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Alpinestars SP2 gloves - WTF?

I had some SP-2s. Left thumb tip seam started to unravel itself after about 8 months, (finger length too short?) The gloves became un-wearable after about 12 months. $80 gloves; 0 crashes. Very disappointed.
 
Does Alpinestars sell anything that isn't made in some sweatshop in China? The last thing (and I do mean absolutely the last thing) I bought from the them was a pair of cargo pants that started unravelling after about three weeks. Complete junk.
 
That sucks as I always thought A* was near the top of the line as far as moto stuff was related. Obviously not.
 
My SP2's "tore" in the exact same spot as the one in the image. They tore in a non-moto related fall (down some stairs). I think the "stitching" is just generic, and I dont think trust them for very much longer. I've had mine for about 5 months or so (probably longer) and will definitely be getting another brand.
+1 except mine just sort of came apart without any real stress.

Steve
 
too bad the brand has gone down in quality. ..

besides held, are there any other good brands to look out for? (rs taichi, spidi, etc)
 
That sucks as I always thought A* was near the top of the line as far as moto stuff was related. Obviously not.

+1 I have a set of their gloves (Like the posters, but shorties) and they seem to be holding up well.

I will say that the leather is soft, which I don't know if that's a good thing
 
is it just their gloves that are bad quality? I was thinking of getting an A* 2 piece

honestly i would assume that it's everything they make, but as the gloves are more 'actively' used probably more likely to show any signs of seam weakness/failure. i would assume the same sewing machines that sew their gloves sew their jackets, suits, etc.

(FWIW i ride in an a* jacket, but i do assume that in a crash i'm walking away with at least some abrasions somewhere from a seam blowing out. :wtf )
 
I'm not sure if this goes the same for clothing
but I know for my cellphones, the cheaper lines in the same brand are worst built quality compare to the flagship items. ie. my nokia N series are built way better than the crap ATT gives out for free :)
I got dainese hellracer over the weekend and they're wayy better compare to the Sp2s..

but I also tried on Full Metal Racer and I can FEEL the built quality difference. Theyre w/ better leather and better construction. I can see why they're $299
 
Why you gotta hate??:laughing I had two consecutive pairs of A* GP that are awesome! ............

Yup, me too, I have had the same A* GP Plus gloves for the past 4 years and some GP Tech gloves for about 2 years. Wore the the GP Plus gloves for street riding and some track duty as well. They've been through one lowside in the gravel/asphalt. No tears, no stitching coming undone, just slight wear marks on the right gloves palm that got stuck under my butt as I slid on my back (Spidi suits FTW!).
The leather is now just starting to tear on the palm area. I will get A* again. Maybe the higher end A* gloves are better? :dunno
 
I can see what you're saying to a point, but like I said before, I have $15 mountain bike gloves that have survived wayyyy worse crashes than what happened to me on the road bike. I mean I honestly fell while moving maybe 10-15mph, there's no reason why they should have tore like they did. The palms of gloves should be the strongest part of the glove because when humans fall the first thing they do is put their hands down to support themselves. I won't ever buy A* stuff again. My $.02
 
The palms of gloves should be the strongest part of the glove because when humans fall the first thing they do is put their hands down to support themselves.

I practice Martial Arts.

The first thing we teach a new student in Martial Arts is not to reach for the ground when they fall. Obviously, martial arts is different than falling from a motorcycle due to the protective gear and speeds involved.

From what I understand, the best technique on a motorcycle is to try to flatten like a rag doll. Recommended practice is to wear full gear, standing straight up. Try to relax the entire body, and fall to the ground like a pile of laundry. Repeat on the back and to the sides until it comes naturally.

I believe Lee Parks covers this technique in "Total Control."

IMO, practicing how to fall will make a huge difference in what kind of injuries a rider experiences during a crash. Gloves aren't nearly enough to absorb the full weight of a human body.
 
I've had my SP2's for about a year and a half now. The left glove is now garbage thanks to several holes from worn out leather. They were worn only once in the rain and I think that's what destroyed the leather. Future gloves will NOT be A*s. Still love my A* boots though.
 
for the price I paid for my sp2 ($80) I expect better quality. I didn't know much then because it was my first time buying gear, and the sp2 gloves looked tough.

The stitching is the weakpoint, it is already coming apart after only a year. And they smell horrible.

by the way how do you clean gloves to get that sweaty damp smell out? I tried leather cleaner, febreeze and it didn't work.
 
