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BILT, Sedici?

Back when I posted in 2011 I was looking for a 2nd pair of boots. I ended up getting a pair of Sidi from NewEnough that were on sale. Later on my brother bought a pair of Bilt that were just $39 on sale, the short Touring style. Haven't seen them that cheap since, but they were just a little to small for him and I bought them from him. Threw them in the closet for about a year then finally whipped them out one day. I wear them on all my rides except "Trippin Connies' now. They are very comfortable and about the only thing I don't care for is the sole. It looks as thick as others but it seems like I can feel things through it. They are holding up well for the price.
 
I might be purchasing my first ever BILT product soon (that I didn't return). They have a large dry bag duffel on sale for $70. Has limited reviews but most good and half the price of a comparable sized Wolfman.

http://www.cyclegear.com/BILT-Explorer-Dry-Bag

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I rode in my Sedici Arturo pants for the first time today. It was upper 30s when I left the house with the pants and liner on with regular jeans underneath. Well, first I kicked the remaining patches of ice off the driveway while wearing them. The pants kept me comfortable. I was not cold and not hot. Maneuverability was good. They felt unobtrusive while I was riding. No interference with using the foot controls. I got on and off the bike fine. It's not exactly as easy as with only jeans on, but these are riding pants with a liner. So far, I like these pants.
 
I too was Leary of the BiLT quality. I use their Sprint gloves going on 4 years (same pair) just ordered 2 more pair. I also have a pair of their short waterproof touring boots again 4 years old and not showing any wear and very comfortable. (Try them on in the store!) I also use their deluxe motorcycle cover, again very pleased. I have purchased my SHOEI helmets from them. I use Sliders (rated best riding Jean by MCN) for riding jeans but they are warm from the Kevlar lining.
 
Yes, but will they stand up in a crash? As an ex-CMRA racer, there is no way I would wear any of that stuff at the track. So, no thanks on the street either.

Disclaimer: I do have a Bilt Adventure helmet. It is okay but cheap. After wearing it awhile a year and a half ago, I decided back to my Shoei X11 for me.
 
Well, I'm not going to crash test it just to prove a point :mrgreen: but I did crash in a Gmax modular helmet. That cheap brain bucket did fine. Granted, all crashes are different, and even the most expensive gear can only do so much to keep us meat bags from busting.

Any reasonable (not novelty) gear is going to be better than daisy dukes, a tube top, flip flops and a dude rag.

I don't need to survive 100+ mph. My red squirrel doesn't go much faster than that anyway, and the posted speed limit is 80.

Shoei does have a nice feature. You can get different thickness of pads for the same size helmet. If you need a medium and a half helmet, you can make that with different pads.
 
Bought a 3/4 jacket and pants when caught in a late season cold snap in the west a couple of years ago. They did "OK" and the price was right (one of those 50% off deals), but I think of Cycle Gear as the Harbor Freight of mc accessories. Some of their stuff is as good as anybody's, but you have to pick and choose carefully. I got a very nice set of handguards for about 35 dollars, which is a good price compared to name brands. The 3/4 jacket has a waterproof liner, so the jacket when raining feels clammy and very heavy, but it did actually keep my body dry. Shop them with a critical eye.
 
...I think of Cycle Gear as the Harbor Freight of mc accessories. Some of their stuff is as good as anybody's, but you have to pick and choose carefully...

+1
Also same as Harbor Freight they have an excellent return policy if you're not satisified with the item and stand behind their warranty period with a hassle free exchange or refund. If you don't have a Cycle Gear nearby you can order online with free shipping over $100. I like the convenience of doorstep delivery and checking out items thoroughly in my garage. If I don't like it I can return it to the store. I did this on the bag I posted above, only $70 so I added a small bag to the order to get free shipping. If I don't like the small bag I'll return it and still get free shipping on the $70 one. It would have taken one trip to the closest CG anyway to purchase. But actually in this case I did call my local store first but they don't stock the bags. I was prepared to drive and purchase the large bag in person.

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I crashed a pair of the Bilt "Iron Worker" jeans in a lowside a month or so ago (I think it was after I posted to the thread originally), and the damage was pretty light. I got some small holes along the top (the thick part) of the seam on the left thigh below the pocket where I was sliding, and ironically the little nylon tag that says "KEVLAR, Dupont" partially melted. I think there's a small spot on the hem on the leg that wore through in the slide, but that's about it. I figured the first time I crashed them I'd throw them away, but they actually just look like typical worn jeans at this point, so I'm still wearing them.

