Armor and Jackets

I just got a new yellow/black Honda CBR and want to find a nice but safe jacket. There are so many and different types and options that I have no idea what to get. I want a jacket that is waterproof, just incase, and armor. The jackets that have liners that can be taken out are pretty neat, but my big thing is armor, especially back armor. What do you guys say for jackets?

Waterproof and armored? Aerostitch.com

Stickershock? Don't know where you are at...wearability? Hot dry vs. wet?

Oh, sorry bout that. I live in Iowa, so both wet and dry.

There are a lot of options out there for jackets. It's not absolutely necessary to spend big $$$ to get the best protection, but sometimes you do get what you pay for. I have had Joe Rocket, Field Sheer, First Gear, & BMW jackets. For a summer jacket, the Field Sheer has definitely been my favorite. While I like the BMW jackets, I'm not sure they're truly worth the extra coin. I guess as a maker I like First Gear the best, overall. I have heard that the previously mentioned Aerostitch makes excellent gear, but yeah...pricey. Alpinestars, Tourmaster, Gein Hericke, Icon, Belstaff, Olympia & Vanson, are just a few of the others out there that are worth a look.

As for rain protection...how much are you planning in riding in the rain? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but some people avoid it at all costs, some just don't care. If you're not planning on crossing great distances while it's raining, buying a waterproof jacket may not be the best deal. Most truly waterproof jackets can be kind of hot, or they have a waterproof liner, which means the outer jacket gets soaked, but you stay dry. If you're only trying to avoid the rare instance where you get caught in a downpour, you might just buy a cheap set of rain jacket & pant to throw on over your other gear. They stuff into small bags and can be kept on your bike all the time. This is what I've done, I usually pull out the rain gear about once a year.

Anyway...here's a place I like to look at for gear. They don't have the biggest selection out there, but they have some excellent prices:

http://www.newenough.com/

Don't forget to look in their "closeout" section, and the "bargain basement" within the closeout section.
Some other good gear sites:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/

http://www.helmetcity.com/

Otherwise just do a search on the internet for motorcycle gear. You'll find tons of sites. Some of these gear sites also have a buying guide to help you select gear. Another idea would be to peruse some of the review sites, such as:

http://www.epinions.com/

http://www.powersportsnetwork.com/

They have reviews of gear, and of motorcycles.
Glad to see you're looking for good protective gear. I imagine/hope you already have a helmet? What about gloves and/or riding pants? Boots? It can all help.

I hope some of this was helpful. Good luck. Let us know what you end up getting.
Tim

Check out webbikeworld.com, they have a lot of very good reviews on all kinds of motorcycle gear.

For cold and bad weather, I use a Tourmaster Tech jacket, which is now discontinued. I got it for $60, it used to retail at $150 I think. I like it, it's warm and waterproof, I haven't had any leaks.

I just got a Power Trip Supercharger jacket from newenough.com for $70, it's a very nice leather jacket, it doesn't come with armor but I ordered elbow pads with it and use the shoulder armor from another jacket I have. It's still below 50 degrees here so I don't know yet how comfortable it will be when it gets hot, but it has a removable liner and some vents. I find it very comfortable and really couldn't be happier with it. They're on clearance at newenough and last time I checked they only had small and medium left.

I would also checkout leatherup.com I got a really nice leather riding jacket there for under 100 bucks. Its a really good site IMO.

I forgot, the power trip jacket does come with back armor, just not elbow and shoulder. It does have pockets for them though so you can just buy some or steal it from another jacket. The elbow armor I bought was $18 from newenough and seems to me to be high quality.

A question...who (aside from me) uses a combination of off-brand and non-motorcycle specific gear to do the same job?

Unless I'm going to spend well in excess of $2K, I'm not going to find much in my size as far as major brands. I, therefore, go after jackets, boots, and gloves that offer as much protection as possible, even if it's not perfect, and I use thicker jeans, which aren't far off the Icon variety.

I used to just ride in a casual leather jacket, jeans and Navy-issue jungle boots. None of that stuff would have really done anything for me in a crash, maybe the boots but not much.