Recommendations for Apparel/Accessories

bronch said:

I got a few things from ProItalia. Good customer support, prices seemed on par with other places.

Link

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I bought all my stuff from Proitalia....and I live in Sydney (NSW not Canada)...after factoring in all the courier costs they are still cheaper than here.

Great customer service

MacaveliMC said:

Here's a recommendation: don't buy any Ducati riding apparel.

Ducati specializes in motorcycles, not riding gear. There are plenty of companies that focus on riding apparel, I would trust them much more than Ducati for my needs. Besides, no one wants to be the douche who shows up on a Ducati, wearing a Ducati labeled jacket, helmet, gloves, pants, and boots. I know a group of them who show up to bike nights, and I refer to them as the Ducati fan boys. They act like they're the $h!t where ever they are. It's almost (almost!) embarrassing to own a Ducati when they're around.

Here are some better companies:

Jackets: Dainese, Scorpion, RS Taichi, Aplinestar
Boots: Sidi, Aplinestar, TCX
Gloves: Alpinestar, Held, Knox
Helmets: AGV, Bell, Shoei, Scorpion, Suomy

Those are just recommendations, there are plenty of others. I personally own a Dainese jacket, Sidi boots, Held gloves, and a Scorpion helmet, soon to be an AGV.

Check them out, I guarantee you'll find high quality, good looking stuff.

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I believe that some of the Ducati Apparel is actually re-badged Dainese, AGV, Puma, etc - with the main difference being the Ducati badge and a price premium (because it is Ducati). So I gather you have issue with Ducati labels all over the kit rather than the quality ? I am not challenging your recommendation list.

Personally for what it is worth, I have no problem with anyone who wears Ducati everywhere, etc. It is like folks who ride Harleys and have HD labels on everything.

I actually have Dainese and Ducati branded stuff and since moved on to have Dainese custom design a one-off set of leathers which I will have next month ( this was to get the best fit, different graphics and basically because a one-off opportunity came up to have it done by a couple of Dainese tailors who flew over).

I really like SIDI boots and was going to purchase a very good pair, however I saw a post on this forum stating that a component of the boot scratched the carbon heel guards on the 1199. I went a good pair of Dainese which I have found to be a good choice - for I.

CaliDuc said:

I believe that some of the Ducati Apparel is actually re-badged Dainese, AGV, Puma, etc - with the main difference being the Ducati badge and a price premium (because it is Ducati). So I gather you have issue with Ducati labels all over the kit rather than the quality ? I am not challenging your recommendation list.

Personally for what it is worth, I have no problem with anyone who wears Ducati everywhere, etc. It is like folks who ride Harleys and have HD labels on everything.

I actually have Dainese and Ducati branded stuff and since moved on to have Dainese custom design a one-off set of leathers which I will have next month ( this was to get the best fit, different graphics and basically because a one-off opportunity came up to have it done by a couple of Dainese tailors who flew over).

I really like SIDI boots and was going to purchase a very good pair, however I saw a post on this forum stating that a component of the boot scratched the carbon heel guards on the 1199. I went a good pair of Dainese which I have found to be a good choice - for I.

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Good, cuz i was second guessing my decision to go with the Alpine over the SIDI but couldnt justify the $100 difference, and now you say it would have maybe damaged my bike anyway so thanks, that does help me ease my mind I always seem to second guess my purchases, with exception to my Panigale of course!

reganc said:

I also like the Arai helmets with the Ducati livery but not a fan of the guy with the ducati with all the matching ducati gear it reminds me of that episode in friends were Joey pretends he owns a porsche and dresses in all porsche apparel.

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but what if you actually "own" a Ducati?

Friend of mine works parts at a Mercedes dealership and say's one of his best selling parts for posers is a V12 badge!

MUNDMAN said:

Friend of mine works parts at a Mercedes dealership and say's one of his best selling parts for posers is a V12 badge!

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How do you think that V12 badge would look on my C300 sport with the AMG rims! hahahahaa --- Pass....

Posers are funny to watch and catch

SoutheasyJay said:

How do you think that V12 badge would look on my C300 sport with the AMG rims! hahahahaa --- Pass....

