets and some Arai and HJC but they don't stock larger sizes and everything they sell is NOS (new, old stock). If you care enough about your head to buy a name brand helmet and not a locally made piece of tupperware then you should know that major helmet manufacturers like Arai and Shoei recommend a maximum service life of 7 years for their helmet products. A friend of mine was bragging about the Arai helmet he bought for $200 less than mine but when I looked inside I saw the manufacture date was over 10 years ago.

They also have a large selection of jackets, gloves and some boots but again, very little large sizes. Price-wise, you won't find any bargains here either since almost everything they sell is imported. I bought a jacket for my girl, a couple of mx jerseys and found a nice Kushitani (Japanese brand) butt pack made specificaly for riders here but all of my riding gear and helmets came with me from the US.

They don't like to haggle either. I've gotten small discounts after I told the old Chinese owner how suay she was. If you are in Bangkok and want to take a look, the shop is quite close to the Huay Khwang subway station, exit #4, 150 meters north.

Barry

If I wasn't doing this, I'd be doing something else.

 

[Craypot]

I picked up some tyres from Paddock and throught the prices were similar to Oz. I found some gloves that fit my xxl hands and also boots that fit my size 12s. The gloves were a good price but the boots were too expensive so I left them there.

Mike

 

[bill]

Apart from Paddock, can anyone recommend some other shops in Bangkok or Pattaya that stock motorcycle gear.
Here in Cambodia we have basically nothing and what we do have available is very expensive.
I'm looking for XL gloves, 34" riding pants,boots size 11, lightweight wet weather gear, XXL full face helmet.

 

[E3L0]

I think Peter, siamsuperbike, has some stuff and they have some at Red Baron, too. Paddock, though, is just stuff, no bikes, and have the biggest range.

In HelenK's reply, further up this thread, Helen's helmet is actually an HJC and we saw the exact same one for sale in the UK over the summer, so that's reassuring regarding quality and safety.

Hello everyone, by the way, Dave Kelly (daft beard) speaking.[]

 

[farmers]

recommend 32Farmers, a new shop in Bangkok. For further details, visit Link removed or contact phone 081-7167800 Khun Wiphuwat.

 

[bill]

Checked out the 32 farmers website. Prices look OK. Are their products made locally ?

 

[skip]

BOOTS...........Biggest problem in our SE Asia trip. Get good ones before you go...both of us had boots that fell to bits(my good old rossis too!)Ended up with Skip riding through the dirt in Laos in Badminton shoes as they were the only things that fit him.....only bonus was that superglue was cheap!
Cheers
Skip and Rache

 

[tropicaljohno]

we had a barrage of Viagra web sites the other day, all gone now so presume they have been deleted

John

 

[Peter Hooper]

What Motorcycle gear are you actually recomending here Coldplay ?

"The Journey is the Destination"

 

[Pikey]

"coldplay" is prob just a bored schoolkid as if you look at the profile the home page is a link to a casino site. Hope when David is back he can delete this rubbish and block the "member" as it seems like we got this a few days ago too.

Cheers,

Pikey.

"No matter how hard you try, you CAN'T polish a turd!"