Oh Dave and Tori....

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Trip

I have done a self study. My A* shit is not top notch quality. Seams break, shit worn out quick on some of the stuff. Some of it has taken a beating and survived though. It seems real hit or miss with them. I have an Icon jacket I bought when I first started riding and it has seen all sorts of conditions and still looks brand new. It mostly gets used as a cool weather jacket now, but I would rank it's quality up there with any of the A* stuff I have.

As far as helmets, all cost gets you is bells and whistles. Helmet studies have shown cheap ass walmart bell helmet do just as well as any shoei helmet. The difference is weight of helmet and how well the helmet performs in the wind, not safety.

Now here's something we can agree on! As you know I have quite a few lids and they span the gamut from a Sparx $89 lid to a $600-800 Shark RSR2/Arai RX7 and the main differences are comfort, noise, weight, and finish. I've decided to stick to the higher end models because of the "bells and whistles" not because I think that they offer "better protection". As far as jackets go, I've had similar experiences with Dainese vs Icon.