My opinion says that HJC helmets suck ass. they fit poorly(on my head) look terrible and just plain suck.

Joe Rocket gloves are a close second too. my cheap Icon hooligans have held up much better over a few years time than those crappy joe rocket gloves.

My Olympia winter riding gloves. They are the ones for 'medium winters' - can't remember more detail than that though. Anyway, had them 2 or 3 years.

Last winter when I went to separate the velcro to put them on, the other side of the velcro ripped away from the glove. Meaning the leather ripped. Happened on the other glove as well. Imagine how it would have held up had I crashed..

Another vote for Icon anything. None of the Icon stuff I've had held up for longer than a year before falling apart.

Icon Mainframe helmet: I had the blue Rubitone paintjob. It looked awesome as hell. About two months into owning it, the decals on the helmet peeled off. The vents were funky and stopped closing all the way. The chin strap started to fray all over the place. The rubitone paint started chipping away. I stopped wearing it and went back to my Shoei RF800.

Icon TiMax gloves: The stitching that held all the velcro down kept popping and coming loose. Some of the seams came loose. It went from being a slightly tight fit to feeling like a plastic bag flopping around on my hands. All this happened in less than six months.

Icon Superduty boots: Laces came apart in about a month (easy replacement). The ratcheting mechanism that tightened at the ankle kept popping open during regular walking. Ended up having to wear it loose to keep it from popping open all the time. The sole of the left boot started to come apart. Some of the stitching was beginning to fray. All of this within less than 8 months.

I bought all of it together because the price was right, the stuff looked pretty cool, and I thought it'd last at least two or three years. I didn't get a year out of any of it. You couldn't give me Icon gear to wear now.

I'll throw down with Z1R helmets. I know they're a bargain brand but that's what a lot of new riders go for, and they suck. No ventilation, fogs something awful, and the fucking thing is a tank. Plus, the outer shell scuffs and abrades so badly from next to nothing. I'm so glad I bought a Scorpion.

idk if i can add this to the list, since i've never worn it...:idk:
but i'll just throw it out there because riders seem to think that just wearing it alone negates the need to wear other gear...

yes, i'm talking about the icon field armor vest....i mean, it does LOOK like it can protect your spine, but does anyone who's worn it have a take on it?

the KBC helmet I had was crap. within a couple weeks all the stops for the visor had broken so it wouldn't stay up. the bottom edge pulled off, pads crushed within 6 months.

I'll third that,the Joe Rocket gloves I got last Summer had to be repaired after only a few rides.

Everyone that I know that's used Icon says most of their stuff is crap. Don't know what is worse...their helmets or their gloves.

I crash tested an HJC helmet and it held up well. :idk: I decided to try out KBC's after and crash tested it and it held up even better. Since KBC fits me and passed my crash test, I bought another. Personally I like them.

Joe Rockets gear...the gloves I had sucked. They were the Phoenix gloves, I think. Six months of riding almost everyday and they started coming apart at the seams and got holes in the fingers. :wtf: My JR Powerglide boots were nice. They were in the same crash as my KBC helmet and held up extremely well. I wore them for a year after...the only reason I got another pair of boots is because the soles finally wore out (after almost 3 years of riding). JR mesh jackets are junk, IMO. I had one, but didn't care too much for it so I bought a MotoGP mesh jacket, which I crashed in with the KBC helmet and JR boots. About a 200 ft slide and it held up so well I'm still wearing it. :dthumb: To think if I would have went down in the JR mesh... :panic: ....I think the pavement would have shredded it and some of my skin too.

My MotoGP mess jacket gets two thumbs up. :dthumb:

Combined with what my friends have said and my own experiences, I stay away from Icon and Joe Rocket.

Okay you're in MY HOUSE now!!! Hahahaha!
I didn't feel like quoting everyone so here goes;

Nitro ANYTHING!-I've seen a helmet crack from being dropped and the boots have fallen apart during a relatively slow get off.

Joe Rocket Ballistic- JUNK! I've seen one of their jackets fly apart upon first impact. Gloves-junk cheaply made.

Icon-mostly good,sizing could use some work. I have 5 pairs of Icon gloves with 3 sizes. I don't really care for the helmets,I've seen some of the problems described. I've crash tested jackets,boots,gloves,field armor-did the job for me. For the record,I had a pair of A* Gp Tech gloves do the same thing Marko described... As far as the vest,having spent some time in the "stunt world",I've seen quite a few crashed using the Field Armor vest,let's just say that it definitely protects what it covers. If you wore the vest,elbow guards,shorts and knee guards,I would say that you would be properly protected to fall at 30>mph which is the max speed most stunters are going. If you plan on riding any faster than that,You might want to throw on a jacket.

Sparx-$100 w/2 shields...but venting fucking SUCKS!!!! Is cheap,feels cheap.

Zamp-sent it back...nuff said

HJC-love the price,if I had never worn Arai,Shoei or Shark it would be ok but...

Alpinestars-good quality,a few minor problems over the years but their customer service is top notch!

KBC-got the fan-boy Mat Mladin replica...took it back,same as HJC,as long as you didn't know any better...

Akuma-decent helmet,lots of bell but the shield changing mechanism fucking SUCKS!

I think I over did it,:sorry:

my only real gripe with their lids are the plastic buttons that hold the liner in pop loose on occasion