ravenlore wrote:buttercreamsunshine wrote:... Most helmets with designs I've seen have been really.... cheesy and douchey. Like they were designed at a 3rd-rate tattoo parlor or something haha. ...
That is EXACTLY how I feel about the majority of helmet graphics.
+1. I hated my old moto-x helmet because it was covered with one of those sorts of designs, but I got it for free when I bought my atv, so I'm not going to complain. When I sold my other bikes and the atv, I sold the helmet with them.
I'll add another place to look online to the list, Leatherup.com.
They have really reasonable prices and most of their gear is awesome.
My first jacket was $65 (I had a coupon), and got amazing reviews from people who had worn it through crashes and such. It has level-3 armor on the elbows, shoulders and a nice back pad.
This is my first one:
http://leatherup.com/p/Womens-Motorcycl ... 54126.html
It's a little bit power ranger-y, but it's not terrible looking, and it gets the job done.
The second one is the black and grey mesh Xelement jacket ($59.95 +tax and shipping), but I haven't had a chance to try it yet since I got it for christmas, and it's been rather chilly up here in NY.
The reviewers also give you a great idea of how something will fit too.
A lot of people go into pretty good detail about why or why not they kept or returned things they ordered, or how well something held up in a crash. Helmets are pretty much the same deal, and most of the measurements are spot on.
My Modular-FF from HAWK is bright-effing-pink and it was about $95 with tax and such.
This one:
http://leatherup.com/p/Motorcycle-Modul ... 12974.html
Which also comes in matte black. I love it, I have great visibility all around and it has excellent ventilation. I don't experience too much wind noise either.
My other helmet is a half helmet, and I'm looking to get a dual-visor 3/4 open face this year as well. The half helmet fits great and is a good helmet for what it is... it's just not the safest thing ever, even though it is DOT approved.
They also have a great return and exchange policy if you find something you ordered doesn't fit you quite right. FF helmets will probably set you back $10-$15 for return shipping through the post office, that's about it.
I have ordered two jackets, two helmets, goggles, and a couple of other accessories from them and everything has been great so far. My bf ordered the same Mod-FF that I have in a larger size and matte balck color, but it didn't quite close without squishing his chin, so he returned it and ordered one locally. Zero hassle.
When I can/have time, I buy stuff at local shops, but I don't have many to choose from (a Harley dealership and a couple powersports shops), and sometimes you really can't beat the prices at the online stores.
EDIT: I wanted to add that I did purchase a Corazzo women's "Hoodie" jacket from another MB member last year, and that is awesome too. I haven't gotten a chance to use it much, because I got it late in the season, and it seems like more of a spring jacket for this area. Like others have said, they are fantastic jackets, and if you can find them gently used it's a bit easier on your pockets!
EDIT 2: You also might want to think about a helmet with a "dual visor" design (like mine) instead of just a dark tinted face shield if you plan on/happen to find yourself riding in darkness. There are some out there that you can purchase differently tinted (or not tinted at all) shields, that are easy to switch out when necessary, but in my experience it gets pricey quick, and there's always the possibility of breaking
something in the process.
It's not so easy riding any kind of motorcycle wearing suuuunglasses at night.
EDIT 3: On listening to music, my bf and I have the Cardo Scala Rider power set.
http://www.cardosystems.com/scala-rider ... 4-powerset
They have little flat speakers that velcro to the padding on the inside of your helmet, so road and traffic noise can still get to your ears. They have a built in FM radio, and can be linked to your cell phone and function via voice commands, or you can use any cell phone-based radio-type service, and/or as intercoms between riders. I have tune-in and pandora on my phone, so if I'm on a long boring stretch of a trip I use those for music. For day to day riding I don't, because the dangers of what I might not hear outweigh my desire to listen to music. Also, if you are using it for music AND as an intercom, when someone talks to you, it will stop your music and play their voice so you don't miss anything. I can't really tell all of the stuff it does, so if you're interested you can check out the link. They're definitely pretty handy.
Oh, GPS, that was the other thing. If you have GPS on your phone it will tell you the directions through your speakers.
No power in the 'verse can stop me.
) Mine is a 2009, and I have not named it yet! It's actually been like 2 years since I've last ridden, so I'm more worried about getting my confidence back up enough to ride in traffic right now hahaha. Hopefully that'll happen this weekend so I can then focus on finding a perfect name for it! 
