6 years into motorcycle touring, I have reached a point where I totally understand the value of each and every bit of investment into Riding Gears because the ones I have had have always managed to protect me from great damage during crashes.
I have been a big promoter of wearing safety gears since Day 1 of getting my first motorcycle (a KTM Duke 200 in 2015). I had started with a MT Axxis Helmet, Spartan Aspida Jacket and a Pro Biker Gloves back when safety gears were not even a trend and people used to ride with hoodies.
With time, I slowly upgraded them one by one starting with Alpinestars Bionic Knee Guards, TBG Full Gauntlet Gloves, and Alpinestars Waterproof Touring Boots.
I have done countless number of rides with them including K2K, Leh Ladakh Twice, Spiti Valley, Mangalore to Delhi, Pune - Mangalore - Pune (multiple times) and countless other <500 kms rides in Karnataka.
As the number of kilometers you clock increases, it also comes with the increase in probability of crashes.
I won't hesitate to say that I have had my fair share of crashes and in a major crash, had to even get a rod in my leg. That was the only damage in the crash because rest of the body parts were protected by the riding gears.
In different occasions, I have had my knee cap saved because of knee guards, head saved because of the helmet, palms saved because of gloves and shoulders saved because of the padding in the jacket.
There were times when I have crashed without gears and have bruised myself badly as well.
So, after all the experience, and also a motorcycle upgrade last year (got a KTM Duke 390), I felt the need for a major upgrade in my safety gear.
I have always been a fan of Dainese Gears and it was one of the things that was sitting in my "Someday Dream List".
Finally I felt the time had come to strike it off the list, that I deserved the much needed upgrade.
Went ahead and finally got myself a Dainese SP-R jacket and Knee V E1 protectors.
Now the gears complement the AGV K3 SV (Valentino Rossi 2002 Moto GP Edition) that I had got myself last year well, doesn't it? ;)
Oh, and it was the biking legend, Valentino Rossi's birthday yesterday (16th Feb) and coincidentally, the size tag on my Jacket which I bought just one day earlier sports his number #46!
What a crazy feeling! ❤
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