Posers are funny to watch and catch

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You could call it an AMG RS12.

definition of a poser isA person who owns a bike and visits a bunch of caffe's/clubs, with the purpose of being noticed.. that include bike night if you are so worry about what people think about you, you are a poser, also ducati jacket are make by dainese and if you check the price it cheaper to buy a ducati corsa jacket than a dainese delmar or santa monica and is almost the same jacket same bubbler liner and same d-skin leather there is only two brand the i trust alpinestart and dainese and they also put their name all over, yes you are not a ducati poser but you are a dainese poser any way you look at it you are doing free advertising, I like ducati brand stuff yes Im a poser have 4 ducati in my garage and I have every ducati corse jacket from 2009 to 2012 and I have the dainese delmar jacket and the santa monica and i can tell you there is no difference.I just dont give .... what people think about me when the look a me driven my panigale with my ducati corsa jacket my ducati arai helmet and my dainese delta pro pants with the "SLIDER" on. or care less if you don't like when I'm touring in my MTS1200 with my strada goretex jacket my strada arai helmet my strada goretex pants and my sidi adventure goretex boots. yes I do it because it make me happy and I like how it look on me, I bet you the almost everybody will ride their superbike bike in full leather suit the only reason they don't is because the worry about what people think.there is nothing more comfy than a full leather suit on a supebike it give you a sense of protection.

SuperGmoney said:

but what if you actually "own" a Ducati?

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Same principle I don't think it's a cool look to walk around like an advertising board for Ducati. The stuff is nice but mix it up a bit

reganc said:

Same principle I don't think it's a cool look to walk around like an advertising board for Ducati. The stuff is nice but mix it up a bit

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sidi, dainese, AGP,etc,etc they all put their name on the product there is no different

i too buy from Pro Italia, they have Ducati brand, but also seel the other great names like Dainese, Shoei, Arai, Vanson etc. they sell at pretty much the same price as everyone else, but have a loyalty programthat gives you points for what you buy, i go back every december and get something with my points for free.

they are super helpful

esmirna8261980 said:

definition of a poser isA person who owns a bike and visits a bunch of caffe's/clubs, with the purpose of being noticed.. that include bike night if you are so worry about what people think about you, you are a poser, also ducati jacket are make by dainese and if you check the price it cheaper to buy a ducati corsa jacket than a dainese delmar or santa monica and is almost the same jacket same bubbler liner and same d-skin leather there is only two brand the i trust alpinestart and dainese and they also put their name all over, yes you are not a ducati poser but you are a dainese poser any way you look at it you are doing free advertising, I like ducati brand stuff yes Im a poser have 4 ducati in my garage and I have every ducati corse jacket from 2009 to 2012 and I have the dainese delmar jacket and the santa monica and i can tell you there is no difference.I just dont give .... what people think about me when the look a me driven my panigale with my ducati corsa jacket my ducati arai helmet and my dainese delta pro pants with the "SLIDER" on. or care less if you don't like when I'm touring in my MTS1200 with my strada goretex jacket my strada arai helmet my strada goretex pants and my sidi adventure goretex boots. yes I do it because it make me happy and I like how it look on me, I bet you the almost everybody will ride their superbike bike in full leather suit the only reason they don't is because the worry about what people think.there is nothing more comfy than a full leather suit on a supebike it give you a sense of protection.

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Interesting observations and thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have quite the impressive collection. I personally would not think your a poser I would think that you have been very successful. Here is my experience.

Before I got into this whole Ducati journey, I was very happy with my R1. Many many times I heard very derogatory remarks from fellow riders concerning Ducati riders. Many folks applied the word POSER to all Ducati riders. At that time I had never ridden a Ducati, thought they were gorgeous bikes but really wondered what all the buzz was about and put down all the POSER comments down to jealousy. When I approached a Ducati rider at bike meet-ups they were always friendly.

The experience of having my Harley stolen (which was uber modded) lead me down the path of keeping my R1 stock. So I really did not want to get into Ducatis.

My R1 back wheel locked up on me one day and while I never put it down the experience lead me onto the need for ABS. I focussed on the BMW S1000RR .. then I saw the 1199 Panigale.

I am really impressed with the 1199, it is the best bike I have ever ridden .. loud as hell, class bike with a soul and endless eye candy.

I have found that people tend to think what they want to think about anybody or anything. Personally, I am tolerant of the differences in people.