The jacket I had on was an old Fieldsheer textile model that I've had for 8 or 10 years- the cordura stuff melted through in a couple of spots on the forearm, but it's also still wearable.

I got no bodily abrasions or bruises, but I did have my toe under the shifter, it hooked up with the pavement and turned my knee badly enough to tear a ligament. Funny I've always been paranoid about keeping my toe on top of the shifter after hearing bad stories about it; people aren't kidding!
 
And I'm done with Bilt helmets. I know. Not giving them a fair shake. I've only had two in 650 miles, and it's only those two that had problems. A blue tooth that didn't work and a lot of wind noise. Now a screw fell out (what is it here lately with stuff falling apart?) wind noise and I don't feel like the padding is holding up. And it gets uncomfortable after more than an hour. I may have to get off some ducks and buy one of those house payment helmets.
 
You do know that there are quite a few options between the cheapest of the cheap and an $1100 Shoei helmet, right? LOL. My Bell RS-1 is treating me very well so far and since I bought the previous year's color style it set me back $179 instead of $399 for a current model paint scheme. Deals like that are always around if you look for them.
 
I have some CycleGear stuff, it is OK for the price. Gloves, cargo pants are good. I have a lightweight mesh jacket that is so-so. Zippers are on the wrong side, unless you are a girl! None of their helmets are Snell rated if that matters to you. I have had better luck with closeouts from Motorcycle Superstore
 
I was just looking at the same catalog, was wandering about the boots. I am looking for a 2nd pair. I'm thinking it's probably cheap stuff but I'm going to go down soon to check before the sale ends 4-30.


Gaylen bought a pair of the dual sport waterproof boots, price was right. After about 2 months the leather cracked at several places and she got he dreaded wet foot!

Ill pass on the Bilt boots.
 
In my experience, Bilt & Sedici products consistently deliver less than they promise, which sometimes includes key product features. I went through a couple of sets of "waterproof" boots that were waterproof as long as they stayed dry. They're still very comfortable, but they start leaking within just a few minutes anytime they do encounter rain. The same goes for the gloves.

A guy I know used to be the store manager for one of the local Cycle Gears, and he once told me the wholesale cost of their Bilt helmets. I cannot recall the exact cost, but I do remember it being a frighteningly low number. Even if there weren't tons of reports by users that showed evidence of poor build quality, common sense would probably prevent me from relying on their products for any kind of critical crash protection. Saving money is great, but when it comes to crash protection, buying the absolute best that you can afford is a very healthy policy.

The one aspect that does weigh in their favor is Cycle Gear's liberal return policy. Much of their product line includes a lifetime warranty, so in theory you could simply exchange the gear every time it (predictably) fails. I even know of cases where people have returned their crashed leathers and gotten them replaced on the spot. If any of the major brand name leather manufacturers did this, they would be out of business in no time (and some of us would frequently have new leathers...:rider:).
 
Cycle gear is good to get you started. After that, watch the forums and buy better, slightly used stuff. Don't get caught up in the "my helmet cost $1000, so it must be better than that $100 helmet. The difference is quality of liner, maybe some weight, and graphics. If holding out for that $800 Arai is stopping you from riding, please go buy a built and get in the road.
I put on about $800 dollars worth of gear every time I ride. I started out with mostly built stuff. Then I found a HJC modular helmet that was about $200. I think I paid $20-40 for that. Two first gear jackets, a Kilimanjaro and some kind of mesh jacket, both with liners for about $100 together from the same guy. Alpine stars tec3 for $50 (can't live with them, so if you're interested and can fit a size 12, you can have them at cost). Decent gloves (don't remember the name, but they were MAW close outs.
Cycle gear can get you suited today for a couple hundred. You can figure out what you like and don't like, then spend money where you like.
 
My favorite helmet was a Nolan. Too bad something fell apart inside and started scratching the tinted visor. I'd try another if I knew a brick and mortar to buy one. Despite now owning two brands of cheap helmet, I'm too picky to trust buying them online. Sizes vary too much even among the same brand.

Meh. I've a helmet now. Maybe I'll order online and send them back until I find the right one.
 
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