I guess I'm one of those BMW fashion plates - wear the best of gear I can afford all the time. Most of my stuff comes from BMW simply because it is good stuff, holds up well, and is fully functional for the person who rides a lot. That does not in any way mean that other manufacture's stuff isn't good, it's just that my preferences move me to the stuff I buy. Of all of it though, the very best is from the Rider's Warehouse.

Vanson leather jacket. Very high quality and helps a guy look like a thug. I love it in the way that a guy loves neat things and it has broken in nicely but I don't use it much as there is more practical gear to use and I'm not as lean as in the past.

BMW Savanna jacket and pants. I have many thousands of miles on this ensemble and it held up well. One exception: the zipper on the jacket has broken a couple of times. So, it is very durable, and waterproof if the Goretex liner is installed. I passed this on to one of the guys in the shop after he tore his jacket up during an accident.

BMW Tourgard jacket. These jackets were very expensive retailing for over $650 and I often wondered how that was justified. When BMW put them on close-out at half price I jumped at one. It now is used as my winter riding jacket. Great CE armor, back protector and made of a Kevlar/Nylon/Gore-Tex material. Has a removable quilted liner. Wrist closures are superb as an inner and outer seal my riding glove so water can not get in. Though I have my heated jacket with me I have rarely used it in our typical rainy 40 - 45 degree days. I used this jacket this past September riding through 100 degree temps as well as 45 degree rain. Very good stuff indeed. Has been replaced with the Street Guard line of garments.

BMW Comfort Shell Jacket. I just acquired this garment and love it. The material, a sort of Gore-Tex membrane, opens when it is hot to let moisture out and closes when cooler to conserve heat and become wind proof. There are stretchy panels so the jacket does not bind. It zips nicely to my BMW City Pants and to my BMW Atlantis 4 leathers. I wore it in 95 degree heat and 45 degree hailstorms this Sept 2008 and it did as advertised. I will add that the back pad is huge providing protection to the kidneys, and the armor in back, elbows and shoulders is the moldable kind conforming to your body as body heat warms it up.

BMW Atlantis 4 Pants. These leather pants are waterproof without resorting to a liner shell to achieve waterproofness. They reflect sunlight and are much cooler in hot temperatures than other leathers. They zip nicely to BMW jackets and are very comfortable. The armor molds to your body as it is warmed by body heat maximizing comfort in the knees and hips. Very good stuff.

Aerostich Roadcrafter. I stopped in Duluth, MN at the Riders Warehouse and bought this garment. As far as I'm concerned it is the best riding gear for long distance riding. Click on the link and get the details. No garment is perfect all the time but this is damned near the case. I wear it daily for commuting with my work clothes on underneath. On long rides I wear light clothing underneath, and when it gets cold I add my Gerbing jacket. I have been dry in a Houston downpour and relatively cool in 100 degree heat. I can add ice to the back pocket when it is hot and open some vents. The protection is awesome. Put one of these on your list of things to get.

Gerbing jacket I used an electric vest for a few years and was content with it untill I was riding home from my 50CC. Going over I-5 by Shasta was cold. My body started out warm but my arms were cold and that eventually made the rest of me cold as well. I acquired a Gerbing jacket with heated sleeves and have never been cold again. Don't buy a vest when you can get a jacket.

LD Comfort Shorts If you ride long distances you will get hot spots on your ass. Typical cotton undergarments absorb moisture to saturation then you sit in damp stuff getting more and more uncomfortable. LD Comfort garments are like runner's or cyclist shorts in that they stretch 4 ways via the Lycra layer but the Lycra as an outer layer is bonded to an inner layer made of a hydrophobic material that wicks body moisture to the outer Lycra. It is then evaporated. The result is you stay dry and hot spots are now the result of a bad saddle design.

The boys in Hoquiam, WA make these things - check the link - they are the best long distance garment made. Period. End of testimony. Buy a couple of pairs and enjoy your Saddlesore 1000 instead of enduring it. I have a couple pair of the shorts but recently tried the tights - I like those better.

Helmets I have experience with:

Arai Quantum II - best I have used as it vents well, is fairly quiet and quite light in weight.

HJC Symax - good in all dimensions except demisting and when it rains it sucks. I know this is a popular helmet but I do not like it one bit.

Schuberth - the flip front is the best helmet I have of its type. It demists well, is strong, has a flip down sun visor and is fairly quiet for a flip front. No longer available in the U.S.

Nolan N100E - About as useful as the HJC Symax.

Shoei Multitech - Very quiet on my K1200R but one of the noisiest when riding my LT. Has to do with the venting and slight turbulence produced by the LT’s windshield.