Stroker Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Has anyone had any experience with Spartan leathers? They seem to offer good quality for decent prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobie Fair Posted October 30, 2013 Report Share Posted October 30, 2013 Not familiar with them...I see they opened in 2008, so relatively new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted November 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 I guess it is best to have a custom suit made once and for all? HF had one made if i recall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmith12 Posted November 1, 2013 Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 I have experience with them as well as a few of my buddies ride in them. I feel they are fabulous, especially the custom cut ones. The quality seems to be that of A*. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted November 1, 2013 Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 I guess it is best to have a custom suit made once and for all? HF had one made if i recall. I have a custom suit from Z Custom, I love it. I was sort of forced into it originally beacuse I couldn't find women's leathers made for racing, everything was just made for street/passenger riding and didn't have knee sliders which were a requirement. But I was really glad I did it, the cost wasn't much higher and the quality is fantastic. I had a second set made recently - nothing wrong with the old ones, but I'd had them for years and I wanted a new design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted November 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 I was under the impression you had a set of Vanson's leathers.Oh well. CSmith, did you say your buddies used Spartan leathers? A set of Spartan custom with armor and everything is 1500$ or so i guess.A* custom is i think 2 grand, Dainese some more, and RS Taichi way more than that. Difficult to choose....not to mention there are other makers as well.Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted November 1, 2013 Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 I was under the impression you had a set of Vanson's leathers.Oh well. CSmith, did you say your buddies used Spartan leathers? A set of Spartan custom with armor and everything is 1500$ or so i guess.A* custom is i think 2 grand, Dainese some more, and RS Taichi way more than that. Difficult to choose....not to mention there are other makers as well.Sigh. Some other things to take into consideration : 1) Can you get measured in person or do you have to measure yourself and mail those in? Measurements by the maker or a trained rep usually work out better than doing it yourself, and they are more likely to stand behind the measurements instead of blaming you for measuring wrong if it isn't correct. Plus it is easier to have them do it for you. 2) Where are they made? If they are constructed overseas it can really increase the leadtime not to mention to repair time if they don't fit right the first time. Also if you ever crash a need a repair it is much more easily accomplished if the maker is local. 3) What materials do they use? You can get different types of leather (like kangaroo!) that are lighter, or softer, or more durable, take a look at your priorities and what is available. Personally I really want a suit that is comfortable from day 1, I don't like the suit to be stiff or scratchy, it distracts me when riding. I'd love to try kangaroo leather sometime since it is so light but so far it has been too expensive. 4) If they don't make the suit onsite, do they use only ONE manufacturer or do they change around? Sometimes the quality of a single brand name can vary widely, if they use various manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted November 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 For some reason, suit makers favor Pakistan.The turn around time for Spartan leathers is about 4-6 weeks for custom suits.A* has some stuff made in Pak as does Dainese. Spartan offer Kangaroo/Stingray hide gloves. I wonder if they can ship directly from Pak? I live in India. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmith12 Posted November 6, 2013 Report Share Posted November 6, 2013 CSmith, did you say your buddies used Spartan leathers? A set of Spartan custom with armor and everything is 1500$ or so i guess.A* custom is i think 2 grand, Dainese some more, and RS Taichi way more than that. Yes sir, they do. I can ask them anything. Do you need to know something specific? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Indeed i would like to know some things such as - 1. Quality vs more established brands like A*. 2. Fit and finish vs other brands. 3. Value for money ( both custom suit and off the rack ) 4. How they performed in a fall. 5. The quality of the armor. 6. Customer service. Thanks.Feel free to contact me via PM if you wish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmith12 Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Got your questions on lock. I will have a few chats with my fellow street/track junkies and update you when I get enough worthy info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Thanks man, also anything i may have missed - Don't know too very much about leathers.Owe you one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted November 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 Any updates from your friends CSmith? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmith12 Posted November 16, 2013 Report Share Posted November 16, 2013 I haven't forgot about you Stroker. I need to talk to one more guy about his custom suit. He is a heavy rider, so really wanted to get his input on your questions. But... I am in the middle of ordering a custom Spartan suit for myself. So far, I had to measure myself and submit the sizes and pay of course. I feel I got a great amount of bang for the buck with the color choices, lettering and upgraded Forcefield armor custom fit into the suits sizing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted November 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2013 I checked out Z custom and their prices seem a bit much.I yet have to look at Bates leathers....but so far Spartan seems the best option.May in inquire as to what suit you are getting and also the charges? You can PM me if you do not wish to share in public.I must say this is most fortunate.I will now know exactly what quality they are and how the customer service is.Thanks man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted November 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 Any updates CSmith? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmith12 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Sorry, it took me some time to get in touch with my buddy who had his suit custom fitted to his measurements but didn't want to forget about you. First off, from my own experience buying a suit from them and my friends. The service is "whatever it takes". For example; my buddy was a special case and couldn't order a standard sized/cut suit. So what did Spartan offer him? Come to my office in Indiana and we will measure you to ensure 100% a perfect fit. How much was the cost for this extra service? $0 I told them, I wanted it cut pretty much like a S&S suit and they happily said "no problem". Cost or (bang for buck) My suit: Custom cut (fit is perfect, will break in the butox area this spring) My colors Upgraded armor (chest piece feels pretty good, back protector disappears from feel after about 10 mins.) Speed hump Ect.. ect.. Grand total: $859 My buddies spec cut suit Custom cut and sizing His colors Patches No upgraded armor Pucks Speed hump Ect... ect.. Grand Total: $549 Crash testing Rider 1 Off the rack suit with A (Advanced) group track day rider and novice WERA racer for 2 season The suit was crashed a total of 4 times and all 4 times the suit held up perfectly. Only needing cleanup of the scratched leather. Rider 2 Custom suit with a I/B (Intermediate) group track day rider His suit was down 2 times. Both times the suit held up perfectly, only needing cleanup of the scratched leather. The upgraded armor, is fine enough, although I cannot compare it to the non-upgraded armor as I didn't have a chance to see it for myself. It is equal to most major brands that I have owned. Fit and Finish The fit from my point of view doesn't get much better. But hey... it was custom cut from my measures. Same review from my heavier friend. He is now getting ready to have his suit refitted to his new measures as he has lost 75lbs over the off season. The finish, well... it looks good new and if you take the time to keep it conditioned and clean, they still look pretty good after being down 4 times through the asphalt, tarmac, grass, sand and gravel. Timing My friend received his suit in 4 weeks from the time of payment. Most of my other friends received their suits in the 4-6 week time frame from the time of order placement. What is bad? Having to wait up to 6 weeks to get your suit in hand. Elbow sliders costs extra No local, "fix it" locations. (hard to send it back for an issue when back to back race weekends, so will need an alternative suit) So there you have it, the quality, fit, protection and bang for the buck is there. Lemme know if you have any other questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmith12 Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 My friend Brandon (AMA Pro racer) in his spartan. Sorry for the large image. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted April 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 HI Csmith, I have been away for a while, i am sorry i could not get back earlier. Thanks for your reply.Can you tell me what model you guys ordered? The Spartan website does not list any Custom cut suit for 549 bucks.The standard " Charge " suit itself is 600 bucks....unless you guys got a special deal it does not add up. Going by the picture, it looks very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmith12 Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Oh!! We did buy them when they were on sale. Seems their current sale is 2 bills off the 2 piece charge model. Brandon and I got the Elite model, the other buddy got the charge model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroker Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Hmm i tried to get the Charge suit they had for 400 but that did not happen and they are all sold out now.I hope i can pounce on the next sale. Have you tried the gloves they offer by any chance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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