Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C10, aka Kawasaki Concours - The Original => Accessories and Modifications - C10 => Topic started by: Pfloydgad on August 31, 2011, 03:29:21 PM
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Ok.... I'm a cheap ass, I admit it. But for the life of me, what is it with the prices on new boots. Yea, yea, I know about the economy thing, that is why I'm complaining.
In looking over the sites for boots, it looks like there is a heavy dose of price fixing accross the board. The Sidi line and company must be a bunch of pricks, their pricing is almost identical accross the board, Alpinestar is close to the same way.
If anyone has found any kind of discounts knowledge, can you please drop the info on here for the masses. I need new boots, but damn if I am paying what some of these companies want for them.
My $.02, thanks for your help.
Ride safe all,
Greg
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I have a pair of Bilt boots from Cycle Gear. They're their house brand. Got them because I needed a cheap pair of waterproof boots. ($40) They don't seem to have that particular model anymore, but they have a newer model for $80 (http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5010&L2=40&L3=960&L4=961&item=BLT_BLB8-BZ-08_G). (Pre-order status as of right now) The one's I got had fake leather, these are real. They fit me well, have proven to be waterproof, and the price was right.
They have quite a selection of gear under the Bilt name. (http://www.cyclegear.com/productlist.cfm?L1=5010&L2=40&L3=960&L4=961&nav=Exclusive_Brands_Cycle_Gear_Exclusives_BiLT_Street_Apparel_M%27s_BiLT_Gear)
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What're you willing to pay for boots? I just upgraded mine, with the old boots costing me $10/year to own. Granted, I owned them for 15 years AND sold them for $50 the first day I had them listed for sale, but that seems pretty reasonable to me. Those were the Sidi made, Aerostich Combat Touring Boots (CBT's). They were my only footwear for the 8 years I was MC only, so suffered everything from roadracing/trackdays to being worn to work (IT). I resoled them 3 times and they were due again when I sold them. There was no reason to sell them other than I wanted something different.
I bought some Sidi Discovery rain boots as replacements, and have Sidi Crossfire for hard-core off-roading, the $400 those cost are cheaper than a broken ankle, and Sidi Vertebrae track-boots, but I only paid $100 for those in new-without tag condition. All of them are cheaper than even 1 visit to the doctors office. And before you tell me I have my own money-tree, understand that I have only once paid more than $2000 for a motorcycle, and my current trio cost me a total of $3000 combined. My body isn't so cheap/easy to repair though, so it gets the best in gear (roughly $2000 worth anytime I swing a leg over).
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I hear you Greg. Pickings were slim at Iron Pony a few weeks ago with on sale stuff. I imagine if you can hold off till the end of the season you may find some good deals. I've got a set of Joe Rocket boots made in Italy I paid $85 for at the end of one season that are great. Hit the HD store, they sometimes have some good stuff in the range I think you may be looking for, you'll have a HD emblem on them but I have a set I like. I'll keep my eyes open.
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Thanks Dave,
I was figuring the same thing, I have 2 local dealerships keeping their eyes open for some good end of season closeouts. I know IP always seams to do something after Thanksgiving, so I might have to wait it out.
Give me a shout if you find something before me.
Ride safe all.
Greg
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my 25 year old red wings do me just fine.
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I have a pair of Bilt boots from Cycle Gear. They're their house brand. Got them because I needed a cheap pair of waterproof boots. ($40) They don't seem to have that particular model anymore, but they have a newer model for $80 (http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=5010&L2=40&L3=960&L4=961&item=BLT_BLB8-BZ-08_G). (Pre-order status as of right now) The one's I got had fake leather, these are real. They fit me well, have proven to be waterproof, and the price was right.
They have quite a selection of gear under the Bilt name. (http://www.cyclegear.com/productlist.cfm?L1=5010&L2=40&L3=960&L4=961&nav=Exclusive_Brands_Cycle_Gear_Exclusives_BiLT_Street_Apparel_M%27s_BiLT_Gear)
There new catalogue has some great prices.
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Inexpensive boots from Cycle Gear and other vendors are almost always from China. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy boots from China -- no, wait a minute, I am saying you shouldn't buy boots (or anything else) from China. The problem is that it's become an endimic situation. Don't know about Sidi's, but a lot of brands -- including Red Wing, unfortunatly -- no longer make a quality product, having sent their work to China to make more profit.
