For those of you thinking you’ll eventually try a track day, a set of leathers is required and is nice to have for canyon rides anyway. It was time for me to find a new set after 4 1/2 years of beating up my old Alpinestars GPU 2 piece suit. It had been through 3 minor offs and performed admirably, but I wasn’t sure the right knee area could take another spill without tearing apart. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the fit – Alpinestars doesn’t seem to be built for relatively skinny guys like me. The jacket fit well enough but Beyonce couldn’t fill the butt on those pants. I swear it looked like I was carrying around a sack of potatoes back there. Enter Dainese.
I recently drove down to Dainese’s D-Store in Costa Mesa, CA to purchase a set of the new 2010 Laguna Seca 2 piece leathers. One thing’s for sure, Dainese does not cut their suits for the same people that Alpinestars does even though they’re both Italian companies. Getting into the pants was almost comical but the fit is a much better match for my particular body type. Leathers should be snug; the last thing you want if you’re sliding across the tarmac at speed is a loose fold of leather moving around and rashing your skin up. I’ll post up a full review after I’ve had a chance to complete a few rides and at least one track day in the new suit.
In case you’re wondering, leathers come in 1 and 2 piece varieties but I prefer the 2 piece because I can easily remove the jacket on hot days. Racers always wear 1 piece suits but they’re a little inconvenient for street and canyon rides; I’d rather have one suit I can wear all the time. Plus it’s just weird when you see someone wearing a 1 piece with the top portion off but hanging behind them like a dead conjoined twin. 2 piece suits are harder to come by though, especially above the entry level market.