If "Glove Nirvana" can exist, I think I've found it

[650cent]

Maybe Lee is a good salesman, but the last pair I bought from him he said if anything goes wrong with them they would fix them. He also said these gloves need to be washed once in a while and that will bring back the original color. I also use some Lexol leather conditioner on them and they look fine. These same gloves are made by Foxcreekleathers.com (who I think makes them for Lee Parks). Maybe Lee is slow on customer service, which is no excuse, but I still like his gloves.

Bill

 

[Groo]

Skyway,

Can you tell us, is the carbon fiber knuckle protection hard/brittle or somewhat flexible?

650cent,

I've washed mine... used Woolite.. very gentle... they get dark when they're wet... they dry out and still have the faded look. Again, they're not terrible gloves (they're still the ones I use daily), but I'm leaning towards trying something else.

 

[skyway]

Skyway,
Can you tell us, is the carbon fiber knuckle protection hard/brittle or somewhat flexible?

The carbon fiber is hard in the knuckle area.

 

[TWILKIN650]

Groo, I just got a set of the Lee Parks Deer Sports Gold gauntlets in the mail yesterday. Lee went the extra mile to get me fitted correctly by having his staff find just the right size (in a bin 'o gloves) for my weird hand size and they fit just fine. Just a bit snug so they can stretch a bit. I concur about being disappointed in dye bleeding on supposedly high end gloves, hence the Gold color. They seem comfortable.........a few summers will tell.

I too had a hard time getting in touch over the phone. Left a message and about a week later Lee called. Out giving riding seminars it seems.

 

[FJRmogul]

My gloves STINK. No really they smell like rotted bug juice. They are Frank Thomas Touring gloves and have the kevlar knuckles and wrist support. They have seen only about 4k miles. I've tryed to wash them, but don't know if this was the thing to do cause now they stink worse after another month. Any one else have a stink problem (with their gloves)?

So I just ordered the Racer glove.

This forum has cost me alot in farkles and gear!

edited on 5/3

 

[teerex51]

Skyway,

I'm glad you found your ultimate M/C gloves. They do look pretty substantial and well-made.

Next time I'm in Austria I'll pay Racer a visit (I see they're located just east of Salzburg).

(I also just noticed they don't have a dealer in Italy yet )

Stef

 

[skyway]

Skyway,
I'm glad you found your ultimate M/C gloves. They do look pretty substantial and well-made.

Next time I'm in Austria I'll pay Racer a visit (I see they're located just east of Salzburg).

(I also just noticed they don't have a dealer in Italy yet )

Stef

Stef, Thanks for all your efforts in the background trying to source gloves for me in Europe. The Racer gloves are sweet and give a much greater sense of security over the Held Steve. Another consideration in choosing this glove was the fact that the wrist strap holds the hand very secure inside the glove. Lots have people have commented on gloves stating that if you can easily pull a glove off your hand, then you run the risk of it coming off in an accident.

I'll be interested to hear what you think of them.

Just want to let you know that I spoke to a friend in Austria this last weekend, and trip planning is in the works. Dinner is on me. Just have to figure out some wheels for the duration of out trip.

 

[Groo]

I'm leaning towards getting a pair of these... the Racer Multi-Top Waterproof Men's Gloves

Which seem to be a bit less bling... more touring oriented (with still some sport in them)... The knuckle protector isn't carbon fiber either... which in my mind is a possible plus.

Thanks for making me aware of them Skyway!

 

[Groo]

Followup...

Haven't received the gloves yet, not sure when I will. After placing my order and waiting a week for some type of initial delivery issuance from Motostrano... 2 emails later I find out that the size (oooh.. medium, how unusual) weren't in stock and had to be ordered. I've had better customer service from panhandlers... :glare: You'd think dropping $155 on a pair of gloves would at least get me a "sorry, they're not in stock" email.

 

[Rickster]

I ordered 5/2 from Motostronon, gloves arrived 5/10 to Alabama.

First thanks Skyway for the tip.

Glove fit? I usually wear Teknic, have SMT and Lightning size Large.

The Racer Men's Kangaroo Gloves size L fit the same.

Stitching -- I can't see any place where the double-stitching is really close to an edge with 2 exceptions:

1) Where the Racer logo is stitched on (and this is a single stitch area)

2) on the Right Hand glove, the double stitching on the bird finger seam is kinda close.

Note: Cant really see in the pics, but the pinki is stitched to the ring finger (not seperated), but would be easy to cut the connecting leather if ya wanted to.

Will post after I wear them a few days - seem really nice -- but will know more after I've rode in them a few days.

 

[Toynut]

I think that some other high end glove manufacturers are stiching the last two fingers together for SAFETY reasons.

It makes sense assuming you can get used to the finger restriction.

 

[panthercity]

I think that some other high end glove manufacturers are stiching the last two fingers together for SAFETY reasons.
It makes sense assuming you can get used to the finger restriction.

Can you elaborate, please, on the SAFETY reasons?

 

[skyway]

I think that some other high end glove manufacturers are stiching the last two fingers together for SAFETY reasons.

It makes sense assuming you can get used to the finger restriction.

Can you elaborate, please, on the SAFETY reasons?

It is supposed to help prevent the last pinky from breaking during a crash.

 

[Groo]

Isn't it that in a crash, it would keep your most exposed finger from sticking out too much... and decreasing the likelihood of it getting broken/damaged? That's what I understood it was for...

 

[panthercity]

I think that some other high end glove manufacturers are stiching the last two fingers together for SAFETY reasons.

It makes sense assuming you can get used to the finger restriction.

Can you elaborate, please, on the SAFETY reasons?

