Modern Buddy

I'm brand-spanking new to scooters and am loving my Buddy 125. Now for the extras! I'd like to find a versitle jacket, aka multiseason, if one is even out there. My temp extremes are probably 30-110 degrees for the range of months I think I'll be riding. Waterproof would be helpful-although not a must.

Oh, and for the hard part...I'm not a "small" girl, but usually an XL to fit my shoulders and tummy.

If there are any other products I might not know I need, please let me know. It seems like jacket, helmet and gloves are the core.

Thanks!

Boots and pants are also useful...

www.newenough.com

Welcome! I'm sure you'll get tons of good advice from folks here. My two cents: a mesh or textile armored jacket with a zip out liner gives you tons of flexibility. I have a mesh jacket (FirstGear "Mesh-Tex 2" Jacket from newenough.com) that breathes really well in hot weather. In colder weather I put in the liner and wear a rain or ski jacket over it. Versatility and ability to layer was what I was looking for in a jacket.

I would suggest tryingon different ones. I was set on a white Joe Rocket Phoenix 4.0...until I tried it on. I couldn't stand the way the collar felt when zipped up. I wound up going with a Fieldsheer mostly mesh silver jacket and I will be getting the silver pants soon. This will probably be my "winter" jacket. Make sure its comfortable enough that you WILL wear it!

Pants?!? Isaac (Lou76) doesn't wear pants when HE rides!

--Keys

I love my Olympia jacket. It is a mesh armor jacket, model is called Airglide, with a zip-out liner, so truly 3 (or maybe 4 with a mild winter) season. In the summer here temps are 100+ and the mesh keeps me quite cool. I think that it is actually cooler than riding in a t-shirt and having sun exposure. Not cheap, I was looking at a less-expensive Tour Master jacket, but when I saw and tried on the Olympia decided that it was well worth the money. Also have a nice pair of Icon mesh/leather gloves which I use at all times

You can easily spend a fortune on gear. If cost was no concern, I'd ride all the time with the following:

Arai Corsair: $600
Dainese or Vanson armored leather jacket: $500
Matching armored pants: $400
Dainese armored gloves: $150
Frey Daytona boots: $600

That adds up to, gulp, $2250, or a few hundred less than the price of a new Buddy 125. It's also important to know that none of these items is "top of the line" or custom, they're all mid to high level off the rack items.

If I'm forced to cut corners on gear, I do so with the jacket and pants. Do whatever you can to get high quality, good fitting helmet, boots and gloves. I'm lucky in that, right now, my favorite helmet is a Scorpion 400 or 700, both of which are well under $200.

gt1000 wrote:I'm lucky in that, right now, my favorite helmet is a Scorpion 400 or 700, both of which are well under $200.

I love my Scorpion 700! It is a bargain, along with the Z1R, I don't see any reason to spend more.

You might want to check out a recent discussion about womens sizes on Scooterdiva.com. Actually had a reply from Corazzo too!

http://www.scooterdiva.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=739

I have the Carrazo Armored jacket and love it. The price is a bit step $199, but I feel like it was worth it.

I wear XL gear. For jackets try Tourmaster for good color selection and sizes. Waterproof is great. Zip-out liners make all the difference for summer/winter switch out. Figure on around $100 - $120.00 new.

I also have Tourmaster pants that are waterproof, reflective side piping, hip and knee armor and also zip-out liner. You can spend $119. - infinity on pants. Find what's comfy.

Gloves for winter need to be windproof and waterproof. A minimum of 40g Thinsulate make a lot of difference in warmth for your fingers, particularly your throttle thumb.

http://tourmaster.com/

I got mine from New Enough for ~$62.00.

I like it very much. Now I just need a scooter to go with it~! They still have the Silver in XL

Good Luck!

http://www.newenough.com/closeouts/text ... acket.html

I'm REALLY excited about a web store I just found out about today that has awesome jackets, www.classyrider.com If I had only seen THESE before I bought my jacket from NewEnough...

Ebee, since you also live in Cincy, have you looked into Iron Pony in Columbus? I bought a $300 leather cycle jacket for $79. new. It's worth the ride up there occasionally to check out the clearance stuff alone. Just a thought.

rockgirl wrote:Oh, and for the hard part...I'm not a "small" girl, but usually an XL to fit my shoulders and tummy.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO MY WORLD.

I *JUST* round-about asked this same question: topic1055.html

My situation is a bit different, since I usually wear a XXL in women's, and XL in men's. I noticed that all the jackets I saw on eBay and NewEnough and elsewhere all went up to women's XL, but not XXL. SO FRUSTRATING. You might could have better luck. My tip for you: make note of the actual size dimensions for the bust, waist, hip, and sleeves, as EVERY SINGLE MAKER uses different measurements for their so-called XL garment.

