What's a moto item you won't go cheap on?

In my experience the cost of a helmet doesn't guarantee it's good.  

Recently the cheaper helmets are lighter and smaller external size than premium helmets. Lighter and smaller means less momentum propelling your head and less chance of your brain to contact the inside of your skull (concussion).

The tech for offsetting shear force is probably good in some situations but to prevent a concussion you need to stop your brain from moving inside your skull. 

It's kinda expensive but it's the most accurate and you only need to buy it once. 

Hmmm that’s a tough one.

Riding gear itself might fall into that category. Some brands low end gear make for great value. The materials are so much tougher…but god I swear they make the cuts/fit so bad they almost force you to buy the higher end stuff. With which some brands wears out super quick.

Spending my own money, I would probably never buy a titanium exhaust system again, stainless all the way for durability and cost.

I think true A-kit suspension (like the a full Showa kit or WP Pro Components) are some of their worst performance to value items you can buy. I’m not saying it’s an absolute waste of but for the same cost I could get production stuff work 99% as good, and do so much more to a bike that would actually effect lap times.

I also think complete clutch systems aren’t great value unless you’re specifically a clutch abuser and trying to solve an issue of excessive wear and fade. Fresh clutch plates are better value than a full system, unless you’re grooving and destroying stock systems.

Not a necessity but one thing I wont cheap out on is graphics.  The premium brands apply easier and hold up much longer. Quality matches the cost.

Tie downs.  As old as I am, I have seen a few cases of a bike being dragged behind a vehicle, whether it was on a bumper hitch carrier, or an open trailer........and the owner had no idea.  As for the obvious, never skimp on a helmet, goggles, boots.  

For the record, the 2 times I have witnessed tie down failure, the straps that failed both times came from Wal Mart.......  Thankfully it wasn't my stuff destroyed.  

Helmets take precedence above all else, since everyone has one head on eternal back order. Boots are a close second. I saved up for an extra helmet and pair of boots to make race days a little easier with fresh gear ready to go. Also nice to not wear them out in 1-2 seasons.

Goggles and lenses can bail you out on a bad day. Have learned the hard way that performance parts are a moot point if you cannot see. I keep multiple pairs for race day to avoid cleaning them at the track. Also use laminated tear-offs so I can see clearer while using tinted lenses.

Hot take, good foot pegs pay for themselves. People shy away from the high end brands (specifically titanium versions) due to concerns about boot wear, but I’ve discovered through my experience they ironically prolong the life of the soles; they bite right away and stick, whereas the stock pegs dull extremely quick and become a cheese grater since they cannot grab properly.

Heavy duty tubes are a no brainer because we have a lot of gravel in Canada. They’re a bit of a PITA to mount, but in theory I only have to do it once.

I spend a copious amount of money and time cleaning my bikes at the car wash. Yes, it will get dirty the next time I ride, but you cannot beat the feeling of looking at a clean bike. Ego gets stroked a lot when people compliment how fresh the bike looks lol.

Suspension revolve, drivetrain and quality oil being some of the obvious ones as well.

Helmet, boots, gloves, tires and OEM hard parts for the bike.

Tie down straps, not since losing a bike off the trailer the first time we ever loaded 'em up with chord.

Helmet boots bike any parts i put on my bike

Bout the only thing I get cheap on is like pants jersey gloves because I buy close outs.

For me the helmet all the way 

For the bike good quality oil and filters.  I have found these things will perform for a long time with quality lube.

Just like me.

Have they improved much over the Starcross 5? I believe that was the last michelin tire I tried, (rear only) and to be honest it wasn't bad. 

I used Dunlop as an example as that's what i've always ran but it could be any tire I'm confident in. My point was i'm not running a lesser tire even if it was free

Helmet boots and knee braces

I see some guys rebuilding engines with the cheapest crank/rod they can find... 

Really don't get it.

Chains and helmets 

Boots. I had a cheap pair of boots when I first started riding as a kid. They were 100 dollar Thor boots. I crashed and drove my foot into the face of a jump. The rivets in the sole went into my heel and cracked it and also broke my foot.

Boots and Helmet.  Helmets, I’ll take my chances with Bell.  Boots, been on Tech 7’s for a while.  Tech 7’s are good boots but I think Gaerne and Sidi offer more protection.  I’m trying to switch over to Sidi Crossfire 3 TA.  If they don’t work out, which I think they will.  Then I’ll try Gaerne SG 22.  

Helmet , Boots ,Goggles , gloves to a lesser degree as far as gear. After wearing a goggle with an injection molded lens I prefer it over the flat ones. 

 I feel like I can see better with them on than without , when I have the correct lens in for conditions. And most of the goggles that have injection molded lenses also have a system to make changing lenses much much easier than the lower end models.

I personally feel if you're on the fence about replacing a helmet you should replace it. Heal up that's a tough injury.

Factory ECU 

I'm a helmet and boots guy for what I really appreciate being high quality the most.

Here are some high end products I recommend:

Dirt Tricks aka Iron Man Sprockets

DID X-ring chains

Leatt GPX 5.5 neck brace

6D helmets

Sidi boots

Cometic gaskets

Some good or great products that are affordable:

Kenda Southwick and Washougal REAR tires

Motosport number plate backgrounds

TLD gear at the end of the year. I'm amazed how well it holds up, and has some of the best end of the year discounts.

For those that have a Sidi shaped foot but not a Sidi deep wallet, I've found the 661 boys to be similar in fitment. Not in quality or protection, but in fitment.

Products I avoid like the plague:

All Balls fork seals

Bike Master anything

Athena gasket kits

Really cool thread, I genuinely like the feedback from everyone and I’m happy to see there are some patterns one would hope would arise.

For me, on the gear front: helmet and boots are a given, next for me is knee protection. The one that I was late to the party on was a nicer set of goggles…bigger field of vision, more clear, better sweat absorption. I can’t go back.

On the bike: SKF seals, especially fork seals. 

Tools: a quality, calibrated torque wrench for all size fasteners. My buddies make fun of me, but this is a must for me.

Helmet, goggles and boots.  

Good quality helmet, but the goggles and boots are less about how much $$ and more about how they feel.  Need to fit the helmet and my face perfectly.  Same with boots, need to flex and not hurt my feet.

helmet, chest protector, knee braces and boots

I alway buy good stuff on sale. my current boots were 120 something bucks at bto (leatt 5.5) and my SE5 carbon helmet was 50% off.

Funny because I finally got my bikes out of storage (my parents basement). Think the last time I rode was Oct. 2020. So I'm pretty excited to get back out there. Picked up a new 6D ATR-3 and some Tech-10s, which I pretty excited to try.

Good to hear you're back riding. 

Chain helmet oil 

I go cheap on everything if possible…doesn’t mean low quality, just means I’ll buy last years helmet, gear, etc. I don’t need the latest colors/style. 

I did just spend quite a bit on a new chest protector- worth every penny. 

From a helmet perspective I have settled on carbon fiber being a must have….

Outside of the gear and drivetrain stuff, I'll add good AF oil, Motion Pro tire spoons, and Pro Buds tire paste.

I really like the 5s I just put on a 6.  No complaints so far.

Going cheap is really expensive! I end up with more expensive stuff after being disappointed. 

I now have a 6D helmet.

As for boots I have gone from Tech 5s to Tech 7s. Still not thrilled. No feeling of bike. Considering Sidi Crossair. Thoughts? I had Sidis for street track riding and loved them after not liking A-Stars.