After tangling my right foot in a Vortex rearset heel guard this past weekend (again), I've decided to decommission my Sidi Vertigo Corsas. It's happened several times in the past an I don't feel like tempting fate with it anymore. That said, can anybody recommend a vendor for the Mag-1's ? I noticed a few folks outsid the US who have really attractive pricing. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!
also look in to the vortices from sidi. they are my go to boots for track and street. no inside flap to get hooked on the rear set heel guards. that was why I got rid of the sidi vertabra's. Ski
I recently ordered a pair from motostorm.it for: Motostorm s.r.l. via Leopardi 14 47833 Morciano di Romagna (RN) Tel. 335 6027769 www.motostorm.it - info@motostorm.it Product number: 1 Code: SIDI-MAG1-BIANCO Description: SIDI MAG 1 WHITE Size/Color: 44 Price: $349.64 Quantity: 1 Total product price: $349.64 SubTotal: $349.64 Delivery charges: $37.27
Yeah, the motostorm.it site has my full attenzione; even with the shipping charges, I would still come out way ahead of buying from anywhere else. If I could find somebody in the states selling them for $400-425, I'd pay the premium. No luck though.
i have the ST airs.. upgraded mine for the same reason, i think the ST offers a better venting option
I think I'm gonna go ahead and pull the trigger on the Mag-1's from Motostorm. Guess the only question is: should I anticipate customs / duties if buying from them?
Prices in the US are VERY tightly controlled and set by the distributor. IMO, buying from overseas doesn't support the American economy and, more importantly, when I need service or parts or repairs, I know where to turn here to get what I need. Don't get me wrong, I am ALL FOR a good deal and saving a buck, but sometimes its not worth it. Good gear costs money, but its cheaper in the long run. FWIW, I have both the Vortice's and the MAG-1's. I really like the MAGs for ease of on/off and comfort, but the protection is still less than the Vortices. That is not to say the MAG is not a protective boot... it is. But if all out support and protection is your goal, then the Vortice is better use of your money.
nobody cares about supporting the local vendors to all of us.. they care about $20 its a shame, I just dropped a bunch o cash with Sprinkles for the new bike & thats because i know that if i need something at grattan they will bring it to me trackside & thats worth more than the $$ saved..
I ordered my boots from Motostorm two weeks ago and got them in the mail today...NO PROBLEMS at all!!!!!!! Attention STG....drop your prices.... OK, sorry! You are not allowed to drop your prices. Maybe you can just buy me some beers next time you make it to BMP? My bad, can you give rebates, coupons, etc...? You know I love you guys! If you look, my first pair of MAG-1's were purchased from you. I sold them trackside.....I am just guessing that over the last 6 years that I have spent in the neighborhood of $7,000.00+ and counting with STG. I would hate to see my purchase history with motomummy, ridersdiscount, cyclegear, revzillA, etc...
Justin, thanks a bunch for the feedback on the Vortice vs the MAG-1. The external bits have caused several oh-shit moments over the years. At this point, I'm pretty well convinced that the MAG-1 is the way to go for me; haven't placed the order just yet, because I'm really NOT comfortable with buying from overseas..... Just a couple other thoughts: As a guy who grew up in our family's machine shop business, I totally get the idea of supporting American/ local businesses. The erosion of American manufacturing due to cheap offshore capacity has been front page news for a very long time and it kills me to see Joe Schmo buy his shit at Wally world while mom & pop's businesses go tits-up. I would never suggest that saving "just a few bucks" is a good enough reason to send dollars out of the country.....but this ain't "just a few bucks". US MSRP is $495; I can get 'em for $349 plus ~$40 to ship. +20% is significant. Put differently, in this case, it'd cover almost half of a STT trackday. What exactly am I getting for the extra expense of buying from an American re-seller? They don't have any information about the product I can't find online, they're not going to get it delivered any more quickly without gouging the hell out of my wallet; they don't have unique product offerings, so? I also think that the "knowing who to go to" when you need something is not a very strong argument because, in my experience, that usually ends up with a "sorry, we don't stock that item" and an enthusiastic "but we can order 'em for you!". I cringe every time I hear a sales rep say those words because they're not adding any value to the situation; like most people, I can use the interwebs to find what I'm looking for. Lastly, I *never* cut the corner when it comes to gear. Just like a lot of guys, I've spent thousands on Shoei and Arai helmets, Dainese leathers and Sidi boots over the years. I buy the best stuff I can find because I recognize the importance - a point which makes it all the more necessary to shop for the best pricing I can find unless I want to spend money I don't have. in short: the situation sucks.
honestly, no; kinda didn't want to come across as being disrespectful. But you're right, I should. I've gotten pricing cuts for other items that have tight restrictions on distributor's advertised pricing.
call in and ask for Jeff O. the worst he says is that he can't do it, they are a good group of ppl over there
Just to be that guy, have you tried Alpinestars Supertech R boots before? They blew me away when I tried them on. Super comfortable on and off the bike and great protection, and not parts to catch on the bike. They made me ditch Vortices in a heartbeat.