I cheaped out for now, because I'm wraslin' with some PITA health issues right now, and I'm losing weight (for once). Quality-wise, I've heard nothing but good things about Corazzo, BUT fit-wise, they are noted for running VERY small. Once my body size levels out, I plan on buying one of those super-spiffy Corazzo hoodies.

Good luck with your search!

I got a woman's large Corazzo. It's okay. The one thing I don't like is the fitted bottom, very bomber jacket. It is not comfortable or flattering if you've got hips.

If I did it all over again, I'd get a jacket that went a little longer and went down straight (does that make sense?).

Good luck. (FYI, I got a Termoscud from Italy to ride in cold but not wet weather. I love it! Worth every last penny. No sizing of me involved. Also lets me wear skirts and heels even in February.)

lylee wrote:I got a woman's large Corazzo. It's okay. The one thing I don't like is the fitted bottom, very bomber jacket. It is not comfortable or flattering if you've got hips.

The different models of Corazzo have different cuts. The women's 5.0 jacket is more open at the hips, with elastic fabric on the sides. (I know because the wife and I were trying some on at our dealer yesterday.) I think the Speedway is also less tapered.

Most MC jackets (for men, too) have wide shoulders and narrow waists. I'm a cylindrical guy. This drives me nuts.w

lylee wrote:Also lets me wear skirts and heels even in February.

wait a minute, i thought you wear scrubs most of the time :]

BoneGirl wrote:Ebee, since you also live in Cincy, have you looked into Iron Pony in Columbus? I bought a $300 leather cycle jacket for $79. new. It's worth the ride up there occasionally to check out the clearance stuff alone. Just a thought.

the iron pony also has an ebay store, if you're looking for a deal !

http://motors.search.ebay.com/search/se ... arch&fgtp=

Wow, some of these look really good...although if they don't fit, no returns. Ugh. I may check back to see what's still left at the last minit to get a cheap deal.

There are jackets out there, that offer protection and are designed to fit 'real' women, and are feminine looking. The Classy Rider jackets go up to size 20 (the XL comfortably fits an 18-20 gal), and are designed to accommodate our hips. The jacket flares out at the hip to allow for the straddle-spread and sit position without riding up, and is flattering when just standing. And, they are very lightweight, and conceal the abrasion-resistant material inside the sleeves as well as offering low-profile elbow and spine pad protection. Easy maintenance is also important, so all of the jackets are machine wash and dry.
I hope that you don't mind my chiming in on this conversation, but when I hear of the size and style frustrations that are out there today, I thought I'd pass along the information that there is indeed a line of women's jackets that address these very issues.
Ride Safely!
Kathy

Kathy, THANK YOU for chiming in! A lot of us are new to riding, so we don't know where to get our basic gear. This information is very helpful.

Are there any plans to expand the Classy Rider sizes to "plus" sizes?

ClassyRider wrote:There are jackets out there, that offer protection and are designed to fit 'real' women, and are feminine looking. The Classy Rider jackets go up to size 20 (the XL comfortably fits an 18-20 gal), and are designed to accommodate our hips. The jacket flares out at the hip to allow for the straddle-spread and sit position without riding up, and is flattering when just standing. And, they are very lightweight, and conceal the abrasion-resistant material inside the sleeves as well as offering low-profile elbow and spine pad protection. Easy maintenance is also important, so all of the jackets are machine wash and dry.
I hope that you don't mind my chiming in on this conversation, but when I hear of the size and style frustrations that are out there today, I thought I'd pass along the information that there is indeed a line of women's jackets that address these very issues.
Ride Safely!
Kathy

The Classy Rider XL is intended for women on the lower end of the Plus Size range. I'm also afflicted with the plus-size dilemma and at the department stores buy 1X-2X (20-22) depending on the cut. The Classy Rider XL fits me perfectly, and this jacket is styled to flatter even us bigger gals.
I should ask for diet advice, but that's not what this forum is about
I hope this helps!
Kathy (head rider and helmet washer)

I have two of the men's Classy Rider jackets (black and creme) and like them a lot. I also have a Corazzo bomber jacket that I wear on long rides, but I usually wear the black Classy Rider jacket to ride to work or out to dinner. It has light padding and many rider-specific features, but it looks like a regular jacket and not a motorcycle jacket.

I'm a "Rubenesque" girl myself. I just ordered this one for myself. It comes with both a nylon liner AND a quilted liner!

http://www.newenough.com/protective_app ... acket.html