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Inexpensive boots from Cycle Gear and other vendors are almost always from China. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy boots from China -- no, wait a minute, I am saying you shouldn't buy boots (or anything else) from China. The problem is that it's become an endimic situation. Don't know about Sidi's, but a lot of brands -- including Red Wing, unfortunatly -- no longer make a quality product, having sent their work to China to make more profit.
My Sidi's are now semi-retired, and after months of shopping for a better price, I finally had picked up a genuine, made in our good old USA pair of
boots. Chippewa Street Warrior Rally Boots. Not cheap. But through shopping, you can find about a $65 dollar swing in price.
http://www.chippewaboots.com/boots/rally/27862 (http://www.chippewaboots.com/boots/rally/27862)
After a brief initial break-in, and the unusual strap-in, these are quickly becoming best friends. And they appear and feel like they are built to last.
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I Greg said he was a bit frugal, after searching Chippawa's site and finding a retailer and unable to find a price, I think they may be out of his price range, nice boots though, and made in the U.S. which is a great thing.
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Take a look at www.leatherup.com (http://www.leatherup.com)
I did buy one pair of boots from them and the quality was quite good for the price.
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I Greg said he was a bit frugal, after searching Chippewa's site and finding a retailer and unable to find a price, I think they may be out of his price range, nice boots though, and made in the U.S. which is a great thing.
I know siding with frugal is norm for the connie owner, but built in the USA by Americans is going to cost more. And the quality is there, the best price that I found tonight is $185. Greg was talking Sidi's, and the rain's run in the $200 range, and my red wings ran me $165 ten years ago, so I didn't think the Chippewa's are out of range..
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D1BRP2/ref=asc_df_B001D1BRP21691221?smid=A15MDCTZU8FRDU&tag=dealtmp1-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B001D1BRP2 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D1BRP2/ref=asc_df_B001D1BRP21691221?smid=A15MDCTZU8FRDU&tag=dealtmp1-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B001D1BRP2)
http://www.nextag.com/chippewa-27862/products-html (http://www.nextag.com/chippewa-27862/products-html)
That said, on the Leatherup site, I found these Xelement interesting..
http://www.leatherup.com/p/Mens-Motorcycle-Boots/Xelement-Advanced-Dual-Strap-Leather-Boots-with-Vibram-Soles/97546.html (http://www.leatherup.com/p/Mens-Motorcycle-Boots/Xelement-Advanced-Dual-Strap-Leather-Boots-with-Vibram-Soles/97546.html)
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I'm not saying you shouldn't buy boots from China -- no, wait a minute, I am saying you shouldn't buy boots (or anything else) from China.
:goodpost:
You are right about the Redwings from China too. I had my pair of 917's (R.W.'s moto model) for a year before I noticed the "made-in" label said china... >:(
Last time I buy those.
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My Sidi's are now semi-retired, and after months of shopping for a better price, I finally had picked up a genuine, made in our good old USA pair of
boots. Chippewa Street Warrior Rally Boots. Not cheap. But through shopping, you can find about a $65 dollar swing in price.
http://www.chippewaboots.com/boots/rally/27862 (http://www.chippewaboots.com/boots/rally/27862)
After a brief initial break-in, and the unusual strap-in, these are quickly becoming best friends. And they appear and feel like they are built to last.
Dang !!! I need to grab a pair of these. Damn good looking boot, and every place I have read about them have given them the highest rating. With the amout of riding I do (20,000+ per year), it's better in the long run to get something that will last. I'm on my second pair of boots since last May. What I paid for with the 3 cheaper boot I could have got these or the CBT's...
Cheers
Ron
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Dang !!! I need to grab a pair of these. Damn good looking boot, and every place I have read about them have given them the highest rating. With the amout of riding I do (20,000+ per year), it's better in the long run to get something that will last. I'm on my second pair of boots since last May. What I paid for with the 3 cheaper boot I could have got these or the CBT's...
Cheers
Ron
Danm there not water proof.... well it looks like CBT's then...
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My Aerostich Combat Lites have held up well through some real gully-washers. Ain't cheap though, and ain't American-made. They were made by Sidi in Romania.
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My Aerostich Combat Lites have held up well through some real gully-washers. Ain't cheap though, and ain't American-made. They were made by Sidi in Romania.
But in the long run there probably cheaper that replacing a lesser quality boot very 9-10 months. As far as where there made, doesn't make a difference to me.
Cheers
Ron