Dainese: is it really rubbish?

[Andy OH]

parakitaMol said:

Andy OH said:

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.

Personally I would not wear the stuff, in my mind it's fashion wear rather than protective - if you compare the price of a brand new season, top of the range, off the peg, Dainese suit with a high quality made to measure - it's not that far removed. If you compare all the suit components (stitching, cut, armour, grade of hide, thickness of leather, etc) it is very far removed. I don't think the brand offers good value. Having said that it's not the worst on the market by far and offers much greater protection than jeans or shorts!! It does come down to personal taste and budget to some extent too.

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. Sure Ride have done this about a million times - should be something on the net.

HTH

So have you crash tested both the Dainese and the bespoke made to measure BKS, Crowtree or Hideout gear?? If you have then I think we would all like the results of your tests....as for magazine tests do you really believe what journos say about anything they test

Yes I've had a couple zips go on the jeans and jacket which have been replaced by Hideout, as I live near to there, but with approximately 60,000 miles use of wear the Dainese kit hasn't done bad.

I think we would all like a bespoke BKS, Crowtree or Hideout suit but if you are on a bit of a budget one tends to look at slightly cheaper kit and in fact I don't think £450 for a jacket and £300 on jeans is cheap......in fact Hideout actually admitted that my Dainese Bora jacket which was £450 was the one they modeled one of there jackets on and they said how impressed they were with the Bora jacket's constuction and quality.

I admit my next 2 piece may well be from BKS but I still believe the Dainese kit has done a bloody good job.

What's with the heavy sarcasm? of course I have not crash tested all of these but personally I WOULD pay more interest to a comparable rip test on a work bench than two random people on the internet saying mine were fine when I crashed them and knowing none of the conditions.

I did say in my original post which you must have missed, that my opinion was *personal* and budget is often a factor and Dainese is NOT the worst, better than real cheap shit or jeans - therefore I don't get what your point is?

Having worked in the sector for a number of years, spent time with our buyers and manufacturers, knowing lots of people in the clothing & helmet industry, knowing journalists, mates with several British Superbike Riders who have passed comment on what they WON'T ride in, worked for Uvex for a year and very closely with AXO on a couple of projects on their ladies product design out in Treviso etc. etc. I happen to have just a litle knowlege, not a lot, just a little and I was trying to help. Sorry it was a personal opinion and wasn't enough for you.

It is all subjective and bound by personal experience. I have not slated them, simply said I wouldn't ride in it and my reasons - which I feel very justified in having. P.S. I have owned a set myself which I rarely, if ever, wore - unless I was popping into town and wanted to look good.

Ray - yes Chris at 9 Lives. Maybe he could comment about how many Dainese suits he's repaired over the last 10 years?

Chill out FFS.......

This thread has had a few replies where people have crashed in Dainese kit including myself and the kit has stood up very well, we have merely replied with our experiences of the kit in question. If you don't want to wear Dainese then fine but for me and a good few others it serves as daily wear on the commute and has stood up very well to all conditions.....each to there own I believe.........

Edited by Andy OH on Friday 1st June 12:09

[parakitaMol]

Andy OH said:

parakitaMol said:

Andy OH said:

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.

Personally I would not wear the stuff, in my mind it's fashion wear rather than protective - if you compare the price of a brand new season, top of the range, off the peg, Dainese suit with a high quality made to measure - it's not that far removed. If you compare all the suit components (stitching, cut, armour, grade of hide, thickness of leather, etc) it is very far removed. I don't think the brand offers good value. Having said that it's not the worst on the market by far and offers much greater protection than jeans or shorts!! It does come down to personal taste and budget to some extent too.

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. Sure Ride have done this about a million times - should be something on the net.

HTH

So have you crash tested both the Dainese and the bespoke made to measure BKS, Crowtree or Hideout gear?? If you have then I think we would all like the results of your tests....as for magazine tests do you really believe what journos say about anything they test

Yes I've had a couple zips go on the jeans and jacket which have been replaced by Hideout, as I live near to there, but with approximately 60,000 miles use of wear the Dainese kit hasn't done bad.