I was planning to pick a pair of Sp2's this week... Glad I found this thread. What other particular brands/models would anyone recommend me trying on?
 
i bought a pair of a* smx beginning of last summer. Rode on em' basically everday cuz the days were beautiful :). But i lowsided on redwood in august about 40ish.

on my left hand, the velcro blew up and i have permanent hicky marks a la road rash. and on my right hand the stiching and leather in the fingers disentergraded leaving my middle and pointer finger with "cricks" in them a la tore'd tendons and smashed knuckles. :(

oh yeah, the stiching was starting to unravel also. thats 3-4 months of solid riding, no rain just shine/sweat/heat. boy were my hands diappointed.

scooped up a pair of dainese hellracers. fucking awesome. i wore a md in the a*. the guy at the dainese store said to pick up smalls and the leather will stretch out and fit you. havent gone down in em yet but, boy. soooooo much nicer. its seriously like twice the price(70 to 150) but i think theyre worth it. Think im going to invest in a dainese jacket as well this coming season.
 
These are my old SMX SP1 gloves after a get-off. Not so impressive.

Right hand:
2516067-img_2982.jpg


Left hand:
2516066-img_2981.jpg
 
So...the SP-2 is about a $90 pair of gloves, the GP Plus are about $150. Those gloves appear to have done their job in your crash. We pay $300-500 for a quality helmet, and that's only good for one hit as well. I kicked in the extra dough and got a higher quality glove, but it sounds like a mixed bag here as far as the quality of the SP-2 goes, so... :confused

And Held Gloves? Sweet..but like $200+, no?

Here's one person's review of the Held...has a familiar ring:

"Held 2273 Gloves

In terms of protection, features, quality, style and comfort, these are the best gloves I have owned in 20 years of motorcycling. However, they are also the most expensive and the least durable. The net result is an utterly frustrating piece of gear.

Normal wear and tear? I bought my Held gloves in June 1998. Around June 1999 they wore through in the left thumb. The kangaroo leather in the area around the holes changed from smooth to suede-like. I did not crash on these gloves. I did not use them to stop the bench grinder. I followed the care instructions, i.e. no conditioners, no stuffing them under the seat after each use, and no blowing my nose on them. I thought one year is rather below average for wear. For comparison, my previous two pairs of gloves were both Motoport cheapies (Imola, USD 39 a pair.) They both lasted about 3 years each. I log most of my miles in commute traffic and sport touring. I average about 6K miles a year.

So I went back to Helimot European Accessories to see what they had to say. The salesman took one look and immediately pronounced "Turn signals!" The big bad turn signal switch is to blame for chewing up my gloves!

I pointed out to him that my BMW has turn signal switches on both sides, that on average I probably turn right as much as I turn left, and that the switches themselves are pretty well rounded and smooth. And besides they had not eaten through the Motoports. There they are on either either side of this paragraph, the suspect switches. Pretty menacing, huh?

Then the knowledgeable salesman tried to tell me that, hey all gloves wear out eventually, just like tires. Fine, but in one year? These gloves cost three times as much as my typical set of handschuhe. But I'm not even expecting three times the wear. Comparable would be fine, thanks.

In the interest of balanced coverage, I will say that Motorcycle Online tried these gloves and liked them fine. You can read their review here. Which is not to say they liked everything they tried, or that big name stuff is always beyond reproach. Here is their horror story about a pair of Nankais.

So what happened? My theory is that kangaroos and I just don't get along. It may be a chemistry thing. It probably is a chemistry thing! My wife and I both floss every night. She always gets good checkups in spite of visiting the dentist only twice a year. I always have lots of plaque even though I go to the dentist three times a year. The dental hygienist thinks my saliva is more conducive to plaque buildup. Likewise I suspect my sweat is just bad news for kangaroo leather.

Held seems like a fine company. They make some nifty stuff, all shown on their website. I may or may not buy another pair of Held gloves, but I am fairly certain I would not try kangaroo leather again. Oh, and my wife thinks I should not drool on kangaroos...

Lest you think I'm slamming Helimot, I should also point out that I'm happy with their customer service in every other respect. They were very helpful in fitting my wife for her Daytona Gore-tex boots, and her Held 2273s have held up much better than mine. Less wear and different sweat? "
 
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"So I went back to Helimot European Accessories to see what they had to say. The salesman took one look and immediately pronounced "Turn signals!" The big bad turn signal switch is to blame for chewing up my gloves!"

Wow. I would have expected someplace like Helimot to hold products they sell to a higher standard, I mean if they can't survive turn signals can they be expected to keep you safe in a fall?
 
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