It is supposed to help prevent the last pinky from breaking during a crash.

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[skyway]

Followup...
Haven't received the gloves yet, not sure when I will. After placing my order and waiting a week for some type of initial delivery issuance from Motostrano... 2 emails later I find out that the size (oooh.. medium, how unusual) weren't in stock and had to be ordered. I've had better customer service from panhandlers... :glare: You'd think dropping $155 on a pair of gloves would at least get me a "sorry, they're not in stock" email.

Sorry to hear this. I have never dealt with them myself via email, always made the call.

 

[Mark G]

My gloves STINK. No really they smell like rotted bug juice. They are Frank Thomas Touring gloves and have the kevlar knuckles and wrist support. They have seen only about 4k miles. I've tryed to wash them, but don't know if this was the thing to do cause now they stink worse after another month. Any one else have a stink problem (with their gloves)?
So I just ordered the Racer glove.

This forum has cost me alot in farkles and gear!

edited on 5/3

I've got Frank Thomas gloves, and they, too stink. I've had them about 18 months. Very comfortable kanga palms, saved my hands in a big fawdown, but yeah, they smell bad.

 

[mindtrip]

I looked at the Race gloves when recently searching for a new pair, and in the end still went the the Held Hawk gloves. Why? My Gerbing gloves had lost their "waterproof-ness" and I needed something that would be waterproof, warm enough in the winter, comfortable in the summer, and good for touring. Ideally I wanted to take just a single pair of gloves on my extended tours, so as to save space and not have to pack a separate pair of rain gloves. I don't know that the Hawk gloves fit that bill completely, though I do wear them on all but the hottest days, and it may be that even on a tour I'd be fine with them in 90+ temps if the rest of my body is generally cool in my airmesh suit. I do agree that the fingers of the Hawk gloves are a bit 'thick', but I have a GPSMap 276c so no need for touch-screen typing. And finally (and the main selling point for me) is the Outlast liner material--I have this in my suit liners, and it really does keep me comfy from about 35 degrees to about 80 degrees; 85-90 degress is warm-but-tolerable. Since the Hawk gloves had it, they were the best attempt at a single-solution glove, and thus far I've been happy.

 

[Rickster]

Followup...

Haven't received the gloves yet, not sure when I will. After placing my order and waiting a week for some type of initial delivery issuance from Motostrano... 2 emails later I find out that the size (oooh.. medium, how unusual) weren't in stock and had to be ordered. I've had better customer service from panhandlers... :glare: You'd think dropping $155 on a pair of gloves would at least get me a "sorry, they're not in stock" email.

Sorry to hear this. I have never dealt with them myself via email, always made the call.

I ordered Large and they were in stock got to ride with them about 3 hours today.

First impression: Fit good, comfort good, air flow through the 2 vents -- good.

did NOT like the bulbous metal thingy (technical term) on top of the wrists (when on, right where my watch is)

Felt good! I like the keprotec pads on the palm, not in the way, and not uncomfortable.

no dye bled through on my hands (happens to me all the time with Teknic gloves that I usually buy)

$155 is alot, but they seem like good to borderline great gloves -- the truth will be in their durability, I'll post back after I've had them a while, and after they get wet once.

 

[Groo]

Well, as it turns out, I've currently got 2 pairs of gloves at my home, 1 Highend, and 1 Multitop. The story goes like this...

After I ordered, and waited for a shipping date (or something similar), I was notified that there weren't any medium Multi-tops in the States (and they needed to go harvest some kangaroos to make new ones). I was going to cancel my order, but Motostrano offered to send me a pair of Highend (in medium), and a pair of Multitop (in large, which they had) so I could see if my preconceived notions of which one I wanted, and what size I needed, were correct. The package arrived Monday. Unfortunately, the pair of Multitops are size Small, not Large, but so be it.

Here's a pic of the gloves side by side...

The Multitop...

And the Highend...

The major differences from my perspective are:

1) The Highend glove seems much more vented. I can't say from a "ridden" perspective if there is a huge difference, since I'm only putting them on in my house, but they appear as if they would flow a lot more air. The base of the center two fingers has a woven material stiched in place of hide, which I guess lets air in.. and the material covering the back of the hand is perforated. Of course my Lee Parks gloves don't have any vents, and they're not too hot either... so take it for what it's worth.

2) The wrist closure strap on the Highend is on the underside, while it's on the top of the Multitop.

3) The Highend has the last two fingers attached... the Multitop doesn't.

4) The Highend has carbon fiber bumps everywhere.. on the finger joints, the knuckles, the butt of the hand, the back of the wrist. The Multitop has a hard dark substance (probably some polymer) on the knuckles and finger joints, but only a leather pad on the butt of the hand and top of the wrist.

5) The Highend knuckle guard is actually attached to a seperate piece of material over the back of the hand. There is a small recessed area underneath (could stash a couple small bills there I guess...?). There's no seperation on the Multitop.

6) The two center finger joints, and the top of the arm on the Highend have a metal mesh material inserted (I guess to flow more air...)

7) The Highend gloves have little tacky strips on the ends of the index and center fingers. My guess is that this is to help grip things.

8) Both designs have a leather flap that sits over the bottom of the wrist. For the Highend, this sits over the wrist closure strap. For the Multitop, it doesn't (because the strap is on the other side of the glove).

Both designs are very comfortable... my hand seems to be a medium, but I can actually get the small version of the Multitop on, and it's not uncomfortable... just that I can feel pressure across the width/sides of my palm. The finger length for both versions seems to be identical.

So I'm going to send both pairs back, and wait for them to kill enough kangaroos to make another pair of mediums. Word from Motostrano is that they may gets some mediums in next week. We'll see.