Maybe you missed it... THEY CAN'T DROP PRICES! The retailer (STG, in your example) does not set the price. They are unilaterally set by Motonation for the US market. Ever notice they don't go on sale? ~$495 is THE price in the US. And for the quality and safety, they are worth every penny.
I look at it like this: By your math, you are "saving" in the ballpark of $100 by ordering overseas. In doing so, you speak to no one, build a relationship with no one, and support nothing in the American economy. As someone who understands the "mom and pop" end of the retail and manufacturing spectrum, you no doubt understand that the true value in supporting them is not the product, its the service and the on-going relationship. I use the mom n pop hardware store example all the time: Everyone has a favorite local hardware store... and everyone has a Home Depot in town. Yes, HD is cheaper on a lot of items, but it comes at the expense of not being able to get questions answered and having to hunt for half a day to find the damn light bulb you need... if they even stock it. On the other hand, going to the local hardware store may cost more money, but they stock items for the homes in the area and, in the end, the old man that works there and knows where EVERYTHING is can have you in and out of there in minutes. Oh, they don't make that part any more... hang on a second, i have one in the back that i can pull the bulb out of and you can just have it. THAT is the relationship that is formed... it may not save money on THIS purchase, or even the next one but loyalty is recognized and familiarity with those on the other end is a HUGE benefit. They know how to tell you "you don't really want that.. you want this instead and here is why". That is not something that can be expressed in monetary value, but its worth FAR more than $100. You said it yourself.. people go to WalMart to get things and it kills the little guy. How is it different than "using the internet to order them myself?" By doing that, you are promoting the same impersonal service and reduced labor model that walmart does. The trade off is on the return side. What happens when you get the wrong size from the big box store, or in this case from Italy? Now you just cost yourself half your "savings" to return them AND have to pay shipping again for the new pair that fits. Using STG as an example: Not only do they ship free to your door, but if it doesn't fit, they send you a call tag, pick up the ones that don't fit and then ship you the ones that DO fit at no charge. THAT is service you won't get from just anyone. I support one retailer for that very reason. I can buy my gear anywhere but when I call to order and know who I am going talk to and know that they won't let me make a bad decision. It happened with the last suit I bought. I blew my budget significantly, but the suit was EXACTLY what I wanted. Sure, they made a couple extra bucks, but that wasn't their goal... satisfaction is the goal. As for parts, true, many places don't stock the SIDI replacement parts because they just sit there. That being said, they can have them to you within days because MOTONATION does have them and they are in the US. Like JT said, knowing your sales force is the difference between getting them, and getting them hand delivered on a moment's notice on a sunday after calling after-hours on the sales guy's personal cell phone. Don't laugh... its happened more than once! PS: not trying to beat you up at all, I understand we all make decisions based on a variety of reasons. I am just an avid supporter of those who put money back into our sport at the local level and trying to give an alternate perspective.
Knolly, no, I haven't tried the Supertechs. I have a good friend who loved those boots, used 'em for years and actually made the same suggestion you did. I asked if he ever considered the Sidi's but said he hadn't. A few weeks later he tried the Mag-1's and told me he'd never go back so I felt pretty sure I was headed the right direction.
IMO, The MAG1 v. Supertech is a no-brainer really. The MAG is lighter, thinner and has replaceable parts all around. If it has a screw in it, its replaceable. Not so much on the Supertech. As for protection, once you take the inner boot out of the supertech, you see how little protection there is from twisting and flexing. Granted the MAG is not nearly what the Vortice is, but still pretty awesome. I think the supertechs ARE a little more comfortable inside, but that is offset by the fact that they are the size of moon boots on the outside and much heavier than the MAG is. That size is the difference btw hanging up on heel guards and not even knowing they are there! The weight may not seem like a big deal, but it will at the end of the day after having them on all day. I was shocked at the difference btw the vortices (which are really heavy) and the MAGs at the end of the day. Lord, I sound like I have sold these things before!! I promise, I don't work for SIDI!
Brian, does anyone from overseas ever order gear from STG? What about them darn Canadians? Your mom and pop warehouse is dangerously close to them!
That's very interesting to hear, thanks! I've been a devotee to the church of Supertech for so long and when the MAG-1 came out I was interested in hearing some comparisons between the two since SIDIs in the past really hadn't impressed me (my Vertigos in particular were garbage). I'll definitely have to give them another look sometime.