I think we would all like a bespoke BKS, Crowtree or Hideout suit but if you are on a bit of a budget one tends to look at slightly cheaper kit and in fact I don't think £450 for a jacket and £300 on jeans is cheap......in fact Hideout actually admitted that my Dainese Bora jacket which was £450 was the one they modeled one of there jackets on and they said how impressed they were with the Bora jacket's constuction and quality.

I admit my next 2 piece may well be from BKS but I still believe the Dainese kit has done a bloody good job.

What's with the heavy sarcasm? of course I have not crash tested all of these but personally I WOULD pay more interest to a comparable rip test on a work bench than two random people on the internet saying mine were fine when I crashed them and knowing none of the conditions.

I did say in my original post which you must have missed, that my opinion was *personal* and budget is often a factor and Dainese is NOT the worst, better than real cheap shit or jeans - therefore I don't get what your point is?

Having worked in the sector for a number of years, spent time with our buyers and manufacturers, knowing lots of people in the clothing & helmet industry, knowing journalists, mates with several British Superbike Riders who have passed comment on what they WON'T ride in, worked for Uvex for a year and very closely with AXO on a couple of projects on their ladies product design out in Treviso etc. etc. I happen to have just a litle knowlege, not a lot, just a little and I was trying to help. Sorry it was a personal opinion and wasn't enough for you.

It is all subjective and bound by personal experience. I have not slated them, simply said I wouldn't ride in it and my reasons - which I feel very justified in having. P.S. I have owned a set myself which I rarely, if ever, wore - unless I was popping into town and wanted to look good.

Ray - yes Chris at 9 Lives. Maybe he could comment about how many Dainese suits he's repaired over the last 10 years?

Chill out FFS.......

This thread has had a few replies where people have crashed in Dainese kit including myself and the kit has stood up very well, we have merely replied with our experiences of the kit in question. If you don't want to wear Dainese then fine but for me and a good few others it serves as daily wear on the commute and has stood up very well to all conditions.....each to there own I believe.........

Edited by Andy OH on Friday 1st June 12:09

FFS back at you - dunno what your problem is, I'm perfectly chilled, just don't like the sarcastic tone you've chosen to take just because someone doesn't agree with you - who are you to dictate?

Yes, each to their own, and like I said 3 times now, it is my own *opinion* which I am well entitled to after owning a set and working with it.

Probably one not shared by my dear mate Simon (below) who died in his Dainese 1pc 3 hours after I took this very photo.



I witnessed the accident and his death and his kit falling apart - No other vehicles involved.

Try reading what people actually say before throwing your handbag around.

[Rawwr]

I use a Dainese Titanium Age 2pc for commuting but for any 'proper' riding I use an Alpinestars Race Replica - the difference in quality between the two is pretty obvious.

I'm not saying the Dainese stuff is shoddy, not by any means, I'm just saying the better stuff is clearly better.

[Andy OH]

parakitaMol said:

FFS back at you - dunno what your problem is, I'm perfectly chilled, just don't like the sarcastic tone you've chosen to take just because someone doesn't agree with you - who are you to dictate?

I have no problems at all, I was replying with an honest answer to the OP's question giving my opinion on Dainese kit as others have as well. You like a couple of others have negative views of Dainese kit, however, my experience of it has always been good and crash tested as good......alas I am no one to dictate....but having read your posts you're not doing too bad a job in the sarcasm stakes

parakitaMol said:

Try reading what people actually say before throwing your handbag around.

I've read all the replies to this thread and I rather think it's your good self who's throwing your toys out of your pram! I have No problem with Dainese kit for what I use it for as I clearly stated above....I must remember my handbag and now I'm off to

Edited by Andy OH on Friday 1st June 14:34

[wolf1]

I have no problems wearing Dianese leathers. Had more than enough offs whilst racing and on the road to have a personal opinion about their suitability for the task at hand. What people tend to forget to mention is how little they care for their leathers when not wearing them. The stitching on any leather garment will rot and come away after being soaked in sweat and rain without being properly cleaned and conditioned. How many just hang their leathers up in the garage after using then without a thought about taking as much care for the safety aspect servicing of the item? Most will polish and preen their bikes to perfection and leave the most important item to slowly rot itself away. Just because the wife won't let you bring them into the house because they niff a bit doesn't mean you can't look after them.