I love most bikes, I enjoy the variety of the people who ride them and I love the technology that goes into the Apparel. It strikes me that a lot of the apparel today is very much high quality.

I have found in life that is sometimes not wise to let the opinions of others sway you. So, if I am to be judged by riders who do not know me as a POSER then so be it, it will never effect my enjoyment of Ducati.

Through hard work ethics I earned my right to own a Ducati and that makes the whole experience that more enjoyable.

Success always cultivates contempt in haters.

esmirna8261980 said:

sidi, dainese, AGP,etc,etc they all put their name on the product there is no different

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well there is as you are not riding their bike with matching t-shirt/helmet/pants/jacket/boots/socks/keyring etc.

I think most people get you have a Ducati but you don't necessarily have to be so obvious about it.


But if you like that look go for it

esmirna8261980 said:

sidi, dainese, AGP,etc,etc they all put their name on the product there is no different

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My Uncle, way back in the 70's, copuldn't understand why I would pay to advertise Goodyear on my GTO's tires Back in the day, very few companies branded their product on the outside. Not posing, just like the product, happens to have the name on the outside! Posing is going to the Ski lodge with full gear (inlc boots), and not a skier - same with bikes.

On the Dainese items i have found the quality has slipped a little namely in the stitching i recently bought new pants and a jacket and the stitching started to come apart.

i brought the items back to the shop and they said that Dainese has changed a supplier and that i was not the first customer to complain but Dainese do not replace items and that they would have to send the items back to the manufacturer and they would repair them.

Considering it was riding season i decided to just get it repaired myself rather than be without my gear for weeks.

I am sure this has now been rectified but it is worth mentioning to whomever you purchase from.

I had a very similar experience a few months ago, I went to the D-Store in Southern California and purchased a jacket, the zipper was not working well, and I was not able to open it


i called the D-Store and the sales person was amazing, he sent a call tag to pick up the jacket, they did something to it and sent it back 3 weeks later. Well it happened again. so i brought it someplace local and they put a heavy duty zipper on it for $45 and 3 days.

the first comment the tailor made when i brought it in, was that it was a medium grade zipper for such a nice leather jacket

reganc said:

On the Dainese items i have found the quality has slipped a little namely in the stitching i recently bought new pants and a jacket and the stitching started to come apart.

i brought the items back to the shop and they said that Dainese has changed a supplier and that i was not the first customer to complain but Dainese do not replace items and that they would have to send the items back to the manufacturer and they would repair them.

Considering it was riding season i decided to just get it repaired myself rather than be without my gear for weeks.

I am sure this has now been rectified but it is worth mentioning to whomever you purchase from.

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CaliDuc said:

Interesting observations and thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have quite the impressive collection. I personally would not think your a poser I would think that you have been very successful. Here is my experience.

Before I got into this whole Ducati journey, I was very happy with my R1. Many many times I heard very derogatory remarks from fellow riders concerning Ducati riders. Many folks applied the word POSER to all Ducati riders. At that time I had never ridden a Ducati, thought they were gorgeous bikes but really wondered what all the buzz was about and put down all the POSER comments down to jealousy. When I approached a Ducati rider at bike meet-ups they were always friendly.

The experience of having my Harley stolen (which was uber modded) lead me down the path of keeping my R1 stock. So I really did not want to get into Ducatis.

My R1 back wheel locked up on me one day and while I never put it down the experience lead me onto the need for ABS. I focussed on the BMW S1000RR .. then I saw the 1199 Panigale.

I am really impressed with the 1199, it is the best bike I have ever ridden .. loud as hell, class bike with a soul and endless eye candy.

I have found that people tend to think what they want to think about anybody or anything. Personally, I am tolerant of the differences in people.

I love most bikes, I enjoy the variety of the people who ride them and I love the technology that goes into the Apparel. It strikes me that a lot of the apparel today is very much high quality.

I have found in life that is sometimes not wise to let the opinions of others sway you. So, if I am to be judged by riders who do not know me as a POSER then so be it, it will never effect my enjoyment of Ducati.

Through hard work ethics I earned my right to own a Ducati and that makes the whole experience that more enjoyable.

Success always cultivates contempt in haters.

Click to expand...

