What We're Wearing: 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Introduction
Going fast and looking good
When you ask a sportbike rider why they wear such bright and colorful gear, deep down inside they want to tell you that it’s because it’s the closest a lot of people come to looking like a superhero. There’s some truth to that, too – to the uninitiated, full racing gear might as well be a superhero outfit. Better still, it adds the most protection you can get.
Which is why, for the recent 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R introduction, my kit was bright and flashy. Naturally I wanted to stand out on camera (moto-journos are vain like that), but I also wanted the best protection I could get if I tossed the bike down the road.
With that, here’s what I chose:
Helmet: Arai Corsair-X Shogun
Arai’s flagship motorcycle helmet, the Corsair-X offers incredible amounts of ventilation on top of being one of the most respected helmets in the industry. This really is the same helmet that MotoGP riders wear. In fact, the Shogun graphic is a replica (minus the sponsor logos) of the Arai Dani Pedrosa wears.
Suit: Alpinestars GP Plus v4
The GP Plus v4 from Alpinestars incorporates numerous features seen in MotoGP and is ready to accept either a Tech-Air 5 or Tech-Air 10 airbag system. It also incorporates Alpinestars’ new Flex Plus accordion paneling that offers the same amount of flexibility previously seen with leather accordion panels, but with less weight.
Airbag: Alpinestars Tech-Air 5
What can I say about the Tech-Air 5 that I haven’t already said before? A full upper-body airbag system that operates completely independently, it saved my bacon when I got hit by a car. Ever since then, I don’t ride without one.
Gloves: Racer Hi-Per
There are a lot of great track gloves on the market, and the Racer Hi-Per certainly deserves to be on that list, too. It has all the right protection in all the right places, but it’s also super comfortable right out of the box – no break-in period required.
Boots: Alpinestars Supertech R
My go-to boots when it comes to racetrack work, I love the Supertech R boots from Alpinestars for the same reason I’m a fan of the Racer gloves. They offer world-class protection (these are Alpinestars’ premier roadrace boot after all) with no break-in time needed. That’s down to the inner boot system that allows the outer shell to be extremely flexible. Plus, they look cool too.
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Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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Agreed! I rock a custom two piece that is as green as it gets, and bear the label of greenest object on track lol!
My 30th anniversary ZX-6R while wearing my red/white/black RS Taichi suit, I liked the look