Plus 1, ducnut. I want boots that you can walk around in to a certain extent. I dont want a boot made out of 100% injected plastic molding. Look here: http://www.alpinestars.com/moto/footwear/durban-gore-tex-boot.html
The TCX Infinities are highly rated by owners. As are Sidi Canyon and On Roads. These are mostly road touring boots, but comfortable to walk in right out of the box, and waterproof I think. In my experience, gortex makes for a very hot boot. I think I'm going to end up with something vented or perforated for this summer.
I currently have a pair of Sidi's. They are 6 yrs old and I really like them. I don't know what model. They are waterproof and breath well. Great for the road and light offroading. I just want an offroad waterproof boot thats flexible.
I can cope with the membrane for normal touring. Works okay. And GoreTex is better than most others. It's definitely better than the DryTex in my Forma boots.
Okay, but what does 'better' mean to you? I have heard it said that gortex does work better than the knock-offs, but I'm not clear about what it does better. Perhaps it breaths better? Or sheds water better? One thing I've learned while researching hiking boots is that the gortex (or knock-off fabrics) are definitely hotter, they don't breath as well as a non-gortex boot, it wears out much faster than a leather lining, and if you do step in a stream and the water goes over the top of the boot and floods it, it can take a week to dry out. A lot of the veteran hikers have gone away from gortex lined boots. Gortex socks are another option for a non-waterproof boot for then they need to be waterproof.
Numerous Tiger 800XC accesory threads merged last month turns into a debate on boot materials... Gotta love ADV!!!
For me, waterproof motorcycle boots aren't very important. But as most of my riding is in and around the Bay Area, temperatures aren't generally that high. Which means, I appreciate if the boots breathe a bit, but don't let too much air through. In really hot climate like desert or hot and humid I'd prefer a non-lined boot, too. And "better" in that regard for me always means "in comparison to most other membranes" with regard to breathability and waterproofness, also in terms of warranty ("Guaranteed to keep you dry"). I think the only membrane that is actually better than GoreTex is BMW (Schoeller) C-change. It changes the size of the pores depending on outside temperature. I have not seen them in boots though, only in their riding gear. What better in terms of membranes means is: - better breathing in dry conditions - better waterproofness in wet conditions - often better materials uses as Gore requires the use of specific other materials I've had Dynatex, DryTex, and various other membranes in jackets, boots, pants, gloves, ... none ever vents as well as without a membrane. That is definitely true. I would not buy hiking boots with Gore membrane (or any membrane) for myself. My wife loves hers in all climates as she has absolutely no problems with hot feet. On the motorcycle I don't have issues either. Yes, my feet get warm, but it's not a problem as I'm not moving around a lot. When I get off the bike, I often change into sneakers or sandals right away. The thing is: if your riding is generally in the above 60F temperatures and 90% in dry conditions, a good leather boot is hard to beat. My riding is about 30% below 60F, and I often can't predict whether it'll be raining as I go on longer trips sometimes. Therefore a boot with a membrane works well for me. The Forma boots I have do have a climate membrane, but it's definitely not as good as GoreTex. The other thing to look out for is that for example the Sidi Adventure Rain aren't real leather in the upper boot. The Sidi Adventure GoreTex are real leather. Therefore you are getting a better breathing membrane, plus a better breathing carrier material.
The good thing about a boot discussion here is that everyone's kinda' on the same page. I hate to solicit the entire forum and have people telling me "X" boot is the best when I don't ride what they ride. However, take owners of a bike I'm interested in, who probably ride the same style I would, and I can get pretty good idea what boots to look at. As they've posted, I'm interested/have looked at every boot they've mentioned. Simple.....I think.
And it actually washed off! No sign of the damage. I bought crash bars the following week. Nothing like grabbing the front brake at about 1 mph and the front end tuck.:huh
thanks. for reference, the other two racks i've been looking at are touratech (18.5") and metal mule (19.5")
I really liked those boots, but, were too narrow. I was told "It's an Italian thing.", which must be why their cycling shoes are too narrow, as well.
Yeah, Sidi run a bit narrow, especially compared to the Formas which run pretty wide (and soft). I have a pair of Sidi Adventure GoreTex I'm picking up later today and if you like I can let you know here how they work out over time. Especially whether they widen a bit. As they are natural leather, they should.
Probably going to go with a Roadie. We sat on an XC, but, it's just as tall as my 1050*. Tubeless tires appeal to me, as does the 19" front wheel. I like to rail turns too much, which will make it hard to give up my 17" front and supreme torque of the big motor. I think the Roadie will be a nice compromise, from the test ride. I've got a couple things that'll have to take place, before I can get onto an 800. However, if I come across someone who wants to trade, it would happen sooner. I've been watching. *I have aftermarket suspension (Penske 8983/Traxxion AK20) with stiffer springs. The bike sits much higher than the OEM setup, so I've slid the fork tubes up ~1-1/2" and shortened the shock all the way and reduced preload. Thanks, but, a little more serious boot than I would like.