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6/26/2020
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Hopewell Junction, NY
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Edited Date/Time
7/10/2020 10:37am
Any suggestions on Mx gear for beginner? Curious to see what helmets, chest protector and pants and jersey combo would be a good choice that doesn’t break the bank. I currently have an older pair of Fox F3 boots that have been barely used that I will dust off. I was looking at the Fox V1 or V2 helmets as well as the Leatt 4.5 gpx. As far as jersey and pants the Fly kinetic, Fox 180, and Leatt 4.5.
The Shop
Jersey can be a long sleeve T
Helmet and boots, top priority, IMO
But search for Bell Moto 9 Flex on Ebay. I bought one a month ago for 250 GBP, you wont find a better helmet for that price. Then after that look for closeout pants, jersey and gloves. You should be able to get mid range gear for around 100 bucks.
Gear wise, buy some leftover, outdated clearance gear from your favorite brand
Boots, get some entry level $100-$150 boots, then if you really like it, buy some nice ones with ankle support.
Goggles and gloves are whatever you want.
Usually about $125 for the helmet on closeout, $40 for pants, $15 for the jerseys. I doubt you can find those deals right now, and they sell pretty fast while on closeout at those prices. eBay has also been great at times for buying gear that's barely been used and dirt cheap. If you find killer deals pounce on them fast in this market because they won't last long.
As others have said, second priority is a decent set of boots, you dont have to go top line tech 10 level, but get a good mid range boot, they will last a long time too, so that is a plus.
The rest you can save some money on.
Mid: gloves and goggles
Last: pants, jersey
Take your budget and scale accordingly. Riding socks are nice and so are compression shorts once you get you gear selection built up.
Pit Row
Alpinestars tech 5's are a good mid level boot
Good plastic body armour will protect you in falls as well some decent knee/shin guards
The rest like gloves, goggles, pants and jersey is up to you, none are really more protective than others
You can find lightly used high end gear off local motocross forums and craigslist .
One time i got a practically brand new Shoei VFX ( $600+ retail ) for $150 from a guy who bought the wrong size for himself and passed the date he could return it. You could probably find some good quality used boots for cheap as well.
Don't know if budget is even a problem for you but those are some options you have if you wanna get the most out of your money.
Look around your area.
Bell mx-9 helmet
Fly Maverik boots
Fly F16 pants
any gloves
That will get you in the door, then you can eventually start upgrading as funds alow
I saw Fly F2 carbon helmets for around $200 at the local shop a couple of weeks ago. You can probably find a deal on one of those and they are pretty light and protect well. My other advice for helmets is try it on and make sure it fits ok.
Boots I would not go super cheap on. Try them on. Alpinestars are a lot more comfortable for me than Fox but for some people it is the opposite. Look at used too. You can usually find barely used stuff for decent prices.
If you go neck brace try to get one that is compatible with your chest/back protector. For chest and knees I like CE rated stuff because at least you know it was tested. For chest/back make sure it protects both. You are going to take handlebars into ribs at some point so you may want something that wraps around and protects your sides too. I have shoulder protection on mine but I question how effective shoulder cups are.
Buy googles that fit your face and helmet well. Try blowing hard with goggles on to make sure your breath doesn't flow the wrong way and fog them up. That is where good fit comes in. The wide angle ones are nice but until you try them you won't know what you are missing so don't feel like you have to have them. Dual pane lenses absolutely help prevent fogging but for track use fogging is not usually an issue because you are moving faster than in the woods. I always keep at least one tear off on my goggles to protect the lens from scratches.
Number one thing is look for closeouts. You will save at least 50% vs buying the current colors.
Helmet, goggles, gloves and boots are the bare minimum. You can get by with jeans and a long tee shirt, but don't expect to be comfortable.
He went out and bought one piece from every major manufacturer I can think of. I'm not kidding: Alpinestars boots, Fly pants, TLD jersey, Fox chest protector, Thor gloves, HJC helmet and 100% goggles. It's like he went into the store with a clothing magnet and took whatever stuck!
I suggest you do the same: get as much protective gear as you can for your budget. Worry about the style and brands later.
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