[SVSBoss]

Something affordable and useful, this is news. I wonder if they're comfortable enough to wear all day. Still I wish I'd had them tonight, it was dry when I left home but raining when I came back. Bummer. Oh, by the way, first post.

 

[TBones]

Thanks for the review. This could be the boot I've been looking for: inexpensive but not cheap, waterproof with decent styling.



How do they run size-wise? Big, small, or in-between?



-Tom

 

[gcash]

How the heck do people buy boots, rainsuits, and helmets on-line/mail-order??? Is there a secret? Do people simply go to the local dealer & try it on first? Do they not worry about sending it back for a different size? Or am I just someone that doesn't fit the normal sizes?



I just know that I never end up buying the size I expect, or the size that fit me last, even when buying a helmet, which you'd expect to not change much.



I end up putting aside a big chunk of change for the vendor tents during bike week, and try on everything in sight.

 

[RobGixxer750]

Supporting local shops...TRYING to

I have tried to buy from local shops as much as possible, for not just motorcycles, but computer components, etc. If something costs 300 online, I would go as high as 340 probably, locally, but I will NOT, no way, no how, pay something like 450 locally. That is the way motorcycle shops are, they have absurd markup. Perhaps their vendors get gouged from the manufacturer, then in turn gouge the shops, if so, find a new distributor is all I can say.

If shops would have decent prices, I would do it, but when it comes down to it, they are not economically viable 99 percent of the time.

Rob

 

[stevegrab]

Trying things on at the local shops is the way a lot of people go, but even that can be hard to do. How many brands of apparrel does your local MC shop carry? And sizes, just try finding something that isn't for the extremely skinny. I try to give the local shops business, but most of them just don't have enough inventory (other than helmets) to be of help.



So what do I do? Buy a lot (or at least try things on) at other places. I try the International Motorcycle show when it comes to Cleveland. I also check things out at the vendor areas at the races at Mid-Ohio. I've even traveled once a year or so to Competition Accessories near Columbus (about a 3-hour drive) to look at and buy things.



I don't particularly feel guilty about this, I can't help that MC apparrel is so specialized that I can't find a local place that offeres reasonable prices and good variety. If I could find items locally at or near the price I pay mail order I would buy it.



As an example when I bought my first bike in 98 I needed a helmet. I tried some on and found what fit. Then I compared prices, I could get it for about $270 mail order. The dealer prices was well over $300. When I was going over the purchase details they told me they would give me a card good for 20% off anything I purchased (could use it 2 times, unlimited total purchase $). That made the helmet more like mail order price (tax and shipping cancelled each other out), so I bought it from the dealer. Other than using that 20% coupon I've bought very little from them, but did buy a second bike.

 

[luvmyvfr]

One of the great things about buying online is the fact that you can save so much on stuff for your bike, that you don't need to worry much about the fit. For example, I bought a pair of tires for my bike that sold at the shop I bought my bike at for 426.40 before taxes (mounted). Well, I bought them online for 252.68 (tax, s/h included) and mounted them elsewhere for $30. Needless to say, I've never gone back to the dealer, nor do I plan to. Like another poster said, shops are only for the 'need right now' emergencies. I'll happily wait 3-7 days for everything else, and I'll have more greens to spend on my bike and myself.