Finaly some have to remember that leathers buy you time when you come off they are not a magic forcefield.

[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

[black-k1]

SVS said:

... 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?

Ex-police BKS leathers can be had off e-bay for peanuts. Wearing a suit made to measure for some one else is no different to wearing an off the peg suit.

[Busa_Rush]

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.

If by "very large Dainese supplier" you mean they sold a lot of it then may be you would expect to see more of it come back for repair compared to other makes ?

It's a bit like sayig Ford have to repair more faulty clutches than Aston Martin without bearing in mind that Ford sell 10,000 more cars a year than Aston.

[308mate]

parakitaMol said:

Probably one not shared by my dear mate Simon (below) who died in his Dainese 1pc 3 hours after I took this very photo.



I witnessed the accident and his death and his kit falling apart - No other vehicles involved.

Para - I dont see how this is relevent. However unfortunate the event, can it be blamed directly on his kit? Would he still be alive had he been wearing anything else?
Do you also now have low opinions of the type of bike he was on, helmet he was wearing, boots, gloves etc etc?
Did anyone attempt legal action against Dianese?

As Im sure you realise, there are some accidents no kit will save you from. Troy corser (I think!) ruptured spleen in 60mph low side, ol' mate on the Kwak slid on his arse at 190mph for a couple of hundred metres - no injuries.

Are you sure you're being objective?

[MattOz]

After backing Dainese up, the tab on my jacket zip fell off during my last ride out! Ha Ha Ha!

Still, it's the first time in over a decade of wearing the gear, so I can't grumble. The tab has been replaced with a handy cable tie for the moment. Proper classy, me!

Matt

[The Griffalo]

Andy OH said:

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.

Personally I would not wear the stuff, in my mind it's fashion wear rather than protective - if you compare the price of a brand new season, top of the range, off the peg, Dainese suit with a high quality made to measure - it's not that far removed. If you compare all the suit components (stitching, cut, armour, grade of hide, thickness of leather, etc) it is very far removed. I don't think the brand offers good value. Having said that it's not the worst on the market by far and offers much greater protection than jeans or shorts!! It does come down to personal taste and budget to some extent too.

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. Sure Ride have done this about a million times - should be something on the net.

HTH

So have you crash tested both the Dainese and the bespoke made to measure BKS, Crowtree or Hideout gear?? If you have then I think we would all like the results of your tests....as for magazine tests do you really believe what journos say about anything they test

Yes I've had a couple zips go on the jeans and jacket which have been replaced by Hideout, as I live near to there, but with approximately 60,000 miles use of wear the Dainese kit hasn't done bad.

I think we would all like a bespoke BKS, Crowtree or Hideout suit but if you are on a bit of a budget one tends to look at slightly cheaper kit and in fact I don't think £450 for a jacket and £300 on jeans is cheap......in fact Hideout actually admitted that my Dainese Bora jacket which was £450 was the one they modeled one of there jackets on and they said how impressed they were with the Bora jacket's constuction and quality.

I admit my next 2 piece may well be from BKS but I still believe the Dainese kit has done a bloody good job.

Edited by Andy OH on Thursday 31st May 12:00

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

[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 ... ?

[Busa_Rush]

Just thought I'd add my experience, came off last night, quite a mild off I suppose, 30-40 mph on a freshly surfaced bend on a country road with a deep layer of gravel left on it, bike slid from under me and I landed on the road, rolled over and slid a bit. Boots OK, gloves showing signs of damage but OK, Dainese leather trousers OK but the Dainese gore-tex jacked ripped open on the edge of the internal armour. I guess the armour did its job and stayed in the right place but I didn't expect the fabric to rip that easily.

The back of the jacket is also badly scored but I was wearing a Forcefield back protector and that's obviously done its job