I have to agree with this, I don't care what anyone thinks when I'm on my bike, I'm just enjoying giving it the berries where the road / track allows. I have some ducati gear but also other makes like alpinestars etc and tend to just stick on what ever suits where I'm going. Not sure if you got the same deal over in the states etc, but in the uk they were giving a free arai helmet, dainese suit , gloves and boots when you bought an 848. I did ebay the ducati helmet but kept the leathers (really good quality). Going to try them out next track day as my alpinestars are a bit scuffed etc from a big off. Live and let live. AC

esmirna8261980 said:

definition of a poser isA person who owns a bike and visits a bunch of caffe's/clubs, with the purpose of being noticed.. that include bike night if you are so worry about what people think about you, you are a poser, also ducati jacket are make by dainese and if you check the price it cheaper to buy a ducati corsa jacket than a dainese delmar or santa monica and is almost the same jacket same bubbler liner and same d-skin leather there is only two brand the i trust alpinestart and dainese and they also put their name all over, yes you are not a ducati poser but you are a dainese poser any way you look at it you are doing free advertising, I like ducati brand stuff yes Im a poser have 4 ducati in my garage and I have every ducati corse jacket from 2009 to 2012 and I have the dainese delmar jacket and the santa monica and i can tell you there is no difference.I just dont give .... what people think about me when the look a me driven my panigale with my ducati corsa jacket my ducati arai helmet and my dainese delta pro pants with the "SLIDER" on. or care less if you don't like when I'm touring in my MTS1200 with my strada goretex jacket my strada arai helmet my strada goretex pants and my sidi adventure goretex boots. yes I do it because it make me happy and I like how it look on me, I bet you the almost everybody will ride their superbike bike in full leather suit the only reason they don't is because the worry about what people think.there is nothing more comfy than a full leather suit on a supebike it give you a sense of protection.

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I absolutely agree. Very good point withy the full leather suit. I can tell you from experience that when I lived in Germany everybody was riding in full leather. Even if they went grocery shopping. Nobody looked at them. I wore my leather suit all the time. Once you live in a different place whet people don't even wear helmets you 2nd guess your choice to wear full leather in the Florida summer.

Full leather all the time.

Calitrade9 said:

I absolutely agree. Very good point withy the full leather suit. I can tell you from experience that when I lived in Germany everybody was riding in full leather. Even if they went grocery shopping. Nobody looked at them. I wore my leather suit all the time. Once you live in a different place whet people don't even wear helmets you 2nd guess your choice to wear full leather in the Florida summer.

Full leather all the time.

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You are absolutely right about people not even wearing helmets...vs full leathers.

Just to answer a few questions from earlier in the thread that don't appear to have been addressed: Yes, most of the Ducati-branded jackets are made by Dainese, with the exception of the new Strada touring jacket which is made by Rev'It (I love this jacket, it's incredibly light and has 3 layers including a Goretex later, and really good venting). Ducati has switched boot suppliers a couple times lately, the past few years it's been Puma, but this year they switched to TCX. Those seem good, but personally I've always worn Sidi so I'm disappointed that they haven't offered a Ducati-branded Sidi option since it's another Italian company. Helmets have been primarily Arai for several years, but they also have some Suomy and recently the AGV helmets have become popular. They also rolled out a Ducati-branded Schuberth modular touring helmet this year, which is very nice. Gloves are mostly Dainese also. A lot of the Ducati-branded stuff is priced comparably to the non-branded stuff from the same suppliers, and some is priced a little higher normally due to the additional detailing (patches, logos, etc.). One nice thing about the Ducati-branded apparel: Full 2-year warranty through the Ducati dealer you purchased it from, and it's a good warranty as long as you're working with a Dealer who understands how it works. We sell a lot of the Ducati-branded stuff in our store since we're an exclusive Ducati dealer, and I've always found that a lot of the people who just bought a new Ducati WANT Ducati-branded gear if they can get something that meets their needs. We gone back and forth stocking more and less of the Ducati-branded stuff vs. the non-branded stuff, and it's clearly something that a lot of people seem to want (in our local market at least). The casual apparel is generally good but some of the items have a lot of detailing that makes them a little pricey. The sizing can be a little inconsistent, although it's gotten WAY better over the past 5 years. I remember when we first became a dealer back in 2006 I had to get an XXL in most of the Ducati casual apparel items when I normally wear a Large!