Dainese: is it really rubbish?

[SVS]

Twit said:

I would forget Dainese stuff, good for posers - f*ck all use for anyone who actually wants to ride a bike.

I've heard that before, with rumours of Dainese kit falling apart. How come?

Without testing it in a crash, my experience of day-to-day Dainese use has been different. I've used a Dainese leather jacket for 4+ years, regularly in bad weather, yet the jacket still looks pretty new. (It's had a professional clean by www.scrubbersleathers.co.uk plus leather cleaning/feeding from me every 6-12 months with www.renapur.com ) In contrast, Hein Gericke gloves gave up the ghost after 3 years and Hein Gericke trousers gave up the ghost after 4 years, despite being equally well treated.

I replaced the Hein Gericke GoreTex gloves with similar Dainese items last year. Having treated the gloves with Renapur before winter use, they still look in great condition after their first winter.

Dainese often comes out badly in RiDE safety tests. I've never had so much as a stitch come loose on my Dainese jacket or gloves, despite regular and all-weather use. In contrast, I've had the odd loose stitch crop up on some truly Rolls Royce kit (BMW leathers, Kushitani and Held race gloves - all supposedly as good as it gets).

I wonder whether Dainese is well made, but using poor abrasion resistent materials (hence the poor RiDE safety test results). Or whether Dainese has improved. Or whether BMW kit being made in Rumania has deteriorated its quality. Or whether Japan's finest Kushitani has actually been overtaken in quality. Or whether I've been lucky with Dainese and unlucky with the other 'better' brands ... ?

What are your experiences and thoughts?

[SVS]

Twit said:

Blimey... didnt expect my comment to cause a whole thread...!

… neither did I expect a thread about Dainese to cause such vociferous comment!

308mate said:

Dianese will also repair/recondition your old leathers if you have a favourite set that are a bit lack-lustre.

Just email [e-mail] with the details and she'll let you know how repairable they are.

308mate – Many thanks! Very useful to know

parakitaMol. said:

I used to work in Marketing at a large multi franchise mc dealer network. They were (I stress past tense - this was a few years ago) a very large Dainese supplier.

By far and above all other manufacturers, the highest number of returns was Dainese, (closely followed by Frank Thomas) so much so they even sourced a UK authorised repair workshop, to save the European returns.

Cheers parakitaMol. That’s just the kind of insight I was hoping to get. Whilst I’ll keep wearing my current Dainese gear until it gives up the ghost, I will be buying another brand when the time comes to replace it. In the meantime, I’m unsure what to do about forthcoming track days. I would love a BKS/Crowtree/Hideout/MJK suit, but can’t get away with investing the required money. I’ve seen some half-price Kushitani leathers, which brings them within reach; what do people think?

parakitaMol. said:

Also, despite people having 'offs' in Dainese and them holding up ok - well there are about 4million types of 'off' you can have so it's not that comparable, for a really good comparison you'd be better to look at a benchmark test for abrasion, impact and tear to compare leathers.

Quite so. Although it’s also useful to hear a few stories too … which are what led me to start this very thread!

I wonder whether Dainese’s poor reputation comes from poor (Italian?) quality control. One batch might have leather without imperfections, whilst another batch might indeed have leather with imperfections. Likewise stitching quality. Whereas German or Japanese brand, as well as handmade British brands, are likely to have higher quality control. Would you reply on an a Ducati or a BMW/Jap bike?

Cheers everyone

[SVS]

Hi again,

The Griffalo said:

A full set of plain black Crowtrees starts at £450... Dainese, it's fashion before form IMO.

Yes, but it's a bloody long way to Crowtree in Louth from the south coast! I've contacted Crowtree in the past to buy a suit, but they have stopped offering their measuring service at London and bike show visits. Unless anyone here knows differently ... ?